Thursday, November 6, 2008
Old Timey Ads and Joel Chandler Harris’ Fear of Electricity
Posted by: Amelia // Category: Cruel Games, Failed Attempts at Looking Reputable, Future: fact or fiction, Joel Chandler Harris, Technological Advances, Trickery, What Would JCH Do? // 2:52 pm
Today Boing Boing led me to this delightful Edison Electric ad.
Man, I love old-timey things. If only I could find a job that supported my interests! Oh well.
What I especially love about this are the reassurances in the ad. Electricity was a very new and very foreign thing in the 19th century, after all, and not everyone was ready to drink the Kool-Aid. Or, since Kool-Aid didn’t exist, toddies.
Believe it or not, Mr. Joel Chandler Harris himself was one of the wary.
Above is the gasolier in the West Parlor. Our gasoliers - aka gas chandeliers - have gas lamps on top and electric fixtures on the bottom, making them a unique artifact and representing a very specific slice of history.
Now, to be fair, Harris didn’t purchase these (for every room of the house) simply because he thought this electricity business was a fad. When electricity was first offered, it only came in during certain hours of the day, and no one wanted to be left in the dark after the electric company called it a day.
Logic-based, that’s our guy.
Or… not. You see, Harris was also “cautious” about riding a streetcar while wearing a wristwatch, convinced as he was that these two would combine to make him explode. Or stop time. Or create a black hole. We’re not really sure.
So what does a well-respected man do to hide his crazy? Why, he buys identical wrist watches and builds a secret drawer in his desk, of course.
That way Harris could slip off his watch before boarding the dreaded streetcar, and surreptitiously replace it once he got to work.
Don’t worry, Mr. Harris. Your secret is safe with me.
Comments: 5Brer Buick — The Newest Addition to the Wren’s Nest Team
Posted by: lain // Category: Good Questions, Road Trips, What Would JCH Do? // 11:49 am
On Sunday I drove down to Redbone, GA. Why, you ask?
Why, to pick up Brer Buick, a gift from a donor and the latest member of the Wren’s Nest Team.
Brer Buick is a gold 2000 Regal LS with 131,000 miles and a little dent near the rear wheel on the passenger side. It looks a little something like this–
Now, I did not ask for a car. In fact, I didn’t really do anything other than wear a “Protect the Nest” shirt, which is certainly open to interpretation. And I guess someone thought that they could help by giving us a car. Sure, why not!
But what do we do with it?
- Keep the car for the Wren’s Nest staff and (maybe) storytellers.
- Sell the car and pocket the cash for the Wren’s Nest.
- Auction the car to the highest bidder (and somehow inspire the competition to overpay instead of hunt for a bargain, as Seth Godin suggests).
- Decorate the car like one of those crazy art cars.
- Put a “Brer Rabbit for Atlanta’s Mascot” bumper sticker on it and let it rot in the driveway.
#5 would be the easiest, but probably the least helpful. Any other bright ideas?
Further, how do I enter this into my donor database? Using the Blue Book Value?
Comments: 9Brer Rabbit and Friends at the Center for Puppetry Arts
Posted by: lain // Category: Atlanta, Birds of a feather, Brer Rabbit, Center for Puppetry Arts, Gussying up, Shameless Promotion, Sing Songery, Storytelling, What Would JCH Do? // 11:55 am
Thirty years ago, the Center for Puppetry Arts opened its doors and became the first puppetry center in the United States. Brer Rabbit and Friends was the very first show.
This month the Center is celebrating their 30th season with — you guessed it — Brer Rabbit and Friends. Pretty neat.
We invited the puppeteers over for a photo shoot at the Wren’s Nest to promote the show. It opens September 30th. You should go.
Note the Wren’s Nest admission sign from circa 1938: Adults, 26¢ and Children, 10¢.
Was a quarter not enough? Two bits weren’t going to get the job done? Greedy.
It’s cool that the puppeteers chose to take pictures on this part of the porch.
Joel Chandler Harris penned many of the Brer Rabbit stories in the exact same spot.
Close enough.
Since I’m on a deal making kick — if you see Brer Rabbit and Friends at the Center for Puppetry Arts, hang on to your ticket stub, bring it to the Wren’s Nest, and get a tour of the house for a mere 26¢ one dollar.
For tickets, check out Brer Rabbit and Friends at the Center for Puppetry Arts.
Comments: 3The Wren’s Nest Possibly Under New Old Ownership
Posted by: lain // Category: Awkward Introductions, Cruel Games, Good Questions, Ridiculous Demands, Storytelling, This is awkward, What Would JCH Do? // 10:09 am
SCENE: THE WREN’S NEST, LATE AFTERNOON
(Gallant executive director LAIN SHAKESPEARE prepares to leave the Wren’s Nest when the doorbell rings. CRAZY WOMAN IN PINK, who had been seen mysteriously rolling a suitcase around in the back yard, appears at the door. LAIN does not know she is crazy.)
LAIN: Hi! Are you here for a tour?
WOMAN: Yes! May I come in?
LAIN: Actually, we closed at 2:30. And normally I’d let you come in but I’m running late.
WOMAN: Aha! Will you be open tomorrow? And how much does a tour cost?
LAIN: Yes, and it’s $8 for adults.
WOMAN: Would you charge me if I said this was my house?
(LAIN cannot respond to this question and stares vacantly for nine beats.)
LAIN: …yes, I think I would.
WOMAN: But this is my house. I built it. So you’re going to charge me to see it!?!
LAIN: (voice cracking) …oh?
WOMAN: Yes, I built this house with my husband and my brother.
LAIN: (pointing to the house) Are we… talking about… the Wren’s Nest?
WOMAN: Yes! In fact, I have things planted all around the house.
LAIN: Things? What kind of things?
WOMAN: (ignoring this) When my husband and I divorced, we decided to keep this house as neutral ground. So we can both come here.
(LAIN squints real hard, as if it will make this woman make sense.)
WOMAN: At least, that’s the way it is until I can move all my stuff out.
LAIN: What kind of stuff do you have in here?
WOMAN: (smiling wide) My Ouija board. And Jumanji. Have you ever heard of Jumanji? Say, is this house haunted?
LAIN: Ma’am? I don’t think so. Do you have somewhere you can stay?
WOMAN: This is my house.
LAIN: Yes, but I mean for toni–
WOMAN: (emphatically, but with a smile) My house.
(LAIN and WOMAN exchange awkward goodbye, ending the most confusing conversation that has occurred on the premises in recent memory.)
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EDIT, 1:59 PM: (Editor’s note–In my rush to get everything down on paper, I totally forgot the wackiest part! Please forgive, and you can insert these lines anywhere above where it makes sense.)
LAIN: So, um, what’s your name? How long have you been in the neighborhood?
WOMAN: I am the mother of time.
Comments: 14Thunderstorm Forces Wedding Inside the Wren’s Nest
Posted by: lain // Category: Bravery, Events, Flawless weddings, What Would JCH Do? // 8:32 pm
This evening we were all set to host our friend Kay’s wedding.
The tents were up, the faux Corinthian columns were in place, and the cake was in the fridge. We were ready. But then this thunderstorm comes barreling out of nowhere.
To be fair, I guess it barreled from the north.
For those of you familiar with our grounds, you probably understand that we have no rain plan. We’ve got the museum, sure, but it’s not like we can just invite everyone in when it rains. That would be stupid.
But when there’s bonkers lightning and howling wind knocking down tree branches, we didn’t feel comfortable with everyone sitting under tents held up with metal poles.
So everyone from the wedding took cover in the Wren’s Nest.
Yes, all 2 million of ‘em.
And while our air conditioning system ain’t bad, any time you have 2 million people in one house, it’s gonna get hot.
Luckily, the bride and groom invested in awesome fans with their picture on the front.
It’s clear that they know how to throw a party.
Obviously this wasn’t the best case scenario (and especially not from an historic preservation perspective), but folks remained upbeat, and the rain passed quickly.
So it wasn’t too bad. And now the air outside feels nice and cool.
That said, below are my field notes:
- I’ve enjoyed making 2 million new friends.
- We’re lucky that Kay, our friend the bride, is pretty laid back and didn’t flip out when Mother Nature rained on her parade.
- This cannot happen again.
- Sometimes it’s unfortunate that there’s pressure to generate revenue from outside events.
- Sometimes a minor disaster can be great marketing.
- I’ve been at work for way too long, and on a Saturday no less.
- Good thing I brought a few beers.
120 Years Later, Wrens Still Make Nests in Wren’s Nest Mailbox
Posted by: lain // Category: Birds of a feather, Good Questions, Joel Chandler Harris, What Would JCH Do? // 11:25 am
Our museum gets its name from our mailbox.
A family of wrens made a nest inside the mailbox for 214 Gordon Street in the 1880s while Joel Chandler Harris lived here.
Harris didn’t want to disturb the wrens, so he put up another mailbox next to it. When wrens took over that one too, that’s where he drew the line.
We’ve got a replica mailbox outside now. Last year I opened the mail one day and nearly fell over when I saw freshly laid eggs just chilling inside the mailbox.
This past month we’ve seen a wren going in and out of the mailbox. One of our visitors caught her on film after she flew from the mailbox to a nearby tree.
I’m guessing it’s a girl. What should we name it?
Comments: 10May Day at the Wren’s Nest and Photo Gallery
Posted by: lain // Category: Atlanta, High School Hijinx, Historical Quagmires, West End, What Would JCH Do? // 12:13 pm
Well, it looks like the Wren’s Nest is bringing back the May Day Festival. I know this because I read it in this morning’s paper.
Also, because we’re helping organize it. Durr.
If you read the article, you’ll note that there was a May Day celebration here at the Wren’s Nest for over 70 years.
Our amphitheater was built in the 1920s for the celebration, and the walkway that leads up to it commemorates each May Queen from 1909 - 1983.
It was a very formal affair, and quite a big deal to the organizations in charge of the Wren’s Nest before our current non-profit board took over in 1984.
In fact, the May Day festival ended up eclipsing Joel Chandler Harris and the Brer Rabbit stories in terms of organizational priorities. From what I can gather, it was done under the guise of “what Joel Chandler Harris would have wanted.” I think it was more “what they wanted,” but oh well.
The same sort of excuse was used to justify segregation of the Wren’s Nest, and as we now know, that claim was absolutely false.
That said, the May Day festival was a pretty neat tradition. There would be a parade down Gordon Street (now R.D.A.), and it would culminate in our back yard.
We’ve got a scrapbook of pictures from each year, and I’ve included one from each decade below. Have fun!
Mary Colcord was the first May Queen of the Flower Festival. Here she is in 1909.
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Before Ludacris, I suppose this is how you dropped dem bows in Atlanta. Look at the size of those things!
Christine McEachern was the May Queen in 1915. She’s surrounded by: (standing, left to right) Mary Gresham, Julia Greene, Louise Nichols, Evelyn Jordan, Maude Foster, Dorothy Brogdon, and (seated) Kathryn Stoy and Margaret White.
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Elizabeth Camp in 1927.
She’s surrounded by (standing, left to right) Sara Harrison, Madeline Wrigley, Beatrice Robinson, and Sara McCormack. Then, seated: Jane Spink, Charlotte Richards, Virginia Dillon, and Celeste Houston.
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Betty O’Kelly was the May Queen in 1932.
Apparently you had to be escorted to the stage by a boy your same age who handed you the “Queen’s Scepter.” I met the guy who did the escorting in 1944, and he said that his lines were, “O Queen! Here is thy scepter!” because the year before the kid said, “Hey lady, here’s ya’ stick.”
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Probably 1948. These girls look like Rockettes in training or something. As you can see here–this was a pretty big deal, apparently.
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Jane Brooke was Queen in 1949. I like the color of the flowers.
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Some of the ones taken in the 50s and beyond were clearly not taken at the Wren’s Nest. This one is Judy Carlsen from 1958.
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Here’s Judy’s stone. All of them look like this with a couple changes in size and font, and each is in a different state of repair.
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Here’s Kathryn LaRose Wright from 1963.
She’s with John Hunsinger, Paul Jenson, Missy Wright, Kitty Gundt, John Chapman, and Julie Hinton.
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Eugenia Marie Conway from 1975. Flower children meet the Flower Festival.
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Not the best picture quality, but Margaret Lynd Rhodes was the final May Queen, in 1983.
Comments: 8Atlanta History Center to Acquire the Wren’s Nest, Move it to Buckhead
Posted by: lain // Category: Cruel Games, Really?, What Would JCH Do? // 7:42 am
My board let me know this morning.
Unfortunately, in my capacity as executive director, there’s nothing I can do. The board is my governing body and they made their decision without my input. Apparently they’ve been in talks with the History Center people for months now.
Nobody is more shocked than me.
Recently, the Atlanta History Center has sought to update its street presence in Buckhead. The Wren’s Nest, it seems, is their answer.
The plan is to carefully dismantle the Wren’s Nest. The museum will be shipped to its new address, 130 West Paces Ferry Road, where it will be reassembled and restored. It will be the new face of the Atlanta History Center, settled right up on the street, near the corner of Andrews and West Paces Ferry.
Julie Bookman, current program director at the Literary Center at the Margaret Mitchell House, is set to take over at the helm the “new” Wren’s Nest.
I guess I’m not exactly devastated.
Sure, I’m out of a job and turns out there was plenty betrayal along the way, but there could be worse fates for the organization. At least funding won’t be as much of a concern, and the Atlanta History Center already does a fantastic job with the Swan House and the Tullie Smith House. The Wren’s Nest would certainly greet more visitors, and more people would know about Joel Chandler Harris and Brer Rabbit. That’s what it’s about, right?
That’s about all I know.
Expect a formal announcement later this week. I was supposed to keep mum, but at this point, what do I care?
Comments: 24Joel Chandler Harris MADE Mark Twain!
Posted by: Amelia // Category: Historic Preservation, What Would JCH Do? // 12:32 pm
I’m sure you’ve often wondered (aloud, I hope) “How do Lain and Amelia write such inspiring, thoughtful blog posts day after day?” I’ve wondered that myself, truth be told.
Yet somehow, always, we have something to say! And today, the New York Times told me why.
I would like to make an enlarged poster of this lovely piece about the unique inspiration derived from visiting the homes of writers, and point to it whenever anyone asks why we preserve the house of a dead guy.
And even if we didn’t make this (high-rolling) list, we do have a pretty spectacular connection to one of the houses mentioned in the article. So awesome, in fact, I will tell you about it now.
Lain and I took a trip to see good-friend-of-Joel-Chandler-Harris Mark Twain’s house about a year ago. After being shown where JCH slept when he visited, Lain and I took the general tour. And what did we see in the room of Clemens’ daughters?
Nights with Uncle Remus!
The author of the article notes the inspiration he feels from seeing the homes where his literary idols drew inspiration themselves. Using that logic, Mark Twain was inspired by Joel Chandler Harris! JCH made Mark Twain!
Where are our royalties?!
Comments: 5Installing Outdoor Lighting for the Wren’s Nest
Posted by: lain // Category: Technological Advances, West End, What Would JCH Do? // 4:34 pm
We’re having some electrical work done today at the Wren’s Nest.
(I love that tagline. What will their prices do–befuddle you? charm you? make you go “eh”?)
Frankly, it’s a little terrifying.
After a few situations with folks sleeping on our porch and tearing off our historically inaccurate window screens, we decided to get lights installed. Turns out it’s not so much of a change as it is an upgrade.
A long time ago, we had working lights that both lit up the house at night and worked as motion sensors.
We’re basically replacing the broken lights in the spots where they already were, plus getting rid of the wires by going underground.
Problem is, our electricians are using this very, very serious looking machine.
Yikes!
And they have to go under this very, very important walkway:
I mentioned repeatedly that I’d have a heart attack if anything happened to those stones, so they’re carefully digging a few up and placing them aside. So far I think they know what they’re doing.
It’s important to mention that this decision comes after a bit of homework. Still, there are some competing factors that affect who we hire to do the work:
- We’d like someone who has significant experience with National Historic Register sites
- We’d like someone who is from the neighborhood.
- We’d like someone who is cheap.
For structural changes to the actual house, of course #1 is really our only option. But for something like this #1 isn’t totally convenient. Plus, it’s a good opportunity to support small businesses in West End.
No complaints so far, but when there’s only verbal recommendations for reference, it’s kind of nerve-wracking.
That said, I’m sure they’ll do a great job. After all, I’ll be watching (uncomfortably) closely.
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