The provenance of this costume is not known. It appears never to have been used. One possibility is that it was made for Mr Hymack (Quinton McPherson) towards the end of his quick-change performing career in the 1920s. Another possibility is that it came from Maskelynes Limited when Davenports bought the assets of the business in the 1930s.
The label inside the uniform tells us that it was made by W. Clarkson, a wig maker and costumier well known to the theatrical world.
We are grateful to design historian Karen Nicholson for making a detailed examination of the costume. This provided many details on its construction and its likely use during performance.