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Fourth of July weekend!
A DRESS-UP-&-TIME-TRIP OPPORTUNITY
If you haven't decided what to do during the day this Fourth of
July, you might want to look in on the Pardee Patriotic Picnic and
Stereopticon Ice Cream Social at the beautiful Pardee Home Museum at
11th and Castro on the edge of Downtown Oakland. That's right,
downtown Oakland! This Victorian island was home to the Pardee family
from its completion in 1869 until the death of the last Pardee
daughter in 1981, and still has its front and rear gardens, with
carriage house and water tower.
The event is a sort of combination holiday garden party and
charity bazaar set in 1908, with recent governor George Pardee
(portrayed as usual by museum director David Nicolai) and his wife
Helen (me, Annie Lore) as genial hosts. There will be wonderful food,
ice cream made on the spot, entertainment (with piano pyrotechnics by
the justly-lauded Frederick Hodges) with activities, games and
competitions for young and old, from sedate croquet and lawn tennis
to the little-known eggball and the thrilling Pardee Tabletop Regatta
on "Lake Roosevelt".
In the Benevolent Bazaar one can purchase toys, books,
knickknacks and who-knows-what. There are awards and prizes to be
won, the most lavish of which (to date) is the Grand Prize of an
antique stereopticon and stereoview cards for the winner of the Paper
Poppy Pageant, a costume competition. All entrants receive a stereo
picture of themselves, with folding viewer (these viewers also
available for sale to anyone).
The Picnic is held from noon till 5:00. It's four blocks from
12th St. BART, with free street parking. If it were left up to me,
I'd comp everyone in, because we belong there-- but since this is a
fundraiser for the museum, I don't think the Board of Trustees would
go for that and it is after all a worthy cause, so there's an
admission charge, which ranges from $12-$18 for adults, depending
upon whether you come in period dress and/or buy your invitation in
advance, and $4-$8 for children. This includes food, cold drinks and
ice cream, with beer, wine and bottled sodas extra.
There are also a number of ways to get in free as a participant;
even if you just help with setup on one of the days before, you can
come to the Picnic and do nothing but play-- in period dress, of
course. So it has a specific period, with games, vendors, food and
entertainment; wait, could this sound almost like some sort of fair?
I'll address the Picnic's features by category:
GAMES AND ACTIVITIES these could use more people to help run them:
FREE-to-PLAY
Nutshell boat-making (for piepan sailing)
Paper poppy-making
Bubble-blowing
Eggball
The Stereograph Nook, a shady corner with comfy seating for enjoying
stereoviews.
PAY-to-PLAY:
Fishpond game (prizes)
Toy boat-building (for sailing in a washtub and on 'Lake Roosevelt'
in the Tabletop Regatta).
The Regatta is free to enter, but of course requires a boat.
The Stereoscopic Photograph Parlour, where you can have a 3D portrait made.
THE BENEVOLENT BAZAAR
This will have a few stalls or tables, at which can be found
various appropriate goods, such as turn of the century or older
books, magazines and sheet music, plus antique or antique-looking
knickknacks, items of apparel, toys, stereoscopic views and viewers.
Some of these last are made for the occasion: prize-filled
'firecrackers', treasure balls, eggball sets and reprinted booklets
with stories and craft projects from vintage publications.
If anyone wishes to put items in the Bazaar on consignment (or
even donate a thing or two), just speak up. This would be an obvious
place for a milliner or clothier to set up, though it's a small event
and we're none of us going to get rich. A hat-decorating booth would
be lovely. Parasols, hatpins, and such would probably move very well.
Any number of things would!
FOOD
The regular Pardee House volunteers will be handling the food as
is usual, though they might need a hand here or there; it's hard to
predict at this point. There will be scrumptious regular (Taylor's)
and meatless sausages (prepared separately), and we hope to have
enough variety in the menu that everyone can find enough of the right
food and drink. You can always pack in some of your own picnic, but
remember, this is 1908 and we don't want to see any plastic. Waxed
paper is an appropriate disposable wrapping. Paper plates were
luckily introduced in 1904; paper towels first appeared in 1907, but
paper napkins didn't come out till the 30s. The earliest paper cup
(the "Health Kup"), a pleated type such as used to be found with
water coolers, has just appeared in our present 1908 as a measure to
make public fountains more hygienic.
The ice cream making needs people, perhaps even an Ice Cream
Director, someone with experience using an old-style hand-cranked ice
cream maker. We're planning multiple churns for the ice cream social;
if you have one to loan, you're in, and you can either be involved in
its use or leave it to others. We already have three, and at least
two more would be nice-- the more the merrier!
ENTERTAINMENT
For the Governor's Stirring Address, the singing of "America"
("My country, 'tis of thee") will be accompanied by a wind-up
gramophone, and moving chords from the baby organ will accent the
Governor's words. We'll be playing with these two later as well.
Mrs. Pardee's Mellifluous Musicale
Helen Pardee will present a piano-accompanied programme of
tasteful acts and appropriate music, including her much-lauded
rendition of "A Bird in a Gilded Cage".
The Paper Poppy Pageant portion of the show will showcase
contestants who have made a poppy-themed costume incorporating a
quantity of orange paper supplied to them (I have 400 feet of it!).
It was Governor Pardee who declared the poppy our state flower, so
this is a major decorative theme, along with the obvious patriotic one.
THE PAPER POPPY PAGEANT
There will be a small registration fee to cover supplies and any
postage needed. You can enter as an individual, couple or even
family. There are plenty of possibilities for costume themes: a Poppy
Fairy, the Knight of Poppies, Poppy Zeus and Hera, Poppy Romeo and
Juliet etc. or pure poppy fantasy with a turn of the century fllavor:
think Winsor McCay. Even a poppy monster! You can take any existing
outfit from 1908 or earlier and add on the poppy stuff. Easy! But do
remember, this is not only 1908, it's a Family Event at the home of a
very prominent citizen, so a certain degree of decorum is expected.
We're also thinking of a picture hat competition, which unlike
the Paper Poppy Pageant won't require pre-registration; one can just
show up in a really overdone hat and join others for judging at the
appropriate time. And how about an Alliteration Bee? Alliteration
always amply allays any awkwardness
We're also thinking of a picture hat competition, which unlike
the Paper Poppy Pageant wouldn't require pre-registration; one can
just show up in a really overdone hat and join others for judging at
the appropriate time. And how about an Alliteration Bee? Alliteration
always amply allays any awkwardness.
As part of the stage programme (though perhaps performed on the
lawn, as the stage is quite small), there is a marvelous dance
opportunity; I have this piece from 1904, "The Dance of the Mist
Maiden", and have been dying to put it on for years. It's Terribly
Artistic, but really just a series of twelve simple poses, so it
doesn't necessarily require Maidens of balletic ability. It can be
performed solo or by as many dancers as are available, and the book
includes floor patterns for the choreography. Surely there are a few
ladies out there who'd be game! Grecian dances are all the rage
nowadays, after all, and I have a huge bolt of pink chiffon to devote
to seeing the Maidens lavishly draped.
I'd very much like to find four girls and young women to be the
Pardee daughters, ages 13-20. They might be among or even be all
off-- the Mist Maidens, of course renamed Poppy Maidens.
WHAT TO WEAR
The public is being advised that period attire is, a la PEERS,
"admired but not required"-- but very very strongly encouraged, and
we're backing that up with discounts. It's really not hard to put
something together for 1900-1908 when it's not formal attire. This is
a gorgeous era: art nouveau, Gibson girls (possible bathing dress
show?), Teddy Roosevelt, ragtime, Florodora, the Arrow collar man...
What a marvelous picture we can make! The ladies get to be frilly
flowers with big hair and big hats (and don't forget your gloves) and
the men can be dapper with straw hat (skimmer or Panama) and cane
(ditto on the gloves and you can always take them off if you want).
The premise is that everyone is either an invited guest or
employee of ex-Governor George Pardee, so some pretense of Society
manners is only natural.
AND IT'S GREEN!
Also, in the interests of Less Waste, More Period, (and lots
More Classy) there will be no plastic or paper tableware or
silverware offered. That's right, no plastic water bottles; you can
leave yours outside with the 21st century and enjoy eating and
drinking from the real thing!
Visit <www.pardeehome.org/>www.pardeehome.org/ for more about
the house and its history. There's just a little information about
the Picnic there and it's rather garbled, so keep checking back for
new postings-- we're working on it! Because it's complicated getting
any changes made on that site I'm putting up the Picnic Page
temporarily at <www.the3dfairy.com/>www.The3DFairy.com, so
that's where to check. Should be something to see soon!
Contact me, Annie Lore at
<mailto:ImminentIdea@aol.com>ImminentIdea@aol.com with questions,
ideas and propositions. You can also write
<mailto:PardeePicnic@aol.com>PardeePicnic@aol.com for me or David the
museum director, though he's pretty busy with something else at
present. The email link on the website doesn't seem to deliver
dependably, so don't write there.
We'd like to see the people who really appreciate this kind of
event have a chance to see it and be part of it, and get acquainted
with this too-little-known property, which is a potential venue for
various period functions. It's going to be a Very Nice Time!
Many regards,
Madam A.
A missive notice from Annie Lore. Please email her at
<mailto:ImminentIdea@aol.com>ImminentIdea@aol.com for more information.
A DRESS-UP-&-TIME-TRIP OPPORTUNITY
If you haven't decided what to do during the day this Fourth of
July, you might want to look in on the Pardee Patriotic Picnic and
Stereopticon Ice Cream Social at the beautiful Pardee Home Museum at
11th and Castro on the edge of Downtown Oakland. That's right,
downtown Oakland! This Victorian island was home to the Pardee family
from its completion in 1869 until the death of the last Pardee
daughter in 1981, and still has its front and rear gardens, with
carriage house and water tower.
The event is a sort of combination holiday garden party and
charity bazaar set in 1908, with recent governor George Pardee
(portrayed as usual by museum director David Nicolai) and his wife
Helen (me, Annie Lore) as genial hosts. There will be wonderful food,
ice cream made on the spot, entertainment (with piano pyrotechnics by
the justly-lauded Frederick Hodges) with activities, games and
competitions for young and old, from sedate croquet and lawn tennis
to the little-known eggball and the thrilling Pardee Tabletop Regatta
on "Lake Roosevelt".
In the Benevolent Bazaar one can purchase toys, books,
knickknacks and who-knows-what. There are awards and prizes to be
won, the most lavish of which (to date) is the Grand Prize of an
antique stereopticon and stereoview cards for the winner of the Paper
Poppy Pageant, a costume competition. All entrants receive a stereo
picture of themselves, with folding viewer (these viewers also
available for sale to anyone).
The Picnic is held from noon till 5:00. It's four blocks from
12th St. BART, with free street parking. If it were left up to me,
I'd comp everyone in, because we belong there-- but since this is a
fundraiser for the museum, I don't think the Board of Trustees would
go for that and it is after all a worthy cause, so there's an
admission charge, which ranges from $12-$18 for adults, depending
upon whether you come in period dress and/or buy your invitation in
advance, and $4-$8 for children. This includes food, cold drinks and
ice cream, with beer, wine and bottled sodas extra.
There are also a number of ways to get in free as a participant;
even if you just help with setup on one of the days before, you can
come to the Picnic and do nothing but play-- in period dress, of
course. So it has a specific period, with games, vendors, food and
entertainment; wait, could this sound almost like some sort of fair?
I'll address the Picnic's features by category:
GAMES AND ACTIVITIES these could use more people to help run them:
FREE-to-PLAY
Nutshell boat-making (for piepan sailing)
Paper poppy-making
Bubble-blowing
Eggball
The Stereograph Nook, a shady corner with comfy seating for enjoying
stereoviews.
PAY-to-PLAY:
Fishpond game (prizes)
Toy boat-building (for sailing in a washtub and on 'Lake Roosevelt'
in the Tabletop Regatta).
The Regatta is free to enter, but of course requires a boat.
The Stereoscopic Photograph Parlour, where you can have a 3D portrait made.
THE BENEVOLENT BAZAAR
This will have a few stalls or tables, at which can be found
various appropriate goods, such as turn of the century or older
books, magazines and sheet music, plus antique or antique-looking
knickknacks, items of apparel, toys, stereoscopic views and viewers.
Some of these last are made for the occasion: prize-filled
'firecrackers', treasure balls, eggball sets and reprinted booklets
with stories and craft projects from vintage publications.
If anyone wishes to put items in the Bazaar on consignment (or
even donate a thing or two), just speak up. This would be an obvious
place for a milliner or clothier to set up, though it's a small event
and we're none of us going to get rich. A hat-decorating booth would
be lovely. Parasols, hatpins, and such would probably move very well.
Any number of things would!
FOOD
The regular Pardee House volunteers will be handling the food as
is usual, though they might need a hand here or there; it's hard to
predict at this point. There will be scrumptious regular (Taylor's)
and meatless sausages (prepared separately), and we hope to have
enough variety in the menu that everyone can find enough of the right
food and drink. You can always pack in some of your own picnic, but
remember, this is 1908 and we don't want to see any plastic. Waxed
paper is an appropriate disposable wrapping. Paper plates were
luckily introduced in 1904; paper towels first appeared in 1907, but
paper napkins didn't come out till the 30s. The earliest paper cup
(the "Health Kup"), a pleated type such as used to be found with
water coolers, has just appeared in our present 1908 as a measure to
make public fountains more hygienic.
The ice cream making needs people, perhaps even an Ice Cream
Director, someone with experience using an old-style hand-cranked ice
cream maker. We're planning multiple churns for the ice cream social;
if you have one to loan, you're in, and you can either be involved in
its use or leave it to others. We already have three, and at least
two more would be nice-- the more the merrier!
ENTERTAINMENT
For the Governor's Stirring Address, the singing of "America"
("My country, 'tis of thee") will be accompanied by a wind-up
gramophone, and moving chords from the baby organ will accent the
Governor's words. We'll be playing with these two later as well.
Mrs. Pardee's Mellifluous Musicale
Helen Pardee will present a piano-accompanied programme of
tasteful acts and appropriate music, including her much-lauded
rendition of "A Bird in a Gilded Cage".
The Paper Poppy Pageant portion of the show will showcase
contestants who have made a poppy-themed costume incorporating a
quantity of orange paper supplied to them (I have 400 feet of it!).
It was Governor Pardee who declared the poppy our state flower, so
this is a major decorative theme, along with the obvious patriotic one.
THE PAPER POPPY PAGEANT
There will be a small registration fee to cover supplies and any
postage needed. You can enter as an individual, couple or even
family. There are plenty of possibilities for costume themes: a Poppy
Fairy, the Knight of Poppies, Poppy Zeus and Hera, Poppy Romeo and
Juliet etc. or pure poppy fantasy with a turn of the century fllavor:
think Winsor McCay. Even a poppy monster! You can take any existing
outfit from 1908 or earlier and add on the poppy stuff. Easy! But do
remember, this is not only 1908, it's a Family Event at the home of a
very prominent citizen, so a certain degree of decorum is expected.
We're also thinking of a picture hat competition, which unlike
the Paper Poppy Pageant won't require pre-registration; one can just
show up in a really overdone hat and join others for judging at the
appropriate time. And how about an Alliteration Bee? Alliteration
always amply allays any awkwardness
We're also thinking of a picture hat competition, which unlike
the Paper Poppy Pageant wouldn't require pre-registration; one can
just show up in a really overdone hat and join others for judging at
the appropriate time. And how about an Alliteration Bee? Alliteration
always amply allays any awkwardness.
As part of the stage programme (though perhaps performed on the
lawn, as the stage is quite small), there is a marvelous dance
opportunity; I have this piece from 1904, "The Dance of the Mist
Maiden", and have been dying to put it on for years. It's Terribly
Artistic, but really just a series of twelve simple poses, so it
doesn't necessarily require Maidens of balletic ability. It can be
performed solo or by as many dancers as are available, and the book
includes floor patterns for the choreography. Surely there are a few
ladies out there who'd be game! Grecian dances are all the rage
nowadays, after all, and I have a huge bolt of pink chiffon to devote
to seeing the Maidens lavishly draped.
I'd very much like to find four girls and young women to be the
Pardee daughters, ages 13-20. They might be among or even be all
off-- the Mist Maidens, of course renamed Poppy Maidens.
WHAT TO WEAR
The public is being advised that period attire is, a la PEERS,
"admired but not required"-- but very very strongly encouraged, and
we're backing that up with discounts. It's really not hard to put
something together for 1900-1908 when it's not formal attire. This is
a gorgeous era: art nouveau, Gibson girls (possible bathing dress
show?), Teddy Roosevelt, ragtime, Florodora, the Arrow collar man...
What a marvelous picture we can make! The ladies get to be frilly
flowers with big hair and big hats (and don't forget your gloves) and
the men can be dapper with straw hat (skimmer or Panama) and cane
(ditto on the gloves and you can always take them off if you want).
The premise is that everyone is either an invited guest or
employee of ex-Governor George Pardee, so some pretense of Society
manners is only natural.
AND IT'S GREEN!
Also, in the interests of Less Waste, More Period, (and lots
More Classy) there will be no plastic or paper tableware or
silverware offered. That's right, no plastic water bottles; you can
leave yours outside with the 21st century and enjoy eating and
drinking from the real thing!
Visit <www.pardeehome.org/>www.pardeehome.org/ for more about
the house and its history. There's just a little information about
the Picnic there and it's rather garbled, so keep checking back for
new postings-- we're working on it! Because it's complicated getting
any changes made on that site I'm putting up the Picnic Page
temporarily at <www.the3dfairy.com/>www.The3DFairy.com, so
that's where to check. Should be something to see soon!
Contact me, Annie Lore at
<mailto:ImminentIdea@aol.com>ImminentIdea@aol.com with questions,
ideas and propositions. You can also write
<mailto:PardeePicnic@aol.com>PardeePicnic@aol.com for me or David the
museum director, though he's pretty busy with something else at
present. The email link on the website doesn't seem to deliver
dependably, so don't write there.
We'd like to see the people who really appreciate this kind of
event have a chance to see it and be part of it, and get acquainted
with this too-little-known property, which is a potential venue for
various period functions. It's going to be a Very Nice Time!
Many regards,
Madam A.
A missive notice from Annie Lore. Please email her at
<mailto:ImminentIdea@aol.com>ImminentIdea@aol.com for more information.
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Re: 4th of July: Pardee Patriotic Picnic and Stereopticon Ice Cream Social, Oakland
Mon, June 23, 2008 - 7:51 AMSounds like fun...thanks for posting!
We may come (if we stick around in town, which is looking likely).
Loves me some stereopticon action AND ice cream...bonus is that it's but a short bike ride away!
