Season 2, Episode 013
In This Episode
Episode Description:
The Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design is one of the world’s largest and most meticulously curated private archives of film costumes, founded in 1989 by respected Hollywood costume historians, archivists, and consultants Larry McQueen and Bill Thomas. What began with a single shared acquisition of Greta Garbo’s gown from Queen Christina (1933) has, over thirty-five years, grown into a 650-something-piece collection spanning iconic titles from 1916’s Intolerance to 2015’s The Danish Girl. McQueen’s mission has always been about a reverence for that history and the often-unsung designers and craftspeople who brought cinema’s most memorable looks to the screen.
Photo by Ben Trivett, Courtesy of The Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design
In The Costumes of Hollywood - Highlights from The Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design, a new book available now from Routledge, readers are invited into the history, artistry and preservation of screen-worn fashion that spans nearly a century. The text is a visual and narrative archive presenting full-page colour photos of the garments themselves — many of which have never been published — along with looks into interior construction, restoration and their complex journey from screen to storage. Joining McQueen on the journey through his collection is co-author Coleen Scott, a costume designer, historian and educator. The two connected during a virtual Costume Society of America event during the pandemic. A casual conversation about costumes quickly grew into a collaboration and commitment to preserving the story of the collection in print.
Resources
Additional Notes:
Music: Hollywood Hop, Earl Hines and His New Sound Orchestra (LA, Jul, 1954)
CC0 1.0 UniversalCreative Commons License
