The Rothschild Surrealist Ball and Truman Capote’s “Black and White” Ball remain fixtures of high society parties, having set the bar for what a celebration could be—here’s what made them so unforgettable.
Anyone can throw a party, but it takes a certain sensibility, and of course, a lot of resources, to hold a truly legendary one—the kind of celebration that will go down in history and remain a topic of conversation through the decades. High society parties often make a splash with their glittering roster of famous guests and set-ups that feel nothing short of extravagant. Yet even among these circles, two events in particular stand out as the most memorable. These are, of course, the Rothschild Surrealist Ball and the Black and White Ball.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and see exactly what made these parties the talk of the town, even long after celebrations came to a close.
READ ALSO: The Swans: Who Were Truman Capote’s Powerful Socialite Friends?
The Rothschild Surrealist Ball: A Salvador Dalí Dream
There are themed parties, and then there’s the Surrealist Ball, which is a whole category in itself. Hosted by Guy de Rothschild (of the affluent Rothschild family) and his wife Baroness Marie-Hélène, the event was something straight out of a Salvador Dalí painting, anchored on a “surrealist” theme that was present in everything from the invitations to the food. (Fun fact, Dalí himself attended the event, and even designed some of the costumes worn by guests.)
Held in Chateau de Ferrière, which was one of the most lavish in France, the party took place on December 12, 1972, drawing a number of notable celebrities, aristocrats, and socialites, as Ed Cripps of The Rake reports.
The baroness sent invitations done in the style of surrealist skies, with their words written backwards so guests would need a mirror to read them. “Black tie, long dresses, and surrealist heads” was all the dress code said, and attendees were free to interpret it however they liked. Audrey Hepburn came in a red gown, pearls, and a bird cage headpiece; perfumer Hélène Rochas wore a gramophone headpiece; and Dalí added some flair to his look with deformed doll accessories, according to Isiah Magsino of Town & Country. Baroness Marie-Hélène herself came with a stag headpiece decked in diamond teardrops.
Upon arriving at the chateau, guests were greeted by a delightfully strange visual spectacle from the entrance, which was lit to mimic fire. Footmen and butlers were dressed as cats, pawing each other and pretending to be asleep. Guests were then led to a dark, twisting maze, before making their way into the dining area.
Here, they would indulge in a horrifyingly charming menu with dishes sporting amusing names like “sir-loin,” “extra-lucid soup,” and “goat’s cheese roasted in post-coital sadness.” The dining set-up also included furry plates, dead fish that replaced forks, food served on a mannequin lying on a bed of roses, and a cake shaped like a nude woman, as Ty Gaskins of Grazia details.
Nothing has truly come close to the amount of detail that the Rothschilds put into their peculiar event—and that uncompromising commitment to the bit is truly what makes it a cut above the rest.
The Black and White Ball: A Masked Affair for the Ages
To this day, many still hold writer Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball as the paragon of high society get-togethers; The New York Times described it as “the best party ever.” Beyond being an accomplished author, Capote was also a close friend to many of America’s most elite figures, rising to the upper echelons through his wit and charm. The Black and White Ball symbolized this climb up, or better put, it was the culmination of his standing as a person of repute within high society circles.
Everyone who was everyone attended the event, which took place at the Plaza Hotel on November 28, 1966. Writer Gloria Steinem, who was in attendance, wrote all the details of the event in a 1967 essay for Vogue, stating: “So much beauty, power, talent, and celebrity hasn’t been collected in one room since a great Inaugural Ball. And for luxury of dress and surrounding, this party made most Inaugural Balls seem Spartan.”
The 540 guests included socialites like Lee Radziwill, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Babe Paley. Yet they weren’t the only famous people: Truman held no punches with the guest list, inviting Andy Warhol, Frank Sinatra, Mia Farrow, Marianne Moore, Lauren Bacall, and yes, even the Maharani of Jaipur and Italian princess Luciana Pignatelli, as Guy Trebay of The New York Times states. So it wasn’t just high society: Capote had his eyes on the history-makers, powers, and talents that moved entire cultures.
To increase intrigue (and drama), the ball was a masquerade of sorts, with guests donning their best masks in black and white attire. Yet despite the extravagance of both the venue and guest list, Capote served a simple meal of chicken hash and spaghetti with Taittinger Champagne, reveals Cady Lang of Time—but perhaps it was this mix of “high” and “low” that made it all the more interesting to guests.
The evening was one of revelry and conversation, as one can see in these interviews with guests by George Plimpton for Esquire’s 1991 issue. Capote took pride in his exclusive yet varied guest list, and that’s exactly what made the entire event so special. “In a masked ball, you see for the first hours of it—before the unmasking—anybody can dance with anybody they want to, or talk to anybody they want to. It’s a completely free thing, and by the time the unmasking comes, you’ve made a lot of new friends: and that was the point,” Capote expressed in an interview with CBS.
Or, as writer Deborah Davis—author of the 2006 book Party of the Century: The Fabulous Story of Truman Capote and the Black and White Ball—shared with The New York Times: “There will never be another first time that somebody like Andy Warhol could step into a room with somebody like Babe Paley.”
Banner photo from the Holden Luntz Gallery website.
