Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume design by Ronald Cobb

Costume Design
1946 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This design is for a show-girl's costume in Glamour of the Veils, a revue produced by ENSA, or the Entertainments National Service Association, in 1946. Glamorous numbers with exotic dancers were a popular aspect of the light-hearted wartime revues frequently produced at the time at London's Windmill Theatre, in West End theatres, and around the country. Ronald Cobb was something of a specialist in witty designs for show-girls' costumes, and in the early 1950s produced even more elaborate designs for costumes at the London nightclubs Eve's and Murray's Cabaret Club.

Glamour of the Veils starred Marqueez, the stage name of Marqueez Alkin, an exotic dancer who had previously appeared in several large West End revues including Strike a New Note1943, Strike It Again!,1944, The Night and the Music1945, and Fine Feathers, 1945. The show was produced by John C. Mather, who devised his first show to entertain the Kinross Home Guards in his home town of Kinross, near Perth, Scotland, in 1941.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleCostume design by Ronald Cobb (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Pencil, pen and ink, watercolour and bodycolour on cartridge paper
Brief description
Costume design for Libra in the Dance of Death in Glamour of the Veils, 'The Wonder Show' produced by John C. Mather for ENSA, 1946. Signed and dated Ronald Cobb 46. Watercolour and pencil on card. Given by Rose-Mary McClory.
Physical description
Costume design for Libra in 'Dance of Death' in Glamour of the Veils, of a dark-haired girl full-length, her right arm held down, away from her body, her left arm bent up at shoulder height. She is standing wearing black high-heeled shoes, black tights and long black gloves, a black bikini-style top and briefs, a bare midriff, a long black scarf wound round her neck and looped around her right shoulder and under her right arm, wearing on her head a pair of scales. Inscribed in paint: 'Ronald Cobb design for GLAMOUR OF THE VEILS BRITAIN'S BEST DRESSED SHOW' 'DANCE OF DEATH. LIBRA' and in ink: 'A JOHN C. MATHER PRODUCTION'. Signed and dated in paint: 'RONALD COBB 46'
Dimensions
  • Height: 50.4cm
  • Width: 33.8cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'DANCE OF DEATH. "LIBRA"' (Inscribed in grey paint bottom left-hand corner)
  • ‘Ronald Cobb design for GLAMOUR OF THE VEILS BRITAIN'S BEST DRESSED SHOW (Inscribed in blue and orange paint in a box shape with a black background, lower left side of design)
  • 'RONALD COBB 46' (Signed and dated in grey paint, bottom right-hand corner)
  • ‘A JOHN L. MATHER PRODUCTION’ (Inscribed in ink, lower right, above text in box)
Credit line
Given by Rose-Mary McClory
Subjects depicted
Summary
This design is for a show-girl's costume in Glamour of the Veils, a revue produced by ENSA, or the Entertainments National Service Association, in 1946. Glamorous numbers with exotic dancers were a popular aspect of the light-hearted wartime revues frequently produced at the time at London's Windmill Theatre, in West End theatres, and around the country. Ronald Cobb was something of a specialist in witty designs for show-girls' costumes, and in the early 1950s produced even more elaborate designs for costumes at the London nightclubs Eve's and Murray's Cabaret Club.

Glamour of the Veils starred Marqueez, the stage name of Marqueez Alkin, an exotic dancer who had previously appeared in several large West End revues including Strike a New Note1943, Strike It Again!,1944, The Night and the Music1945, and Fine Feathers, 1945. The show was produced by John C. Mather, who devised his first show to entertain the Kinross Home Guards in his home town of Kinross, near Perth, Scotland, in 1941.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
S.174-2007

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Record createdNovember 7, 2007
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