Cymbeline - 1897

Identifying the production a specific costume was designed for can be challenging, and open to conjecture. Some are clearly marked and easily recognizable, while others require more deduction and study of the few clues they present. 

In general, on Caroline Siedle’s designs the character name is written on the front lower left corner of the drawing and the actor’s name is on the back; but this certainly is not always the case. As the name of the show does not tend to be listed, it can be difficult or impossible to place an anonymous character into a production. Even when there are identifying notes it can be hard to be certain.

I had no idea what show this drawing was intended for, although in this case there were two identifiers - the lower front corner is labeled “Queen”, and on the rear is the name “Mrs. Barry”. The costume itself is a regal garment in turquoise and white, with Celtic designs and elaborately detailed accessories. Highlights in silver paint add additional sparkle to the piece.

After some digging and searching, I found several references to an 1897 production of Cymbeline, by William Shakespeare. The role of the Queen was played by Mrs. Thomas Barry, so it feels quite possible that this design was created for this show; Siedle is best known for her multitude of designs for early musical theater, but she did create costumes for plays and other forms of stage entertainment. 

I came across a newspaper advertisement, shown above, that lists the various artists responsible for this production of Cymbeline and there is no mention of Caroline Siedle; but Edward Siedle (mispelled Seidle) is listed as Property Manager, so it seems very possible that Caroline could have easily been involved as well.

The costumes are listed as being by Dazian, but this in itself can be misleading. Dazian was a theatrical supplier that prided themselves on offering anything one could need for a stage production. The shop sold materials and fabrics of all kinds and could provide costumes created from their own collection of designs; but they also built wardrobes drawn up by other designers. It’s a classic example of how designers could be overshadowed by the firms that manufactured their costumes. This wouldn’t always be the case; two years later a February, 1899, publicity article in The St. Paul Globe extolled the touring production of The Jolly Musketeer, starring Jefferson De Angelis. It specifically states “…Dazian, the famous costumer of New York City, made all of the dazzling costumes, from sketches made by Mrs. Caroline F. Siedle.”

I believe it's possible that the costumes for Cymbeline were built by Dazian, but designed by Siedle. Dazian is still in business today serving the theater community, and the 1880's catalog pictured above can be viewed in full at The Costumer's Manifesto. 

Margaret Mather was a well known dramatic actress who retired from the stage in 1892 when she married Gustav Pabst, son of the wealthy Milwaukee brewing family. They divorced in 1895 after she horsewhipped him in a Milwaukee street, and she returned to the stage. Though well known, particularly for playing Juliet in the 1880’s, her acting merits were debated by critics who had strong opinions concerning her talent. Cymbeline was her 1897 return to the stage as Imogen, in a sumptuous production of the late Shakespeare play. The show played on Broadway and toured, but received a mixed critical response.

While performing her role in West Virginia in 1898, Margaret Mather collapsed on stage, dying later that evening without regaining consciousness. The cause of death was Brights disease, a kidney ailment, thought to have been brought on through excessive use of patent weight reducing medications.

Incidentally, Mrs. Barry did receive good reviews in her role of the Queen, a rather treacherous character. The serpent bracelets featured in Siedle's design give a hint of this trait!