Costume

ISSN: 0590-8876 (Print) 1749-6306 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ycos20

Janet Arnold: An Appreciation

Sir Roy Strong

To cite this article: Sir Roy Strong (2000) Janet Arnold: An Appreciation, Costume, 34:1, 2-2

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/cos.2000.34.1.2

Published online: 19 Apr 2013.

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Download by: [New York University] Date: 18 March 2016, At: 23:19
 Janet Arnold: An Appreciation
By SIR Roy STRONG

THE SERIOUS STUDY of the history of dress in this country is a relatively recent one, the
coming of age of a subject signalled by the foundation of the Costume Society and the
publication of this journal, as much as the arrival of dress as a degree subject at the
Courtauld Institute of Art. The gallery of pioneers was never a large one, peopled as
often as not by strong personalities who at times seemed to gain greater pleasure in
warring with each other than collectively advancing the cause of scholarship in dress.
Janet Arnold was never one of those, for I have known few people so devoid of axes to
grind or so very generous with her knowledge.
Downloaded by [New York University] at 23:19 18 March 2016

She was endowed with what can only be described as an undimmed passion for her
subject. Its magic was to last until the end. Nothing ever deterred her. Janet's was an
achievement of sheer doggedness and application, never flinching to teach herself any
discipline she needed for the task in hand. As a result she carved out for herself a
unique position in dress studies which,as she grew older, was recognized internation-
ally. She never took 'No' for an answer and was quite unphased by any blocks laid in
her path. In the end she earned respect.
That was gained in the light of her life's work, a seemingly obvious one, the study
and delineation of surviving examples of historic dress. For that task, which began
modestly with costume dolls in mind, she was endowed with an exact graphic skill
akin to that of a botanical draughtsman. Patterns of Fashion (1964-66), the first
volumes of a series of which two more are yet to come, will form her most enduring
legacy. Virtually from their first appearance they were recognized as classics in their
field and quickly became part of the indispensable equipment of any theatrical
wardrobe.
Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Un!ock'd (1988) also broke new ground, the first single-
volumed study of the dress of an English monarch. In this there was an astounding
attention to detail and a determination to flesh out the minutiae, however trivial.
Indeed, if Janet had a weakness it was one of an obsession with the trees at the expense
of the wood.
Her work in its way was a culmination of an impulse to recreate accurately the past
on stage and in film which began as far back as the eighteenth century. In Janet's case
it was to find its fullest expression in the television series to which she contributed like
The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R as well as in her work for Mark Rylance at
the Globe Theatre.
One was always conscious that Janet made sacrifices to pursue her life's passion. In
character she was modest and unassuming. One will cherish those qualities, and her
enthusiasm. She loved her subject and it always shone through, winning in the end all
hearts, even when she wandered off on one of her more wayward courses. Her work
set precedents and in retrospect she will be seen to have been a remarkable pioneer
pointing a way forward upon which others could build. I don't think that she would
ever have aspired to more.