Sybil Mary Fane (née St Clair-Erskine), Countess of Westmorland
(20 Aug 1871 – 21 Jul 1910)
Acclaimed as the greatest beauty of her day
at the Duchess of Grosvenor's ball in 1897
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sybil_Fane,_Countess_of_Westmorland
In July 1897 Sybil attended the Duchess of Devonshire's grand ball, at Devonshire House in Piccadilly, London. The ball was held in celebration of Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee, and was one of the most extravagant aristocratic parties ever. Guests were asked to attend dressed as allegorical or historical figures from before 1815. Sybil dressed as Hebe, goddess of youth, carrying a gold cup in her hand, with an enormous stuffed eagle strapped to her shoulders, in imitation of a painting by Joshua Reynolds. The society photographers, Lafayette Studios of Bond Street London, erected a tent in the garden, and the printed photographs of the guests still exist in the Devonshire archives at Chatsworth. Consuelo, Duchess of Marlborough remembers Sybil as the outstanding beauty of the Devonshire House Ball:
"She had perhaps the most perfect face. I can see her now in a Greek peplum impersonating Hebe. The grey feathers of a life-like stuffed eagle perched on her shoulder, set off the glorious sheen of her red hair".
Sybil Mary Fane (née St Clair-Erskine), Countess of Westmorland
(20 Aug 1871 – 21 Jul 1910), dated 22 Feb 1900