I'm trying this summer to share some of my eclectic collection of descriptions of dancing, specific dances, and balls from various periodicals. These mini-sources provide useful context for the descriptions and recommendations given in dance manuals.
The report from the Boston Daily Globe of the first ball of the East Boston Wine Clerks in 1888 adds nothing to my knowledge of specific dances, but it does provide a bit of information about the ball in general, including the very spectacular decorations. Apparently wine clerks really know how to throw a party. Who'd have guessed?
First, what we can learn about the ball:
It was big. The number of attendees is a bit unclear. Invitations were issued to one hundred people, but the grand march consisted of "several hundred" couples, and there were supposedly at least seven hundred spectators. That's...impressive. Possibly exaggerated? How big was this ballroom? Were most of the marching couples gate-crashers or were invitations issued with allowance for multiple guests?
It was lengthy. First, there was a concert programme. This was a common opener for late nineteenth-century New England balls, judging from the large number of concert-plus-ball dance cards I've seen. The grand march kicked off shortly after nine. The "general" dancing then lasted until five o'clock the next morning. There is no mention of a supper break, but I'd be surprised if there hadn't been one in the small hours of the morning.
It was labor-intensive for the organizers. The floor director, Nicholas Quirk, had two assistants and no fewer than fourteen aides. That was in addition to the decorating staff and the seven gentlemen of the reception committee who greeted the guests.
And now for the juicy part: the hall decorations, which were created by one Colonel Beal, a "veteran decorator", and his assistants. I've been to some balls with impressively overdone decorations, but this description outshines them all. Unabridged:
The front of the stage was draped with lace over a red ground, while upon the stage in the centre was an immense oyster shell, from which peeped the figure of Cupid. On each side, in a bower of potted plants, stod four life-size knights in armor, over which was a triumphal arch of gas jets, with a star of 200 jets on each corner and in the centre. The rear of the stage was draped with national flags, and in the centre was an immense American eagle, surmounted by a star and the name of the association in gold letters on a wine-colored silk ground. On the extreme right was a banner bearing the words, "Welcome to our honored friends," surrounded by a glory of flags. On the left was the motto, "First grand ball of the wine clerks, 1888." In the centre of the hall was a fountain, five feet high, which threw a continual spray of cologne, the fragrance of which permeaed the hall. The fountain was surrounded by choice fowers an shrubs, and suspended over it was an immense punch bowl. The rear of the hall was prettily draped with bunting and laces, and in front of the gallery was the motto, "Welcome to Our First," on each side of which were two stars in a glory of flags. The ceiling was entirely obscured from view by bunting and streamers of variegated colors.
I'm almost speechless.
After spending some time visualizing the whole setup -- I am particularly taken with the fiery triumphal arch -- I did wonder how on earth they came up with this particular combination of decorative elements. How does Cupid in an oyster shell (shouldn't that be Venus?) relate to the life-size knights in armor? Where do all the national flags come in?
Was no one in the hall allergic to the cologne? I would have been sneezing all night!
I assume that if the gas jets had set all the flags on fire and burned down the hall it would have been mentioned in the newspaper article.
One has to wonder: did the wine clerks come up with all this by committee late one night after hitting the merchandise a little too hard, or did Colonel Beal just have really grandiose standards for hall decoration? What did they do for their second ball?
The entire report is transcribed below.
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from the column "Waltz and Polka." Boston Daily Globe. April 10, 1888.
Grand Ball of East Boston Wine Clerks.
Magnificent Decorations and an Elegant Affair in Lyceum Hall.
The new association of wine clerks of East Boston are to be congratulated on the success that attended their first annual ball last night in Lyceum Hall. All the arrangements were excellent, and the chairman of the committee on decorations fully carried out his threat in regard to this part of the programme. It had been rumored that he intended to eclipse anything ever attempted in this hall in the way of embellishments, and how well he succeeded may be gleaned from the following descriptions: The front of the stage was draped with lace over a red ground, while upon the stage in the centre was an immense oyster shell, from which peeped the figure of Cupid. On each side, in a bower of potted plants, stod four life-size knights in armor, over which was a triumphal arch of gas jets, with a star of 200 jets on each corner and in the centre. The rear of the stage was draped with national flags, and in the centre was an immense American eagle, surmounted by a star and the name of the association in gold letters on a wine-colored silk ground. On the extreme right was a banner bearing the words, "Welcome to our honored friends," surrounded by a glory of flags. On the left was the motto, "First grand ball of the wine clerks, 1888." In the centre of the hall was a fountain, five feet high, which threw a continual spray of cologne, the fragrance of which permeaed the hall. The fountain was surrounded by choice fowers an shrubs, and suspended over it was an immense punch bowl. The rear of the hal was prettily draped with bunting and laces, and in front of the gallery was the motto, "Welcome to Our First," on each side of which were two stars in a glory of flags. The ceiling was entirely obscured from view by bunting and streamers of variegated color. Colonel Beals, the veteran decorator, and his assistants did the finest piece of work ever attempted in East Boston.
Invitations were issued to some 100 persons, and the reception committee, consisting of Robert McKenzie, Charles Bradbury, William Regan, James J. Manning, J. C. Hickey, Frank Smith and J. J. Smith, were early on hand to take care of their guests. The early arrivals were entertained by a choice programme of concert music by Hobbs' orchestra, and shortly after 9 o'clock, Floor Director Nicholas H. Quirk, with Mrs. William English, led the grand march, followed by Michael P. Sullivan and wife, Michael F. McLaughlin and lady and several hundred couples. Every available seat was occupied in the hall, and there were at least 700 spectators.
After the grand march dancing became general and was kept up until 5 o'clock this morning.
The affair was a great success, and too much credit cannot be given to he committee of arrangements. There were delegations from about every social organization in East Boston, the North, South, and West ends of the city proper, Cambridge, Somerville, Lynn, and Revere.
The floor, under the direction of Nicholas H. Quirk, who had for assistants M. P. Sullican [sic] and M. F. McLaughlin, and the following aids [sic]: Thomas Fitzgerald, William Riley, James J. GIll, P. J. Henley, George F. Messer, William J. Foley, Charles Walker, Ken McInnis, John J. Peppard, George W. Russell, Luke J. Crowley, Patrick J. Hillis, Daniel F. Foley and Daniel McNeil.
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A bit of language geekery: the collective noun for a group of flags seems to be either "bunting" or "display". I like "a glory of flags" much better!
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