Emile Littler (1903-1985) was one of the country’s most influential 20th century theatrical impresarios who also wrote and directed over fifteen productions on his own account. He was born in Ramsgate, Kent, to Jules and Agnes Richeux, one of their six children, of whom one died in infancy. Jules Richeux became the lessee of the Artillery Theatre, Woolwich, in 1909, but following his death in 1911 at the age of 48, his wife took over the running of the theatre. In 1914 she married Frank Littler who adopted the five remaining children, including the eldest Blanche (b.1899), Prince (b.1901) and Emile, all of whom took their stepfather’s name.
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The artist Robert Stewart Sherriffs (1906-1960) was born in Scotland and studied art at the Edinburgh School of Art before moving to London in 1927. In 1930 he became the film and theatre caricaturist for the magazine The Sketch and also contributed drawings to The Radio Times and Theatre World. He became a war artist during the war, after which he succeeded J.H. Dowd as a film caricaturist for Punch and produced more work for The Radio Times. He acknowledged the influence on his work of Aubrey Beardsley and Alphonse Mucha and considered faces as 'patterns to be studied and memorised - not patiently drawn from life.'
