Maria Bjornson design thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Maria Bjornson design

Costume Design
1986 (drawn)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Design for The Phantom and Christine in the Phantom's Lair in Act I, scene vi of The Phantom of the Opera, showing a full length female figure wearing a white, floor length dressing gown, belted at the waist, the fronts trimmed to the waist with a wide band of lace with similar lace forming the wide cuffs of the three-quarter length sleeves, and, beneath, a low cut black and gold bodice, the neck trimmed with multi-coloured beads. Behind her to the right stands a full length male figure in evening dress with a wide collared, calf length black cloak, and an exaggerated black fedora with a homberg crown. He wears a white diagonal half mask covering the right hand side of his face. Lace swatches in white and cream and fabric swatches in black and white are attached by metal pins to the right hand edge. The design is signed and is inscribed in pencil with the production title, the theatre, the scene, the names of the characters and the actors, and costume details.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleMaria Bjornson design (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Pencil, pen and ink, gouache, gold paint and photocopies on paper, with attached fabric swatches
Brief description
Design by Maria Bjornson for The Phantom and Christine in Act I, scene vi, of The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty's Theatre, 1986
Physical description
Design for The Phantom and Christine in the Phantom's Lair in Act I, scene vi of The Phantom of the Opera, showing a full length female figure wearing a white, floor length dressing gown, belted at the waist, the fronts trimmed to the waist with a wide band of lace with similar lace forming the wide cuffs of the three-quarter length sleeves, and, beneath, a low cut black and gold bodice, the neck trimmed with multi-coloured beads. Behind her to the right stands a full length male figure in evening dress with a wide collared, calf length black cloak, and an exaggerated black fedora with a homberg crown. He wears a white diagonal half mask covering the right hand side of his face. Lace swatches in white and cream and fabric swatches in black and white are attached by metal pins to the right hand edge. The design is signed and is inscribed in pencil with the production title, the theatre, the scene, the names of the characters and the actors, and costume details.
Dimensions
  • Poster height: 51cm
  • Poster width: 31.8cm
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'The Phantom and Kristine Lair Act 1 sc 6. / Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman' (Textual information; Upper right hand corner; Handwriting; Pencil)
  • 'Dressing gown / Puts on in view / on top of / Slave girl / Basic.' (Textual information; Upper left hand side of figures; Handwriting; Pencil)
  • 'Phantom. / 1st appearance. / carries through to Lair. / Music of the Night' ' (Textual information; Upper right hand side of figures; Handwriting; Pencil)
  • 'Shoes changed / in dressing room scene' (Textual information; Lower left hand side of figures; Handwriting; Pencil)
  • '(9) plus double (120) / plus double (140)' (Textual information; Beneath figures; Handwriting; Pencil)
  • ' 'Phantom of the Opera' Her Majesties Theatre' (Textual information; Lower left hand corner; Handwriting; Pencil)
  • 'Maria Bjornson' (Signature; Lower right hand corner; Handwriting; Pencil)
Object history
This design was made for the first production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty's Theatre, 9 October 1986. The Phantom was played by Michael Crawford and Christine was played by Sarah Brightman.
Literary reference<i>The Phantom of the Opera</i>
Bibliographic reference
Maria Björnson. London: 1997 no.86
Collection
Accession number
S.274-1999

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Record createdSeptember 1, 2000
Record URL
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