Snuff box — Snuff box owned by George Robey's , Great Britain, late 19th century - early 20th century
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
late 19th century - early 20th century
Snuff box in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number S.285-1984), made in Great Britain, dated late 19th century - early 20th century. The museum's brief description reads: Tortoiseshell snuff box, owned by George Robey (1869-1954)..
Museum description: Tortoiseshell snuff box, rectangular with rounded corner and hinged lid, the hinges broken. The museum records it as Tortoiseshell, measuring Height 1.8 cm; Width 4.2 cm; Depth 2.8 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
George Robey (1869–1954) was one of Britain’s most successful music hall comedians, a master of comic songs, caricatures and sketches, who became known as 'the Prime Minister of Mirth'. He made his first appearance on the London stage at the Aquarium in 1891, and after appearing at London's Oxford Music Hall in the same year, he was engaged for most of the leading halls. Robey was known for his ‘trademark’ hat - a semi-clerical bowler - and enormous black eyebrows which he raised quizzically to great comic effect. He could make audiences cry helplessly with laughter just by coming on stage and looking at them, asking them to 'desist from this unseemly merriment'. A versatile performer, he was able to develop a career in revue, starring in The Bing Boys Are Here in 1916, and in the 1930s he appeared in both light opera and serious drama, playing Falstaff in Henry IV Part 1 in 1935. He received a knighthood in 1954, the year of his death
Physical characteristics
- Material
- tortoise shell
- Dimensions
- Height 1.8 cm; Width 4.2 cm; Depth 2.8 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Tortoiseshell
- Place recorded
- Great Britain
Identification
- Museum object name
- Snuff box
- Museum object number
- S.285-1984
- Museum system number
- O1249161
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and date against a specialist reference.