Josephine's Masquerade Balls

I learned not long ago that The Josephine Hotel used to host Masquerade Balls.  Since I've never been to one, I was naturally curious as to what a Masquerade ball is all about.  My first thought was that it must have something to do with Mardi Gras.  But, I was wrong.  It actually has nothing to do with that at all.  

Masquerade Balls actually began way back in the 15th century in Venice, Italy. It was a Ball given in celebration of royal weddings and special occasions among the royals and their court.  Then it became part of the Carnival of Venice.  The Masquerade Ball spread throughout Europe in the 16th century and then sort of died off for a while. 

The masked ball made it's return in the late 1800's and that is when it made it's way to the United States.  The Masquerade became a nationwide craze in America.  Everyone wanted to hold these Balls. It was the fun and trendy thing to do in its time.  Remember, the 1880's - 1910's  was the "Golden Age".  This was a time of great opulence and the economy was booming.  I guess you can say there was much to celebrate and hey, who doesn't love a party?

By the time Masquerade Balls made there way to America, the Ball had changed a little.  Americans put a fun little spin on the traditional masked ball.  They often made it into a game of guess who?

 The idea wasn't to just wear a mask, but it was to wear a complete costume that would make someone completely unrecognizable and then hold a contest who see if anyone could guess ones identity.  I suppose the winner or winners would be the person who guessed the most identities and the other winner would be the one who never was identified.  It had to be fun!

Another spin on the Masquerade was themed costumes. Like in the examples below.  So it wasn't always about a mask, but sometimes about being something kind of outrageous or kooky. 

Below: Some of the typical 1880 - 1890's costumes.  

At the Josephine, there were such balls.  Perhaps the masked or the costume kinds.  Maybe even the traditional style. But I do know for a fact that the Josephine did host them as it is recorded in history.  In fact I learned that sometimes over a 100 people were invited to attend and with costumes brought in from places like Mobile and New Orleans for the attendees to wear.  They even brought in a large Orchestra from Columbus, Georgia. 

Standing on the second floor of the Josephine with Joyce, the current owner of the building, we both rub our chins and scratch our heads trying to figure out where they would have put so many people.  There is no obvious answer with the current floor plan. After all, some changes were made throughout it's 134 year history. But, the only conclusion the I can come up with is this...

The Lobby in those early days was quite large.  With the doors open to the balcony, it would have lent some additional space.  The very wide and long hallway could have been adequate for an orchestra.  I know the restaurant would have been in the back of the building and I know that the kitchen and staff quarters were located exactly where Amerifirst Bank sits today.  Yes, I do believe it was possible to pull off a rather nice ball in those days. 

The Masquerade Balls of today are just as lovely as they were then. Many are often held on New Years Eve which would be a fun celebration.  I've seen them advertised as fundraisers and awareness events too.  As a matter of fact, I just saw one being advertised as a fundraiser for the Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery, AL. This one is a "Flapper" themed Ball.  You know, the "roaring 20's". They do this almost every year to raise money to keep up the museum.  It's quite the party, but fun and for a good cause.

The masks used for today's Masquerade are really something.  They are adorned with crystals, pearls, shells, gemstones, sequins, feathers, and brooches just to name a few items.  It really depends on the nature of the event.  Formal, informal, New Years, fundraiser, themed, costumed... it can be anything.  This is what determines the type of mask or costume needed.   

So the question is...

Could the Josephine do it today?  You be she could!  There's plenty of room.  As of now, the cafe could seat up to 100 easily.  With chairs and table cleared, the standing or dancing room could be more.  A Masquerade Ball may be exactly what the Josephine needs to help raise funds for renovations so the second and third floors could be opened up.  The facade with that beautiful balcony could finally be restored to her original glory.  Wow, what a sight that would be, huh? 

A Masquerade Ball at the Josephine...  

                                                                     Very Possible!

Josephine would be proud.