Sir Horace Brand Farquhar, later 1st and last Earl Farquhar (1844-1925); banker and courtier.

Lady de Trafford, née Violet (Alice Maud) Franklin (d 1925); daughter of Captain James Franklin; m (1886) Sir Humphrey de Trafford, 3rd Bt.

Date: 3 July 1897.

Occasion: The Devonshire House Ball, 2 July 1897.

Location: Devonshire House, Piccadilly, London, W.

Descr: FL standing.

Costume: (Sir H Farquhar) "...jerkin of light brown cloth, applique with dark brown velvet, a band round the waist ornamented with gold; breeches same colour as jerkin; hose, silk cafe au lait; cloak of brown cloth, large and heavy, carried on right arm; Rembrandt ruff and cuffs; hat, large broad-brimmed beaver." (The Gentlewoman, 10 July 1897, p 58a); (Lady de Trafford) "...soft white muslin over cloth of silver, on the hem of which were embroidered typical Assyrian figures in the characteristic brick colour. A pale green chiffon sash hung from a curved green velvet band at the waist. The bright red velvet train was sewn with diamonds, and the head-dress had diamond chains at the sides and a diamond bird above them" (The Truth, 8 July 1897, p 108a).

Costume Supplier: (Lady de Trafford) Mrs Mason, 4 New Burlington Street, London W.

Jewellery: (Lady de Trafford) Two necklaces and diamond collar; ropes of pearls round the neck and twisted in hair; headdress of diamond and silver bird, with a high aigrette.

Furnishings & props: Backdrop, painted to suggest the garden statuary at Devonshire House; studio Persian rug.

References:

Biog: (Sir H Farquhar) Burke's Peerage; Who's Who; The Times, 31 August 1923, p 10d & photograph p 12. (See also Kenneth Rose, Kings, Queens and Courtiers, London, 1985.) (Lady de Trafford) Burke's Peerage.

Date: Paper label on negative bears date 05-08-1897, however the backdrop and view of the photographer's tent at the edge of the plate suggest the night of 2-3 July 1897 (cf neg. 1395 B Lady de Grey).

Occasion: Sophia Murphy, The Duchess of Devonshire's Ball, London, 1984.

Role & Costume:

(Sir H Farquhar) (Dutch burgher) The Daily News, 3 July 1897, p 5g; (Burgher of Amsterdam after Rembrandt) The Daily Telegraph, 3 July 1897, p 10a; (a Rembrandt) Truth, 8 July 1897, p 108b; (Dutch gentleman after Rubens) The Gentlewoman, 10 July 1897, pp 52 [sketch] & 58a; (Count Egmont) Devonshire House Fancy Dress Ball, July 2 1897: A Collection of Portraits in Costume of Some of the Guests, privately printed, 1899, p 41, (National Portrait Gallery Archives).

(Lady de Trafford) (costume) The Daily Chronicle, 3 July 1897, p 8a; The Daily Telegraph, 3 July 1897, p 9f & p 10c; Pall Mall Gazette, 3 July 1897, p 7c; St. James's Gazette, 3 July 1897, p 9a; Truth, 8 July 1897, p 108a; Vanity Fair, 8 July 1897, p 27a; The Court Circular, 10 July 1897, p 625a; The Court Journal, 10 July 1897, p 1247a; The Gentlewoman, 10 July 1897, p 56a [line drawing]; Lady's Pictorial, 10 July 1897, p 42 [line drawing] & 53a; The Queen, 10 July 1897, p 73c & p 75 [line drawing].

Costume Source: (Lady de Trafford) Costume design after a vase in the British Museum (The Queen, 10 July 1897, p 75).

Costume Supplier: (Lady de Trafford) Vanity Fair, 8 July 1897, p 18b; The Queen, 10 July 1897, p 75.

Jewellery: (Lady de Trafford) Vanity Fair, 8 July 1897, p 27a; The Queen, 10 July 1897, p 73c.

Photographer: The Daily Telegraph, 3 July 1897, p 9f; Black & White, 10 July 1897, p 38b.

1. Semiramis (identified with Sammuramat, c. 9th century BC, Assyrian Queen) - according to legend, founder of Babylon. For Semiramis in opera, see inter alia Semiramide, opera in two acts by Gioacchino Rossini (libretto by Gaetano Rossi, based on Semirame by Voltaire) first performed at Fenice Theatre, Venice, 1823.