Written by The Bronxville Historical Conservancy

Oct. 15, 2014: On Saturday, October 4, a ballroom at The Jane Hotel in New York City was packed shoulder to shoulder with Bronxville Historical Conservancy members decked out in their 1920s finest. Sipping "Gramatan Gimlets" while enjoying the hip upbeat sounds of electro-swing music, the crowd enjoyed a melding of history and contemporary culture.

"Guest of the Gramatan" was the brainchild of the conservancy's young families committee, Erin Saluti, Michelle McBride, and Stafford Meyer, the same team that produced the popular family-oriented Ghosts of Bronxville last year. Joined by board member Judy Foley, the group designed the event to make partygoers feel as if they were indeed guests of the Gramatan, attending one of the hotel's glittering Saturday evening balls, circa 1923. Co-chair Michelle McBride explained, "We hoped to bring the same spirit of historical intrigue to our young families members, with an event designed just for adults."

The intrigue began back in June with a mysterious telegram from B.H. Brobst, a 1920s manager of the Hotel Gramatan, alerting members of the event in October. "Our plan was to develop a curious and quirky ambience of the event, long before the guests even arrived," explained event co-chair Erin Saluti.

After considering several locations, a venue at The Jane Hotel was selected. The committee chose The Jane Ballroom, a popular and exclusive nighttime venue in the West Village, as they knew it would transport guests back in time with its plush leather and velvet furnishings, fanciful artwork, oriental rugs, and taxidermy. Co-chair Stafford Meyer continued, "The cavernous two-story space was exactly as we had envisioned the Gramatan back in the day--glamorous, yet inviting."

During the evening, guests were mesmerized by a 1920s dancing couple and a spine-tingling mentalist who worked the room, eerily pulling thoughts from people's minds. Co-chair Erin Saluti shared, "Magic and the arcane was a popular fascination of the 1920s. We learned in our research that the Hotel Gramatan had 'gypsy dance interpreters' as entertainment and decided to bring the concept of illusion to the evening."

A massive fixture straddled atop Sunset Hill from 1905 until 1972, the Gramatan enjoyed its spectacular heyday in the 1920s. Developed by real estate mogul William Van Duzer Lawrence, the hotel enjoyed an international reputation of exclusivity, attracting stars such as Greta Garbo, John and Ethel Barrymore, Gloria Swanson, Peaches and Daddy Browning, and Theodore Dreiser. Society from all over the world flocked to the Gramatan to rub elbows, its balls and social events serving as mixers for the rich and famous.

To communicate the extraordinary history of the Gramatan, an interactive multimedia "digital scrapbook" was created. The scrapbook includes layers of photos and links to music and video, as well as photos of the evening's festivities. To learn more about the Hotel Gramatan, you may visit the digital scrapbook (best viewed on a desktop for full experience) at www.guestofthegramatan.com.

The committee's objective for the event was to involve more families with school-age children with the conservancy. Michelle McBride explained, "We hoped to create an exciting event through which we could communicate an important slice of Bronxville history, highlight the work of the conservancy, and encourage families to remain involved." Conservancy co-chair Bill Dowling added, "The conservancy is so pleased with the excitement and enthusiasm shown for the special events created by our young families committee."

To see photos of the event, click here: Guest of the Gramatan 2014. 

The young families committee has announced that because of popular demand, The Ghosts of Bronxville will return in October of 2015.

The Bronxville Historical Conservancy was founded in 1998 to record and preserve Bronxville's history and life in the village today.

Pictured here: Attendees at the Guest of the Gramatan party sponsored by The Bronxville Historical Conservancy.

Photo above and photos in link by Richard D. Cole