@vikkijennerhistory: Ellen Terry: Power, Passion and a Thousand Wings 🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲 Ellen Terry wasn’t just an acting legend… she was a visual spectacle. In December 1888 she stunned audiences as Lady Macbeth at London’s Lyceum Theatre, wearing her now iconic emerald green beetle wing dress, designed by Alice Comyns Carr and crocheted by Ada Nettleship. The gown was more than just beautiful. It was intentional theatre. With around 1,000 jewel beetle wing cases shimmering like serpent scales, the dress caught the gaslight and candlelight, creating an almost supernatural effect as she moved across the stage, perfect for Shakespeare’s most chilling queen. This masterpiece was so unforgettable it was immortalised in John Singer Sargent’s famous 1889 portrait, where Ellen strikes her dramatic power pose as Lady Macbeth, crown in hand and eyes ablaze. But why were the Victorians so fascinated with stitching dead beetles into their clothes? In the 19th century beetle elytra embroidery became a fashionable craze: exotic, iridescent, and a little macabre. Thousands of wings from metallic green jewel beetles were imported from India and painstakingly sewn onto gowns to create dazzling patterns. It spoke to the era’s fascination with nature, exoticism, and a touch of drama — just like Ellen herself. And just like Lady Macbeth, Ellen understood how to command desire. She was known for her many lovers, as bold in love as she was on stage. Have you ever seen a dress like this up close? #EllenTerry #BeetleWingDress #LadyMacbeth #VictorianFashion #TheatreRoyalty #HistoricCostume #Biomimicry #FashionHistory #SmallhythePlace #NationalTrust

Vikki Jenner, Art Historian

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Region: GB

Friday 18 July 2025 19:28:34 GMT