{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O127195"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127195/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MU1293/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MU1293/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2020MU1293","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O127195/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O127195","accessionNumber":"S.271-2006","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>Der Rosenkavalier</i>, an opera by Richard Strauss (1909-1910), was mounted at Glyndebourne in 1959 in tribute to Carl Ebert, who retired that year after 25 years as the director of Glyndebourne.  The production received criticism for the small stage overcrowded with performers and scenery.  Set in Vienna during the eighteenth century reign of Empress Maria Theresa, Messel created a lavish rococo fantasy.  This was his last production for Glyndebourne.\r\n\r\nMessel’s design for a balustrade shows his acute attention to detail.  He annotates the design with notes describing the angles at which parts of the staircase and balustrade should be formed, from the audience’s perspective of the Glyndebourne stage.","physicalDescription":"A set design by Oliver Messel for the staircase/balustrade, Act II, in a Glyndebourne production of Der Rosenkavalier, 1959.   A pencil and ink drawing of a staircase, with arrows pointing toward inscriptions specifying the angle of parts of the staircase.","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"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil and ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2020MU1293"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES356231"},"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":"1959","earliest":"1959-01-01","latest":"1959-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.207-2006","id":"O126305"},"association":"Model"}],"creditLine":"Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"21.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"48.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Rosencavalier act 2. / Ballustrade [sic][ to grand staircase. / at the Back. OP. side.'","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."},{"content":"'The ballustrade[sic] focus. here'","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 with arrows."},{"content":"'At this place.  Hing & turn back.'","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."},{"content":"'43'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Biro inscription on the top left hand corner of the front of the sheet."},{"content":"'The staircase ballustrade [sic] at this angle. / not steeper'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Pencil inscription on the front of the sheet."}],"objectHistory":"<i>Der Rosenkavalier</i> (1909-1910), an opera in three acts by Richard Strauss with libretto by Hugo von Hofsmannsthal.  Oliver Messel’s production was first performed by the Glyndebourne Festival Opera at Glyndebourne on 28 May, 1959.  It was directed by Carl Ebert and featured Elisabeth Söderström as Octavian, Regine Crespin as the Marschallin and Anneliese Rothenberger as Sophie.  It was revived at Glyndebourne in 1960 and 1965. This was Messel’s last production for Glyndebourne.  \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 worked for Glyndebourne from 1951 to 1959, when he was at the height of his popularity as a designer for the stage.  His work for Glyndebourne in this period is regarded as some of his best designs.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Set design by Oliver Messel for the staircase in Act II of Richard Strauss's opera <i>Der Rosenkavalier</i>, Glyndebourne 1959.","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.271-2006"],"accessionNumberNum":"271","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2006,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"TM Rotation Number","id":"THES50368"},"number":"ROT 2867:1"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2006-08-16","availableToBook":true}}