Negligée worn by Vivien Leigh

The white nylon lace trimmed negligée is said to have been a gift to the actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967) from her mother Gertrude Hartley (1888-1972). There is a small cigarette burn on the right hand side of the negligée. Leigh continued to smoke even after being diagnosed with tuberculosis in the mid 1940s.

On 6 September 2022 RAMM hosted ten internationally renowned writers, poets and spoken word artists as part of a partnership with the Museum of Colour. The Museum of Colour is a digital museum that explores the contribution made by People of Colour to the nation’s culture, specifically in film, television and the arts. Mona Arshi, Victoria Adukwei Bulley, Fred D'Aguiar, Jennifer Lee Tsai, Adam Lowe, Shivanee Ramlochan, Jacob Sam-La Rose, John Siddique, Yomi Sode and Yusra Warsama performed specially written pieces, influenced and inspired by objects in the collections at RAMM accompanied by live music from composer Randolph Matthews. The event is part of Museum of Colour's exhibition 'My Words', celebrating the legacy of poets of Colour in Britain over 250 years. Jennifer Lee Tsai responded to this negligée by writing a poem: https://museumofcolour.org.uk/my-words/response-gallery/jennifer-lee-tsai?piece=4