The Pageant of Birmingham 1938, held in July, was planned to mark the centenary of Birmingham’s Borough Charter and the intended Royal visit of George VI and Queen Elizabeth to the city.
The Iron Room Blog has covered the Pageant of Birmingham before. Egbert, the giant smoke breathing dinosaur, plus his smaller companions, Ogbert and Little Sidney, have become the most memorable (perhaps as the largest) of the characters included in the event held 80 years ago.
With such spectacles in mind, it must have been easy to forget the sheer number of costumes created for the multitude of other characters which appeared over the course of the event.
In Archives & Collections we have four volumes of costume designs, designed under the direction of Jean Campbell, who was Mistress of the Robes. The designs include basic sketches, ideas which do not appear to have made the final selection, designs painted in great detail, plus fabric swatches of material intended to be used on the final garments.
Episode I: Prologue
This episode began with the ‘strange monsters’ (e.g. Egbert,) of the prehistoric times, and passed through eras, to William the Conqueror. Above is the image of his robes – nice cape!
Episode II: The Granting of the Market Charter of Birmingham, 1156
The illustrated booklet to the event sets out the scene when King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine visit to confirm the charter. Eleanor of Aquitaine’s outfit and make-up in the design are beautiful – very Disney!
Episode III: The Battle of Crecy
This episode was included for the leading involvement of Henry de Bermingham and his nephew Fulk, heir of the Manor of Birmingham in 1346. The above design for one of their men-at-arms is quite fancy, but I pity the actor who had to try and walk in those armoured shoes.
Episode IV: The Visit of Charles to Aston Hall
The episode was split into two parts; one covered the royal visit of Charles I, to Royalist, Sir Thomas Holt at his home. The latter, the siege of Aston Hall 1643, which ended in Sir Thomas taken prisoner and a Commonwealth flag being raised over the Hall. Above is the design for a very fancy Cavalier costume.
Episode V: The Restoration
This episode showed the end of Parliamentary rule, featuring Ascensiontide Fair, May 1660. The narrative showed Roundheads at Aston Hall being jeered at for their puritanical objections to the celebration, and finally, them being ousted by the arrival of Cavillers hailing, ‘Long Live the King!’ The above costume design detailed to the sewers what fabric was to be used in the making of the outfit.
Episode VI: The Priestley Riots
This episode dramatised the night in July 1791, when objectors to Joseph Priestley’s opinions on religious reform and his support of the French Revolution flared up, culminating in Priestley’s house being ransacked by the angry crowds. Priestley is portrayed as suitably gloomy, dressed all in sober black.
Episode VII: The Visit of Queen Victoria to Aston Park
This segment commemorated Queen Victoria’s visit to Birmingham in 1858 to open Aston Park.
Episode VIII: (The Grand Finale) Modern & Industrial Birmingham
The closing section of the pageant featured many of Birmingham’s famous children; floats highlighting her industries; plus representation from the city’s various arts establishments, and also her servicemen. The costume designs for this episode include some very fine headgear and a couple from the local companies which perhaps sponsored the pageant. Button girl seems rather more 60’s than 30’s to me – I could picture Twiggy wearing that.
Rachel Clare, Senior Archives Assistant
The Iron Room 
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