August 2007 Heritage Feature: Shetland Costume Display

A decorative court costume worn by Admiral Alexander Fraser at the coronation of King George IV in 1821 has gone on display at the Shetland Museum and Archives. Made of the finest materials, including silk and ornate metal thread buttons, it is thought that the delicate hand-stitched costume was made in London. King George IV is the most expensive in British history. Wanting to outdo the coronation of Napoleon I, who had been defeated only 6 years earlier, King George IV chose a Tudor theme for the coronation and guests were required to wear fancy dress made especially for the occasion. The King even assisted in the design of some of the costumes.
Admiral Fraser (1748 – 1830) of Sandlodge, Sandwick joined the Navy at the age of 12 and served for 59 years. He had a varied career, seeing action in several wars and serving on many ships to work his way up through the ranks to Rear Admiral of the Fleet in 1819, when he retired. Admiral Fraser never lost his connections with Shetland, returning whenever possible and marrying Helen Bruce of Sumburgh in 1788. They had five children and lived in Sandlodge, where he retired.
The costume was donated to the museum in 1992 by Admiral Fraser’s family and has undergone lengthy conservation works to enable it to be displayed for the first time in the Museum and Archives. Carol Christiansen, Curator and Community Museums Officer explains: “The costume was in good condition for its age but required a lot of work to clean and conserve it, including undoing some previous conservation work. After donation, the Museum undertook a conservation programme for the costume, beginning in the mid 1990s.” Further conservation was completed in 2005 and, in preparation for display, the task of mounting the costume began. With Admiral Fraser being of quite a stout build and measuring in at around five feet tall, this proved to be quite a challenge. In the end, the mannequin legs were hand made out of conservation materials and arms and a torso where bought and padded out to fit. Carol continues: “The silk fabric and cotton lining of the doublet and breeches, and the knitted silk hose which cover the lower torso like woollen drawers, would have made the wearer very warm. It is likely Admiral Fraser was sweltering in it on the day, since the coronation took place at Westminster in mid-July. “The costume appears to have been worn at least once since the coronation. The waistband and button placement on the trousers had been altered to accommodate someone with a larger waist. The silk-lined, soft leather shoes accompanying the costume were not original to the outfit, since the maker's mark inside indicate a date of 1885. However, a portrait of the Admiral wearing the costume, which the donors kindly loaned for comparison, shows that he wore similar silk or kid slippers. We are so grateful to the Bell family for making this donation, as only a few museums hold any original costumes from this lavish coronation.” Due to its age and fragile state the costume can only be displayed for short periods of time and may not be displayed again for several years. Visit the Museum and Archives before October to see this unique part of Shetland’s history.