HISTORICAL COSTUME.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1960, 17 January 1914, Page 11

HISTORICAL COSTUME.

. UNIQUE COLLECTION. ■ TYPES OF THREE CENTURIES. A- unique collection of historical costumes which, by the generosity of Messrs. Harms, have- been secured for the Victoria and Albort Mueeum, are on exhibition in the ■ galleries of tho donors in Brompton Road, London. A private view and' inaugural luncheon, was held by invitation of Sir Alfred Nowton (who presided) and the directors, when many peoplo distinguished in the worlds of politics, literature, and the arts were present, including Mr. H. B. Irving, who proposed "Continued Success to.the Victoria and Albert Museum," in a witty speech, in which he dwelt on the difficulties which tho question of costume presented to actors in tho past, and told some amusing stories of Maoready and of his father's early days in this connection. Tho collection, which is in many ways unique, numbering over 2000 costumes, was made by Mr. Talbot Hughes, who has spent something like twenty years in completing it. Having begun it originally in isolated examples of differont periods, the fascination of. the collection grew upon him, his rare artistic gifts and instinct making him singularly capable of completing bo wonderful a collection. When ho decided recently to part with it, eager offers were made from America, whither tho priceless colleotionf would doubtless have gone, had not Harrods stepped in, and, without a moment's hesitation, secured it for the museum—all of which was explained by Sir Arthur Newton, speaking for the firm. ■ •.. fi ■ . ' The collection begins with costumes ■worn in the reign of James I—extremely rare examples, .these—notable ..amongst thembeing a perfectly plain black velvet bodice with low round decollotage, which, ; but for its slashed sleeves and basque, might well stand as the ortho-

dox "Court" bodice of the past decade.! Also in this very early group is a typical poor's dress of the period, as well ae a wonderful child's surtout of rare embroidery, which is probably an absolutely unique survival. Dress under Queen Anno was a much considered matter, and some wonderful examples of beautiful brocades arranged in long flowing lines opening over quaint petticoats are to bo seen. Later on, from J775 to the end of the contury,( are sonio rare survivale of the Spitalfield silks, notably one in an exquisite brocade, the ivory ground rendered of extremo depth of tone by the passage of years, brocaded with :largo bunches of floivors in natural colours, the costume completed by an embroidered satin muff and reticule to match, tho latter, doubtless, for the winnings at cards which tho group,in which the example quoted figures are engaged in playing at a fine examplo of a card table of tho period. There is more than a. hint of the beauty of subdued artistic colouring with which wo were to become.familiar in the revival of a hundred years later, in a, dress made in 1797, on severely simple lines, of faint greenish silk, with a hint of golden sheen in it surmounted by-a loose coat of dull'blue clasped by gold buttons, which presents a telling contrast to a magnificent gown of some few years previous of rich rosecoloured moire magnificently embroidorod in gold, which forms a border to the long flowing skirt, falling in a full train at tho back, and opening over an underdress of ivory moire embroidered in blue. Almost startling in its'up-to-date suggestion is that of another dress of the latest mode of the eighteenth century, for it is oarried out in the finest, filmiest muslin, heavy embroidered around tho edgo iii a design of raised grapes and vino leaves, tho skirt very narrow and forming a long equare separate : train behind, while the hair is almost hidden by a handkerchief of - brilliant gold arranged in turban fashion, throe huge shaded green feathers in quill form rising to;a great height at one side. _ And so we come to tho.Early Victorian dresses—a wonderful collection— and see before us tho ball gowns'of frilled tarlatan, decorated with_ coloured flowers, , and finished with tight little bodies of iilk to match tho flowersgreen or rose, or. yellow, as tho case may be —of the 'sixties, the huge black poko.bonnots of the previous decades, and later the demure straw bonnets, the crinolines, and full-basqued coats. Very characteristic is one dress of the crinoline epoch, the skirt of which is com.posed entirely of, three or four flounces of chene ribbon—very like the ribbon of that. ilk with its blurred rosy flowers

with which we aro all so familiar—-the frills edged with narrow silk fringe, and tho costume completed by a' very tightwaisted jacket with full basquo composed of grey-blue silk stiffly bordered with gold embroidery, the discreet poke bonnet.of yellowish straw originally wop with tho dress being still shown with it. And so we reach what is a worthy completion to a wonderful show, yet one' not without almost pathetic interest; this is the first doll dressed by Queen Victoria, a waxen beauty, now dull and blue with ago, but showing still the smirk of stiff self-consciousness worn by all self-respecting dolls then and for so many years later. The dress is an outdoor one of drab material embroidered in the neatest and most painstaking of fashions in stiff little flowers and leaves, a correct poke bonnet of straw poised upon the matted curls of tow. Pathetic, too, in their memories, are two waxen figures near by the Royal doll, representing the Dauphin and Mme. Royalo in their babyhood, and wearing the same frocks, of eeverely plain nnd far-from-fine white linen, and fjjded blue ribbons,- in which the ill-fated Mario Antoinette must often have seen her babies. . '■■