Drawing of the Day: Vesta Tilley by George Cooke, 1910-20

Vesta Tilley
George Cooke
1910-1920
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This caricature of music hall star (and male impersonator) Vesta Tilley is from the fourth album which was compiled by the commercial artist George Cooke as a way to preserve his caricatures of music hall and variety performers. This fourth album contains caricatures drawn from 1910 to 1919.

This pen, ink and wash drawing of the head of Vesta Tilley shows the performer wearing a top hat. She is shown in shadow on the left side of her face, and is set against a black background, with four small silhouettes of her in the left hand margin.