V&A
Museum turns down Margaret Thatcher wardrobe
The Victoria and
Albert Museum in London has turned down the chance to exhibit former
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's clothes.
Lady Thatcher's
family offered the contents of her wardrobe to the V&A.
But the gallery said
it collected items of "outstanding aesthetic or technical
quality" rather than garments with "social historical
value".
More than 300 items
will now be sold at auction next month instead. Lady Thatcher died
two and a half years ago.
She was the
longest-serving premier of the 20th Century and Britain's only female
prime minister to date.
The clothes to be
auctioned by Christie's include her blue velvet wedding dress and
various power suits worn during her tenure in Downing Street, plus
handbags and jewellery.
A spokesperson for
the museum told The Daily Telegraph: "The V&A politely
declined the offer of Baroness Thatcher's clothes, feeling that these
records of Britain's political history were best suited to another
collection which would focus on their intrinsic social historical
value.
"The museum is
responsible for chronicling fashionable dress and its collecting
policy tends to focus on acquiring examples of outstanding aesthetic
or technical quality."
In recent years the
museum, which described itself as "the world's leading museum of
art and design", has put on crowd-pleasing shows of fashion by
designer Alexander McQueen and clothes worn by pop legend David
Bowie.
COLLECTIONS|VIDEO|NOVEMBER
3, 2015
Mrs
Thatcher: A sale offering unique insights into the ‘Iron Lady’
On 15 December in
London, Christie’s will offer Mrs Thatcher: Property from the
Collection of The Right Honourable The Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven,
LG, OM, FRS — a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire property
from a leading political figure of the 20th century
In the year that
‘The Iron Lady’ would have celebrated her 90th birthday,
approximately 350 historic and personal lots will be offered across
two landmark sales: a flagship auction presenting 150 lots in London
at Christie’s headquarters on Tuesday 15 December, and an online
only sale comprising 200 lots from 3 December to 16 December. These
sales are taking place 25 years after Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013)
left Office, following an 11-year tenure as Prime Minister of the
United Kingdom (1979-1990).
With items relating
to Margaret Thatcher’s time in Office, including her red leather
Prime Ministerial Dispatch box (estimate: £3,000-5,000), speech
notes and an impressive gift from President Ronald Reagan, alongside
jewellery, clothes and handbags, these auctions present unique
opportunities for collectors to acquire property from the longest
serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the 20th century —
and the only woman to have held Office to date. Estimates range from
£200 up to £180,000.
Becoming Mrs
Thatcher
Margaret Roberts,
26, at her wedding to 36-year-old Denis Thatcher at Wesley's Chapel,
in London © Associated Press
Mrs Thatcher’s
wedding outfit. Estimate: £10,000-15,000. This piece will be offered
in the Mrs Thatcher sale on 15 December at Christie’s in London
On 13 December,
1951, at the age of 26, Margaret Roberts married Denis Thatcher at
Wesley’s Chapel in the West End of London. Marking the start of the
couple’s married life together, the wedding outfit will be offered
on 15 December, comprising Mrs Thatcher’s midnight blue velvet
wedding dress, with a sweetheart neckline and long sleeves, labelled
Constance Gowns and Suits, Old Bexley; a blue velvet soft brimmed cap
with a curled pink ostrich feather and a blue velvet muff, with an
Art Deco double clip silver and marcasite brooch (Estimate:
£10,000-15,000; illustrated above).
This outfit is said
to be inspired by Gainsborough’s celebrated portrait of Georgiana,
Duchess of Devonshire. The wedding reception was held at 5 Carlton
Gardens, the home of Sir Alfred Bossom, one of Margaret Thatcher’s
earliest and greatest supporters.
The Prime Minister
(1979-1990)
Prime Ministerial
Dispatch Box, embossed with the royal cypher of Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II. Estimate: £3,000-5,000. This piece will be offered in
the Mrs Thatcher sale on 15 December at Christie’s in London
Highlights from
Margaret Thatcher’s time as Prime Minister are led by her red
leather Prime Ministerial Dispatch Box, embossed with the royal
cypher of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, inscribed ‘Prime
Minister’ and numbered ‘1’.
A piece of political
history, the sale also includes a signed and bound copy of ‘A Grand
Finale, The Rt Hon Margaret Thatcher’s Last Speech As Prime
Minister’, House of Commons, 22 November 1990 (estimate: £500-800).
Margaret Thatcher
and Ronald Reagan: The Special Relationship
A 20th century
Kaiser bisque figure of an American bald eagle, modelled by Gerd
Pitterkoff. This piece will be offered in the Mrs Thatcher sale on 15
December at Christie’s in London
Margaret Thatcher
visiting Ronald Reagan, Washington DC, 1988. Photo by Sipa Press/REX
Shutterstock
Illustrating the
high regard in which Margaret Thatcher was held in America, and
specifically by President Ronald Reagan, is a 20th century Kaiser
bisque figure of an American bald eagle, modelled by Gerd Pitterkoff.
The inscription reads ‘Presented to the Hon. Margaret Thatcher,
Prime Minister of Great Britain for staunch and spirited support of
the market economy principle. The Award was presented by the Hon.
Walter H. Annenberg with the best wishes from Ronald Reagan President
of the United States June 13th 1984, presented at the Foreign Office
10 Downing Street.’
Power dressing
A suit of Royal blue
wool crêpe by Aquascutum which was worn in parliament when Mrs
Thatcher was serving as Prime Minister. This piece will be offered in
the Mrs Thatcher sale on 15 December at Christie’s in London
A black cocktail
suit by Tomasz Starzewski, worn by Margaret Thatcher at her 70th
birthday celebration. This piece will be offered in the Mrs Thatcher
sale on 15 December at Christie’s in London
The daughter of a
professional dressmaker, Margaret Thatcher was ‘brought up to know
the importance of cut’ and recognised the potential power of
fashion to enhance, project and mirror individual stature, as well as
its role in commerce.
Regarded as a style
icon by many, wearing carefully selected outfits, her look became
synonymous with ‘power dressing.’ These sales present an
extraordinary array of attire worn on countless historic occasions
throughout Margaret Thatcher’s life.
Margaret Thatcher in
Germany, 1986. Photo by REX Shutterstock
Highlights include
the iconic ‘Tank’ raincoat by Aquascutum worn during a visit to
British Forces at a NATO training ground near Fallingbostel, Germany
in September 1986 (estimate: £10,000-20,000, including the beige
silk headscarf, with ‘Hôtel Ritz, Paris’ into the border); a
black and white houndstooth tweed wrap, that reverses to fuschia
pink, which was worn during her visit to Washington in 1988
(estimate: £800-1,200); and a camel-coloured cashmere coat with a
stranded mink collar by Aquascutum that she wore on her official
visit to Moscow in March, 1987 (estimate: £1,500-2,500).
A classic navy blue
leather handbag by Launer, London. Estimate £2,000-3,000. This piece
will be offered in the Mrs Thatcher sale on 15 December at Christie’s
in London
‘Handbagging’ is
a verb which the Oxford English Dictionary notes was ‘coined in the
1980s by Julian Critchley, Conservative MP, with reference to
Margaret Thatcher’s ministerial style in cabinet meetings’, the
dictionary defines it as ‘(Of a woman) verbally attack or crush (a
person or idea) ruthlessly and forcefully’. The sales present a
number of Mrs Thatcher’s handbags, with the auction on 15 December
including a classic navy blue leather handbag by Launer, London,
which will be offered together with a Washington University silk
scarf.
Jewellery
Art Deco emerald and
diamond necklace by Chaumet, circa 1930 Estimate: £120,000-180,000.
This piece will be offered in the Mrs Thatcher sale on 15 December at
Christie’s in London
A George III diamond
flower brooch, circa 1800 Estimate: £8,000-10,000. This piece will
be offered in the Mrs Thatcher sale on 15 December at Christie’s in
London
The jewellery to be
offered in the auction on 15 December is led by an exquisite Art Deco
emerald and diamond necklace by Chaumet, circa 1930. A firm favourite
of Mrs Thatcher’s was a George III diamond flower brooch, circa
1800. Margaret Thatcher was widely photographed wearing this brooch
both in Britain and abroad, and is wearing the brooch in her official
portrait which hangs at 10 Downing Street. Pavé set throughout, the
brooch comprises old cushion, pear and circular-cut diamonds.
Private passions
A Chelsea plate,
circa 1760. Estimate: £800-1,200. This piece will be offered in the
Mrs Thatcher sale on 15 December at Christie’s in London
The Latham
Centrepiece, Albuhera, 18.6.1811, by Michael Sutty. Estimate:
£600-1,000. This piece will be offered in the Mrs Thatcher sale on
15 December at Christie’s in London
Providing an insight
into Margaret Thatcher’s private world, the sale features 18th,
19th and 20th century English porcelain, glass, gold boxes and
silver. Baroness Thatcher’s personal penchant for collecting early
porcelain is highlighted by a charming Chelsea plate, circa 1760,
which is hand painted with exotic birds, within shell and scalloped
pink panelled and gilt-edged borders.
Margaret Thatcher
also collected British porcelain figures of both statesmen and people
from military history. One of her favourites among the group was The
Latham Centrepiece, Albuhera, 18.6.1811, by Michael Sutty.
Online only sale
A small Fendi
holdall of black canvas, with gilt hardware and an Aquascutum silk
scarf. This piece will be offered in the Mrs Thatcher online sale,
3-16 December
A dress and matching
coat of shot fuschia pink silk by Tomasz Starzewski. This piece will
be offered in the Mrs Thatcher online sale, 3-16 December
Comprising
approximately 200 lots, with estimates starting from £200, this sale
will provide a wealth of further opportunities for international
collectors.
Highlights include a
small Fendi holdall of black canvas, with gilt hardware and an
Aquascutum silk scarf with emerald green border and houndstooth
centre (estimate: £700-1,000); and a glamorous dress and matching
coat of shot fuschia pink silk by Tomasz Starzewski which was made
for Margaret Thatcher in 2007 (estimate: £500 - 800 )
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