Back To The Books ~ Recent Acquisitions

While in Silverdale yesterday I found two nifty books.

Masquerades, Tableaux and Drills, published by Butterick Publishing Co., 1906.
Costume parties, like so many other customs of the past, have been discarded. And that's a shame because judging from the costumes in this book, the costume parties of yore were quite spectacular. There a plenty of costumes to choose from: and endless variety of Pierrots and Pierrettes, clowns and jesters, noble Greeks and Romans, Carmens and Marguerittes, Geishas and Chinese princesses as well as Lady Washingtons and Goddesses of Liberty. And that's just for the women. The men were no less resplendent, though somewhat limited in their choice of costumes. I should point out that bats were very popular costumes for women and children. Next follows a variety of tableaux and drills to be performed in the course of the party. Scarf drills, hoop drills, broom drills and dumb-bell drills (I kid you not) were among the popular entertainments for the costume parties of 1906. These drills were complex and acted out by the guests. Amazing!

Held For Orders, Tales of Railroad Life, by Frank H. Spearman, published by McClure, Philips & Co., 1901.
Like costume parties, railroads have fallen into decline and disuse and that, too, is a shame. But thanks to this nifty book we can thrill to the tales of railroad employees at a time when the railroads united the nation, were the primary means of long distance travel, and when being a conductor or switchman was a viable career. Here are tales of everyday railroad life told to Spearman by a switchman, a wiper, a despatcher, a master mechanic and a trainmaster in the typical hardboiled lingo of the era, when American prose was rich and muscular. Intriguing!