Reviving ‘The Dying Swan,' Ballerina Anna Pavlova’s Costume

‘Conservation in the City’ at the Museum of London

Anna Pavlova's ballet dress, 20th century. A dancer who worked with Pavlova recalled how she would have the swan tutu remade by her wardrobe mistress, Madame Manya, before each new run of performances.  Museum of London

While under lockdown, staff at the Museum of London decided to edit a series of videos documenting the restoration of a rarely displayed item in the museum’s fashion and textile archive: legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova’s swan costume. Pavlova was believed to have worn the costume around 1910 for a performance of “The Dying Swan.” 

The stunning costume consists of a cream-colored silk, boned bodice adorned with green glass gems and goose feathers, and a cotton tutu made from a mass of tulle and sequins that together imitate a majestic swan and its incredible plumage. When performing, Pavlova would have worn a diamanté headdress of green glass gems trimmed with feathers.