September
28, 2013
On Saturday
our guild dressed as authors and characters from books to help celebrate the
grand opening of the new San Diego Central Library in downtown San Diego. We
had been asked by the library to join in their celebration after hearing about
our English Authors Picnic in Balboa Park.
I originally
had planned on dressing in 1860s from the book, Mrs. Lincoln and her
Dressmaker, with my friend dressing as her dressmaker, Mrs. Keckley. But as we
got closer to the date, she decided she would be unable to attend. So I figured
I would just go as Mrs. Lincoln. But while I was on vacation, I started having
second thoughts about how that would be a book people would recognize or be
interested in with just me. So the week before the date I decided I would
reprise my role of Miss Matty from the Cranford book by Elizabeth Gaskell. And
it would be easier wearing it on the trolley with a corded petticoat rather
than a hoop skirt. Later after finding most people there didn’t recognize me as
Miss Matty, nor Cranford, I started introducing myself as the author, Elizabeth
Gaskell, and talked about her other books of Wives & Daughters, and North &
South. I was still upstaged by Louisa May Alcott of Little Women, and the witches
from Oz, and Cinderella, the Mad Hatter & the White Rabbit, and the Red
Queen. But I did get some excited squeals from some of the older crowd who
watch PBS, or read English literature. Or even just compliments on my gown. But
I think I need to find a favorite American author or book next time. Ooh, maybe
I can be Nancy Drew next time. That was one of my favorite books series when I
learned how to read. I took the easy way with my hair by clipping lengths of
curls around the front and sides of my head, covering my head with a white cap,
and putting my bonnet over it. I had a lot of comments on my pretty curls. And
it was much cooler than wearing a wig since it was going to be very hot that
day.
Lew as Mother Goose, me and Nancy as Delores Umbridge of Harry Potter
I road down
there on the trolley with two of my friends, who did wear hoops, and took up
quite a bit of room. We got a lot of attention from people waiting around, and
especially from any children. The women were very interested in what we were
wearing. Even the guys kept up a lively conversation with us the whole time. It
was our first time trying the trolley and dealing with the ticket machine which
wasn’t very hospitable. We got a lot of help from people confirming where we
would get on and get off, and one guy even was our escort once we got off to
get us to the library.
The streets
were closed off for two events that day but lots of people were out, and there
were booths from different civic organizations supporting the new library all
around the block. We checked in at the loading dock of the library and the
people there were so gracious and helpful to us, and made sure we knew where to
go, and where to take care of any business; like pulling my chemise down in the
back that decided it was going to be up around my shoulders. *Thank you, hubby
for not mentioning that when you hooked up my dress.* I wandered around the
streets a bit, having my photo taken, and running into some old friends.
Cindy as Beatrix
Potter & Birda as Cinderella.
We were all
told to attend the opening ceremonies out front with all the dignitaries making
their speeches but after a half hour standing in the sun, we had to head back
to some shade.
We waited
around inside the loading dock until it was time to go in so I was able to take
a couple photos of some other guild members.
The Mad Hatter 
Cindy as Beatrix Potter, Becca as Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables
Our next job was to stand inside the library
along the cordoned off areas for the line of people coming in to tour the new
library. I think we were just as distracting as all the wonderful displays they
had scattered around inside too. This is what the line looked like as it serpentined
around the main floor.
The people coming inside to view the new library were lined up outside for blocks. They started coming in about 11:30 and when most of us finally left at 3pm, they were still lined up around the building. Estimates were given of 15,000 people attending.
One of the
displays they had inside was on women’s suffrage and they had some nice costumes on the
models. The title was “A Moral Earthquake”.
For lots
more photos of this event go to Jerry Abuan’s gallery: http://jerryabuan.zenfolio.com/p779757638
Thanks
to Shelley and Jerry for some of these photos on my blog.
