November 1909: Samaritan Hospital Fancy Dress Ball

An article on page eight of The Glasgow Herald, on Wednesday the 3rd of November, 1909, informed readers about the

arrangements for the fancy dress ball, which was to be held in St Andrew’s Halls on Friday the 12th.

 

An advertisement on the front page of the same edition of the Herald, provides more details. Music was under the personal

conductorship of Herr Wilhelm Iff. The Photographic Studio was under the direction of “Lafayette”. The official costumiers

were Messrs Copland & Lye, Sauchiehall Street. There was to be a “Grand Pageant: – Revival of Olden Time Dances”.

 

The article on page eight comments that the event “promises to be a brilliant spectacle. Special minuets, gavottes, and eightsome

reels are being arranged to form the opening dances. Those taking part in these will join the procession of dancers, who will

march past and be received by the Hon. the Lord Provost and Mrs McInnes Shaw.”

 

A list of the names of the ladies responsible for the sets for the gavottes and minuets is included in the article, and these were

to represent various historical incidents. This information is followed by the names of the ladies arranging the eightsome reels.

 

The article concludes: “Princess Louise, who is one of the patrons of the ball, is taking a keen interest in the arrangements.”

 

 

George Fairfull-Smith, August 2022.