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8th Lord Berwick, collection, Costume

Costume is a very evocative part of any collection. It provides a very personal insight into the lives of the individuals who wore them, and can often be linked to key phases in their lives. An example of this that we have mentioned before is our collection of 1953 Coronation Robes, which we were able to reproduce and have on display for the ‘Hidden Lives: Royalty, Glamour and War’ exhibition. In contrast with this formal costume though, the pieces in this blog are from a more light-hearted occasion exemplifying the 8^th Lord Berwick’s playful side.

The coronation robes on display as part of our Hidden Lives exhibition.

As alluded to in previous posts, the 8^th Lord and Lady were fond of dressing up. We have multiple photographs showing some of the many occasions upon which they donned their glad rags for a do. The particular costume and occasion in this blog however are from before the marriage of the 8^th Lord and Lady.

8th Lord Berwick and Hon. Mrs. Henry Brougham 3rd Baron Brougham and Vaux, Royal Albert Hall, 1910

From the dating and description of this portrait in our archives, we have been able to deduce that the event in question was probably the Chelsea Arts Club Ball in 1910. The Chelsea Arts Club Ball was held on New Year’s Eve, and was generally a theme based costume event. The Ball was described as ‘the most scandalous event on the social calendar’, although as a man in his early twenties it may not be unusual that the 8^th Lord attended such an event. The photo, visible above, shows the 8^th Lord in costume along with Diana Brougham, née Stunt, wife of Hon. Henry Brougham 3^rd Baron Brougham and Vaux.

We are fortunate to still possess nearly all of the components of this costume and with some details of its origin (also visible on the National Trust Collections Website). The set of hat, jacket, coat, and breeches are attributed to the costume designers and suppliers B.J. Simmons and Co. of Covent Garden, London.  B.J. Simmons and Co. designed and produced theatrical costumes between 1889 and 1959, further examples of their work can be seen via this link.

Staff Halloween Costumes 2013

Lord and Lady Berwick wearing fancy dress in the Picture Gallery c. 1923

The quality of this Russian style costume, as well as the others which we are aware of – the Medieval Pageant at Ludlow and the 1780s formal wear – demonstrate a certain dedication to fancy dress. A dedication that I doubt many of us could match with our own fancy dress or Halloween costumes, although I doubt we have the same budget. Regardless, these items and photos give us an insight into the Berwicks’ private and social lives, and greatly help us to better understand and connect with them and their story.

Lifting in the steel!

Last week we took delivery of the crane, which will now be in residence on the East Side of the Mansion until August.  There was much excitement as the crane boom seemed to rise from a very compact area to extend to its full length.

The crane being unpacked and the boom extended

The crane being unpacked and the boom extended

To many visitors’ amusement a man was soon seen dangling from the the crane as the engineers calibrated the weight and lifting.

View of the fully extended crane from the Outer Courtyard.

The crane is here to lift the steel components of the new roof as well as the aluminum gutters, outer lantern for the Nash Staircase and the glass.  In order to keep the crane steady there are 50 tonnes of concrete blocks providing ballast.  You can see them best through the Boudoir window.

The crane has a ballast of 50 tonnes of concrete

It takes great skill and a large team to get the steel from the secure compound on the East Side of the Mansion, right over the top of the building to its final resting place in the centre.

 

The crane lifting some of the steel at the front of the Mansion.

The crane driver moving the crane around and over the Mansion.

The steel being lowered into position after being moved from outside of the Mansion into the centre.

One of my favorite roles is the ‘Slinger Banksman’ – a strange title, but actually really important!  The Slinger Banksman is responsible for the ensuring the safety in crane rigging and slinging operations, where he selects and attaches the lifting gear to the load to ensure a safe and secure lifting operation.

The Slinger Banksman and the crane driver are the ones in the orange vests. Steel being lowered into its final location.

Steel being secured in location.

Some interesting facts!

• The crane acts like a weather vane – it knows which way the wind is blowing and moves to accommodate the weather, this is very disconcerting if you see it move after the crane driver goes home!
• The steel structure on its own weighs 8 tonnes. When the glass and aluminum gutters are added, it will weigh a total of
  20 tonnes
• The total length of the structural steel components is approximately 330m, that’s a 1/3 of a kilometre (or 11 blue whales lined up tail to tail!).
• The new roof is 133 square metres or 1200 square feet.  There will be 52 panes of glass, none of which are square,
  ranging in size from 0.75m to 2.5m wide x 1.5m to 2m long.

All the photos in this post were taken by our lovely Volunteer Roof Photographers Richard and Angela Knisely-Marpole.