
Costume designer Ann Roth, a Hanover native, created this sketch for Meryl Streep for a scene in “Mamma Mia!” Hanover Area Historical Society President James E. Schuman shows off the sketch, which was part of an exhibit of Roth’s sketches at the Warehime-Myers Mansion in Hanover. Background posts: York County’s Ludwig family produces two national headliners and Area loom makes costumes for Hollywood and TV show box set ‘Terry & the Pirates’ to be part of a museum exhibit someday?.
Hanover native Ann Roth began her career as a scenery painter for the Pittsburgh Opera.
But her gift for costume design was ready and waiting. And she’s still designing years later.
So says a short bio of the famed designer on MakingOf.com, a Web site offering viewers a look at how movies are made through the eyes of the makers.
MakingOf.com is featuring the first of three scheduled Ann Roth videos… .
So, if you want to see a native daughter explaining her craft, click here.
The Web site’s bio concisely provides some of Ann Roth’s achievements:
“With an Academy Award for Best Costume Design for “The English Patient” and nominations for “Places in the Heart,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and “The Hours,” Ann Roth’s costume design approach of knowing any character’s little intricacies has proven to be a winning formula… . In this last year alone, she completed “Mama Mia,” “Doubt” and “The Reader.” … We can next see Roth’s work in “Last Night” with Keira Knightley.”
For info on other Hanover celebrities, click here.
To read posts about dozens of celebrities from York County, click here.



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Ann Roth was my late mother Annettia Johnson Hornketh’s cousin. When I was a child my mother wrote many letters to Ann’s mother Nellie. She would keep my mom informed of where Ann was and what movie she was working on. It was quite interesting. I am now trying to do our family tree and can not place Nellie, Jim and Ann on the family tree. I believe they are related to the Johnson family. If Ann could email me or call me, it would be of great help. My email is debbiek@jpcpaaccounting.com. My phone number is 856-562-0284.
Debbie,
My best suggestion is to contact Hanover Area Historical Society. They just did an exhibit on some of Ann’s work: http://www.yorkblog.com/yorktownsquare/2009/03/ann-roth.html. At least, someone there might be able to give you the name of someone who can get you in contact with her. The historical society’s Web site is: http://www.hanoverareahistoricalsociety.org/. Interesting, we’ve received other info requests like this from people who would like to contact her. Her work is engaging, indeed.
Jim McClure