Arthur Roberts conducting a performance of Dancing Years 'On Ice'
Caricature
25 April 1955 (dated)
25 April 1955 (dated)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This caricature shows Arthur Roberts conducting a performance of The Dancing Years 'On Ice' at the Oxford New Theatre on 25 April 1955. 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.
The Dancing Years, the hit Ivor Novello musical of 1939 about a penniless Austrian composer, was still popular in the 1950s. This ice dancing version opened at the Empire Pool Wembley in June 1956, promoted by Tom Arnold who produced many large-scale Wembley ice shows. The conductor of the orchestra at Wembley was Bertram Willis, but on tour at Oxford it was Arthur Roberts.
The Dancing Years, the hit Ivor Novello musical of 1939 about a penniless Austrian composer, was still popular in the 1950s. This ice dancing version opened at the Empire Pool Wembley in June 1956, promoted by Tom Arnold who produced many large-scale Wembley ice shows. The conductor of the orchestra at Wembley was Bertram Willis, but on tour at Oxford it was Arthur Roberts.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Arthur Roberts conducting a performance of <font -i>Dancing Years 'On Ice'</font -i> (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Pencil on cream cartridge paper |
| Brief description | Pencil caricature of Arthur Roberts by Gilbert Sommerlad (1904-1976) conducting a performance of Dancing Years On Ice at the New Theatre Oxford, dated 25 April 1955 |
| Physical description | Pencil caricature of Arthur Roberts conducting a performance of Dancing Years 'On Ice', dated 25 April 1955, part of an artist's hard-backed sketch book manufactured by George Rowney & Co., called 'The Euston Sketch Book'. The pencilled sketch is drawn directly onto the page (cream cartridge paper). Titled and dated by the artist and signed by the subject. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Michael Sommerlad |
| Object history | The artist of these caricatures, Gilbert Sommerlad, was by profession a musician who was born into a family that had a long tradition of professional musicians. In 1936 he moved to the recently built New Theatre, Oxford, to join his brother Roy (violin and clarinet) as resident pianist. Gilbert was an exceptionally good and popular rehearsal pianist, and visiting companies and individual performers used to make sure that he would be available. He became well-known in the profession and his ability as a caricaturist became common knowledge. The volume that includes this drawing contains sketches mostly of musical directors and conductors working at the Oxford New Theatre with Gilbert Sommerlad. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This caricature shows Arthur Roberts conducting a performance of The Dancing Years 'On Ice' at the Oxford New Theatre on 25 April 1955. 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. The Dancing Years, the hit Ivor Novello musical of 1939 about a penniless Austrian composer, was still popular in the 1950s. This ice dancing version opened at the Empire Pool Wembley in June 1956, promoted by Tom Arnold who produced many large-scale Wembley ice shows. The conductor of the orchestra at Wembley was Bertram Willis, but on tour at Oxford it was Arthur Roberts. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.130:31-2002 |
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| Record created | December 15, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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