The 1931 Architect’s Ball & The Pseudoscience of Phrenology

In 1931, architects at the New York City Architect’s Ball took their love for design to the next level—literally dressing as the buildings they had created. From the Chrysler Building to the Waldorf-Astoria, it was a night of skyscrapers, style, and celebration.

Meanwhile, in the world of pseudoscience, the phrenology psychograph promised to read personality traits by scanning the bumps on a person’s skull. This bizarre contraption, once taken seriously, became more of a novelty as phrenology fell out of favor.

History is full of fascinating, and sometimes absurd, moments—let’s dive in.