THE AUTHENTICITY OF MOVIE COSTUME SKETCHES Part 2

Movie costume sketches are wonderful things. They combine art and fashion and evoke the role the actor/actress is going to play. And more, they are documents that can show both the creative aspect of the movie business and it's costume design nuts and bolts: fabric samples, labor hours and cost to produce, changes in design, the designated scene , and often who in the development chain approved the specific sketch. While costumes for supporting cast were usually designed in the same way, it was the film's stars that had the best costumes and the most costume changes. Knowing that the movie star in all likelihood held that costume sketch adds much to its cache. For these reasons, the costume sketch made during production is far more significant that a later artistic rendering or presentation sketch made as a gift. Unless one is just seeking an art piece representing movie fashion to hang on the wall, one should know the difference between an original costume sketch and an illustration of movie costumes.



This original costume sketch is a design by Edith Head, and there is no signature. Neither a film title nor  a star is identified. The provenance of the sketch and the fact that this sketch was acquired with similar but signed Edith Head sketches makes me certain this is an Edith Head design.

                                                                               

How can you tell the difference between an original costume sketch and a later illustration? The fundamental difference is that one is a creative tool and the other is a finished piece of art. As a tool in the movie costume design process, the original costume sketch will undergo a lot of handling. For those sketches produced during the classic era, the vast majority of them will show signs of wear: pencil marks, smudges, pin holes, staple marks, and erasures, not to mention written notes and re-drawings or secondary drawings. The backs of the sketches will often have film production notes, signatures, Studio stamps with boxes to show approval initials, budgets, etc. The one thing that was not included on a costume sketch was a Studio property stamp. There was no rationale for identifying a sketch as Studio property. During the days of the Studio system, this work was done in the Wardrobe Department (occasionally the independent Western Costume was used). Dozens of sketches could be produced for a single movie. During production or pre-production, sketches were just tools. After the movie was released hardly anyone cared what happened to the sketches, least of all the Studios. Back then a costume could be re-used - a costume sketch was next to worthless.

                                                                    


The back of an Edith Head sketch for Betty Hutton in Miracle of Morgan's Creek has very useful information like the director's approval, budget for the costume, and how long it should take to make.

                                                                                                                                                                                       


This sketch is for one of the ladies in The Ladies Man starring Jerry Lewis. It has several notes in Edith Head's handwriting.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

A "presentation sketch" or a costume illustration, whether intended as a gift or created to display at a fashion show, is made as a final product. It will depict accurately the movie costume because it was done after the movie was finished (often years after). It was meant for show or as art. Accordingly it was carefully painted, with more eye-appeal, and it is sure to boldly place the stars' name, movie title, and designer signature on the work. It will rarely show wear. These pieces invariably illustrate glamorous costumes on iconic stars in famous movies. Because of this fame factor, these sketches often sell for large sums of money. One can be very happy to own or acquire such pieces, but for the collector, one should know the difference. And for professional dealers and auctioneers, efforts should be made to determine this status and make it clear in the cataloging or description. Needless to say, designers may have made several copies of a presentation sketch. Each production costume sketch, on the other hand, is unique.



This is a later exhibit or presentation sketch. It was meant to be an eye-popper from across the room and was probably done for Miss Head's fashion shows. It shows Ann-Margret in The Swinger.The film title and star are in bold writing.

                                                                              


This is one of the original costume sketches from The Swinger. It was rendered by Edith's sketch artist Richard Hopper in a very different style than the one above.

                                     
                                                                       

In addition to the wear factor and other signs mentioned above, there are other clues. A new-looking sketch of a glamour gown from a 1930s movie should be considered suspicious. Getting to know the rendering style of a designer or their sketch artists can tell you if there's an anomaly. Edith Head's sketch style is often associated with her sketch artist from 1954 to 1963, Grace Sprague. A 1940s Edith Head costume design done in Grace Sprague's distinctive style is a giveaway that the piece is not an original costume sketch. And since Ms. Sprague died in 1963, a sketch done in her style for a later film or appearing freshly made should be considered suspicious. Since sketch artists very rarely signed a sketch, getting to know their style is achieved by looking at a lot of sketches or looking at the several excellent costume design books that reproduce them. In Edith Head's long career, she used many different sketch artists, so after a while one can tell the period of the film just by looking at the style of the sketch artist that worked with her at the time.



The costume sketch above was for a design for Natalie Wood in Sex and the Single Girl. It was rendered in the distinctive style of Edith' Head's sketch artist Grace Sprague, and has scene numbers, costume change number, and other notations.

                                                                                

                                                                                

Several notable designers never used sketch artists but made their own sketches. Thus their distinctive style stayed the same throughout their careers. These include Adrian, Rene Hubert, Irene Sharaff, Orry-Kelly, Robert Kalloch, Howard Shoup, Mary Wills, Theadora Van Runkle, Donfeld, and others. And several costume designers began or worked early in their careers as sketch artists, These include Bill Thomas, Bob Mackie, Yvonne Wood, Edward Stevenson, Adele Balkan, Renie, and Edith Head herself. Getting to know their styles will be rewarding, and will provide in itself an education in the history of movie costume design. And there's no substitute for doing your background homework when considering spending a lot of money on a costume sketch.  With the high prices realized for many sketches there is more incentive for forgeries as is the case with other art and antiques. An unsigned sketch can be enhanced by a forged signiture. One that has no star or movie title on it can also be enhanced by pencilling in an iconic star's name and movie title. View the films the sketches are supposed to be from. Do they appear, even modified a bit, in the movie? Do the styles and periods match the rest of the costumes in the film?    Check out those books, and screen those movies. If that sketch looks too perfect, maybe it's trying too hard to look like the real thing.