Media Release
23 March 2023
Fancy Dress: From tutus to cosplay gives centre stage to over 130 years of dress ups, from the downright bizarre to the truly magnificent. This adorable exhibition is an inclusive, sumptuous and friendly frolic into the joys of costume and shines a loving spotlight on our enduring passion for costume culture from the 1890s to today.
The exhibition is an enchanting collection of rarely seen historic images and film from the Tasmanian Archives, delighting in the weird, wild, wacky and wonderful world of costume. Also featured are selected contemporary images from the public, vintage fancy dress costumes and handmade Tasmanian tutus.
In Tasmania, the performing arts scene, ballet culture and our visual archival history were shaped by the inimitable figure of Beatrice ‘Beattie’ Jordan (1897–1988). As a dancer, choreographer, teacher and owner of Beattie Jordan Dance School, she inspired and recorded a series of luscious and creative costumes for her students over the course of her long career. The exhibition features photos, some of Beattie’s exquisite costumes and magnificent scrapbooks from the Tasmanian Archives collection and the Jordan family.
According to Australian Ballet dancer Lucinda Sharp, “It’s an exhibition that everyone can relate to and hopefully will bring back lots of wonderful memories of when fancy dress and costumes have been part of your life”.
Alongside the exhibition there are a series of cosplay and curator talks, as well as a beautiful take-home keepsake exhibition catalogue with high-quality exhibition image reproductions.
As part of Fancy Dress, everyday Tasmanian costume enthusiasts were asked to submit their best photos – some of the best are displayed alongside the archival material.
Fancy Dress co-curator Penny Carey-Wells says, “We have some fabulous photographs from local Hobart people who love dressing up, and a visual projection of photographs and some old footage of dance groups from around Tasmania, and peddler’s parades from the 1930s – really quirky, bizarre stuff.”
Fancy Dress is a must-see for children, the young at heart, lovers of the performing arts, historical re-enactment fans, the cosplay community, dance schools and anyone with a passion for dressing up!
Fancy Dress: From tutus to cosplay is a free exhibition now showing at the Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts until 29 July 2023.
Co-curators: Penny Carey-Wells and Caitlin Sutton
To find out more about Fancy Dress and other Libraries Tasmania exhibitions visit libraries.tas.gov.au/exhibitions/
To source more images please contact communications.libraries@education.tas.gov.au
Libraries Tasmania, Communications and Marketing – 6165 6386 or 0417 465 669