1896 | “DUMB SOCIETY” | 2026
International House celebrates the 130th anniversary of ‘Dumb Society’ parade
“5 O’Clock Tea” Happy Hour | Every night from 5-7 PM, Feb 4th-12th
“Dumb Society” Cocktail Party | 5-8 PM February 13th
January 29, 2026, New Orleans – International House, New Orleans’ first boutique hotel, will host nightly spiked tea parties in February to mark the 130th anniversary of the acclaimed “Dumb Society” parade, an utterly epic 1896 satire of high society customs. From February 4 - 12 locals and visitors alike can join for “5 O’Clock Tea” (served by costumed characters from the original float) leading up to the crescendo - a fantastical Friday, February 13th “Dumb Society” champagne & cocktail affair. The hotel has recreated Float 15’s “Five O’Clock Tea” tableau with whimsically costumed pageantry and a Carnival cocktail menu inspired by the Belle Époque.
With 110 fantastically anthropomorphic costumes, 18 captivating papier-maché floats and 21 brilliant watercolors – the ensemble laced with perfectly pitched, zany wit - the DUMB SOCIETY parade was a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
“As the first boutique hotel in New Orleans and before that the first World Trade Center in the world,” said hotel owner Sean Cummings. “It is our great honor at International House to invite you to join us in celebrating the 130th anniversary of Proteus 1896 and the breathtaking originality that took spectacle to the next level.”
For the 2026 edition, Cummings hired gifted costume artists of today, with Carmen Goldbling recreating the costumes and characters from Float 15 - comically titled "Five O'Clock Tea." The float pokes fun at the affected custom of afternoon tea, as noted by the Daily Picayune: “This scene presents Mrs. Elephant – large and fat and jolly -entertaining her friends at a fashionable tea … the fashionable English dress of Mr. Ass most be thus!”
In local lore, it was a woman who took the Golden Age to its zenith. Her name, Carlotta Bonnecaze. The first woman and first Creole (French) to design a parade. Or did she? Did she even exist? “I fell in love with a ghost,” said one Mardi Gras historian. Her existence a tantalizing mystery. Maybe the genius designer was Swedish transplant Bror Anders Wikstrom. No one seems to know. Such is the nature of secret societies and the concealing and revealing of masking culture that is New Orleans.
With an intoxicating laugh and operatic voice, the James Beard-nominated ruler of all beasts at Loa - Abigail Gullo - offers revelers a spirited taste of the Belle Epoque in a teacup: "Our 'Five O'Clock Tea' honors Carlotta and her pricelessly witty animal-people creations.”
The History
On Mardi Gras morning 1857, "The Mistick Krewe of Comus introduced spectacle to the streets of New Orleans, and Carnival was forever changed," writes acclaimed Carnival historian Henri Schindler. For the next 100 years - the Golden Age of Carnival - New Orleans lived the fullest expression of its sensual self, manifest in a glorious array of opulent costumes, intricate graphic art, and marvelous pageantry created by hundreds of prolific theater artists.
The Daily Picayune’s praise was immediate. Of her Mardi Gras (February 18, 1896), DUMB SOCIETY, the front page reads: “A Most Brilliant of Social Triumphs, using the animal kingdom as the means of burlesque, satire and humor. The tableaux were conceived by a mastermind and executed with a hand fully careful of detail. The pageant of last night was equal to any that has ever appeared on the streets of New Orleans.”
Carnival Cocktails
For 2026, Gullo’s carnival menu presents era-defining cocktails like the bracing Roffignac Tropicalia and Carlottta’s Cup served in a regal silver chalice with a wild Iris (national flower of France) to honor Carlotta. Says Abigail, “You might say my drinks offer a festive taste of place worthy of a Queen, yet suitable for a jackass, goat, monkey, or any satirical figure in Dumb Society. Such are the demands of Carnival and selfie-stick dumb society today! "
Join us for a twilight tryst, finding sensual sanctuary in Loa’s divinely candlelit embrace. Then shhh, it’s the hushing hour!
Whether you live here for a few days or a lifetime, you belong to a city dedicated most unusually to the vigorous celebration of life. This spirit still flavors this city’s everyday in every way, and you can find the authentic storytelling - the Sacred Taste of Place - at exactly one hotel in the world.
About the costume makers
Carmen Goldbling is a New Orleans based costume designer known for her work with the Marigny Opera House. She has served as wardrobe manager for the Marigny Opera Ballet and created in outlets that meet the intersection of performance art and carnival culture.
Maria Sandhammer is a New Orleans textile artist and costumer. She has spent her 25+ year career working with wearables in ballet, theatrical productions, fine tailoring, and luxury evening wear. Large scale appliqué and embroidery are emphasized in her personal art. BFA Fashion Savannah College of Art and Design.
Button Sherer is a professional musician and bike mechanic, with a long-standing passion for costume creation. She began sewing costumes at a young age for school plays and has since returned to the craft, creating original costumes in New Orleans for personal use. Paper Maché /Papier Maché is currently her favorite medium, bringing a playful, hands-on spirit to her work.
Jason David Ehlers is a fully outside artist who has been working in Italy and the US for the last 10 years designing and producing high heels and hand-bags. Creative his entire life, Ehlers works in multiple mediums, making concrete sculptures, oil paintings, illustrations and fine leather goods. Ever inspired, he repurposes abandoned leather furniture in the streets, turning discarded leather into fine leather goods and wearables. His is a constant drive for originality, and he credits his daily practice of high-fashion and landscape illustration with keeping his work fresh.
