| Collection | David Drummond Pantomime Collection |
| Description | Costume designs by Lucien Besche. Costume designs are for anthromorphic creatures and a Knave of Hearts, Coppers, and the Queen of Spades in The Yellow Dwarf.
Born in Paris in 1852, Lucien Besche became a pupil of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts aged 15. After serving in Paris during the Franco-Prussian War he was brought to England by Minton 7 Co to paint china. He left Minton for the studios of Messrs Copeland and Sons, where he stayed nine years creating large mural decorations as china painting proper. He obtained medals at the Vienna, Philadelphia, and Paris (1878) Exhibitions. He became involved with theatre as a baritone but continued to paint, exhibiting a portrait of Myles Kennedy at the Academy in 1882. By 1885 he was employed to design costumes at the Alhambra where he remained for five years during which time his illustrations of costumes become a feature of the programmes.--Biography supplied by Jane Pritchard, M.B.E., Curator of Dance, V&A. |
| Related Person | Bassette, Treien, costume designer |