- ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
- COLLECTIONS IN FOCUS
- Lady Viola Tait Collection
- The Australian Ballet Collection
- Angus Winneke Collection
- John Truscott Collection
- Anne Fraser Collection
- Uniquely Australian
- Contemporary Collecting
In 1984, the Performing Arts Collection received a significant donation from Lady Viola Tait of 300 costume designs by leading European theatrical designers of the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. The designs had been imported for use in re-staging productions in Australasia by the commercial theatre management J.C. Williamson Ltd and its forerunners. Lady Tait was the widow of Sir Frank Tait, the last in the line of four brothers who controlled this firm from 1920 until 1965.
Many of the designs obtained by J.C. Williamson’s were dispersed over the years; however, in addition to Lady Tait’s gift, another 240 related designs have been donated over time. This section of the exhibition is drawn mainly from the Lady Viola Tait Collection with selected examples from other acquisitions.
The earliest examples are costume designs by Charles Wilhelm for the 1898 musical A Runaway Girl, which had its Australian premiere in 1902. Wilhelm was known for his designs of historical accuracy, remarkable draughtsmanship and attention to detail.
Percy Anderson’s costume designs for Chu Chin Chow are an important highlight in the Collection. Written by Geelong-born Oscar Asche, the musical premiered in London in 1916 and ran there for five years. Hugh D. McIntosh staged the first Australian production of Chu Chin Chow in 1920 at Melbourne’s Tivoli Theatre, but financial difficulties forced him to sell the extravagant musical to J.C. Williamson’s in 1921.
Almost half of the costume designs for J.C. Williamson productions in the Performing Arts Collection are by Attilio Comelli. As well as working for London venues, he was contracted from 1910 to design costumes the annual Christmas pantomimes in Australia. While Comelli’s costumes for musicals were thoroughly researched, pantomimes enabled him to create original and often whimsical designs.
The Performing Arts Collection also includes designs by William R. Barnes, C.H. Price and Irene Segalla, along with works produced for costumier companies Alias and Co. and Hugo Baruch et Cie.
