Caricature
May 1905 (drawn)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This caricature is of R. A. Roberts when he was topping the bill at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week of 1 May 1905. He was billed as ‘The Greatest Quick-Change Artiste in the World’. It is one of the many superb caricatures of Edwardian music hall performers that were drawn by the artist George Cooke when he was based at the Grand Theatre. He compiled them in a series of albums.
Born in Liverpool in 1870, Roberts specialised as a ‘protean actor’, a combination of impressionist, quick-change artist and actor. He worked on the Liverpool stage before coming to London, where he became popular in variety. In Dick Turpin, he played all the characters as they met at the Spaniards Inn - Jacob Cly, Soft Sally, Jerry Binks, Lady Maud Rommander and Dick Turpin. In May 1905 he topped the bill with Dick Turpin at the Grand, Hanley, as well as appearing with it in London and New York. By 1909 he was commanding the considerable fee of £55 a week at the Oxford Music Hall in London.
Born in Liverpool in 1870, Roberts specialised as a ‘protean actor’, a combination of impressionist, quick-change artist and actor. He worked on the Liverpool stage before coming to London, where he became popular in variety. In Dick Turpin, he played all the characters as they met at the Spaniards Inn - Jacob Cly, Soft Sally, Jerry Binks, Lady Maud Rommander and Dick Turpin. In May 1905 he topped the bill with Dick Turpin at the Grand, Hanley, as well as appearing with it in London and New York. By 1909 he was commanding the considerable fee of £55 a week at the Oxford Music Hall in London.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Pen and ink and wash on paper |
| Brief description | Caricature of the Edwardian music hall performer the 'protean actor' R.A. Roberts (b.1870), from an album of caricatures drawn by George Cooke. May 1905. |
| Physical description | Pen, ink and wash caricature on pink paper of R.A. Roberts, full-length, dressed as Dick Turpin the Highwayman in a black tricorn hat, red frogged coat, white lace jabot and high black boots, standing in front of a poster advertising a reward for his capture. |
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| Object history | This caricature is of the music hall performer R.A. Roberts topping the bill at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week of 1 May 1905. Roberts had appeared previously at the Grand, during the week of 11 January 1904. Roberts was a well-known 'protean actor', or impressionist who performed one-man sketches changing his appearance for different characters. Dick Turpin was one of his standard characters illustrated on a poster in the Public Record Office. It comes from the first of albums owned by the Theatre Museum compiled by the graphic artist George Cooke, and features music hall performers working in the early 20th century. The album is dated 1903-4-5. |
| Summary | This caricature is of R. A. Roberts when he was topping the bill at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week of 1 May 1905. He was billed as ‘The Greatest Quick-Change Artiste in the World’. It is one of the many superb caricatures of Edwardian music hall performers that were drawn by the artist George Cooke when he was based at the Grand Theatre. He compiled them in a series of albums. Born in Liverpool in 1870, Roberts specialised as a ‘protean actor’, a combination of impressionist, quick-change artist and actor. He worked on the Liverpool stage before coming to London, where he became popular in variety. In Dick Turpin, he played all the characters as they met at the Spaniards Inn - Jacob Cly, Soft Sally, Jerry Binks, Lady Maud Rommander and Dick Turpin. In May 1905 he topped the bill with Dick Turpin at the Grand, Hanley, as well as appearing with it in London and New York. By 1909 he was commanding the considerable fee of £55 a week at the Oxford Music Hall in London. |
| Bibliographic reference | 'Fun Without Vulgarity' by Catherine Haill |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.392:31-2002 |
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| Record created | October 24, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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