Social Victorians/People/de Alcalo Galiano

Also Known As

• Family name: de Alcalo Galiano or de Alealo Galiano?? Also sometimes misspelled as Galliano.

Acquaintances, Friends and Enemies

Acquaintances

• Count Casa de Valencia, Spanish Ambassador
• Cipriano del Mazo, Spanish Minister?

Timeline

1896 June 22, a Mademoiselle de Alcano Galliano attended a State Concert at Buckingham Palace with the Spanish delegation; she is mentioned among the names for the "Members of the Corps Diplomatique and other Foreigners of distinction," including Count Casa de Valencia, Spanish Ambassador. Arthur Collins was also present at this concert.

1897 July 2, Friday, Mademoiselle de Alealo Galiano and Mademoiselle Consuelo de Alealo Galiano attended the Duchess of Devonshire's Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House.

Costume at the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Fancy-dress Ball

Mademoiselle de Alealo Galiano in costume as The Queen of the Fairies. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

Consuelo de Alealo Galiano as Veuve de Pierrot. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

Mademoiselle de Alcalo Galiano

At the Duchess of Devonshire’s 1897 Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, Mademoiselle de Alcalo (or Alealo) Galiano (at 631) attended (based on a a portrait of her in costume in the album held at the National Portrait Gallery), but no report of her presence appears in any newspaper or magazine. It is not surprising that she was not reported as present if the press who saw her (if any did) did not recognize her, if they did not regard her as newsworthy or even if they protected her because she was unmarried.

Alexander Bassano's portrait of Mademoiselle de Alealo Galiano as The Queen of the Fairies in costume is photogravure #33 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Mademoiselle de Alealo Galiano as The Queen of the Fairies."

Mademoiselle de Alcalo Galiano may have meant the character Titania in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was regularly performed in London and Europe during the 1890s as well as more generally. In particular, although right now it is not clear that Mademoiselle de Alcalo Galiano was in London in 1895, Augustin Daly's notable production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Daly's Theatre in London opened on 9 July 1895, for a run of 21 performances, with Sybil Carlisle playing Titania.

Consuelo de Alcalo Galiano

Alexander Bassano's portrait of Consuelo de Alealo Galiano (at 632) as Veure de Pierrot in costume photogravure #34 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Mademoiselle Consuelo de Alealo Galiano as Veure [sic, should be Veuve?] de Pierrot."

Demographics

• Nationality: Spanish?

Family

• Mademoiselle Consuelo de Alcalo Galiano ()
• Mademoiselle de Alcalo Galiano ()

Questions and Notes

1. The National Portrait Gallery says Aleano, but Alcano seems a lot more likely? de Alcano Galiano is the name of people whose cultural importance might conceivably lead to this young woman's presence in London and at this party at this time. Based on the type on the portrait, it is logical for the NPG to say Aleano: the letter does look more like an e than a c.
2. I find one mention of an Alcalo Galliano in the British Newspaper Archive (as of May 2019), in fact it's a Mademoiselle Alcalo Galliano. The letter in the name could be an e or a c again, but in this case it seems more likely to be a c I think.