Tired of playing solitaire and going to check out a few open houses. Not the ones in the Sunday paper – oh no these are all Edwardian manses pictured in “Our beautiful homes, New South Wales Australia Series 1.” (the last one being from Series 2). Published ca. 1905.

Gawd all mighty even when you’ve seen a lot of these it’s amazing how many gew gaws Victorian and Edwardian people could fit into one room.

Front cover of *Our Beautiful Homes N.S.W*, Series 1. Image 1. From the collections of Sydney Living Museums/Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, Caroline Simpson Library. Cc0 License 4.0. via https://archive.org/details/Homes3124/mode/1up

‘*Swifts.’ (Hall) – Darling Point, N.S.W. (New South Wales), Australia. Residence of EDMUND RESCH, Esquire.* Image 8 of Our Beautiful Homes N.S.W, Series 1. From the collections of Sydney Living Museums/Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, Caroline Simpson Library. Cc0 License 4.0. https://archive.org/details/Homes3124/page/n8/mode/1up

‘*Swifts.’ (Hall) – Darling Point, N.S.W. (New South Wales), Australia. Residence of EDMUND RESCH, Esquire.* Image 7 of Our Beautiful Homes N.S.W, Series 1. From the collections of Sydney Living Museums/Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, Caroline Simpson Library. Cc0 License 4.0. https://archive.org/details/Homes3124/page/n7/mode/1up

‘*Linnwood.’ (Hall) – Guildford, N.S.W. (New South Wales), Australia. Residence of Mrs. G. McCREDIE.* Image 20 of *Our Beautiful Homes N.S.W,* Series 1. From the collections of Sydney Living Museums/Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, Caroline Simpson Library. Cc0 License 4.0. https://archive.org/details/Homes3124/page/n20/mode/1up

*‘Edgmond’ – Wahroonga, N.S.W. (New South Wales), Australia. Residence of William Cooper, Esquire.* Image 22 of *Our Beautiful Homes N.S.W,* Series 1. From the collections of Sydney Living Museums/Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, Caroline Simpson Library. Cc0 License 4.0. via https://archive.org/details/Homes3124/page/n22/mode/1up

*‘Burdekin House (Drawing Room) MacQuarie Street Sydney N.S.W. (New South Wales), Australia. Residence of Mrs. S. Burdekin.* Image 22 of *Our Beautiful Homes N.S.W,* Series 1. From the collections of Sydney Living Museums/Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, Caroline Simpson Library. Cc0 License 4.0. https://archive.org/details/Homes3124/page/n44/mode/1up

“Ultimo House’ *(Drawing Room) – Ultimo N.S.W. (New South Wales), Australia. Residence of Mrs. George Harris.* Image 64 of *Our Beautiful Homes N.S.W,* Series 1. From the collections of Sydney Living Museums/Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, Caroline Simpson Library. Cc0 License 4.0. https://archive.org/details/Homes3124/page/n64/mode/1up

*‘Casserton’ – Gordon New South Wales – Resident of John M. Ferguson, Esquire.* Image 78 of *Our Beautiful Homes N.S.W,* Series 2. From the collections of Sydney Living Museums/Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, Caroline Simpson Library. Cc0 License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/OBHomes32449/page/n78/mode/1up

Le Village Suisse à l’Exposition nationale Suisse, Genève, Switzerland held in 1896. Long before you could do these things with smoke and mirrors and an assistant to work the Power Point.

Front cover, *Le Village Suisse, Exposition Nationale Suisse, Geneve (Geneva, Switzerland) 1896.* Image 1. Text by
Monsieur Jacques Mayor, Léon Genoud, D. Baud-Bovy, and E. de Vevey. Édité par les Soins de la Commission du Village Suisse. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/levillagesuissel00unse/mode/1up

*Entrée du Village Suisse. – Période de Construction. F. Boissonnas, Genève, photographie. Illustration, Société des Arts Graphiques, Genève.* Page 12 of *Le Village Suisse, Exposition Nationale Suisse, Geneve (Geneva, Switzerland) 1896.* Text by
Monsieur Jacques Mayor, Léon Genoud, D. Baud-Bovy, and E. de Vevey. Édité par les Soins de la Commission du Village Suisse. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/levillagesuissel00unse/page/n12/mode/1up

Illustration on Page 5 of *Le Village Suisse, Exposition Nationale Suisse, Geneve (Geneva, Switzerland) 1896.* Text by
Monsieur Jacques Mayor, Léon Genoud, D. Baud-Bovy, and E. de Vevey. Édité par les Soins de la Commission du Village Suisse. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age. https://archive.org/details/levillagesuissel00unse/page/5/mode/1up

*Chalet de Suisse – Salle de Reception.* Page 19 of *Le Village Suisse, Exposition Nationale Suisse, Geneve (Geneva, Switzerland) 1896.* Text by Monsieur Jacques Mayor, Léon Genoud, D. Baud-Bovy, and E. de Vevey. Édité par les Soins de la Commission du Village Suisse. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age. https://archive.org/details/levillagesuissel00unse/page/19/mode/1up

*Chalet de Fischenthal.* Illustration on Page 40 of *Le Village Suisse, Exposition Nationale Suisse, Geneve (Geneva, Switzerland) 1896.* Text by
Monsieur Jacques Mayor, Léon Genoud, D. Baud-Bovy, and E. de Vevey. Édité par les Soins de la Commission du Village Suisse. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age. https://archive.org/details/levillagesuissel00unse/page/5/mode/1up

*Atelier de Vannier — Apprenti en travail; Ecole de Métiers de Pribourg, Section de Vannerie.* Page 73 of *Le Village Suisse, Exposition Nationale Suisse, Geneve (Geneva, Switzerland) 1896.* Text by Monsieur Jacques Mayor, Léon Genoud, D. Baud-Bovy, and E. de Vevey. Édité par les Soins de la Commission du Village Suisse. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age. https://archive.org/details/levillagesuissel00unse/page/73/mode/1up

*Ornements et Tresses d’Argovie.* Page 89 of *Le Village Suisse, Exposition Nationale Suisse, Geneve (Geneva, Switzerland) 1896.* Text by Monsieur Jacques Mayor, Léon Genoud, D. Baud-Bovy, and E. de Vevey. Édité par les Soins de la Commission du Village Suisse. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age. https://archive.org/details/levillagesuissel00unse/page/89/mode/1up

Ancien Costume St-Gallois. Page 155 of *Le Village Suisse, Exposition Nationale Suisse, Geneve (Geneva, Switzerland) 1896.* Text by Monsieur Jacques Mayor, Léon Genoud, D. Baud-Bovy, and E. de Vevey. Édité par les Soins de la Commission du Village Suisse. Collections of the Getty Research Institute. In the public domain due to age. https://archive.org/details/levillagesuissel00unse/page/155/mode/1up

Pretending to be a docent or perhaps just dressing up as a rehearsal for the masquerade ball. Tableaux vivant for grown ups. Old pictures from 1892-1915 ish. Fun whatever their reason was.

Costumed portrait of Jane Adams Patterson and her husband Henry W. Patterson, II dressed in his father’s Civil War uniform. Identification of this item came from Michael Burr Patterson (b. 1936 in Wayland), grandson of the subjects of the photograph. Undated photograph but I think it’s from around 1900-1905 judging by the rest of the collection its a part of. American. Alfred W. Cutting (1860-1935), photographer. Sears and Cutting Family Papers, Historic New England Collections. Rights status not evaluated but probably in the public domain because the photographer died over 70 years ago. https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth-oai:pn89dz92n

*Eleanor Drew posed for living picture (tableau vivant) at Unitarian Universalist Church vestry.* Wayland, Massachusetts. Photograph ca. 1920. American. Alfred W. Cutting (1860-1935), photographer. Alfred Wayland Cutting Photographs Collection, Wayland Historical Society. CC BY-NC-ND Creative Commons License. via https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:6395xh93s

*Eleanor Heard Russell at Old North Cemetery dressed as a mid 19th century lady. Photographed in Wayland, Massachusetts.* 1914-1915 photograph. American. Alfred W. Cutting (1860-1935), photographer. Alfred Wayland Cutting Photographs Collection, Wayland Historical Society. CC BY-NC-ND Creative Commons License. via https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:6395xk961

*First Parish Church choir on the 100th anniversary of the building of the church, dressed as 1830s or 1840s ladies I think. Wayland, Massachusetts.* 1915 photograph. American. Alfred W. Cutting (1860-1935), photographer. Alfred Wayland Cutting Photographs Collection, Wayland Historical Society. CC BY-NC-ND Creative Commons License. via https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:6395xk55s

Jane Adams Patterson wearing a Sioux Indian costume purchased by the Patterson family at Fort Laramie Wyoming in around 1868. Presumably photographed in Wayland, Massachusetts. Identification of this item came from Michael Burr Patterson (b. 1936 in Wayland), grandson of the subject of the photograph. Undated photograph but I think it’s from around 1900-1915 judging by the rest of the collection its a part of. American. Alfred W. Cutting (1860-1935), photographer. Sears and Cutting Family Papers, Historic New England Collections. Rights status not evaluated but probably in the public domain because the photographer died over 70 years ago. https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth-oai:pn89dz89b

Sunday School play, boys and girls in costume. Wayland, Massachusetts; probably the Sunday School at the First Parish Church, too. 1892 photograph. American. American. Alfred W. Cutting (1860-1935), photographer. Alfred Wayland Cutting Photographs Collection, Wayland Historical Society. CC BY-NC-ND Creative Commons License. via https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:6395xh411

Out for the evening at Los Angeles’ Cocoanut Grove nightclub. The Cocoanut Grove was a nightclub in the Ambassador Hotel located at 3400 Wilshire Boulevard. It had nothing to do with the Boston nightclub.

*Mrs. Harold Lloyd and Friends*, the photograph caption being dated January 30, 1937 and reading “In one of the most charming parties in recent weeks, a group of the society set is pictured at the Cocoanut Grove the other evening when Mrs. Margaret L. Smith of Honolulu and Los Angeles, entertained in honor of Mrs. Frederick Conger Bryan on the latter’s birthday. Left to right, Mrs. Smith, the hostess; Roy Brooks, Mrs. Harold Lloyd and Alexander Black. The tables were beautifully decorated for the event.” The group is seated at a table with floral arrangements and candles. Other diners and waiters are in the background. What look like flying saucers over the two men’s heads are arrows pointing who is who. American. Photographed for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Newspaper. Los Angeles Herald Examiner Newspaper Collection, TESSA, the Digital Collections of the Los Angeles Public Library. https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/33985/rec/58

Filmland Fetes New Veterans: the photograph caption being dated June 29 1942 and reading: “Lieutenant William C. Carrithers, who helped bomb Japanese troop movements, and his partner, Betty Grable, have a chat between dishes. The heroes will leave here for Texas to resume their nation-wide tour.” Lieutenant Carrithers was one of a group of fifteen American and British soldiers on a nation-wide tour to help defense efforts by asking the public to buy war bonds. The veterans were honored at a gala reception held at the Cocoanut Grove in Hollywood, California. The soldiers pulled from a bowl, names of movie stars who became their dining and dancing partners for the night. Lieutenant Carrither’s partner was Betty Grable. American. Photographed for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Newspaper. Los Angeles Herald Examiner Newspaper Collection, TESSA, the Digital Collections of the Los Angeles Public Library. https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/30735/rec/33

Parade of Fashion Held at the Cocoanut Grove: Gathered here from all over the nation to get a preview of the newest and smartest Los Angeles-made styles, buyers are shown viewing the parade of fashion at the climax of the Fashion Fortnight held in the Cocoanut Grove. On the runway Ruth Stevens models a spring negligee of white jersey embroidered with rhinestones. It has the new lowered waistline and the jersey is draped across the shoulders to fall at the back in a long train. The Fashion Fortnight was sponsored by the Los Angeles Associated Apparel Manufacturers. Photo dated: January 27, 1938. American. Photographed for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Newspaper. Los Angeles Herald Examiner Newspaper Collection, TESSA, the Digital Collections of the Los Angeles Public Library. https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/12575/rec/155

Cocoanut Grove. Ambassador Hotel. View 1: Interior view of the Cocoanut Grove in the Ambassador Hotel located in Los Angeles, showing the elegant decor of the room, where palm trees are set amongst the table. American. Undated image, 1930s-1950s ish perhaps. Photographer not given. Security Pacific National Bank Collection, TESSA, the Digital Collections of the Los Angeles Public Library. https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/99950/rec/170

At the Cocoanut Grove, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California with the photograph’s caption dated February 19, 1938 and reading: “Eddy Duchin, orchestra leader, and Glenda Farrell, film actress, are pictured helping Lanny Ross, radio singer, light his cigaret [sic] with a candle during an informal chat between dances at the Cocoanut Grove the other evening.” American. Len Weisman, photographer. Photographed for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Newspaper. Los Angeles Herald Examiner Newspaper Collection, TESSA, the Digital Collections of the Los Angeles Public Library. https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/33785/rec/261

*Cocoanut Grove Conga Line; Guests at the Cocoanut Grove on June 22, 1940, are shown doing a hot La Conga after the show.* Los Angeles, California. American. Photographed for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner Newspaper. Los Angeles Herald Examiner Newspaper Collection, TESSA, the Digital Collections of the Los Angeles Public Library. https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/20359/rec/276

*The logo for the Cocoanut Grove nightclub at the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California. At least in 1945, the date on this one.* American. Shades of Los Angeles Photo Collection. TESSA, the Digital Collections of the Los Angeles Public Library. https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/80121/rec/288

Update. I thank my Instagram content creator friend Scott Stirewalt who works with these sorts of pictures more than I do who let me know that those are arrows over the men’s heads in the first picture pointing to who is who. Now I know!

Heading out in a hat so huge there are three escorts needed to keep the hats from knocking the blossoms off the sunflowers and passersby into the gutter. The 1957 Los Angeles Headdress Ball was the 19th annual Las Floristas charity event held on April 29, 1957, hosted at the Cocoanut Grove inside the Ambassador Hotel. It featured elaborate, custom floral headpieces modeled by prominent society figures. Two of these images are from 1957 with the other ones being from 1958.

*Headdress Ball, 29 April 1957.* The ladies were members of Theta Chi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Epsilon, Alpha Chi Phi (Kappa Chi), Delta Chi Sigma (Alpha X) where were social (not sure of the name) sororities as opposed to the college student kind. Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California USA. American. Photographed for the Los Angeles Examiner newspaper. Special Collections, Doheny Memorial Library, Libraries, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. Under copyright. Fair use license. via https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/CS.aspx?VP3=DamView&VBID=2A3BXZ6SPK581&PN=4&DocRID=2A3BF1OPQ7UQ5

*Three women in gowns and headdresses at Las Floristas Headdress Ball at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California USA. May 3, 1952.* American. Photographed for the Los Angeles Daily News newspaper. Los Angeles Daily News Negatives Collection, University of California Los Angeles Charles E. Young Research Library Department of Special Collections. Cc0 License 4.0. via https://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog/ark:/21198/zz0002pdp8

*“Las Floristas” Headdress Ball, 1958.* American. Photographed for the Los Angeles Examiner newspaper. Special Collections, Doheny Memorial Library, Libraries, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. Under copyright. Fair use license. via https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/CS.aspx?VP3=DamView&VBID=2A3BXZ6SPGUHD&PN=11&DocRID=2A3BF1OPNTB9C

Learn more about the Las Floristas Headdress Ball which raises money to support the health and educational programs for special-needs and disabled children at the Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center children’s clinic. here. The article includes a photograph of Lucille Ball dressed to join right in https://thewackytacky.blogspot.com/2016/04/havin-ball-headdress-ball.html

An envisioning. 1982 with December reaching for January as the snow comes down at the ski house on Pine Cone Way.

Oh to be here.

Aspen. Three apres ski outfits to wear sitting around the roaring fire trying to look like you fit in what with the new inlaws not having met a pair of skis they don’t like, and not knowing the lady in their midst is more of a New York City girl, habituated to going up and down in elevators under someone else’s propulsion, not with knees bent and ski poles to wave around, while the wind goes woosh in your ears as sparkly light bounces off the trees.

my new short fiction piece published to my Substack at the link if you’d like to read the rest. The images are from Florida Memory, the Florida Archives.

https://sarahbguestperry.substack.com/p/an-envisioning-1982-with-december