Gandhi, Outland, & Lords of Discipline: John Mollo's personal sketch book Notes & Sketches 4, a custom bound volume containing important and detailed concept sketches and costume designs for many of the characters from Richard Attenborough's film...
October 1979 - July 1981,
October 1979 - July 1981,
John Mollo's personal handwritten costume design manuscript and diary covering the period of October 1979 to July 1981 including the production Gandhi released in 1982 (Goldcrest / Columbia Pictures), the volume of 456 pages with approximately 113 pages devoted to Richard Attenborough's epic production starring Ben Kingsley and John Gielgud, with detailed and broken down sketches and workings for a number of military uniforms, notes and drawings mostly in black ink, as well as several pages for Outland (The Ladd Company / Warner Bros), Lords Of Discipline (Paramount Pictures), and Greystoke / Tarzan (Warner Bros.), key pages include;
Pages 34-39 - Pen and ink costume sketches of space suits for Outland
Pages 44-45 - Contain meticulous diagrams for space suits components, for the same production.
Page 69 - A detailed page of badges for different occupations, most executed in pen and ink, some with colour combination workings.
Pages 76-77 - Annotated diagrams for a space helmet and meeting notes regarding the necessary designs and requirements for the production.
Pages 96-97 - Designs for Star Wars Rebel Troopers badges, which act as inspiration for similar badges needed in Outland.
Pages 180-181 - Numerous sketches of 1930's British Army troops, some in colour (unclear for which production).
Pages 203-204 - Various annotated rough sketches for United Provinces Police, Benagli Police and requirements that make up their uniforms - initial research for Gandhi. As well as extensive notes on various regiments and rankings.
Page 212 - Pencil and watercolour designs of five military costumes, with another eight in pen and ink.
Pages 252-253 - Further uniform requirements for Gandhi, as well as three drawings of Officers, their uniforms itemised, and notes on colours.
Page 273 - Features drawings for the Bombay District Police during Gandhi's imprisonment in Poona, detailing hats, badges, medals, and colours of their uniforms.
Pages 330-331 - Featuring five pen and ink designs plus an additional six designs for garment/uniform detailing and crests. Some with colour.
Page 394 - A brief summary of plans for Lord Of Discipline including producers, directors, what dress to research. Followed by some pages of ideas for a coat of arms.
Also included in the book are costume designs for other projects during this period including TV shows The Jewel in the Crown and Wagner, Star Wars Rebel Trooper logo/badge designs, plus invites to The Empire Strikes Back premiere and Lucasfilm Supper after-party, alongside research for books and publications during this period. The book concludes with a section on Hugh Hudson's Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, which lists initial notes for the film, but continues into the next Mollo sketchbook Notes & Sketches 5 in Lot 18, 14.25in x 9.5in (36cm x 24cm)
This was the second film for which John Mollo won an Academy Award® for 'Best Costume Design', along with Indian Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya.
Athaiya recalls in her memoir that Mollo handled the British costumes, while she handled all the Indian costumes, and had just three months to prepare. Covering a span of half a century, with so many events, incidents and changes in time and style, it was not easy. The looks of the principal characters had to undergo constant change with age, as the story progressed. Many extras needed hair-cuts to look like pre-1947 characters, and most of the male characters had to be trained to tie dhotis.
Provenance:
From The John Mollo Archive
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October 1979 - July 1981,
October 1979 - July 1981,
John Mollo's personal handwritten costume design manuscript and diary covering the period of October 1979 to July 1981 including the production Gandhi released in 1982 (Goldcrest / Columbia Pictures), the volume of 456 pages with approximately 113 pages devoted to Richard Attenborough's epic production starring Ben Kingsley and John Gielgud, with detailed and broken down sketches and workings for a number of military uniforms, notes and drawings mostly in black ink, as well as several pages for Outland (The Ladd Company / Warner Bros), Lords Of Discipline (Paramount Pictures), and Greystoke / Tarzan (Warner Bros.), key pages include;
Pages 34-39 - Pen and ink costume sketches of space suits for Outland
Pages 44-45 - Contain meticulous diagrams for space suits components, for the same production.
Page 69 - A detailed page of badges for different occupations, most executed in pen and ink, some with colour combination workings.
Pages 76-77 - Annotated diagrams for a space helmet and meeting notes regarding the necessary designs and requirements for the production.
Pages 96-97 - Designs for Star Wars Rebel Troopers badges, which act as inspiration for similar badges needed in Outland.
Pages 180-181 - Numerous sketches of 1930's British Army troops, some in colour (unclear for which production).
Pages 203-204 - Various annotated rough sketches for United Provinces Police, Benagli Police and requirements that make up their uniforms - initial research for Gandhi. As well as extensive notes on various regiments and rankings.
Page 212 - Pencil and watercolour designs of five military costumes, with another eight in pen and ink.
Pages 252-253 - Further uniform requirements for Gandhi, as well as three drawings of Officers, their uniforms itemised, and notes on colours.
Page 273 - Features drawings for the Bombay District Police during Gandhi's imprisonment in Poona, detailing hats, badges, medals, and colours of their uniforms.
Pages 330-331 - Featuring five pen and ink designs plus an additional six designs for garment/uniform detailing and crests. Some with colour.
Page 394 - A brief summary of plans for Lord Of Discipline including producers, directors, what dress to research. Followed by some pages of ideas for a coat of arms.
Also included in the book are costume designs for other projects during this period including TV shows The Jewel in the Crown and Wagner, Star Wars Rebel Trooper logo/badge designs, plus invites to The Empire Strikes Back premiere and Lucasfilm Supper after-party, alongside research for books and publications during this period. The book concludes with a section on Hugh Hudson's Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, which lists initial notes for the film, but continues into the next Mollo sketchbook Notes & Sketches 5 in Lot 18, 14.25in x 9.5in (36cm x 24cm)
This was the second film for which John Mollo won an Academy Award® for 'Best Costume Design', along with Indian Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya.
Athaiya recalls in her memoir that Mollo handled the British costumes, while she handled all the Indian costumes, and had just three months to prepare. Covering a span of half a century, with so many events, incidents and changes in time and style, it was not easy. The looks of the principal characters had to undergo constant change with age, as the story progressed. Many extras needed hair-cuts to look like pre-1947 characters, and most of the male characters had to be trained to tie dhotis.
Provenance:
From The John Mollo Archive
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
