Exhibitions in London

premierludwig

premierludwig

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Just got back from a trip to London, and I caught some really cool fashion related exhibitions while there.

Firstly, the most important one was the exhibition of the Queen Mother's "White Wardrobe" designed by Norman Hartnell for the 1938 state visit to Paris. You can get *really* close up to all of the outfits and accessories and see all of the beautiful fabrics and details work that has gone into them. Each item is a work of art, and I would really recommend going to see them. There was also footage and photographs of the Queen Mother wearing them (back then she was the Queen of England / Consort of course), an extract from a film made about Hartnell's workshop showing a design being turned into a creation and his embroiderers at work. They had some of the King's outfits too in this exhibition, and also on display in the State Ballroom where there was a VE/VJ day display.

The other fashion related thing that totally knocked me out while in London is a strange one. I am a major devotee of the first Queen Elizabeth - Elizabeth Tudor - and I was determined to go pay my respects to her at Westminster Abbey where she is buried. There was an exhibition on while I was there of the royal effigies - full models that they made of the Kings and Queens that would be dressed in their clothing and carried with the funeral procession and then placed in the church they were buried in so that people had a proper image of them to pay their respects to. It's all a little bit gruesome really, but the models were incredibly detailed, even the early ones of people like Henry VII where they had been carved out of wood and then painted in great detail, even down to if they had a spot on their face or a vein that showed. Everything was carved and painted to perfection.

Anyway, Queen Elizabeth I was the first Queen to have her effigy made with the body and limbs in wood and fabric and the face, hands and feet made in wax. They didn't take good care of the wax so it had started to disintigrate and under a century later they had to copy the model and make a new one. Now the interesting bit... they kept the original model and this was displayed alongside the pristine copy, still wearing Elizabeth's underwear! I've never seen a true 16th Century "corset" before and was fascinated! So if anyone is into historical underwear you have to go see it!

For some reason among the royals, they also had Admiral Nelson's effigy wearing his own uniform which was quite interesting as I've been researching Nelson in the run up to the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

Just found both those things fascinating and wanted to share them.

love, moons and starrs,
Senti.*
 
I need to find my book that was in honor of Elizabeth II's coronation and had some great paintings and photos of the queen mum and the whole family in their younger days. Some of the gowns that Margaret wore too were just stunning. When i find it, i will certainly do some scanning.

Its amazing that you could get so close to the outfits and not be shuffled through quickly behind a velvet rope.

If i ever go to London, I might have to take a month just with all the neat things that happen that I keep living vicariously through all of the UK'ers.
 
It was really nice actually, you weren't rushed through. There was lots of space and lots of different displays of clothing, video, photographs, things you could read. So everyone just moved around according to what they wanted to see... I stayed in there ages and read and watched and examined everything closely.

The dresses themselves were in little... well, they were almost like round booths, the front and sides of which had like a plastic wall around the base of them so that you didn't step into the display, but which allowed you to get very close and lean forward to see things closer. It was fabulous! I *think* there was one bit that had the outfit cmpletely behind glass, but that had a tiara and other jewels in so it's not surprising they were more careful with the security on that display.

Forgot to mention, but they also had the two dolls presented to the Queen for the two Princesses on behalf of the children of France. They were called France and Marianne from what I remember. There was some of the clothing and accessories that came from them, all of which were made by famous fashion houses. I *think* they usually have the dolls on display with their full collection at Windsor in the same room as that huge Dolls House... but obviously some of that display has been moved for this exhibition.

love, moons and starrs,
Senti.*
 
Yes, those dolls were at Windsor, along with a lot of the Queen's other play things. It's a very charming exhibit, with the doll house in the center of the room, and the other toys in glass cases around the walls. I was so enchanted by the doll's wardrobes that I totally missed the doll house! I couldn't believe that those 2 dolls had a couture wardrobe!

The effigies sound creepy, but I'm sure they made a nice lasting impression!
 
That sounds like a display worth seeing. I visited the V&A last year and was very disappointed with the way they laid out exhibitions. The best part was the Museum restaurant, reasonably priced with excellent food.
Louise
 
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