Caricature of the comedian George Brooks, from an album of caricatures drawn by George Cooke. Dated 6 August 1904.

Pen, ink and wash caricature on pink paper of George Brooks, full-length, wearing a bell-boy's uniform with a small blue and yellow pill-box hat, a red jacket and baggy white trousers.

This caricature is of the comedian George Brooks, performing at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week commencing 1 August 1904. 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. George Brooks, described as 'a singer of good comic songs' in his publicity, was on the bill with Morris & Morris, 'a pair of real good comedians'; 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.

This caricature is of the comedian George Brooks when he was performing at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week of 1 August 1904. He was billed as ‘a singer of good comic songs’. The drawing is dated 6 August 1904, when he was on the same bill as the comic acrobats Morris & Morris. They were also drawn by the artist George Cooke. This is one of the many superb caricatures of Edwardian music hall performers that were drawn by Cooke when he was based at the Grand Theatre. He compiled them in a series of albums.

George Brooks may have been American, since he is performing here as an American hotel bellboy. His autograph note to the artist on the drawing refers to a parody of the Washington Post.

S.392:8-2002