Costume worn by Pauline Wales in The Mikado
Theatre Costume
ca.1959
ca.1959
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The inscription on the cotton tape sewn into the costume shows that this particular costume was worn by the mezzo-soprano Pauline Wales (1937-2020) who joined the company as a chorus member in 1959 and stayed with them until 1975. By 1963 she was playing a mixture of larger and smaller roles, including Pitti-Sing in The Mikado.
This costume was originally designed by Charles Ricketts (1866-1931) for The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company's new production of The Mikado that opened at the Princes Theatre on Monday 20th September 1926. Speculation about the new costumes designed generated a lot of press interest; tickets for the first night sold out months in advance, and the production was broadcast on the night on the radio live from the theatre by the BBC. Rupert D'Oyly Carte had wanted 'an entirely new aspect' to his new production of the well-loved opera, and Ricketts said of his designs: 'The new dresses I have chosen belong to a period - about 1720 - when national costume was especially beautiful'. The costumes initially received a mixture of praise and condemnation but were used by the company until its first closure in 1982.
This costume was originally designed by Charles Ricketts (1866-1931) for The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company's new production of The Mikado that opened at the Princes Theatre on Monday 20th September 1926. Speculation about the new costumes designed generated a lot of press interest; tickets for the first night sold out months in advance, and the production was broadcast on the night on the radio live from the theatre by the BBC. Rupert D'Oyly Carte had wanted 'an entirely new aspect' to his new production of the well-loved opera, and Ricketts said of his designs: 'The new dresses I have chosen belong to a period - about 1720 - when national costume was especially beautiful'. The costumes initially received a mixture of praise and condemnation but were used by the company until its first closure in 1982.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Costume worn by Pauline Wales in The Mikado (generic title) |
| Brief description | Costume worn by Pauline Wales (1937-2020) in D'Oyly Carte Company performances of The Mikado by Gilbert & Sullivan. Originally designed by Charles Ricketts (1866-1931) and probably made by L&H Nathans |
| Physical description | Sleeveless Japanese-inspired costume with green velvet collar and borders with padded cream, green and coral edging at the hem. Fastened with cream cord, the cream ground of the costume stencilled with a blue bird pattern. Lacking maker's label but cream cotton tape sewn in inscribed with the name of the performer 'WALES' |
| Dimensions | |
| Credit line | Given by The D'Oyly Carte Company |
| Object history | This costume was made for the D'Oyly Carte Company and remained with them until its donation to the museum in 2020 |
| Association | |
| Summary | The inscription on the cotton tape sewn into the costume shows that this particular costume was worn by the mezzo-soprano Pauline Wales (1937-2020) who joined the company as a chorus member in 1959 and stayed with them until 1975. By 1963 she was playing a mixture of larger and smaller roles, including Pitti-Sing in The Mikado. This costume was originally designed by Charles Ricketts (1866-1931) for The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company's new production of The Mikado that opened at the Princes Theatre on Monday 20th September 1926. Speculation about the new costumes designed generated a lot of press interest; tickets for the first night sold out months in advance, and the production was broadcast on the night on the radio live from the theatre by the BBC. Rupert D'Oyly Carte had wanted 'an entirely new aspect' to his new production of the well-loved opera, and Ricketts said of his designs: 'The new dresses I have chosen belong to a period - about 1720 - when national costume was especially beautiful'. The costumes initially received a mixture of praise and condemnation but were used by the company until its first closure in 1982. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.1099-2021 |
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| Record created | September 9, 2021 |
| Record URL |
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