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Reframing Vivien Leigh
Reframing Vivien Leigh

A curious artefact on display

nightdress full view.JPG

The nightdress.

Source: Topsham Museum

In a glass cabinet in a beautiful and quiet room on the ground floor of Topsham Museum, a nightdress is displayed. At first glance the dress seems well suited to its environment: the room is decorated with period features and elegant furniture showcasing the history of Topsham and of No. 25 The Strand.

Peer closer, however, and you gradually realise that the dress is out of place. A plaque beside it explains its unique origins. The dress is not really a 'dress' at all, but is a costume: an item from a Hollywood film set and a unique piece of cinema history.

 

How did it get here?