Lady Meysey-Thompson at the Devonshire House Ball 1897, by Lafayette

MEYSEY-THOMPSON, LADY
Neg. No: GP (L) 1422
Neg. Size: 15"x 12"
Neg. Date: 03-07-1897

Sitter: Lady Meysey-Thompson, later Baroness Knaresborough (d. 1922), née Ethel Adeline Pottinger.

Lady Meysey-Thompson, later Baroness Knaresborough (d. 1922), née Ethel Adeline Pottinger.

Biog: Only child of Sir Henry Pottinger, 3rd and last Bt.; m (1885) 1st Baron Knaresborough.

Role: Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia.^⁽¹⁾

Date: 2 July 1897.

Occasion: The Devonshire House Ball, 2 July 1897;

Location: Devonshire House, Piccadilly, London, W.

Descr: FL standing.

Costume: "...a gown of orange velvet and yelow satin, with a collar of old point lace, and a blue moire ribbon at the waist, with one white rose tucked into it. The seams of the bodice were outlined with diamonds, and the sleeves prettily arranged with puffings of white muslin." (The Court Circular, 10 July 1897, p 625a).

Costume Supplier: Mrs Mason, 4 Burlington Street, London, W; fan by J. Duvelleroy, Regent Street, London W.

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

Photographer: The firm of J. Lafayette, 179 New Bond Street, London, W.

Evidence of photographer at work: -

No of poses: 1.

Sir Henry Meysey-Thompson, later Baron Knaresborough

Copyright: V&A

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Provenance: Pinewood Studios; acquired 1989.

References:

Biog: Burke's Peerage; The Times, 19 August 1922, p. 9.

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

Role and Costume: Pall Mall Gazette, 3 July 1897, p 7b; Truth, 8 July 1897, p 108a; The Court Circular, 10 July 1897, p 625a; The Gentlewoman, 10 July 1897, p 56b & p 55 (line drawing); Lady's Pictorial, 10 July 1897, p 42 (drawing, back view); The Queen, 10 July 1897, p 75 (line drawing).

Costume Supplier: The Queen, 10 July 1897, p 75; (fan) The Queen, 10 July 1897, p 76a.

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

Reproduced: Devonshire House Fancy Dress Ball, July 2 1897: A Collection of Portraits in Costume of Some of the Guests, privately printed, 1899, p 156 (National Portrait Gallery Archives).

Acknowledgements: -

1. Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia (1596-1662); eldest daughter of King James I of England; m. (1613) King Frederick I of Bohemia (also Frederick V, Elector Palatine).