Fan — The Mikado, Great Britain, 20th century
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
20th century
Fan in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number S.86-2017), made in Great Britain, dated 20th century. The museum's brief description reads: Paper and wood fan from a production of The Mikado, 20th century.
Museum description: Painted paper fan with wooden guards held with a metal hook, with an illustration of birds by a river bank. The museum records it as painted paper and wood, measuring Length 39.5 cm; Width 22.1 cm; Length 21.9 cm; Width 4.8 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
By the time Henry Lytton (1865-1936) gave this fan to Francis Cave, he had been a respected performer of D'Oyly Carte productions for over thirty years and the leading exponent of the comic patter-baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas from 1909 to 1934. It is inscribed with best wishes from fellow D'Oyly Carte opera performers Bertha Lewis, Helen Gilliland and Le Sheffield, all of whom appreared with him in The Mikado. After joining one of Carte's touring companies with his wife Louie Henri in 1884, he began performing with the company at the Savoy Theatre from 1897 to 1903, playing a range of baritone parts, from romantic leads to character parts in new operas and revivals. Apart from the role of Ko-Ko in The Mikado, Lytton was known for his performances as Sir Joseph Porter in H.M.S. Pinafore and Major-General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance. He was knighted in 1930 and is the only actor to be honoured for his involvement in Gilbert and Sullivan operas. His last central London appearance was as Ko-Ko at the Savoy in January 1933. This was probably the fan used by Lytton as Ko-Ko but it must date from before May 1931, the date that Bertha Lewis, one of the signatories, was killed in a car accident in a car driven during a rainstorm by Henry Lytton.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- wood, paper, paint
- Dimensions
- Length 39.5 cm; Width 22.1 cm; Length 21.9 cm; Width 4.8 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- painted paper and wood
- Place recorded
- Great Britain
Design
- Inscriptions recorded
- 'HAPPY DAYS ALL GOOD WISHES BERTHA LEWIS' 'ALL BEST WISHES 'YUM YUM' YOURS SINCERELY HELEN GILLILAND' 'BEST WISHES AND ALL GOOD LUCK ? HENRY LYTTON 'KO KO' '? YOURS SINCERELY LEO SHEFFIELD'
Identification
- Museum object name
- Fan
- Museum object number
- S.86-2017
- Museum system number
- O1376820
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.