BY JUDY LINSLEY

The twentieth century broughtrapid and radical change for theworld. The McFaddins and Wardscould find stability in these uncer-tain, sometimes unsettling timesthrough their traditions. Traditionremained integral to the most impor-tant events of their lives and provid-ed a comfortable continuity; whatIda McFaddin had learned from hermother, she passed on to her daugh-ter Mamie McFaddin Ward.

One of the family’s most deeply-rooted traditions was of hospitality toguests, the antecedents for whichcame both from the Caldwell family’spractice of high Victorian etiquetteand from the McFaddins’ adherenceto the frontier code of welcomingstrangers. Ida and Mamie made elab-orate preparations for visits fromfamily and friends, planning numer-ous large events — parties and out-ings — yet never forgot small details.

In addition to being spotlessly clean,guest bedrooms were supplied withthoughtful little extras, such as a bas-ket of fruit, reading material, and awater carafe and drinking glass onthe bedside table.

Ida planned and ordered mealsat the McFaddin home. The mostformal dinners were served á la Russe,or in the Russian style. The butler ormaid brought in the food and servedeach diner individually, leaving nolarge dishes on the table. Dining á laRusse demanded considerable skilland strength on the part of thedomestic employees. Ida’s grand-daughter Rosine McFaddin Wilsonremembered the heavy platters“trembling from the strain on thebutler’s arm as he extended the traybetween the high-backed chairs.”

In what seems odd today but wascommon in the 1920s and 1930s, thethoughtful hostess offered cigarettes

T

BY BECKY FERTITTA

To say Harold Booker has been abusy young man during his life wouldbe an understatement. Harold hasalways been at the ready, eager totake part and willing to take on new

challenges. Never satisfied with par-ticipating in one or two importantactivities, he has wanted to do it all,and by my estimation, he really has.Even so, at the young age of 21, thereis so much more to come for thisincredible young man.

So who is Harold Booker? Haroldis one of “ours,” as I like to say — aspecial young man whom we have

ONE YOUNG MAN DOES

IT ALL AND INSPIRES US

ALONG THE WAY

V

IEWPOINTMcFADDIN-WARD HOUSE

September 2013Vol. 29/No. 4 V S

FROM JUNIOR INTERPRETER TO COLLEGE GRADUATE:See TRADITIONS, page 8

See BOOKER, page 10

Traditions shaped McFaddins’ lifestyles

Like many other parents, Ida and W.P.H. McFaddinhad their children photographed in christeninggowns; this one of Mamie McFaddin Ward was madein late 1894 or early 1895.

Harold Booker and Becky Fertitta celebrate hisgraduation from Morehouse College.

By ALLEN LEA

“It’s always something.” I say that atleast once a week. Anyone who works witha historic house museum or artifacts that areover 100 years old knows the continuousupkeep and care involved is critical toensure they are around for generations tocome.

Taking care of a museum involvesmuch more than the general public realizes.Care of historic properties and buildings aredone at a snail’s pace; nothing happensovernight.

Throughout the past few years, theMcFaddin-Ward House has undergone mul-tiple restoration and preservation projects.So far this year, we have witnessed therestoration and painting of the carriagehouse exterior, the building of a new woodand garden-loop wire fence around the car-riage house, a major overhaul to the victorygarden, and planting of offspring from ourhistoric live oaks, William and Rachel,around the museum to replace fallen trees.This has all taken place at the same time astours, camps, lectures, conferences and aprogram, proving that museum life goes onin the midst of the chaos.

Our next venture will be repaintingsome of the museum exterior and two inte-rior rooms: the master bedroom and theneighboring green bedroom. Collaborationamong museum departments is essential forprojects like this to run smoothly, but fortu-nately, as if on autopilot, staff and volun-teers carry on with their duties. The collec-

tions department will remove all artifactsfrom the rooms, while keeping detailedreports for moving each and every object.The education department must create newsignage so that while the painting is takingplace, visitors can see what the rooms looklike fully furnished. Docents will adjusttheir normal tour path and edit their tourtext accordingly.

I feel quite certain that any museum —or business for that matter — would be for-tunate to retain the staff and volunteer corpsthat our museum has. Everyone here caresimmensely, not only about the museum andits collection, but also the community andone another. Like a family, everyone

involved with the McFaddin-Ward Househas individual interests that intertwine tomake the museum a better place for all.

There has only been one day in the lastfive years that, while driving to work, Ithought to myself, “I have nothing urgent todo at work today.” It took about thirty sec-onds from the time I stepped through theoffice door to know I was wrong. I learnedmy lesson then and have never said it since;my new motto is, “Okay, what’s next?”

IT’S ALWAYS SOMETHING-- Director’s Desk --

Viewpoints-Page 2 V

The master bedroom will soon be repainted, just a small part of the ongoing rou-tine maintenance required of the museum.

J

Viewpoints, the McFaddin-Ward HouseMuseum newsletter, won first-place honorsin this year’s Press Club of Southeast TexasExcellence in Media contest.

The Press Club’s annual contest recog-nizes the best examples of journalism inSoutheast Texas. Experts in media fromacross the United States judge entries sub-mitted by area journalists, broadcasters andpublic relations experts.

The museum staff is thrilled to havereceived such an honor. “We greatly appre-ciate this achievement, and I would like tocongratulate all the staff involved with the

production and publication of the newslet-ter,” Director Allen Lea said after hearing ofthe award. “We are very proud of the publi-cation. Though it has evolved greatly fromits first issue in 1985, I am pleased with itsquality and how well it helps spread theword about all the good things the museumoffers to the public.”

To be added to the Viewpoints mailinglist, contact Sandy Rostrom at (409) 832-1906. The museum’s website now alsoupdates its “news” section with recent arti-cles, providing a link to a digital copy of thenewsletter.

Viewpoints awarded Press Club honors

G

BY ARLENE CHRISTIANSEN

At the McFaddin-Ward House, we havealways taken pride in the work we do, theprograms we offer and the books we publish.We continually work to offer our audiencesbetter, more engaging tours, whether throughongoing docent enrichment programs or oursuccessful junior interpreter program, whichgives teenagers the opportunity to learnabout the house, the family and Beaumonthistory, in order to provide visitors with inter-esting and informative tours.

One program we are particularly proudof is our conference series. The series receivedan Award of Merit and in 1997, a Certificateof Commendation by the AmericanAssociation for State and Local History.

The range of conference topics has pret-ty much run the gamut; the first four wereacademic in content and covered consumerculture and trends in the late nineteenth andearly twentieth centuries. These conferenceswere held when the McFaddin-Ward Housewas still a new museum, and the staff waseager to share research on popular trends andtheir relevance to the time periods.

1987 — “American Homes in Transition1890-1930”

1988 — “Consumer Culture in theAmerican Home 1890-1930”Publication: “Consumer Culturein the American Home 1890-1930”

1989 — “Life at Home 1890-1930”Publication: “American Home Life1890-1930”

1990 — “The Arts and the AmericanHome 1890-1930”Publication: “The Arts and theAmerican Home 1890-1930”

The next three conferences dealt withthe actual running of historic house museumsand all of the related issues. They were more“nuts and bolts,” down-to-earth, “let’s get itdone” endeavors. We held the first of thesewhen our carriage house restoration was com-plete, and it opened to the public; we werealso dealing with the major restoration of themain house roof. The conferences were agreat way to provide other museums with real“live” examples of major projects, includingboth progress and problems.

1992 — “Cadillacs, Calisthenics, andCarriage Houses: Running theAmerican Home”

1995 — “Historic House Museums: Issuesand Operations”

1998 – “Historic House Museums: Issuesand Operations II”Publication taken from theseconferences: “Interpreting HistoricHouse Museums”

Next, we held two symposiums on inter-pretation and how best to present your muse-um, both well-received topics. “Telling theStory,” presented in 2001, focused on theinterpretation of the house and family; “WhoElse Lived Here,” the 2007 conference, wasabout others — people, animals, or perhapseven ghosts — who might not be main char-acters in a museum’s story but who neverthe-less play significant roles. The 2007 confer-ence was especially notable because thekeynote speaker, Jim Vaughn from theNational Trust for Historic Preservation, firstdiscussed findings from the KykuitConference, which called for museums todevelop a survival strategy to respond todeclining attendance.

Partly in response to the KykuitConference, our latest offering, “Teachingthe Past to Ensure a Future,” held in 2010,focused on ways museums can remain rele-vant, given changing demographics and non-

traditional audiences who do not necessarilythink of “home” and “family” in traditionalterms. This conference was also a popularone.

“Conservation Savvy: From Expert toDIY” is the eleventh conference thatMcFaddin-Ward House will offer to museumprofessionals nationwide. Due to the popularsubject matter of this conference, we arebroadening our horizons and opening up theregistration to antique dealers, conservatorsand the general public, as well as museumprofessionals — in short, anyone who is inter-ested in conserving collections, whether fur-niture, textiles, paper, art and paintings,structures, and digitization of archives andphotographs. We will even cover disaster pre-vention in one of the sessions.

Our speakers will address the ins and outsof conservation and how to decide if a projectis “do-it-yourself” or if it is time to call in anexpert. We have lined up eight speakers, allexperts in their fields, to share information oncommon conservation conundrums.

The McFaddin-Ward House Museumfeels that cooperation is essential to success. Tomake the conference more affordable to muse-ums and to the general public, the MamieMcFaddin Ward Heritage Foundation hasunderwritten much of the cost. For moredetails on the conference, visit our website.This is a conference not to be missed, and welook forward to seeing you there.

Viewpoints-Page 3

McFaddin-WardHouse to host eleventh conference

Curator Sam Daleo coats a leather couch in the collection with Klucel, a water-soluble cellulose etherused to strengthen and stabilize materials. This process, which conserves artifacts, is one of the topicsthat will be presented at “Conservation Savvy: From Expert to DIY.”

B

Viewpoints-Page 4 V

By ARTHUR GARRISON

As I wrap up my summerinternship at the McFaddin-Ward House Museum, I cannotbelieve that I was given thisgreat opportunity to be a part ofsuch a unique staff. I havelearned valuable museum skillsfrom just about everyone here,including writing press releases,updating collections files withPublisher and Past Perfect, andcreating exhibits based on his-torical research. I am sure thatthese skills and my countlessother enjoyable experiences inBeaumont will help me achievemy goals after I receive my mas-ter’s degree in museum studiesfrom the University ofOklahoma next spring.

The best part of my intern-ship at the McFaddin-WardHouse was being allowed toparticipate in researching anddesigning an exhibit, knowingthat the information collectedwould be used to bring historyto life for many visitors. In myopinion, this is what museumsare for, and McFaddin-WardHouse accomplishes this taskquite well.

Part of my job was to createa two-part exhibit focusing onthe McFaddin family’s serviceduring the First World War.

Such an exhibit may seem a bitstrange for a house museum;however, I felt that construct-ing it would challenge me andalso allow the museum to sharea less widely-known piece ofBeaumont’s history with thepublic. The project gave me on-the-job experience working

with budgets, managing mytime and collaborating withstaff. This experience will helpme achieve my ultimate goal ofworking for one of the manymilitary museums across thecountry.

As I complete my intern-ship, I would like to thank the

Board of Directors and themuseum staff, as well as themany docents and patrons withwhom I have crossed paths overthe summer. Each has taughtme many things that will makeme not only a better museumprofessional but also a betterperson.

This summer, the museum hosted ArthurGarrison and Kayla Ross, two interns withwide ranges of expertise. They came to gainmuseum exposure and experience and, at thesame time, provide us needed assistance withprojects, events and exhibits. Arthur came tous with two degrees in history and is currentlyworking on an MA in museum studies; Kayla’sdegree in history included a semester studyingabroad in England. Together, they generatedtwo exciting new exhibits for the museum.

The McFaddin-Ward House Museum

internship program provides college studentswith on-the-job museum experience; internslearn the inner workings of a museum, fromcollections management to educational out-reach. One requirement is to research a topicrelated to the McFaddin family and curate anexhibit on the subject. They present theirresearch to the public at the opening of theexhibit, which remains on display for severalmonths.

Arthur’s exhibit, “World War I: Homeand Away,” spotlights the McFaddins’ contri-

butions to the war, both in Southeast Texasand elsewhere. Kayla’s project, “EdwardianOpulence: Lavish Living in the 1910s,” takesa look at the wealthy lifestyles of theMcFaddins and compares it to the lives ofEuropean aristocrats, such as those on thepopular television show “Downton Abbey.”Both exhibits will be on display throughDecember 2013.

To learn more about the internship or thepresentation and exhibit, contact the museumat (409) 832-1906.

INTERNSHIP COMES TO A CLOSE

Internship prepares students for careers in museums

Arthur Garrison conducts inventory in the dining room, one of many tasks assigned during hisinternship.

Viewpoints-Page 5

By KAYLA ROSS

As one of this year’s sum-mer interns, I was thrilled to beable to experience many differ-ent facets of the museum insuch a short time. From curatingan exhibit to assisting with edu-cational outreach planning, Ifeel that I am now prepared foralmost any job in the museumfield.

For as long as I can remem-ber, I have always loved muse-ums; and when I realized I couldmake a career out of somethingI was so passionate about, Ichose history as my collegemajor and never strayed fromthe choice. In August, I gradu-ated from Stephen F. AustinState University with a degreein History and a minor inAnthropology, and I look for-ward to what the future willhold.

This summer’s internshipproject included designing anexhibit that is now displayed inthe museum visitor center. Theexhibit, “Edwardian Opulence:Living Lavishly in the 1910s,”was initially inspired by my loveof the PBS series, “DowntonAbbey.” With the renewedinterest in the Edwardian Erasince the series began, and moreinterest in the story of theTitanic with the 100-yearanniversary of its sinking in2012, I thought it would beinteresting to compare the morefamous lifestyles of the era tothose of the McFaddins. Ibecame interested in comparingthe lavish lifestyles of wealthysouthern families, like theMcFaddins, to those of Britishnobility. I found that thoughthere were some differences,there was no lack of eleganceand opulence in either setting.My exhibit spotlights the

objects that demonstrate theextravagance of life in the1910s, before World War Ibrought great changes.

I have enjoyed the projectand learning to use theresources at the McFaddin-Ward House to conductresearch, as well as my manyother experiences during mytime at the museum. I assistedwith inventory of the clothingcollection, which turned out tobe a real education for me.Learning how museums catalogartifacts and experiencing first-hand the great attention givento care and detail provided mewith invaluable on-the-job col-lections management experi-ence. The experience was alsowonderful because I was able tosee up close what amazing worksof art the clothes were back dur-ing the early 1900s. It wasabsolutely mind-boggling tothink that some of the pieceswere over 100 years old. While Iwas here, I also got the chanceto visit other museums and his-toric houses in the area. It wasgreat to see other venues andsee how they compare with oneanother.

One of my favorite experi-ences at the museum was to helpwith one of the museum’s freemovie night events. Theseevents are a lot of fun, becausethey allow the public the chanceto see older films on the bigscreen. Movie nights are relatedto the museum’s themes, thisyear’s being “traditions.” Thecommunity loves these movies,and so do we — sometimes peo-ple even dress up for them.

My experience at theMcFaddin-Ward House hasgiven me the opportunity tolearn a great deal about thecareer field I plan to pursue.After I finish my time here, I

plan to continue doing intern-ships at museums and search fora position with another muse-um. I hope to learn as much aspossible before I begin my mas-ter’s degree in museum studies.My internship has taught me somuch that I now have no reser-vations about my ability to besuccessful in almost any posi-tion in the museum field. I feelreally lucky to have been given

the opportunity to work withthe amazing people at theMcFaddin-Ward House. Notonly are they dedicated to themission of the museum, but theyare helpful, supportive, and a lotof fun to work with. I havelearned a great deal from everyperson and thank them for mak-ing my first experience in themuseum field such an incredibleone.

MY INTERNSHIP TAUGHT MEEVERYTHING ABOUT MUSEUM WORK

While conducting inventory of the museum’s reserve collection,Kayla Ross assesses the early-1900s dress selection as part of herresearch for “Edwardian Opulence.”

Viewpoints-Page 6 V

The museum education depart-ment planned a three-day summercamp to highlight the year’s interpre-tive theme, “Tried and True:Traditions of a Southeast TexasFamily.” The camp, which was open toeight- to twelve-year-olds, focused ontraditions ranging from writing toentertainment. Campers participatedin a variety of activities — planning aparty, setting a table, creating a journal— and worked together to write andstar in an old-fashioned radio show.Other activities taught them about

telegraphy and handwritten corre-spondence (life before email, text mes-sages, and other technology); theywere even assigned a pen pal.

PASSING ON TRADITIONS

Viewpoints-Page 7

By SAM DALEO

On April 6, 1917, the U.S.declared war on Germany andofficially entered World War I.American forces were not fullyengaged in the war until thespring offensive of 1918, however.Also in the spring of 1918,President Woodrow Wilsonissued the first of two executiveorders creating the Army AirService.

These events soon impactedCarroll Ward, Mamie McFaddin’sfuture husband. Carroll enteredthe Army Air Service (the exactdate is unknown) and began pri-mary flight training as a combatpilot. It is unclear where this tookplace, but possibly at Kelly Fieldin San Antonio, as the majorityof American pilots in World WarI learned to fly there. Many can-didates completing primary train-ing at Kelly went on to EllingtonField in Houston to beginadvanced flight training. It was atEllington Field that Carroll wasdischarged from TrainingSquadron N of the Army AirService on March 12, 1919.

We do know that the air-plane Carroll flew during thisperiod was the Curtiss JN-4 two-seat biplane. The “Jenny,” as itwas called by its crews, wasAmerica’s most famous and signif-icant World War I airplane andthe primary trainer aircraft of theArmy Air Service. Over 7,000were used to train 95% of allAmerican and Canadian pilots.

The Jenny was a traditional-ly-designed biplane of the period,possessing a 44-foot unequalspan, staggered wing arrange-ment. Ailerons were placed onlyon the upper wings and wereoperated using a wheel-type con-trol system. The single, 90 HPCurtiss OX-5 eight-cylinderinline engine was located in thenose of the slim 27-foot fuselageand propelled the Jenny to a topspeed of 75 MPH and a service

ceiling of 6,500 feet. The fuse-lage also contained two inlinecockpits, one in the front for thestudent, one in the rear for theinstructor. Both cockpits wereopen-air, with only a small wind-screen at the front for protec-tion. A “tail-dragger,” the JN-4was outfitted with a two-wheeledundercarriage in front and awooden skid in back, under thetail unit. She was reliable, easyto fly, and loved by pilots andinstructors alike.

The Jenny was built by theCurtiss Aeroplane and MotorCompany, which was the largestaircraft manufacturer in the worldduring WW1. Curtiss employed21,000 workers at its plants inBuffalo and Hammondsport,New York, and produced 10,000aircrafts and 15,000 aircraftengines during the war. For thisachievement, company founderGlenn H. Curtiss is rememberedtoday as the founder of theAmerican aircraft industry.

Curtiss began as a manufac-turer of motorcycles, competingwith such firms as Harley-Davidson and Indian, but by1911, motorcycle manufacturingat the company had given way toaircraft. The Curtiss Companybecame a direct competitor of air-craft manufacturers both in theU.S. and around the world,including the Wright brothers.On July 5, 1929 the CurtissAeroplane and Motor Companyand Wright Aeronautical mergedto create the Curtiss-WrightCorporation, a leader in the aero-space industry to this day.

The Jenny was certainly oneof the Curtiss Company’s earlysuccesses, and its story did not endwith Armistice Day. TheBarnstorming era, from 1919 untilthe late 1920’s, found the Jennythrilling spectators at travelingaerial pageants and showsthroughout the U.S. Even beforeCarroll Ward sat in his first Jenny,the plane had received some noto-

riety when it was “recruited” byGeneral Pershing to assist his 1916“punitive expedition” to Mexicoin pursuit of Pancho Villa.

Luckily for Carroll, the warended before he actually sawcombat. His time in the ArmyAir Service, however, may havemade a positive impression on

Ida and W.P.H. McFaddin,Mamie’s parents. Until this time,they had disapproved of himbecause he had a “wild” reputa-tion. On May 21, 1919, a littleover two months after his dis-charge, he and Mamie were mar-ried in the parlor of theMcFaddin home.

Jenny in the skies of Texas

Jenny aircraft,left, sit in forma-tion at EllingtonField, 1918. TheJenny was reliable,easy to fly, andloved by pilots andinstructors alike.

Cadet Carroll Ward, above, poses next to his Jenny biplane during trainingin the Army Air Service, ca. 1918.

Viewpoints-Page 8 V

after dinner to her guests. (At that time,there were only a few brands of cigarettes,and no choice as to variety, such as filter ormenthol.) Ida and Mamie even purchasedspecially-designed Dresden cigaretteservers that matched their extensiveDresden dinner service. Today, of course, itwould probably be considered more impor-tant for a hostess to consider non-smokingguests’ interests.

In contrast, other McFaddin familymeal traditions were much less structuredand dignified. Wilson recalled that the din-ing room often rang with lively discussions(sometimes even arguments) and uproari-ous laughter. After the meal ended, theadults retired to the library, where thewomen sat and chatted and the menstretched out on the floor for a shortsnooze.

Tradition always accompanied themomentous occasions of birth and death.Ida and W.P.H. McFaddin had their chil-dren christened as babies, and their grand-children were baptized as well, often pho-tographed wearing long white christeninggowns. Names followed family customs;McFaddin and Caldwell men were oftengiven three first names, and one son usuallyreceived his maternal grandfather’s name.

Death invoked a number of traditions,some quite complicated. Knowing for cer-tain how to show proper respect for thedeceased was reassuring to the bereavedand took away the need for difficult deci-sions.

Etiquette books delineated a specificdress code for mourners: a woman dressedall in black for a year and a half after losinga husband; one year for a parent or child;six months for a sibling. Then followed astate of half-mourning, and she could wearlavender, gray or white. Men wore a blackarmband. Many mourners ordered black-bordered stationery, and some even hadtheir jewelry reset in jet. During themourning period, the bereaved couldattend church and small social functionsbut nothing large or frivolous, such as aball.

After Ida died in March of 1950,Mamie stayed out of the social loop for wellover a year. On November 7, 1951 shewrote in her journal, “wanted to go to con-cert with Carroll but could not do it —can’t be in crowds after losing Mother.”Her niece Rosine Wilson recalled thatMamie attended her wedding in 1951 butwould not go to the reception.

Both the Caldwell and McFaddin fam-ilies observed the custom of placing thedeceased in a bedroom for visitation, fullydressed, a ritual dating from a time beforefuneral homes with special viewing rooms

were available.On a lighter note, Aggie sports tradi-

tions came to the McFaddin home whenCarroll Ward married Mamie in 1919.Carroll especially loved football, havingbeen a star player at Texas A&M College(now University) from 1908-1910, and heremained an ardent supporter. Texas A&Mis famous for school spirit and tradition.Carroll and Mamie usually attended theA&M-Texas University game on Thanks-giving Day, and on rare occasions whenthey could not be there in person, they lis-tened to it on the radio. Mamie recordedthe final score each year in her diary.

Even ever-changing fashion operatedwithin social restraints. Dresses could belong or short, hat styles large or small, buta properly-clothed woman left her homewearing a skirt or dress, not pants, andalways with her hat and gloves. “I neversaw my mother without a hat and hergloves when she left the house,” Mamieonce said.

Ida and Mamie shopped for new styleswell ahead of the season. They also hadthat season’s clothing brought down fromstorage on the third floor. A flurry of activ-ity followed to make the clothes ready forwearing. A seamstress came by to let seamsin or out, raise or lower hems. Then theladies returned to town to the Fashion orWhite House to find any needed acces-sories to complete their wardrobe. Theircareful seasonal planning always guaran-teed that they had the proper ensemble.

As a child, Mamie learned how to shopfrom her mother. “I don’t think Motherever shopped without me,” Mamie recalled.“From the time I was a little bitty girl, shesaid she wanted to teach me how to buygood things — that one good thing wouldoutlast five cheap things.” When Mamiewas young, Ida had most of her clothingmade by Madame Dunlevy in Cincinnati.On her way to visit family in Huntington,West Virginia, Ida would stop in Cincinnatiand choose style and fabric; then on herway back to Beaumont, would stop in forher final fitting. Mamie recalled thatMadame Dunlevy “sent them one dress in abox. They were really works of art.”

For the McFaddins, “Tried and True”was much more than just a cliché; itdescribed their way of life. Tradition, hand-ed down through generations, providedcomforting parameters. From birth to deathand all the phases between, tradition kepttheir world intact.

TraditionsContinued from page 1

Curator of Interpretation and Education Judy Linsley explains that the family sent outblack-bordered cards after Ida McFaddin’s mother, Mary O'Bannon Smith Caldwell,passed away in 1927.

W

By MICHELLE CATE

This graceful porcelain amphora-shaped urn displayedin the McFaddin-Ward House parlor is a great example ofRococo Revival decorative art. The piece sits to the right ofthe fireplace on a marble table top. The chairs in the parlorare in the Louis XV style, so this urn suits the room in styleas well as color, with its tones of pink and gold with high-lights of blue. It is hand-painted with the classical mytho-logical figures of Venus and her son Cupid. They appear tobe putting their doe-eyed heads together to plot whom theyshould target next with his inescapable arrow of love. Theirbackground is a flowering forest and on the other side of thepiece, a classical ruin.

The urn is marked “Sèvres” with interlocking L’s on itslid and signed by the artist “R. Petit” on the front. I could findno information on “R. Petit” except for other examples thatwere signed with the same name. What I did find was thatafter 1830, there were no major porcelain manufacturers leftin Paris, except for the Jacob Petit factory on the outskirts ofFontainebleau. Some pieces accredited to Jacob Petit werestrikingly similar to that which we have here. Do “R.Petit”and “Jacob Petit” have some relation? Je ne sais pas. Myresearch was inconclusive. Sometimes we find that a piece canmake us ask more questions than it gives us answers, but thatis also what keeps the research so interesting.

The porcelain is mounted with metal rococo arms thatlook a lot like gold “ormolu,” a beautiful metal alloy. TheFrench perfected ormolu in the mid-1700s. The ormolugilding process used powdered gold in an amalgam withmercury that drove many gilders literally mad before the ageof 40. No true ormolu was produced in France after around1830 because legislation had outlawed the use of mercury,but the term is still sometimes used to refer to any kind ofgold-like gilt. We maysigh with relief, sincethis piece dates roughly1850-1900 and so musthave been gilt-bronzedthrough other means.

The delicate clus-ters of grapes hang fromthe intriguing gilt arms;on second glance intothe eyes of Venus andCupid, I imagine theyare looking at me withthat slyness that means they know something I don’t know.

Viewpoints-Page 9

COLLECTIONS CORNER:LOVE, MADNESS AND SECRETS KEPT

An example of Rococo Revival decorative art, this urnprovides a nice accent for the well-adorned parlor,designed to impress guests with style and refinement.Venus and Cupid gaze out as if they have a secret to keep.

A

known and loved since he began at themuseum as a junior interpreter back in2005. Harold comes from what he calls a“very large, blended family,” and whenasked about his siblings, remarks that thereare “too many to count if we’re includingstep-siblings.”

“It took a village to raise me,” hequips, and those of us who have knownHarold all these years humbly feel that weare a small part of that village.

During Harold’s seventh-grade year atOdom Middle School, he toured theMcFaddin-Ward House for the first time.The experience included interaction withone of the junior interpreters; he washooked from that point forward. He admitsthat he “had always loved history and itwas something to do,” and that the muse-um piqued his interest. We laugh that heneeded something more to do, even as aseventh grader.

Harold was in high school before Irealized just how busy he kept himself.When I recently asked about his activitiesin middle school, he rattled off a list thatwould make the most involved volunteer’shead swim. Most of his “things to do” con-tinued throughout his middle- and high-

school years: choir — both school andchurch — Bible Club, Teen Court, MockTrial, Varsity Soccer, NAACP, NationalHonor Society, Junior Statesman ofAmerica, and Top Teens.

While at Odom Academy, Harold par-ticipated in the Pegasus Program, whichallowed him to complete high school early.In his junior year, he entered the TexasAcademy of Leadership in Humanities atLamar University, “a highly selective, earlycollege entrance program for gifted andtalented students.” Harold thrived in thisprogram, which is one of only two residen-tial programs for high school students rec-ognized by the Texas State Legislature.When he graduated from the program atage 19, he had already earned two years ofcollege credit.

Harold’s plan was to finish his degreeat Morehouse College in Atlanta, and hemade that dream a reality. His goal ofattending the college had started in thirdgrade, when he heard Al Price, state rep-resentative, community leader andMorehouse graduate, speak about theschool. Morehouse is the only all-malehistorically black institution of higherlearning in the U.S. Harold was attractedto the college as a place for “movers andshakers” and leaders; and rememberingPrice’s words, knew it was the perfectplace for him. He took on Morehouse and

graduated with his Bachelor of Arts inInternational Affairs in just two years,recently returning home for a short timeto celebrate his accomplishments and torest (we hope). Harold maintained hisbusy schedule while in Atlanta and partic-ipated in not only the world-famousMorehouse College Glee Club, but alsothe College Republicans, Chinese Club,Political Science Association, BusinessAssociation, Environmental Club and, ofcourse, the Texas Club.

So what comes next for this outstand-ing young man? There will likely be moreschool, as his aim is to obtain a master’sdegree in either Public Affairs or BusinessAdministration; and he would like to stayin Texas to do it.

He admits that he has not ruled outsettling in Beaumont nor a career in poli-tics, and we can see that his options are asopen and varied as his interests. Haroldhas shown that taking part is good andimportant — it not only opens doors foryou, it makes you a person who can betaken seriously.

We know that no matter which pathhe chooses, Harold will be a success. Hehas proven it to everyone, from the villageof family members who raised him, to hismentors and teachers along the way,Harold wants to do it all, and indeed hecan.

Viewpoints-Page 10 V

BookerContinued from page 1

HaroldBooker, in

2008, gettinginto the spiritof the muse-um’s Harvest

Hoedownevent.

By BECKY FERTITTA

The McFaddin-Ward House lost a dearfriend recently, a friend who will always beremembered for her devotion to the muse-um, as well as to her friends and family. GayMallett was a nurturing and loving womanwho always had room in her heart; I met herjust after I lost my mother, and she helpedto fill a void in my life. Her eyes alwayssparkled when she spoke of her children,whom she adored. But more importantly,Gay’s six children adored her just as much.

Delightful, charming and full of fun,Gay was nonetheless a hard worker whotook responsibility very seriously. She spentmany years as a leader of the museum’sVolunteer Service Council, serving as pres-ident in 2006. Health problems kept Gayfrom being as active a volunteer as she

would have liked, but she still supported themuseum in her own special way. My lastvisit with Gay was at a recent volunteergathering. I am so thankful that I, as well

as all her museum friends, had that oppor-tunity. We miss you, dear Gay, but “heavengained a beautiful angel” on Sunday, July28, 2013.

Viewpoints from the Visitor CenterBy BECKY FERTITTA

As I write this edition of“Viewpoints from the Visitor Center,” Ifeel that summer has really flown by.Maybe that is because I spent the entiremonth of July with some of the mostincredible young people anywhere. Thatis what I have done.

At the end of June, 2012, 13 teenagershad just graduated from our junior inter-preter program. Each and every one wasexcited and eager to volunteer, and Iwanted to put them right to work.Unfortunately, we schedule our volun-teers a month in advance, so makingnumerous changes would have been alogistical nightmare. But that planted aseed in my brain: in 2013, why notschedule JIs to give July tours? I held onto that thought for many months, and atthe right time, started recruiting them towork.

By the middle of June, I knew I couldpull it off. Now, at the end of what I’venicknamed the “Junior InterpreterBonanza,” I couldn’t be more pleasedwith the result. Twenty-one of the 25active JIs on our roster gave tours and

worked multiple times, logging in 195.75hours of volunteer time. The total num-ber of visitors during July was record-set-ting — 500 — and over 100 were chil-dren. I have polled several of the JIs, andthey believe we should repeat the“Junior Interpreter Bonanza” in 2014.I’m certainly game. It’s been a real treatto spend time with this fine group ofyoung people. If they are in charge of theworld when they grow up, we are in goodhands.

Viewpoints-Page 11

Junior InterpreterJoseph Trahan, left,enjoys giving tours,and it shows.

Junior InterpreterTyrese Boone,below, shows thesleeping porch toguests.

GOODBYE TO A

DEAR FRIEND

Gay Mallett, pictured left, enjoying a volunteer “Pot Luck” dinner on July 16 withLedia Miller, Janie Trussell and Dianne Duperier.

Events Calendar

Thursday, September 12Buildings of Texas

Lecture and Book Signing6:30 p.m.

Lecture Hall

Saturday, September 28Smithsonian Magazine

Museum Day Live!Free Tours start at 10:30 a.m.

Visitor Center

Tuesday-Saturday, November 5-9Free Tours for

Mamie McFaddin-Ward’s118th Birthday

Call for ReservationsLecture Hall

Thursday-Saturday November 7-9Conservation Savvy:

From Expert to DIY ConferenceVisit website at

www.mcfaddin-ward.orgto register

MCM Eleganté Hotel

Sunday, November 10Holiday Photo Opportunity

Noon-3 p.m.Visitor Center

Thursday, October 24Movie Night:

“Bride of Frankenstein”6:30 p.m.

Lecture Hall

B

Viewpoints-Page 12The

McFADDIN-WARDHOUSE

Historic House Museum725 North Third StreetBEAUMONT, TEXAS

77701-1629Return Service Requested

Vol. 29, No. 4September 2013

Published quarterly for volunteers of theMcFaddin-Ward House and others

interested in cultural andeducational aspects of the museum.

(409) 832-1906, office(409) 832-2134, visitor center

www.mcfaddin-ward.org2013 Press Club of Southeast Texas

Excellence in Media Award winner for Best Newsletter

Volunteer Calendar

Saturday, August 31

Junior Interpreter Guide Day10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday, September 2

Labor DayStaff Holiday

Friday, October 25

VSC General Meeting and Bus TripTime TBA

Monday, November 11

MWH Book ClubNoon

Lecture Hall

Wednesday, December 4

Volunteer Christmas PreviewVisitor Center

10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

IEWPOINTMcFADDIN-WARD HOUSEV S

NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDBEAUMONT, TXPERMIT NO. 271

www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums

F