Relics of The Past

Southland Times, Issue 22969, 15 August 1936, Page 16

Relics of The Past

In a little three-storeyed house off Portman Square, London, which is crowded with feminine treasures, I have met the man who is in love with the women of the past, writes an English correspondent. As one enters one sees the complete costume, with tiny satin shoes, gloves, parasol, fan, posy-holder, and hat with hatpins, just as it was worn by a young beauty in the 1870’s. A thousand dresses, 800 hats, and over 500 pieces of beautiful fabric, relics of the “fragrant ghosts” of more than three centuries, have been got together by the collector, the most remarkable thing being that in most instances the exhibits are complete ensembles. For a day dress of the eighties he has actually all seven of the petticoats worn with it. He showed me with pride a frothy, billowy petticoat of shell-pink taffetas worn with an afternoon dress of pale lavender satin in 1855. “It has 58 yards of taffetas niching,” he pointed out, “120 yards of satin ribbon, and 200 yards of Nottingham lace. There are 15 gores on the half-bias, and every stitch is by hand. I haven’t counted the stitches!” Among his oddities are two tennis dresses of 1860. One is made of heavily quilted plaid silk. The other has more than 40 yards of raw shantung in the skirt alone, with dozens of tassel ornaments and thick embroidery. It was worn over three petticoats. One of his rarest treasures is a tiny corset of ivory satin with waist, fastened with five satin straps and brass buckles. It was given him by the niece of a Court fan-maker to Queen Victoria, and was worn by Queen Alexandra when she landed in England. A dress of antique moire worn by Queen Victoria in 1868 has a waist of 29ft. A black corset and bodice combined, trimmed heavily with jet, worn by her 20 years later, has a 54 waist.