A New or Improved Combined Dress or System of Clothing, specially adapted for Theatrical Dancing.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Feb., 1894-Accepted, 5th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Combined Dress or System of Clothing,
specially adapted for Theatrical Dancing.
I, NEWNHAM BROWNE, of 73 Cheapside in the City of London, Chartered
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has been com-
municated to me by Mademoiselle Marie Louise Fuller of 42 Boulevard Bonne
Nouvelle, Paris, in the Republic of France, Dancing Actress to be as follows:-
My said dress comprises a very long skirt formed with several conical lists of the
material sewn together, broad at the base, and narrow at the top. This skirt which
is fixed to a circlet of metal or other suitable material adjusted to fit the head of
the wearer, may be open at the side to permit the head either alone or with part
or all of the body to pass through.
On the interior of the skirt and completely concealed are provided two bamboos
or other canes bent over at one extremity and secured in that form by a cord or
the like. These bamboos are held in the hands by the dancer during the dance
and serve to enable her to manipulate the ample folds of her dress, raising part of
it above her head or spreading out and opening it or the like at pleasure, the top
of the skirt remaining throughout fixed to her head.
By giving to her body a balancing and rotating movement according to the
character of the dance she is executing and by giving to her arms and the bamboos
successive undulating movements around her body, the dancer is able to form with
her skirt graceful and varying curves the effect of which may be enhanced by the
use of white or coloured illumination from electric or other lamps whereby very
beautiful scenic effects may be produced.
It is evident that this system or style of skirt is not limited to any particular
material either white or coloured or plain or figured.
The bamboos preferably sewu or hooked to the internal portion of the skirt and
rounded so as to prevent any angular pleat of the stuff may obviously be varied in
shape or construction such as if formed pear shaped so that the two extremities of
each cane are brought into the hand of the dancer. Obviously metal or other
material may be used instead of cane.
Dated the Twenty-fourth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
ninate throa
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Combined Dress or System of Clothing,
specially adapted for Theatrical Dancing.
1, NEWNHAM BROWNE, of 73, Cheapside, in the City of London, Chartered
Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed which has been communicated to me by
Mademoiselle Marie Louise Fuller, of 42 Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle, Paris, in
the Republic of France, Dancing Actress, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—-
This invention relates to a new or improved combined dress or system of clothing

page_text: specially adapted to theatrical dancing, and which is by way of example represented
in the drawings hereunto annexed in which :-
Fig. 1, is a front view of a dancer attired in a dress in accordance with my
system and with the arms raised above the head.
Fig. 2, represents the same dancer with arms extended.
My said dress comprises a very long skirt J formed with several conical lists of
the material sewn together, broad at the base, and narrow at the top. This skirt J
which is fixed to a circlet C of metal or other suitable material adjusted to fit the
head of the dancer, may be open at the side to permit the head either alone or
together with part or the whole of the body to pass through.
On the interior of the skirt and completely concealed are provided two bamboos
or other canes B, B¹ bent over at one extremity and secured in that form by a
cord A which prevents the disarrangement of the curve. These bamboos are held
in the hands by the dancer during the dance and serve to enable her to manipulate
the ample folds of her dress, raising part of it above her head, as in Fig. 1, or
spreading out and opening the pleats as in Fig. 2 at pleasure, the top of the skirt
remaining throughout fixed to her head.
By giving to her body a balancing and rotating movement according to the
character of the dance she is executing and by giving to her arms and with them
the bamboos B, B' successive undulating movements around her body, the dancer
is able to form with her skirt graceful and varying curves the effect of which may
be enhanced by the use of white or colored illumination from electric or other
lamps whereby very beautiful scenic effects may be produced.
It is evident that this system or style of skirt is not limited to any particular
material either white, or coloured, and either plain or figured.
The bamboos B, B', sewn or hooked to the internal portion of the skirt and
rounded at the one end so as to prevent their forming any angular pleat of the
stuff, may obviously be varied in shape or construction such as if formed pear-
shaped so that the two extremities of each cane are brought into the hand of the
dancer. Obviously metal or other material may be used instead of cane in which
case the cords A are dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The new or improved combined dress or system of clothing specially adapted
for theatrical dancing substantially as herein before described.
2. A novel combination of dress for theatrical dancing, the said dress being
composed essentially of a long skirt fixed on a circlet adjusted to the head of the
dancer and provided with canes or bamboos concealed under its folds, which are to
be held in the hands and are rounded or curved at their opposite or outer extremities
to enable the dancer to produce with the material about and above her by the
movement of her arms elegant rounded and spiral folds and graceful convolutions
substantially as described.
Dated the 22nd day of February 1894.