James Laver,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

FRSA The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

(14 March 1899 – 3 June 1975) was an English author, critic,

art historian Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

, and

museum curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

who acted as Keeper of Prints, Drawings and Paintings for the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

between 1938 and 1959. He was also an important and pioneering fashion historian described as "the man in England who made the study of costume respectable".Gibbs-Smith, Charles, Obituary in ''Costume (Journal of

The Costume Society The Costume Society is a British organisation formed in 1965 to promote the study and preservation of historic and contemporary dress. It publishes a scholarly journal, ''Costume'', as well as one-off publications; and organises events and study day ...

)'' no 10 (1976)

Early life

James Laver was born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, England, on 14 March 1899, the second child and only son of Arthur James Laver, a

maritime Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...

printer and

stationer Stationery refers to commercially manufactured writing materials, including cut paper, envelopes, writing implements, continuous form paper, and other office supplies. Stationery includes materials to be written on by hand (e.g., letter paper) ...

, and his wife, Florence Mary (née Barker), strict

Congregationalists Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

who brought up their children in a

puritanical The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

manner.Profile of James Laver by Doris Langley Moore, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2007
accessed 10 February 2009. He attended the

Liverpool Institute The Liverpool Institute High School for Boys was an all-boys grammar school in the English port city of Liverpool. The school had its origins in 1825 but occupied different premises while the money was found to build a dedicated building on ...

. His academic progress was put on hold by the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, in which he served as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

. In 1919 he resumed his residency at

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

, where he earned a BA degree second class in modern history 1921. The next year, he earned a B.Litt in theology for a thesis on

John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...

. His college fees and travel expenses were subsidised by a wealthy shipping magnate, Lawrence Holt. At Oxford, he contributed to the student magazine ''

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...

'' and won the 1921 Newdigate Prize for his poem on ''

Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-emin ...

''.

Laver at the Victoria & Albert Museum

In 1922, Laver entered the Department of

Engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a Burin (engraving), burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or Glass engraving, glass ...

Illustration An illustration is a decoration, interpretation or visual explanation of a text, concept or process, designed for integration in print and digital published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, vid ...

, Design and Painting at the Victoria & Albert Museum where he worked under

Martin Hardie Martin Hardie may refer to: * Martin Hardie (footballer) * Martin Hardie (artist) Martin Hardie (1875-1952) was painter, printmaker, writer and museum curator. Born in London, Hardie was an expert on watercolours, and painted many himself. He ...

. He arrived shortly before the ''International Theatre Exhibition'' was transferred to the V&A from

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

and was shown as part of his department. It showcased work by all the leading European designers of the time, and the Museum purchased several designs and models, which became the basis of the Museum's Theatre Collection. Laver was put in charge of this collection. Stage design became one of his passions, possibly in reaction against his upbringing. In 1938 he succeeded Martin Hardie as Keeper of the department, a post he held until his retirement in 1958. Despite his significant contributions to object-centred dress history, he was never Keeper of Textiles for the Museum, or part of the Textiles section.Taylor, Lou, ''Establishing Dress History'', (Manchester, 2004)

Laver and fashion

Laver had an interest in

fashion history History of fashion design refers specifically to the development of the purpose and intention behind garments, shoes an accessories, and their design and construction. The modern industry, based around firms or fashion houses run by individual de ...

, which emerged through a desire to date images accurately through the clothing depicted within. Laver defined the relationships between dress design and other

applied arts The applied arts are all the arts that apply design and decoration to everyday and essentially practical objects in order to make them aesthetically pleasing."Applied art" in ''The Oxford Dictionary of Art''. Online edition. Oxford Univers ...

, and discussed the influence of economic and social factors upon the development of fashionable taste. In 1962, Laver received a

Neiman Marcus Fashion Award The Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion was a yearly award created in 1938 by Carrie Marcus Neiman and Stanley Marcus. Unlike the Coty Award, it was not limited to American-based fashion designers. Recipients of t ...

in recognition of his work in the field of fashion history. In 1937 Laver, with

Pearl Binder Pearl Binder, Baroness Elwyn-Jones (pronounced ; 28 June 1904 – 25 January 1990) was a British writer, illustrator, stained glass, stained-glass artist, lithographer, sculptor and a champion of the Pearly King, Pearly Kings and Queens. Bind ...

, co-presented the first television programme to be dedicated to fashion history. ''

Clothes-Line ''Clothes-Line'' was an early BBC television programme broadcast live in six parts between 30 September and 3 December 1937. It is notable for being the first television programme dedicated to the history of fashion.Taylor, Lou, ''Establish ...

'', a six-part series, was so successful that in 1938, Laver and Binder reunited to present a revised re-tread (in three parts) of the programme, this time called '' Clothes Through The Centuries''. Laver followed the theories of

Thorstein Veblen Thorstein Bunde Veblen (July 30, 1857 – August 3, 1929) was a Norwegian-American economist and sociologist who, during his lifetime, emerged as a well-known critic of capitalism. In his best-known book, ''The Theory of the Leisure Class'' ...

and

John Flügel John Carl Flügel (13 June 1884 – 6 August 1955), was a British experimental psychologist and a practising psychoanalyst. Training and career Flügel was born in Liverpool on 13 June 1884, to a German father and English mother. Psychoanalytic ...

, using them to develop his favourite theories. These were: * Hierarchical Principle = dressing to indicate one's position in society * Utility Principle = dressing for warmth and comfort * Seduction Principle = dressing to attract the opposite sex.Cumming, Valerie, ''Understanding Fashion History'' (London, 2004); In the 1980s and 1990s, feminist fashion historians such as

Elizabeth Wilson Elizabeth Welter Wilson (April 4, 1921 – May 9, 2015) was an American actress whose career spanned nearly 70 years, including memorable roles in film and television. In 1972 she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for ...

and

Amanda Vickery Amanda Jane Vickery (born 8 December 1962) is an English historian, writer, radio and television presenter, and professor of early modern history at Queen Mary, University of London. Education and career Vickery was born in Preston, Lancashi ...

found these problematic, arguing that Laver and C. Willett Cunnington's views trivialised women's behaviour, role within the family, and their contributions to society and culture.

Laver's Law

Laver's Law was an attempt to compress the complex cycle of fashion change and the general attitude towards any certain style or period into a simple timeline. It first appeared in ''Taste and Fashion'' (1937):Laver, James, ''Taste and Fashion'', chapter 18, (London, 1937)

Non-curatorial career

To supplement his pay whilst at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Laver dedicated his free time to writing

magazine articles A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

, book reviews, play translations, dramatic criticism and

light verse Light poetry or light verse is poetry that attempts to be humorous. Light poems are usually brief, can be on a frivolous or serious subject, and often feature word play including puns, adventurous rhyme, and heavy alliteration. Typically, light ...

. One of the plays he translated was

Klabund Alfred Henschke (4 November 1890 – 14 August 1928), better known by his pseudonym Klabund, was a German writer. Life Klabund, born Alfred Henschke in 1890 in Crossen, was the son of an apothecary. At the age of 16 he came down with tuberculo ...

's ''The Circle of Chalk'' from the original German. His 1927 poem, ''A Stitch in Time'', a

pastiche A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking it ...

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...

The Rape of the Lock ''The Rape of the Lock'' is a mock-heroic narrative poem written by Alexander Pope. One of the most commonly cited examples of high burlesque, it was first published anonymously in Lintot's ''Miscellaneous Poems and Translations'' (May 1712) ...

set in modern times, successfully captured public attention, and led to Laver's popularity as a fashionable party guest. A sequel in 1929 followed, ''Love's Progress'', the two poems being published together as ''Ladies' Mistakes'' in 1933. In 1932 he published a novel, ''Nymph Errant'', about a girl returning to her

finishing school A finishing school focuses on teaching young women social graces and upper-class cultural rites as a preparation for entry into society. The name reflects that it follows on from ordinary school and is intended to complete the education, wit ...

, who went astray along the way and ended up in a Turkish

harem Harem (Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A hare ...

. It was an instant best-seller and in 1933, Charles B. Cochran turned it into a musical, ''

Nymph Errant ''Nymph Errant'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Romney Brent based upon the novel by James Laver. The somewhat controversial story concerned a young English lady intent upon losing her virginity. Porter considered t ...

'', featuring songs by

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

and

Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born Gertr ...

as the

leading lady A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...

. Laver felt as if he was leading a

double life An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...

. He once stated:

"To my colleagues at
South Kensington South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris, is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with ...
I had become a cigar-smoking,
Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...
-supping, enviable but slightly disreputable character, hobnobbing with chorus girls and hanging round stage doors. To Gertrude Lawrence and her friends I was something 'in a museum', engaged in mysterious and apparently useless activities quite outside their comprehension; a character out of ''
The Old Curiosity Shop ''The Old Curiosity Shop'' is one of two novels (the other being ''Barnaby Rudge'') which Charles Dickens published along with short stories in his weekly serial ''Master Humphrey's Clock'', from 1840 to 1841. It was so popular that New York r ...
'', hardly fit to be let out alone."

Laver continued to write fiction and work for the theatre and film on a less ambitious scale, but did not attempt becoming a full-time writer. His work on films included acting as historical advisor for ''

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders ''The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders'' is a 1965 British historical comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Kim Novak, Richard Johnson, and Angela Lansbury. It is based on the 1722 novel '' Moll Flanders'' by Daniel Defoe. ...

'' (1965) and ''

The Amateur Gentleman ''The Amateur Gentleman'' is a novel by Jeffery Farnol, published in 1913. It was made into a silent film in 1920 and again in 1926 and a talking film in 1936 with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. starring as the protagonist, Barnabas Barty. Plot summ ...

'' (1936), and he co-wrote the screenplay for ''

Warning to Wantons ''Warning to Wantons'' is a 1949 British romantic comedy film directed by Donald Wilson and starring Harold Warrender, Anne Vernon and David Tomlinson. The screenplay, written by art historian James Laver and the director, was based upon Mary ...

'' (1948). During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he determined to read all the books on

occultism The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism an ...

in the

London Library The London Library is an independent lending library in London, established in 1841. It was founded on the initiative of Thomas Carlyle, who was dissatisfied with some of the policies at the British Museum Library. It is located at 14 St James's ...

. As a result, he became an expert in the field, writing a book on the prophet

Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection o ...

. Between 1926 and 1938, James Laver was the Director of Art Classes at the Working Men's College,

Camden Town Camden Town (), often shortened to Camden, is a district of northwest London, England, north of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Camden, and identified in the London Plan as o ...

J. F. C. Harrison John Fletcher Clews Harrison (28 February 1921 – 8 January 2018), usually cited as J. F. C. Harrison, was a British academic who was Professor of History at the University of Sussex and author of books on history, particularly relating to Victor ...

''A History of the Working Men's College'' (1854–1954) p.166, Routledge Kegan Paul, 1954; He ran a course on

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

and also re-organised the art class, introducing living models.

Marriage and family

Laver married the Irish actress

Veronica Turleigh Veronica Turleigh (14 January 1903 – 3 September 1971) was an Irish actress. Biography Bridget Veronica Turleigh was born on 14 January 1903 at Castleforward Demesne, County Donegal, Ireland. She attended the Catholic University in Dublin. ...

(1903–1971), a Roman Catholic in 1928. The couple had two children, a son and a daughter. They first lived in a flat in

Piccadilly, London Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Court, ...

, which proved convenient for their theatrical friends, and later moved to

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

Death

Laver died on 3 June 1975 following a fire at his home in

Blackheath, London Blackheath is an area in Southeast London, straddling the border of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Lewisham. It is located northeast of Lewisham, south of Greenwich and southeast of Charing Cross, the traditional ce ...

Select bibliography

Poetry

* ''Cervantes'' (1921) * ''The Young Man Dances and Other Poems'' (1925) * ''A Stitch in Time'' (1927) * ''Love's Progress'' (1929) * ''Ladies' Mistakes'' (1933) * "Macrocosmos" Published by William Heinemann, London (1929) Limited edition of 775 * "Macrocosmos" Published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York (1930) Limited edition of 500

Fiction

* ''Nymph Errant'' (1933) * ''Winter Wedding – A Decoration'' (1935) * ''Background for Venus'' (1935) * ''Panic Among Puritans'' (1936)

Art history

* ''Portraits in Oil and Vinegar'' (1925) * ''A History of British and American Etching'' (1928) * ''Whistler'' (1930) * ''"Vulgar Society": The Romantic Career of James Tissot'' (1936) * ''French Painting and the Nineteenth Century'' (1937) * ''Adventures in Monochrome'' (1941)

Fashion

* ''Taste and Fashion; from the French Revolution until today'' (1937) * ''Style in Costume'' (1949) * ''Clothes (Pleasures of Life Series)'' (1953) * ''Dandies (Pageant of History)'' (1968) * ''Modesty in Dress'' (1969) * ''A Concise History of Costume'' (' The World of Art Library' series) (1968), revised and retitled ''Costume and Fashion: A Concise History'' (1995, 2003)

Autobiography

* ''Museum Piece; or, The Education of an Iconographer'' (1964)

Other

* ''Design in the Theatre'' (with

George Sheringham George Sheringham (13 November 1884 – 11 November 1937) was a British painter and theatre designer. One of the first recipients of the Royal Designers for Industry distinction in 1937, he is remembered for his work for the D’Oyly Carte Opera ...

) (1927) * ''Nostradamus, or the Future Foretold'' (1942) * ''The First Decadent: Being the Strange Life of J. K. Huysmans'' (1954) * ''Oscar Wilde'' (1968) * "Victorian Vista" (1954) * "Edwardian Promenade" (1958) (pub Edward Hulton, London)

References

External links

"Men About Town"
– James Laver in a short

British Pathé British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

film of men's fashions in 1952
James Laver Collection
at the

Harry Ransom Center The Harry Ransom Center (until 1983 the Humanities Research Center) is an archive, library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe for the pur ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laver, James 1899 births 1975 deaths Accidental deaths in England British art curators Commanders of the Order of the British Empire English curators English art historians English non-fiction writers English art critics People associated with the Victoria and Albert Museum Writers from Liverpool Alumni of New College, Oxford Deaths from fire British male poets English male novelists 20th-century English poets 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English male writers People educated at Liverpool Institute High School for Boys Fashion historians