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This week in Aspen history

Mill Street, 1882. The Clarendon Hotel is on the left.
Aspen Historical Society/Courtesy photo

“The Aspen Club masquerade ball came off at the court house on Thursday evening, January 25 and was a grand success,” announced The Aspen Times on Jan. 27, 1883. “Much credit is due the club for this success, and especially to E.H. Grubb, the manager of the evening. About 9 o’clock, the masqueraders began to collect. Dancing began at 9:30 and was kept up, interspersed with promenades till 11 o’clock, when supper was served at the Clarendon. There were so many who patronized the excellent table of the Clarendon besides those in costume that the tables had to be repeatedly prepared for guests, and dancing was not resumed till about 12:30 o’clock, and was then diligently kept up till after 3 a.m., when the most pleasant and successful party Aspen has had terminated. Much originality was displayed in the disguises. Some of them wore regular and rich costumes, ordered for the purpose from Leadville or Denver, but many were home productions, got up on short notice, but frequently in the taste, or in bizarre and unique form. The room, though restricted to the members of the club and invited guests, was well thronged by those who amused themselves in attempting to solve the great puzzle of the evening- who’s who? The masks were of all sorts and sizes, comical, bizarre, hideous, and the regular black or white domino. Those recognized were identified by the gestures and movements of the body, more or less characteristic of all persons.”