Theatre Costume
1970s (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Eve was a small Central London night club which opened in 1953 and was well-known for its imaginative floor-shows. Its founder, Helen O'Brien, devised a witty entertainment containing all the elements traditionally associated with night club entertainment - singers, dancers and glamorous showgirls - but presented them in a highly original way. Her designer, Ronald Cobb, created costumes for sequences with unexpected themes, such as Shakespeare's plays, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and The Mind of Goya. The club appealed to a sophisticated audience that enjoyed spotting the references.
In the 1970s the majority of the Eve showgirls were topless. Their costumes were minimal but elaborate, no more than a headdress, sleeves and a G-string, but all incorporated amusing references and symbols appropriate to the theme. The Postage Stamp costume, from a sequence based on methods of communication, included a 'body shield' which provided the girl with a little cover - until she opened her arms at an appropriate moment.
In the 1970s the majority of the Eve showgirls were topless. Their costumes were minimal but elaborate, no more than a headdress, sleeves and a G-string, but all incorporated amusing references and symbols appropriate to the theme. The Postage Stamp costume, from a sequence based on methods of communication, included a 'body shield' which provided the girl with a little cover - until she opened her arms at an appropriate moment.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 4 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
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| Materials and techniques | Card, paint, synthetic fabric, lamé, rhinestones, plastic, sequins, satin, nylon, cotton rep, wire and wood |
| Brief description | Theatre costume, Postage Stamp costume worn by a showgirl at Eve night club, 1970s |
| Credit line | Given by Jimmy and Helen O'Brien |
| Object history | This costume was created for one of the sequences in a revue at Eve, a London night club Eve was founded by Helen and Jimmy O'Brien in 1953. They had been members of another London club, Murray's Cabaret Club, and their designer, Ronald Cobb, had also worked for Murray's. Cobb designed and supervised the making of the showgirls' costumes from Eve's earliest days until its closure in 1992. |
| Summary | Eve was a small Central London night club which opened in 1953 and was well-known for its imaginative floor-shows. Its founder, Helen O'Brien, devised a witty entertainment containing all the elements traditionally associated with night club entertainment - singers, dancers and glamorous showgirls - but presented them in a highly original way. Her designer, Ronald Cobb, created costumes for sequences with unexpected themes, such as Shakespeare's plays, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and The Mind of Goya. The club appealed to a sophisticated audience that enjoyed spotting the references. In the 1970s the majority of the Eve showgirls were topless. Their costumes were minimal but elaborate, no more than a headdress, sleeves and a G-string, but all incorporated amusing references and symbols appropriate to the theme. The Postage Stamp costume, from a sequence based on methods of communication, included a 'body shield' which provided the girl with a little cover - until she opened her arms at an appropriate moment. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.694:1 to 4-1996 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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