James Laver
Encyclopedia
James Laver CBE
FRSA (1899–1975) was an author
, art historian, and museum curator who acted as Keeper of Prints, Drawings and Paintings for the Victoria and Albert Museum
between 1938 and 1959. He was also an important and pioneering fashion historian described as "the man in England who made the study of costume respectable".
printer and stationer, and his wife Florence Mary née Barker. They were strict Congregationalists who brought up their children in a puritanical manner. Laver was educated at the Liverpool Institute. His academic progress was put on hold by the First World War, in which he served as a second lieutenant
. In 1919 he resumed his residency at New College, Oxford
, where in 1921 he earned a BA degree second class in modern history, and in 1922, a B.Litt in theology
for a thesis
on John Wesley
. His college fees and travel expenses were subsidized by the wealthy shipping magnate, Lawrence Holt
. Whilst at Oxford, he actively contributed to the student magazine Isis
and won the 1921 Newdigate Prize
for his poem on Cervantes
.
, Illustration
, Design and Painting at the Victoria & Albert Museum. He arrived shortly before the International Theatre Exhibition was transferred to the V&A from Amsterdam
and was shown as part of his department. It showcased work by all the leading European designers of the time, and the Museum purchased several designs and models, which became the basis of the Museum's Theatre Collection. Laver was put in charge of this collection. Stage design became one of his passions, possibly in reaction against his upbringing. In 1938 he succeeded Martin Hardie as Keeper of the department, a post he held until his retirement in 1958. Despite his significant contributions to object-centred dress history, he was never Keeper of Textiles for the Museum, or part of the Textiles section.
in recognition of his work in the field of fashion history.
In 1937 Laver, with Pearl Binder
, co-presented the first television programme to be dedicated to fashion history. Clothes-Line
, a six-part series, was so successful that in 1938, Laver and Binder reunited to present a revised re-tread (in three parts) of the programme, this time called Clothes Through The Centuries
.
Laver followed the theories of Thorstein Veblen
and John Flügel, using them to develop his favourite theories. These were:
In the 1980s and 1990s, feminist fashion historians such as Elizabeth Wilson and Amanda Vickery
found these problematic, arguing that Laver and C. Willett Cunnington's views trivialised women's behaviour, role within the family, and their contributions to society and culture.
, book reviews, play translations, dramatic criticism and light verse. One of the plays he translated was Klabund
's The Circle of Chalk from the original German. His 1927 poem, A Stitch In Time, a pastiche
of Alexander Pope
's The Rape of the Lock
set in modern times, successfully captured public attention, and led to Laver's popularity as a fashionable party guest. A sequel in 1929 followed, Love's Progress, the two poems being published together as Ladies' Mistakes in 1933.
Laver married the Irish actress Veronica Turleigh (1903–1971) in 1928. They had two children, a son and a daughter. They first lived in a flat in Piccadilly, London, which proved convenient for their theatrical friends, and later moved to Chelsea
.
In 1932 he published a novel, Nymph Errant
, about a girl returning to her finishing school
, who went astray along the way and ended up in a Turkish
harem
. It was an instant bestseller and in 1933, Charles B. Cochran
turned it into a musical
featuring songs by Cole Porter
and Gertrude Lawrence
as the leading lady
.
Laver felt as if he was leading a double life
. He said:
Laver continued to write fiction and work for the theatre and film on a less ambitious scale, but did not attempt becoming a full-time writer. His work on films included acting as historical advisor for The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders
(1965) and The Amateur Gentleman
(1936), and he co-wrote the screenplay for Warning To Wantons (1948).
It was typical of Laver that he might decide to take an interest in random subjects. During the Second World War, he determined to read all the books on occultism in the London Library
. As a result, he became an expert in the field, writing a book on the prophet Nostradamus
.
Between 1926 and 1938 Laver was the Director of Art Classes at the Working Men's College
, Camden Town
. He ran a course on English literature
and also re-organised the art class, introducing living models
.
home.
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
FRSA (1899–1975) was an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, art historian, and museum curator who acted as Keeper of Prints, Drawings and Paintings for the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
between 1938 and 1959. He was also an important and pioneering fashion historian described as "the man in England who made the study of costume respectable".
Early life
James Laver was born in Liverpool, England, on 14 March 1899, the second child and only son of Arthur James Laver, a maritimeOcean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
printer and stationer, and his wife Florence Mary née Barker. They were strict Congregationalists who brought up their children in a puritanical manner. Laver was educated at the Liverpool Institute. His academic progress was put on hold by the First World War, in which he served as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. In 1919 he resumed his residency at New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, where in 1921 he earned a BA degree second class in modern history, and in 1922, a B.Litt in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
for a thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
on John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
. His college fees and travel expenses were subsidized by the wealthy shipping magnate, Lawrence Holt
Lawrence Holt
Lawrence Holt, from the Blue Funnel Shipping Line, was co-founder of Outward Bound in 1941, along with renowned educator, Kurt Hahn.According to Heathcote , "for five years, Lawrence Holt persuaded his partners to underwrite...
. Whilst at Oxford, he actively contributed to the student magazine Isis
Isis magazine
The Isis Magazine was established at Oxford University in 1892 . Traditionally a rival to the student newspaper Cherwell, it was finally acquired by the latter's publishing house, OSPL, in the late 1990s...
and won the 1921 Newdigate Prize
Newdigate prize
Sir Roger Newdigate's Prize is awarded to students of the University of Oxford for Best Composition in English verse by an undergraduate who has been admitted to Oxford within the previous four years. It was founded by Sir Roger Newdigate, Bt in the 18th century...
for his poem on Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written...
.
Laver at the Victoria & Albert Museum
In 1922, Laver entered the Department of EngravingEngraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
, Illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
, Design and Painting at the Victoria & Albert Museum. He arrived shortly before the International Theatre Exhibition was transferred to the V&A from Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and was shown as part of his department. It showcased work by all the leading European designers of the time, and the Museum purchased several designs and models, which became the basis of the Museum's Theatre Collection. Laver was put in charge of this collection. Stage design became one of his passions, possibly in reaction against his upbringing. In 1938 he succeeded Martin Hardie as Keeper of the department, a post he held until his retirement in 1958. Despite his significant contributions to object-centred dress history, he was never Keeper of Textiles for the Museum, or part of the Textiles section.
Laver and fashion
Laver is perhaps best remembered for his contributions to the field of fashion history, and his books on the subject are minor classics of their field. His combination of the roles of art historian and theorist made him a new type of dress historian. His interest emerged through a desire to date images accurately through the clothing depicted within. Laver defined the relationships between dress design and other applied arts, and discussed the influence of economic and social factors upon the development of fashionable taste. In 1962, Laver received a Neiman Marcus Fashion AwardNeiman Marcus Fashion Award
The Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion was a yearly award created in 1938 by Stanley Marcus. Unlike the Coty Award, it was not limited to American-based fashion designers...
in recognition of his work in the field of fashion history.
In 1937 Laver, with Pearl Binder
Pearl Binder
Lady Elwyn-Jones née Pearl "Polly" Binder . Author, playwright, stained-glass artist, lithographer, sculptor and a champion of the Pearly Kings and Queens, she was a legendary character who had a lifelong fascination with the East End of London where she settled in the 1920s...
, co-presented the first television programme to be dedicated to fashion history. Clothes-Line
Clothes-Line
Clothes-Line was an early BBC television programme broadcast live in six parts between 30 September and 3 December 1937. It is notable for being the first television programme dedicated to the history of fashion...
, a six-part series, was so successful that in 1938, Laver and Binder reunited to present a revised re-tread (in three parts) of the programme, this time called Clothes Through The Centuries
Clothes-Line
Clothes-Line was an early BBC television programme broadcast live in six parts between 30 September and 3 December 1937. It is notable for being the first television programme dedicated to the history of fashion...
.
Laver followed the theories of Thorstein Veblen
Thorstein Veblen
Thorstein Bunde Veblen, born Torsten Bunde Veblen was an American economist and sociologist, and a leader of the so-called institutional economics movement...
and John Flügel, using them to develop his favourite theories. These were:
- Hierarchical Principle = dressing to indicate one's position in society
- Utility Principle = dressing for warmth and comfort
- Seduction Principle = dressing to attract the opposite sex.
In the 1980s and 1990s, feminist fashion historians such as Elizabeth Wilson and Amanda Vickery
Amanda Vickery
Amanda Vickery is a British historian and television presenter.She graduated from the former Bedford College, London where she completed her PhD in Modern History...
found these problematic, arguing that Laver and C. Willett Cunnington's views trivialised women's behaviour, role within the family, and their contributions to society and culture.
Laver's Law
Laver's Law was an attempt to compress the complex cycle of fashion change and the general attitude towards any certain style or period into a simple timeline. It first appeared in Taste and Fashion (1937):| Indecent | 10 years before its time |
|---|---|
| Shameless | 5 years before its time |
| Outré (Daring) | 1 year before its time |
| Smart | 'Current Fashion' |
| Dowdy | 1 year after its time |
| Hideous | 10 years after its time |
| Ridiculous | 20 years after its time |
| Amusing | 30 years after its time |
| Quaint | 50 years after its time |
| Charming | 70 years after its time |
| Romantic | 100 years after its time |
| Beautiful | 150 years after its time |
Non-curatorial career
To supplement his pay whilst at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Laver dedicated his free time to writing magazine articlesArticle (publishing)
An article is a written work published in a print or electronic medium. It may be for the purpose of propagating the news, research results, academic analysis or debate.-News articles:...
, book reviews, play translations, dramatic criticism and light verse. One of the plays he translated was Klabund
Klabund
Alfred Henschke , better known by his pseudonym Klabund, was a German writer.-Life:Klabund, born Alfred Henschke in 1890 in Krossen, was the son of an apothecary. At the age of 16 he came down with tuberculosis, which the doctors initially misdiagnosed as pneumonia...
's The Circle of Chalk from the original German. His 1927 poem, A Stitch In Time, a pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
of Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
's The Rape of the Lock
The Rape of the Lock
The Rape of the Lock is a mock-heroic narrative poem written by Alexander Pope, first published anonymously in Lintot's Miscellany in May 1712 in two cantos , but then revised, expanded and reissued under Pope's name on March 2, 1714, in a much-expanded 5-canto version...
set in modern times, successfully captured public attention, and led to Laver's popularity as a fashionable party guest. A sequel in 1929 followed, Love's Progress, the two poems being published together as Ladies' Mistakes in 1933.
Laver married the Irish actress Veronica Turleigh (1903–1971) in 1928. They had two children, a son and a daughter. They first lived in a flat in Piccadilly, London, which proved convenient for their theatrical friends, and later moved to Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
.
In 1932 he published a novel, Nymph Errant
Nymph Errant
Nymph Errant is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Romney Brent based upon the novel by James Laver. The somewhat controversial story concerned a young English lady intent upon losing her virginity. Porter considered the score his best because of its worldliness and sexual...
, about a girl returning to her finishing school
Finishing school
A finishing school is "a private school for girls that emphasises training in cultural and social activities." The name reflects that it follows on from ordinary school and is intended to complete the educational experience, with classes primarily on etiquette...
, who went astray along the way and ended up in a Turkish
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
. It was an instant bestseller and in 1933, Charles B. Cochran
Charles B. Cochran
Sir Charles Blake Cochran , generally known as C. B. Cochran, was an English theatrical manager. He produced some of the most successful musical revues, musicals and plays of the 1920s and 1930s, becoming associated with Noel Coward and his works.-Biography:Cochran was born in Sussex and educated...
turned it into a musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
featuring songs by Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
and Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence was an English actress, singer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End theatre district of London and on Broadway.-Early life:...
as the leading lady
Leading lady
Leading lady is an informal term for the actress who plays a secondary lead or supporting role, usually a love interest, to the leading actor in a film or play. It is not usually applied to the leading actress in the performance if her character is the protagonist.A leading lady can also be an...
.
Laver felt as if he was leading a double life
Double Life
Double Life is a 2-CD compilation album of songs by Värttinä. It includes the entire 6.12 live album, and songs from studio albums Seleniko, Aitara and Ilmatar...
. He said:
-
- "To my colleagues at South KensingtonSouth KensingtonSouth Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
I had become a cigar-smoking, SavoySavoy HotelThe Savoy Hotel is a hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the hotel opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by...
-supping, enviable but slightly disreputable character, hobnobbing with chorus girls and hanging round stage doors. To Gertrude Lawrence and her friends I was something 'in a museum', engaged in mysterious and apparently useless activities quite outside their comprehension; a character out of The Old Curiosity ShopThe Old Curiosity ShopThe Old Curiosity Shop is a novel by Charles Dickens. The plot follows the life of Nell Trent and her grandfather, both residents of The Old Curiosity Shop in London....
, hardly fit to be let out alone."
- "To my colleagues at South Kensington
Laver continued to write fiction and work for the theatre and film on a less ambitious scale, but did not attempt becoming a full-time writer. His work on films included acting as historical advisor for The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders is a 1965 British historical comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Kim Novak, Richard Johnson and Claire Ufland...
(1965) and The Amateur Gentleman
The Amateur Gentleman (1936 film)
The Amateur Gentleman is a 1936 British drama film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Elissa Landi, Gordon Harker and Margaret Lockwood, with music by Richard Addinsell. It is based on the 1913 novel The Amateur Gentleman by Jeffrey Farnol...
(1936), and he co-wrote the screenplay for Warning To Wantons (1948).
It was typical of Laver that he might decide to take an interest in random subjects. During the Second World War, he determined to read all the books on occultism in the London Library
London Library
The London Library is the world's largest independent lending library, and the UK's leading literary institution. It is located in the City of Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom....
. As a result, he became an expert in the field, writing a book on the prophet Nostradamus
Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame , usually Latinised to Nostradamus, was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties , the first edition of which appeared in 1555...
.
Between 1926 and 1938 Laver was the Director of Art Classes at the Working Men's College
Working Men's College
The Working Men's College- WMC, being among the earliest adult education institutions established in the United Kingdom, is Europe's oldest extant centre for adult education and perhaps one of its smallest...
, Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
. He ran a course on English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
and also re-organised the art class, introducing living models
Model (art)
Art models are models who pose for photographers, painters, sculptors, and other artists as part of their work of art. Art models who pose in the nude for life drawing are usually called life models...
.
Death
Laver died on the 3rd June 1975 following a fire at his BlackheathBlackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
home.
Poetry
- Cervantes (1921)
- A Stitch In Time (1927)
- Love's Progress (1929)
- Ladies' Mistakes (1933)
Art history
- Portraits in Oil and Vinegar (1925)
- A History of British and American Etching (1928)
- "Vulgar Society": The Romantic Career of James Tissot (1936)
- French Painting and the Nineteenth Century (1937)
- Adventures in Monochrome (1941)
Fashion
- Taste and Fashion; from the French Revolution until today (1937)
- Clothes (Pleasures of Life Series) (1953)
- Dandies (Pageant of History) (1968)
- Modesty In Dress (1969)
- A Concise History of Costume (World of Art) (1968), revised and retitled Costume and Fashion: A Concise History (1995, 2003) ISBN 9780500203484
Other
- Design in the Theatre (with George SheringhamGeorge SheringhamGeorge Sheringham , was a British painter and theatre designer. One of the first recipients of the Royal Designers for Industry distinction in 1937, he is remembered for his work for the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company....
) (1927) - Nostradamus, or the Future Foretold (1942)ISBN 0704102021
- Oscar Wilde. published 1968