Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-25
0[D DAYS RECALLED.
At ACADEMY BALL
Philadelphia Bellies Don Gowns
Once Worn by Grand
mothers
HISTORIC EVENT MARKED

Eager faced young Philadelphians,
,.ossod in the silks and laces of their
,.ondnothcrs and their great great
1.o,dmothers. danced in the Academy
q, Music last night to commemorate the
sI,tv. fourth anniversary of the memoir
ob,e opening might ball.
In billowy gowns, richly tinted by
time, they stepped quantity to the
strains Of the "Quadrillc d'Honncur" !;
IL tbe arms Of berufiled courtiers they
,.hirlod to the tuneful blue Danube v
some of the gorgeous dresses had been
r,orn by the sprightly bellies of other
dovs at that never to be forgotten af-
mir on the night of January 26. 1857.
others wore shimmering, ivory-white
..oddine gowns that had graced the shy,
.,ir, brides of old Philadelphia in days
even farther back.
And through it all last night the his
.,ric house was filled with the frag-
rance of old memories.
Pbiladelphians had been warned that
tor few hours they must look back
..o-d hut il is not too much to say
.hot nor one in the packed auditorium
,ost night was prepared for the picture
that came.
Curtains Part on Brilliant cSenc
II was little after when the red
,evct, curtains of the stage slowly
nortcd and every one in the vast audi
tporinm sat back and sighed for the sheer
ioyclnpss of the scene.
In the background a stately old
fashioned garden with lights that might
have been from the moon playing over
a rcplca of the famous cologne foun-
tain at the ball OF 'OI.
In the foreground. -,
II was the strains of the "Quadrille
d'Ionneur" that first announced their
coming. Slowly, gravely they came
down the steps of the garden and the
amazingly faithful and beautiful PIC
mre of old Philadelphia took life. The
gowns we're the lavenders and the yell
lows and the cleaning whites, and the
shoulders of the wearers looked winter
still, above the straight cut bodices re,
leycd with their priceless iaces ana
curously set old jewels. For sheer
beauty there was q riot OF colorS ike a
tinted piece Of brocaded fabric itself;
For realism there was the softly parted
hair. There was not one couture that
dI not boast of its shy. ailuring rose.
Quaint Procession Revealed
Four across they marched with quaint
,recision, at the side of each belle Il
bpau no less dignitied or gracious than
herself What if other nights We're
given 10 the call of the crashing jazz
band, to the jaunty wearing of the nPst
extensive and extreme costume that the
stores afforded? Last night these young
philadelphians wore the floating robes
OF their ancestors, fragile things that
money cannot buy today, and proud they
were Of them.
Mrs, George T. Purves, Jr., was
rowned in the famous pink brocade
worn to the original ball by IIenriette
Rush Fales, afterward Mrs. Alfred Il.
Baker, 1t was lent to her by Mrs.
BakCr's daughter, Mrs. John I, Lewis.
A rose nestled in her fair hair.
Lovely young Miss Elizabeth Field
had on the magnificent blue satin gown
that Mrs. T. Hollingsworth Andrews
wore at the first ball. Its tight basque
and voluminous but graceful hoopskirt
were covered with lace.
Miss Charlotte Starr, the daughter Of
Mr.. and Mrs. Theodore Starr, wore the
wedding dress of her grandmother, Mrs:
l.. W. Woolston. 1t was high ncck ked
and low sleeved and gray in color, but
the sweet face Of Miss Starr more than
made up for the drabncss. even rs an
other must have done in grandmother 5
day.
A costume that attracted great deal