The Glamour Years: Jewellery & Fashion 1929-1959
October 22 @ 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Lecture by Andrew Prince
Following on from his sparklingly well received lecture in 2023, Andrew Prince will return to present two glittering lectures celebrating the rich connections between fashion, jewellery and art. Join us for this Special Interest Morning exploring the glamour and influence of twentieth-century style alongside the hidden stories revealed in painted detail, it promises to be a fascinating and visually rewarding experience, with time to relax and chat over coffee between the talks.
Lecture 1- The Glamour Years: Jewellery and Fashion from 1929 to 1959
In this talk, which follows on from his ‘Downton to Gatsby’ lecture, Andrew shows how the Great Depression and the Second World War had such an extraordinary impact on fashion and jewellery design with the rise of cinema and Hollywood. From the likes of Marlene Dietrich to Grace Kelly, he guides us through the various screen goddesses, how they were portrayed and what they gave to such dazzling effect. He also shows that with the development of advertising, labour saving devices and leisure time, people had more opportunities to enjoy themselves and spend money on the finer things in life, as well as how the political events of the time influenced design and what was worn. He also shows how the Belle Epoque and Art Deco styles did not end at the outbreak of the war, but combined to flower again with Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’.
Lecture 2 – A portrait of Jewels: following missing treasures through canvas
Inspired by a visit to the National Portrait Gallery, Andrew explores how the paintings of richly adorned Tudor, Stuart and Hanoverian monarchs prompt questions about the fate of their remarkable jewels. Through historic portraits, he traces the journeys of these lost treasures, from the pearls of Catherine de Medici, Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II, to a magnificent diamond once owned by King James I, which was passed to Charles I, smuggled abroad, worn by Marie Antoinette, stolen during the French Revolution, and later, acquired by a Russian aristocrat before being set by Cartier into a tiara for an American heiress who became a British MP. A leading jewellery expert, Andrew Prince, brings these stories vividly to life, revealing a history as dramatic and captivating as the portraits themselves.
Andrew has had a passion for jewellery since he was a small child and in August 1984, two weeks after his 16th birthday, Andrew started work in London’s Bond Street for The Antiques Roadshow expert Ian Harris. Under his guidance, Andrew developed an appreciation for jewels that were valued for their quality of design and craftsmanship, rather than for how much the stones in the piece were worth. He developed an interest in making fine ‘costume jewellery’ and gradually private commissions started to come in, including from celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Shirley Bassey. In 2005, he was asked to make tiaras and jewellery for Mrs Henderson Presents starring Judy Dench. In 2009, pieces were commissioned for The Young Victoria starring Emily Blunt and Miranda Richardson and in 2012, he was chosen by the creators of Downton Abbey to supply a large collection of jewellery for the third series.
Programme for the morning
Registration in the Gallery: 9.15am, please be seated by 9.55am
Lecture 1: 10.00am – 11.00am
Coffee: 11.00am – 11.30am (included in the ticket price)
Lecture 2: 11.30am – 12.30pm
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