Costume design by Wilhelm for Harry Nicholls as Thisbe, one of Cinderella's half-sisters in Cinderella, Garrick Theatre, 27 December 1897. Watercolour, gouache, pen and ink.

Costume design in watercolour and gouache on card for Harry Nicholls' costume as Thisbe, one of Cinderella's half-sisters, wearing a mauve and white waisted dress, trimmed with purple satin ribbon around the waist and down each side seam of the bodice. The wig has plaited blonde hair, each plait looped up, the right one trimmed with a feather, the left with mauve bows. Thisbe is wearing short white gloves, is lowering her eyes demurely, and lifting her skirt with both hands so that it reveals her ankles and flat mauve pumps, trimmed with bows. Signed and dated in brown ink ‘Wilhelm 97’; inscribed in brown ink in the top left-hand corner ‘MR H. NICHOLLS Sc.XI’.

Given by Christine Barrett

This costume design is one of two designs by Wilhelm given to the Theatre Collections by Hope Barrett in 2008, along with a photograph of her great grandfather Oscar Barrett and an illuminated testimonial to Oscar Barrett. The costume design was executed for a production of Cinderella produced by Oscar Barrett, written by Geoffrey Thorn at the Garrick Theatre, 1897-1897, opening 27 December 1897. The cast starred Grace Dudley as Cinderella; Harry Nicholls and John Le Hay as Thisbe and Clorinda, Helen Bertram as Prince Felix, Florrie Harmon as Dandini, Lillie Thurlow as Fernando, William Lugg as Baron Pumpolino and Cicely Richards as the Fairy Godmother.

Historical significance: Wilhelm (William Charles Pitcher RI, 1858-1925) was one of the most inventive and prolific late 19th century costume designers whose early passion for stage spectacle led to his employment designing pantomime costumes for Drury Lane Theatre. His attention to detail and ability to create visually stunning and decorative costumes were aspects of his work that appealed to producers and public alike, and led to his constant stream of work throughout his life. He was a well known illustrator of children's books as well as a costume designer, but it was his detailed and superbly decorative designs for the Empire Theatre ballet costumes from 1908 to 1915, led to an obituary writer noting: 'The name C. Wilhelm should be written in gold on the history of ballet'.

This costume design is for Harry Nicholls (1852-1926) as Thisbe in Oscar Barrett's spectacular 1897-1898 production of Cinderella at London's Garrick Theatre. Although Cinderella's half-sisters later came to be known as the Ugly Sisters, they were described in the programme for this production simply as her half-sisters. A contemporary reviewer noted that Harry Nicholls was 'artistically made-up as the fair, florid sister Thisbe, with golden hair, a taste for sentimental poetry, and a fine affectation of frisky diffidence, having nothing in common with her dark sister except their common hatred of Cinderella'.

The designer Wilhelm (William Charles Pitcher RI, 1858-1925) was one of the most inventive and prolific late 19th century costume designers, whose early passion for stage spectacle led to his employment designing pantomime costumes for Drury Lane Theatre. His attention to detail and his ability to create visually stunning and decorative costumes, were aspects of his work that appealed to producers and public alike, and led to a constant stream of work.

S.231-2008