Behind the Screen: Hollywood Glamour – Somerset House

On Sunday night I went to Somerset House to attend a talk called Behind the Screen – Hollywood Glamour: Classic Hollywood icons and how they created their signature looks. The talk was held in the Screening Room and was delivered by Jane Richardson, International Lead Stylist at NARS.

Richardson, who obviously has a great understanding of modern makeup, proved an engaging speaker who is clearly interested in the history of Hollywood glamour. She discussed how modern attempts to recreate classic styling often involve tweaking various elements of a look to make them a bit more modern, as well as using innovative phone apps such as Instagram to make a picture look older and more “vintage” than it really is. In the mid-20th century, however, cinemagoers who wanted to emulate their favourite stars usually tried to recreate the whole look: when they went to see films they wanted to be transported into a different world, and wanted to “be” that person on screen. Demos of hair and makeup would often take place at cinema screenings. On a similar note, actresses themselves would usually pick a look and stick to it throughout their career, rather than changing their image frequently like many modern-day actresses do. They were “owned” by the studio that hired them and were often taught how to do their own makeup – although these items were still called “cosmetics” as the term “makeup” was seen as vulgar, associated with women of a certain profession.

I was interested to learn how filming procedures and equipment affected the look of makeup on-screen. Nowadays we associate the Twenties with dark burgundy lipstick, but in fact actresses wore red, and it was the black and white film that made the colour appear darker (on a similar note, anything blue came out white). The advent of Technicolor changed makeup, and two firms in particular, Elizabeth Arden and Max Factor, pioneered new products. Elizabeth Arden was famous for “nuchromatic” makeup, while Max Factor launched the first “cosmetic” product in 1914, followed by “panchromatic” cosmetics in 1929 and the “pan-cake” in 1937. Actress Norma Shearer, a genius in manipulating how she appeared on-screen, would wear the lightest shade of pan-cake herself and demand that every other actress wore a darker shade, ensuring her complexion appeared brighter and fresher than everybody else’s.

During the talk we learned about the lengths several Hollywood actresses would go to in order to enhance their beauty. Margaret Sullavan was signed to Universal Studios in 1933: the studio made her endure some rather drastic procedures including the removal of a mole on her face and the removal of her entire top row of teeth, which were supposedly crooked. Greta Garbo was particularly influential: we saw some “before” and “after” shots which showed how she removed most of her eyebrows in order to fit accepted standards of beauty, as well as using makeup to change the shape of her mouth and appearance of her eyes. Marlene Dietrich, who compared her relationship with her makeup artist to that between accomplices in crime, had her back teeth removed to make her cheekbones look more lifted, and aged 43 gave herself a “temporary facelift” by twisting her hair and pulling it back so hard that it bled. Perhaps the most drastic – and horrific – procedure was undergone by the actress Carole Lombard. She had plastic surgery to reduce scarring after an accident, in itself not particularly drastic – until you find out that she had this surgery without pain relief, as it was believed that anaesthetic would reduce the success of the procedure.

It wasn’t just makeup, but hair that was an important part of an actress’s style. Rita Hayworth underwent electrolysis to raise her hairline when the studio claimed that her forehead was too low. Carole Lombard and Marilyn Monroe famously dyed their hair blonde, but the original “platinum blonde” was Jean Harlow, who used a harsh dye containing peroxide and ammonia. So influential was her hairdo that producers changed the name of her movie to Platinum Blonde.

Some actresses used rather less drastic methods to enhance their beauty. Joan Crawford became such an expert in studio lighting – knowing how it could affect her entire look – that she could supposedly tell when one of the bulbs had blown before the technicians, claiming that she could feel the cold spot on her face (studio lights were notoriously hot). Crawford would also splash her face with ice-cold water 25 times after every wash, believed to freshen the complexion but not advisable now! Vivien Leigh, believing that her hands were too big, wore gloves as often as she could get away with.

What interested me, in the face of all these rather dramatic methods of achieving “beauty”, was how several acclaimed actresses actually did their own makeup. Elizabeth Taylor actually did her own makeup for Cleopatra. Jane Russell also did her own makeup, as did Marilyn Monroe, who supposedly invented lip gloss by choosing to add shine to her lipstick. An interesting way to end a fascinating talk.

Amy Sharrocks, Viktor Popkov and others at Somerset House

The other week I headed to Somerset House to visit a few exhibitions. Somerset House always has loads of interesting things going on, and I managed to see quite a few things, all of which were very different.

In the Lightwells and Deadhouse, in the basement of Somerset House, was the unique exhibition Museum of Water. Created by Amy Sharrocks as part of the LIFT Festival, the museum is made up of hundreds of vials of water, collected by the public. Every drop of water has significance, from the tears of grief collected after a death to holy water from the Ganges in India. It’s a fascinating exhibition, and it’s easy to spend ages just looking at the labels and finding out where all the water has come from.

I also saw Form through Colour: Josef Albers, Anni Albers and Gary Hume, an exhibition of rugs, tapestries and other fabrics. Not my usual focus of interest, but I loved the use of colour.

Return of the Rudeboy in the Terrace Rooms had pictures of individuals who embody this style in the 21st century, distinguished by sharp tailoring and impeccable grooming.

Finally, I saw an exhibition of works by a Russian artist. Viktor Popkov: Genius of the Russian Soul showcased the art of this 20th century painter. He was a Soviet artist, but his work encompassed much more than Soviet propaganda, showing the lives of the working classes in Russia and their fears, hopes and emotions.

Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore – Embankment Galleries, Somerset House

I spent Sunday morning checking out a few of the exhibitions at Somerset House. I was just in time to catch Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore, as this was the exhibition’s last day.

Isabella Blow at Somerset House

Isabella Delves Broughton was born into aristocracy in the 1950s. However, despite her seemingly privileged family and upbringing she had in many ways a difficult childhood. Her young brother drowned at the age of two, and the cash-strapped family lived in a cottage on the family estate as they couldn’t afford to live in the house itself. After leaving school, she worked at various jobs before moving to America; she ended up working for magazines including Vogue and Tatler. She married Detmar Blow in 1989, wearing a headdress by Philip Treacy – one of the first to recognise his talent. She also discovered Alexander McQueen, as well as the models Sophie Dahl and Stella Tennant.

Blow loved fashion and had a highly individual and unusual style. This exhibition, after an initial exploration of her early life, showcased some of her unusual outfits and accessories, including several hats by Treacy and clothes by McQueen. I particularly loved the hats and hair accessories – I’m not sure how wearable they would be, but they were so amazing to look at that I didn’t care. I especially loved the castle house, and the ship headdress made of feathers. Blow wore her own clothes frequently and with love: scratches, cigarette marks and tears reveal the person behind the amazing clothes. I’ve always seen high fashion as rather out of reach, but this exhibition made it human.

The exhibition focused on Blow’s life, career and relationship to fashion, and doesn’t say much about the fact that she sadly committed suicide in 2007, aged only 48. On the one hand, it seems to gloss over the truth of her life; on the other, I would imagine her friends and loved ones would rather focus on the happy times of her life than on her death. I’d never heard of Isabella Blow before seeing this exhibition advertised, but I wish I had – she sounds like she was an amazing lady.

Pink lobster necklace from Tatty Devine

On my way out, I purchased this little beauty from the gift shop. I had my eye on the large, crystal-studded version, but that was £180. This was only £40 and it was the last one left – clearly, it was fate! I am something of a Tatty Devine obsessive and this pink lobster is exclusive to this exhibition so I was very happy to snap it up (pun not intended).

Stanley Spencer, Julian Stair and Albrecht Dürer at Somerset House

Somerset House, the magnificent 18th century building on the banks of the Thames, is home to a variety of art exhibitions and other interesting facilities. I paid a visit to check out some of the exhibitions they had going on.

I began in the Terrace Rooms in the South Wing, with Stanley Spencer: Heaven in a Hell of War. Spencer experienced the First World War and painted from his experience, both as a hospital orderly in Bristol and as a soldier on the Salonika front. This exhibition displays canvas panels on loan from the National Trust’s Sandham Memorial Chapel, as well as a projection of the altarpiece which was too fragile to remove. The Chapel was designed specifically for the panels, and was built by Spencer’s friends, John Louis and Mary Behrend. Here, they have been arranged in a way that echoes their original layout, and gives a good impression of how they look within the Chapel.

The paintings took six years to complete, and were finally finished in 1932. Unusually for images of war, they represent the domestic side of wartime life – scrubbing floors, washing clothes, making tea and inspecting kit. Spencer wanted to show how these ordinary chores became miraculous in the face of wartime danger – creating “a heaven in a hell of war”. It’s an intriguing idea, and I like it – seeking something positive in the face of such horror is a kind of defiance.

Next I ventured into the intriguingly-named Lightwells & Deadhouse, reached via the South Wing and taking me below the Somerset House courtyard, to explore Julian Stair: Quietus – The Vessel, Death and the Human Body. This unusual exhibition was made up of ceramic works in the form of coffins, jars and funerary urns. The strangest exhibit was a white urn containing the ashes of Stair’s uncle, shown alongside video and audio snippets from his life.

Finally, I went to the Courtauld Gallery to see the exhibition The Young Dürer: Drawing the Figure. This was an interesting take on the artist’s journeyman years, when he honed and developed his style.

Valentino, Tim Walker and Peter Lely at Somerset House

I had the day off on Friday and spent the afternoon checking out the exhibitions at Somerset House. This place, on the north bank of the Thames near Temple station, has a lot going on, most famously – at this time of year – the ice rink. I’ve never been ice skating in my life, but it does look fun, and the surroundings are beautiful.

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I arrived via the Embankment and the first exhibition I came across was Valentino: Master of Couture, in the Embankment Galleries. This exhibition displayed personal letters and other items from the designer’s personal archives, as well as outfits spanning over fifty years. These were interesting and extremely varied: I had my own favourites, which were generally the fifties-style outfits, but there should be something here to appeal to everyone. The exhibition concluded with  the wedding dress of Princess Marie Chantal of Greece, which was beautiful, but not as nice as Kate Middleton’s wedding dress as far as I am concerned. There was also a small section looking at how different design effects are achieved, including the famous Valentino rose.

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I enjoyed the exhibition, but I think it was quite expensive (£12.50) and would be of greatest interest to design students or those with a strong interest in fashion. I would have liked to learn more about the context of the items on display. However, I did enjoy looking at them.

The next exhibition was free, and I actually enjoyed this one more. Tim Walker: Storyteller displayed the photographer’s unusual, fantastical and dreamlike pictures, many of which are fashion photographs taken to promote a specific brand. There were also celebrity pictures including striking images of Helena Bonham Carter, the Pythons and Tilda Swinton. Props used in several of the photographs, including a giant skeleton, an enormous and rather creepy doll and jelly-mould hats, are shown alongside the images in which they appear. I thought the photographs were beautiful and unusual, often with narrative, nightmarish or bizarre undertones.

Finally, I revisited the Courtauld Gallery (for free, with my National Art Pass) to look at the small one-room exhibition Peter Lely: A Lyrical Vision. Lely is most famous for his portraits of the beauties of the court of Charles II, so it was interesting to see landscapes and paintings on Biblical and classical themes, completed before he began to concentrate entirely on portraits.

After visiting all of the exhibitions I popped into the Christmas shopping gallery, but I didn’t buy anything as it was all a bit expensive.