{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O124257"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O124257/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH6964/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH6964/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BH6964","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O124257/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O124257","accessionNumber":"S.74-2006","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Great Britain’s leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel (1904-1978) won international acclaim for his lavish, painterly and poetic designs informed by period styles.  His work spans ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue. Messel’s traditional style of theatre design became unfashionable from the mid 1950s onwards, and he increasingly concentrated on painting, interior and textile design, including designing luxury homes in the Caribbean.\r\n\r\nChristopher Fry’s verse play <i>The Dark is Light Enough</i> (1954) is set in the Countess Rosmarin Ostenburg’s country house at the time of the Hungarian rebellion against the Austrians, 1848-1850.  The dying Countess with pacifist principles selflessly harbours Gettner, her former son-in-law and deserter from the Hungarian army.  The play received mixed reviews following its transference to Broadway, New York in 1955.  Critics praised the acting and sets but objected to the play’s obscure meaning.\r\n\r\nThis design describes in detail the materials and decoration for Gettner’s cloak.  Messel’s notes specify that the cloak should be made from black felt.  The large tassels are a recurrent feature in Messel's costume and interior designs.","physicalDescription":"Costume design by Oliver Messel for Gettner's coat, in a H. M. Tennent production of <i>The Dark is Light Enough</i>, 1954.   A charcoal and ink sketch, showing the decoration on the cloak, and to the right a detail of the decoration.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Messel, Oliver Hilary Sambourne","id":"A4929"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"charcoal","id":"AAT12862"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"painting (image making)","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Charcoal and ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006BH6964"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES356273"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1954","earliest":"1954-01-01","latest":"1954-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"36.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"25.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'black. leaves / or plusk. [sic] / wiry. / silk / cording / black. / silk fringe. /","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Ink inscription next to cloak decorative detail on the top right hand corner of the front of the sheet."},{"content":"'cloak of black felt. with surface / like soft hat felt. / or hunt a Winter bottom. velveteen. cloth / mounted stiff.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Ink inscription on the front of the sheet."}],"objectHistory":"<i>The Dark is Light Enough</i> is a verse play in three acts by Christopher Fry.  Oliver Messel’s production was first produced by H. M. Tennent Productions Ltd. on 30 April 1954 at the Aldwych Theatre, London.  It was directed by Peter Brook with music by Leslie Bridgewater and featured Edith Evans as the Countess and James Donald as Gettner.  The play ran for seven months in London and then went to New York where it opened in 1955 with Katharine Cornell as the Countess and Tyrone Power as Gettner.\r\nLord Snowdon, Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatre designs and other designs and artefacts.  The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan.  The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Oliver Messel for Gettner's cloak in Christopher Fry's play <i>The Dark is Light Enough</i>, Aldwych Theatre 1954.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Pinkham, Roger (ed.) <u>Oliver Messel: an exhibition held at the Theatre Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, 22 June - 30 September 1983.</u> \r\nLondon: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983.  200p., ill\r\nISBN 0905209508)"}],"production":"Reason For Production: Commission","productionType":{"text":"Design","id":"THES48872"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.74-2006"],"accessionNumberNum":"74","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2006,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"TM Rotation Number","id":"THES50368"},"number":"ROT 655"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-08","recordCreationDate":"2006-05-24","availableToBook":true}}