The Helen Larson Private Collection Important Period, Couture and Historically Significant Costume Sale Date Saturday April 28, 2018 at 10AM Preview Times Thursday April 26, 2018 by appointment only Friday April 27, 10AM-6PM Saturday April 28, 8AM-10AM Sale Location New Hope Eagle Fire Co. Exhibition Hall 46 North Sugan Road New Hope PA 18938 Every lot in this catalog is illustrated with multiple detailed images on our website www.whitakerauction.com The Charles A. Whitaker Auction Co. holds semi-annual Couture, Vintage Clothing, Ethnographic Art and Textile Auctions in the Spring and Fall. For information on future sales or consigning to one of our sales please contact us for a free consultation Charles A. Whitaker Auction Co. Auctioneers and Appraisers of Fine Art, Antiques, Period Costume, Textiles 1002 West Cliveden Street Philadelphia, PA. 19119-3701 215-817-4600 www.whitakerauction.com Helen Larson and James Laver of Victoria and Albert Museum, 1965 The HELEN LARSON Private Collection Helen Larson was a passionate collector of both fashion and history. She, with the assistance of her close friend Doris Langley Moore - founder of The Costume Museum, Bath, England - assembled a massive collection over a 50 year career beginning in the 1940’s. There are many lots offered here that are illustrated in Moore’s The Woman in Fashion and The Child in Fashion. The Helen Larson Private Collection spans several centuries and offers collectors, historians, and institutions a unique opportunity to acquire historical, royal and haute couture with a secure chain of provenance. Many lots include copies of correspondence between Larson and Moore as well as copies of invoices and auction records. Following World War II there was a great deal of property and costume belonging to British and European Royalty that came onto the market and Helen Larson, partially due to her success as creator of Western Costume in Los Angeles, was in a position to acquire much of it. The “Royalty” represented in the collection is vast and includes Queens Victoria, Alexandra and Mary of England, Louise of Denmark, Marina of Greece and others. Plate XXVI The Woman in Fashion, Lots 185 & 217 Doris Langley Moore The Royal Group at Windsor Castle Photograph, part of Lot 314 American figures of note range from presidential first ladies and Gilded Age industrialists, to Hollywood celebrities including Mrs. Ulysses S Grant, First Lady Ellen Wilson, Gilded age industrialists Mrs Jay Gould (Duchess of Tallyrand), Consuelo Vanderbilt (Duchess of Marlborough) and Katherine Hepburn from "The African Queen”. The HLPC also houses some of the best of the best in haute couture with important examples from Worth, Poiret, Paquin, Pingat, Molyneux, Vionnet, Chanel and others. In short even the simplest of cotton dresses contained in this collection is clearly just a little bit better than what we currently see in the market. If you are interested in history or in the period costume industry at any level you should find a way to view this life’s work of a woman in fashion. Lot 3 Lot 1 Lot 2 6 PINK KID SHOES with CORD DECORATION, 1 CREAM SATIN SHOES with GOLD BRAID, 1680 - 1700 LATE 1790s Silk trimmed with rows of narrow gold braid Bright pink with extreme pointed toe and low having pointed toe, extended tongue, latchets Italian heel having an oval bronze-tone buckle tied with silk ribbon, tall Louis heel, faced in over wired and looped black and white striped blue silk, 2-piece custom mounts.(Significant cord, 2-tone leather lining, white kid and linen losses to satin, gold braid tarnished, losses to lining and insole. Possibly photographed on braid, tips abraded) fair. $6000 - 8000 Lot 4 model in “The Woman in Fashion” by Doris Langley Moore, 1949, plate 3. After Helen 2 SINGLE ENGLISH SILK BROCADE SHOE, 1730s purchased shoes, they were worn by a model Tobacco brown faille with straw-colored floral in a fashion show, 1960s. Bottom of one shoe brocade, crossed latchets with faceted jet buckle, transcribed with wearer’s name and additional silk bindings, linen lining with leather insole, text. L-10 with 1 1/4-inch heel. (One missing L-9 1/2 with 2 inch Louis heel. (Toe abraded, buckle, leather soiled, slight wear) very good. 1-inch split on vamp, heel stained, soil and tiny $1200 - 1500 hole on counter, wear to binding) good. $300 - 500 7 INFANT’S CHRISTENING ENSEMBLE, 1770 3 FRENCH FLORAL BROCADE SHOES, 1745 A complete christening set comprised of an Cream silk having polychrome floral brocade, open robe and backless petticoat of white satin latchets joined with self fabric bar over slightly trimmed with lace, three bonnets of white lawn extended tongue, tall kid heels, kid lining, Lot 6 decorated with pressed patterns and lace, two leather insole. L-9 with 3-inch heel. (Some have a fine holly pattern with eyelet, matching discoloration to heels, light overall wear, right white lawn shirt and bib with pressed pattern shoe has small hole in side, 3/4 inch split to and matching lace trim, a quilted satin coverlet quarter) good. $1200 - 1500 with ruffle and lace trim, matching that of the ensemble, and a small lace-trimmed pillow. 4 SATIN SHOES with DIAMANTE BUCKLES, 1770s Note “Aunt Connor’s Christening Dress, Black with overlapping latchets, pointed tongue, born 6th May, 1770). Purchased through Doris Italian heel, oval diamante buckle, kid lining Langley Moore, lot 125, Christie’s auction, July and insole. L-8 1/2 with 2-inch heel, buckles 14, 1969. B-16, L-31. (Quilt is lacking the backing 2 1/2 x 1 3/4. (Losses to binding, torn along and underside of the ruffle is discolored, tiny counter, splits to backs, white stain on one heel) spot to back of sleeve on robe, tiny spot on shirt shoes fair, buckles excellent. $800 - 1200 cuff) excellent. $2000 - 2500 5 WHITE SATIN PUMPS, c. 1790 8 INFANT’S SILK-LINED COTTON MITTENS, 1770s Pointed toe, squat Italian heel, silk White with ruffled cuff and thumb edged in fine faille bindings, linen lining and 2-tone leather lace, reinforced fingers with opening to convert insole, later writing on soles indicates an to mitts, joined, never used, L-5. Excellent. $150 - 250 occasion in 1883. L-9 3/4 with 1 3/8-inch heel. (Edge wear near sole, large hole and split in 9 THREE LAWN and LACE CHILDREN’S CAPS quarter of one shoe) fair. $300 - 500 1790 - 1840 All broderie anglaise: One with wheat sheaves having eyelets and larger cutouts with tulle insertion and drawstrings, 7 1/2 x 6; one having tiny floral with net insertions and embroidered net ruffles, 8 1/2 x 10, (several holes); one having repeating floral devices with lace insertion, embroidered net ruffles and medallion, DLM tag, 8 1/2 x 7 1/2, (some age toning). Together with a 19th C cotton cap having tucks, eyelet and embroidery. Good- excellent. $150 - 250 Lot 7 Detail 4 10 TWO SQUARE EMBROIDERED COTTON 17 NATURAL LINEN CORSET, 1780s FICHUS, c. 1780 Front lacing, double boned with baleen, Both white muslin: One having meandering V-shaped boning at center front and back, sewn tambour floral border and center medallion, with blue thread, handwritten note with corset ruffled border embroidered at the edge, 46 x reads “Grand Mothers Stays, her name was 47, (small light brown stain, small holes around Anne Love. She married Jesse Walton, when embroidery). One with Ayrshire whitework she was 17 years old. She died in 1835 aged 80 edge all around and border to two sides, 36 x 37, Lot 14 years”. B-32, CBL-12 1/2. (Some spots, pinholes, (two tiny spots). Both have DLM tag. Good- modern lace, inside has scattered holes, torn at excellent. $250 - 350 center back tab) good. $400 - 600 11 FOUR LADIES’ EMBROIDERED CREAM NET 18 AMERICAN BROWN LINEN CORSET, 1780 ACCESSORIES, 1790 - 1820 Back lacing with cream-colored stitching and One triangular kerchief with repeating flower cream suede bindings, linen facings, hand-sewn heads and scalloped floral border, DLM tag, 18 eyelets, hand-stitched on the interior with wide x 40. One lozenge-shaped fichu with alternating stitches, baleen boning. B-34, CBL-15. (Wear to tiny flower and leaf pattern, floral border edged bindings, some holes, binding soiled, lacking in tiny scallops, 18 x 55. One narrow rectangular laces) good. $500 - 700 shawl hand-embroidered with curlicues on the field with floral end borders, 9 1/2 x 112.. 19 FLORAL BROCADED CORSET with SEPARATE One long shawl having thistle motif, scalloped SLEEVE, 1780 - 1790 border and large floral sprays to the end Lot 15 Oyster silk with polychrome floral brocade borders, DLM tag, 19 x 95. (Some stains, some having shoulder strap, front and back laces, minor holes) good-very good. $300 - 400 linen lining, back has four linen-covered domed supports, includes custom mount. 12 THREE LADIES’ WHITE COTTON Under bust-31, CBL-13. (Significant wear, tears ACCESSORIES, 18th C - 1840 around armholes and back laces, laces replaced, One mull fichu tambour embroidered along one scattered spots) fair. Together with a single side and trimmed all around with handmade sleeve in matching silk, good. DLM tag. $300 Brussels lace, 20 x 43, (tiny holes, period mend, - 400 few small stains). One square mull scarf having woven border of narrow stripes, embroidered 20 LARGE EMBROIDERED SILK BAG with to one corner, 37 x 38, (two period mends along SPANGLES, 1770 -1800 one border). One dickey having collar with Gold faille with polychrome satin-stitch floral ruffled net embroidered along the scalloped decorated with paillettes on both sides, fold- edge, waist tie, L-15, (few holes, small spot on down collar studded with gold spangles edged back).