Universal Ball, Keene, New Hampshire, March 5, 1852

A ticket or invitation for a "Universal Ball" held in Keene, New Hampshire, on March 5, 1852.

As listed on the ticket, musician S. K. Conant played both the violin and the "Kolquearougion," an instrument he invented. Although a newspaper article in 1859 called his invention the "Kolquearougion Bells," I haven't been able to uncover any additional information about it.

Universal Ball

Your company, with ladies, is respectfully solicited at the Town Hall, in Keene, on Friday evening, March 5, 1852.

Music by Hall & Conant's Celebrated Lowell Brass Band.

D. C. Hall, cornet and bugle; S. K. Conant, violin and Kolquearougion; B. Hall, clarionett and piccolo; G. P. Kittredge, violin and prompter; W. Bennett, bass.

Tickets, $1.50, to be obtained of authorized agents, and at the door.

Dancing to commence at seven o'clock.

Smiley Derleth has particularly liked this photo

Comments

raingirl ^club

just saw your name on the Messy Nessy blog with a link to your flickr grouping of Acquaintance Cards! yes, i know it is from back in 2015, but congrats anyway. i love that blog and your stuff as well, so nice match up.

as to this piece of history, oh to know what that instrument was! bells on his fingers and toes perhaps? ha!

7 years ago.

Alan Mays ^club has replied to raingirl ^club

Thanks! The Messy Nessy Chic posting was one of the earliest pieces about my acquaintance cards. One of the best articles was Linton Weeks, When "Flirtation Cards" Were All The Rage, on NPR's Web site, July 31, 2015.

CNN's Great Big Story, on February 12, 2016, used reproductions of my collection of acquaintance cards to present an amusing but unlikely reenactment entitled The 19th Century Tinder: Welcome to the Racy World of Escort Cards over on YouTube (don't miss my acknowledgement at the end of the video).

The upshot of this publicity is a recently published book of detachable acquaintance cards entitled May I See You Home? 19th-Century Pickups for 21st-Century Suitors. See my Flickr profile page for more details about the book.

7 years ago.

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Dances and Dancers Dances and Dancers

Music and Musicians Music and Musicians

Tickets and Passes Tickets and Passes

Victorian Ephemera Victorian Ephemera

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Universal Ball, Keene, New Hampshire, March 5, 1852

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