This self-portrait sketch of the much-loved music hall star Dan Leno (1860-1904) was probably originally a page from an autograph album. It depicts Leno as Abdullah, the captain of the forty thieves, in the pantomime The Forty Thieves by J. Hickory Wood and Arthur Collins, with music by J. Glover, which opened at Drury Lane Theatre on Boxing Day, 1898.

Dan Leno was born George Galvin in London, the son of the music hall singers known as Mr and Mrs Wilde. After his father's death, his mother married William Grant whose stage name was Leno, and Dan Leno appeared from the age of four with his brother Jack and his uncle Johnny Danvers, dancing in public houses all over England. By the age of 18 Dan was a champion clog-dancer and was engaged by George Conquest with Danvers for pantomime at London's Surrey Theatre. In 1889 he went to Drury Lane Theatre where he excelled as pantomime Dame for several years. He continued to appear in music hall where he specialised in long rambling anecdotes of incidents involving himself and his family. In 1901 he performed for King Edward VII at Sandringham, after which he was dubbed 'the King's Jester'.