Glamour on the Go, The Lightbox, Woking
French dance reticule, 1920s (3), photograph by Victoria Willment © The Lightbox
Alice Dunn reviews the latest exhibition at The Lightbox Gallery in Woking, 'Glamour on the Go. Compacts: The Beautiful Story of Make-Up'
Our choice of make-up reveals interesting little things about us, while paradoxically covering us up. Trends in cosmetics reinforce current beauty ideals, social attitudes and economic conditions. With this truism in mind, an exhibition that explores the evolution of make-up and its shifting form and function is surely the most glamorous way to track and digest these changes.
Glamour on the Go. Compacts: The Beautiful Story of Make-Up is the latest exhibition at The Lightbox in Woking, which examines the transformative powers of make-up, focusing particularly on the role of the compact and the change it has undergone throughout history. From dressing table staples to the ultimate nifty companion in women’s handbags, you can browse intricate enamel painted compacts, the finest tooth combs – one cleverly in the shape of a crocodile – and see advertisement posters that boasted the latest make-up offering.
It’s amazing how far beauty trends and technology have come. Historically, the European concept of beauty regarded pale skin as desirable and indicative of high status. Many ingredients were harmful to the skin, such as powdered white lead and egg white. Cheeks and lips were reddened with another poisonous substance called mercuric sulphide. The fashion for very pale skin changed during the 1930s when tennis, cycling and other outdoor activities became popular pastimes. The ‘sun-kissed’ look demanded deeper shades of face powder and large bowls of face powder were soon replaced by smaller pressed powders ready for on the go touch ups.
And yet there are many aspects of make-up that have remained constant. The iconic Boot’s No7 logo, for instance, the cult fragrance Shalimar by Guerlain and the 4711 fragrance packaging have not changed since their inception. Maxfactor’s Crème Puff powder is still available to buy today after sixty years.
The exhibition includes beautiful compacts belonging to ‘High Society’ ladies. There is a particularly striking Art Deco silver compact with 14 carat gold and ruby ornament from Tiffany; a Van Cleef and Arpels lipstick case made from black enamel on silver with gold edges and floral detail; and a 1969
Asprey silver compact with an inset gold border and neat ruby clasp. Also a quirky compact in the shape of a miniature grand piano and a lipstick hidden in a gold piglet shaped ornament, most of which have been lent for this exhibition by The British Compact Collectors’ Society.
The Max Factor stage make-up kit for students in the 1950s contained fearsome and amusing concoctions: tubes of Max Factor’s ‘Supreme Grease Paint’, Stein’s ‘Nose Putty’, a small pot of ‘Moist Rouge’ and a monster tub of hot pink goop.
Less daunting is the Elizabeth Arden Venetian Cleansing Cream complete vanity set (with all of the seals unbroken) and the reassuring Yardley English Complexion Cream which, we are told, ‘Nourishes and cleanses the skin and makes an excellent Powder Base’.
Visitors can see the development of Boots pharmacy and its range of cosmetics. The impressive leather travel dressing case with silver backed mirrors and hairbrushes belonging to Florence Boot (wife of Jesse Boot who had inherited his father’s herbalist store and turned Boots into the store we know today) is laid out. It was Florence who suggested that women customers should have feminine things to look at while waiting for their prescriptions, so Boots began selling skin care products, cosmetics and perfumes. Boots No7 was introduced in 1935; the range initially comprised of 11 products, three cosmetic and eight for skincare, with trained consultants on hand to advise customers on their use, and the original travelling case containing No7 items which was made for demonstrating the new range of cosmetics is also on display. The Boots 1930 Real Devonshire Violets perfume, Soap and Talcum Powder came in beautiful packaging; as did the Boots White Heather Eau de Cologne Toilet Soap from the same year.
The show also demonstrates recent beauty palettes and accessories. The instantly recognisable Lulu Guiness and Dior compacts will catch your eye. If you didn’t already crave a make-up collection worthy of an entire exhibition, you will be yearning for one now.
‘Glamour On The Go’ is on at The Lightbox in Woking until 28th September. Admission is free, donations welcome.
In addition to the exhibition, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in Pre and Post-War hair and beauty with a tour of the exhibition (12.30pm on the 9 September), a demonstration by vintage beauty experts where you can learn how to achieve the looks at home (2.00pm on the 13 September), or a ‘Director’s Choice’ lecture given by Katherine Higgins entitled ‘Lipstick, Powder, and Paint: Beauty Essentials in the 20th Century’ (7.00pm on the 16 September). Advance booking is required for all these events.
