Ronald Cobb design
Costume Design
1970s (designed and made)
1970s (designed and made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Eve's was a well-known night club in the 1970s and 1980s, situated in a basement in Regent Street in London's West End. Its floor-show was written by the club's owner, Helen O'Brien, taking ideas from a wide range of sources, from popular song to Shakespeare; while based on the traditional showgirls, all leg and, at that time, topless, the references and wit of the designs of Ronald Cobb combined into a sophisticated entertainment.
Many of the scenes involved the singing of a song while the girls paraded in costumes wittily illustrating the words. This costume accompanied the Cole Porter song "Miss Otis Regrets" in which a very correct servant explains to the hostess that Miss Otis has shot the man ‘who led her so far astray’ and has been lynched, so consequently is ‘unable to lunch today.’ Cobb’s costume, with its chic hat and glamorous coat, set off by the highly suggestive gun-in-holster g-string, admirably catches the black, understated quality and sophistication of the lyric.
Many of the scenes involved the singing of a song while the girls paraded in costumes wittily illustrating the words. This costume accompanied the Cole Porter song "Miss Otis Regrets" in which a very correct servant explains to the hostess that Miss Otis has shot the man ‘who led her so far astray’ and has been lynched, so consequently is ‘unable to lunch today.’ Cobb’s costume, with its chic hat and glamorous coat, set off by the highly suggestive gun-in-holster g-string, admirably catches the black, understated quality and sophistication of the lyric.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Ronald Cobb design (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Pencil, pen and ink, watercolour, gouache, gold paint, on card |
| Brief description | Costume design by Ronald Cobb for The Gun in the episode Miss Otis Regrets for Eve night club, 1970s. Pencil, pen and ink watercolour, gouache and gold paint |
| Physical description | Costume design by Ronald Cobb for a showgirl as The Gun in the song 'Miss Otis Regrets', Eve's night club, 1970s. Full length female figure, wearing a chic high black hat, bound with a diagonal purple band and, to the right, a gold oval mount surrounded by 'pearls' supporting long feathers. From a purple neckband are attached black shoulder capes, alternately spotted white, to the elbows, from whcih the sleeves are fitted ending in points over the hand; at central neck is fixed a gold oval surrounded by pearls from which a gold band runs down between the breasts to another gold and pearl oval at centre to which is fixed a purple bow and 'belt' from which hangs two full-length black side skirts, spotted white and lined in purple. Around the hem is fixed a circle of 'fur'. The figure wears black stockings which finish in a v-shaped band at mid-hips, meeting at crotch in a black and gold holster holding a gold gun. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Jimmy and Helen O'Brien |
| Object history | The costume design was created by Ronald Cobb for a showgirl illustrating The Gun in Cole Porter's song Miss Otis Regrets in a revue for Eve's night club in London in the 1970s. Historical significance: The design is a rare example of topless night club design for the 1960s and 1970s. |
| Summary | Eve's was a well-known night club in the 1970s and 1980s, situated in a basement in Regent Street in London's West End. Its floor-show was written by the club's owner, Helen O'Brien, taking ideas from a wide range of sources, from popular song to Shakespeare; while based on the traditional showgirls, all leg and, at that time, topless, the references and wit of the designs of Ronald Cobb combined into a sophisticated entertainment. Many of the scenes involved the singing of a song while the girls paraded in costumes wittily illustrating the words. This costume accompanied the Cole Porter song "Miss Otis Regrets" in which a very correct servant explains to the hostess that Miss Otis has shot the man ‘who led her so far astray’ and has been lynched, so consequently is ‘unable to lunch today.’ Cobb’s costume, with its chic hat and glamorous coat, set off by the highly suggestive gun-in-holster g-string, admirably catches the black, understated quality and sophistication of the lyric. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.733-1996 |
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| Record created | May 15, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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