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BBC Costume and Wigs acquires Egyptian Collection produced for BBC 1 'Pyramid'

• BBC Costumes and Wigs to make available complete collection of costumes and jewellery from BBC ONE "Pyramid" documentary
• Authentic re-production of costumes and jewellery from the 4th dynasty

BBC Costumes and Wigs, a division of BBC Resources, has announced that it has acquired the complete collection of costumes and jewellery, produced for the documentary, 'Pyramid', due to transmit on BBC ONE at 9.00pm on 27th October. These pieces will be available for hire to all production companies and programme-makers interested in using Egyptian costumes of the 4th dynasty. All items for the collection made for the BBC Factual and Learning programme were produced to exacting standards of historical accuracy, with emphasis placed on re-producing clothes and jewellery using similar techniques to those practised in the period.

Attention was focused on working out exactly how garments were made by examining original drawings from the period. Original prototypes for the costumes were produced by BBC Costumes and Wigs. From this, the designer Lyn Avery, with the help of Cairo Museum, was able to organise the production of exact copies of the costumes in Egypt. Jewellery was also made in craft workshops in Cairo using authentic natural materials.

The collection will first be showcased in the BBC ONE programme, 'Pyramid', which is an-in-depth look at the lives of the people who built the largest pyramid ever built - in Giza. It follows Nakht, a fictional character, narrated by Omar Sharif, who works on the building project. Historical accuracy has been key to all aspects of the programme's production.

Lyn Avery, Costume Designer, responsible for all of the costumes and jewellery for 'Pyramid' says: "When we started the project no authentically produced Egyptian costumes and jewellery existed. We were tasked with going back to the drawing board using a vast amount of research material and working out how items were made and worn. The initial garments that BBC Costumes and Wigs produced were the crucial templates from which we could base all of the rest of the designs."

Alan Godleman, Head of BBC Costume and Wigs added: "We are delighted to have acquired the costume and jewellery collection from the 'Pyramid' programme, as well as being involved right from the outset in developing the costumes. It has been a great experience to produce a collection like this - produced to such exacting standards - and we hope that it will be of value to other production companies, broadcasters and programme makers keen to be faithful to historical accuracy."

Notes for editors:

About BBC Resources:

BBC Resources is part of the BBC Ventures Group, the umbrella name for the BBC's commercial media services businesses comprising: BBC Resources, BBC Technology, BBC Broadcast and Kingswood Warren Ventures.

BBC Ventures Group is wholly owned by the BBC and is charged with the task of maximising income to deliver back to the BBC to fund programmes and services for the benefit of all.

BBC Resources was the first commercial subsidiary to be set up in 1998 and has subsequently evolved into a production facilities business supplying services in the outside broadcast, studios, post production and design sectors of media production. Mike Southgate is its Managing Director.

For further press information, please contact:
Alison Jeremy/ Alex Fulton
BBC Ventures
phone: + 44(0)20 7765 2938 /+ 44(0)20 7765 3217
e-mail: alison.jeremy@bbc.co.uk / alex.fulton@bbc.co.uk