Colin Firth's Pride and Prejudice shirt heads to Yorkshire after Calderdale Council's auction success

The moment Colin Firth jumped into the lake in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice the white shirt he wore became a part of cinematic history.

Now this famous shirt is making its way to Yorkshire after it was purchased by Calderdale Council and the Bankfield Museum in Halifax.

The shirt was £20,000, with the buyer's premium at £5,000, taking the total to £25,000, all of which will go to the John Bright Foundation, an arts education charity, offering creative programmes to children and young people.

It was purchased with the museum’s ringfenced “Works of Art Fund”.

This has been built up over the years from generous donations and bequests specifically for the purpose of enhancing the museum collection for residents and visitors.

The shirt is just one of seven items purchased including the Gentleman Jack outfit worn by Suranne Jones.

This will go alongside the recent costumes and props from the Sally Wainwright show gifted to the Council by the production company Lookout Point.

Other items purchased by the museum at the same sale include the yellow pelisse from the 2020 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma; two outfits from Downton Abbey; and the King and Queen’s outfits from The King’s Speech - meaning there will soon be two items worn by Colin Firth in the museum collections.

Plans are now underway to display the pieces on the top floor of the Bankfield Museum in the fashion gallery with the current exhibition called “Inspired: Making Historical Fashion”.

This looks at how museum collections are often used as inspiration for fashion designers and makers and includes a section on Tom Pye, the fashion designer for Gentleman Jack.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, Cllr Jenny Lynn, said: “The recent costume additions, including the Colin Firth shirt, reaffirms Calderdale’s place on the map as a cultural arts and heritage destination, also supporting our celebrations for Calderdale’s Year of Culture, which starts in April this year.

“We truly appreciate the generous donations which allow us to continue to bring exciting items and enriching exhibitions to our museums across the borough.”