To go along with last week's "Picture Book Perfect" Get-Together the Take Joy Society planned another outing in order to see the Golden Legacy: Original Art from 65 Years of Golden Books exhibit in Hagerstown. . . .
But first, member Carol Brashears, who planned today's activities, wanted to share the mission and lovely building of the Women's Club of Hagerstown. . . .
Here we are admiring a flower arrangement in the Club's very large banquet room, where dinners are served for special occasions and concerts and plays are sometimes performed by local groups. The portrait is of Mrs. Emmett Gans, the founder of the Women's Club. . . .
As we toured the first floor we passed several displays the ladies had put together and I thought how fun it would be to have another house to decorate. . . .
They had a collection of teapots and dishes to choose from for their Teas. . . .
We sat in one of the parlors while Carol told us the history of the house. Here we are looking at the Federal-design border along the ceiling that was added during the remodel following a fire in the attic in 2006. . . .
In 1838 Susan Hughes had the Federal-style house built. It has a very interesting history of women owners. Hughes sold it in 1844 to David Barr, whose widow was able to keep it and pass it on to their daughter Martha Wroe in 1864. Being Southern sympathizers, the story is told, Dr. and Mrs. Wroe invited Robert E. Lee and his staff to dinner as they passed through Hagerstown after their defeat at Gettysburg. As they entertained the men one of their sons apparently provided further entertainment by hiding the officer's pearl-handled revolvers in the barn until his conscience forced him to confess. The house stayed in the Wroe family until the Women's Club bought it in 1923. You can read more about the house at the Washington County Historical Trust. What I find unique and special about this Women's Club are the 14 rooms upstairs they rent to "women in transition"--women who need somewhere to live until they can manage on their own. If you would like to see more of the building (including the banquet room) you can take a Virtual Tour.
The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts was only a mile away in the historic City Park. This scene greeted us on the steps of the Museum from the Little Golden Book, The Pokey Little Puppy. . . .
On the other side was a scene from Scuffy the Tugboat. . . .
Inside we viewed original art from various artists (no photos allowed), but we were able to photograph scenes from the books that were set up in the Atrium. . . .
. . . .which, incidentally, I included in a post last September on Morning Musings after my visit to the little house where Elizabeth Orton Jones lived and used as a model for this story. You can see the house and the entire book here.
This photo was taken from the Atrium looking through the museum toward the City Park's lake. Diana of the Chase by Anna Hyatt Huntington adorns the enclosed portico overlooking the lake. . . .
Cindy told us of her visit to the sculptor's winter retreat near Myrtle Beach, SC. She says the gardens and sculptures throughout are a must-see. Here is a close-up I took last year on January 11th when I visited the Museum. We had snow on the ground then. . . .
As we walked through one of the galleries Cindy took us past the Museum's only Norman Rockwell painting, The Oculist. . . .
Whenever she visits the museum she makes sure she hunts it down (they move it about apparently) She told us the story of how her Dad, an artist himself, visited Rockwell's studio. She was along, but being four at the time, doesn't recall the details herself. She said her mother, who was also present, remarked that she wished her husband would keep his studio as neat as Rockwell's. She said Rockwell told her father he wished he could just paint the way he wanted to like Cindy's father was able to do. As a hired illustrator, Rockwell said he had to paint what would sell.
Outside the Museum was another sculpture that caught my eye. This little girl gets moved around, too, because she was in the Diana portico last January. . . .
It was lunchtime so we headed into the downtown area to the Rhubarb House. . . .
While we waited for our table for six. . . .
Carol surprised each of us with two Little Golden books. . . .
As you can see we were having a great time. . . .
Most of us got the chicken salad sandwich and either the tomato or corn and potato soup. . . .
Then we ordered several slices of lemon cream-filled cake, which we shared, and demolished it before I remembered to take picture!
.....Sometimes the joys in life just can't be captured except in one's recalling of them.
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Take Joy!
