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"Mr. Smith's Ball"

Photo: Women of the Imperial Family featuring Betsy Paterson Bonaparte, upper left.
Photo: Women of the Imperial Family featuring Betsy Paterson Bonaparte, upper left.

In the winter of 1804, Baltimore belle Besty Bonaparte made quite a splash at a variety of splendid parties and balls, and inspired some choice observations from other attendees.

Ric Cottom came to Baltimore more than four decades ago and never left. Formerly the editor and publisher at the Maryland Historical Society, he now runs the Chesapeake Book Company, publishing Chesapeake regional history, biography, and environmental studies.
Lisa Morgan covered the local arts community as co-creator and host of WYPR’s award-winning program The Signal from 2004 to 2015. She has created and produced many programs for WYPR, including news stories, features, commentaries, and audio documentaries. She taught audio production at Goucher College and has done voice-over work for a variety of clients. The Weekly Reader is her latest project.