“I have worked with Eleanor on several projects since 2016 and have always found her to be very knowledgeable about the costume and social history of the nineteenth century. She is hard-working, reliable, flexible, friendly, and sensitive to the particular demands of large scale TV projects”
PROJECTS
Eleanor began working as an historical consultant in the final years of her PhD. Since then, she has worked on a wide variety of projects in films and television, for novelists, museums and curators. Her deep knowledge of the costume and social history of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries has ensured that she is always in high demand. Included here are just some of the projects that Eleanor has recently worked upon.
The Gallows Pole, (BBC, Summer 2023)
Eleanor has had the pleasure of working as historical costume consultant alongside the brilliant costume designer, Emma Rees, on the upcoming, six part BBC drama, ‘The Gallows Pole’, directed by Shane Meadows and based on the novel by Benjamin Myers.
Photo Credit: BBC Films
The Ballad of Renegade Nell (Disney Plus, Upcoming, 2023)
Eleanor has enjoyed working alongside award-winning costume designer, Tom Pye, once again, this time on a swashbuckling series for Disney Plus, written by Happy Valley screenwriter, Sally Wainwright.
Photo Credit, Disney +
Emily (2022)
Eleanor has recently finished work as costume consultant on the upcoming Tempo Productions film, ‘Emily’. Written by double Golden-Globe nominee, Frances O’Connor, the film charts the origins of novelist Emily Brontë and will be produced by Piers Tempest (Military Wives, Ordinary Love, The Wife) and David Barron (Harry Potter films 4-8, Cinderella, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) with Robert Connolly and Robert Patterson of Arenamedia (Paper Planes, Balibo, The Dry).
The costumes have been designed by the multi-award winning Michael O’Connor and his team.
Photo Credit: Tempo Productions
Gentleman Jack
Eleanor worked as costume and social history consultant for this brilliant, new 1830s series written and devised by Sally Wainwright. She worked closely with award winning costume designer Tom Pye to ensure that every detail was both historically accurate and in keeping with what is known about each of the real-life characters upon whom the drama is based.
Photo Credit: Lookout Point Productions with HBO/BBC
To Walk Invisible
As Eleanor’s PhD. thesis places focus on the real-life clothing of Charlotte Brontë, she was well placed to act as advisor on the feature-length BBC production, ‘To Walk Invisible’. In this retelling of the key years of the Brontë family’s artistic development, Eleanor worked closely with costume designer Tom Pye to accurately recreate and, where necessary, reimagine the wardrobe of this well-known and well-loved family of writers.
Photo Credit: BBC Photo Library
Consultant for the Brontë Parsonage Museum
Eleanor works as costume consultant for the Brontë Parsonage Museum. She advises both on the previously unresearched artefacts that make up the Brontë collection as well as on prospective acquisitions. Eleanor has also been called upon to offer specific historical help and guidance to guest curators such as Tracy Chevalier and Charlotte Cory. She is a frequent speaker at the Brontë Parsonage as well as at many other museums and institutions.
‘Charlotte Brontë: An Independent Will’, The Morgan Library, New York
Eleanor worked as costume advisor to Christine Nelson, Drue Heinz curator at The Morgan Library, New York, as she prepared her ground-breaking, bicentennial exhibition, ’Charlotte Brontë: An Independent Will’. Aware of the biographical signifinance of Brontë’s blue and white ‘Thackeray Dress’, the curator chose to place the gown at the very entrance to the exhibition. The influence of Eleanor’s work on this decision has been explored in a chapter, written by Christine for the upcoming book, ‘Charlotte Brontë, Embodiment and the Material World’.
Being the Brontës
Eleanor worked as costume and Brontë consultant for the BBC2 production, ‘Being the Brontës’. She advised on all aspects of dress, Charlotte Brontë’s biography and on nineteenth century Haworth society. Eleanor was also asked to discuss the significance of Charlotte Brontë’s corset in an interview with the programme’s presenter, Martha Kearney.
Photo credit: BBC Photo Library