Piece of History: ‘Gay Nineties’ Party

An article in the Society section of the Cedar Rapids Gazette on Thursday, March 22, 1934, stated that those who had been invited to the costume party at Brucemore were digging through attics for costumes to wear to the informal dance Mr. and Mrs. Hall were hosting.

This dance on March 23 coincided with the opening of Effie, Addie, and Lizzie Cherry's “Gay Nineties” show at the Iowa Theatre. The show ran on Friday and Saturday at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. only and featured "vaudeville ditties about the 'gypsy warning' to innocent maidens." The show was very similar to the ones put on by the Cherry Sisters in the 1890s, so that "the younger generation will witness a performance which in the good old days never failed to fill box-offices with cash and theatre with loud laughter."

The attendees enjoyed not just dressing in the styles of the 1890s, but also participating in some of the activities of the era. A tandem bicycle was a big hit with the attendees, as were the nearly forgotten dance steps to some beloved songs like "Sweet Adeline."

The Cherry Sisters are best remembered for their infamous vaudeville acts in the 1890s and early 1900s and the court cases following them, which set a precedent for the right to fair comment.

Tara Templeman is curator at The History Center. Comments: curator@historycenter.org