Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-02-14
WINTER WORK ON THE
COSTUMES FOR CIRCUS
Big Force of People Labor
for Many Weeks on the
Tinseled Display.

| On an upper floor of one of New
! York's dusty business buildings, To-
Gated on Fourth avenue. Il circus dress
| making establishment is busy. 1t is
presided over by the oldest profcs.
sional designer of costumes for cir
Gus performers, both human and ami
NAL, in the country. Scores of women
are bending over piles of gorgeous
silks. satins. velvets and gold passe-
menteries, working assidously 10th
day and night preparing for the
grand spectacle" OF the Barnum &
Bailey show. And the little woman
in charge overseeing the con-
struction of all this finery is Mrs
Annie White, for forty-siX years
wardrobe woman for the circus
Scattered about in the big rooms
whore the work is going on are tulle
ballet skirts, fieshings, elephant COW
ers monkey coats and gay garments
of the peace pageant. Old garments
are being remodeled patched and
pieced and new ones constructed
And Mrs. White is the one who does
1t all. Not the actual work, but the
planning, designing and overseeing.
and last but not least, the shopping
for some 5000 garments.
1t even makes Mrs. White groan
In spirit, for when seen recently she
had just returned from the shops af-
ter ordering some 500 yards OF vel
vet. 600 yards of bullion, $4,000 span
giles, besides more than half n thou.
sand dollars worth of pearls.
at isn't the difficulty of buying
new materials" eclaimed Mrs. White.
quite out of breath after her strenu.
Gus day in the shops. but the match
Ing of old stuffs. Everything is of
the best, but even in that case ma
terials do fade, and it is next to i'm
possible to match the faded part as
one has to. 1t may be that not more
than few yards Of silk or satin is
needed, but must have 1t. Conse-
qnently it means shopping which
under the circumstances | abhor 1t
means going from one shop to anoth-
yer only to be told i'm each place that
they have nothing anywhere near like
1t. Finally, when everything else
fails, then 1t comes to remodelling
and the introduction of some other
color or material to piece out.
Strange rs it may seem, the cos.
tunes are not SO soiled or worn as
one from her talk on costuming long
enough to pay high tribute to the
man who provided so much amuse-
ment for old and young.
went to him in my life but he always
Dressing circus performer isn't
cheap task, according to Mrs. Whites
calculations for it takes $1,000 an
nually for the circus gowns, lingerie
and accessories of star performer.
Nor do these figures include the
cost of costumes and adjuncts for the
"spectacles," as one of Mrs. Whites
helpers expressed it, for all the dress
and paraphernalia for the special
events connected with the grand en-
tree are provided by the circus peo-
pie themselves.
Once upon a time ballet costume
was considered quite sufficient for a
bareback rider" said Mrs. White. "A
half dozen short skirts of tarlatan at
6 cents yard was as gorgeous as
French creation today. And yet,
now, when the cost of the gowns
reach well up into the hundreds.
there is still dissatisfaction.
THE bare materials for this sea
sons production cost just $4,000.
This includes. besides the perform
ers' costumes, the elephant and cam
ell covers and the trapplings for the
horses.
"There are twenty-five elephant
covers in all, and two of them cost
more than $1,000 EACH They are
constructed of only the very finest
materials. have 500 hats and tur-
bans in addition to more than 1000
costumes for this seasons use. More
over, I have already used $500 worth
Of pearls; they come in strings. and
cost 81 string"
Perhaps no part OF her work is
more interesting to Mrs White than
the service she performs for the ele-
plants. 1t is one of the sights of the
circus to see Mrs. White mount
stepladder by the side of an elephant
while she cuts and fits his glad rags
for one of the sDecialties. Mrs. White
declares that elephants are as vain
as peacocks or women. AS she works
over them they will throw their
trunks about, touch her hands play
fully and in every way give evidence
that they enjoy the operation.
One thing, Mrs. White has not
particle of fear. which may have
omething to do with her friendship
for her big customers. A stepladder
is first placed beside the elephant and
this Mrs. White mounts. working in
her unsteady position, taking reef
here for seam there.
I'D rather fit an elephant any day
than monkey" said Mrs. White.
"rThe latter are not only so small,
but they never stand still minute,
and are apt to snap at you or else
they fly up to the top of the roof
somewhere and You must spend hours
trying to coax them down again."