2-982-096 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Royal Visit to the City: the Indian Ball-Room at the Guildhall, 1876. Temporary ballroom '...destined for a new council-chamber...This magnificent apartment,...is ceiled with a combination of white and crimson cloth, and is hung throughout with rich light blue satin, bays being formed by columns covered with velvet of darker shade enriched by gilt cornices and mouldings. In each bay there is a noble mirror, beneath a tasteful canopy, with side brackets for lights; but the main illumination is supplied by glass chandeliers suspended from the centre line of the roof. At the end of this Royal ball-room...is a beautiful arch, and within it a representation of a Hindoo temple, seen through a grove of palms and tropical plants...The dancing, however, could only be carried on to a limited extent, owing to the crowded state of the rooms'. From "Illustrated London News", 1876.