Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong - Summertime

The Genteel Rogue: Simple Eccentric Tastes

I figured it was about time to "expose" your faithful blogger, the Genteel Rogue.  And, for no particular reason...just figured it would be a nice "filler"...and, it is my blog.  So, enjoy for what it's worth...I assure you that more content will be added from the WF very soon.  After all, the WF is the whole reason I decided to create this blog...and part of that is "ME".

I've been described in many ways, but the most confusing is this:  "Eccentric and Alarmingly Simple".  I like how that rolls off the tounge, not sure what it means...but, I like it.  Here are a few of my "likes"...(before there was facebook)

I like simple food, for the most part.  The tomato is my favorite "fruit"...and nothing is better than a cold tomato sandwich (tomatoes from Ripley, TN only) on a hot summer day.  On the flip side, I like more complex meals with exotic ingredients... but, usually reserve those for Autumn and Winter. I thought to post some of my favorite "eats and drinks" with recipes...but, that comes later.

If I'm not barefoot, I wear comfortable shoes.  Casual around the house and quick trips to the supermarket or run errands is an okay thing.  However, "casual" has it's place.   I have been ridiculed for years about a pair of shoes that I bought one spring that cost me more than a few paychecks...even with a discount!  My alligator shoes have been a signature piece of my wardrobe for nearly six years...and I have no intention of giving them up any time soon.

I like to collect odd things...skeleton keys, shiney things like silver pieces, shoe maker forms, coral, floral frogs, old pictures, tobacco boxes...and in the summer, picnic baskets.  A friend recently remarked at the sight of these baskets in the corner, "You've got a problem...there's help for you...seriously."  Not every one shares the need for unique collections...or shares the love of unique decorating...like the "papered" wall.  I used up five books from a Tennessee Williams collection and a bucket of paper paste to create the wall in my lounge.  It makes me feel happy....secure.

And, as a simple Southern boy, I like my dog.  Her name is Tallulah Mae Belle...she thinks she's Cleopatra, too.  Just months after adopting her she became afraid of walking on the wood floors in my apartment.  So, I bought an inexpensive runner and call it her "magic carpet"...and just like Cleopatra, she boards it like a barge and away we go...me, pulling her like Queen Cleopatra down the Nile.  She definitely keeps me in check though....my sweet LULA!

...and there you have it folks!  a few tidbits about how my noggin' works.

Southern Summers: Summer Scavenger Hunt

We're always looking for ways to keep things interesting at the WF.  Starting this week, and every Monday this summer, I'll be posting an image of something in the house that is currently displayed in our Southern Summers exhibition.  Come tour the museum to find this item or take a guess and post on facebook.  On Sunday, an image of the object and it's information will be posted on facebook and here on this blog.

Here is the first object.  Be sure to be as specific as you can...which room it's in or what purpose it served.



Afternoons in the WF

Honestly, some days are just better than others at the WF.  And all of us that have been charged with and serve the WF have our own special places and our own special things on or inside the property.  My personal space is sitting alongside our fountain.  And just after our June fundraiser, the fountain was cleaned and repainted...and, WOW!  The gurgling sound spikes the senses, but it's the bright cerulean blue that simply lures you to the crystal water!  At first, I was a bit taken back...thinking the color was too bright and distracting.  After seeing the fountain in the light of the late afternoon...I can't begin to think how any other shade of blue could possibly be more magnificent.  Simply, it's beautiful.  If you haven't seen it, please...stop by the garden anytime.

Another element that makes some days better than others is our guests.  We host unique and very diverse guests from all over the United States and much of Europe.  Usually we never stop touring once we start...it's just one after the other (which is fantastic, I wouldn't have it any other way).  Our senior docents tend to use a very detailed "script" (because it's tried and true), other docents have their own approach to serving as docent...focusing on their "favorites" inside the WF, and then....there's me.  I use a combination of techniques, depending on the interest level of the guest.  There are some guests that make you feel like you're at home and love to share experiences and reminisce.  That's a sure sign that it's a "better day".

Yesterday was just one of those days.  While I was on schedule to cashier in the museum shop, our docent on duty was already covered up with guests, having to bring in straggling guests, and jump around in her usual dialogue (which always keeps us sharp)...there were four guests to arrive that just captured my full attention.  So, I locked the door, put the phone in my pocket, and away we went!  The guests included

Lyda Kay Ferree with VIP MidSouth Magazine (in which we'll be spotlighted in the September issue) and her gentleman friend (and I do mean Gentleman...what a guy).  The other two were the most sincere and precious mother and daughter guests I have hosted in quite some time (Apparently, the Mississippi river is sole property of this Montana mother..."Ms. Terri's River").  Her daughter, Tiffani, would roll her eyes and grin.  Hosting these four wonderful folks is a docent's dream...we strolled through the mansion discussing achitecture, history, fine art, culture...we even got a visit from Miss Mollie...it's days like this that makes me a much better person. 

I take the WF and her history very personal, as if this were my very own.  And when I host graceful folks, it makes me so very proud, honored, and a bit humbled.  Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum is a place for EVERYBODY to come and enjoy the rich history and experience the gracious customs of such a genteel era.  So, come share a glass of iced tea and a "better day" with us very soon!









Uncovering the Past: Painted Ceilings

As a docent serving the WF, I have a theory of "saving the best for last".  My tour generally comes to a close in the third floor hall.  After rambling about coin silver, wedding gowns, Confederate generals, and porthole windows...I end with the highlight of the tour...the tin ceiling.  We recently discovered, through repair work, that the third floor ceiling had been painted.  The painted ceiling had never been documented as being painted.  Upon research, we found that the painting may be stencil work done in the "Fontaine Era".  Of course, the decision to leave a partial painted ceiling has raised a few questions while giving tours.  The simple truth is that we felt it represented who we are as a preservation group.  We don't restore...we repair...we preserve.  The stenciled ceiling is an interesting detail used to explain how preservationists hold on to aspects of history.  In this case it would be a nod to interior design and artistic craft during the turn of the century.  If this is indeed "Fontaine Era", this might have been commissioned by Elliott Fontaine, as his bedroom suite was on this floor.  Elliott was 34 when he passed, giving him just enough time to cultivate and create his own space in the family home.  Be sure to tour the third floor when visiting the WF, it's an unexpected treat.

While a bit blurry, you can see the stencil of ivy, vines, and broad lines.  The colors are peaceful and neutral...as was a popular design choice of the day...bringing the outside, inside...

Southern Summers: Annette Kellerman

Annette Marie Sarah Kellerman (6 July 1887 – 5 November 1975) was an Australian professional swimmer, vaudeville and film star, and writer. She was one of the first women to wear a one-piece bathing costume and inspired others to follow her example.

She is often credited for inventing the sport of synchronized swimming after her 1907 performance of the first water ballet in a glass tank at the New York Hippodrome.

Kellerman was famous for advocating the right of women to wear a one-piece bathing suit, which was controversial at the time. According to an Australian magazine, "In the early 1900s, women were expected to wear cumbersome dress and pantaloon combinations when swimming. In 1907, at the height of her popularity, Kellerman was arrested on Revere Beach, Massachusetts, for indecency - she was wearing one of her fitted one-piece costumes." Kellerman negotiated with the court by sewing a pair of stockings into the suit, making it more “competition friendly”.

The popularity of her one-piece suits resulted in her own line of women's swimwear. The "Annette Kellermans", as they were known, were the first step to modern swimwear.

In 1908, after a study of 3000 women, Dr Dudley A. Sargent of Harvard University dubbed her the Perfect Woman because of the similarity of her physical attributes to the Venus de Milo.



Southern Summers: Textiles

Drapes and rugs were cleaned and removed from the home every May for “spring cleaning”, something many of us still do. Light lace or sheers were hung for privacy in the windows and woven natural fiber mats were used as light floor coverings. In fancier rooms, hand painted canvas mats were laid down. Muslin or canvas was used to “slipcover” fine furnishings to protect from soiling and to create cooler aesthetic in the most heavy and darkly decorated rooms. Lace tablecloths replaces heavy embroidered silks and bedding was changed out to sheer cotton, boucle coverlets and net lace overlay.

The summer wardrobe for the ladies would still include a corset and several layers, though very light cotton was used for each layer. During the daytime, cotton, lace, and linen dresses would be appropriate. Evening silks were worn for special events and entertaining. Hats, umbrellas, and fans were the traditional summer accessories. Gentlemen would layer lightly with a cotton shirt and bowties, light summer weight wool replaced heavier wools in suiting. Near the turn of the century, linen and seersucker suiting came into fashion. While seersucker suiting had always been known as a “poor man’s suit”, the Southern gentleman embraced the light fabric for it’s ability to wick moisture away from the body and to cool by trapping air in the “puckered” hand of the garment. The straw skimmer hat replaced the silken or wool derby as a “summer must” for gentlemen. Summer swim wear was, on the other hand, stuffy and very modest. Gentlemen wore “one piece” swimsuits constructed of a tank top and shorts sewn together. Some suits may have been made in two pieces with a belt. Ladies were covered from head to toe including stockings and gloves! These suits were usually linen, but covered most of the body.