Those Grand Masquerade Balls

When I first set eyes on these big-time Masquerade Ball tickets from the 1880s I could hardly believe it. They are huge - 8" wide or tall - with spectacular graphics showing off the costumes, the grand hall, the music, and the excitement. Colour stone lithography was at its height and the most imaginative artists of their generation worked for litho companies.These tickets are so spectacular that they set me daydreaming - the grand masquerade ball must have been one of the great events of the year. And like the Mardi Gras, you could work on your costume all year; a costume that could never be too bright.  And, with everyone behind a mask, all kinds of sly and clever things could go on.  And more, if you could get 20 of your friends into that room, the possibilities are endless.The 1880s was a boom decade, much like our 1990s, and these Ball tickets cost a fortune.  The Balls would coincide with Carnival in New Orleans or Brazil each year, with many events sponsored by German social clubs of New York.  The tickets were usually five or ten dollars, translating to three to six hundred dollars today.  Check out the horizontal ticket from the Philadelphia Academy of Music - Fifteen dollars! - I guess it was a donation.But remember - the ticket was all-inclusive. And if you did attend a soiree given by a German outfit (like the Arion Society of NY), the fabulous beer and champagne would flow. Were any of you there?