Charity Costume Ball (3rd year)

On October 3rd 1828 3,500 people attended the premier social event of the year.
It was held at the Assembly Rooms in Mosley Street and guest of honour was politician and future Prime Minister Robert Peel.
Artist Arthur Perigal captured the evening in an oil painting called The Fancy Dress Ball. Measuring 10ft square it shows nearly 300 costumed figures.

The work now hangs in Salford Art Gallery. It was donated to the city by local man, a Mr Peacock, in 1852, who appears in the painting as The Knave of Hearts, and won it in a raffle.
In 1994 the News reported how it was being restored at a cost of £18,000 after being mothballed for 50 years.

The Lowry Hotel General Manager said: “The painting is so impressive and it got me wondering why we couldn’t do something similar today, after I saw it shortly after joining the hotel in 2014.”

Cash raised will go to a good cause - the recently opened Maggie’s Manchester centre near The Christie hospital, which provides support for cancer patients and their families.