A Night at the Ball

Lorna McDougal, the main character in Kiss of Death, likes nothing more than a glamourous night out. The Armistice Ball provides her with a long-awaited opportunity to see and be seen as the denizens of Wellington celebrate the end of the Great War. 

Evening Dress in 1918

Evening dress had significantly evolved in the twenty years leading up to 1918. In particular, fabrics were looser, and waistlines weren’t as constricted. Of course, our main character, Lorna McDougal would have been following these trends very closely.

Contrast the 1901 image on the left with the image on the right from 1917. 

The Hansom Cab

A line of hansom cabs in Wellington in 1910 

Horse-drawn hansom cabs were a common sight in Wellington at the turn of the century, but were starting to die out and be replaced by “motor taxi cabs” by 1918. Drivers were exposed to the elements while having a limited view of the street. 

The Oriental Hotel

The Oriental Hotel (as it was called in 1918) began life as the Oriental Bay Tea Kiosk before being taken over by the government as a convalescence home when the first wave of casualties began to return from Gallipoli. By 1918 it was back in private hands and was a popular function venue.