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Oliver Messel
(January 30, 1904 - November 11, 1978) U.K.

Oliver Messel

Theatre set designer

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Born to a wealthy banking family, he studied at Eton College, where Harold Acton and Brian Howard were part of his group, and then at Slade School of Fine Art, London. In 1925 Messel designed masks for Diaghilev's ballet Zéphyr et Flore. He designed sets for theatre, ballet and opera in England and the US, as well as working for Holliwood. For a time he was the highest paid set-designer in the world. Messel's famous design for the suite of the Dorcester Hotel (1953) was restored in 1981.

Messel had close relationships with men, including Peter Glenville, and his companion and administrator of 30 years, Vagn Riis-Hansen. From 1967 Messel lived in barbados, designing beautiful and simple villas which synthetised the European 18th century with local traditions. Messel died in Barbados and was buried in his childhood home, Nymans, Sussex.

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Source: excerpts from: Aldrich R. & Wotherspoon G., Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian History, from Antiquity to WWII, Routledge, London, 2001

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