[From 128 Views, c.1907]

Section 2 - Douglas Dancehalls

For those with a CD_ROM click on each image to open a new window with a larger image.

JV 02829 - The Palace Douglas

c. 1896 ?

The Palace was one of the big dancehalls established in Douglas in the 1880s. The posters advertise 'Last week of Cake-walk exhibition' - the cakewalk was a parody minstrel dance that had its roots in the 1850s Chalk-line walk but which became very popular both in America and here after 1895 - the Cakewalk was the first American dance to cross over from black to white society as well as from the stage (Minstrel shows) to dancehall.

St Andrew's online Valentine postcards indicates a registration date of 1882 for this image, IMO an impossibly early date given that the Palace did not open until 1887 and the cakewalk boomed c. 1895-97.

The Palace Ballroom, Douglas

The figures are obviously painted on to a photograph of the empty hall - however painted ladies of a different ilk were not apparently unknown here around this period

Derby Castle Ballroom, Douglas

Derby Castle was the first of the large dancehalls to be built.

Derby Castle and Grounds, Douglas

Derby Castle, Douglas

Storm at Derby Castle, Douglas

Note: Photographs that appeared on the same page are grouped together; pages are separated by a small horizontal line. All comments are my own and are not in the original which had only the captions shown against each photograph.




Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2000