Usher Costume thumbnail 1
Not on display

Usher Costume

1920
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Cinema Usher Uniform, Plaza Theatre, ca. 1920. Originally a stage costume for a female member of the chorus.

The British Film Institute (BFI) acquired its costume collection for display at the Museum of the Moving Image, which existed on the South Bank in London between 1988 and 1999. The collection is made up of British, European, American and Japanese films and covers the period from the silent film era to the mid-1990s. It contains a wealth of historic and significant film costumes worn by major performers and designed by some of the 20th century’s most important film costume designers. The collection was transferred to the V&A in 2015.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.
(Some alternative part names are also shown below)
  • Usher Costume
  • Frock Coat
  • Usher Costume
  • Breeches
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Blue and white frock coat of cinema usher uniform, Plaza Theatre, ca. 1920.

White breeches of cinema usher uniform, Plaza Theatre, ca. 1920.
Physical description
Blue frock coat inspired by 18th-century men's fashion with cream silk collar and cuffs. The coat is decorated with gold ribbon and gold embroidery. The breeches are similarly inspired by 18th-century styles and are made of cream cotton. Both have labels for M Berman Ltd, 18 Green St, Leicester Sq WC. There are a couple of cross-out names in the jacket, with Gilkes being the only one not crossed-out. This suggest the uniform may have been part of a later production.
Credit line
Given by the British Film Institute
Summary
Cinema Usher Uniform, Plaza Theatre, ca. 1920. Originally a stage costume for a female member of the chorus.

The British Film Institute (BFI) acquired its costume collection for display at the Museum of the Moving Image, which existed on the South Bank in London between 1988 and 1999. The collection is made up of British, European, American and Japanese films and covers the period from the silent film era to the mid-1990s. It contains a wealth of historic and significant film costumes worn by major performers and designed by some of the 20th century’s most important film costume designers. The collection was transferred to the V&A in 2015.
Collection
Accession number
S.723:1 to 2-2019

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Record createdNovember 8, 2019
Record URL
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