Clothes, on and Off the Stage; a History of Dress from the Earliest
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\ CLOTHES ON AND OFF THE STAGE Two Silhouettes A. Ann Harding as Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew.' B. John Drew as Petruchio. n^ ^M CLOTHES ON AND OFF THE STAGE A History of Dress From the Earliest Times To the Present Day BY HELENA CHALMERS AUTHOR OF "the ART OF MAKE-UP" Illustrated by the Author . Our actors are very sensible that a well-dressed play has often brought them as full audiences as a well-written one. Addison*, in The Spectator. NEW YORK ; LONDON D. APPLETON AND COMPANY MCMXXVIII n^ ^M V- .. COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY \ T.Sb1>0 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OP AMERICA FOREWORD The aim of this volume is to present a history of cos- tume in continuity so that data upon any period, together with estabHshed precedent in stage dressing, may be read- ily available when needed for theatrical production. Supplementing extensive personal research in the art galleries and museums of Europe, the author has been a close student of such standard authorities as Planche, Fairholt, Vecellio, Shaw, Knight, Strutt, Hope, Flax- man, Herodotus, Hottenroth and the Miinchener Bilder- hogen; also of old manuscripts, effigies on monuments and in tombs, sculpture and wall paintings. Among various modem works those of Chamberlain, Gosse, Fraser, Read and Wornum have each proved helpful in the as- sembling of the great mass of facts needed for a refer- ence book of this kind. H. C. CONTENTS PAGE Foreword . v CHAPTER I. Practical Hints on Dressing for the Stage i 11. Silhouettes and High Spots .... 14 in. The Old Stone, New Stone and Metal Ages 21 IV. The Egyptians and the Arabs ... 23 V. Other Ancient Nations 31 VI. The Chinese 37 VII. The Japanese 42 VIII. The Hindus 46 IX. The Greeks . 48 X. The Etruscans and the Romans . 57 XL The Franks, Goths, Gauls, Celts, Teu- tons, Lombards and Ancient Britons 69 XII. The Christians: Romans, Byzantines AND THE Monks y6 XIII. The Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings . 82 XIV. The Norman Period and Scottish Dress Sy XV. From Charlemagne to the Thirteenth Century ......... 96 XVI. The Thirteenth Century .... 100 vii viii Contents CHAPTER FACE XVII. The Fourteenth Centur\ 107 XVIII. The Fifteenth Century XIX. The Sixteenth Century . 146 XX. Venetian Costume XXI. The Seventeenth Century 179 XXII. The Eighteenth Century 204 XXIII. The Nineteenth Century 226 XXIV. The Twentieth Century 249 XXV. Peasants XXVI. Suggestions for Cutting Patterns 269 Index . 279 ILLUSTRATIONS Two Silhouettes frontispiece A. Ann Harding as Bianca in "The Taming of the Shrew." B. John Drew as Petruchio. PLATE PAGE I. What Lines Can Accomplish ... 3 A. A girl inclined to be plump using lines in her costume which tend to exaggerate; i.e., wide sleeves, side pleatings on skirt, girdle knotted on hips, flower on shoulder, large choker necklace and width in hair dressing. B. A girl emphasiz- ing her height and slenderness by the use of ver- tical lines. C. A fat woman accentuating her size by badly arranged hair and a collar which thickens her throat and humps her shoulders. D. A woman of the same build with hair car- ried up from the ears and rolled on the head; the flat neckline and long necklace also tend to slenderize. II. Egyptians, Turks and Hindus . 25 A and B. Egyptian king and queen. C. Egyp- tian woman of the better class. D and E. Turk- ish women. F and G. A rajah and a Hindu woman wearing a sari. III. Orientals 33 A and B. A Mede and an Assyrian king. C, D and E. Jews of Bible days. F and G. Chinese lady and gentleman. H and I. Japanese gentle- man and lady. rV. Ancient Headdresses 51 A. The Phrygian cap as worn by Paris on Mount Ida. B. The petasus or Thessalonian cap. C. The pileus, the conical cap of a Roman Illustrations PLATE PAGE workman, covered by a fold of the toga. D. A Persian dress showing the fanlike sleeve. E. The Assyrian bonnet. F. The Persian bonnet. V. Greeks and Romans 55 A and C. Statues of Diana and Thalia; clothes of the heroic age. B. Statue of Hadrian show- ing a lorica and paludamentum. D and E. Athenians in the age of Pericles. F and G. A Roman matron and the toga as worn by Edwin Forrest. VI. Roman Accessories 59 A. A Roman actor with mask pushed up listen- ing to the director. B. Shoe worn by Edwin Forrest as Spartacus. C. The "calceus luna- tus" worn by John Philip Kemble as Cato. D and E. Two Roman actors wearing masks. One has shoes with padded soles to increase his height. VII. Early Christians, Arabs and Norse- men 73 A and B. Byzantine emperor and a lady. C and D. A Roman Christian, 600 a.d., and a Christian martyr. E and F. An Arab girl and a sheik in haik and burnous. G and H. A Gaul and a Viking. VIII. Byzantine and German Headdresses . 79 A, B and C. Headdresses of Byzantine women. D, E and F. Headdresses of German women during the fourteenth century, showing an orien- tal tendency. IX. Details of Costumes for Hamlet . 83 A. Costume worn by Edwin Forrest as Hamlet. B. Black tunic edged with white about the neck worn by Walter Hampden and resembling that of Edwin Booth. C. Correct sleeves on the tunic of John Barrymore. D. Leg-strapping as worn by Edwin Booth. E and F. Border design and shoe used by Charles Fechter. Illustrations xi PLATE PAGE X. Normans, Saxons and Franks ... 89 A, B and C. Normans. D and E. Saxons. F and I. Franks of the peasant and middle class. G and H. Eleventh century. A Carolingian king and lady. XI. Sleeves and Hairdressing .... 93 A. Long sleeve knotted up, England, Henry I. B. A case for lengthening the hair. C. Rib- bon bound hair in Sargent's portrait of Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth. D. Long hanging sleeves, England, Henry I. E. Sleeve of a Nor- man tunic, showing wrinkled shirt sleeve on the forearm. F. Sleeve worn by Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth in the Sargent portrait. XII. Plantagenet Period loi A. The surcoat, England, Richard II. B. Gor- get and wimple, England, Henry III. C. Gorget and wire cases, England, Edward II. D. Span- ish turban and chin band, with a caul on the hair, England, Henry III. E. Cases and forehead band, England, Edward 11. F. A surcoat with train, England, Richard II. XIII. Headdresses 109 A. Arrangement of blonde hair for Ophelia as worn by Ethel Barrymore. B. The caul worn by Lillian Gish as Romola. C. The caul as worn in England during the reign of Edward I. D. Veil and fillet as worn by Constance Collier as the Queen in "Hamlet." XIV. Costumes of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries . 113 A, B, E and F. Varieties of the surcoat in 1200. C and D. The kirtle gown and gorget and the age of draperies. G. A parti-colored costimie in the fourteenth century. H and I. The houppe- lande and a Frenchwoman in a cote-hardie. xii Illustrations PLATE PACK XV. Sleeves and Drapes . A. Sleeve of a simarre worn by Mary Ander- son as Juliet. B. Sleeve with long lappets worn by Jane Cowl. C. Sleeve as worn by Rollo Peters as Romeo. D. The drape as worn by Lionel Barrymore in "The Jest." E. Drape brought under the arm and thrown outward. XVI. Fifteenth-Century Headdresses . 125 A. Headdress, France, end of the fourteenth century. B. Horns draped by a wimple, Eng- land, Henry V. C. The hennin tilted back- ward, reign of Richard IH. D. A fanciful steeple with gauze brim, reign of Edward IV. E. The steeple with frontlet, reign of Ed- ward IV. XVII. Fifteenth-Century Accessories . 127 A. The roundlet. B. Sleeve, reign of Henry IV. C, D and E. Shoes, England, fifteenth century. F. French shoe, middle of the fif- teenth century. G. A queen of France wearing a heart headdress. The houppelande sleeves are lined with ermine. H. The houppelande with foliated edges on sleeves. XVIIL Costumes of the Fifteenth Century 131 A and D. Frenchmen, early and late in the cen- tury. B. A form of the Italian simarre, a caul on the hair. C. The roundlet and the cote-hardie, France and Spain, 1450. E and F. The reign of Edward IV; clogs and the steeple headdress. XIX. Fifteenth-Century Accessories . 137 A. Hat, England, Henry VI. B. A form of the chaperon. C and D. Small caps of black velvet, England, Edward IV. E. Hat, Henry VI. F. Shoe, Henry VI. G. Shoe, Henry VI. H. Boot, Henry VI. I and J. Form of trim- ming known as "hatched," Edward IV. XX. Charles John Kean as Richard III . 139 Illustrations xiii PLATE PAGE XXI. Tudor Accessories 143 A. Feathered hat, England, Henry VII. B. A woman's sleeve, England, Henry VII. C. The petti-cote as worn in 'The Firebrand," showing fur-trimmed placcard and gathered shirt. D. Long cloak with fur collar and cuffs, England, Henry VII. E. Broad shoes with slashed toes, Henry VII and Henry VIII. F. Hanging sleeves on a petti-cote, Henry VII. XXII. Details of Costume, Close of the Fifteenth Century 147 A. Virago sleeve. B. Gathered chemisette. C. French hood. D. The Milan bonnet; a form frequently used by Holbein, early sixteenth cen- tury. E. Tall hat, France, fifteenth century. XXIII. Head Coverings and Hats, Beginning OF THE Sixteenth Century . 149 A.