Gone with the Wind
Handkerchief
1939 (made)
1939 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Souvenir printed handkerchief produced for the film Gone with the Wind, 1939.
When adjusted for inflation, Gone with the Wind is the most successful film in history. Based on Margaret Mitchell’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, the much-anticipated film was released in 1939 and was an instant global success.
For the part of the central character, Scarlett O’Hara, British actress Vivien Leigh beat over 200 other performers and won the role with which she is forever associated with. In 1940, she made history by becoming the first British woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress.
The film was released in the UK in 1940 and ran for the duration of the Second World War. Its epic themes of survival and endurance struck a chord with war time audiences. This handkerchief, embroidered with characters from the film, was skilfully manufactured to tie-in to the films ‘weepie’ narrative.
The British Film Institute (BFI) acquired its costume collection for display at the Museum of the Moving Image, which existed on the South Bank in London between 1988 and 1999. The collection is made up of British, European, American and Japanese films and covers the period from the silent film era to the mid-1990s. It contains a wealth of historic and significant film costumes worn by major performers and designed by some of the 20th century’s most important film costume designers. The collection was transferred to the V&A in 2015.
When adjusted for inflation, Gone with the Wind is the most successful film in history. Based on Margaret Mitchell’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, the much-anticipated film was released in 1939 and was an instant global success.
For the part of the central character, Scarlett O’Hara, British actress Vivien Leigh beat over 200 other performers and won the role with which she is forever associated with. In 1940, she made history by becoming the first British woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress.
The film was released in the UK in 1940 and ran for the duration of the Second World War. Its epic themes of survival and endurance struck a chord with war time audiences. This handkerchief, embroidered with characters from the film, was skilfully manufactured to tie-in to the films ‘weepie’ narrative.
The British Film Institute (BFI) acquired its costume collection for display at the Museum of the Moving Image, which existed on the South Bank in London between 1988 and 1999. The collection is made up of British, European, American and Japanese films and covers the period from the silent film era to the mid-1990s. It contains a wealth of historic and significant film costumes worn by major performers and designed by some of the 20th century’s most important film costume designers. The collection was transferred to the V&A in 2015.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Gone with the Wind (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Printed ink on cotton. Hand finished at edge. |
| Brief description | Souvenir printed handkerchief produced for the film Gone with the Wind, 1939 |
| Physical description | Souvenir printed handkerchief produced for the film Gone with the Wind, 1939. The handkerchief had a scalloped edge and is printed with a design in tones of deep pink, blue, and green. Each of the four edges are printed with one of two different images of female figure, all are labelled Scarlet O'Hara. The dress of both the two figures reflects the mid-nineteenth century setting of the film, one is wearing a large brimmed green hat, and is dressed in blue. The other has no hat, and is dressed in pink. These images are linked by meandering lines of flowers and leaves. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by the British Film Institute |
| Summary | Souvenir printed handkerchief produced for the film Gone with the Wind, 1939. When adjusted for inflation, Gone with the Wind is the most successful film in history. Based on Margaret Mitchell’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, the much-anticipated film was released in 1939 and was an instant global success. For the part of the central character, Scarlett O’Hara, British actress Vivien Leigh beat over 200 other performers and won the role with which she is forever associated with. In 1940, she made history by becoming the first British woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress. The film was released in the UK in 1940 and ran for the duration of the Second World War. Its epic themes of survival and endurance struck a chord with war time audiences. This handkerchief, embroidered with characters from the film, was skilfully manufactured to tie-in to the films ‘weepie’ narrative. The British Film Institute (BFI) acquired its costume collection for display at the Museum of the Moving Image, which existed on the South Bank in London between 1988 and 1999. The collection is made up of British, European, American and Japanese films and covers the period from the silent film era to the mid-1990s. It contains a wealth of historic and significant film costumes worn by major performers and designed by some of the 20th century’s most important film costume designers. The collection was transferred to the V&A in 2015. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.1694-2015 |
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| Record created | May 29, 2015 |
| Record URL |
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