Not currently on display at the V&A

Drury Lane Design Collection

Costume Design
c.1920 (designed)
Artist/Maker

Costume design by Comelli marked 'Polusky', PII, Sc III. Althought the precise character and production are not identified the design bears a marked resemblance to another Comelli sketch marked '8 Gendarmes'. The play for which the design was created is likely to have taken place at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in circa 1920.

Comelli (1858-1925) was the house designer of the Royal Opera House from the late 1880s to the early 1920s. During this period he also worked for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and also designed costumes from a number of Gilbert&Sullivan productions.

This design comes from a collection of costume designs (some of which are costumier's copies) which were originally part of the Archives of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleDrury Lane Design Collection (named collection)
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Costume design by Comelli marked 'Polusky'. Neither the production nor the character is identified but the play is likely to have taken place at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in circa 1920. Drury Lane Design Collection.
Physical description
Costume design by Comelli marked 'Polusky'. The character and production are not identified but the play is likely to have taken place at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in circa 1920. It shows a full length image of a man dressed in military style uniform, consisting of dark blue trousers and a pale blue cutaway jacket. Both jacket and trousers are trimmed with bands of gold braid as is the large white bicorne hat he also wears. His hat also has two large pink and white plumed feathers and his boots are pale yellow. He carries his sword unsheathed in his right hand, the scabbard protruding behind his right side. The design has been painted on watercolour paper and mounted on a 'fashion board'. The design is not signed or dated.
Dimensions
  • Height: 36.2cm
  • Width: 26.2cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • Well Poluski [?] (Handwritten annotation in pencil in the top right hand corner of the design)
  • P.II/SC III (Handwritten annotation in red ink in the bottom left hand corner of the design)
  • Here I/Cut Long/ + [illegible]/to let down (Handwritten annotation in pencil on the right hand side of the design)
  • Polusky (Handwritten annotation in red ink, in the bottom right hand corner of the design)
  • Transliteration
Credit line
Given by George Hoare, Archivist of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Place depicted
Summary
Costume design by Comelli marked 'Polusky', PII, Sc III. Althought the precise character and production are not identified the design bears a marked resemblance to another Comelli sketch marked '8 Gendarmes'. The play for which the design was created is likely to have taken place at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in circa 1920.

Comelli (1858-1925) was the house designer of the Royal Opera House from the late 1880s to the early 1920s. During this period he also worked for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and also designed costumes from a number of Gilbert&Sullivan productions.

This design comes from a collection of costume designs (some of which are costumier's copies) which were originally part of the Archives of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Associated object
S.2268-2010 (Series)
Collection
Accession number
S.2269-2010

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Record createdOctober 5, 2010
Record URL
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