Scandalous 18th Century Masquerades

In the 18^th century, masquerade balls were a popular event on the social calendar in London. Some also frowned them upon for being immoral and subverting the norms of society. But the reasons they were deemed immoral were why they were so popular.

What was a Masquerade?

A masquerade was a ball where the guests wore a costume and a mask, concealing their identity. Masquerades were so popular that some retailers specialised in providing costumes and masks.

Masquerades have been held in Europe since the 16^th century. The most famous is the Venice Carnival, which is still celebrated today. It was basically a big party before the abstinence and piety of Lent (like Mardi Gras).

18th century masquerades — Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

It’s believed John Heidegger, a Swiss count who had recently returned from travelling in Italy, introduced masquerades to England in 1708.

“In the course of [January] and the ensuing five months, masquerades are occasionally held at the Opera House and the Pantheon, always previously advertised in the newspapers.”
The Picture of London (1809) by John Feltham

Wearing a costume and going incognito gave masquerades more of a fun factor than a traditional ball. Part of the entertainment was trying to guess who was who.

A masquerade usually started late in the evening and continued into the early hours with dancing, card tables, supper and, of course, plenty of alcohol.

When raising money for charitable causes, a masquerade was often adopted as a fundraising event called a “benefit ball”.

At midnight, particularly on Twelfth Night, it was a tradition to remove the mask and reveal one’s identity.

Costumes and Masks

If you were struggling to find a costume, newspapers were kind enough to advertise that costumes could be hired from masquerade warehouses for the price of 5 shillings to 2 pounds.

If you’re not one for the faff of fancy dress, the simplest of costumes was a domino, which was nothing more than a large cloak and hood with a mask that covered half the face. You could also wear a separate mask, a half mask that covered the eyes, or a full mask. These were tied with ribbons or held in the hand (how this kept one’s identity secret, I have no clue, but more on that later).

Then there were the more elaborate costumes. Contemporary novels are a significant source of information about the costumes worn to masquerades. Popular choices included classical heroes, gods from antiquity, national dress, animals, kings and queens, servants and fictional characters.

“The men were Spaniards, chimney-sweepers, Turks, watchmen, conjurers and old women; and the ladies, shepherdesses, orange girls, Circassians, gipseys, haymakers, and sultanas.”
Quote from Cecilia (1782) by Fanny Burney

From the above, we can deduce that cross-dressing and dressing as someone outside of one’s social class were common.

Twelfth Night Masquerades

A masquerade was a popular way to celebrate the end of Christmas on Twelfth Night. Now, in my December newsletter, I said that Twelfth Night was 6^th January (I’d always believed it was). However, after researching this post, I must correct myself.

Christmas traditionally lasted for 12 days and when one counts Christmas Day as the first day, then 5th January is the twelfth day. So, the evening of 5^th January is actually Twelfth Night. (Why I hadn’t noticed this before is a mystery and evidence of my poor maths skills 🙄.)

As part of a Twelfth Night celebration, the hostess often selected the characters for her guests (or pulled them out of a hat) so they could arrive in costume and had to remain in character until midnight.

Public Masquerades

As mentioned above, public masquerades were held at the Opera House and the Pantheon. They were also held at the Argyle Rooms and places like Vauxhall and Ranelagh Gardens.

by Thomas Rowlandson, and by Augustus Charles Pugin, aquatinted by J. Bluck, published by Rudolph Ackermann, hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 1 March 1809

Anyone could attend a public masquerade, as long as they could pay for their ticket and costume. This meant that a masquerade was the only time members from all levels of society socialised together. Ticket prices ranged from 10 shillings and 6 pence to 2 pounds and 2 shillings.

At a masquerade, the normal rules of society were subverted, and that’s what made them so popular. Guests could approach and dance with strangers as much as they liked, no introductions were necessary. Cross-dressing, acting in character and the aristocracy mingling with the lower orders were all expected and accepted.

Chastity, sobriety and rationality were discarded under the genuine belief that a mask and costume truly concealed one’s identity. Yes, the sticklers for propriety seemed to ignore their own rules for a few hours, but once the masks came off, it was back to normal. They truly believed their anonymity was absolute, and it was respected. The hypocritical standards of society at this time are mind-boggling.

Private Masquerades

A private masquerade was sometimes called a “subscription masquerade”. Held at a private home and attend by a select guest list, these allowed a certain exclusivity and lacked the same freedom and frivolity of the anonymous public gatherings.

Costumes and masks were still worn, but private masquerades maintained the standards of propriety like any other social gathering. Boo!

Subverting Society

Because public masquerades dispensed with the normal rules of society, it didn’t take long for them to develop a scandalous reputation.

An anti-masquerade movement developed because many believed that the abandonment of decorum and the strict anonymity would lead to social and sexual chaos. In 1724, George II tried to suppress public masquerades but did little to stem the popularity of these social gatherings.

Newspapers reported on the “dissolute” events. In February 1798, The Times described a masquerade at the Opera House as “indecent ribaldry and licentiousness.”

Isaac Watts (a non-conformist theologian) was a vocal opponent of masquerades and described them as “a very low piece of foolery” that were “hazardous to virtue and innocence”.

Letting Loose

Masquerades were still popular during the Regency, but as you may expect, the prudish Victorians nipped them in the bud (well, the public ones at least).

Can you blame the Georgians for taking advantage of the opportunity to socialise with strangers and throw off the strictures of society for a few hours? Who wouldn’t want to have a little fun and let loose occasionally, especially if you could get away with it?

But that, my friends, was the tricky part. I for one, do not believe that a mask and a costume can truly conceal one’s identity. I suspect they knew who was who, but on these rare occasions it did not matter, and for once, the gossipmongers allowed it. How scandalous!