Fashion Design
1922 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This design for a fashionable gold lamé evening dress and blue cloak trimmed with black fur is one of nine costume designs for the American actress Pearl White's music-hall performances at the Casino de Paris, 1922. Pearl White (1889-1938) was a silent film actress best known for starring in the 1914 serials The Perils of Pauline and The Exploits of Elaine. In 1921, following the breakdown of her marriage, White moved to Paris, and made plans to launch a revue at the Casino. Employing 160 chorus girls, plus fifteen principals alongside White herself, the show was being advertised through posters, and the scenery and costumes had been completed, when there was a fire at the casino in May 1922. All the scenery and almost all the costumes were destroyed, and the cast were put out of work. These designs, which were probably designed by the House of Worth for White, are possibly the only surviving documentation of costumes designed for this revue, although a poster by Bouet portrays White in the hat, collar and necktie from E.22185-1957.
The House of Worth, founded in Paris in the 1850s by Charles Frederick Worth and Otto Bobergh, quickly came to the attention of Empress Eugenie of France, and subsequently became one of the couturiers of choice of royalty across Europe, dressing many crowned heads including those of Norway, Italy, Denmark, Russia, Belgium and Spain. After Worth died in 1895, his son, Jean-Philippe, became designer. After the 1910s, Jean-Philippe appointed his nephew, Jean-Charles to succeed him as designer, and in the mid-1930s, Roger Worth, Charles' great-grandson, took over as designer. Roger's brother, Maurice, was the last designer for Worth in the early 1950s before the Paris house of Worth was bought out by Paquin in 1953. Paquin closed in 1956, donating a wide range of fashion plates and designs from the combined Worth and Paquin archives and reference collections to the Victoria & Albert Museum.
The House of Worth, founded in Paris in the 1850s by Charles Frederick Worth and Otto Bobergh, quickly came to the attention of Empress Eugenie of France, and subsequently became one of the couturiers of choice of royalty across Europe, dressing many crowned heads including those of Norway, Italy, Denmark, Russia, Belgium and Spain. After Worth died in 1895, his son, Jean-Philippe, became designer. After the 1910s, Jean-Philippe appointed his nephew, Jean-Charles to succeed him as designer, and in the mid-1930s, Roger Worth, Charles' great-grandson, took over as designer. Roger's brother, Maurice, was the last designer for Worth in the early 1950s before the Paris house of Worth was bought out by Paquin in 1953. Paquin closed in 1956, donating a wide range of fashion plates and designs from the combined Worth and Paquin archives and reference collections to the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | gold paint, watercolour, pen and ink and pencil |
Brief description | Design for a costume for Miss Pearl White at the 'Casino de Paris' music hall. Paris, 1922. Designed by the House of Worth. |
Physical description | 1 of 9 designs for music-hall costumes for Pearl White at the Casino de Paris. Gold lamé evening dress with black feather fan and black-fur trimmed blue cloak |
Credit line | Given by the House of Worth |
Summary | This design for a fashionable gold lamé evening dress and blue cloak trimmed with black fur is one of nine costume designs for the American actress Pearl White's music-hall performances at the Casino de Paris, 1922. Pearl White (1889-1938) was a silent film actress best known for starring in the 1914 serials The Perils of Pauline and The Exploits of Elaine. In 1921, following the breakdown of her marriage, White moved to Paris, and made plans to launch a revue at the Casino. Employing 160 chorus girls, plus fifteen principals alongside White herself, the show was being advertised through posters, and the scenery and costumes had been completed, when there was a fire at the casino in May 1922. All the scenery and almost all the costumes were destroyed, and the cast were put out of work. These designs, which were probably designed by the House of Worth for White, are possibly the only surviving documentation of costumes designed for this revue, although a poster by Bouet portrays White in the hat, collar and necktie from E.22185-1957. The House of Worth, founded in Paris in the 1850s by Charles Frederick Worth and Otto Bobergh, quickly came to the attention of Empress Eugenie of France, and subsequently became one of the couturiers of choice of royalty across Europe, dressing many crowned heads including those of Norway, Italy, Denmark, Russia, Belgium and Spain. After Worth died in 1895, his son, Jean-Philippe, became designer. After the 1910s, Jean-Philippe appointed his nephew, Jean-Charles to succeed him as designer, and in the mid-1930s, Roger Worth, Charles' great-grandson, took over as designer. Roger's brother, Maurice, was the last designer for Worth in the early 1950s before the Paris house of Worth was bought out by Paquin in 1953. Paquin closed in 1956, donating a wide range of fashion plates and designs from the combined Worth and Paquin archives and reference collections to the Victoria & Albert Museum. |
Bibliographic reference | Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings Accessions 1957-1958 London: HMSO, 1964 |
Collection | |
Accession number | E.22187-1957 |
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Record created | June 30, 2009 |
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