Caricature of the Yorkshire rustic singer and comedian Jack Pleasants (1874-1924), from an album of caricatures drawn by George Cooke. September 1906.

Pen, ink and wash caricature on pink paper of the music hall performer Jack Pleasants, full-length, standing with his head inclined to the right. He wears a black collarless jacket and brown trousers and has light brown hair, parted in the middle.

This is an image of the music hall performer Jack Pleasants (1874-1924), performing at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, probably during the week of 3 September 1906, although he was there for a previous engagement during the week of 18 September 1905. Pleasants appeared as a Yorkshire rustic, much as Morny Cash appeared as a Lancashire lad. Born in Bradford, he sang humorous songs and ditties, including one that has survived today - 'I'm twenty-one today, twenty-one today; I've got the key of the door, never been twenty-one before'. He made his first appearance at the Gaiety, Chatham in 1901 and was soon in demand at all the leading music halls, singing in a quiet style, and especially funny when imitating a timid lover. In 1903 he billed himself as 'Mr Jack Pleasants, the Man who Found the Sovereign on the Street' and in October that year was appearing at several London halls a night - the Chelsea Palace at five past seven; Camberwell Palace at seven forty-five; Chelsea Palace again at nine fifteen, the Middlesex at nine forty-five and the Royal Holborn at ten past ten.

Jack Pleasants appeared at The Grand Theatre of Varieties Hanley during the week of 18 September 1905, and the week of 3 September 1906, but the position of this caricature in the album indicates that it dates from 1906.

This caricature is of Jack Pleasants performing at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, probably during the week of 3 September 1906. 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. Pleasants had previously appeared at the Grand in September 1905, when he was billed as an ‘Eccentric Comedian’.

Born in Bradford in 1874, Pleasants used his origins to create his Yorkshire rustic stage persona, much as Morny Cash appeared as a Lancashire lad. With his quiet, droll style, he performed humorous songs and ditties, including ‘I’m Twenty-One Today’. In 1903 he advertised himself as ‘Mr Jack Pleasants, the Man who Found the Sovereign on the Street’. As was common for popular performers, he was on the bill of several London halls a night in October 1903: Chelsea Palace at 7.05pm, Camberwell Palace at 7.45pm, Chelsea Palace again at 9.14pm, the Middlesex at 9.45pm and the Royal Holborn at 10.10pm. He died in 1924.

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