This event will include a slideshow of collection items including photographs, menus in the Ayers Family archive featuring the caterer FD Beach and a patent for the Welsbach gaslit burners installed for the occasion. Discover facts about the event, including that the floral decorator Newman’s Nursery is still in business today. The music of the ball ranged from Gilbert and Sullivan to waltzes and polkas. Pianist and historian Ben Nicholls will talk about the music of the ball in the context of the music of the era and will also perform several pieces on the Library’s Yamaha piano. Dancers will perform the quadrille, a popular dance of the time. Costume historian Sandy Whitelaw will be dressed for the occasion and will talk about the clothing of the era, explaining their intricate details.
Presented by State Library of South Australia