Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-02-11
SWELLEST OF THE SWELL.
Gotham's Great Event EcIipsed
A. in SpIendor.
THFsBRADLEY-MA TIN BALL
Reps entng the Creme de la Creme of
Americas Chief Metropolis.
VS. GORGEOUS BEYOND DESCRIPTION
Bellies and Beaux, Old and Young. Be,
decked in Jewels Worthy Kings
Ransom Mingled in the Stately
Minuet and Giddy Waltz.
: GORGEOUS BEYOND DESCRIPTION

New York, Feb 1o.-The Bradley-Mar-
tin fancy dress ball took place this even
ing in the spacious ball room of the Wall
| dorf hotel. The mise en- sene was of be-
wildering enchantment, a veritable fairy
land, resplendent with all that wealth
and taste could command, and graced by
the presence of many hundred members
of the fashionable set, radiant in rich
| robes Of historic renown.
The richness of the decorations, the
ancient picturesque costumes. the beauti-
| full allegorical toilettes, the comingling of
| SO many beauties, old and young, amazed
/ and charmed all fortunate enough to have
| been hidden to the ball.
AS a superb social function 1t has had
| no parallel in America. Its fame may
| pass into history and perhaps its splen-
| dors will be written down as the stand
ard for the bellies and gallants of the COM
| ing century.
| The scene presented was a strange
| spectacle in this up-to-date metropolis,
| At the first coupe d'oeil, one would have
| imagined the graves had opened and the
| kings and queens, the princesses and the
titled aristocracy of the decayed centur-
| les had arisen in chorus to again become
| themselves in all their old time glory.
Perhaps there were 700 guests present,
all gorgeously garbed in silks. satins and
| magnifcently bedecked in diamonds
| Almost every character of note in the
times of Louis XIV. and Louis XIV, from
| the plebian peasant to the jewel-crowned
| king and queen, was personated They
| presented imposing figures, dancing in
| the stately minuet or whrling in the
| merry waltz. Numerous were the pseudo
| Marie Antoinettes, Queen Elizabeths,
Lady Teazles, Gismondas, Juliettes, Joan
| d'Arcs, Empresses Josephines, Mary
| Queen of Scots, Colonial Danes, knights
| of Malta Cardinals, Romeos, Toreadors
and Cavaliers, all presented in costumes
| of the costliest fabrics and with marvel
| Gus truth to detail.
| The Marie Antoinette ladies' predomi-
mated. Americas historical notables
seemed badly neglected, even the father
| of his country, George Washington, be-
ing honored only by two representatives.
| Aside from the beauty of the costumes,
interest centered in the unprecedented
display of jewels, many rare, old, price
less family heirlooms being worn. There
Is no estimating their monetary worth,
! but they. certainly represent vast for
/ tunes Many of the women seemed
ablaze with the sparkling gems.
| The guests began. arriving about II
| o'clock. They entered the hotel through
private door on Thirty-third street and
| were Immediately ushered to the second
| floor, where suite of fifteen large apart
| ments had been reserved for dressing
| purposes. Here were stationed numer-
| Gus hair dressers, costumers. modistes,
| and all functionaries required for the
| final polishing touches of the exquisite
| outfits. These roms were decorated with
| a profusion of roses and smilax
| After the guests had assembled ana
| made ready for the grand entree they.
| descended the fiower-strewn stairways to
the reception parlor on the main floor.
| AS they passed through the archway
| they were met by the hostess, Mrs. Brad
| ley Martin, who stood beneath a canopy
of rich tapestries and floral effects. Mrs.
| Martin wore a becoming costume of the
| Queen Elizabeth period, made of black
| velvet over red brocade She was adorn- 1
| ed with all her magnificent jewels. includ-
ing her famous rope of diamonds.
| As the guests approached, their names
| and the characters impersonated were
announced by lackeys. The walls of the
| reception room were covered with costly
| tapestries of the daintiest color. while
| myraids OF roses, carelessly thrown, rest
| ed in the folds, as they chanced to fall.
| In one corner was placed the Hungarian
| band hidden behind a bower of long
| stemmed roses.
The guests moved from this salon
| through the corridors which had been
! made to represent woodland, lit up by,
4 scores of concealed miniature incandes-
| cent lights to the big ball room. The
| decoration of this room was also work
| of art and the illumination brilliant. At
| the end of the room was balcony hand
| somely adorned, in which was stationed
| Victor HerDertS OrcneSITd TOT the udlcc
music 1t was near midnight before the
quadrille D'Eonneur, the opening number
| of the ball. was danced. 1t had been
| organized by Mrs. Astor. John Jacob
| Astor was the king of tonight and Mrs;
| Bradley Martin the queen. They led
| the quadrille and at one side were Mrs.
| Stuyvesant Fish and Mr.. Robert Van
| Cortlandt; at the opposite end, Miss Ger
! ry and j. Townsend Martin and Mrs:
| Whitney Warren and Mr.. Lispenard
| Stewart The opposite side couples, Mrs.
| Orme Wilson and Harry Lehr; Mrs. Lee
| Taller and Mr.. Craig Wadsworth: Miss
Lena Morton and Mr.. Center Hitchcock,
| and Miss Madeline Cutting and Mr.. j. j.
| Van Alen
| Following this came the Mrs. Edmund
! L. Bayliss quadrille, which was particl-
| pated in by Mrs. Ogden Mills, Mrs. John
| Jacob Astor. Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt,
| Jr; Mrs. Henry Sloan Miss Edith Nor
| ton, Miss Van Rensselaer,, Miss Alfonso
| De Navarro, H. d. Robbins, Worthington
| Whitehouse and others.
Then came the debutante quadrlle, all
Louis Quinzo epoch. The quadrille was
| danced to the slow music of the minuet
| and the different figures were executed
| with grace and precision. General dane
| ing was then indulged in. Supper was
| served in the Empire dining rooms. The
| tables were prettily decorate with roses.
| The cotillion after supper was led by Mr..
| Elisha Dyer, Jr., who wore a costume
! of the period of Francis l. 1t consisted
| If cloak of royal purple velvet. coat
| of the same material and richly decorated
| with gold embroidery. The tights were
| of violet silk, and he wore hat with
| large ostrich feathers.
/ The gray streaks of dawn were strug-
| Cling through the windows of the Wal
| dorf before the last echo of Home, Sweet
Home" had died in the floral scented
| room, and the greatest ball in Gotham's
| history was ended.
! There were many guests from out or
| town, small parties coming from. San
! Francisco, Chicago. New Orleans. Wash5
! ington, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltt-