‘From Fairy Queens in ‘Gauze and Spangles’ to ‘Shakespeare in Black Velvet’: shining a spotlight on 19th Century Theatre Costume.

Significant changes occurred in approaches to the design and creation of theatre costume during the nineteenth century. Influenced in part by movements in Art and Design, a new importance was placed on productions in which the costumes worn by all the cast were ‘archaeologically correct and artistically appropriate.’
Yet there were still identifiable categories of costume, each adapted to suit the nature of the venue and audience. Whilst Shakespearean dramas provided ideal vehicles for the new painstakingly researched, artistic costumes, audiences at the music hall and pantomimes continued to demand glamour and spectacle. Spectators of domestic melodramas and the new musical entertainments were equally discerning, expecting to see, and draw inspiration from, the latest fashionable couture creations gracing the stage.
This paper will discuss the artistic and social factors which initiated these changing approaches to design and offer an initial exploration of the costuming practices, and some of the key categories of stage dress, which emerged during this period.