Episode 15: The Wonderful World of Weldon’s, Or How to Hire the Best Costume

The adage, ‘They don’t make them like they used to’, is especially apt for the object at the centre of this week’s episode: a fancy dress catalogue from London costume supplier Weldon’s. Join Lucy and Ben as they leaf through the illustrated pages of costume dramas from the 1920s and 1930s and discover insights – sometimes shocking – that demonstrate the cultural prevalence and enduring popularity of dressing up. Links: Scanned images from Museum of London’s copy: https://colletions.museumoflondon.org.uk/online/object/536070.html. A few more images: http://thepapercollector.blogspot.com/2012/10/weldons-childrens-fancy-dress-c-1920s.html.