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 Oliver Ackland, who played the role of Brian Fitzgerald, and designed by costume designer Wendy Cork, with costume supervisor Christiana Plitzco. The clothing was tailor made in 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

Nine pieces from a larger costume. Various combinations were worn to create several costumes. The pieces in the Museum's collection are: fawn wool overcoat; blue, green and red floral waistcoat; white cotton dress shirt with collar and collar studs; two black bow ties; blue and black cravat; and a black `wide awake' 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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