In 1877, author Jules Verne organized a costumed masquerade ball in his home town of Amiens, France, and sent out over 700 invitations. This affair was unlike anything before because hundreds of attendees came in costumes based on characters and places from his popular series of "scientific fiction" novels, known as Voyages Extraordinaires (Extraordinary Voyages).
The common wisdom is that the first costumed science fiction-themed convention did not take place until over sixty years later, in 1939. Had Jules Verne once again anticipated the future?
An illustration about the event from the French newspaper Le Monde Illustr�, lead author Kathe Gust to discoverer how Jules Verne's popularity as an author, and his connection to his adopted home town, lead him to put on this amazing event. Based on scattered French newspaper accounts and letters from the time, she has woven together the story of what was arguably the first sci-fi themed costumed masquerade ever held. She also discovered a second costumed masquerade he put on several years later that was inspired by his novels.
The book includes historical photos and illustrations from the time, including full-color plates, that are not widely available. It also provides the author's translations of some of the texts that she used, citations and bibliographic references, and a full index to help readers locate references in the text.
This book is not only an interesting story from a human perspective, but also sheds light on the history of early science fiction literature, and costumed masquerade balls that were popular in the 19th century. It provides new insight into the man who is widely regarded as the Father of Science Fiction Literature.
Gust, Kathe: - Kathe Gust enjoys creating clothing for many historical periods, and for various sci-fi and fantasy genre. She has co-directed costume masquerades and served as a judge at the local, regional, and international levels. She served as International Costumers' Guild (ICG) Recording Secretary from 2012 to 2017. As a member of the Silicon Web Costumers' Guild, she is the Secretary of the chapter, its Webmaster, and the Assistant Editor of the chapter's The Virtual Costumer quarterly online magazine (https: //siwcostumers.org/vc), She and husband Philip Gust received the ICG Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021. The award is the ICG's highest honor, recognizing a body of achievement in the costuming art and service to the costuming community. (https: //costume.org/wp/icg-lifetime-achievement-award/)She holds a Master of Science degree in Library Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communications.
Gust, Philip: - Philip Gust enjoys sci-fi and fantasy costuming, and has particular interests in props, special effects, and prosthetic makeup. He also costumes in historical periods, including Regency, Victorian, and early 20th C. He has co-directed costume masquerades and served as a judge at the local, regional, and international levels.He served as International Costumers' Guild (ICG) President from 2012 to 2017. He currently chairs the ICG Publications Committee and the ICG Technology Committee, and serves as the ICG Webmaster. He is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the ICG Press (https: //costume.org/wp/icg-press/).As a member of the Silicon Web Costumers' Guild, he is the Editor of the chapter's The Virtual Costumer quarterly online magazine (https: //siwcostumers.org/vc), and hosts the "Silicon Web Costumers' Guild Presents" webinar series (https: //siwcostumers.org/webinars). He and wife Kathleen Gust received the ICG Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021. The award is the ICG's highest honor, recognizing a body of achievement in the costuming art and service to the costuming community. (https: //costume.org/wp/icg-lifetime-achievement-award/).He holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Psychology. He has worked on NASA space missions that have visited every planet in the solar system.
