I've been gone a while, huh? I sure have oodles and oodles of photos to share. I had a fun weekend in Dallas with old friends. We started out at Dallas Heritage Village. It's a bit confusing, because it's also called Old City Park. What gives, DHV/OCP????
This is the Millermore House.
The village serves as a sort of 'reenactment town' and museum. Many historic building from the Dallas area have been purchased and moved onto the site. During the year, historical actors participate in Olde Things. I made that up---the Olde Things part. But---that's basically what they do.
While we were touring the old mansion a door suddenly blew shut, ushering us out onto the porch. Also, it was NOT a windy day. We found out shortly afterwards that the place is supposedly haunted. Oooooooh! We didn't get the actual moment. We're recreating the scene--I don't look sufficiently scared, do I?.
On a side note, isn't it odd how our notion of a "mansion" has changed? While this was a beatufully restored old home, it seemed odd that would have been one of the largest homes in the state. Our current homes seem so decadent when you view the previous generations' living quarters, don't they?
This painting gave us all the willies. The tour guide wasn't a 'regular', and didn't know much about the haunting, or what this painting was supposed to commemorate. We guessed maybe the house was haunted by the poor little boy eaten on the beach by his St. Bernard.
There was some amazing decorative hair work that was popular from Victorian times to around the end of the Civil War. People would take hair from deceased loved ones and make elaborate displays from it. I wish my photos were clearer. It was dark in most of the rooms, and everything was under glass, so it caused too many reflections. I had to lighten most of these up in Photoshop.
It was so intricate and beautiful, but a bit odd. We tend to sweep death under a rug in our society, don't you think? I wish we didn't. It seems as though that would make grieving much harder. We're so ready to "hurry up and get over and get on with life". Hiding a very natural part of life-sadness after losing a loved one-seems so unnatural. Here is more info about that macabre pastime if you're interested.
The rooms are sectioned off with waist-high sheets of plexiglass, so I couldn't maneuver to take better photos.
Here was the Music Room. The old harp was beautiful. It's nice to think of how involved families used to be with each other. They'd sit together, sing, read, whittle, embroider--whatever. The modern day 'family room' with a blaring TV and junk food seems so icky by comparison. I should be careful at these places....they make me all preachy and nostalgic for a time I didn't live in. I forget about the lice, the outhouses, the scarlet fever, the starvation---you know, the good old days.
The furniture seemed so tiny and rickety. People were so much smaller back then. Isn't this a glamorous little settee?
I really like red upholstery with intricate woodwork.
Oooooo, I want to be alone at night in there, with you! and see if we can feel anything ---oooo, I love spooky!
And the hair made intricacies, I think we should still do it... I save weird things like hair (not from those that have passed though ;).... I am trying to find how to keep my oldest pup in my life after she passes...
Love your style!
xoxx
Posted by: a fanciful twist | March 24, 2010 at 02:11 PM