The Queen of Love and Beauty at the Veiled Prophet’s Ball

The Veiled Prophet Parade and Ball was a yearly civic celebration in St. Louis, Missouri, over which a mythical figure called the Veiled Prophet presided. The first events were in 1878. The parade and ball were organized and funded by the Veiled Prophet Organization, an all-male, secret society[3][4][5] founded in 1878 by prominent St. Louisans.

The organization chooses one member to be a Veiled Prophet who conducts meetings and oversees activities but not necessarily for one year, spokesman Allyn Glaub said in 1991. They were a highly select group culled from the area's business, civic and governmental leaders, "the people who run St. Louis and St. Louis County."