The Prospect of the Ball was Extremely Agreeable
The prospect of a ball in the Regency era was likely to be extremely agreeable, whether it was a public assembly at Basingstoke or the Upper Rooms in Bath, a public masquerade at the seaside resort of Margate, a private ball at Netherfield, or a grand fancy ball at the Prince Regent’s Carlton House. In this illustrated presentation, Dr. Ann Wass will begin with the all important subject of what ladies (and gentlemen) wore for the ball. Once attired, how did they get to the venue? When they arrived, what could they expect? What were the dances like? How did one find a partner? What was served for supper? What about those who did not dance? Jane Austen’s own experiences as related in her letters and those of her fictional characters will be supplemented by other contemporaneous accounts and a variety of period illustrations.
Presented by Dr. Ann B. Wass
Ann Buermann Wass has a Ph.D. in costume and textile history from the University of Maryland. She is retired from the Federal era Riversdale House Museum, in Riverdale Park, Maryland, where she began to study Regency/Federal fashion in 1998. She writes and lectures widely on dress and other aspects of early 19th century life. She lives in the history-rich Washington, DC, area, where she makes Regency era clothes for herself and her husband. Ann is a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, the Costume Society of America, and The Costume Society (UK).
Saturday, February 10th
4:30 – 5:30 pm
Price: Free with registration
Location: Community Building Auditorium
Community Building Auditorium