Madcap

A madcap princess is my favorite kind of princess. 

'Madcap'—that's a funny word when you think about it.

Theatre playbill — The Madcap Princess — 1926

Voyage to the Moon

More theatrical hijinx.

Babil & Bijou — ca 1900

As performed in The Celebrated Ballet at Covent Garden

How Bibil and Bijou, accompanied by Auricomos,

the Spirit of the Earth, and the Spirit of the Air,

start in an Aerial Ship on a voyage to the Moon.

—Scene 14, Mid-Air

Outrageous

Musical revues of the early twentieth century were a popular form of entertainment in the cosmopolitan centers of the world, but needed ever more beautiful women wearing ever more outrageous costumes to keep the customers coming back for more. Outrageous and innovative designers worked overtime to supply that demand.

Alfredo Edel — Black Butterfly — 1911

The costume above must have challenged lepidopterists in the audience to want to pin and mount this rare specimen.

William Matthews — Automobile Woman — 1913

Note the actual working headlights as epaulets and license plate numbers on her gauntlet gloves.

William Matthews — Aeroplane Woman — 1913

Alfredo Edel — Pink Flamingo Woman — 1908

This poor woman was strapped to stilts while leaning forward to keep her balance, all the while looking through a hole covered with a gauzy fabric in the base of the bird's neck.

Sam Zalud — Ostrich Woman — 1918

Myra Butterworth — Teacup Woman — ca 1920

Note the rising steam headdress. This and the design below were part of a Tea Service set that also included a teaspoon, sugar bowl and creamer, a serving tray, a bowl of orange marmalade, a butter dish, and a sugar cube with tongs.

Myra Butterworth — Teapot Woman — ca 1920

Homer Conant — Fireworks Male Dancer — ca 1915

Okay, coming in from left stage, this and the design below were for the ballet, for male dancers, the one above with what one would assume would be real sparklers fitzing around his twirls and leaps.

Homer Conant

Spoof Performance of Nijinsky in Afternoon of a Faun

Leon Bakst

Nijinsky's real costume design in 'L'Après-midi d'un Faune'

Godunov Decor

Designs for theater are always wonderful to see, as the artist is usually compelled to use a rich palette with a fanciful interpretation of reality.

These two decor designs are for Boris Godunov, one of the 1913 stagings of the opera by Modest Mussorgsky. I'm such a low level geek that I can never hear the name Boris Godunov without thinking of Boris Badenov, the no-goodnik villain from Rocky and Bullwinkle.

But I digress.

Leon Bakst — Decor for Boris Godunov — 1913

Leon Bakst — Decor for Boris Godunov — 1913

An Inferior Divinity

Such elegant design.

Leon Bakst — Costume Design for an Inferior Divinity

'Narcisse' — 1911

Montezuma's Last Days

Speaking of Earth societies as other-worldly, the Aztec and Mayan cultures were on their own track of development until the collision of 'new and old' worlds. Here, Charles Ricketts, an illustrator and designer, designed a stage set and costumes for a play that he had written as a dramatic telling of Montezuma's last days. It was never produced, but as a theatrical project it could have been quite a feast for the eyes.

Charles Ricketts — Stage set for Montezuma — ca 1920

watercolor

Charles Ricketts — Costume design for Montezuma — ca 1920

watercolor