Archi-Arts Scrapbook, 1945-1951 and 1954

The scrapbook, donated by Dr. Anderson Todd of the Rice School of Architecture, contains program material and photographs that both represent each year’s distinct theme and identify the women honorees, who were elaborately costumed in keeping with each year’s theme.

1945 The title was “Guaya-Guayere,” a port city on the island of Trinidad. The honorees were costumed to represent eight port cities which a Trinidadian sailor might have visited: Port of Spain, Trinidad; Port au Prince, Haiti; New Orleans, U.S.A.; Paramaribo, Surinam; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Guantanamo, Cuba; Forte de France, Martinique; and Kingston, Jamaica. The event was held at the Junior League Club on May 5. There are 11 photographs.

1946 The theme was “Schauspielmaske,” and the honorees were costumed to represent emotions: Love, Jealousy, Temptation, Modesty, Serenity, Gaiety, Vice, and Vanity. The event was held at the State Guard Armory on January 19. There are 10 photographs of the costumed women.

1947 The theme was “ L’Abeidem,” a festival celebrated annually in medieval France and climaxed by the presentation of princesses from whom the knight victorious in the jousting tournaments would make a choice. The event was held at the Elks Hall on February 21. There are one large photograph of seven “princesses” in costume and seven small ones of men students apparently beginning to decorate. Also included is a page from the university yearbook.

1948 The theme was “Jabberwocky,” a fantastic wonderland on the other side of an enchanted Looking Glass. Costumed “characters” included Alice, the White Rabbit, a Magician, and two Pages, in addition to “the Favorites”: Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Princess on the Glass Hill, Snow Queen, Andine, Proserpine, Titania, Pandora, and Ching Linyi, Chinese Bellmaker’s daughter. The event was held at the Elks Hall on February 21. There are 25 photographs. Also included is the full page newspaper feature on the ball that appeared in the Houston Post as well as two pages from the university yearbook.

1949 The theme was “Sargasso,” based on the idea that the Sargasso Sea is the place where all the rivers of the earth, after flowing into the oceans, have gathered. There were 10 costumed honorees, representing the Euphrates, the Mississippi, La Plata, the Danube, the Volga, the Nile, the Congo, the Amazon, the Thames, and the Ganges. The event was held at the Elks Hall on March 12. There are 10 fine 8x10 labeled photographs.

1950 The theme was “Danse Macabre,” based on a fantasy involving the poet Baudelaire and the domain of Satan. The honorees were costumed as personifications of Baudelaire poems: L’Harmonie du Soir, L’Ideal, Ciel Brouille, La Beaute, La Muse Venale, L’Obsession, La Musique, La Geante, Parfum Exotique, and Reve Parisien. The event took place on February 11. There are nine labeled 8x10 photographs of the personifications.

1951 The title was “Tyn El-k’hani 1202.” This event is represented by only an admission ticket; there is no program with explanatory detaILs. It took place at Temple Emanu El on February 17.

1954 The title was “The Neon Hours,” referring to the night-time world. The eight honorees represented Neon, Society, Theater, Burlesque, Crime, the Foreign Element, Love, and Sunrise. Location and date are not recorded. There is one large photograph of one of the costumed women.