Drury Lane Design Collection

Scope and Content

This is a collection of costume designs for pantomimes, which were produced mostly at Drury Lane between 1888 and 1938. The designs are almost all by Attilio Comelli, unless stated otherwise below. Some designs are costumier's copies. They came from the Archives of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

Designs for the following production may be found in this collection:

• Babes in the Wood. Designed by Wilhelm,1888
• The Musketeers. Designed by Karl, performed at His Majesty's Theatre, London.1898
• Babes in the Wood, 1898
• Mother Goose, 1902
• Humpty Dumpty, 1903
• The Prodigal Son, 1905
• The White Cat, 1904
• Cinderella, 1905
• Sindbad, 1906
• Babes in the Wood, 1907
• Dick Whittington, 1908
• Aladdin, 1909
• Jack and the Beanstalk, 1910
• The Hope, 1911
• Hop'O My Thumb, 1911
• Puss in Boots, 1915
• Puss in New Boots, 1916
• Babes in the Wood, 1918
• Angelo, 1923
• The Sun Never Sets, designed by Elizabeth Haffenden in 1938 at Royal Opera House

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by production titles.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection of design has been digitised and is available through the V&A website on http://collections.vam.ac.uk/.

Alternatively this collection is also available for consultation in the V&A Department of Theatre & Performance's Reading Room, which is located at Blythe House, 23 Blythe Rd, Olympia, London, W14 0QX. The Reading Room is open Tuesday to Fridays between 10.15 am and 4.30 pm, access to it is by appointment only. To request an appointment please email tmenquiries@vam.ac.uk or telephone 020 7942 2698.

Access to some of these files may be restricted. These are identified at file level.

Conditions Governing Use

Archive material may not be photocopied. Arrangements can be made to photograph material in the search room using non-flash photography. Images are available online.

Acquisition Information

Given by the archivist of The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London in 1989.

Accruals

No accruals expected.

Related Material

See also the core collections of the V&A Theatre and Performance Department. Material relating to Attilio Comelli and Wilhelm, as well as Pantomimes in general may be found in several collections, including the biographical, productions, company, photographs files and design collection.

Please ask for details.