Unusual Artifacts: A Tinsel Print of E.F. Saville as Union Jack

E.F. Saville as "Union Jack"
Tinsel Print, 1850
John Redington
The Victoria & Albert Museum

We’ve looked at tinsel prints before. I love them. They’re quite difficult to come by and I always keep an eye open when in antique stores. The prints, usually chromolithographs, are cut-out and mounted to a stiff backing. Tinsel, quartz and other shiny elements are applied to the image over a thin layer of glue—hence the name. The addition of these glittering elements gives a new dimension to the print. Tinsel prints were perfect for theatrical scenes and portraits of popular actors, allowing some of the glitz of the theatre to come to life.

This example shows the actor E.F. Saville. Saville came from a theatrical family. He was the son of Saville Faucit, a notable playwright, actor and author of the sort of sensational stories which were known as “penny dreadful.” Saville also had a famous sister--the actress Helen Faucit.

E.F. Saville first rose to fame in the mid-1840s when he played the villainous Bill Sykes in the popular dramatization of “Oliver Twist,” at the Old Vic Theatre. During this performance, Saville shocked audiences by sensationally killing “Nancy” in the last scene. After bludgeoning the girl, Saville smeared the actress with red ochre for blood and, then, dragged her “lifeless” body around the stage by the hair.

Though he became known for his Bill Sykes, E.F.Saville could also cut the figure of a convincing hero, as in the title role of “Union Jack” written by William Rogers in 1842.

This spectacular nautical drama, though highly unrealistic, was meant to emphasize the heroic life of the British sailor and to instill a sense of pride in what was purported to be the land’s courageous and triumphant nautical youth.

This tinsel print depicts E.F. Saville as “Union Jack,” standing in front of a nautical scene. The hand-colored engraving has been cut out and mounted. Tinsel, paper and satin additions have been applied. Originally, the print showed the name of the actor, the title role and the publisher.  Though some of it remains, much of the inscription has since been trimmed away. It was made in 1850 and printed by John Redington.