Museum mannequins are mannequins that are specifically designed to be displaying historical clothing and accessories in museums, art galleries and other unique exhibitions. They usually come in a range of different forms, including female museum mannequins, male museum mannequins, children museum mannequins and museum bust forms.
Due to their nature of displaying historical artefacts, museum mannequins are often available in a spectrum of sizes and styles that are suitable for both contemporary and period clothing. We are also able to offer mannequins and torsos made from conservation grade paper and acid-free fabric, perfect for displaying delicate artefacts.
At Proportion London, we have supplied beautiful mannequins to prestigious museums across the world. As well as our innovative collections of mannequins, we have a special Museum Bust Collection that incorporates a range of bust form sizes and shapes from Victorian and Edwardian figures through to 1950s Hollywood and modern British classics.
We have spent over 20 years developing and perfecting our costume figure range and our collection of museum busts that are available in a range of different sizes and proportions, and have been used by world-class museums across the globe. We are also able to custom design and manufacture unique mannequins, sculpted to your specific requirements.
At Proportion London, our museum mannequins and torsos come in a number of different forms, such as hanging or standing bust forms, headless mannequins and full body mannequins.
We are also able to custom make papier mache ghost mannequin bust forms that are completely hidden underneath clothing.
We are also proud to offer various different mannequin parts, such as hands and heads – perfect for displaying historical accessories and hats.
Handmade in our London factory, our museum costume mannequins and busts can be crafted from a number of different materials to your specification, including fibreglass, Bio resin , water-based paint and conservation grade fabric. We offer interchangeable options such as head/headless and fixed/flexible elbows or articulated arms, meaning that you can position your mannequin in a number of different poses if you wish. All figures are finished with a smooth surface to eliminate stress to historical garments and then sprayed in paint in a colour or covered in a conservation-grade material of your choice.
Our costume museum mannequins all come with an adjustable waist rod that attaches the figures’ torso and legs. This allows you to adjust your figure to the desired height, meaning you can change the height of your mannequin or create an entirely new character with ease.
There are so many iconic women throughout history that are immortalised in museum exhibitions across the world. Because of this, female mannequins are prevalent in museums. Their main aim is to showcase traditional clothing and historical artefacts to visitors who want to learn about female figures of the past. Visitors can visualise how clothing and artefacts were worn and displayed across different time periods and see a realistic interpretation of fashion trends of the past.
At Proportion London, our female costume figures come in two iconic body shapes, The Classical Ideal and Damsel. Both models are built to accommodate padding that make them suitable for displaying both period and modern articles of clothing.
Just like their female counterparts, when displayed in a museum, male mannequins are designed to represent certain historical figures or showcase various historical relics so that visitors can gain an accurate understanding of historical events. They play an important role in helping museum-goers learn facts about the past.
We offer a number of male museum mannequins as well as our museum costume mannequins, available with either a straight or stepping leg ,fixed or wire arms or wooden articulated arms. They are also built to accommodate padding to allow historical clothing to be accurately showcased.
We have an extensive collection of museum bust forms, in over 100 male, female and children shapes and sizes. We can also manufacture and supply bespoke bust forms that can fit any museum exhibit, from heritage to contemporary displays.
Our range of bust forms includes traditional shapes – including Victorian, Edwardian and Belle Epoque. All of these forms are upholstered in a calico finish as standard, with a customisation option available upon request. Various components such as heads, articulated and padded arms and telescopic base stands can also be added to the product.
Explore our selection of museum-specific mannequins available for sale. We carefully curate a range of quality options, regardless of what type of clothing you are displaying.
If you’re looking for customised, one-of-a-kind mannequins to showcase your historical relics, discover our custom creation services. We can help you design a mannequin that perfectly suits your vision.
Museum mannequins are used to display historical clothing and accessories in a lifelike manner, allowing visitors to visualise how they would have looked in centuries past. They can help museums to craft visually accurate scenes of historical events.
Retail mannequins are typically made from materials like fibreglass, bio-resin or paper mache that can be covered in calico or conservation-grade fabric.
Museum mannequins are often created with materials and techniques that minimise the risk of damage to historical clothing and artefacts. They may be made from conservation grade paper and covered in a conservation grade fabrics to protect delicate fabrics and materials from degradation over time.
Yes, museum mannequins can be customised to suit the specific needs of an exhibit. This includes variations in size, pose, and features to accurately represent the historical context of the artefacts on display.
Yes, we are lucky enough to have an in-house sculptor who is able to work on any sculpting project – no matter how big or small.
Yes, we can create bespoke metal work to ensure that all spigots can work around whichever costume or historical clothing item is displayed on them.