Margaret Lewis, curator of Honiton Museum, writes for the Herald.
Recently there have been countless descriptions given of the Queen’s white satin and pearl Coronation dress.
The dress designer, Sir Norman Bishop Hartnell was the only son of Henry Hartnell who was born at Roebuck Farm, Honiton in 1872.
Henry went to London as a young man and worked in a pub. He later became a licenced victualler at the Crown & Sceptre in Streatham Hill and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 1913.
Norman went to Magdalen College Cambridge to study history and modern languages. His notebooks were full of fashion sketches, and he designed the costumes for college theatre productions.
In his first job for a London fashion designer, he earned £3 a week. In 1923, with financial help from his father and sister Phyliss, he opened his first salon in Bruton Street, Mayfair. Critics called him a dress dictator, but he described himself as a dress artist.
His clientele consisted of debutantes and their mothers and he later gained commissions from members of the Royal Family.
Norman focussed on designing society wedding dresses and trousseaus, evening wear and costumes for theatre and film productions.
Lavish embroidery was an integral part of his more expensive clothing and he used specially dyed fabrics and furs in his creations.
The Hartnell embroidery workroom was the largest in London couture.
In 1929 Phyliss and Norman gave a ‘circus party’ at their salon.
Their two hundred and fifty guests were entertained by performing bears and ponies, wolves, snakes, fortune tellers, a coconut shy and a barrel organ.
Phyliss insisted that Norman should create practical everyday clothing so he used British made woollen fabrics.
He gained international press coverage and successfully promoted his perfume ‘In Love’, embroidered Christmas cards, cuff links, nylon stockings, knitwear, costume jewellery and menswear.
During the Second World War Norman designed ready-to-wear clothing which was mass-produced by Berketex, for the government's Utility campaign.
Hartnell gained the Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1940, and the Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II in 1957.
He was knighted in the New Year Honours in 1977.
Norman died of a heart attack at the King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor just four days before his 78th birthday in 1979.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here