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Thursday, May 1, 2008
May Day at the Wren’s Nest and Photo Gallery

Posted by: lain // Category: West End, Atlanta, What Would JCH Do?, High School Hijinx, Historical Quagmires // 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.

After 25 Years, a May Day Revival

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.

The Wren's Nest Amphitheatre Set Up for a Wedding

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!

May Day Flower Festival at the Wren's Nest - 1909 Mary Colcord

Mary Colcord was the first May Queen of the Flower Festival. Here she is in 1909.

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May Day Flower Festival at the Wren's Nest - 1915 Christine McEachern

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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May Day Flower Festival at the Wren's Nest - 1927 Elizabeth Camp

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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May Day Flower Festival at the Wren's Nest - 1932 Betty O'Kelly

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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May Day Flower Festival at the Wren's Nest - 1948 Flower Festival

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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May Day Flower Festival at the Wren's Nest - 1949 Jane Brooke

Jane Brooke was Queen in 1949. I like the color of the flowers.

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May Day Flower Festival at the Wren's Nest - 1958 Judy Carlson

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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May Day Flower Festival at the Wren's Nest - 1958 Judy Carlson's Commemorative Stone

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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May Day Flower Festival at the Wren's Nest - 1963 Kathy Wright

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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May Day Flower Festival at the Wren's Nest - 1975 Eugenia Marie Conway

Eugenia Marie Conway from 1975. Flower children meet the Flower Festival.

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May Day Flower Festival at the Wren's Nest - 1983 Margaret Lyn Rhodes

Not the best picture quality, but Margaret Lynd Rhodes was the final May Queen, in 1983.

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8 Comments


  1. Mallory
    Comment // May 1st, 2008 // 4:04 pm

    These pictures are great. They remind me of my grandma’s old pictures. And I absolutely LOVE the bows in the first two pictures. I used to wear a pretty big bow when I was younger too. haha It does look like this was such a big deal. Pretty cool - glad ya’ll are bringing May Day Festival back.


  2. Laurie
    Comment // May 1st, 2008 // 4:41 pm

    Are you accepting nominations for May Queen 2008? I have someone in mind!


  3. Mama Shakes
    Comment // May 1st, 2008 // 9:52 pm

    Thanks for the memories! The Harris Family Tree mentions several names in the photos: Louise Nichols, Kathryn LaRose Wright, and John Chapman to name a few. It was in 1914, when Louise Nichols was Queen, that she met her future husband, Lucien Harris, Jr. You, Lain, are their great-grandson and they would be very proud of the job you’re doing taking care of their beloved Wren’s Nest. Bravo and thank you! P.S. Laurie is right. I will bring the crown to the concert Friday night and you bring the stick!


  4. lain
    Comment // May 2nd, 2008 // 7:49 am

    Mallory, I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree here–those bows frighten me. Like, big time.


  5. Tim
    Comment // May 2nd, 2008 // 12:10 pm

    Thanks for explaining the stones. Last time I was at the Nest I was trying to figure out why you guys were using grave markers as part of your stone paths. I knew times were tight, but…


  6. Joe
    Comment // May 2nd, 2008 // 2:09 pm

    The amount of cool stuff you have in your attic is somewhat astounding. If you had a consutant, he or she would recommend going through as much of it as possible, and also investing in a fireproof safe.


  7. lain
    Comment // May 2nd, 2008 // 2:19 pm

    I’m glad you brought that up, Joe. The attic isn’t climate controlled, and it’s a little worrisome. Here’s what we’re doing to address it–

    1. We won a grant for a collections management consultant who will visit in July. She’ll stay for two days, then create a report that assesses the situation and outline the steps we need to take to make things better.

    2. We recently had a team from the Association of State and Local Historians organize a bunch of our stuff up there, and provide some preliminary recommendations.

    3. I’ve spoken with some folks at the Woodruff Library (where the King Papers are) about some sort of partnership.

    Granted, all this is very preliminary, but it’s a step in the right direction. Once we get that collections assessment I have a feeling things will be a lot clearer as to what exactly we should do.


  8. The Wren’s Nest » Amelia Crowned May Queen
    Pingback // May 4th, 2008 // 3:31 pm

    […] Previously– May Queens from 1909 - 1983. […]

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