The Masquerade

Meghan Kobza

The 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

Author(s): Kobza, Meghan
Binding: Hardback
Date of Publication: 05/05/2026
Pagination: 368 pages
Series: N/A
Imprint: Yale University Press
Published By: Yale University Press
Book Classification: History of art|Fashion & textiles|European history
Dimensions: 24
Weight:
ISBN13\EAN\SKU: 9780300276213