The Archive of Ivy Godley, assistant to Sir Norman Hartnell – including a sample of the Coronation dress worn by Elizabeth II

Description

An archive from the estate of Ivy Godley, assistant to Sir Norman Hartnell, holder of the Royal Warrant as dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and to Queen Elizabeth II. The extensive archive includes an inscribed book from Hartnell to Godley, as well as a collection of hand-made Christmas cards from Hartnell to Godley. The cards chart the formal early years of their relationship to a much closer one in the latter years with the warmth of the tone of the cards changing immeasurably towards the end of the collection. In addition, the centrepiece of the collection is a framed sample of the Coronation dress worn by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The sample has been signed and inscribed on the rear by Hartnell with a detailed description of the sample and an explanation as to what each segment of the design represents in terms of the Commonwealth. Accompanied with the sample is a reply to the owner from Buckingham Palace about the scarcity of the sample. It is apparent that there were various samples made with three residing in the Royal collection, two of which were those of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. The letter is signed by the Deputy Surveyor of the Queen’s Works of Arts. Godley’s invite to the Coronation is also included in the archive and is seen in the photograph. A first edition of Hartnell’s autobiography, ‘Silver and Gold’ is included. The book has been inscribed by Hartnell to Godley and reads: ‘To Dear Miss ‘G’/Ivy Gladys Ashley Godley/ – a ‘Backroom Girl’ maybe.but ever in the forefront/ of [sic] my admiration, appreciation/ and everlasting gratitude/Sincerely/Norman Hartnell/Nov. 24th 1955/.

The archive also includes an extensive amount of signed portraits of Hartnell, correspondence, and original dress designs in Hartnell’s hand. In 1952, Hartnell was asked by Queen Elizabeth II to design her 1953 Coronation Dress. In addition, Hartnell designed dresses for most of the Royal ladies in attendance, coining his ‘Silver and Gold’ collection of that year – this was also the name given to his autobiography which in part, outlined the struggle Hartnell had with the construction of the dress. The actual Coronation dress involved soft folds of silk, embellished with varied embroideries, including the depiction of the national botanical emblems of the UK and Commonwealth. In his book, Hartnell describes his feelings when asked by Queen Elizabeth II to design the dress: “…I can scarcely remember what I murmured in reply. In simple converstaional tones the Queen went on to express her wishes. Her Majesty required that the dress should conform in line to that of her wedding dress and that the material should be white satin”. Hartnell was knighted in 1977, with The Times terming him ‘The First Fashion Knight’ and his work as ‘The Norman Conquest’. Sir Norman Hartnell died on 15th of June 1979 and was buried next to his mother and sister in Clayton Church, West Sussex. Ivy Godley was Hartnell’s bookkeeper. In his biography, ‘Norman Hartnell – The Biography’, Michael Pick describes one night in 1948 when Godley returned to the office late one night and saw Hartnell dressed in a metallic evening dress. Pick describes how a mystery was solved for Godley on this night, as she had always wondered “who was placing orders for dresses with rather larger measurements”. The archive shows the warmth between the two of them, from personal letters to the gift of the sample of the Coronation dress itself. An amazing collection.