Sketch book owned by Sophie Fedorovitch, working out ideas for Andrée Howard's ballet "Veneziana", both produced in 1953.

Sketch book, spiral bound at top edge containing sketches and ideas for costumes and sets, mostly on a Venetian theme, including architectural details, lamposts and stage properties. One full coloured stage set and some pages of related notes. Ballpoint pen, watercolour and gouache.

Given by Maude Gosling

One of three notebooks (S.650-2001, S651-2001, S.652-2001) used by the stage designer Sophie Fedorovitch to work out ideas for the last production she was to design, Andrée Howard's ballet "Veneziana" for the Sadler's Wells Ballet at the Royal Opera House, in 1963. Fedorovitch died before the first night.
"Veneziana", as indicated by the title, had a Venetian theme, and was primarily a divertissement. Of the three related notebooks, this contains the most detailed set and costume drawings.
There are five finished costume designs for the ballet in the collection (S.1893-1986; S.1894-1986; S.1895-1986; S.1896-1986; S.1897-1986).
The notebook came to the Museum as part of a gift from the dancer Maude Lloyd, who was a close friend and colleague of Andrée Howard.

Historical significance: Theatre designers sketchbooks are comparatively rare and this sequence of three are especially significant in being the ideas for the last production on which Sophie Fedorovitch, one of the finest theare and ballet designers of the first half of the 20th century, worked.

S.652-2001