Arthur Askey as a bee
Caricature
4 August 1949 (dated)
4 August 1949 (dated)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This caricature shows Arthur Askey (1900-1982) depicted as a bee to celebrate his popular 'Busy Bee' song, as sung in a Variety programme at the Oxford New Theatre in August 1949. 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.
Arthur Askey spent years as a seaside entertainer before becoming a national star through the 1948 radio programme Band Waggon with Richard Murdoch, in which he coined his catch-phrases ‘Ay thang yow!’ and ‘Hello playmates.’ In the cinema he was seen as the successor to stars such as George Formby and Sid Fields, and on stage he became legendary for his trademark song ‘The Busy Bee’.
Arthur Askey spent years as a seaside entertainer before becoming a national star through the 1948 radio programme Band Waggon with Richard Murdoch, in which he coined his catch-phrases ‘Ay thang yow!’ and ‘Hello playmates.’ In the cinema he was seen as the successor to stars such as George Formby and Sid Fields, and on stage he became legendary for his trademark song ‘The Busy Bee’.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Arthur Askey as a bee (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Pencil on paper |
| Brief description | Pencil caricature of Arthur Askey as a bee, New Theatre Oxford, Gilbert Sommerlad, 4 August 1949 |
| Physical description | Pencil caricature of Arthur Askey as a bee, New Theatre Oxford, 4 August 1949. 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 | Gilbert Sommerlad was a member of the resident orchestra at the New Theatre, Oxford when he drew this caricature. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This caricature shows Arthur Askey (1900-1982) depicted as a bee to celebrate his popular 'Busy Bee' song, as sung in a Variety programme at the Oxford New Theatre in August 1949. 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. Arthur Askey spent years as a seaside entertainer before becoming a national star through the 1948 radio programme Band Waggon with Richard Murdoch, in which he coined his catch-phrases ‘Ay thang yow!’ and ‘Hello playmates.’ In the cinema he was seen as the successor to stars such as George Formby and Sid Fields, and on stage he became legendary for his trademark song ‘The Busy Bee’. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.131:99-2002 |
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| Record created | December 12, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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