Jack Nicholson’s jumper?: Within and without the archive in film costuming

This research report presents a process of archival research surrounding one item held in the Stanley Kubrick Archive at the University of Arts London. The archive contains hundreds of objects from Kubrick’s large personal archive, as well as objects used by other production workers, including costumes. While many of the costumes are well known and visible, a few costume items remain vaguely sourced. One such item is a pale green jumper from the British brand Yan Tyan Tethera. It is meant to belong to Jack Nicholson and may have been used in The Shining (1980). On closer research, the appearance of the jumper in the archive reveals gaps relating to archival practices, film production processes and ownership. As well as looking at the archive itself, the research process involves discussion with Frances Godley, originator of the Yan Tyan Tethera brand. What emerged in e-mail correspondence with Godley was the provenance of the archival jumper and other costume items from the film. The discussion also offered insights into 1970s small-scale, sustainable garment-making and the processes of props and costume-buying in relation to Kubrick’s production methods and his regular collaborators, including Milena Canonero, costume designer for The Shining (1980). This report uses film studies, production studies and costume studies theories in order to explore questions of ownership, archiving and film and cultural production authorship.