V&A Intern Uncovers Randolph Caldecott's 1868–72 Sketchbook with Clues to Museum Visit

Key facts

• Randolph Caldecott (1846–1886) was an artist and illustrator known for annual 'Picture Books' such as 'The House that Jack Built' and 'Babes in the Wood'.
• The V&A holds seven of Caldecott's sketchbooks; six were previously catalogued, while the seventh (1868–1872) was uncatalogued until this project.
• A pencil annotation in the seventh sketchbook reads 'Manchester to London 5hrs', documenting a train journey.
• The sketchbook includes a cartoon of a man growing tired hour-by-hour on the train, then perking up and putting on a top hat upon arriving in London.
• A sketch of a window with 'GRILL ROOM' written in reverse confirms Caldecott visited the South Kensington Museum, now the V&A.
• The Grill Room, now the Poynter Room, was one of three refreshment rooms that opened at the V&A in 1868.
• A stylized lion sketch in the book is based on a 17th-century dish by Thomas Toft, which was part of the Museum of Practical Geology's collection at Jermyn Street, Westminster, as confirmed by its 1871 catalogue.
• Approximately 1,500 of over 2,500 decorative arts objects transferred between the museums in 1901 are on display at V&A South Kensington, including the Thomas Toft dish.