Unknown

Here’s an intriguing design by Siedle that provides absolutely no information. Nothing is written at the bottom, or on the back of the board. So, guesses are all that can be made!

The costume appears to be lingerie or a very scant dress with rolled stockings, in white with blue-gray accents. The outfit includes what looks like a lace train and a short cape, and there is an oversize ribbon bow in the hair which attaches to the two staffs held by the character. Perhaps this is an avant-garde bride? Whether as a single, or in a group, this would catch the eye.

With nothing solid for basing an opinion, I’m guessing this may have been for another Weber & Fields show. They were famous for their “beauty choruses”, and this looks like it could easily fit right in. The Casino Theater was also known for its sparsely clad chorines, so it’s equally possible that it was intended for use there. Or for that matter, any of the various productions of the time period that delighted in presenting pulchritudinous femininity. 

One show from 1901, The Liberty Belles, was noted for opening with a scene in a girl’s dormitory showing women in various states of undress indulging in a pillow fight. However, this particular design really doesn’t match up to the clothing in this photo from the scene, from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York.

This drawing also provides an excellent example of the incongruous use of the Metropolitan Opera Company rubber stamp. I doubt that this costume was ever intended for that auspicious hall!