The American actor, producer, and director Robert De Niro (born 1943) is one of the most respected actors of his generation. He is best known for his roles as the young Vito Corleone in (1974), cab driver Travis Bickle in (1976), Michael Vronsky in (1978), casino director Sam “Ace” Rothstein in (1995), and more recently as Jack Byrnes in (2000) and (2004). De Niro has produced more than thirty films, many of which he starred in, and directed two films, (1993) and (2006).

The Robert De Niro Costumes and Props, 1967-2005 (bulk 1990-2005), consist of approximately 8,000 costume, prop, and makeup items from fifty-six motion pictures and two theater productions. Included are items from unidentified productions for which the genre and date are unknown. The costumes and props were acquired in 2006 along with De Niro’s personal papers, moving image materials, and personal effects, which are described separately and housed in Manuscript, Film, and Personal Effects collections within the Ransom Center.

The materials in this collection provide evidence of decisions made and/or implemented by the costume designer, the wardrobe department, the property master, and the makeup artist. The collection is arranged by production title and, within each production, by item number, reflecting the order in which the material was received and/or cataloged. A list of represented productions is appended to this description. Item-level descriptions are available in a searchable database which is accessible by production, actor, and costume designer.

The collection contains 5,100 costumes, 2,350 props, 350 makeup items such as colored contact lenses and fake teeth, and 200 production accessories, a category which includes items used by De Niro in conjunction with a production but not visible on film, such as padding worn in fight scenes. Also included are about thirty personal effects such as De Niro’s personal trailer slippers used on the set of (2004). Of the roughly 300 different types of objects in the collection, shirts, pants, jackets, shoes, socks, neckties, and belts are the most prevalent.

Coverage varies from one or two items to hundreds of objects per production. Generally, older productions are represented by fewer items. With 1,000 items, (1993) is by far the most thoroughly documented production. For this film, in addition to more than 200 items worn by De Niro in the character of Lorenzo, the collection includes items worn or used by two dozen actors including Chazz Palminteri, Taral Hicks, and Joe Pesci. Other well documented productions are (1990), (1991), (1991), (1992), (1993), (1995), (1995), (1999), (2000), (2000), (2001), (2002), (2004), and (2005). Of the forty costume designers credited in this collection, the best represented are Rita Ryack, Aude Bronson-Howard, Richard Bruno, John A. Dunn, and Daniel Orlandi.

Many items were received at the Ransom Center with wardrobe tags attached indicating the name of the actor, the scene number, and/or change number in which the item was used, and whether the item was actually worn or used. Apart from materials representing , nearly all items were worn or used by Robert De Niro. Some items in the collection were used by De Niro’s stunt doubles or photo doubles. If an item does not have a wardrobe tag, it is very difficult to determine the exact circumstances of its use, even with the aid of wardrobe continuity books and Polaroids located in the Robert De Niro Papers.

Similarly, the sources of items in this collection are poorly documented. Most contemporary costumes were purchased off-the-rack from mainstream retailers. Some period costumes were fabricated by tailors for specific productions, notably the archbishop’s vestments from (2004). Domonic Gherardi, Anto, and Cosprop are the best represented tailors. Vintage items may have been obtained from suppliers who specialized in providing vintage clothing to the motion picture industry. Props for stunt doubles tended to be fabricated using De Niro’s prop as a model. The manufacturer’s label is often the best, and only, indication of the source of an item if it is not indicated in the wardrobe continuity book.