Fashion Museums in Britain

Red Silk Robe a l’Anglaise, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1760’s

Victoria here, taking some time off of Pinterest for a change…and ruminating on the wonderful fashion museums which have so carefully preserved the clothing and accessories of bygone eras.  The U.K. is replete with wonderful museums, almost all of which have some fashions, in even the smallest of local collections. The grandaddy of them all is, of course, The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which modestly calls itself, The world’s greatest museum of art and design.” The website is here.

I suppose no one who has visited the sprawling site on Cromwell Road would quarrel with the designation, for it is truly superhuman to cover its many displays even in multiple visits.I can hardly drag myself out of the fantastic gift shop when I get there!

Would you be disappointed if I did not include a link to that wonderful shop?  Be forewarned — they are excellent at shipping.  Click here — if you dare.

The Costume Collection has been recently redone and has re-opened with an exhibition of ball gowns from the 1950s to the present. It will be on display through January 2013, along with selections from the permanent collection of historic fashions.

I love the Georgian, Regency and Victorian gowns usually on view.  Due to their fragility, the items are frequently rotated from storage to display and back.

V and A: White Dress with scalloped hem, ca. 1830
British, cotton muslin with wool embroidery, silk, satin and wadded rouleaux

V and A: Evening Dress, 1807-11  British,
machine made silk net, embroidered with chenille thread, with silk ribbon, hand sewn; over red petticoat

Among the V and A’s fashion exhibits

Also in London, Kensington Palace stores, conserves and exhibits Historic Royal Fashions.  Recently, the collection of Royal Wedding Gowns was restored. Beginning this fall, some of the storage areas, formerly Princess Margaret’s Apartment 1A, will be renovated for Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and his Duchess, the former Catherine Middleton.

Parts of Kensington Palace formerly housed Diana, Princess of Wales, and is the home in which Prince William grew up.  Other members of the extended royal family also have quarters there.

Here is an article that tells more about the Palace, the renovations and the Royals.  For more details, click here.

Parts of Kensington Palace include the State Rooms of William and Mary, the childhood rooms of Queen Victoria, and the Royal Fashions.   I have not seen an announcement of the final plans for the fashions, but one assumes that  Historic Royal Palaces, which administers Kensington Palace a well as other former Royal residences in the London area (e.g. Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace) will take advantage of sharing the complex with the popular young Royals to attract visitors to their displays.

Queen Victoria’s Wedding Gown, Kensington Palace
The Assembly Rooms, Ba
th

In Bath, The Fashion Museum is located in the Assembly Rooms, which are administered by the National Trust.  The Fashion Museum has more than 30,000 items from1600 to the present. The website is here.

a view of storage at the Fashion Museum
display at the Fashion Museum
Gown of plain-weave white cotton, ca. 1813, with striped wool shawl
 Bath Fashion Museum
Lilac cotton sateen corset lined with cream cotton
1880-85, Bath Fashion Museum
Shoes of many eras carefully preserved, Bath Fashion Museum
Another excellent Fashion Museum shows many items owned and preserved the the National Trust at Killerton House, a Regency-era country villa in Devon. The website is here.
Killerton, NT
Croquet Dress, 1863-65, silk taffeta with glass buttons
Killerton House Fashion Collection
Man’s Waistcoat, 1750, silk, satin, metal
Killerton House Fashion Collection

Also at Killerton are many attractive rooms and an extensive garden to explore.  As always, NT has a selection of tasty delights at the tea-room not to mention the temptations of the NT gift shop.

Manchester City Galleries

I have never visited Manchester (something I need to remedy), but the Manchester City Galleries website (here) has an extensive on-line fashion collection.  Here are a couple of examples of their holdings.

Man’s Court Suit, 1775-85
Tennis Dress, 1880’s

Bodice, 1650-1660, Dorset, UK

For a list of museums with fashion and costume collections, click here.  And if you are a resident of the US, there are many outstanding fashion collections here too.  Do you have any recommendations for good fashion collections on either side of the pond?

The Kyoto Fashion Institute seems to be an amazing place, or at least its website and publications are excellent.  They organize many exhibitions, some of which are shown in venues outside Japan.    Click here.

The Court Journal for July 1835

From

 Gazette of the Fashionable World
July 1835
COURT AND FASHIONABLE LIFE.
— Their Majesties will come to town on Tuesday, and remain till Saturday, during which time two grand dinners will be given at the Palace. The King will hold an investiture of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick on Tuesday, at which the Earl of Howth will be appointed a Knight Commander of the Order. On Thursday his Majesty will inspect the Artillery at Woolwich.
The King and Queen will give a grand entertainment at St James’s Palace on Saturday next, in honour of the birth-day of the amiable Duchess of Cambridge. All the Royal Family, the foreign Ambassadors and their Ladies, his Majesty’s Ministers, the usual Court Circle, and a select number of the Nobility, are invited to the banquet.
The Duke of Cumberland honoured Viscount Canterbury with his company at dinner on Thursday evening. The Marquess Camden, Marquess of Hertford, Lords Lyndhurst, Hill, Fitzgerald, and Lieven, and a select party, were present to meet his Royal Highness.
The Duke of Cumberland will shortly take his departure for the continent, to represent his Majesty at the coronation of the Emperor of Austria at Prague. The Royal Duke, after the coronation, will remain on the continent with the Duchess and Prince George until next year.
— Sir Charles and Lady Ogle are preparing to take their departure for the Continent, where they will remain till the commencement of the next season.
— Lord Elphinstone, one of his Majesty’s Lords in Waiting, has been despatched to the Hague for the purpose of inviting his Majesty, the King of Wirtemburg, who, with his daughters, the Princesses Mary and Sophia, are at present staying on a visit to the King and Queen of Holland. His Majesty was last on a visit to the Royal Family here in 1830.
The Marquess of Hertford (above) will give another splendid entertainment on Saturday next, at his beautiful villa, in the Regent’s Park, to which more than five hundred distinguished persons are invited. It is said the noble marquess and his extensive suite will leave this country for Italy, soon after the prorogation of Parliament.
 — The King of Prussia has had medals struck in gold in honour of the late Emperor of Austria, which are intended for presents to diplomatists known to be favourable to the policy of the deceased Monarch. Copies in bronze are likewise to be taken, which are to be distributed among the soldiery.
The Earl of Mulgrave is about to proceed on a tour through Ireland. The Countess, during his Lordship’s absence, will pay a visit to Lord and Lady Ravensworth, in London.
The Duke of Somerset and the Lady St Maur gave a dejeuner on Monday, at Wimbledon Park, which was graced by nearly all the persons of high rank and fashion now in the metropolis. It was a brilliant day, and a late hour in the evening before the company departed.
The Marquess and Marchioness of Salisbury will give a grand entertainment at Hatfield House, next Saturday, to which the Duke of Wellington (above) and a large portion of the fashionable world are invited. The splendid palace, which has for some time been under a state of repair, is now finished. The interior has been newly decorated, and furnished in a style of magnificence peculiar to the refined taste of the noble owner.
  —The Duchess of St Albans lost a valuable ruby set with diamonds, at the Colosseum fete on Thursday week. It was picked up by a gentleman, and returned to her Grace a day or two afterwards.
— We understand that the inhabitants of Hammersmith have had a public meeting, at which they determined to testify their loyalty by erecting a triumphal arch across the road on Thursday next, when their Majesties visit the Earl and Countess of Mansfield, at Caen Wood. The arch is to be sixty feet high by forty feet in width; and the various lodges and societies of the neighbourhood are to be drawn up on either side of the road with their bands of music.
The marriage of Prince Leopold of Naples with Princess Maria of Orleans is now finally decided upon. The President and Grand Referendary of the Chamber of Peers are drawing up the articles, and the nuptials, which the King and Queen of the Belgians are to attend, are to take place at the Chateau d’Eu, in Normandy.
The Opening Banquet at Goldsmith’s Hall.—In order to do honour to the new Hall, a select party was invited to the opening dinner, which took place on Wednesday evening under very distinguished auspices. The Duke of Wellington, Sir Robert Peel, the Marquess Camden, Earl of Darlington, Lord Maryborough, Lord Abinger, the Vice-Chancellor, Lord Bexley, Sir Henry Hardinge, Sir Edward Cust, and many other persons of rank were present. The Duke of Wellington went in his state carriage, and was greeted with the hearty cheers of the crowd assembled to witness the company alight. Sir Robert Peel was received with a similar demonstration of popularity. The best arrangements were made for the reception of the guests, who amounted to about 250. The dinner took place in the Livery Hall, about seven o’clock, when the company sat down to a sumptuous repast, con sisting of all the luxuries and delicacies of the season. The band of the Coldstream Guards was stationed in the Marble Gallery. The chandeliers in the Livery Hall, especially the great one in the centre for seventy-two wax-lights, are perhaps as fine specimens of that manufacture as can be seen in or out of England. The branching arms, large and variegated centre shafts, exhibit nothing but glass, cither richly cut, or in masses of brilliant drops, long prisms, the whole when lighted producing a most dazzling effect. These, with the lustres in the Court rooms, as well as the great metal lamp chandelier, suspended from the dome over the grand staircase, were, we understand, supplied by Perry and Co., of Bond street.
The Duchess of St. Albans (above) gave another Dejeuner Fete, at Holly Lodge, on Saturday last. The house and grounds were decorated with choice flowering plants, the balconies filled with pink hydrangeas and white lilies, the long walk and the lawn before the house had orange trees full of fruit, and round the door and the music tent were stands of splendid flowers. Three large temporary rooms were erected, hung with pink and white, the draperies wreathed with roses, and at the end large looking-glasses were placed, which increased the appearance of the gay scene. The entertainments commenced with a concert, conducted by Sir G. Smart and Signor Gahussi, in which Grisi, Malihran, Stockhausen, Lablache, Tans burini, Rubini, Mr and Mrs Bishop, Mr and Mrs Knyvett Philips performed. During the intervals between the singing, the Coldstream band played in the grounds. About six o’clock the guests sat down to the banquet, after which they went to the hill, where the Grand Falconer exhibited a flight of hawks. Dancing then commenced in the tent and ball-room, continuing until near midnight, except during the interval occupied by the fireworks, which were exceedingly splendid.
— Lady Willoughby D’Eresby gave a grand ball last evening at her mansion in Piccadilly, which was so numerously attended, that for some time the street was rendered nearly impassable, although the ingress and egress were admirably regulated by the police.
The third grand ball given on Thursday by the Officers at Woolwich, was attended by all the beauty and fashion in that neighbourhood, and a number of lovely women and distinguished persons from the metropolis.
— Burleigh House, near Stamford, the magnificent seat of the Marquess of Exeter, on Tuesday last presented one continued scene of gaiety and old English hospitality, worthy the descendant of the great Lord Burleigh. All the Nobility and Gentry in that richly populated neighbourhood were invited, and many distinguished guests from London joined the enchanting scene of festivity and splendour.
— Lord Stanley is at Knowsley Hall, in Lancashire, the seat of his father, the Earl of Derby. His Lordship will return to his duties in Parliament immediately after Liverpool races, where several horses from the stud of Lord Derby are engaged to run.
The Duchess of Saxe-Weimar and family arrived at Deptford on Sunday from Rotterdam. Her Serene Highness was received by the Earl of Denbigh and Mr Hudson, and immediately entered one of the Royal carriages, followed by her suite in a second carriage and four. Near New Cross the Duchess was met by the Queen, and accompanied her Majesty to St James’s.
— On the evening of Tuesday week, while the Duchess of Cambridge was quitting the French Theatre, Sir James Reynett (above), who was handing her Royal Highness to her carriage, was robbed of a valuable gold snuff-box.
The accomplished Duchess of Sutherland gave a grand assembly on Wednesday, at Sutherland House, in the Green Park. The mansion presented, in the interior, one continued blaze of light, which reflected splendor on the magnificent collection of pictures displayed in the rooms of that noble building.

All The Queen's Hats

In the past  months, we have been watching Queen Elizabeth II at many events — the wedding of her grandson, the Diamond Jubilee, and many annual ceremonial events.  We are constantly fascinated by her lovely hats. 

Her hats cannot cover up her face, since that is why people come out — to see her!  So that means none of the big brims or fluttery veils that can be so flattering. And since she so often is climbing in and out of limos, they can’t be too big.  Or in danger of blowing off. However, her milliners certainly manage to come up with a wonderful and colorful selection of styles — here are a selection of our favorites.

For the Silver Jubilee in 1977, The Queen’s pink chapeau, decorated with 25 bells for the years in her reign, was designed by milliner Frederick Fox, who made more than 350 hats for Her Majesty.

At the Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, 2011

The Queen with the Duchess of Cambridge in Leicester

Boarding the Spirit of Chartwell for the Thames Procession
Both of the Queen’s ensembles were created by her chief dresser-designer, Angela Kelly, who also made the creamy lemon outfit Her Majesty wore to the Royal Wedding.
At the Silver Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, 5 June, 2012

Queen Elizabeth II in Northern Ireland, June 26, 2012, in Wedgwood Blue

Below, the pink number that is Victoria’s all-time favorite, worn at Ascot, 2011.

Another view below:

Trooping the Colour, 2011.

A rainbow of colo(u)r:

The Queen at Epsom Derby, this hat by Rachel Trevor Morgan
A paler blue hat by Philip Somerville, also a long-time milliner to Her Majesty

The Queen rarely wears beige, brown or black, being more visible in her favorite colorful couture, but there are exceptions!

At Remembrance Day, November 13, 2011

Sometimes, while not on official duties, the Queen enjoys a headscarf!
Regalia of the Order of the Garter

The Real Thing in Headware
9 May, 2012 opening Parliament

London 2012: Olympic Equestrians

Victoria here, writing about two of my favorite subjects: London (or, rather, make that Greenwich) and horses.

I’m hoping that, like 2008, I will be able to watch some of the Olympic Equestrian events between July 27 and August 12.  Six sets of medals will be awarded, for individual and team accomplishments in three categories: Eventing, Dressage, and Show Jumping.  All three call for the very highest talents, training, and cooperation among horses and riders, and with the Pentathlon, they are the only Olympic sports that involves human-animal collaboration.

The venue for the Equestrian events is Greenwich Park
 on the grounds between the Queen’s House and the Greenwich Observatory, a spectacular setting just downriver from London.  This newly laid out — and temporary — facility was home to an Olympic Test Event last summer. 
2011

An even better view (below) shows rider Karin Donckers of Belgium in the dressage competition in 2011. Does it get any more spectacular than this, London lovers?  There were some protesters, but the powers-that-be promise to return the site to its usual lawn and tree-studded parkland.

In 2008, the Olympic Equestrian  events were held far from Beijing in Hong Kong, so the competitors are pleased to be more centrally located this year.  In 2012, as in 2008, medals will be awarded in six categories, as below, listing the winners in 2008:

In Eventing, Germany won gold, Australia won silver and Great Britain bronze. For the individual medals in Eventing, riders from Germany, the USA, and Great Britain won the gold, silver and bronze medals respectively.

Zara Phillips, 2012 Team GB in Eventing
In Dressage, the team winners were Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark, while the winning individual riders were from the Netherlands, Germany for both silver and bronze.
Nicola Wilson, 2012 Team GB in Dressage
The 2008 winners in Show (or Stadium) Jumping were USA, Canada, and Norway; in the individual events, winning riders were from Canada, Sweden, and the USA. Below, Team USA with their 2008 gold medals. 
2008 Beijing (Hong Kong venue) Olympics

The Equestrian events are clustered as follows:

Eventing: Saturday 28 – Tuesday 31 July
Dressage: Thursday 2 – Thursday 9 August
Jumping: Saturday 4 – Wednesday 8 August

Eventing competitions — often called Horse Trials —  are three-day series of activities which include dressage, stadium jumping and a 5.7 kilometre cross-country course.  All three phases with the same horse and rider require a very high level of training and partnership.  2012 Team  GB members in Eventing are: William Fox-Pitt, Nicola Wilson, Mary King, Zara Phillips, and Kristina Cook. Cook won the 2008 individual bronze medal in Eventing.

Tina Cook 2012 Team GB in Eventing
William Fox-Pitt, 2012 Team GB in Eventing
Dressage movements are based on refined versions of abilities needed by war horses in combat situations.  Like the preliminary rounds of figure ska
ting or gymnastic competitions, a series of prescribed movements are performed and scored, followed by a free-style, though formal, sequence choreographed carefully and set to music. Such refined natural movements as the piaffe, passage and pirouette must be executed.  Both horse and rider need intense concentration, intimate control, and perfect harmony.
Carl Hester, 2012 Team GB in Dressage
Laura Bechtolsheimer, 2012 Team GB in Dressage
Charlotte Dujardin, 2012 Team GB in Dressage

Olympic Factoid:  At the 2012 Olympics, watch for the dressage appearance of Japan’s team member Hiroshi Hoketsu who is competing at age 71, oldest  team member in the London games.  This is, however, not the all-time oldest of Olympic competitors. Several competitors in the past in shooting competitions have been older. 
Hiroshi Hoketsu, 2012 Team Japan in Dressage

Olympic Factoid:  In the long-term medal race in Equestrian events, Germany leads with 28 gold medals, Sweden has 17 golds, France 12, USA 11, and Great Britain 6.
Olympic Factoid:  Ian Millar of Team Canada is expected to compete in a record 10th Olympics in Show Jumping.  In 2008, when he won the silver medal in Show Jumping, at 61, he was the oldest medal winner of the Beijing Olympics.

Alan Millar, 2012 Team Canada in Show Jumping

Olympic Factoid: Elizabeth “Beezie” Madden of Team USA was born in Milwaukee, WI, where I live.  You needed to know that, right???  Beezie won a bronze medal in individual Show Jumping in 2008 and was a member of both gold-medal Teams USA in 2004 and 2008.

The main website for the 2012 Olympics in London is:
For more information on the Equestrian Team GB:
NBC claims that all 32 sports, all 302 events will be shown on line and most on television, via NBC and its associated networks: MSNBC, CNBC and more.
Full details at:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/index.html

Specific Equestrian coverage at:

England in Song

A few weeks ago, on May 30, 2012, we posted a story The Milwaukee Symphony Goes British in a concert Victoria attended.  Here’s another musical blog (though without a note) about British song.

“There’ll Always Be an England” is the title of an article in Opera News magazine, a publication of the Metropolitan Opera Guild.  Hilary Finch, Music Critic of The Times of London writes about the enduring delights of British song. The article is here.

Janet Baker, acclaimed British mezzo
Ms. Finch asks, “So what is it about the English soul, as expressed in English song, that has such a powerful pull worldwide, and generation after generation?”  For her answers, I direct you to the article, which I guarantee you will enjoy.
Music is always synonymous with Britain to me, whether it be the folk songs or the country dances we learned in school, many of which were transferred across the Atlantic almost unchanged, or the modern classics of Benjamin Britten or Ralph Vaughan Williams.  Jane Austen lovers know the music well, from the copies of songs Jane herself wrote out, now to be seen at the Jane Austen Museum at Chawton Cottage…

…to the lively soundtracks of the many versions of her stories.  There are also many CDs of music from her time for the fortepiano and other instruments.

For a selection of Austen-related books on and CDs of  her music, try the JaneAusten Books website, here.

The Sunday New York Times Arts Section on July 8, 2012, carried an article (here) about the centennial of the birth of Kathleen Ferrier, an acclaimed contralto from Lancashire, who died in 1953 at the early age of 41, but left an enduring legacy in her recordings. There are several YouTube versions of Ferrier singing. She often sang English folk music as well as Bach, Handel, and Mahler.

Kathleen Ferrier  (1912-1953)

One amusing tidbit from the Hilary Finch article is her nod to the British penchant for nonsense verse.  I could not agree more.  The lines of Edward Lear (The Owl and the Pussycat) and Lewis Carroll (Alice’s Adventures) are every bit as deserving of a tune as the dialect-laden lines of Robert Burns or the elegant works of Shakespeare or Byron.

Piano on Display at Jane Austen House Museum
 (not hers, but very similar)
And dare I write of English music without mentioning everyone’s favorites, the Boys from Liverpool?  British pop music is famous worldwide.
And starting this month in London, another season of The Proms; their website is here.
So, sing out, everyone!