Souvenir figures such as this became popular in the 1920s, apparently after a set representing dancers with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes Company were issued by Cyril Beaumont. He had the idea in about 1914 to produce them from artwork representing the dancers in costume, hoping they would: 'supply the demand for something between a photograph and a statuette'. A 1928 catalogue of Beaumont's publications notes: 'The figures, which are of wood, average 8¾ inches high, and are hand-coloured with special care to ensure accuracy of costume. The black stands on which the figures are mounted are easily removable to afford facility in packing. The figures are priced at 7s.6d. net.'

This figure of Henry Lytton is one of several representing singers in roles they played with D'Oyly Carte Opera Company productions in its 1921 to 1922 season at London's Princes Theatre. They were reproduced from photographs and would have been issued in 1922 by the Artograph Technical and Photographic Company, located at 16, Grape Street, New Oxford Street, behind the Princes Theatre.

Henry Lytton joined one of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company's touring companies in 1884, and in 1886 was engaged to understudy George Grossmith as Robin Oakapple in Ruddigore, the new opera by Gibert and Sullivan that opened in January 1887. He went on to become the leading comic-patter baritone performers in the company, appearing with it for almost 50 years, his last London appearance being as Ko-Ko in The Mikado, one of his favourite parts, at the Savoy Theatre in January 1933.