The 1931 Beaux Arts Ball From left to right: A. Stewart as the Fuller Building, Leonard Schultze as the Waldorf-Astoria, Ely Jacques Khan as the Squibb BuildingWilliam Van Alen as the Chrysler Building, Ralph Walker as the Irving Trust Building, Arthur J.Arwine as a low pressure heating boiler, and Joseph Freelander as the Museum of the City of New York. Photo from the Office for Metropolitan History
A couple weeks ago we shared this iconic image from the 1931 Beaux Arts Ball, when architects came dressed as their famous buildings. Lest we think this is a bizarre past-time from a bygone era, the Beaux Arts Ball is actually an annual tradition. This year’s event will be on September 28 and the Architectural League of New York is looking for volunteers to participate in the costume, puppetry and procession-making workshops that will create the unique designed environment of the event. The workshops are run by the Processional Arts Workshop (PAW), an organization we previously profiled for their giant puppets at the Village Halloween Parade.
The Beaux Arts Ball is traditionally held in an architecturally significant building with past locations at the Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower, the Brooklyn Army Terminal, the Seagram Building, and the Cathedral of St John the Divine. Volunteers get discounted or free tickets to the ball (regular tickets $75, each volunteer day is a $25 discount).More details at Urban Omnibus.
Michelle is the founder of Untapped New York and the author of The Art Spy (HarperOne, forthcoming) Secret Brooklyn, Secret New York Hidden Bars & Restaurants, and Broadway. michelleyoungwriter.com
