Wig and headdress worn by Alicia Markova in David Lichine's ballet Impressions, Festival Ballet, Stoll Theatre, 1951

Wig and headdress worn by Alicia Markova. The wig is made from long pale blue nylon hair on a mesh cap. The hairs have been individually hooked onto the netting. The hair has been stiffened with gum arabic and formed into ringletted curls at the forehead, in front of the ears, and into a ponytail at the crown of the head. The ponytail has been pinned to the crown of the cap with hair pins. The cap is made from three different types of mesh: a soft caul net covering the crown of the head, a hard vegetable net around the circumference of the head, and a soft nylon net at the hairline and nape of the wig. The front of the cap is lined with cotton gauze. Inside the cap are springs in front of the ears and at the nape, with hooks and eyelets at the nape of the wig to fasten the wig to the head. On top of the wig is a headdress made from a cream-coloured headband adorned with faux pearls.

Wig and headdress worn by Alicia Markova in David Lichine's ballet 'Impressions', Festival Ballet, Stoll Theatre, London, 7th May 1951. The music for the ballet was composed by Georges Bizet (Symphony in C), and the scenery and costumes were designed by Hugh Stevenson.

This wig and headdress was worn by Dame Alicia Markova in David Lichine's ballet Impressions/Symphonic Impressions, first performed at the Stoll Theatre, London by the Festival Ballet in 1951. The music was Georges Bizet's Symphony in C, and the scenery and costumes were designed by Hugh Stevenson. The leotard costume is S.654-1983

The wig and headdress were also worn by Markova in Orfeo at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York in 1955. Houston Rogers photographed her in the Orfeo costume - wearing this wig and headdress - in 1957.

S.661&A-1983