What would you wear for a Halloween costume if you didn’t have a century of pop culture characters to select from? Masquerades are nothing new, but long ago there was a whole different group of characters to dress up as. However, if you emulated the fancy dress balls of the 19th century, you might have to explain to people who you are impersonating, and then explain who that person was. The exception is the skeleton show here, which is eternal. Enjoy some obscure but wickedly elaborate costumes from the 1884 book Male Character Costumes, a Guide to Gentlemen's Costume Suitable for Fancy Dress Balls and Private Theatricals at mental_floss.
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