10 vintage photos show the bizarre world of debutantes during the Vanderbilt and Rockefeller era
Debutante balls were not only developed to find a suitor for a daughter, but also a way for the family to demonstrate social status within a community, wealth, and family lineage.
In the late '40s and early '50s men began coming back from the war. Debutante's parties were back on the rise, now with a new generation of women hosting.
Traditionally, girls are escorted by their mothers into the events. Here, debutante Nicole du Pont at her dinner dance in Wilmington, Delaware in 1959.
The 1953 book "The Glitter and the Gold" written by famous debutante Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, explored the stressful and exhausting world of debutante life leading up to the event. Here, Mary Henderson takes a curtsey at her coming out party in Boston, 1959.
In the '40s through the '50s, news publications such as Life, Newsweek, and Time covered various debutante balls.
Some parties extended long into the night — such as Linda Ryan's, pictured below. A live band played Ryan's party until 8 a.m. in the morning under the orders of her step-grandfather, George Widener.
Along with the perfect dress and shoes to match, women were also taught how to perform the perfect curtsy. Here, Mazie Cox takes a bow at the Waldorf-Astoria in 1963.
Mazie Cox poses for a picture in a dress which her mother designed for her for her ball.
Choreographed dances have been a strong tradition among debutante balls.
There are a number of famous debutantes, including Jacqueline Lee Bouvier (who later became Jacqueline Lee Kennedy), and the daughter of then future President Nixon, Tricia Nixon.
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