The Girl From Up There - 1901

Caroline Siedle's designs for The Girl From Up There, a 1901 production starring Edna May, received a thorough description in this uncredited article from the personal scrapbook of the actress. I have not come across any drawings of designs from this show, but the souvenir album was well illustrated with images, including a number of sketches of the Siedle costumes drawn by Archie Gunn, another artist and costume designer.

Elaborate stage gowns are not a novelty; elegance and beauty are shown in every modern production, but such creations as clothe the slender figure of Edna May in "The Girl From Up There" are unusual. 

One of her frocks is Princess shape, and three shades of pink combine in it. First, a slip of cerise satin, over which are deep frills of accordian pleated chiffon; next, the princess slip of rose pink crepe de chine, which is entirely covered with gold spangles. These glittering bits of gold are not sewed on in the ordinary way, but hang from tiny threads of gold, shaping and reflecting the light at every movement. Across the bust, over the shoulders, down the side and around the bottom of this pointed slip is a continuous row of pink velvet roses, with occasional green leaves.

Over this poem in pink and gold is worn a voluminous cloak of silver completely covered with silver spangles. These spangles depend from little strings of silver bugle beads, so they glisten and shake continually. Long sleeves and a train has this cloak, and with it is worn an odd headdress with pendant strings of silver beads. The weight of this cloak is seventy-five pounds, and it requires all the strength of which Miss May is capable to hold it up the brief time she wears it.

To go back to the first act, another idyllic gown is that in which "the girl from up there" makes her first appearance. It is gold in effect, but has a pinkish tone which is soft and indescribable. The material is crepe de chine again, and it is heavily embroidered with gold arabesques and studded with topaz stones. Princess in style, with long sleeves, slightly low neck, a beautiful girdle of gold and rhinestones and a crowning beauty in the gold wreath for headdress, this costume is one of the loveliest ever seen on the New York stage. 

White panne velvet and chiffon seem an unusual combination, but another frock has a skirt composed of alternate panels of these materials, with a band of pearl trimming where they are joined. The bodice has a transparent yoke and high collar of white chiffon in the finest tucks. Sleeves of the same material come to the elbow. Across the bust and over the shoulders is a wide band of the pearl trimming. This bodice opens in the back and the front panel of the skirt extends beyond the waist line, fastening half way up the front of the bodice.

 

Another white frock which Miss May alternates with this is of mousselline de soie, spangled with tiny silver spangles. The narrow flounces on the skirt are bordered with tiny gold braid. The full bodice is of the mouselline, over which is worn a spangled bolero, edged with the gold braid and silver embroidery. This frock has a high lace collar. A big black hat and black gloves go with both these white gowns.

Charming is the little gray silk Quaker costume, also worn in the second act, and the boy's rig of dark green velvet is jaunty and dainty as a boy's clothes could possibly be. Knickerbockers and coat are of velvet, the latter trimmed with gold braid and buttons. Underneath the coat is a silk jersey, in white and turquoise stripes. A scarf of red crepe de chine is knotted about the waist, and a bit of the same brilliant color is shown in the big gray hat. High boots, of gray complete this fascinating rig.

 

A Latticework Gown

This drawing by Caroline Siedle is for a costume from an unknown production. The dress features ribbon latticework, a decorative element that is seen in various other Siedle designs; bodice, skirt and sleeves are all created using this technique, resulting in a net of ribbon over the entire figure. At first glance this appears to be a modest gown, but on closer inspection one realizes this isn’t the case; this lovely design might fool the unsuspecting viewer.

Siedle was no stranger to the idea of costumes that revealed the figure, and was well familiar with the need to provide more visual thrills to the tired businessmen in the audience. In this case, the skirt is slit on both sides from hem to waist, giving ample opportunity to view the wearer's legs as she moved about the stage. On the back of the board, Siedle instructs that the gown is to have no petticoat, instead there should be flesh colored tights and lavender stockings. The neckline of the gown is cut quite low underneath the mesh of ribbon, creating an overall sense of a game of peekaboo. 

The drawing is done in tones of lavender and white, with silver gilt highlights on the intersections of the latticework. It appears that Siedle originally considered including a low hanging heart necklace/pendant as part of the ensemble, as it can be seen sketched in pencil below the waist, but she apparently decided against the idea.

Unfortunately this drawing has been trimmed into an oval shape. While this hasn’t damaged the lovely image, it does remove any possible notes written in the corners, which might have helped identify the intended character or performer. Of course it is possible there were no useful notes, as frequently happens on Siedle designs. The drawing does have a long description on the back concerning construction details of the dress, written in Siedle's characteristically difficult to read handwriting - several words are either illegible or missing:

Satin dress cut extremely fashionably. 

The white satin ribbon forms lattice & is fastened where crossed with ornament & ends in points all over skirt & from the point is a full accordion pleated deep flounce. 

The skirt is cut up on either side of front & is fastened at top with three of the buttons & cord which runs all down the sides. 

Skirt is lined in white satin - Ruffle of transparent goods at bottom edge.

Lavender satin ribbons, no petticoat but flesh color at top of tights to waist & lavender stockings and shoes.

Underwaist of lavender is cut low - the sleeves have no lining if can be made without. 

Toque tam’o shanter of white satin with gathered satin ribbon in rings shaded violet - good white feather.

Shoulders bare - White net short drawers & also at sides - garters of white satin. 

Chorus Ladies - Lambs

Themed choruses were certainly popular in Caroline Siedle’s day. Chorus girls dressed as flowers, fruit, insects, animals, abstract concepts, anything and everything were all to be found on the New York stages.

In this case, we have lambs. The lamb’s head bonnets make this clear, along with the fleecy collars and trim on the skirt and long gloves, not to mention the tails hanging off the muff. This design has the simple notation of “Lambs - Chorus Ladies” and nothing else to identify where it was used. I’m tempted again to place it in a Weber & Fields show, or perhaps from the Casino Theatre, as the revue-style productions they produced could easily lend themselves to these fanciful kinds of design.

Another fun possibility, though with nothing to back it up, is Babes in Toyland. In the first act the Piper children sing to Bo-Peep to console her about her lost sheep, and the song includes a chorus with bleating sheep. It’s amusing to think that there may have been chorus ladies in these costumes portraying the sheep! Admittedly, it’s not a very likely theory.

 An interesting point on costume manufacturing at this time was the tendency to have costumes made in Europe. They were cheaper to manufacture, and with the quantity of dresses and other garments needed for a large cast, the savings could add up. However, there was a 60% tariff on clothing imported into the USA, so the enterprising theater managers would have the costumes cut and loosely basted together, not finished. That way they could be imported as fabric rather than garments and finished here, saving a good deal of money!

Babes in Toyland - 1903 Grumio

A final Caroline Siedle piece from Babes in Toyland is this costume design for Grumio, an assistant to the Master Toymaker. This is an elegant outfit, most likely from the third act of the production.

With striped coat, floral waistcoat and lace, ribbons and bows in tones of light blue and turquoise, you'd never guess this was a lowly assistant. Siedle has given him all the trappings of a dandy, a contrast to the outfit he wears in the Toymaker’s shop. In the third act he’s supposed to be disguised as a valet, which could account for his finery; valets like to be well dressed! This pairs well with Jill’s green dress, as the two characters are fleeing Toyland together.

Grumio was played by Charles Guyer, the husband of Nellie Daly, who played Jill. The pair created a hit in the show with their “knockabout dance” in which they destroy much of the Toymaker’s workroom. The color advertisement shown gives a sense of the action; we see Grumio wearing his workshop costume spinning Jill, wearing her Act 1 dress. But in the later publicity photo shown below, Grumio (Walter Schrode) is still dressed for the workroom, while Jill (Maud Campbell) is in her fancy outfit. Identifying what costume was used where can be very confusing!

Babes in Toyland - 1903 Jill

One of the comical characters in Babes in Toyland was Jill, from the nursery rhyme Jack & Jill. She and her brother Jack were both members of the Piper family, along with Red Riding Hood, Bo-Peep, Tommy Tucker, etc., but Jill played a larger part in the plot of the show than most of her siblings. 

This is her first act costume, presenting her as a tomboyish character. Caroline Siedle makes use of bold stripes again, in the flaring skirt of brown and white. The golden tan apron and yellow bows on the braids tie in to the same warm color scheme as Jane, Alan and Floretta. A costume sketch in the collection of the New York Public Library shows a first act design for Contrary Mary, wearing what I think of as her running away dress. It shows a sage green and yellow striped skirt with a green overdress and red cape, with accents in gold & red. These costumes would all work together and compliment each other very nicely, particularly in a warm autumnal setting.

It’s interesting to note that the gold accents in Jill’s design have a very noticeable blue undertone; it almost looks as though Siedle may have originally intended them to be blue, and then changed to gold as the color concept came together. There are a number of indications of changes made when this sketch was drawn, like the profile of the skirt and positioning of the arms.

Notes on the back say "Miss Daly" and "Sketch No. 24". Jill was played by Nellie Daly, who was an acrobatic dancer and performed in vaudeville together with her husband, Charles Guyer. He portrayed her love interest, Grumio, in the show. 

 

There's a rather indecipherable note saying "with(?) trimmed velvet ribbon treated(?) after with patina(?) & tears", and a sketch of a bonnet with "full ruffle edge with white lace" and "blue lace white lace". At the bottom is a note "brown russet shoe", which refers to Jill’s shoes for this costume. It's hard to say who the bonnet was for; it certainly doesn’t seem to be intended for this outfit!

Later in the show, Jill has a different outfit consisting of a large green dress and fancy bonnet. This is a sharp contrast to her previous costume, with a tightly cinched waist and full ruffled skirt; I’m not entirely sure if it was used in Act 2, or 3, or possibly both. The third act seems to have been predominantly green and blue tones; Jill is trying to escape Toyland disguised as a lady’s maid, so it seems as though this dress may be a fit for that scenario.

The back of this board also has a sketch for a bonnet, but it’s easily identified as the bonnet worn with this dress. This time there are no notes, other than “Miss Daly”and “Sketch no 44”.

The rather poor newspaper photo on the right shows another actress, Maud Campbell, playing the role at a later date and wearing this costume. 

Babes in Toyland - 1903 Alan

In the course of the plot of Babes in Toyland, Alan goes through several disguises. He masquerades as Floretta the gypsy in Act 1, a toy soldier in Act 2, and an aesthetic scholar in Act 3.

The drawing on the right shows Alan in his first disguise. As Floretta, Caroline Siedle dressed him in ragged clothing of warm autumnal colors. A tambourine hangs at his right side, used in the action of the song, Floretta. The word "Chip" is written below the figure, a reference to "Little” Sam Chip, an actor who toured in the role of Alan. 

The predominant tones of russet, olive and gold are also seen in other Act 1 costume designs for the show, giving a sense of the color scheme that was used on the stage. On the back we find the actor's name "Mr. William Norris", along with "Sketch no. 6" and "Act 1". At the bottom of the board is the note "black leather", presumably referring to the shoes. Other costumes designs from this show have similar notes about footwear.  

I've found no photographic record of this character, so the original drawing is a particularly useful reference for understanding the look of the original show. This piece has suffered damage, being cracked across the board, but it still survives!

In Act 2, Alan and Jane are disguised as toys, to escape from their wicked Uncle Barnaby, and end up leading the famous March of the Toys, one of Victor Herbert's best known compositions. This drawing shows Siedle's original design for Alan as a toy soldier, used when the show opened in Chicago. The oversized tassels, wooden sword and paper hat with huge pompoms add whimsy to the character, but by the time the show moved to New York it was changed to a very different design. This was  possibly in the quest to appear more comic, as a frequently repeated criticism of the show was that it wasn't as humorous as The Wizard of Oz.

The picture on the right shows the two versions of the soldier; on the left is the Chicago soldier, while the New York version is on the right. The Broadway soldier does look quite a bit more toy-like than his predecessor.

The back of the drawing has the name "Mr. William Norris" and "Sketch 64". A small note at the bottom reads "shoes to be made by Mr. Siedle". Husband and wife worked on a number of shows together, in their separate capacities of costumes and props, and it's not unusual to see both listed in programs.

The photo below shows the original costume in use in the Chicago production, during the dance of the toys; Alan is circled in red. At the top of this post is a photo of a large poster for a touring company of the show that played at Kaier’s Grand Opera House in the small town of Mahanoy, Pennsylvania. This was discovered when some construction demolition revealed it plastered to the side of a building; it was photographed before construction continued.

Babes in Toyland - 1903

After the runaway success of The Wizard of Oz, a new show was required to try and match its illustrious predecessor. Babes in Toyland took its place at the Majestic Theatre and was billed as “the successor to The Wizard of Oz”; not a sequel, but an extravaganza in the same vein and hopefully an even greater hit.

Indeed, everything about the show feels like an attempt to outdo the previous production. The show was a success, perhaps not on quite the scale of The Wizard, and over the years it’s been revised and revived until today it’s a more familiar property than the 1903 stage version of The Wizard of Oz; this was surpassed by the 1939 MGM film adaptation of the book.

 

The protagonists of Babes in Toyland are Jane & Alan, a pair of orphans living with their Uncle Barnaby. Caroline Siedle's designs for the primary costumes of the pair use exaggerated details which help to mask the fact that these "children" were being played by adult actors. Alan was played by William Norris, and Jane was played by Mabel Barrison.

Both costumes are quite striking, with the striped and checkered patterns of the russet and beige fabric; The horizontal stripes on Jane’s dress were changed to vertical, but otherwise the finished costumes were quite faithful to Siedle’s original design. A note on the back of the drawing for Jane reads "old style striped goods to be selected", referring to the choice of material for the costumes.

Jane did lose her long braids at some point after the show opened in Chicago; by the time it played in New York, she had a softer hairstyle. In Siedle’s drawings the characters carry wooden pails, making me wonder whether the pair were originally going to be named Jack & Jill!

A December 1903 article in the New York Daily Tribune talks about the success of adult actors in childlike roles:

 

“I just act kiddish” said Mabel Barrison, who plays the leading part of Jane, when she was asked how she acted the part of a child. “It’s hard to explain. I suppose my dress makes me look a trifle young, with its high waist and its wide flounce. Then you want to toe in a bit, put your finger in your mouth once in a while, and drawl your words a little. A woman needs a round face for the child part more than a man. She doesn’t want to be too stout either. But stoutness does not make so big a difference if you move around lively. No, I don’t get any letters from children. Alan and the other boys get all the letters.  Ain’t it a pity?” 

Several fan letters written from little girls to the "children" on the stage were included. The author points out that the "little girls" onstage don't tend to get letters, but the boys - regardless of being played by men or women - do.