The New York Public Library has been home to the papers of renowned author Truman Capote since 1985. The largest repository dedicated to his life and work, the collection ranges from manuscripts and correspondence to photographs, artwork, sound recordings, and other personal miscellany. Since its acquisition, scholars and students of American literature have visited the Library to enrich their understanding of this literary icon.
This display celebrates the 50th anniversary of one of Capote’s most outstanding social triumphs. On November 28, 1966, the author hosted a masked black and white ball at the Plaza Hotel here in New York City. The ball’s invitation billed The Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham as the guest of honor, although Capote was no doubt enjoying the occasion of his recent successes. In particular, the critical acclaim of his nonfiction novel In Cold Blood had propelled him to the height of his career, as well as into the company of society’s most notable elite; it seemed fitting to punctuate his artistic and social achievements with a grand, meticulously planned, and highly publicized party. The affair culminated in a frenzy of news coverage, ushering in a new era of media sensationalism around the private events of society’s upper crust.
In the Library’s Truman Capote Papers is the very notebook in which he wrote his famous guest list; one of the party’s coveted invitations; plus a selection of the event’s media coverage, much of which focuses on who was there, what they wore, and even a ranking system of the guests. Today, 50 years later, the media continues to serve as a grand platform uponwhich the privileged and exclusive are made public—while Capote’s Black & White Ball remains a night to remember.
