About this Event
Join us as we welcome Meg Kobza to The Book and Bottle to discuss and sign copies of her book 'The Masquerade' - Ticket price can be used towards purchase of the book (or any other book in store on the evening)
The Masquerade is first full history of an extraordinary eighteenth-century British entertainment
Glittering masquerades, held at the most fashionable London venues, dominated the calendars of the Georgian elite. A thrilling opportunity to gather, flirt, and consume, hosts such as “Empress of Pleasure” Teresa Cornelys welcomed the great and the good in elaborate costumes—including bear suits, harlequin outfits, or, in the case of Elizabeth Chudleigh, very little at all. The masquerade was a place of make-believe and revelry, and a party like no other.
Meghan Kobza invites us into these dazzling gatherings, and shows how they became a wider cultural obsession. Organised by wealthy impresarios, the masquerade allowed the aristocracy to flaunt their status and enjoy themselves behind the closed doors of opulent ballrooms, theatres, and gardens, dressed by an industry of ever more inventive habit makers. For the rest of society, the masquerade was notorious for mischief and misbehaviour, and a focus for voracious gossip.
Lavishly illustrated, full of life and originality, The Masquerade is a revelatory account of an event which captivates us to this day.
Event venue & nearby stays
The Book and Bottle, 8 Old Cross, Hertford, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.