Gallery

Accessories: Man's brown velvet smoking cap embroidered with a floral design. Smoking caps became popular during the 1850s. Men would put them on, along with their smoking jackets, when they withdrew to the smoking room for an after dinner cigar or cigarette.
Date: 19th century.

Accessories: Woman's wedding bonnet.
Date c1840

Accessories: Woman's ivory fan. Net and lace with a painted floral design.
Date: 1880-1900

Accessories: Woman's green pearlized leather bag by 'Always Sky Above'.
Date: 1990s

Accessories: Woman's black and white woven check detachable collar with a white bias trim attached with a black faggotting stitch.
Date: c1940s

Accessories: Royal Air Force (RAF) cap made by 'Alkit' menswear, London.
Date: c1950s

Symington Collection: Advertisement from 1953 for a 'Liberty' corselet.
The 'Liberty' range accounted for most of Symington's production during the 1950s. The design and marketing departments were at their most prolific and sophisticated during the 1950s.

Symington Collection: Printed box tops for wasp-waist corsets from the mid 1890s.
Symington had their own design and printing departments and this period produced some of its most decorative packaging. The packaging incorporated some of the major trends of the period including the Art Nouveau style shown on the right.

Symington Collection: Box top artwork for a straight front corset from the early 1900s called 'The Jewel Case'