Lonnie Donegan
Caricature
11 December 1958 (dated)
11 December 1958 (dated)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This caricature shows Lonnie Donegan (1931-2002) in the variety programme Lonnie Donegan and His Company at the Oxford New Theatre in December 1958. It was drawn by Gilbert Sommerlad (1904-1976), a rehearsal pianist and orchestral violinist at the Brighton Theatre Royal from 1932 until 1936, and at the Oxford New Theatre from 1936 for over forty years. Sommerlad sketched the stars on stage when he wasn’t needed in the orchestra pit, compiling the sketches in a series of albums.
Lonnie Donegan started as a banjo-player and vocalist in the Chris Barber jazz band in the early 1950s, and rose to fame with skiffle music. His records, which became huge hits in the 1950s, included ‘My Old Man’s a Dustman’, ‘Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour’ and ‘Cumberland Gap’. In 2001 he celebrated 50 years in the business.
Lonnie Donegan started as a banjo-player and vocalist in the Chris Barber jazz band in the early 1950s, and rose to fame with skiffle music. His records, which became huge hits in the 1950s, included ‘My Old Man’s a Dustman’, ‘Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour’ and ‘Cumberland Gap’. In 2001 he celebrated 50 years in the business.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Lonnie Donegan (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Pencil, pen and ink and wash on paper |
| Brief description | Pencil, pen and ink and wash caricature by Gilbert Sommerlad of Lonnie Donegan at the Oxford New Theatre. Dated 11 December 1958. |
| Physical description | Pencil, pen and ink and wash caricature of Lonnie Donegan at the Oxford New Theatre. Dated 11 December 1958. From a hard-backed sketch book containing caricatures of theatrical performers and entertainers drawn by Gilbert Sommerlad. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Michael Sommerlad |
| Object history | This caricature comes from an album of caricatures of theatrical performers and entertainers drawn by Gilbert J.Sommerlad (1904-1976) between October 1957 and October 1965 at the Oxford New Theatre. Gilbert Sommerlad moved from Brighton to the recently built New Theatre, Oxford, to join his brother Roy (violin and clarinet) as resident pianist in 1936. He continued with his caricatures until his retirement. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This caricature shows Lonnie Donegan (1931-2002) in the variety programme Lonnie Donegan and His Company at the Oxford New Theatre in December 1958. It was drawn by Gilbert Sommerlad (1904-1976), a rehearsal pianist and orchestral violinist at the Brighton Theatre Royal from 1932 until 1936, and at the Oxford New Theatre from 1936 for over forty years. Sommerlad sketched the stars on stage when he wasn’t needed in the orchestra pit, compiling the sketches in a series of albums. Lonnie Donegan started as a banjo-player and vocalist in the Chris Barber jazz band in the early 1950s, and rose to fame with skiffle music. His records, which became huge hits in the 1950s, included ‘My Old Man’s a Dustman’, ‘Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour’ and ‘Cumberland Gap’. In 2001 he celebrated 50 years in the business. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.133:17-2002 |
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| Record created | December 1, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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