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The photograph shows him sitting on, and with one leg in, a large papier mâché plum pudding, holding a sprig of holly and a sign inscribed: '\"THE MYSTERIOUS TENT\" NOW OPEN MR HARRY PAYNE \"AT HOME\"'. People would have paid to enter the 'Mysterious Tent' within which the would have seen Master Eliot perched on his giant paper pudding, dressed in this perfect replica of a costume worn by the great pantomime clown Harry Payne (1833-1895). Payne played Clown in Drury Lane Theatre pantomimes for twelve seasons, from <i>Cinderella</i> in 1883 until Robinson Crusoe in 1994-95. He died in September 1895.\n\nThis costume has no maker's label but was undoubtedly made by a professional theatre costumier, most probably the one who made costumes for Payne himself. Master Eliot's mother may have been involved in the organisation of the bazaar. She was Clare Phelips, married to the Hon. C.G.C Eliot. Edward went on to study History at Oxford but after graduating in 1900 spent some time trying to make his name as an actor and playwright. His musical play <i>Hidenseek, or The Romance of a Ring</i> that he wrote with Arthur Eliot opened at London's Globe Theatre in December 1901 but to largely negative reviews. He worked instead as a solicitor until the outbreak of the Fist World War, becoming an army officer in 1916. He was the maternal grandfather of the actress Jane Asher who presented the costume to the museum and who remembers him dying in her parents' flat in Great Portland Street, when she was four.","physicalDescription":"<b>S.623:1-2019\n</b>Cream jersey waist-length jacket with flounced sleeves of cream cotton twill, sewn with cotton frill around the neckline, two sections on each side of the bodice, and around each cuff. Five buttonholes are sewn into the front opening of the bodice, fastened with five nickel-plated copper 'Best Ring Edge' buttons sewn on the opposite edge. The frilled collar, bodice frill and six sleeve flounces are trimmed with pale turquoise and red narrow petersham braid, matching the pale turquoise and red serpentine appliqué shapes machine-sewn on the front and back of the bodice and sleeves. Metal eyelets and buttons are sewn onto the waist to attach the breeches\n\n<b>S.623:2-2019</b>\nCream cotton twill breeches with eighteen cream cotton flounces, each trimmed with pale turquoise and red narrow petersham braid machine-sewn around the hips and legs - six around the hips and six around each leg\n\n<b>S.623:3-2019</b>\nCotton belt made of cream twill cotton, sewn with two narrow bands of pale turquoise and red narrow petersham braid and attached to a frilled cream twill cotton peplum sewn with matching petersham braid. Fastened with a cream cotton-covered button and a buttonhole\n\n<b>S.623:4-2019</b>\nCream machine-knitted wool tights embroidered in wool with multicoloured floral clocking, longer lengths on each inside leg  than on the outsides\n\n<b>S.623:5-2019</b>\nWig composed of black wool 'hair' sewn to a cream stretch jersey cap, slightly stained, attached at the brow line to a cream cotton headband. The wool creates a typical tripartite clown hairstyle, finished with a red bow and pompom of black wool fixed to a metal strip encased in red fabric attached to the back of the wig and finished with a red petersham bow at the nape of the neck\n\n<b>S.623:6-2019</b>\nRed leather slipper for right foot with white kid inserts at the toe vamp and lengths of white binding attached to act as cross-garters\n\n<b>S.623:7-2019</b>\nRed leather slipper for left foot with white kid inserts at the toe vamp and lengths of white binding attached to act as cross-garters\n\n<b>S.623:8-2019</b>\nRed leather slipper, originally one of a pair, the other slipper not in the gift so probably not having survived\n\n\n","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"AUTH317916"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":"Although the maker is unknown, comparisons with photographs of costumes worn by the clown Harry Payne (1833-1895), on which this costume is modelled, shows that this costume must have been made by the professional theatrical costumier who made Payne's costumes "}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Jersey, cotton, wool and petersham braid with metal buttons and wig strip, machine sewn and hand-embroidered","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Pantomime","id":"THES266218"},{"text":"Costumes","id":"THES269529"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2021NB7693","2021NB7694","2021NB7695","2021NB7696","2021NB7697","2021NB7439","2021NB7422","2021NB7432","2021NB7431","2021NB7429","2021NB7433","2021NB7430","2021NB7421","2021NB7423","2021NB7424","2021NB7425","2021NB7426","2021NB7427","2021NB7428","2021NB7437","2021NB7438","2021NB7436","2021NB7434","2021NB7435"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"CAGE","id":"THES49689"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"CAGE","id":"THES49689"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"CAGE","id":"THES49689"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"CAGE","id":"THES49689"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"CAGE","id":"THES49689"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"CAGE","id":"THES49689"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"CAGE","id":"THES49689"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"CAGE","id":"THES49689"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume","id":"AAT178802"}],[{"text":"top","id":"THES259505"}],[{"text":"costume","id":"AAT178802"}],[{"text":"trousers","id":"AAT209935"}],[{"text":"costume","id":"AAT178802"}],[{"text":"waistband","id":""}],[{"text":"costume","id":"AAT178802"}],[{"text":"tights","id":"AAT209999"}],[{"text":"costume","id":"AAT178802"}],[{"text":"wig","id":"AAT46049"}],[{"text":"costume","id":"AAT178802"}],[{"text":"slipper","id":"AAT46083"}],[{"text":"costume","id":"AAT178802"}],[{"text":"slipper","id":"AAT46083"}],[{"text":"costume","id":"AAT178802"}],[{"text":"slipper","id":"AAT46083"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Although the place of manufacture is unknown, it is most likely to have been in London where there were several successful costumiers at the time including Nathan and Charles Alias, making and renting costumes for professional stage wear, amateur stage productions and costume balls"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1885","earliest":"1885-01-01","latest":"1885-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"We know that this costume was made to be worn by Master Eliot at a Charity Bazaar in 1885. Since this fitted him perfectly, and children grow so quickly, it is likely that it was made for him that year for this occasion"}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.552-2021","id":"O1667798"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"Given by Jane Asher","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"28.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Centre neckline to waist, at the back","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"36.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Across shoulders from sleeve seam lines","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"40.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Length of sleeves from shoulder seam to bottom of cuff frill","note":""},{"dimension":"Circumference","value":"62.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Circumference of waist of breeches, closed","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"40.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Length of breeches at outer seams, waist to knee","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"22.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Toe to heel","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"7.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"maximum width of the sole","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Child's clown costume worn in 1885 by Edward Granville Eliot (1878-1950), based on a costume worn by the renowned Victorian clown and pantomime performer Harry Payne (1833-1895)","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Eliot, Edward Granville, The Honourable","id":"AUTH374298"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Gallery rotation, 2022\r\n\r\nCOSTUME WORN BY EDWARD GRANVILLE ELIOT IN <i>MR HARRY PAYNE AT HOME</i>\r\n1885\n\r\nThe seven-year-old Master Eliot wore this costume at a fundraising bazaar in Knightsbridge, London. Customers who visited his ‘Mysterious Tent’ saw Eliot perched on a model plum pudding, dressed as a perfect miniature of the famous Drury Lane pantomime clown, Harry  Payne. Eliot became an actor, a playwright, a banjo player and a solicitor, and ended his career in the army.\n\r\nCotton, wool, metal and leather\r\nGiven by Jane Asher\r\nMuseum no. S.623:1 to 6-2019","date":{"text":"07/03/2022","earliest":"2022-03-07","latest":"2022-03-07"}}],"partNumbers":["S.623:1-2019","S.623:2-2019","S.623:3-2019","S.623:4-2019","S.623:5-2019","S.623:6-2019","S.623:7-2019","S.623:8-2019"],"accessionNumberNum":"623","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2019,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-02","recordCreationDate":"2019-09-03","availableToBook":false}}