18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 33

[cahn]

And, I mean, it doesn't have to be just 18th century characters, either!

(also, waiting for Yuletide!)

Comments

Dance cards at balls

[luzula]

Ha ha, wow, you guys have been busy! I have not kept up with your recent comments.

A question: I don't suppose any of you know how old the practice of using dance cards at balls is? I did find a master's thesis on the topic, but it's more interested in how they are designed and how they go out of fashion. Earliest mentioned examples are from the 1760's, and my fic is set in the 1740's.

No need to do any research for my sake, this is just if you happened to know anything about it, or had a new idea for where I might look. How dare scholarly articles not address the things I need for my fanfiction...

I thought Google Ngram might help, but nope, according to that the term began to be used in 1920. And the OED's earliest example is from 1895, which is also weird.

Re: Dance cards at balls

[mildred_of_midgard]

I don't, and I wouldn't have guessed they were around as early as the 1760s! I would have guessed 1790s.

Earliest mentioned examples are from the 1760's, and my fic is set in the 1740's.

In Britain, I assume? That might make a difference.

I have not kept up with your recent comments.

I don't blame you! This is exactly how cahn and I guessed that anyone who kept up with comments enough to write "Thirteen Ways of Looking at Frederick" must be felis. ;)

Re: Dance cards at balls

[luzula]

I don't, and I wouldn't have guessed they were around as early as the 1760s! I would have guessed 1790s.

In fact a historian I asked said it was even later...

Re: Dance cards at balls

[mildred_of_midgard]

Yeah, I should rephrase, 1790s is the earliest I would have guessed; I'm only familiar with them from much later.

Re: Dance cards at balls

[cahn]

Ha, thank you for linking this! :)

Re: Dance cards at balls

[cahn]

As usual I cannot help at all, but ahahaha, I know what you mean, I haven't been able to keep up at all recently either!