{"product_id":"the-masquerade-a-history-of-extravagance-and-intrigue-hardcover","title":"The Masquerade: A History of Extravagance and Intrigue - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMeghan Kobza\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe first full history of an extraordinary eighteenth-century British entertainment\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Glittering masquerades, held at the most fashionable London venues, dominated the calendars of the Georgian elite. A thrilling opportunity to gather, flirt, and consume, hosts such as \"Empress of Pleasure\" Teresa Cornelys welcomed the great and the good in elaborate costumes--including bear suits, harlequin outfits, or, in the case of Elizabeth Chudleigh, very little at all. The masquerade was a place of make-believe and revelry, and a party like no other. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Meghan Kobza invites us into these dazzling gatherings, and shows how they became a wider cultural obsession. Organised by wealthy impresarios, the masquerade allowed the aristocracy to flaunt their status and enjoy themselves behind the closed doors of opulent ballrooms, theatres, and gardens, dressed by an industry of ever more inventive habit makers. For the rest of society, the masquerade was notorious for mischief and misbehaviour, and a focus for voracious gossip. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Lavishly illustrated, full of life and originality, \u003ci\u003eThe Masquerade \u003c\/i\u003eis a revelatory account of an event which captivates us to this day.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeghan Kobza\u003c\/b\u003e is a historian of leisure in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and particularly Georgian costume, fancy dress, and material culture. She is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Domino and the Eighteenth-Century London Masquerade\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 368\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.34 x 9.43 x 6.29 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 09, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54125707428173,"sku":"9780300276213","price":75.02,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0927\/3304\/7117\/files\/dZWXYrnb0y9780300276213.webp?v=1781707653","url":"https:\/\/belfastbooks.us\/products\/the-masquerade-a-history-of-extravagance-and-intrigue-hardcover","provider":"belfastbooks.us","version":"1.0","type":"link"}