FESTIVAL OF EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1058, 22 February 1911, Page 9

FESTIVAL OF EMPIRE.

DRESSING; THE PAGEANT. Elaborate preparations ore now being made for the Pageant of London, ivhioli is to be one of tho principal features of •the forthcoming.Festival of Empire, to be hold at tho Crystal Palace frcpi May to October next, under the patronage and with the support of his Majesty's Government—a distinction rarely accorded, to events of this kind. ' , Tho pageant promises to bo one of the greatest historical spectacles ever witnessed, for neither money nor pains are being spared in the effort to make tho twenty-tour scenes,' which aro to be enacted, accurate representations of events of the various periods selected. The costumes and dresses for this huge undertaking are in themselves a very big item, and some idea of the work that is being done in the way. of dressing the pageant' in the exact mode of the respective'periods may bo gathered from the fact that no fewer than 15,000 performers arc taking part in the 'various scenes. In order that every little detail of the costumes may be absolutely accurate, a research committee was formed, whose duty it wns to trace in the various museums 1 and private houses old masterpieces and tapestries portraying characters and scenes in stirring times long gono by. Then a large staff of artists, all specialists in this kind of work, was engaged to make copies from the paintjngs, aud from thcFO coloured drawings the designs for the dresses were executed. All this was begun seme eighteen months ago, and tho artists aro still busy on tho same work in our museums aud in many old baronial halls throughout the country. i'Tho work entailed in the making of the costumes can bo easily imagined' when it is understood that no detail, no matter how trivial, is left out,'even to tho accuracy of tho heraldic emblems on tho escutcheons. Of the.ten thousand or ruoro costumes required for tho pageant, there are over six thousand already completed, a task which necessitated a staff of over _ 20!) workers being engaged praotically night and day (luring the past twelve months on the making of the costumes. There ars six centres'in all in various parts of London whero tho dresses aro being innde, all of whicharo controlled from the administrative offices of the festival. In fact, many of the costumes for tho minor characters bavo been contracted out; and all the material employed in the manufacture is of the finest quality. For instance, ; all the principals, and there ore many'hundreds of them, will be. clad in the richest f.iiins, silks, and velvets, Miitahlo to tho dignity of the ohnracters they aro impersonating. , ~, It will thus be seen that the cost of tho dressing of tho rngeant alone is a very big item of expenditure, for the dresses range in prico from two pounds to thirty guineas, the latter price bavin? been paid for her outfit by the lady herself nhn has been selected to play tho part of Queen Elizabeth. ' , ... Another important item is the armour for the knights. It'is doubtful, whether there is sufficient avnilablo armour in tho conntrv for the hundreds of characters that will:be thus clad in the pageant, so it wns decided to'manufacture special suits forthc occasion.. "In'order to do this a special armoury has been established nt tho Crystal Talacc,'where a big staff of .workmen aro daily en«ngetl in turnin" out tho, mail armour. Tho chain, armour, another big item, has been con-, trocted out. ■_- •■> *' These arc only a few of the facts and figures connected with the staging and dressing of the Pageant of London. There are a thousand-and-onc "'other minor details, alb more or loss important ln.thom-' selves. ' ■ >''■ .'■ "For Modernf'Hair Treatment visit- Mrs- ! Rolleston. Hair.Phvsician and Face Specialist, Qualififid,' ; London, and Paris. Scalp Diseases nermnnehtly cured that calls* FnUins Hair,'", Baldness, and Pro-: mature Greyness. Advico Free. Shampooing, Clipping, Vibro-massage. Highest Tltoloma U.S.A. for removing sunerfluons hair. •* Willis Street (over Carroll's). Thone 1599. Waitresses in a cafe in Boston, United States- of. America, have been forbidden to sav-anything rooro than "Good morning, 6ir." to nialo patrons (and this only when they are- addressed first), bocauso so many, of the'girls marry customers and the' s)aff is nlwtys changing.' -■-•;' t . For Up-to-date Costumes, seasonable and well cut, go to W..S. Bedford, *3a Willis Street, over Shop occupied by 1\ Cohen, Morcer.— *