I remember noticing the exquisite 17th Century casket on my first walk through the castle. It was hidden away in the library, a beautiful suite of 19th C reading rooms furnished in crimson plush, polished wood and overflowing with the most amazing treasures of every type. The casket was squashed into a teeny tiny display …
A new display at Smallhythe House, Ellen Terry’s Tudor cottage now in the care of the National Trust, opened just before the whole world stopped because of the pandemic. Even though it has not been possible for visitors to see the new season’s display yet we we would like to share some of our insights …
The Doggett’s Race, a four mile race on the Thames passing under 11 bridges began in 1715 and is believed to be the oldest continually competed sporting event in the world. Started by Thomas Doggett, manager of the Drury Lane Theatre the race taken over by the Fishmongers’ Livery Company after his death in 1722. …
In 2012 four iconic David Bowie costumes chosen for the V&A Bowie exhibition were conserved by ZTC. The exhibition went on to be one of the museums most successful shows and toured overseas. My favourite was the incredible suit that Bowie wore during “The Man Who Sold the World” tour which was based on the …
This article by our former administrator Victoria Haddock was first published in the Costume Society Newsletter, Autumn 2019 – you can follow our progress on Instagram @legallydressed_rcj. In 2018, Zenzie Tinker was delighted to be appointed as the Advisor for Conservation and Display of the Legal Costume Collection at the Royal Courts of Justice in …
Continue reading “Royal Courts of Justice Legal and Judicial Costume Collection”
Charleston’s inaugural exhibition held in the Wolfson Galleries opened in September 2018 with ‘Orlando at the Present Time’, marking the 90 years since the first publication of Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando: A Biography. The exhibition included contemporary interpretations alongside rarely seen letters, photographs and objects connected to the original publication of the novel. Also on …
By Ania Golebiowska and Jamie Robinson The Royal Pavilion is rather extraordinary; a celebration of styles from across the globe with no discernible links. The Prince Regent’s ‘Pleasure Palace’ is purportedly the first case of interior design existing outside of architecture. George IV employed the theatre designer John Nash to transform the grounds during 1815-1820, …
Continue reading “Stephen Jones Hats: A Pragmatic Approach to Mounting 160 Objects in 30 Days”
Conservation of Hats Through an Intern’s Eyes by Emma Hartikka Conclusions and Impressions It is over – my internship period with Zenzie Tinker Conservation! Hard to get to grips with how fast the time flew. It is time to look back and reflect on the time gone by. Firstly, I should mention that the hats …
Charles Frederick Worth was the Lincolnshire designer who dominated the Paris fashion scene in the latter part of the nineteenth century, otherwise known as the ‘father of haute couture’. [1] It is a rare treat to have such sartorial history pass through your hands and so I was delighted to have the opportunity to work on …
Continue reading “Dressed For Best: conserving couture, restoring its Worth”
The Westminster Abbey Funeral Effigies Layers! One of the most fascinating but problematic things about redressing the effigies were the multiple layers of clothing (some wearing as many as 18 items!). The under layers were often fine and beautiful and never seen – there because that is how they were worn in life, or just …