Winterthur, DE - Period costumes created for film adaptations of classic novels—and elegantly worn by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Meryl Streep, Madonna, Alan Rickman, Colin Firth, and Ralph Fiennes—will be on display in Fashion in Film: Period Costumes for the Screen, on view at Winterthur Museum & Country Estate from September 30, 2006 to January 7, 2007.

The 36 costumes in Fashion in Film reflect a quest for authenticity in both cut and materials.  Many were singled out for Academy Award and other nominations for costume design.  All were made for period productions set from the 16^th to the middle of the 20^th centuries.   Some were based on historical figures, such as Elizabeth I, Thomas Jefferson, and Eva Peron; some on characters from classic works of fiction, like Sense and Sensibility, Hamlet, and Murder on the Orient Express; and others, like Gosford Park, on original works.  They include evening wear, day wear, wedding dresses, and fanciful outfits like the Cinderella character’s dress in Ever After and the young maharajah’s turban and tunic in Indiana Jones.

“The artisanship and attention to historical accuracy of Cosprop’s designers is outstanding,” said Kathleen Kiefer, associate conservator of textiles at Winterthur.  “They are using historic techniques and preserving historic fabrics whenever possible to accurately portray the past in films.”  Winterthur has a small though substantial collection of historic costumes, a number of which are on view in the Textiles section of the Galleries.

The costumes in the exhibition come from a stock of nearly 100,000 costumes and accessories made by the renowned British costumer, Cosprop Ltd.  Founded in 1965, Cosprop specializes in creating costumes for film, television, and theater, which are historically authentic in cut and construction and use natural fabrics and original trimmings.  The exhibition will demonstrate how costumes, while based on historic models, sometimes take off in new directions under the eye of an artistic director hoping to create a certain mood or trying to give a certain character a distinctive look (as in good guy vs. bad guy – or Miss Bennet vs. Miss Bingley in Pride and Prejudice).

The exhibition has three sections. The first, covering the early 16^th through the 19^th centuries, is dominated by historical figures, including Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett) and Louis XVI (Michael Lonsdale).  The latter part of this period is represented by adaptations of three works of the great Regency novelist, Jane Austen.  These were filmed within a very short time of one another, but the costume designer of each has given their production a very distinct character.  Sense and Sensibility (costumes worn by Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman) was set around 1800, close to the time the novel was written, and feature the fuller, classical look and cool colors of the late 18^th century; Pride and Prejudice (Colin Firth) adheres more to the publication date of 1813 with a slimmer line and “hot” earthy colors; and Emma (Gwyneth Paltrow) has been given a more modern 20^th century slant, reflecting the vision of its director, Douglas McGrath.

Section two focuses heavily on adaptations of classic literary works, from Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin (Ralph Fiennes) to Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Julie Christie) and three novels by Henry James, The Europeans (Lee Remick), The Portrait of a Lady (Nicole Kidman) and The Golden Bowl (Uma Thurman, Kate Beckinsale and Anjelica Huston).  This period in history, from 1827 to the late 19^th century, saw a rapid progression of styles of increased complexity owing to advances in production methods and an increase in consumerism.  Usually a costume was built up from the correct underwear to achieve the correct silhouette.  These fashionably over-trimmed outfits of unnatural shapes dictated by corsets, crinolines and bustles put great demands on designers and costumiers.

The last section brings the exhibition into the 20^th century with costumes ranging from the lavish, high Edwardian costumes of A Room with a View (Helena Bonham Carter) to the svelte early 1930’s evening dresses from Gosford Park (Kristin Scott Thomas) and Madonna’s “New Look” outfit worn in Evita.  This period, which covers only 50 years, reflects the huge impact the two world wars had on fashion, which changed both society and clothes irrevocably.  Contrary to appearances, the simpler, looser lines of clothes made between the wars did not make them easier to design, construct, and fit than the ornamented, restricting garments of the early 1900s.  Their simplicity of line was often achieved by complex seaming and construction which threw greater emphasis on choice of fabric and fit of underwear.

The costumes and mannequins in the exhibition will be accompanied by film stills and posters.  The exhibition was organized by the Trust for Museum Exhibitions, Washington, D.C., in cooperation with Cosprop, London, England.  Fashion in Film is made possible at Winterthur by Wilmington Trust, with additional funding provided by The Diane and Harry Levin Foundation.

Winterthur Museum & Country Estate—known worldwide for its preeminent collection of 85,000 American antiques, a naturalistic garden, and a library that is a research center for the study of American art and material culture—offers a variety of tours, exhibitions, programs, and activities throughout the year.  USA Today recently named Winterthur one of the country’s “10 great places of historic proportions,” and Budget Travel called it “one of the 10 grandest mansions in America.”  In 2006 Child magazine named Winterthur one of the “10 best art museums for kids.”

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