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, Bath

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.

Visiting the Birmingham Museum of Art

Now that the fabulous exhibition The Look of Love has closed in at the Birmingham Museum of Art in the largest city in Alabama, I want to encourage a visit to see the permanent collections. You will find many fascinating objects and stories. The website is here.

Because I found the exhibition of Lover's Eyes so exciting, I admit I skipped some of the Museum's excellent collections of Asisan, African, Native American, and pre-Colombian art -- which is really a shame.  However, I lingered in the American and British galleries as long as I could.

In the American galleries, you will find outstanding works from many familiar artists and movements.  One of my favorite groups is the Hudson River School, usually sweeping and dramatic views of the American landscape. 

Looking Down the Yosemite Valley, California, 1865

 Alfred Bierstadt, German-American, 1830-1902

Portraits are always popular, especially those of heroes -- and beautiful women.

Portrait of Oliver Hazard Perry, Hero of Lake Erie

by Jane Stuart (1812-1888)

Jane Stuart was the daughter of that renowned painter of early Americans such as George Washington, Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828).  Jane assisted her father in his work and after his death carried on his portraiture and promoted his legacy.

In the Galleries

John Singer Sargent was well known in Europe and the U.S. for his outstanding portraiture, continuing the magnificent tradition of Lawrence, Gainsborough and Van Dyke.  Lush colors, rich fabrics, flattering facial and body characteristics, and an overall impression of aristocracy were a few of the characteristics these artists shared.

Lady Helen Vincent, Viscountess d'Abernon

John Singer Sargent, American, 1856-1925

I notice that many museums have trouble deciding whether to put the work of Thomas Sully and Benjamin West in the British or American galleries.  It seems to depend upon which side of the Atlantic the institution rests.

Thomas Sully, American, born England (1783-1872)

Prison Scene from James Fenimore Cooper's The Pilot 1841

"Cecilia Howard and Katherine Plowden arousing the prisoner Edward Griffiths from his slumber." 

Erasistratus the Physician Discovers the Love of Antiochus for Stratonica, 1772
Benjamin West, b. U.S., d. Great Britain 1738-1820

Benjamin West was born in Pennsylvania and early in life showed artistic promise. He moved to London in 1863 and within a few years was named historical painter to George III. West served as second president of the Royal Academy of Art. The painting above is typical of the very popular style of large historical paintings in the third quarter of the 18th century.  There are many fine portraits it he British Gallery by an array of excellent 18th and early 19th century artists.

Unknown Sitter, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, British (1769-1830)

ca. 1800

Wilson Gale-Braddyll (1756-1818) 1776

by George Romney, English 1734-1802

Captain Arthur Blake 1769

Sir Joshua Reynolds, English (1723-1792)

1st President of the Royal Academy of Art

E. Finley, Esq.

Sir Henry Raeburn, Scottish 1756-1823

Mrs. William Monck 1760-65

Thomas Gainsborough, English 1727-1788

The Birmingham Museum of Art has wonderful collections of Decorative Arts, below a scene in the British Gallery.

The chair, ca. 1775, originated in the workshop of Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779), mahogany, with modern upholstery.

Sewing Box on Stand, 1790, attributed to Matthew Boulton, English (1728-1809)

Rosewood with stoneware (jasperware), silver and cut steel

Below:   Wedgwood,   Britannia Triumphant, jasper; holding a portrait medallion of George III. Thought to have been made to commemorate the victory of British Naval forces over the French in 1798.

 

The figure itself, attributed to John Flaxman Jr., English, 175501826

The collection of Wedgwood is stupendous, totalling almost 10,000 pieces from 1759 to the mid-20th century. Below of wall of medallions, mostly Jasper.

Below, a selection of vases from various Wedgwood periods.

Mantelpiece

Wedgwood, designed by Halsey Ricardo, England 1854-1928

Originally made for Buckminster Park, Leicestershire

house demolished 1952

Obviously, I could go on for ages telling you about the glories of the museum.  But I will leave that to you, as you investigate their very fine website.  I close with a final piece, a charming cherub head that caught my eye.

Scent Bottle, ca. 1750

soft paste porcelain with gold mount

from the Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory

Chelsea, England