Summary

Image courtesy of Burberry Entertainment / ABC / Film Victoria

Custom made late 19th Century style men's costume used in the production of `The Mystery of a Hansom Cab' telemovie, filmed in Melbourne in 2012 by local production company Burberry Entertainment.

It was worn by Australian actor Nathan Lovejoy, who played the role of Felix Rolleston, and designed by costume designer Wendy Cork, with costume supervisor Christiana Plitzco. The clothing was tailor made in Sydney and Melbourne and the head wear was made in Sydney.

The film is based on the book of the same name, self published in 1886 by its author Fergus Hume. It was produced by Margot McDonald and directed by Shawn Seet, with executive producer Ewan Burnett.

Televised on the ABC in October 2012.

Physical Description

The costume set consists of fifteen pieces. Various combinations were worn to create several costumes. The costume includes: two frock coats - one in black wool and one in brown wool; black wool overcoat; three waistcoats - one black, one in maroon paisley print and one with maroon, navy, green and gold stripes; two pairs of trousers - one in black wool and one in grey check; white cotton shirt with removable collar and collar studs; pair of gold cufflinks; two cravats - one green and black and one brown and black; and a black top hat.

Significance

`The Mystery of a Hansom Cab' collection, of which this object is a part, is an important addition to the current collection, as it succinctly documents one local television production, through artefacts and documentation. It represents the thousands of hours of television that have been filmed in Melbourne since its introduction in 1956. It is also a great representation of how the city's history has been portrayed on screen.

It represents literary Melbourne, as a screen adaptation of one of our most iconic and successful 19th Century books; a book which uses the city, its streets and its buildings as one of its characters.

The handmade costumes, the majority of which were made in Melbourne, represent the output of the city's bespoke tailors and clothing manufacturers, a small number which still exist today.

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