Souvenir cutout of Leo Sheffield and Catherine Ferguson as Sir Despard Murgatroyd and Mad Margaret in Ruddigore
Souvenir
1922 (manufactured)
1922 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker |
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 Leo Sheffield and Catherine Ferguson 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.
The baritone Leo Sheffield joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in July 1906, making his first appearances under the direction of W.S. Gilbert. He left after three years with the company but rejoined in 1915 becoming one of its leading stars appearing as the Learned Judge in Trial By Jury, Doctor Daly in The Sorcerer, Dick Deadeye and Captain Corcoran in HMS Pinafore, the Sergeant of Police in The Pirates of Penzance, Grosvenor in Patience, Willis and sometimes Strephon in Iolanthe, King Hildebrand and sometimes Florian in Princess Ida, Pooh-Bah in The Mikado, Sir Despard Murgatroyd in Ruddigore, Wilfred Shadbolt in The Yeomen of the Guard, and Don Alhambra in The Gondoliers. He left in 1928 and continued working in a wide variety of theatre, film and radio.
The soprano Catherine Ferguson joined the D'Oyly Carte Repertory Opera Company in January 1918, replacing Nellie Briercliffe as its principal soubrette. She played Constance in The Sorcerer, Cousin Hebe in H.M.S. Pinafore, Edith in The Pirates of Penzance, the Lady Angela in Patience, the title role in Iolanthe, Melissa in Princess Ida, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, Phoebe Meryll in The Yeomen of the Guard, and Tessa in The Gondoliers. She played these parts until she left the company in June 1923, except for an eighteen week period in the 1919-1920 season when Nellie Briercliffe returned to reprise her former roles.
This figure of Leo Sheffield and Catherine Ferguson 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.
The baritone Leo Sheffield joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in July 1906, making his first appearances under the direction of W.S. Gilbert. He left after three years with the company but rejoined in 1915 becoming one of its leading stars appearing as the Learned Judge in Trial By Jury, Doctor Daly in The Sorcerer, Dick Deadeye and Captain Corcoran in HMS Pinafore, the Sergeant of Police in The Pirates of Penzance, Grosvenor in Patience, Willis and sometimes Strephon in Iolanthe, King Hildebrand and sometimes Florian in Princess Ida, Pooh-Bah in The Mikado, Sir Despard Murgatroyd in Ruddigore, Wilfred Shadbolt in The Yeomen of the Guard, and Don Alhambra in The Gondoliers. He left in 1928 and continued working in a wide variety of theatre, film and radio.
The soprano Catherine Ferguson joined the D'Oyly Carte Repertory Opera Company in January 1918, replacing Nellie Briercliffe as its principal soubrette. She played Constance in The Sorcerer, Cousin Hebe in H.M.S. Pinafore, Edith in The Pirates of Penzance, the Lady Angela in Patience, the title role in Iolanthe, Melissa in Princess Ida, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, Phoebe Meryll in The Yeomen of the Guard, and Tessa in The Gondoliers. She played these parts until she left the company in June 1923, except for an eighteen week period in the 1919-1920 season when Nellie Briercliffe returned to reprise her former roles.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
|
| Title | Souvenir cutout of Leo Sheffield and Catherine Ferguson as Sir Despard Murgatroyd and Mad Margaret in Ruddigore (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Photographic print on plywood |
| Brief description | Souvenir plywood cutout figure with wooden stand of Leo Sheffield (1873-1951) as Sir Despard Murgatroyd and Catherine Ferguson (1898-1972) as Mad Margaret in Ruddigore by Gilbert and Sullivan with the D'Oyly Carte Company during their season at the Princes Theatre London, 3rd October 1921 to 8th April 1922. Produced by the Artograph Company, 1922 |
| Physical description | S.1071:1-2021 Plywood cutout figure mounted with a photographic image of Leo Sheffield and Catherine Ferguson as Sir Despard Murgatroyd and Mad Margaret in Ruddigore S.1071:2-2021 Wooden base for the figure |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Peter Parker |
| Object history | This cutout figure, one of thirteen similar items in this bequest, was inherited by Peter Parker, along with a quantity of other objects related to the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, from his father Stanley H. Parker (d.1960). Stanley Parker was employed by the Savoy Hotel as a junior clerk in May 1909, straight from school. From that job, on the death of Helen D'Oyly Carte in 1913, he was appointed by Rupert D'Oyly Carte to understudy George A. Richardson who managed the theatre from November 1911 to February 1915. In 1913 Stanley H. Parker became Rupert and (later) Bridget D'Oyly Carte's private secretary, also secretary of both the Savoy Theatre Ltd., and the Opera Company. He worked for the company for 51 years, until his death in 1960. This was subsequently part of Peter Parker's bequest to the V&A. |
| Summary | 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 Leo Sheffield and Catherine Ferguson 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. The baritone Leo Sheffield joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in July 1906, making his first appearances under the direction of W.S. Gilbert. He left after three years with the company but rejoined in 1915 becoming one of its leading stars appearing as the Learned Judge in Trial By Jury, Doctor Daly in The Sorcerer, Dick Deadeye and Captain Corcoran in HMS Pinafore, the Sergeant of Police in The Pirates of Penzance, Grosvenor in Patience, Willis and sometimes Strephon in Iolanthe, King Hildebrand and sometimes Florian in Princess Ida, Pooh-Bah in The Mikado, Sir Despard Murgatroyd in Ruddigore, Wilfred Shadbolt in The Yeomen of the Guard, and Don Alhambra in The Gondoliers. He left in 1928 and continued working in a wide variety of theatre, film and radio. The soprano Catherine Ferguson joined the D'Oyly Carte Repertory Opera Company in January 1918, replacing Nellie Briercliffe as its principal soubrette. She played Constance in The Sorcerer, Cousin Hebe in H.M.S. Pinafore, Edith in The Pirates of Penzance, the Lady Angela in Patience, the title role in Iolanthe, Melissa in Princess Ida, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, Phoebe Meryll in The Yeomen of the Guard, and Tessa in The Gondoliers. She played these parts until she left the company in June 1923, except for an eighteen week period in the 1919-1920 season when Nellie Briercliffe returned to reprise her former roles. |
| Associated objects |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.1071:1 to 2-2021 |
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| Record created | September 6, 2021 |
| Record URL |
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