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John Bright Collection

@jbrightcollection.bsky.social

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Reference collection of historical costume at film,TV & theatre costume house Cosprop. Online collection funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk www.cosprop.com

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John Bright Collection @jbrightcollection.bsky.social · Feb 2

Gustav Klimt’s soft pink brushstrokes conjure up a dress similar to our silk plissé bodice in his 1897-1898 portrait of Sonja Knips. When cataloguing the bodice from our reference collection, we were immediately reminded of it. #gustavklimt #klimtandfashion #historyoffashion #1890sfashion

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John Bright Collection @jbrightcollection.bsky.social · 22d

Our historic collection team has interrupted its usual work to help mount star pieces for ‘Costume Couture -Sixty Years of Cosprop’ at the Fashion and Textile Museum’ #costumecouture #fashionandtextilemuseum #costumemounting #filmcostume #fashionexhibition #costumeexhibition #costumedesign

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Yale University Press London 📖 @yalebooks.bsky.social · Sep 9

Available now!
‘The Costume House: The Inside Story of Cosprop - From A Room With A View to Game of Thrones’ takes you inside one of the world’s most revered costume suppliers and creators.

@jbrightcollection.bsky.social

Photo of 'The Costume House' book which shows a peach period style dress on the cover against a dark blue background

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Kate Strasdin @katestrasdin.bsky.social · Sep 8

I spent a long time thinking about #1840s fashion when I was writing The Dress Diary & I miss it! It is a transitional decade but the fabric techniques were amazing. This is a warp printed silk creating blurry florals bordered by silk fringe @jbrightcollection.bsky.social #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

Side view of the upper half of an 1840s cream silk gown. It has a warp printed floral pattern in red and green and the edges are trimmed with cream silk fringe. It has a short matching shoulder cape

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julieinstitches.bsky.social @julieinstitches.bsky.social · Aug 14

I rarely post historic menswear but I just came across this fine 1835-45 silk waistcoat @jbrightcollection.bsky.social & well, how could I resist?🌹
Read about it here: www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/costume/wais...

Double-breasted men’s silk waistcoat woven with an allover design of roses, 1835-45, JB

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julieinstitches.bsky.social @julieinstitches.bsky.social · Aug 15

Dress, cotton trimmed with cotton braid, c1869-70. Read its story here @jbrightcollection.bsky.social: www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/costume/dress/

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julieinstitches.bsky.social @julieinstitches.bsky.social · Jul 17

😎 ‘Horrockses Fashions’ printed cotton sun dress with short matching jacket, early 1950s. Background information, full description & additional images via @jbrightcollection.bsky.social here: www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/costume/sun-...

Front view of Horrockses printed cotton sun dress with short matching jacket, early 1950s. Bright yellow & white alternate as grounds for delicate stripes & flowers executed in short black hatched lines, JB

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julieinstitches.bsky.social @julieinstitches.bsky.social · Jun 15

Coat by Paul Poiret, Paris, c1921. More here, including additional images, via The John Bright Collection: www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/costume/5054/

Front/side view of Paul Poiret coat. c1921. The silk fabric has an overall quilted effect to its weave, is scattered with medallions in lustrous thread, JB

Close up showing label on the c1921 coat which reads ‘Paul Poiret à Paris’, JB

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julieinstitches.bsky.social @julieinstitches.bsky.social · Jul 9

Mid 1840s one piece day dress made of white printed cotton with a simple design. Read more @jbrightcollection.bsky.social www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/costume/dres...

Front view of mid 1840s one piece day dress, cotton calicos printed in purple a popular choice for practical day dresses, JB

Close up view of print, a simple design of small purple flowers on trailing stems on a ground of lighter mauve jagged-edged vertical stripes, JB

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julieinstitches.bsky.social @julieinstitches.bsky.social · Jun 20

This week’s Friday treat comes via @jbrightcollection.bsky.social Cotton sun dress, late 1950s, Horrockses Fashions. Read more here: www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/costume/dres...

Front view of late 1950s printed cotton sun dress, Horrockses Fashions. The trimming at the centre of the bust has been added later, JB

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John Bright Collection @jbrightcollection.bsky.social · May 31

In their free time, our assistant curators Sage & Annie have come up with an exciting project. Follow them and their collaborators on instagram at @uncovering.dressmakers to learn more! #19thcenturydressmaking #whomademyclothes #historyofdress #historyoffashion #victorianfashion #vintagelabels

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Worn On This Day @wornonthisday.bsky.social · May 13

Worn #onthisday in 1931 by Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, at a dinner for the African Society at London's Mayfair Hotel. She accessorized the gown of gold mesh woven with floral motifs and turquoise beads over silk chiffon with her Diamond Palmette Tiara. #OTD @jbrightcollection.bsky.social

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John Bright Collection @jbrightcollection.bsky.social · May 13

How exciting to learn which tiara she is wearing in the picture with our dress!

John Bright Collection @jbrightcollection.bsky.social · May 4

We are excited that our dress now graces the cover of this new book:

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John Bright Collection @jbrightcollection.bsky.social · May 4

Thrilled that our collection items feature in the new book ‘Artistic Dress at Liberty&Co’ @yalebooks.bsky.social - including the one on the cover: www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/costume/turquoise-dress-by-liberty/. #bookrecommendations #libertydress #artisticdress #fashionhistory #1910sfashion

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John Bright Collection @jbrightcollection.bsky.social · Apr 23

This fancy dress from our collection is presumably based on this ‚Pierrette‘ fashion plate from January 1884 ‚Der Bazar‘ that was also featured in ‚La Mode Illustrée‘ as ‚Folie‘ (Folly). #1880sfancydress #historyofdress #costumehistory #victorianfancydress #fancydressinspiration #cosprop

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julieinstitches.bsky.social @julieinstitches.bsky.social · Apr 16

Mid 1920s wedding outfit, dress, underdress, veil, headdress & shoes @jbrightcollection.bsky.social. Detailed description & additional images here: www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/costume/wedd...

Mid 1920s wedding outfit. On the left, crêpe de chine underdress, on the right fashionable contemporary cream satin wedding dress with matching veil, headdress & shoes, JB

Close in view of 1920s cream wedding underdress or petticoat, showing crocheted cotton yoke, JB

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Victoria Haddock @vickyhaddock.bsky.social · Mar 19

Russian art critic and ballet impresario Serge Diaghilev was born #OnThisDay in 1872. He staged The Sleeping Princess in 1921, in which this velvet and crepe de chine dress with laced bodice and patterned skirt was worn by a Village Maiden. John Bright Collection. #fashionhistory

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Catherine Curzon @madamegilflurt.bsky.social · Apr 3

A little bit of #Frockingfabulous #fashionhistory by #Liberty, 1913. Via the John Bright Collection.

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John Bright Collection @jbrightcollection.bsky.social · Apr 10

'Her riding habit almost swept the ground' - so Charlotte Brontë describes Jane Eyre’s rival, implying the elegance of overlong skirts. Our 1900 habit skirt and the 1898 patent show a new concern for safety over 'dangerous elegance'. More here: www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/costume/riding-habit/

John Bright Collection @jbrightcollection.bsky.social · Mar 11

Thanks for sharing, it was lovely to see this concept used recently by the designer Alex Byrne on her fabulous production of Emma, we made several outfits at #cosprop for the show that made use of this inspiration from our collection.

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Kate Strasdin @katestrasdin.bsky.social · Mar 11

The effect of a coloured under dress worn beneath a sheer white muslin gown is demonstrated to good effect here, bright yellow satin muted by the sheer layer on top. The cotton is sprinkled with metallic sprigs & braid for additional sunny sparkle @jbrightcollection.bsky.social #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

Two mannequins, one wearing a white high waisted embellished gown on the left and the other in a bright yellow underdress on the right

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John Bright Collection @jbrightcollection.bsky.social · Mar 4

Cheerful stripes swing gracefully as a lady turns towards her friend in a plate from 1831 'La Mode', illustrating how our bodice might have looked before its skirt was cut off. www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/costume/bodice-and-inner-sleeve-supports-2/#1830sfashion #1830sdress #costumehistory

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John Bright Collection @jbrightcollection.bsky.social · Feb 24

The abundance of satin stitched flowers around the pocket flap of our #1790s court dress coat reminds us that #mensfashion was not always as restrained as it should become from this time onwards. www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/costume/court-dress-coat/ #historyoffashion #embroidery #1790sfashion

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John Bright Collection @jbrightcollection.bsky.social · Feb 13

Thanks for sharing! A little side note from revisiting the dress for cataloguing: the ground stripes are also set apart by different basic weaves (plain and twill). Such a typical feature of printed cottons around that period to have another ‚layer‘ of pattern in the weave itself…

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Kate Strasdin @katestrasdin.bsky.social · Feb 13

The black and brown horizontally striped background, all sombre shades, allows the floral foreground to zing so that the red flowers almost glow. It is an example of the new print technologies that revolutionised the era, late 1840s @jbrightcollection.bsky.social #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

Bodice detail of a long sleeved floor length dress with dark horizontal stripes overprinted with leafy tendrils and red flowers

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