Oliver Hilary Sambourne Messel (13 January 1904 – 13 July 1978) was an English artist and one of the foremost stage designers of the 20th century. The Oliver Messel Collection consists of around 10,000 individual items and has been housed by the V&A Theatre Collections since 1981.
Biography of Oliver Messel
The career of Oliver Messel (1904-1978), the successful mid 20th-century stage and film designer describing his style, approaches and working methods.
Read article
The film work of stage designer Oliver Messel
Oliver Messel was the leading British stage designer of the mid-20th century. He won international acclaim for his exquisite taste and mastery of period style in revues, pl…
Read article
Designing Stage Costumes
A much-repeated cliché is that theatre costumes are badly made, tawdry, unfinished and don’t bear close inspection. Yet only in close-up can the inventiveness and resourcef…
Read articleBecome a V&A Member
V&A Members enjoy a wealth of benefits, including free entry to exhibitions, previews, exciting events and the V&A Members’ Room. In addition, you will be supporting the vital work of the V&A.
Buy or Renew Membership OnlineShop online
Glass Circle Stud Earrings by Michael Vincent Michaud (Olive)

New jeweller Michael Vincent Michaud has studied extensively with some of America's finest glass artists at various institutions including the prestig…
Buy nowEvent - Going Underground: 150 Years of the History, Design, and Architecture of the London Underground
Sat 16 November 2013 10:30

STUDY DAY: 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the opening of the first London tube line, the Metropolitan Railway. Join us for an event, as we bring together curators and historians to explore the rich and fascinating history of the London Underground.
Book online
















