#32: A Showstopping Costume
Entertainment is always a product of its time. Many old photos like this one look odd when viewed out of context by a modern audience. In fact, this photo is pretty odd with context, too. British actress Jessie Matthews poses in this elaborate, over-the-top costume for a revue scene in Evergreen, a 1934 musical.
The headdress looks like it’s embellished with sequins, feathers, and fur. We can only imagine how heavy this thing was on Jessie Matthews’ head! Her neck must have hurt like nobody’s business after shooting this scene. Elaborate costumes and vaudeville acts were commonplace in terms of entertainment. Although this get-up would look odd on an actress today, it was something that 1930s audiences expected and accepted as the norm.