Costume Balls: Dressing Up History, 1870-1927

A century and a half ago, extravagant costume balls and skating carnivals were the pinnacle of society entertainments, bringing forth a kaleidoscopic array of characters, most drawn from history. The opportunity to reimagine oneself as a noble hero or heroine from the past was no less than a chance of a lifetime.

Participants acquired extravagant costumes and flocked to the photographer’s studio, as witnessed by the sheer abundance of mementoes of these occasions in the McCord Stewart Museum’s collections. But beneath all the anachronistic exuberance, these balls reinforced core myths of colonial destiny and imperial futures.

This stunning exhibition will present for the first time the outfits worn on these occasions from the McCord Stewart Museum’s renowned Dress, Fashion, and Textiles collection.