The Royal Pavilion, Brighton, is one of the most famous and opulent royal extravaganzas in existence. This book reproduces all the important surviving designs, used and unused, for the exterior and interior of the Pavilion. It reveals the great variety of brilliant exotic schemes devised for its construction and decoration. It was first built in 1787 for the Prince of Wales as a neo-classical marine villa, and by the time the Prince became king in 1820 it had grown into the extraordinary Indian/Chinese Fantasy it is today. The projects for the exterior include the pretty but chaste designs of Henry Holland and the wilder Indian and Chinese fantasies of William Porden and Humphry Repton. The interior designs, executed mainly by the Crace firm of decorators and Robert Jones (all firmly controlled by the king) are always splendid and often astonishing; they include schemes for whole rooms as well as for individual details such as windows, skylights, doorways, carpets and curtains. The range includes the 'barbaric' chinoiserie of the 1802-04 period, the enchanting 'rococo' chinoiserie of 1815-17, and the opulent richness of the final scheme. The techniques used include illusionistic painting, marbling, faux graining, faux skies - often in a vein of high fantasy. The 308 illustrations, of which 111 are reproduced in colour, capture all the variety, magnificence and exotic luxury of the extraordinary building.

Donated: The Margaret A. Bailey Art Collection.

Although the impact of the Great War on Brighton was profound, the seaside town was spared any direct attack by the enemy. The fear of spies and sabotage, however, was widespread at first and aliens were an issue which had to be swiftly resolved under new legislation. Allies, of course, were warmly welcomed, and accommodation was soon provided for those fleeing the catastrophic events in Belgium. Between 1914 and 1918, Brighton made major contributions to the war effort in many ways: by responding readily to the call to arms, by caring for great numbers of wounded (the story of the exotic Royal Pavilion being used as a hospital for Indian casualties is widely known locally) and by simply being itself an oPen & welcoming resort that offered sanctuary, respite and entertainment to besieged Londoners and to other visitors, from every stratum of society.

The 'roaring twenties' were exciting years for women's fashion. The iconic image is of the young 'flapper' dancing the night away in a sparkling dress with fringes and tassels moving to the beat of the Jazz age. But, for all women in the post-war years of the 1920s, there was a new freedom in fashion as hemlines lifted and waistlines dropped. The simplified silhouette caused a boom in home dressmaking as women with basic sewing skills used tissue paper patterns to run up a new frock in the latest style. This practical book explains the background to these years and the trends in women's fashion, before introducing a range of garments that women would typically have worn. Suzanne Rowland gives a unique and detailed account of how to make vintage 1920s clothes for women based on the dress collections at the Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove, and Worthing Museum and Art Gallery. Fifteen detailed projects for garments and accessories include a pair of fashionably daring beach pyjamas, the wedding dress of a bride from East Sussex, and a simple striped frock suitable for wearing at a British seaside resort. Each project includes a detailed description of the original garment with an accompanying illustration alongside photographs of the original pieces. Scaled patterns are included with a list of materials and equipment required. Step-by-step instructions and close-up photographs are given for each stage of the making process with information about the original techniques used. Superbly illustrated with 314 close-up colour photographs.

This book, produced in collaboration with the Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre, is all about memories of Brighton during the First World War. Through an examination of ephemera such as posters, photographs, pictures, songs and personal recollections, it portrays a collective memory of the city. Photographs are central to this work; for example Brighton Museum, Preston Manor and Brighton Reference Library are all featured pictorially. This book provides a valuable and important source of local history - a must for all those passionate about the city and its historical roots!

Edwardian fashions for women were characterized by the S-shaped silhouette, embellished with lace, tucks, ruffles, tassels, frills and flounces. This essential book includes eleven detailed projects, which form a capsule collection of clothing and accessories that might have been worn by an Edwardian governess, a woman travelling on an ocean liner, a campaigning suffragette, or a wife overseeing a busy household in a large country house. It explains making sequences in full and advises in detail on how to give the garments a fine, authentic finish. Eleven detailed projects are included, based on the dress collections at Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove, and Worthing Museum and Art Gallery. Each project includes a detailed description of the original garment, with an accompanying illustration alongside photographs of the original pieces, and scaled patterns are included for all projects with a list of materials and equipment required. Includes step-by-step instructions with information about the original techniques used and close-up photographs of the making process, with further chapters on tools and equipment, fabrics, measurements and sizes, and how to wear Edwardian fashion with ideas on creating new outfits from the featured projects. Also includes advice on how to adapt garments to make them suitable for both wealthy, leisured women, and for their poorer counterparts. Aimed at costume makers, museums and re-enactors and beautifully illustrated with 200 colour photographs.