{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1296656"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1296656/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HF3240/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HF3240/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014HF3240","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1296656","accessionNumber":"S.1606-2014","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[{"title":"John Gabriel Borkman","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Costume design by Leslie Hurry for the character Ella Rentheim played by Margaret Rawlings in Ibsen's <i>John Gabriel Borkman</i>, Duchess Theatre, 1963. Rawlings was praised for her performance ‘silver pale and beautiful’ in the play’s most sympathetic role.\r\n\nLeslie Hurry (1909-1978) trained at the Royal Academy and during the 1930s became known as a surrealist painter. A one-man show in London in 1942 was seen by the theatre director, Michael Benthall, who recommended Hurry to the dancer and choreographer, Robert Helpmann, then planning a ballet based on Shakespeare's <i>Hamlet</i>.  The success of his designs set Hurry on a second career as one of the most distinguished theatre designers of his generation.  He designed operas, ballets and plays, notably <i>Swan Lake</i> for the Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1943, a production which stayed in the repertoire for thirty years; <i>Venice Preserv'd</i> for Peter Brook (1953); the Ring Cycle at Covent Garden (1954), and <i>Troilus and Cressida</i> at Stratford for Peter Hall (1960), famous for being staged in a sand pit.\r\n\r\nIn 1963 Leslie Hurry designed the sets and costumes for John Gabriel Borkman by Henrik Ibsen directed by David Rose at the Duchess Theatre, London. The production, which was lit by Michael Northen, opened on 4 December 1963. This was not a notably successful production, indeed Bernard Levin in the Daily Mail (05/12/1963) complained that ‘everybody appears to be wading through glue both physically and mentally’.\n\nCostumes were made and supplied by L & H Nathan Ltd.","physicalDescription":"Ink, watercolour, pencil and charcoal on paper costume design for 1963 production of <i>John Gabriel Borkman</i> at Duchess Theatre. The design shows a woman in a long black dress with a red brooch and red-stoned bracelet.\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Hurry, Leslie","id":"A9404"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"AAT25681"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Duchess Theatre (London, England)","id":"AUTH332454"},"association":{"text":"producer","id":"AAT197742"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"charcoal","id":"AAT12862"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Ink, watercolour, charcoal and pencil on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2014HF3240"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES356600"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"design","id":"AAT54190"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1963","earliest":"1963-01-01","latest":"1963-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs Caro Rathbone","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"38.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"28.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"J. 2\r\nMiss Rawlings\r\nMISS ELLA RENTHEIM\r\ndress of black velvet trimmed with silk taffeta ruching","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On front side in pencil and black ink"},{"content":"JB \r\nBORKMAN\r\n8A\r\nV","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On reverse side in pencil and purple ink"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Leslie Hurry for the character Ella Rentheim in Ibsen's <i>John Gabriel Borkman</i>, Duchess Theatre, 1963","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.1606-2014"],"accessionNumberNum":"1606","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2014,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2014-07-18","availableToBook":true}}