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Donated Hollywood costumes from Debbie Reynolds’ Collection
Donated Hollywood costumes from Debbie Reynolds’ Collection
The museum has been gifted with four historic film costumes that were acquired at the first auction of Debbie Reynolds’ Hollywood memorabilia in 2011.
A much-beloved star of stage and film, Reynolds (1932-2016) was also a Las Vegas resident and businesswoman. Her off-Strip Debbie Reynolds Hotel Casino & Hollywood Movie Museum opened in 1993. She was devoted to preserving the memorabilia from Hollywood’s Golden Age and much of her considerable collection was once on display at her museum.
Following closure of her hotel in 1997 and after failing to find a permanent home for her Hollywood collection, Reynolds decided to sell it. The costumes recently donated to the State Museum were acquired at auction on June 18, 2011.
Donor Joanne Gimbel, a huge fan of classic Hollywood cinema, bought a number of costumes dating from 1936-1954 at the auction. “It was important to me that I attend the auction in person to show respect to Ms. Reynolds for everything she had accomplished during her film career,” Gimbel said.
Gimbel was the winning bidder of several notable Hollywood costumes from films of the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s worn by actresses Andrea Leeds, Merle Oberon, and Eleanor Powell. The costumes illustrate the unique artistry of famed designers Adrian, Rene Hubert, and Luis Royer.
“These costumes are compelling because they provide a glimpse of cinematic history while simultaneously representing the legacy of a prominent Las Vegas resident, Debbie Reynolds,” said Karan Feder, the museum’s Guest Curator of Costume & Textiles. “They are exciting additions to the Museum’s renowned performance costume archive.”
The Costume & Textile Collection at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas features 19th through 21st-century American and European fashion, fashion accessories, uniforms and textiles. The collection includes iconic performance costume and boasts one of the most significant museum collections of cabaret costume in the world.
Screenshot of Eleanor Powell wearing the cap in “Broadway Melody of 1940,” MGM, 1940, which also starred Fred Astaire. Photos provided by Nevada State Museum Las Vegas
