Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume Design

1931 (drawn)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This costume is for one of the guests at a ball held during Act I Scene VIII of Noel Coward's Cavalcade. The play follows the lives of the Marryott family, and their servants, over three decades. It premiered at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1931.

Gladys Calthrop (1894-1980) was an English set and costume designer. Born Gladys Treeby in Devon, Calthrop married, and later separated from, Everard E. Calthrop. She met Noel Coward in Italy during 1921, they subsequently became friends and worked together on many plays. Their first collaboration was on The Vortex in 1924 for which Calthrop designed both sets and costumes. She worked in both London and New York.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Watercolour over pencil drawing
Brief description
Costume design by Gladys Calthrop for Rebecca Blake in Noel Coward's Cavalcade, ca. 1931. Gladys Calthrop Design Collection.
Physical description
Costume design depicting a floor length mint green dress with white and brown trim. Costume also includes long white gloves, a necklace, and a pink and black head piece. There are notes written around the page. Signed to the right of image.
Dimensions
  • Height: 56.0cm
  • Width: 38.1cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Rebecca Blake' (Written in top left hand corner)
  • '20' (Written at top of page)
  • 'Edwardian Reception Act I Scene 8 1903 / blue taffeta veiled pleated chiffon / white / ecru lace in bands pleated back / + front / Chiffon sunray pleated on hem + / edgd blue baby velvet + black / lace / blue velvet drapery on bodice / white net spangled sleeve / long + / ruched / pearl necklace / pale pink (?) on / black + diamante bow' (Written in top right hand corner)
Credit line
Bequeathed by Gladys Calthrop
Literary referenceCavalcade
Summary
This costume is for one of the guests at a ball held during Act I Scene VIII of Noel Coward's Cavalcade. The play follows the lives of the Marryott family, and their servants, over three decades. It premiered at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1931.

Gladys Calthrop (1894-1980) was an English set and costume designer. Born Gladys Treeby in Devon, Calthrop married, and later separated from, Everard E. Calthrop. She met Noel Coward in Italy during 1921, they subsequently became friends and worked together on many plays. Their first collaboration was on The Vortex in 1924 for which Calthrop designed both sets and costumes. She worked in both London and New York.
Other number
THM/52 - Archive number
Collection
Accession number
S.749-2011

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Record createdAugust 17, 2011
Record URL
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