The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-10 00:00:00

STAGE COSTUME.

John Kemble is supposed to be the first actor who
rescued the stage from the monotony of uniformity of
costume. That celebrated tragedian did much to reform
the bad taste which prevailed in dressing dramatic cha-
racters; but the great revolution in stage costume was
commenced by ,a celebrated French actress, Mdlle.
Clairon. The particulars of that event are not generally
known. The first representation of Voltaires's Orphe-
lin de la Chine was in the month of August, 1755. A
mania for Chinese silks, articles of furniture, and
Asiatic productions, had made the costumes
of the Celestial Empire so popular, that it
seemed almost impossible to appear on the stage
as Mandarins, dressed in French costume. Joseph
Vernet had made an exhibition of a great
variety of foreign costumes which he had painted at
the ports of Marseilles and Toulon. These were much
admired. The friends of Voltaire, who then lived in
Geneva, engaged that painter to design for the new
tragedy, costumes which at least might prevent the French
from laughing at the absurdity of T.'arisian dresses. Ver-
net complied with the demand, and Mademoiselle Clairon,
who played the part of IdamA, appeared •for the first
time with some alteration of the old costume. The
stage presented a superb palace of the Corinthian
order, capitals crowned with Acanthus leaves, and
Mandarins in Chinese dresses. 'The attempt, however,
was not perfect ; but another experiment made the
next year, was decisive. Mademoiselle Clairon was
Engaged for several representations at Marseilles, at
the time Marshal Richelieu landed, covered with
laurels from Mahon. On the day the conqueror
went to the theatre she stood on the staircase and
complimented him, in the costume of Alzire, viz., a fine
silk robe, with a sun on her bosom worked in gold, and
a small circular basket filled with jonquils. The next
night she played Zaire in a dress perfectly ridiculous,
and was stabbed under a French canopy. Her embar-
rassment under an enormous court dress of gold and
silver stuff, made every one laugh. The same night she
supped, according to custom, with the Duke de Villars,
Governor of the province. She was placed at table by
the side of a Greek lady, whom M. Guys, a rich mer-
chant (the author of "' Travels in Italy and Greece"),
had married in Constantinople. After bestowing the
praises which were merited, the lady expressed her re-.
gret that she had not chosen for the part of Zaire one
of the Greek dresses which the lady had brought
from her country. The actress was struck by the
idea ; and, as she had to play the part a second time,
Madame Guys not only sent her one of her Constanti-
nople dresses, but assisted in dressing her. The pub-
lic applauded this novelty with transport, and Madame
Guys..took the occasion to present Mademoiselle Clai-
ron a complete Oriental suit, of which a magnificent
pelisse made part. On her return to Paris, Made- '
moiselle Clairon in every instance wore an appropriate
dress ; and the good sense which marked her conduct
produced a reform which became general among the
performers of both sexes. Powder, masks, court
dresses, and a thousand ridiculous things used on the
stage, were banished from tragic c 'stume ; in short,
the-heroines of Greece and Reme, the Queens of Carthage
and Babylon, the savages of Peru and Scandinavia,
ceased to bo mixed up a ith things in the Almanach des
Modes. Posterity will long remember the services
Mdlle. Clairon rendered to the theatrical art by the
abolition of fancy costume, which confounded in one
common masquerade persons of all times and ail
countries. We no longer see in such pieces as Cinna
or Andromaque actors clad as courtiers of Louis XIV.,
or actresses dressed as mistresses of Louis XV.

We have experienced another week of the most
s
lendid weather, which has proved alike beneficial to
the latter harvest, and to the operations going on in the
hop plantations, the picking, which has become general,
having been pursued in this, and the adjoining county
of Kent, without interruption, no rain having fallen to
impede the progress of the many 'thousands of persons,
men, women, and children, employed in the various hop-
gardens. During the week past, considerable quantities
of hops were forwarded from the eastern part of this
county by the Hastings Railway, vid Lewes, for the
London market, and we make no doubt, as the season
advances, the growers will avail themselves to a greater
extent of this desirable and rapid mode of transit for
their hops to the metropolitan tactors.—Sussex Advertiser
A Brussels letter of the sth inst. states that Don
Henry, who has for some time been living incognito at
Ostend, under the title of Count d'Ares of Madrid, has
just proceeded to Ghent, accompanied by his aide-de-
camp, M. Calvet.
A RAILWAY SMOKING SALOON.—Within the last
few days a novelty has been introduced on the Eastern
Counties Railway in the running of a very handsome
carriage, termed a smoking or excursion saloon, which,
from its elegant and peculiar construction, has excited
much interest. In size and form of build it much re-
sembles the royal carriages on the Great Western, South-
Western, and other rilvvays. The peculiarity of a por-
tion of the Cambridge and Newmarket traffic suggested
to the company the formation of such a description of
carriage, and which certainly reflects great credit on
the skill of its manufacturer. Its extreme length is 40
feet, the body about 30 feet, the ends being converted
into a kind of open lounge. It runs on six wheels,
which are fitted with Adams's patent bow springs. The
internal decorations are of the most recherche description.
The seats extend the full length of the sides, and are
handsomely covered with morocco leather. A highly
polished mahogany table occupies the centre, the
entire fitted with self-balancing lamps. The sides
are lighted by eight plate glass windows of
unusual size, while the ends are fitted up with
four plates of looking-glass.
Its drapery is com-
posed of bright crirn ;on silk, formed in very grace-
ful design. The roof presents an exceedingly chaste
appearance. The ground-work is painted white, the
mouldings being gilt, The gt.t. eral furniture is of richly
carved polished mahogany. The exterior is painted a
deep marone colour, ornamented with gol.l etchings, and
emblazoned with the company's ciphers. It was manu-
facture;] by Mr. Adams, the c,rneany's carriage builder,
at Fairfield Works, Bow. It was' launched on Friday
last, when Mr. Iludson, and a large party of ti
directors and
.friends, procee te(l in it to Ipswich to a
grand entertaninmat at the seat of Mr. Bagshawe, the
late ME mber for lova ich. Its easy movement was a sub-
ject of much praise. Several others on the same style
are in a forward state for the company. They will be
attached to all the fast trains to and from Cambridge,
passengers using them paying first-class fare. The com-
pany are having first class excursionist carriages made
similar to those employed on the
of extraordinary lengtla,
foreign lines, capable of hold:ng 131) oasengfrs each.
They will first be used on the North Woolwich line,
which is rapidly approaching completion.