Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-03-03
THREE-LEVF
Mosque
BoILures
Many
BY AMELIA YOUNG
Star staff Writer

~sAOA~ StSSS k%~AoOAAo
flooded into the Corcoran
Gallery last night for what
must have been the biggest
party of the season, and the
most inclusive.
1t was the gallery's annual
ball, a three-level soiree that
covered a dozen rooms and
the major Railways; that Of
fered champagne and cul-
ture in equal doses, and a
supper at midnight; that
provided four different sets
Of musicians, strategically
planted to keep all the guests
dancing almost all the time.
Meyer Davis and his Or
chestra played in the main
hall and his rhythms were
carried through speakers
into the circular gallery
on the first landing. Up
another flight a Dixieland
band delivered jazz and twist
numbers from a back room.
A Gypsy ensemble was sta
toned several rooms over.
And in the beautiful all-gold
Grand Salon from a D'Orsay
salon of the Louis XVI period,
Sidney led his string section
In Viennese waltzes.
With Mardi Gras only a
few days away, the committee
made this years ball a bal
Masque" and encouraged in
cognito by supplying small
masks at every table. It was
not, as some people had sup
posed from the title, a cos
tune ball.
Gold and purple towers,
pink ostrich feathers and
gold-on-purple stars deco
rated the central hall. Pink
crepe paper balloons hung
from the ceilings, and the
main stairway was bordered
with old-fashioned street
lamps on tall striped poles.
Informal Upstairs
Pink tablecloths and pink
candle trees, festooried with
purple ribbons, completed the
decor downstairs. The upper
rooms were more informal,
with red-checked cloths and
cafe candles.
The chief feature of the
ball is always a major ex-
hibition, previewed by the
guests on the eve of its public
opening. The 1862 show Is
John Marin in Retrospect"
and the late artists son, John
Marin, jr., was present to
see it last night.
He and his wife came from
their home in New Jersey to
attend, having lent several
paintings for the exhibition.
Also present were Mrs. Edith
Gregor Halpert of The Down
town Gallery in New York, q
major promoter Of the art
lists works; the artists half
brother "a very close" half
brother according to Mr..
Marin, jr), Capt. Charles
Bittinger of this city, and
Mrs. Bittinger.
The young Mr.. Marin
works with Mrs. Halpert at
her gallery. He and his wife
have their own growing COL
lection of American paint
ings, about 80 of them now,
which they lend to small
galleries for exhibitions.
Priority on Art
Because they love art, Mrs.
Marin said, I'VE refrain
from buying other things so
Well have money for this"
She calls their project "the
foundation"
The Marin show, installed
on the second floor, was as
sembled by Mr.. Charles Ed
ward Buckley, director of
the Currier Gallery of Art
in Manchester, N. H. It in
cludes oils and the more
famous watercolors from
1908 to 1852, the year before
his death-91 painting in all.
Mr.. Buckley attended the
ball as the guest of Cor
coran's director, Mr.. Her
mann Warner Williams, jr.
Also seated at Mr.. VIII
liamS' tables were Mr.. and
Mrs. Irving D. Brown and
Mr.. and Mrs. Julian Eisen-
stein, lenders to the exhibi-
ton; Mr.. and Mrs. Patrick
L. Hanrahan, jr., Mrs. Jo-
seph Welles Henderson
(whose husband was a lend
err and Mr.. and Mrs. Hen
derson, jr., Mr.. and Mrs.
Walter Bruce Howe, Mr.. and
Mrs. Bertram Linder, lend
ers; Mr.. and Mrs. Albert M.
Pitcher, jr., and Mr.. and
Mrs. Kurt Wiener, lenders.