Delhi Durbar Dress. In Derbyshire.

This is a blog post I wrote in connection with work I undertook as a Historical Geography Research Fellow, whilst based at the University of Exeter. In this capacity, I worked on a project, led by Dr Nicola Thomas, which critically investigated different geographies pertaining to Lady Mary Curzon, Vicereine of India from 1899 to 1905. This AHRC funded work, administered as a REACT Sandbox books and print scheme, sought to develop new ways of increasing the visibility of academic work. It did this, in part, by probing how such research could connect to new audiences via the incorporation of new media technologies. As such, SpinMe photography was utilised in the project and a dedicated prototype Android app about Lady Curzon was developed. Later, in 2019, a Channel Five programme was broadcast that explored the significance of, and the ongoing interest in, the subject of this blog post: the Peacock Dress – a remarkably storied piece of clothing, but which was only ever worn once, at the 1903 Delhi Durbar State Ball.