Caricature of Fred Leslie, possibly the musical comedy performer Fred Leslie (Frederick Hobson 1881-1945), from an album of caricatures drawn by George Cooke. January 1907.

Pen, ink and wash caricature of Fred Leslie, full-length, but as an oversized grinning head on a very small body, wearing evening dress and a white bow tie.

This caricature is of Fred Leslie and was signed by him for the artist on 17 January 1907. It was done at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, where Cooke was based, and where both 'Leslie and Anson' and the 'Leslie Brothers', Australian musical comedians, were performing that week. This performer may have been the Leslie that was part of 'Leslie and Anson', and this may have been Frederick Hobson,(1881-1945), son of the burlesque star Fred Leslie, who adopted the same stage name as his famous father. He made his first appearance on the London stage at the Savoy Theatre in February 1904 in The Love Birds and specialised in musical comedy throughout his career, in 1924 appearing in New York in Andre Charlot's Revue of 1924. The caricature comes from the second album of caricatures in a collection of albums compiled by the graphic artist George Cooke. It is labelled by the artist 'Geo Cooke HYS BOOKE' and features music hall performers working in the early 20th century.

This caricature is of Fred Leslie, who was performing at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week of 14 January 1907. It is one of the many superb caricatures of Edwardian music hall performers that were drawn by the artist George Cooke and compiled in a series of albums.

There were two acts with the name Leslie in them at the Grand that week. One was ‘Leslie and Anson’, who performed a comedy dialogue, and the other was The Leslie Brothers, Australian musical comedians. If this was the Leslie in Leslie and Anson, it may be Frederick Hobson, who adopted the same stage name as his famous father, the burlesque star Fred Leslie. Born in 1881, Hobson made his first appearance on the London stage at the Savoy Theatre in February 1904 in The Love Birds. He specialised in musical comedy throughout his career, In 1924 he appeared in New York in Andre Charlot’s Revue of 1924. He died in 1945.

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