Parties in Victorian days were rarely informal, haphazard affairs. Instead, they were meticulously planned. One had to know just whom to invite, what to serve, what entertainments to provide, and more. Parties also tended to be of specific types. An "evening party" was an "evening party" - not just a gathering that happened to be held in the evening. An evening party would have quite different requirements from, say, an afternoon party or a garden party. Guests also needed to know the social requirements of the event, including what to wear and just how to behave correctly (which is why we put these entertainments in the "etiquette" section).

Calling & Card-Leaving

Etiquette for Ladies and Girls, by Ardern Holt (Girl's Own Paper, 1880)

On calling and card-leaving.

The Social Duty of Women: The Afternoon Call (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1894)

Social life in the days before Facebook...

The Social Duty of Woman: A Sympathy Call (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1894)

The Etiquette of Card-Leaving, by Sophia F.A. Caulfeild (Girl's Own Paper, 1895)

How you leave your calling card, and what card you leave, speaks volumes for the sort of person you are! For example, omitting the prefix "Miss" (if unmarried) suggests a woman of "masculine proclivities" - though "many young women of really womanly natures may copy the style from others less well-bred than themselves."

Musical Parties

Our Soirée Musicale (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1875)

A delightful bit of humor that explores Victorian pomposity - as a social group discovers that one of its potential members is (gasp) in trade!

On Musical Parties and How to Manage Them, by Ardern Holt (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1876)

"A mistress of a house does well to remember that much of the success of all party-giving depends on the perfection of several details, which can only be brought about by forethought and pre-arrangement on her part."

A Village Musicale, by Madge Morley (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

The Social Duty of Women: The Musical At-Home (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1894)

How to make a musical evening an enjoyable one for your guests.

A Musical Luncheon, by Mrs. Garrett Webster (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

Costume Balls & Fancy Dress Parties

The Fancy [Costume] Ball (Illustrated London Almanack, 1855)

Fancy Dresses [for a Costume Ball] (Godey's, 1873)

Children's Calico Balls (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1879)

Children's Christmas costume parties.

Party & Ballroom Etiquette (Collier's Cyclopedia, 1882)

Children's Fancy Dress for Christmas Parties (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1883)

"Fancy costumes are particularly well adapted to little folks, a fact which of late years has come to be recognized, and at many juvenile parties character costumes are de rigeur."

Some Curious Fancy Dresses, by Framley Steelcroft (The Strand, 1895A)

This elaborate outfits designed for the famous British costume ball might be just the thing for your Victorian Halloween party!

Masquerade Costumes Representing the Twelve Months of the Year (Toilettes, 1898)

A full-page illustration from a fashion magazine offering idea for masquerade costumes.

A Masquerade of Cats (The Strand, 1904B)

A masquerade ball given by the Connecticut Cat Club.

Other Parties & Entertainments

The Charade (Illustrated London Almanack, 1853)

The Evening Party (Illustrated London Almanack, 1853)

The Cotillion (Demorest, 1873)

We've all heard of the cotillion, but this article, which describes some of the traditional games and dances therein, is an eye-opener! (Foolscaps and Crown, anyone?)

Grown-Up Children's Parties (Demorest, 1874)

Some entertainments, derived from children's games, that will enliven an adult party.

How We Managed Our Garden Party, by Phillis Browne (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1877)

Includes suggested foods to serve.

Afternoon Parties (Demorest, 1879)

"One of the most sensible of the new departures in social life which have taken place of late years consists of the afternoon receptions which are so fashionable a substitute for the great evening parties which formerly extended beyond midnight."

How Girls May Entertain Their Friends, by Ruth Lamb (Girl's Own Paper, 1882)

Party & Ball-Room Etiquette (Collier's Cyclopedia, 1882)

Including how to organize a ball, ball-room etiquette, ball-room toilette, and instructions on the various dances that might be held at a ball.

A Bar to Social Evenings, by Louise Stockton (Century Magazine, 1883A)

The "bar" is the need to provide refreshments; if social evenings did not require food, they would be easier to arrange.

Gifts and Presentations, by Frederick Hastings (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1887)

Tips on making appropriate "testimonial" gifts at a banquet or similar occasion.

Church Fairs and Social Suppers, by Mrs. A.G. Lewis (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

How to arrange various types of church bazaars, socials and suppers.

Ideas for Pretty Luncheons, by Mrs. Burton Kingsland (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

Setting up a luncheon with a floral theme.

Lawn Parties and Outdoor Fetes, by Mrs. A.G. Lewis (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

Pretty Luncheons and Dainty Teas (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

A collection of entertainment ideas for luncheons and teas, including a Shakespearian luncheon, a literary luncheon, an old-fashioned tea, etc.

Wine on Fashionable Tables (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

A discussion by several writers on whether wine is no longer considered appropriate for certain types of parties and gatherings.

To Entertain an Evening Party (Ladies' Home Journal, 1893)

A roundup of entertainment ideas.

A Fourth of July Dinner, by E.M. Lucas (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

Home Games and Carnivals (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

A selection of party ideas.

Home Parties and Church Socials (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

Our Futures and Our Fortunes, by Mrs. A.G. Lewis (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

A look at fortunetelling at parties, with a warning not to take this too seriously!

A Peach Luncheon (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

Tea, Luncheon, Party and Dinner (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

A roundup of themed party ideas and entertainments.

When a Woman Is a Hostess, by Agnes H. Morton (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

This article is interesting for its use of diagrams to portray different types of party "problems," such as the monopolist, talking in pairs, etc. I've seen these diagrams before and never knew they went back so far.

A Wild Rose Party, by Mary S. Saxe (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

How American Girls Entertain, by Gertrude Bacon (Girl's Own Paper, 1902)

• See also Dining & Dinner Parties