Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Mardi Gras 1910



This is my grandmother's dance card from Mardi Gras in New Orleans, February 3, 1910. This ball was given by Knights Of Momus. From wikipedia:

"The Knights of Momus" is also the name of the third-oldest New Orleans Mardi Gras krewe, founded in 1872. Unlike the Galveston Momus organization, the New Orleans iteration of the Knights of Momus has operated continuously since its founding, and remains true to its roots as a secret society.

A dance card, in case you haven't seen one, has a space for each dance at a ball to be filled with the name of your dance partner for that particular dance. I've always gotten a kick out of American secret societies, (all except the Klan that is.)


I don't understand why her husband's name isn't written anywhere. Family legend is that she led the ball that year, and that her gown came from Worth in Paris. I still have the gown, and it is incredibly beautiful but doesn't have a label, maybe dresses didn't then. I was going to photograph it today but it's packed away, and by the time I had my mind on it, daylight was nearly gone. It's a cut velvet dress with a turquoise background and orange pattern, really wild and beautiful color combination.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I adore this! Look how neat everyone's handwriting is!

We celebrated Fat Tuesday by eating a piece of chocolate cake.

I belong to a charitable organization that holds a Mardi Gras ball and auction every year. One of the members bought a big chocolate cake. She called in friends to help her and her husband eat it last night. She said "HELP, we'll eat the whole thing if you don't come over". Whatareyagonnado?

Anonymous said...

I didn't s'plain that very well. The do was this past Sat. night. The cake was one of the auction items. Still in choco-coma.

Namowal (Jennifer Bourne) said...

Interesting stuff.
I've never seen a dance card before. I like the color scheme.
I wonder if secret societies were more popular than they are today? My mom's dad was a Freemason and, as a teen, my mom was a member of some spin of group for girls (perhaps daughters of Masons?).

Linda Davick said...

Is that the Night Owl? (What an incredibly beautiful dance card.)

Your grandmother was so popular--all the boys wanted to dance with her. It looks like it was so much fun.

I hope you photograph the dress sometime. I wondered if you had started drawing it on the previous post.

Anonymous said...

Rainbow Girls is the spin-off. Demolay (sp?) for boys. Eastern Star for women.

I was in Rainbow girls for a year and found it painfully boring. Everybody wore really old prom gowns and acted extremely inhibited.

Sally said...

I think all the handwriting is my grandmother's though that doesn't make sense.

cake, yummm! I loves cake!!