The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-03-26 00:00:00

9
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THE LIVERPOOL FAN
Although, we believe, no provincir.l town in the king- r.
dorn can boast of more numerous, better conducted, or ma
(where they are understood) more liberally supported thi
charities than our own,—the calls upon the public in their cel
behalf, in a thickly populated locality, where disease and cia
accident, inseparable from the nature and rapidity of our M
trade, are frequently so great, that the funds of these tha
noble establishments—the gener 1 benefits of which are to
but limitedly known—are frequently reduced to a low of I
ebb ; and it is found necessary periodically to resort to Om
other means to recruit them than the mere publication of jog'
the annual reports of each, and the benevolent efforts of and
the clergy in appealing to their respective congregations esta
from time to time. Grand Oratorios have occasionally bein
been " presented " of late years for this purpose ; but on was
those occasions the receipts, though large in the gross, dud
have been so much reduced in the balance-sheet by the a rei
exorbitant demands of first-rate singers and performers ceed
requisite to draw a numerous attendance, that the nett magi
proceeds have frequently been inadequate, and always her
precarious ; and it has more than once appeared that the Earl
lee-way was brought up mainly by the receipts of the Sat(
closing entertainment—" The Fancy Ball." The parties The
(and those who have from time to time joined or succeeded and
them) who have hitherto taken an active part in the well- Thes
being of those institutions, and who devoted much time whicl
and exertion to furnishing these entertainments, which ward
they found were too little attractive to the mass of the occas
population to produce a profit commensurate with the toil funds
of management and the requirements of the object in view, Dispo
have latterly resolved to abandon the merely musical de- princ
partment, and confine themselves to what was formerly usefu
the "finale" of the Grand Charity Week—the " FANCY great:
BALL," as more likely, by the inducement of a night's Our
enjoyment, in return for the admission money, to produce cessol
a favourable result. We are no friends to this species of in the
• .amusemeut as a frequent resort, -whether for purposes of rathe
mere amusement or for eliciting benefactions through the none
proceeds; for we conceive that its frequent recurrence, on or
even under the best management, would lead to many of up.
the evils inseparably connected with the ancient masque- an id
rade; but knowing the temperament of John Bull, and super
(with all his genuine benevolence) the necessity of, at might
times, rousing his better sympathies and sensibilities by for ins
something new and jovial, we can enter no protest against such n
it—occurring, as it does, only at periodical intervals of with r
three to four years; and we are therefore inclined for the with tl
time being to join in the general exclamation of our more the cur
vivacious continental neighbours, in such cases, of " Vice daily Ni
la bagatelle!"
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The GRAND ENTRANCE, by the portico facing Castle-
street, leads into a spacious vestibule, beyond which, and
lighted by the central dome, is the GRAND STAIRCASE,
one of the finest in the kingdom. The height from the
base to the cupola is 106 feet. The railings are topped
by burnished brass, and the walls, painted in admirable
imitation of fine stone, are relieved by statuary, &c.
The two DRAWING Rooms, with the SALOON between
them, occupy the whole of the south front above, and on
such occasions are thrown together by removing large
folding doors—making, as it were, one apartment 96 feet
in length. The walls are adorned by paintings of royal
and distinguished personages, and the furniture, in tables,
sofas, chairs, ornamental stoves, &c., is most costly, mas-
sive, and elegant.
From these rooms the visiter generally first proceeds
into the adjoining SMALL BALL ROOM on the east side,
a handsome oblong apartment rounded at the corners,
decorated with pilasters of Carniola marble, and having a
coved roof, beautifully empanelled in compartments. It
is 61 feet in length by 28 in breadth, and 26 feet in height.
Here, as in the other rooms, the chinoney•pieces are of
the finest marble, of massive classical design, and, we
may add, for the honour of our town, of home manufac-
ture. The recesses in the curve at the north end form
elegant orchestras. The sofas and seats are of correspond-
ing
magnificence.
Adjoining is THE LARGE BALL Room, at the north
end of the building, 89 feet in length, upwards of 40 in
breadth, and 40 feet in height. The walls are enrichel
by Corinthian pilasters of Carniola marble, supporting a
rich entablature. The roof is slightly arched, and taste-
fully empanelled ; the cornicing and mouldings through-
out richly gilt. The orchestra, on the south side, is re-
cessed, with a handsome projecting balcony. Round the
room are a number of elegair sofas, elevated on pedes-
tals or platforms, and affording to loungers a full view of
the busier assemblage engaged in the dance or the pro-
menade. The centre chandelier, in particular, resembles
an immense cataract of crystal ; and the whole effect,
when the gas is fully on, and the ball is at its height, is
truly magnificent.
Near this apartment is a REFECTION Room, and seve-
ral ante-rooms; and passing a minor staircase, the visiter
enters the DINING Room on the west side, in which the
mayor for the time being dispenses periodically the good
things of this life to his invited fellow-citizens. This
room is 50 feet in length and 30 in breadth. The walls
are decorated with Corinthian pilasters of Cornish mar-
ble ; and the whole of the furniture, which is abundant
and various, is of the most rich and elegant description.
These rooms form the circuit of the building, and may
be said to be, in every respect, truly palacial—giving to a
very numerous assemblage " ample verge and room
enough," whether for the dance or the promenade.

THE PREPARATIONS.

The preparations for the ball, notwithstanding the com-
parative shortness of the notice, were extensive, and, we
may say, amusing to those less enthusiastic than the par-
ties who reselved to "strut their little hour upon the
stage." The sewing fraternity and sisterhood have, for
the last fortnight, and more especially for the last week,
been busily engaged in plying their needles and scissors.
As was stated, in effect, of a former ball, the fancy shops
have been in more than customary commotion, and tai-
lors, milliners, and dressmakers have had a busy time of
it, in stitching and adjusting, spangling and mangling,
robes, doublets, cloaks. mantles, caps, turbans, coats,
petticoats, and inexpressibles, for the equipment of those
who, for the night, were resolved to figure as kings,
queens, and lords and dames of high degree; as innocent
peasants or hardy mountaineers; or in the more question-
able guise of robbers or ruffians. Antique habiliments
and accoutrements were drawn from their dusty deposito-
ries, and freshened up ; and many new dresses were pre-
pared, embracing every variety of costume, of rich and
poor, of every age, and of every clime, from the poles to
the equator. Libraries were rummaged, books and plates
and old folks and travellers consulted, for the particular
cut, trimming, and dimensions of the several garbs, mo-
dern, ancient, or grotesque ; and lace, feathers, artificial
flowers, tassels, and other fancy ornaments, have been in
brisk requisition. The running from house to house, the
borrowing and lending, the eager inquiry, " the impa-
tience" of the " tailor's" or sempstress's " delay ", the
fitting and altering, and self-approval at the toilet, would
form groundwork for a passable comedy; while the tragic
looks and despair exhibited when a button was misplaced,
or a stitch treacherously gave way, would form a relieving
afterpiece. As there was to be a plentiful display of
knights and warriors, foreign and home-made ; pistols,
poniards, swords, scimitars, dirks, spears, spits, and
shields, were sought out from the several private armo-
ries, and, being brightened up, shone terrifically by the
sides of many who were " all unused to the warring
mood." In the matter of helmets, there is no saying
how many dish-covers have been metamorphosed by the
hands of the tinman or the brazier into casements for
heads whose thickness required no such protection—not
a few aspirants to knight-errantry having, no doubt, re-
membered the economical resort of Don Quixote in ap.
propriating the barber's pewter basin as the veritable
skull-cap of the redoubted Alambrino. A vast number,
however, were saved all this trouble, as well as much ex-
pense in actual purchase, by availing themselves of the

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THE LIVERPOOL FANCY DRESS BALL.

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The Fancy Ball (as we have on a former occasion re-
marked) is of but comparatively modern date, at least in
this town. The first that obtained any general degree of
celebrity was " The Bachelors' Ball," given by an asso-
ciation of private gentlemen, in the Wellington-rooms, in
March, 1521, and excited so much interest and curiosity,
that a similar entertainment was adopted as a conclusion
to our subsequent triennial musical festival for the benefit
of the public charities. The first public fancy ball took
place at the Town-hall in October, 1823, and was exceed-
ingly gorgeous. Most of the dresses were then procured
and fashioned by private individuals—the trade, since
established, of furnishing them ready-made and for hire
being but in embryo, at least in the provinces. This ball
was attended by, it is stated, nearly 4,000 individuals, in-
cluding many of the elite of the land. Its success led to
a repetition of the amusement at the close of each suc-
ceeding musical festival. That of October, 1827, was
magnificent. Upwards of 3,000 were present—including
her Grace the Duchess of St. Albans; Lord (now the
Earl of) Wilton and Lady ; Lord Mullineux (now Earl of
Sefton) ; Lady Cecil Talbot, and others of the nobility.
The ball of October, 1830, was attended by about 2,300,
and was got up with equal, if not greater, splendour.
These gave the tone to succeeding balls, at the last of
which, per se, (without a preceding musical festival,) up-
wards of 1,000 were present. Then, as on the present
occasion, the entertainment was proposed in aid of the
funds of the Infirmary, the respective Hospitals and
Dispensaries, and the District Provident Society—our
principal charities—all admirably conducted and highly
useful, but unhappily having the sphere of their usefulness
greatly circumscribed by a paucity of pecuniary means.
Our worthy Mayor, following the example of his prede-
cessors, kindly gave the use of the splendid suite of rooms
in the Town-hall for the " gathering of the clans," or
rather, "of the nations;" and the kingdom furnishes
none more suitable for such a purpose, the whole being
on one floor, all of large dimensions, and splendidly fitted
up. The following typographical plan will furnish such
an idea of their respective position and extent as will

(supersede the necessity of a detailed description, which
might otherwise be necessary not only for strangers but
for many of our own community who take an interest in
such matters ; for, strange as it may appear, we have met
with many old residents who, though they are familiar
with the exterior of the noble building, have never had
the curiosity to visit the apartments, which may be seen
daily without fee or reward to the keepers :
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splendid and varied stocks of garments and " properties"
brought by speculators from the metropolis and elsewhere,
and who offered the use of them, on reasonable terms, for
the night. It would be unjust, however, not to state—
apart from badinage—that very many who had themselves
visited foreign lands, or whose taste led them into histo-
rical research., got up, without the aid of wangers, clas-
sical and correct semblances in dress of the brave, the
fair, the renowned, the high and the humble, living and
dead, whose deeds or whose destinies stand recorded in
the pages of the historian, the dramatist, or the adventu-
rous voyager to civilised or barbarous shores.
Amongst the purveyors of elegant and costly costumes,
—many of them of great value or curiosity, from their
having been worn by the original characters themselves,
—we have to notice, as highly creditable to their exertions
and enterprise in collecting such stocks, Mr. Nathan, at
Mr. Lacey's, in Bold-street, (from Mr. Hart's, Regent-
street, London) ; Mr. Burden, tailor, same street ;
Messrs. Adlington and Jones, at Mr. Rennie's, Lord-
street ; and Mr. Halfred, Duke-street. Many of our
native " artists " in the clothing line—Messrs. Silver,
Haytor, and Co., Mr. Myers, and others—also furnished
a number of superb dresses to. order ; and the principal
dressmakers and milliners of the town were also highly
successful in the department of female adornment. The
wardrobe of Mr. Nathan, which we saw, was most exten-
sive and gorgeous,—embracing all sorts of varied and rich
costumes. The show-rooms were happily at Mr. Lacey's,
who exhibited, in his repository for artistical works, nu-
merous splendid plates of costume. He himself sold
nearly one hundred tickets for the ball.
We may add, that large portions of the wardrobes of the
Royal Amphitheatre and the Victoria Theatre were also
lent out to numerous parties, both male and female, and
the " costumers" at both establishments were for the last
week busily employed night and day in making up entire
new dresses for the same purpose, or to order.