Caricature
August 1904 (drawn)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This caricature is of Morris & Morris when they were performing at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week of 1 August 1904. They were billed as ‘a pair of real good comedians’. When they appeared previously at the Grand in September 1903, the review noted that, ‘Their fun in the trapeze is equal to anything that has been seen here’. This 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.
Acrobatic acts appeared as regularly in variety as they did in circus in the early 1900s. Comic acrobatics were also popular. The comic acrobats Burns & Evans followed Morris & Morris on the bill at the Grand during the following week in August 1904. They were also sketched by Cooke. Morris & Morris were on the same bill as the comedian George Brooks, another of Cooke’s subjects.
Acrobatic acts appeared as regularly in variety as they did in circus in the early 1900s. Comic acrobatics were also popular. The comic acrobats Burns & Evans followed Morris & Morris on the bill at the Grand during the following week in August 1904. They were also sketched by Cooke. Morris & Morris were on the same bill as the comedian George Brooks, another of Cooke’s subjects.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Pen and ink and wash on paper |
| Brief description | Caricature of the comic trapeze performers Morris & Morris, from an album of caricatures drawn by George Cooke. Dated 6 August 1904. |
| Physical description | Pen, ink and wash caricature on pink paper of Morris and Morris, full-length. The red-headed Morris with a goatee beard wears baggy black trousers over a striped T-shirt and has a pug dog on a lead; his red-nosed partner wears a lemon yellow tutu, a white tight with a red garter on one leg, and a checked trouser leg on the other. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | This caricature is of the comic acrobatic duo Morris & Morris, on the bill at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, for the week beginning 1 August 1904. They were on the bill with George Brooks, 'a singer of good comic songs'; Miss Lizzie Daniels, 'comedienne'; Turle and Volto, 'trapeze artistes and comedy dancers'; Jack Lorimer, 'a comedian that will please everyone', and the Hadj Abdullah toupe of Arabs, 'tumblers and acrobats' who had appeared at London's Oxford Music Hall. Morris & Morris had appeared at The Grand in January 1903 when it was noted that 'Their fun on the trapeze is equal to anything that has been seen here'. It comes from the first of several albums compiled by the graphic artist George Cooke, featuring performers working in music halls in the early 20th century. The album is dated 1903-4-5. |
| Summary | This caricature is of Morris & Morris when they were performing at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week of 1 August 1904. They were billed as ‘a pair of real good comedians’. When they appeared previously at the Grand in September 1903, the review noted that, ‘Their fun in the trapeze is equal to anything that has been seen here’. This 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. Acrobatic acts appeared as regularly in variety as they did in circus in the early 1900s. Comic acrobatics were also popular. The comic acrobats Burns & Evans followed Morris & Morris on the bill at the Grand during the following week in August 1904. They were also sketched by Cooke. Morris & Morris were on the same bill as the comedian George Brooks, another of Cooke’s subjects. |
| Bibliographic reference | 'Idols of the Halls' by H. Chance Newton |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.392:7-2002 |
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| Record created | November 26, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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