Costume for Esmeralda, worn by Margaret Rolfe when a pupil of Marie Taglioni in the 1870s

Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest

The costume for Esmeralda, the leading character in Jules Perrot's eponymous ballet after Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", was made for Margaret Rolfe, pupil of Marie Taglioni when she was teaching in London, copied from one of Taglioni's own stage costumes. Margaret Rolfe then passed it to Cyril Beaumont and it came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest.
Enclosed with the costume was a card inscribed by Margaret Rolfe: "Esmeralda Dress. This was made under the direction of Marie Taglioni at her house in Connaught Sqre. She helped with it herseof - I wore it at her dancing class. It was awful to dance in it because it was so very heavy with all these coins. The silver buttons hanging on the bolero were like those she wore herself and belonged to her before I was born. She gave me the real lace on the chemisette. She took a great interest in this dress. Margaret. P.S. This dress was copied from one she wore herself when on the stage." The card was enclosed in an envelope inscribed: "The history of the Esmeralda dress. Mr Beaumont would you like to have this little Esmeralda dress?"
Esmeralda was not a role associated with Taglioni, being more the province of her great rival, Fanny Elssler, and Carlotta Grisi, who created the role in 1844.

S.2085&E-1986