Cut! Costume and the Cinema

At Heritage Museums & Gardens, Sandwich, until October. heritagemuseumsandgardens.org

SANDWICH — Way before the debut of “Downton Abbey,’’ I was spellbound by period dramas. There is just something captivating about the portrayal of characters from another era. So it was with enthusiasm that I ventured to “Cut! Costume and the Cinema’’ — an exhibit showcasing over 40 costumes from period movies spanning five centuries — that recently opened at Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich.

The costumes in the traveling exhibit are borrowed from the London house of Cosprop Ltd., the group responsible for crafting meticulous outfits worn by the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley, Nicole Kidman, Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, and other stars.

“Our mission is to celebrate American culture,’’ says Ellen Spear, president and CEO of Heritage Museums and Gardens. “And we thought the exhibit was a perfect fit for Heritage — what’s more American than movies? Films touch the fabric of our lives.’’

Like their period prototypes, the opulent costumes are crafted of sumptuous fabrics and decorated with intricate embroidery and lace to convey clues about a character’s status, age, class, wealth, and role in the story. “The artistry in the handmade outfits is truly amazing, they incorporate historic fabric and handmade buttons, no detail is too fine — even if the costume is only on screen for five seconds,’’ says Spear.

The exhibit, which runs through Oct. 10, is located in one of Heritage’s smaller galleries to create an intimate feel. You’re also able to get close enough to see the smallest details. Beside several costumes, video clips of the movies they were worn in play as part of the exhibit.

Among the most striking are costumes worn by Knightley when she portrayed Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, in 2008’s “The Duchess.’’ A fashion icon in the 18th century — and distant relative of the late Princess Diana — the Duchess was known for her extravagant tastes. The exhibit includes three ensembles crafted for Knightley including a purple silk gown adorned with silk embroidered flowers and velvet ribbons and fitted with a panniered, quilted underskirt. Also on display is a formal outfit made of black silk chenille, trimmed in fur, and heavily embroidered with silver metallic thread. It was worn by actor Ralph Fiennes, who played the Duchess’s husband in the film.

“For period films, it’s essential that the costumes are authentic,’’ says Spear. “The costume designers who made these really have an appreciation and understanding of the historic period.’’

Costume designer Alexandra Byrne traveled to Paris to study the clothing and the period before she and her team set about crafting the costumes for 2004’s “The Phantom of the Opera,’’ which takes place in 1870. A gown worn by Emmy Rossum’s character, Christine, at a masquerade ball, stuns. Consisting of a two-piece, pale pink spangled skirt overlaid with cream tulle, the frock has a bustled back adorned with large pink flowers and a silk bodice accented with lace and rose buds at the neck and sleeves.

The costume Winslet wore as the bohemian Sylvia Llewelyn Davies in 2004’s “Finding Neverland’’ — a cream silk night dress and robe with embroidered and appliqued flower motifs in dark red velvet and gold lame — intrigues with its tiny narrow bodice.

“You are able to realize how small these actresses are when you see these costumes up close,’’ says Spear.

Also on display is the black wide-whale corduroy frock coat ensemble Robert Downey Jr. wore in “Sherlock Holmes’’ along with the herringbone three-piece suit Jude Law wore as Dr. Watson. To ensure that they would hold up during the action scenes, two of each costume were created by designer Jenny Beaven — who won an Academy Award this year for best achievement in costume design for her work on “Mad Max: Fury Road.’’

One of the highlights of the exhibit is the costume Depp wore as Jack Sparrow in 2003’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.’’ True to authentic 18th-century attire, the outfit includes a long frock coat and boots with deep cuffs, distressed to emphasize the life of a pirate. Depp collaborated with costume designer Penny Rose and hair stylist Martin Samuel to create his now-famous look.

“We learned that Johnny Depp was inspired a lot by rocker Keith Richards in creating his look for Jack Sparrow,’’ says Spear. “He braided things in his hair to remind him of the escapes he’d been involved in. It’s a great way to think of the character, sort of the ultimate bad boy.’’

Cut! Costume and the Cinema

At Heritage Museums & Gardens, Sandwich, until October. heritagemuseumsandgardens.org

Jaci Conry can be reached at jaci@jaciconry.com