Up for sale is a rare, matching lot of 4 antique Victorian social ball programs and dance cards dating from 1885 to 1889.
All four pieces are highly localized to the Ipswich, Massachusetts, and Seabrook, New Hampshire areas. They appear to have belonged to a single local attendee, offering a fantastic snapshot of Gilded Age social life in coastal New England.
What’s Included in the Lot:
1.Ipswich Bicycle Club "Entertainment & Dance" Program (Undated, c. 1880s): Features a beautiful, raised relief-stamped cover vignette of a rider on a high-wheel penny-farthing bicycle blowing a horn. Highly collectible crossover piece for cycling history enthusiasts. Bound with original maroon string.
2.1885 Seabrook Grand Ball Invitation & Program (March 24, 1885): The oldest piece in the lot, featuring an elegant woodcut illustration of a cherub and butterfly. Music was provided by Dyer's Orchestra. The interior dance schedule is neatly filled out in pencil with local names like "White" and "Russell."
3.1889 Col. Nathaniel Shatswell Camp 85 Costume Ball Program (April 8, 1889): Held at Ipswich Town Hall by the Sons of Veterans fraternal organization. Features a patriotic crest with Civil War-era iconography. Interior dances are filled out in pencil. Includes the original pink cord and tassel binding.
4.1888 Ipswich Cornet Grand Concert & Ball Booklet (Thanksgiving Eve, Nov. 28, 1888): Features a striking teal lithograph cover of a marching brass band and pristine gilded beveled edges. The inside includes a full concert schedule, dance card list, and a fascinating 1880s supper menu listing items like roast turkey, cold tongue, escaloped oysters, and citron cake.
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