The ball was held at a large hall at the US Patent Office at 8th and F Streets, NW. Tickets to the event were $10 with the proceeds going to support the Union was effort.

A brass band played music in the foyer, welcoming the 4,000 guests, while upstairs, a string ensemble played popular dance music from the period.  Women wore silk, satin and velvet dresses, while many men were in Union uniforms or formal evening attire.

I found an online copy of the original menu from the event, as well as

an invite that sold at auction and a dress worn to the event by the wife of the Secretary of the Interior. 

Dr. Lawrence E. Keener-Farley, the Dance Master at The Victorian Dance Ensemble, provided me with a few pointers for attending a dance from that era. It’s interesting how fragile women were thought to be (see #1 and 5) and how clumsy men were assumed to be (see #6).

1860s Ball Room Etiquette:

1. Never forget that ladies are to be first cared for, to have the best seats, the places of distinction, and are entitled in all cases to your courteous protection.
2. If you accompany your wife to a dancing party, be careful not to dance with her, except perhaps for the first set.
3. Be very careful how you refuse to dance with a gentleman. A prior engagement will, of course, excuse you but if you plead fatigue, do not dance the set with another.
4. Dance quietly, do not kick and caper about, nor sway your body to and fro, dance only from the hips downwards.
5. Lead a lady as lightly as you would tread a measure with a spirit of gossamer.
6. The fall of a couple is not a frequent occurrence in a ball room, but when it does happen it is almost always the man’s fault. Girls take much more naturally to the graceful movements of the dance, and are, besides, more often taught in childhood than their brothers.
7. Never remain in a ballroom until all of the company have left, or even until the last set. It is ill-bred, and looks as if you are unaccustomed to such pleasures, and so desirous to prolong each one.
8. It is best to carry two pairs of gloves, as in contact with dark dresses, or in handling refreshments, you may soil a pair, and thus will be under the necessity of offering your hand covered in a soiled glove to some partner.

Quoted from various 1860s sources.

Lincoln’s Inaugural Ball
Smithsonian American Art Museum
8th and G Streets – Great Hall, Third Floor
Washington, DC  (map it)

Dates and Times – Saturday, August 16, 2008, performances at Noon, 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.

Tickets – FREE

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Gallery Place – Chinatown, Red, Green and Yellow lines, then a 2-block walk or use the DC Circulator.

Parking – Metered street and paid garage parking is available in the area.

Images – Lincoln gown, Mary Todd Lincoln – public domain, Victorian Dance Ensemble photo courtesy of same.

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Actually, free admission applies to anyone that has the same first name as any of the 43 presidents (a total of 27 different first names).

To celebrate President’s Day, you can pose for a photo with any of 13 presidents at Madame’s including George Washington, Tom Jefferson, Abe Lincoln, FDR, John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, or either George Bush.  There’s also a waving Hillary Clinton wax figure in case you’re thinking…

2/16 UPDATE – Madame’s has announced that they will also have a Barack Obama wax figure over the President’s Day holiday.

Out of 43 presidents, there have been 27 unique names.  Here’s the list of names that qualify for free admission:

Dates - Monday – Friday, Feb. 18-22, 2008

Details – For free admission, you must have the same first name as any United States President and a valid photo ID is required to prove your claim.

Madame Tussauds President’s Week
1025 F Street, NW at 10th Street
Washington D.C. 20004

Images – personal collection – © 2008 – Jon Rochetti

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Throughout his political career, Lincoln ran for public office a total of 11 times, yet lost 8 times (or 72% of the time).

Here’s a list of Abraham Lincoln’s political losses….

In 1832 Abraham Lincoln lost his first political election, for a seat on the Illinois State Legislature in 1832. Six yeas later, after winning a seat in 1834, he ran for Speaker of the State Legislature and lost.

His first run for Congress resulted in a defeat, but he won a seat three years later. Only to lose it in his first bid for re-election.

Lincoln ran for the U.S. Senate in 1854 and lost, took a run at the nomination for Vice Presidency at the convention two years later and lost, and again ran for Senate and was defeated.

In 1860, he did win one important election, to become the 16^th President of the United States.

A visit to the Lincoln Memorial is always a moving experience and is a site that should never be missed on a trip to Washington, DC.

Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial Circle Southwest
23rd St. NW, between Constitution and Independence Avenues
Washington, DC (map it)

Dates and Times – open daily, 24-hours. National Park Rangers are on duty to answer questions daily, from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m.

Cell Phone Tours – 13 pre-recorded Ranger programs are available about many aspects of Lincoln’s life and the Lincoln Memorial are available by calling 202-747-3420, (cell phone airtime charges may apply).

Admission - FREE.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Foggy Bottom – Blue or Yellow line, then a ¾-mile walk.

Parking – Metered street parking is available within a couple blocks of the memorial, but is at time limited, especially on weekends. Best to try after 6:00 p.m.

Image – from personal collection – ©2008, Jon Rochetti

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (February 12th) was also celebrated, but was never a legal national holiday. 

Various observances and parades are planned for Presidents’ Day – February 19th.

George Washington’s Mt. Vernon
An official wreath laying ceremony will be held at Washington’s tomb at 10:00 a.m.  Immediately afterwards, a Revolutionary War mock battle, as well as General Washington and a fife and drum corps. The grounds around of the tomb are small so getting close to the tomb to watch the ceremony may be difficult.

At 1:30 p.m., the fife and drum corps will march around the Mt. Vernon grounds with General Washington reviewing. 

Tickets for Mt. Vernon – Adults $13.00, Seniors $1.00 off,  Kids 6 -11 with an adult $6.00, 5 and under free.

Metro – Take the Metro subway on the Yellow line to the Huntington station and catch a Fairfax Connector bus to Mount Vernon.

Lincoln Memorial Ceremony
A reading of the Gettysburg Address and wreath laying ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial at noon.

Lincoln Memorial
23rd & Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC

Wreath Laying Ceremony at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution in Old Town Alexandria
Colonial militia and Old Town Alexandria citizens honor Soldiers of the Revolutionary War at 11:00 a.m. at the courtyard behind the Old Presbyterian Meeting House.

Old Presbyterian Meeting House
321 South Fairfax St.
Alexandria, VA  22314

George Washington Birthday Parade in Alexandria
The nation’s largest George Washington birthday parade starts at 1:00 p.m. (until 3:00 p.m.).  The parade Route – South Saint Asaph Street to Queen Street, to Royal Street, to King Street to Fairfax Street, to Gibbon Street.

* Washington’s actual birthday was February 11th, 1731, but after the British changed from the Julian to the Gregorian calander in 1752, his birthday retroactively changed to February 22nd.
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Post from: The DC Traveler