{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O125026"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O125026/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH6929/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH6929/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BH6929","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O125026/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O125026","accessionNumber":"S.115-2006","objectType":"Set 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\n<i>House of Flowers</i>, a musical presented on Broadway, New York, in 1954, is based on a short story by Truman Capote (1924-1984).  Set on a Caribbean island, rival madams of two bordellos compete for business, while a young, innocent girl experiences first love.   Messel won an Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Award for his set designs in 1956.   Despite all the ingredients for success, the musical failed to ignite the critics and public, and lasted only 165 performances.\r\n\r\nA pencil sketch of flowers, probably for the interior decoration of Madame Fleur’s house.","physicalDescription":"Set design by Oliver Messel for <i>House of Flowers</i>, 1954.  Pencil drawing of flowers and leaves.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Messel, Oliver Hilary Sambourne","id":"A4929"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image making)","id":"AAT54196"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Caribbean","id":"THES286921"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006BH6929"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES356272"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"set design","id":""}]],"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":"38","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"25","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"<i>House of Flowers</i>, a musical in two acts by Truman Capote set in a West Indies bordello.  Oliver Messel’s production was first performed at the Alvin Theatre, New York on 30 December, 1954 and directed by Peter Brook.  It was choreographed by Herbert Ross with music by Harold Arlen and featured Diahann Carroll as Ottilie and Pearl Bailey as Madame Fleur.  \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.\n\nHistorical significance: Messel won an Antoinette Perry ‘Tony’ award in 1956 for his set designs for <i>House of Flowers</i>.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Set design by Oliver Messel for flowers in Truman Capote and Harold Arlen's musical <i>House of Flowers</i>, 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.115-2006"],"accessionNumberNum":"115","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2006,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"TM Rotation Number","id":"THES50368"},"number":"ROT 1205"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2006-06-09","availableToBook":true}}