This collection originates from the workroom of Norman Hartnell, dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and the British aristocracy. It descends from the archive of tambour embroiderer Mollie Welch, who worked on Hartnell gowns in the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s, including coronation and state‑visit ensembles.

The pieces include original mid‑20th‑century beads and sequins. Together, these materials offer a rare, tactile insight into the techniques, colours and textures used to realise Hartnell’s elaborate couture designs for the British court, and were acquired at auction in February 2026.

Mollie began her career at the prestigious Hartnell couture house on Bruton Street, London, where she contributed to royal and aristocratic gowns embellished with intricate beadwork and embroidery. Her early diary entries mention work on the Queen’s Coronation gowns, including the iconic feather bodice created for Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) in 1937, and she later assisted with the Coronation ensembles of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.