Presentations Collection

Mrs Kennedy and her deb daughters
Mrs Joseph Kennedy, wife of H.E. the United States Ambassador, in a photograph to mark the presentation of two of her daughters at the first court at Buckingham Palace in May 1938

Their Majesties Court by Sir John Lavery
Reproduction of a painting by Sir John Lavery in The Sphere, of a painting which is now lost showing the scene of dazzling splendour in the ball room at Buckingham Palace during a court presentation

Reville court dress advertisement, 1927
Advertisement for Reville Ltd, dressmakers of Hanover Square, who specialised in particular in gowns for court presentations, approved by Their Majesties for Ladies attending. Date: 1927

Court gowns by Reville
Court gowns approved by King George V and Queen Mary for presentation at court in the year 1926. Designed by Reville of Hanover Square. Date: 1926

The Supreme Moment
Debutantes, clad in their finery curtsey to King George V and Queen Mary during a court presentation. Thus they are launched into " Society"

A court dress to curtsey in from Harvey Nichols, 1935
Advertisement for the department store, Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge, London, advertising a gown of classic simplicity to wear to a court presentation

First Court of the London Season at Buckingham Palace, 1922
A cut-away diagram of Buckingham Palace showing where the first court of the London Season, 1922. The entry for those attending Court was by way of the West Portico entrance

Theatrical and vaudeville presentations, December 1923
Three photos from theatrical and vaudeville presentations, December 1923: the 8 Embassy Girls in vaudevile; the Childs brothers in London Calling

Advert for Fanchon and Marcos Ideas stage presentations for Fox West Coast Theatres, 1930 Date: 1930

Photograph of Chester Hales ballet at the Capitol Theatre, New York, 1931 Date: 1931

A typical group of Fanchon and Marco dancers and an inset of Fanchon Simon, 1929 - Fanchon was half of the famous stage producing duo Fanchon and Marco who created The Big Idea stage shows

Debutante poses in a shop window, 1928
A novel window display in a store in Knightsbridge, London during the summer season, showing a young woman dressed in a court gown with bouquet

Court gown and evening dress for the opera, 1930
On the left, a court dress from Reville of Hanover Square, carried out in shimmering white satin manufactured in Britain. On the right

Helen Wills as a debutante
Helen Wills Moody (1905-1998), American tennis player dominant during the 1920s and 30s, winner of 31 Grand Slam titles including 8 Wimbledon Championships

Celia and Maimaine Paget
Misses Celia and Maimaine Paget, the twin daughters of Mr and Mrs Eric M. Paget in their court gowns. They were presented at the Second Court of 1935. Date: 1935

The 1958 Season - Debutantes to make their curtsey
Double page spread from The Tatler magazines Debutante number, 1958, significant in that it was the final year debutantes were presented to royalty at court

Court presentation, the convolutions of the train
As a society lady is presented at court, the logistical difficulty of curtseying to the Queen while simultaneously trying to manage her huge train, is captured by an ILN artist

Lady Gloria Vaughan as a debutante
Lady Gloria Vaughan, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Lisburne, one of the most important debutantes of the year according to The Sketch magazine

The Countess of Galloway in court dress
The Countess of Galloway, formerly American-born Miss Philippa Wendell, photographed in her court gown. She was presented by her mother-in-law on the occasion of her marriage to Lord Galloway

Waiting in a queue for the royal courts by Matania
The long line of motor cars queuing on the Mall waiting for the official hour when the debutantes and their society mothers

The 1958 Season - The last Presentations
Page from The Tatler reporting on the last presentations of debutantes to the Queen at Buckingham Palace in the Season of 1958

Mr & Mrs Sweeny kiss each other goodbye
Mrs Charles Sweeny, formerly Miss Margaret Whigham and later Duchess of Argyll (1912-1993) pictured kissing her husband Charles Sweeny goodbye before being presented on her marriage at the third

Debutante queuing in the Mall by Rex Whistler
A shy debutante, accompanied by an imperious and matronly chaperone, sits in her chauffeur-driven car in the Mall, waiting to gain entrance to Buckingham Palace where she will be presented at court

Greater London Council (GLC)-LFB Press Conference
The Leader of the GLC (standing), Paddy Henry, Chairman of the GLCs Fire Brigades Committee (to his left) and Joe Milner, Chief Officer of the LFB (far right)

The Debutante - hairdressing from Emile
Advertisement for Emile Ltd of Conduit Street, hairdressers to high society offering a faultless method of dressing the hair for court presentations. Date: 1929

Harrods head-dress for court presentations
Advertisement for Harrods for head-dresses to be worn at court presentations. On the left is a design for a debutante, suitable for shingled hair to support the court plume of feathers

Cars in the Mall proceeding to Buckingham Palace, Season
Impression of the Mall during the height of the Summer Season in London, showing smart cars crawling to and from Buckingham Palace

Sphere front cover - Debutantes practise the curtsey
Front cover of The Sphere featuring a photograph of debutantes practising their curtsey for the forthcoming courts in May of 1933 at Miss Muriel Simmons School in Regent Street. Date: 1933

Harrods advertisement, presentation gowns for 1931
Harrods advertisement for presentation gowns suitable for Their Majesties Courts. Appropriately, the three models shown all have regal names - Elizabeth, Anne and Victoria. Date: 1931

Advert for Ciro jewellery 1937
Ciro will inevitably attend the years Courts... A variety of their twinkly products are displayed and in the middle, a woman, perhaps a debutante, in court dress by Marshall and Snelgrove

London Season Presentation at St. James Palace 1843
Ladies being presented to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at one of the courts at St. James Palace during the London Season of 1843 Date: 1843

Birchington Girl Guide Troop at Quex Park June 1920
The Birchington Girl Guide Troop photographed in the garden of Quex Park on 11 June 1920. The Troop had attended the presentation of certificates to members of the Birchington VAD Kent/178 to mark

Isobel court gown, 1938
Advertisement for court gowns designed by Isobel of Grosvenor Street and Harrogate. Date: 1938

Waiting in the Mall (to be presented at Court)
A page from The Sphere showing the various ways those waiting in the Mall to be presented at court at Buckingham Palace amused themselves

Court gown by Elspeth Phelps
Lady Eileen Orde, nee Wellesley (1887-1952), daughter of the 4th Duke of Wellington and wife of Captain Cuthbert Julian Orde, WW1 pilot

Harrods tiara for court presentations
For Their Majesties Courts or the Coronation Ceremony (in 1937), a tiara of rhinestones and pearls, plumes and regulation veil from Harrods. 1937

A stately court gown, Debenham & Freebody 1912
A stately gown for presentation at court of ivory tinted charmeuse designed and carried out by Debenham and Freebody. 1912

Alexander Oumansky (1926)
Alexander Oumansky, currently in Berlin staging picture house presentations for UFA (1926) Date: 1926

First Drawing Room of the Dublin Season, 1908
The first drawing room of the Dublin Season - the presentations in St. Patricks Hall. Date: 1908

Miss Audrey Croft in her court presentation gown
Miss Audrey Croft, a former female golf champion, pictured in her court presentation gown in 1928. In both 1926 and 1927 she was the Middlesex champion

Dunlop advert featuring cars queueing up the Mall for the Co
Advertisement for Dunlop tyres, featuring one of the spectacles of the London Season, with a long queue of smart cars (sporting Dunlop tyres obviously), on the Mall in St

Debutantes about to be presented at court
Debutantes proceed through rooms at Buckingham Palace towards the ballroom where they will be presented to King George V and Queen Mary, thus signalling their entry into society. Date: 1930

Cars in the Mall bearing debs to court presentations
A familiar sight in central London during the Season - a long line of cars snaking its way up the Mall towards Buckingham Palace

Debutantes learning to curtsey, 1929
Debutantes of 1929 learning to curtsey under the guidance of Madame Vacani, in preparation for presentation at court. Date: 1929

Spring Life in Town and Country, the London Season 1840s
Four vignettes showing London society during the Season in the 1840s, together with amusing verses. Top left is The Drawing Room

Drawing Room, St. James Palace c. 1750
A drawing room at St. Jamess Palace during the reign of King George III, when the nobility would be formally presented at Court, thus establishing their place in society. Date: 1750

Incidents of a debutantes first drawing room
Double page spread from the Illustrated London News depicting a series of scenes showing the process for a debutante to be presented to the Queen at court

Dr Marie Stopes presented at Court
Marie Stopes (1880-1958), Scottish author, palaeobotanist, campaigner for womens rights, and pioneer in the field of family planning pictured in court dress to be presented to King George V

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