Kimono worn by Anne Sessions in The Mikado
Theatre Costume
ca.1960 (made)
ca.1960 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The inscription on the maker's label sewn into the costume shows that this particular costume was worn by the soprano Anne Sessions (1935-2018) who joined the company as a chorus member in 1956 and took over principal roles including that of Yum-Yum in The Mikado in 1960. She left in July 1963 to appear in the London production of My Fair Lady but returned in 1965, staying with them until July 1969.
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 | Kimono worn by Anne Sessions in The Mikado (generic title) |
| Brief description | Kimono worn by Anne Sessions (1935-2018) as Yum-Yum in D'Oyly Carte Company performances of The Mikado by Gilbert & Sullivan. Originally designed by Charles Ricketts (1866-1931) and made by L&H Nathan |
| Physical description | Floor-length kimono in purple and white with wide sleeves and padded red edging around neck, front opening and hem. The white ground is patterned with pink and maroon floral shapes, blue and grey circles and large circles of gold appliqué, possibly representing the sun about which Yum-Yum sings in The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze. The name 'Sessions' is inscribed on the maker's label sewn in the costume |
| 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 |
| Summary | The inscription on the maker's label sewn into the costume shows that this particular costume was worn by the soprano Anne Sessions (1935-2018) who joined the company as a chorus member in 1956 and took over principal roles including that of Yum-Yum in The Mikado in 1960. She left in July 1963 to appear in the London production of My Fair Lady but returned in 1965, staying with them until July 1969. 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.1100-2021 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | September 9, 2021 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
