Betty Curnow Mexicana Fabric

Two pieces of Britway cotton fabric with a 'Mexicana' print of cacti and sombreros. Pieces originally part of a blouse owned by Betty Curnow and featured in Rita Angus’s Portrait of Betty Curnow, 1942.

In 1941, Betty Curnow purchased three identical pairs of Britway cactus and sombrero print aprons from Woolworths in Riccarton, which she repurposed into a shirt to wear around home.

In December 1941, while staying with the Curnows, Rita Angus began a portrait of Betty wearing this blouse. Upon completing the portrait in 1942, Angus gifted it to the Curnow's as a gesture of thanks for their hospitality.

In 1951, following their move to Takapuna, Auckland, Betty Curnow cut up the blouse and transformed it into a two-piece swimsuit, which she described as “brassiere and pants.”