In this post, the fourth in this series, we are going to concentrate on only one room in the Pavilion at Brighton, The Banqueting Gallery.
(©Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove)
This was the room used by the Prince of Wales’ guests after they had finished dining in the Banqueting Room. The ladies would first withdraw to the Red Drawing Room, below…
(©Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove)
marked 3 in red on the ground-plan of the rooms, below.
This room is not normally accessible to the public on the usual tour, as it is the room used for civil wedding ceremonies held at the Pavilion. The ladies would then move back to the Banqueting Gallery, number 2 on the plan, when the gentlemen had left the Banqueting Room after their political and probably rowdy discussions. This room is marked number 1 on the plan.
Above is Nash’s View of the Gallery as it was in the 1820s, and you can see that it is very similar today, after the restoration projects of the 1950s and onwards. The Brussels weave carpet is particularly striking. If you enlarge the image ( which you can do by clicking on it-as you can for all the images in this post) you can just see the torcheres in the Banqueting Room which were made by Spode, in imitation of Servres,especially for the Prince’s quite overpowering dining room.
An interesting point is that this room, the Banqueting Gallery, encompasses the space that was all the original farmhouse , which in turn became part of the Princes’s Marine Villa and which finally and magnificently morphed into the Pavilion that we know now.
This is the first room in the Pavilion that contains clothes in the Dress for Excess exhibition. My photographs are, sadly, quite poor: the light levels in the room are understandably kept very low and there is only ambient artificial lighting. But the very kind staff at the Pavilion, particularly Ellie Taylor, have arranged for me to use some of their professional photographs of the costumes, in order that you can see the details more clearly.
(©Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove)
The first costume we see is a gentleman’s suit, made of fine silk, dating from circa 1760.
Here you can see it, along with a sack dress of the same era, in the setting of the Banqueting Gallery.
The sack dress was made of delicately embroidered silk…..
Here is the reverse view , showing the back detail
This photograph shows some of the detialing on the bodice….
I am always amazed at the tiny proportions of the gentlemen’s suits of this era: this one is rather small, and you would probably need to be a British size 6 woman to fit into it…
At the other end of the Gallery were some more costumes to view
Below is a Dandy’s outfit from circa 1825
This was accompanied by a very beautiful shawl backed dress circa 1790….
(©Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove)
And finally a white muslin dress with white on white embroidered detail and lace dating from 1825….
(©Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove)
These pictures of the shawl backed dress show the detail of the beautiful fabric used….
(©Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove)
If you click on them( and indeed any of the photographs in this post) they will open in a separate window and enlarge so you can see the detail.
(©Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove)
The small sleeves are exquisitely made…..
It is interesting to be able to compare the two dress styles – only 30 years apart , but vastly different…
(©Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove)
If you enlarge this picture , above,you can see the lace and embroidery in some detail….
Next, some more costumes and the magnificent Music Room.
14 comments
June 30, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Caitlin
What a beautiful room. Thank you for the clothing and close ups. i have a real weakness for sack dresses after enjoying them in the V&A in detail series.
July 5, 2011 at 1:38 pm
jfwakefield
Me too…I think they are terribly elegant dresses.
June 30, 2011 at 1:02 pm
Jenny Allworthy
Oh that Prinny really did know how to do things to excess. I am glad they are restoring it back to its old glory. Those palm tree pillars are absolutely over the top aren’t they?
July 5, 2011 at 1:37 pm
jfwakefield
It’s all over the top to be honest! Some rooms I like better than others, but as a place in which to entertain and stun, I thunk it does exactly what it says on the tin!
June 30, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Cathy Allen
I’m so glad you have the facility to enlarge your illustrations! I did not even notice some of the details in the room until I enlarged the pictures. I’m referring specifically here to the “meander” pattern on the walls; such a small detail, yet such a good illustration of the minute attention to detail in the Pavillion. I believe I’d like to have met the Prince…or not. ;-)
The same is true of the costumes: they are wonderful! The tiny stitches gave me pause, however. I read a “Regency” novel in which the heroine had (barely) supported herself as a seamstress. The author clearly had done a lot of research; their lives were SO HARD. I wonder how many were blinded by making those tiny stitches by candlelight? Of course if they didn’t do THAT, they wouldn’t be paid… As I said, the construction of the costumes gave me pause. They surely are beautiful, though, and I really enjoyed seeing them, and the Banqueting Room. Thank you, Julie.
July 5, 2011 at 1:36 pm
jfwakefield
Once again it’s a situation where I’d liked to have met the Prince but only as an invisible observer …..I would have hated to have actually had to interact with him, as I fear we would agree in very little!
July 5, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Cathy Allen
LOL — Well said!
June 30, 2011 at 7:13 pm
Katherine M Williams
Your photos are so beautiful! I’m longing to visit the Pavilion, and maybe I will. I bought the book you told us about “Napoleon and the Empire of Fashion”. It’s fascinating to see the incredible detail that went into these clothes up close. Ironic isn’t it that in these days of sewing machines that CAN actually do fantastic embroidery and details on clothing, there is so little of it.
Thank you!
July 5, 2011 at 1:34 pm
jfwakefield
I do hope you get the opportunity to visit the Pavilion one day, as it is a very interesting experience.
I’m relieved that you are enjoying the Napoleon and the Empire of Fashion book. I always worry when I recommend a book……
July 1, 2011 at 2:03 am
Karen Field
Thank you, Julie, for giving us more detail of The Pavillion. I have developed an interest in going there myself now. Your posts are always appreciated!
July 5, 2011 at 1:32 pm
jfwakefield
You must get to see it if you possibly can , Karen. It is fascinating though I could imagine it is not to everyones taste.
July 4, 2011 at 12:52 pm
imogen88
Glorious again, Julie, and the fashion is always delightful. Thank you! Looking forward to seeing more of it.
July 5, 2011 at 1:30 pm
jfwakefield
I’m glad you are enjoying it, Moni. Lots more to come, so I do hope I’m not boring you all with this series!
July 6, 2011 at 2:18 pm
imogen88
Not ever, bring it on!!