Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume design by Wilhelm for Alfred Majilton as Kieki, the Buddist Priest in Act I of The Mousme, Shaftesbury Theatre, 9th September 1911

Costume Design
1911 (Painted, Drawn)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This design was executed for a production of Alex M. Thompson & Robert Courtneidge's musical comedy The Mousme at the Shaftesbury Theatre, September 9th 1911. The lyrics were by Arthur Wimperis & Percy Greenback, the music was composed by Lionel Monckton & Howard Talbot, and the scenery was designed by Conrad Tritschler. The production was produced by Robert Courtneidge, and the choreography was arranged by Edouard Espinosa & Alfred H. Majilton. The costumes were made by Mrs Woolcott and the wigs by Clarkson.

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 appealed to producers and public alike and led to a constant stream of work throughout his life. He was a well-known illustrator of children's books as well as a costume designer, but 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'.

The museum also holds the costumes Wilhelm designed for the gentlemen's costumes in The Mikado at the Savoy Theatre twenty-six years earlier. A fashion for all things Japanese had first made an impression in Britain in the 1860s and was given new impetus in London by the 1884 Japanese Village Exhibition in Knightsbridge. By 1885 Japanese artefacts imported to London had started a craze for Japonism. 'We are all being more or less Japanned' wrote the Daily Telegraph theatre critic after the first night of The Mikado, and the popularity of a Japanese setting had not lost its appeal as late as 1911 when Wilhelm designed these costumes for The Mousme.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleCostume design by Wilhelm for Alfred Majilton as Kieki, the Buddist Priest in Act I of <i>The Mousme</i>, Shaftesbury Theatre, 9th September 1911 (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour, pencil, pen & ink, and black & white paint, on card
Brief description
Costume design by Wilhelm for Alfred Majilton as Kieki, the Buddist Priest in Act I of The Mousme, Shaftesbury Theatre, 9th September 1911
Physical description
Costume design for Alfred Majilton as Kieki, the Buddist Priest in Act I. The design depicts a full length male figure with a bald head in a Japanese style costume. The costume consists of a large grey kimono edged with black, worn over a white kimono. An elaborate yellow and red patterened obi is worn around the waist and ober the left shoulder. The figure also wears white socks and raised wooden sandals. He holds a fan in his left hand.
Dimensions
  • Height: 254mm
  • Width: 178mm
Style
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'C. WILHELM. 1911' Note: the signature and date are written in a style that imitates Japanese calligraphy (Signature; date; Vertically along the lower right hand side of the design; handwriting; ink)
  • ' Kieki / (Buddhist Priest) / Act I. ' (Textual information; In the upper right hand corner.; handwriting; ink)
  • ' 10 ' (Textual information; By the lower right hand side of the figure.; handwriting; pencil)
Credit line
Bequeathed by Michael Hugh Venables
Object history
This costume design by Wilhelm is part of a collection of 15 designs by Wilhelm bequeathed to the Theatre Museum by the late Michael Hugh Venables. The design was executed for a production of Alex M. Thompson & Robert Courtneidge's musical comedy The Mousme at the Shaftesbury Theatre, September 9th 1911. The lyrics were by Arthur Wimperis & Percy Greenback, the music was composed by Lionel Monckton & Howard Talbot, and the scenery was designed by Conrad Tritschler. The production was produced by Robert Courtneidge, and the choreography was arranged by Espinosa & Alfred H. Majilton. The Dresses were made by Mrs Woolcott and the wigs were made by Clarkson.

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.'

The acquisition of some of Wilhelm's designs for The Mousme is especially welcome for the Theatre Museum, which also holds the designs he did for the gentlemen's costumes in The Mikado at the Savoy Theatre twenty-six years earlier. A fashion for all things Japanese had first made an impression in Britain in the 1860's and has been given new impetus in London by the 1884 Japanese Village Exhibition in Knightsbridge. By 1885, Japanese artefacts imported to London had started a craze for Japonism. 'We are all being more or less Japanned' wrote The Daily Telegraph theatre critic after the first night of The Mikado, and the popularity of a Japanese setting had not lost its appeal as late as 1911 when Wilhelm designed these costumes for The Mousme

Catherine Haill
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceThe Mousme
Summary
This design was executed for a production of Alex M. Thompson & Robert Courtneidge's musical comedy The Mousme at the Shaftesbury Theatre, September 9th 1911. The lyrics were by Arthur Wimperis & Percy Greenback, the music was composed by Lionel Monckton & Howard Talbot, and the scenery was designed by Conrad Tritschler. The production was produced by Robert Courtneidge, and the choreography was arranged by Edouard Espinosa & Alfred H. Majilton. The costumes were made by Mrs Woolcott and the wigs by Clarkson.

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 appealed to producers and public alike and led to a constant stream of work throughout his life. He was a well-known illustrator of children's books as well as a costume designer, but 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'.

The museum also holds the costumes Wilhelm designed for the gentlemen's costumes in The Mikado at the Savoy Theatre twenty-six years earlier. A fashion for all things Japanese had first made an impression in Britain in the 1860s and was given new impetus in London by the 1884 Japanese Village Exhibition in Knightsbridge. By 1885 Japanese artefacts imported to London had started a craze for Japonism. 'We are all being more or less Japanned' wrote the Daily Telegraph theatre critic after the first night of The Mikado, and the popularity of a Japanese setting had not lost its appeal as late as 1911 when Wilhelm designed these costumes for The Mousme.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
S.368-2001

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Record createdJuly 2, 2001
Record URL
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