{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1726952"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1726952/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1726952","accessionNumber":"S.96-2023","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[{"title":"Costume design for Margaret Courtenay in Bel Ami","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This design was owned by Margaret Courtenay (1923-1996) who played Mme. Walter in the five-part BBC2 television costume drama based on the 1885 French novel <i>Bel-Ami </i>by Guy de Maupassant that aired in 1971. It starred Robin Ellis as Georges Duroy, John Bryans as Monsieur Walter, Margaret Courtenay as Madame Walter, Elvi Hale as Clotilde de Marelle, Garfield Morgan as Jacques Rivat, Suzanne Neve as Madeleine Forestier, and Maurice Quick as Duroy's manservant.\n\nMargaret Courtenay’s long career spanned 65 years, encompassing stage, television and film. Her obituary in<i> The Independen</i>t described her as: ‘the grande dame of British comedy... a formidable exponent of both classical and modern  drama, opera and musical comedy’, and noted her command of the stage as: ’a physical presence which demanded attention  and a voice of all-embracing resonance.’ Her early career included two seasons at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford upon Avon (1947, 1949), and three seasons at The Old Vic, where she played Goneril in <i>King Lear</i> and Queen Gertrude in <i>Hamlet</i> with Judi Dench as Ophelia, parts that they played on the company’s 1959 Yugoslavian tour.  Courtenay starred alongside Vivien Leigh in <i>The Lady of the Camellias</i> and <i>Duel of Angels</i> on the Old Vic’s 1961/1962 tour of South and North America, Australia, and New Zealand, and her many  West End roles include Vera Charles in <i>Mame</i> starring Ginger Rogers at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane (1969-1970);  Lady Macbeth in <i>Macbeth</i> at the Old Vic Theatre (1972), and Muriel Wicksteed to Alan Guinness’s Arthur Wicksteed in the  original production of Alan Bennett’s<i> Habeas Corpus</i> at the Lyric Theatre (1973).\n\nThe designer John Bloomfield (b.1942) initially studied Law but became a stage designer after meeting his future wife, the stage designer Ann Beverley who trained at the Wimbledon School of Art and the Old Vic. Together they worked in theatre design and then in television at a time when television was at its most expansive and creative. Their work is characterised by their imaginative use of drawings on collaged paper from newspapers and the use of fabric, beads, glue and even objects of hardware. After John secured a permanent post of costume designer at the BBC the first production on which they worked together was <i>The Six Wives of Henry VIII </i>in 1970. John's television work includes designing for <i>Doctor Who </i>and <i>Poldark</i>.","physicalDescription":"Costume design for Margaret Courtenay as Mme. Walter in <i>Bel Ami</i>, standing full-length, three-quarters view, looking to her right. Inscribed and signed and dated by the artist. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Bloomfield, John","id":"A32989"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pen and ink","id":"x30618"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"sequins","id":"x30374"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"},{"text":"drawing","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"collage","id":"AAT138699"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pen and ink, watercolour, painted paper, collage and sequins","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Costumes","id":"THES269529"},{"text":"Television","id":"THES269530"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"FWK10","id":"THES49145"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}],[{"text":"stage design","id":"AAT54190"}],[{"text":"designs","id":"AAT102051"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"United Kingdom","id":"x29336"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1971","earliest":"1971-01-01","latest":"1971-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Julian Courtenay","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"41.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"29.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Owned by Margaret Courtenay for whom the design was intended","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by John Bloomfield (b.1942) for Margaret Courtenay (1923-1996) as Madame Walter in the BBC costume drama<i> Bel Ami</i>, 1971 ","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Courtenay, Margaret","id":"AUTH388832"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.96-2023"],"accessionNumberNum":"96","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2023,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-07","recordCreationDate":"2022-08-08","availableToBook":true}}