The Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design
Greta Garbo, “Queen Christina,” MGM 1933, Designer: Gilbert Adrian
by LARRY MCQUEEN
It is an honor, and somewhat ironic, to contribute to Film Review. Thirty-some years ago when I, and my late business partner, Bill Thomas, started collecting and researching film costume design, Film Review was one of the valuable sources to collect such information. It would be impossible in a few words to describe the motives, procedures and the experience we had in creating The Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design. I will say it started out of a passion and developed into an appreciation for the artistry, talents and contribution of the people that created those “outer skins” of the characters we remember from film.
The Collection officially began in 1989 with the purchase of the Greta Garbo court gown from Queen Christina (1933), long after the likes of Debbie Reynolds realized that something tangible should be saved of the collapsing Hollywood studios and not sold off as useless by-product. Our involvement was literally the response of being at the right place at the right time when there was the need for someone to inventory, research and display the materials that were ending up in the market. Out of that grew the desire to collect ourselves and preserve whatever we could of Hollywood history.
Much has been learned about the importance of what to collect, the condition and sustainability of the costumes for exhibition and the care and protection of the pieces that must occur to assure their survival. Along the way, I have been humbled to meet and share with some of the players in this component of the movie industry. I hope I’ve done my part, to assure that some of this artistry survives.
LARRY MCQUEEN is respected as a leading Hollywood costume historian and archivist. He has been responsible for the authentication of film costumes and the estimation of their value at prestigious auction houses across the globe. From 1999 - 2012, Mr. McQueen worked as an archivist with MGM/ UA in creating and maintaining a prop and costume collection of MGM films. In addition, he has worked with private estates and costume houses such as Lucille Ball, Edith Head, Debbie Reynolds, Western Costume Company and others in researching items and their valuation.
Mr. McQueen’s private collection of film costumes is one the finest private collections of its kind and consists of costumes worn in films from 1920 to present. He has exhibited portions of his collection in association with The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the American Film Institute.
Learn more about the history of film costume and the conservation of this iconic collection at Larry’s official website: https://filmcostumecollection.com/
