 This weekend sees the passing of an Auckland icon. After 48 years, Centennial St in the Auckland War Memorial Museum is going to be dismantled as part of the restoration of the East Gallery. Glory Days met with museum staff, heard of their sadness at the closure and learned of their exciting plans for the future of the space. Auckland 1866, as the exhibition is officially known, was a gift to the Museum in 1967 from the historic Auckland department store, Milne and Choyce and shows business and residential premises as they might have appeared in the rapidly growing seaport town of Auckland. The businesses displayed actually existed and are drawn from locations in Queen Street, Wellesley Street, Shortland Street, Customs Street (then Customs House Street) and Wyndham Street. The shops and bars are furnished with merchandise typical of the period. Advertisements, timetables and prices of goods shown have all been taken from almanacs and newspapers of 1866. And it's the condition of many of those objects, over 1,600 of them, that has necessitated the change. It is doubtful that the exhibition was ever intended to remain in situ for as long as it has, the longest standing exhibit the museum has maintained, and most of them were included without classification or accurate recording beyond being included on some hand written lists. Without disturbing the displays it has been very difficult to assess the quality of the items and over 48 years a great deal of degradation has occurred. Unmoved fabrics in particular become brittle and will need to be humidified before they can be moved.
Centennial St is not being carelessly discarded either. All the objects will be removed from display, restored, catalogued and will then join the reservoir of objects, over 1,000,000 of them, that will be involved in stories the museum plans to tell in the future. Those facades that can be saved will be and those that are too structurally degraded will be removed. Though their construction was revolutionary at the time, they were not intended to remain in place for as long as they have and a number of them are not in the best health. To create an ongoing legacy for the exhibition, Auckland 1866 and its collection items will become Auckland Museum’s first exhibition to be recreated online. Through a digital project, the exhibition has been captured as it is today within the gallery. In future, once the exhibitions closes, visitors will be able to continue to interact with and move around the space online, discovering different stories and collections items along the way. RealSCAN is a tool that supplies three views - a Virtual Floorplan, a Dollhouse/3D Model and a Virtual tour. This incredible technology will enable people to "virtually" walk around the 1866 exhibition and into shops like never before. This coupled with the panoramic imagery will provide an interactive Bespoke Tour developed by the curators at the Auckland Museum which will make 1866 and items within this collection come to life, in far greater detail than the current format allows.  Scott Milne, descendant of the Milne family, acknowledges the desire and need for Museum refurbishment. “Auckland 1866 was a cutting-edge exhibition development in the 1960s. Visiting the Museum’s current exhibition, Taku Tāmaki Auckland Stories, it’s easy to see how much things have changed over the years. The new presentation really shows you how far museums have come.” David Reeves, Director of Collections and Research, says, ‘The role of the museum, as being a place where you come to look at old things , is still valid but, like museums worldwide, we are moving to a storytelling mode of engagement,’ allowing visitors to engage in ways suitable to them. Like Milne, he points to the Taku Tāmaki exhibition and notes that its interactivity has precipitated the upload of over 27,000 piece s of information by the public showing visitors’ desire to participate. Gone are the days, he says, when a museum could just be a single authority on history and a ‘storehouse of physical evidence’. The explosion of digital information has encouraged people to seek knowledge in more varied ways and there is no place for an institution that presents only a singular view of the past. While Centennial St was pretty, it was a very mono-cultural representation of a moment in history and no longer fits within the museum’s remit to present stories from multiple viewpoints by presenting what we know and asking visitors for their side of the story as well.  The space currently hidden by Centennial St as it was when the museum opened in 1929 Not only that, but the exhibit is preventing the restoration of the building in order to keep it functioning for the benefit of future generations. Much of the building behind the display requires restorative care and the interior work will ultimately reveal the original neo-classical design for the first time in almost 50 years. Features include marble skirting, columns and an engraved timber stage. As David Reeves says, ‘There is no way we’d be allowed to slap black paint on heritage marble today’ and returning the space to its original condition will take a careful team the best part of a year.
Once the space is ready, the Museum will install a war memorial enquiry centre in which people will be able to share knowledge and to learn about the human contributions to New Zealand’s war history. ‘It will make the whole top floor more cohesive and provide a reverential space for learning and contemplation,’ says David Reeves. He says that it’s important to remember that the museum was originally built using money provided by everyday Aucklanders to honour those who had died in the First World War and that because most of them were buried overseas, the museum acts as a tombstone for them. The newly restored section will highlight the personal stories of those who went and never came back and, as such, fulfils the museum’s original brief appropriately. Auckland 1866 will officially close at 5pm on Sunday, 27 September 2015, following a special finale weekend as part of the Auckland Heritage Festival on 26 and 27 September. Aucklanders are encouraged to visit, share their memories and learn about the technology that will enable the exhibition and its collections to continue to be available online. There will be behind the scenes tours that reveal the original heritage architecture and the gallery will come alive with Victorian characters, activities and photo opportunities. We’ll be there and hope to see you too. Please post your photos on our Facebook page, we look forward to taking one last walk along Centennial St with you. View more images of Centennial St on our Facebook page.
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 Our intrepid reporter Claire Gormly, boarded a spaceship to Planet Tiki recently, to write a beginners guide to Tiki Oasis - the world's original Tiki Weekender. If you have read our latest Exotica issue and want to delve into the genre first hand, we suggest you read on and start saving for Tiki Oasis next year! Following my trip to the US, one thing I have learnt about New Zealand is that it is tiny… teeny tiny. This is particularly applicable to the vintage scene in New Zealand. If you, like me, are used to the teeny tiny, then Tiki Oasis will blow your mind! Bigger in everything, is better. But more about that later. What is Tiki Oasis? In the 1990’s a group of people in the US started hunting for 1950’s Tiki pop culture items in thrift stores. Bought together by Otto Von Stronheim, they began to have Tiki Mug parties and the appreciation of Tiki culture grew. Then 15 years ago Otto and his wife Baby Doe started a festival to celebrate all things Tiki. Tiki Oasis is held at the Crowne Plaza hotel in San Diego, California. The hotel used to be called “The Hanalei” and a number of its original 1960s features, such as the waterfall and palm trees, are still there. The most coveted place to stay is at the hotel. It has 400 rooms and sells out within the first 5 minutes, so be prepared to act quickly, and get on the newsletter so you know when ticket sales begin. There is a Motel 6 next door – an inferior but cheaper option. The Kings Arms is “over the road”, however it is actually a freeway and if you do not have a car you will have to prepare for the shuttles to get back and forth, and the queues that ensue! These days the event has a few key features – dressing up, live music, vendors, symposiums and world famous “Room Parties”. What to wear at Tiki Oasis? Each year has a separate theme which has a connection to mid century culture. This year was space, so there was an emphasis on “atomic” space-age looks. But as Tiki is the main focus, you could (as I did) dress in mid century vintage or reproduction clothing and will fit right in. You will see many Paki Muu’s, Shaheen sarongs and tiki prints. And lots and lots of hair flowers! This is where bigger is better comes in to play. Think big hair, big flowers and bright, bright colours. The best part of it for me was seeing women of all different shapes and sizes rocking vintage swimsuits, go go girl outfits and looking crazy-sexy with it. If you head along feel free to bare those legs, because everyone else is! Plan for two outfit changes a day - you will want daywear and something dramatic for night to keep up with the other guests. Often the themed outfits come out at night, and this includes men and women by the way. Gents are just as sharply dressed and there are a lot of Cabana suits, Hawaiian shirts and great themed outfits. What to do at Tiki Oasis? A very good question. There are so many options, day and night time. You can be educated at a symposium, watch live music, visit the vendors marketplace, hang out by the pool, hang out with friends in the shade. There is a pin up competition, a best dressed contest and a car show. At night there is live music on the stage until 10 pm, then the room parties begin. Room parties Room parties are a phenomenon! A hotel room, with all the furniture removed, with bands and burlesque. Each room has a free bar, sponsored by drinks companies or bars. Partygoers walk around the hotel complex popping in and out of parties, the most popular ones have large queues. In spite of all the free booze, I was very surprised at the decorum of the punters. I couldn’t help thinking that if this was New Zealand it would be rather messy in comparison! Be prepared to make new friends – everyone is super friendly, once you know one person they will introduce you to all their friends. Also be prepared for lots of compliments. People are not shy in telling you if you look good, this goes for men and women – get used to it. I truly had one of the best weekends of my life. Sure, the pressure to keep my look perfect and make sure I didn’t miss out on anything was high, but it was a three day blast! To see more photos from Tiki Oasis 2015, visit our Facebook page. Please make sure I am not the only New Zealander there next year and join me poolside! Tiki Oasis is on every year in August, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in San Deigo, USA. To keep up to date with next years festivities, like the Tiki Oasis Facebook page and keep an eye on their website for all the details.
 The Classics Museum in Hamilton has been a long time supporter of Glory Days. In fact, they have been featured in our pages since we started printing Glory Days nearly two years ago! We love the Classics Museum. If you have never been before, it's a must see. So many incredible classic cars, automobilia items, walls of vintage signage... it's hard to believe that it's all in little old New Zealand! But how can you get an eyeful of all those beautiful cars if you don't live nearby? For the last three years, Tiffany Curtis Photography has been producing the highly collectible Classics Museum Pinup Calendar that showcases the stand out cars of the collection, paired with their perfect pinup companion. Here's a video showing you just what goes on behind the scenes to create the calendar...  At Glory Days HQ we realised that many of the gorgeous models in the calendar have featured in the pages of the magazine, we were lucky enough to have Tiffany shoot one of our fashion spreads and the clever stylists that create the looks are often part of the Glory Days Pamper Parlour, so we asked Tiffany if we could help with the party this year. We are very pleased to partner with Tiffany Curtis Photography and the Classics Museum to bring you the launch of the Classics Museum Pinup Calendar 2016, in association with Sailor Jerry Rum and Protecta Insurance. On Saturday 19th September, join us for an afternoon and evening of fun and entertainment. TICKETS Tickets to this hotly anticipated event are only $20. Please note there are a limited number available and they are selling fast so get in quick to secure yours before tomorrow... Purchase your tickets here! Your ticket to the Pinup Calendar Launch includes:
We have planned an afternoon and evening of entertainment for the launch... 4pm
THE HAMILTON HAMPER Glory Days is pleased to offer an amazing Hamilton Hamper prize for one lucky person who attends both the 19 Black Grand Opening and the Classics Pinup Calendar Launch and enters the draw at both events. The Hamilton Hamper includes...
19 Black's opening is free to attend and is held from 12-3pm at 421 Grey St, Hamilton East. The Classics Calendar Launch is held from 4 - 10pm at 11 Railside Place, Hamilton. For only $20 your ticket includes an amazing goodie bag filled with treats, a free cocktail on arrival, mini market, Magic Photo Booth and entertainment from Lily Loca and The Blue Roses. Tickets are limited and selling fast! Purchase yours today from the Glory Days website or direct from the Jukebox Diner. SUNDAY ENTERTAINMENT
If you do decide to stay for the weekend or are lucky enough to live in Glamilton, The Hamilton Gardens have kindly offered all Pinup Calendar Launch ticket holders a free private guided tour of the garden worth $15 on Sunday morning. If you haven't been to Hamilton Gardens before, it is a must see! Please email editors@glorydaysmagazine.com to book your space.  Ahead of their Grand Opening launch party this Saturday, Glory Days caught up with Judy from 19 Black to find out a little more about her recent move into a good old fashioned bricks and mortar store and to get her top pinup picks for the season ahead! "We began 19 Black with a trip to Las Vegas way back in 2008, where we found and decided to import a quirky USA tee shirt range into New Zealand. With a family love of the 1950's and all things retro, we added retro gift lines and soon after vintage inspired clothing and footwear." "19 Black specialises in footwear that is anything but ordinary! We love putting our customers in the cutest shoes in town... some are subtle, some are loud, but all of them are unique. We were the first importer of Chocolaticas in the North Island, so we have a vast knowledge of the brand and we will always find customers the perfect fit". "We have been warmly welcomed into the Hamilton East 'village', with many customers popping in to see our unique shoes and beautiful frocks every time they pass the shop. While we enjoy sharing the fun and comfort of our footwear, there is something special about finding a woman the perfect dress. We feel her excitement when she emerges from the changing room, runs her hands over her new outfit and often with tears, exclaims that she feels beautiful. This is what opening a boutique has really enabled us to do... share in others joy of looking and feeling beautiful". And speaking of dresses we have included one of our favourites in our top picks from this season's collections, all pictured below and available in store now! This Saturday from 12-3pm my family and I would love to invite you all along to 19 Black's Grand Opening with in store specials on the day, our hostess Miss Pinup New Zealand 2015 Bettie Rage will be serving Sailor Jerry rum cocktails, delicious catering will be available,The Sweet Painted Lady is offering vintage makeovers, classic cars from the Classics Museum will be parked up and more. We look forward to seeing you there! Glory Days is pleased to offer an amazing Hamilton Hamper prize for one lucky person who attends both the 19 Black Grand Opening and the Classics Pinup Calendar Launch and enters the draw at both events. The Hamilton Hamper includes...
19 Black's opening is free to attend and is held from 12-3pm at 421 Grey St, Hamilton East. The Classics Calendar Launch is held from 4 - 10pm at 11 Railside Place, Hamilton. For only $20 your ticket includes an amazing goodie bag filled with treats, a free cocktail on arrival, mini market, Magic Photo Booth and entertainment from Lily Loca and The Blue Roses. Tickets are limited and selling fast! Purchase yours today from the Glory Days website or direct from the Jukebox Diner.  Glory Days guest vintage style reporter, Lady Kittyhawk of Debonaire Do's fame, got to experience Miss Chrissy and The Lindy Charm School first hand, when she paid New Zealand a visit recently. New Zealand was lucky to have one of Australia's top vintage stylists visiting our shores over the last few weeks, presenting at the Craft & Quilt Fairs and hosting private styling workshops at 19 Black in Hamilton and Kabella Baby in Christchurch. When you meet Chrissy you can see she is truly passionate about the bygone era; a true vintage fashionista, who looks impeccable no matter what she's wearing. When Chrissy stepped out onto the Lindy Charm School custom stage in a stunning vintage Paku Moo gown, we knew we were in for a treat!  There were three presentations during the day at the Quilt and Craft Fair - Glamour Retained, Making Do & Mending and Shape Shifters (shapes through the decades and the importance of undergarments). Chrissy presented with enviable style and grace, and the audience came away with so many great tips and real insight into vintage fashion and style. She is also in possession of real charm and wit, and she loves the Kiwi accent! The historical information about fashion and style really came to life with the use of local models, who wore the vintage garments while Chrissy explained each piece and shared some really gorgeous stories about the past owners of the garments and their provenance. The Making Do & Mending presentation was brilliant at showing the audience in real time how to rework clothing into something special. The section on the importance of undergarments was a great reminder to consider where a woman's true waist sits and how a good girdle fitted correctly can accentuate curves to their full potential. She asked for a volunteer from the packed audience, and a woman came forward to be fitted with a vintage waist cincher. Her measurements were taken 'before' and 'after' and the delighted lady was cinched in 3 inches - she looked fantastic! The Lindy Charm School also had lots of styling goodies up for grabs on the merch table, from hair styling essentials like the must have 'setting lotion' to hair flowers, to the Charm School makeup range.  One-on-one styling sessions were in full swing in Hamilton in between the presentations, where Chrissy showed attendees how to tie a turban, and a fantastic 'how to' Victory Roll style. Glory Days contributor, and blogger The Sweet Painted Lady (pictured below), was one of the models in the Hamilton lineup, saying "I really enjoyed it, Chrissy is passionate about what she does and it shows. I left feeling re-inspired!"  Missed your chance to meet Miss Chrissy? Like her on Facebook, check out her range of makeup and styling tools on her website, and keep an eye out on Glory Days for her next visit to our shores!
 Glory Days guest reporter, Stuart Attwood, files a report from the front line of Aethercon 2015... Having attended Aethercon in 2014, I was very much looking forward to this year, and I was certainly not disappointed! This years event was run in conjunction with Costumefest, so there was a large array of both Cosplay and other interesting outfits from the crowds that attended, mostly tending toward Steampunk. For those uninitiated, Steampunk is a loose alternate Victorian reality, driven mostly by Jules Verne fantasy, adventures into the unknown and the creative genius of its participants. On arrival, I stepped up and took one for the Glory Days team by being shot in the backside by the 2 1/2'' Pounder air driven cannon, which is a masterpiece of engineering and proved a great way to start off the day... with a bang!  Then into the goodies! There was so much to see and get involved with. I chose to wander around and talk to some of the stall holders to see what they had on offer, and I discovered several personal standouts. Firstly, Beatrice Carlson (pictured below). A consistent finalist at the World of Wearable Art competition, Beatrice had her amazing range of Cameos and clothing on offer. The Cameos are from her ''Vie de boheme'' collection. Very distinctive, and quite beautiful. Her work can be viewed at www.beatricecarson.com. On the literary side, I had the good fortune to meet S.C Green (pictured below left). She is the author of ''The Sunken'', part one of a series, named ''Engine Ward". The next book "Gauge War'' is due out sometime this year. She is someone to look out for, if your reading material tends toward Steampunk/Fantasy/Paranormal. She also writes humorous Fantasy under the name Steff Metal. Green is a prolific writer and is well on her way. Find out more at www.steffmetal.com I spent a good part of the day speaking with Gracie from Clevedon Costumes and Vintage Apparel (below right), and the discussion we had was a story in it self. Gracie has a wealth of knowledge and some amazing outfits and accessories and is just an all round great person to talk to. We discussed the experience of purchasing vintage clothing and costumes from a dealer as opposed to online shopping. It really is a case of getting out there, meeting new people and talking to those who are well versed in fitting us out. Go visit your local stores folks, it's well worth your time and effort, as well as supporting those in the business of making us look great! Find Gracie on her Facebook page. The quality of the costumes at this years event was outstanding. The personal highlight for me however was an outstanding Victorian dress made by Amy Beales of Northwic (pictured below). She spent hours working on the garment itself and it was simply beautiful. A visit to her website is a visual treat for those who love to see master craftsmanship and quality.  There was so much to see and experience. The inspiration, time and imagination that went into Aethercon and the people who attended will stay with both myself and those who attended for some time. I'd like to make special mention the hostesses of Aethercon, Vola Tile and Madame Rou, they were real troopers.  And finally Michael, Belle and the rest of the Aethercon team thank you for your kindness and for being so accommodating, it was a fantastic event and I'm looking forward to next year, Well done!
For more images from the day, visit our Facebook page. Would you like to find out more about Steampunk? Check out Glory Days Issue 4 - A Victorian Christmas which you can access for free online from our archive!  Glory Days' Claire Gormly, rounds off her San Fran sightseeing with a trip on the high seas aboard the Queen Mary... I am an avid biography reader, particularly old Hollywood movie star biographies. One thing most of the subjects of these biographies have in common is that they would travel from America to Europe on board the Queen Mary. Launched in 1936, she was the “grandest ocean liner ever built” and transported mail as well as movie stars between New York and Southampton, England. I have heard about and seen pictures of this monarch of the sea for so long, that she felt like a myth, like all those long dead stars, not really real. Hence why as I drove up to the quay in Long Beach I had tears in my eyes. It was vintage immersion heaven for me.  If you yearn for a real taste of “how things were”, the Queen Mary will not disappoint. I can honestly say that every part of her was just as I had imagined, all perfectly preserved for us to enjoy. She was only used for three years before World War II broke out and she was drafted into service, carrying troops. But after the war, she resumed elegant service and was a passenger ship until 1967.  I had the opportunity to be hosted on board and to try out the tours. I was given a small room, but one that had all the original fittings, an art deco heater and the taps for hot or cold sea water that were no longer working unfortunately. Apparently this would have been a third class room, situated at the front of the ship, so passengers would have had a lot of movement, but it was still rather salubrious for third class! I explored the decks, the afternoon sun warming the wood through the glass on the promenade deck, I thought of Cary Grant and all the stories of Marlene Dietrich and her liaisons with Ernest Hemingway. I did the aptly named “Glory Days” tour with our host James (pictured below left). It was informative and fun and the best part was viewing the old Ballroom in the middle of the ship. It was so beautiful, imagining the swing bands and the old dears waltzing away in their furs.
The observation bar is still in original condition, along with a lovely ghost story about a 1940s woman in a green dress, hat and gloves being spotted smoking in the bar when all mortal customers were long gone. In fact, all the ghost stories are of glamorous specters and I am not suprised! This is one classy ship and if I were an upper class ghost I would certainly choose this as my haunt. Speaking of ghosts, I would give the eponymous tour a miss. I could imagine the spirits holding their heads in shame at the loud, badly decorated decidedly unscary experience. I was gutted that it goes into the old swimming pool, so you can’t see it in its glory, but even in the dark it’s gorgeous, I would have loved to see it up close. The whole ship is one big art deco wonder, the peaceful long corridors, the staircase, the beautiful lifts. I couldn’t get enough of walking around, breathing in the smell of it, caressing the walls. In fact, I am sure people thought I was a little crazy, whispering “I love you” to her a bit too often. It’s not expensive to stay on board, so why wouldn’t you jump at the chance to stay in a proper piece of history when in LA.? Each year there is an Art Deco festival held on board, it’s definitely on my to do list. Unfortunately, I just missed out this year, but I can only imagine how much fun it would be to really pretend it was 1937 and you are bunking next to Marlene.
To find out about how you can stay on board the Queen Mary, visit their website for all the decolicious details!  Claire, Glory Days' resident globetrotter, hits the streets of San Fran in search of their very best vintage and files her latest report for the Telegram. San Francisco took a day to grow on me. It is a giant Wellington-like city, complete with unpredictable cool weather and trolley buses. It is huge, with many different faces and it took me a while to find the ones that I liked. In the end, of course, it took a local to show me. In terms of getting around the sprawling city, San Fran has a vast array of transport options. It pays to go straight to the visitors centre and grab one of their maps - don’t be like me and get sucked into a ‘passport’ as I later found you can do it far cheaper with a refillable Muni card (unless you want to spend a lot of time on the cable car but one way was enough for me!). Being a vintage loving girl, the vintage transport was the most fun - yes the cable car is enjoyable, but the vintage F line trolley bus was my favourite, they are so beautiful and they go everywhere. Vintage shopping was high on my agenda, and of course I headed straight for Haight Ashbury. I have to admit that the area itself was a big disappointment. It is like a 1960s theme party, with a plethora of tie dyed tat and smoke shops. I can’t help thinking Janis and Jim would turn in their graves and besides, they wouldn’t have been able to afford the rent there these days anyway. However the good news is that there are a few great vintage stores, right on Haight Street. First up is Decades (1653 Haight St) - a huge museum like shop with things handily divided into decades. I met the lovely Summer there (pictured above) who also is a vintage hair stylist. She gave me the run down on the nightlife, there seems to be no end of swing dancing , big bands and Jazz. Just down the road at 1605 is the fantastic Relic Vintage, run by the infamous Oran (pictured below) - I say infamous as everyone I saw seemed to know him. Relic is reasonably priced and has some incredible pieces, Oran really knows his stuff. I found a great 1920s dress for a third of the price it would be at home in New Zealand. Also down the road is a goodwill store, that doesn't offer much vintage but is very cheap! The other district I explored, thanks to people in the know, was The Mission- this is how I had pictured San Fran, quirky boutiques, lovely parks, few tourists and an artsy feel. I visited two shops here. First up was Retrofit Vintage at 910 Valencia Street run by the fabulous Stephen LeMay... he is funny, loves his vintage and takes good care of it. As an actor he also caters for show people with a huge range of stage makeup and flamboyant dresses. It was a blast hanging out in his shop (pictured left) and his prices are fantastic by the way. Then to Schauplatz at 791 Valentin St (pictured right). offering a good eclectic range, more on the retro side of things, and again very reasonably priced! Any vintage aficionado must check out the Musee Mechanique at Pier 43. This is a fully working collection of vintage arcade games, free to enter but make sure you bring all your spare change. There are all the old favourites, peepshow boxes, fortune telling machines, palm readers and there is also a big model of a fair from the 1930s (pictured below left), made by a retired Carny. It was so intriguing, I found it hard to leave. Then there is Coit Tower (below right), built in 1933 with money from Lillie Coit, an interesting woman who had a love of firefighters after being rescued by them as a child. The San Fran council commissioned murals around the inside of the tower, featuring great depictions of 1930s life. Food time, I was too busy shopping too sample too many eating places but I did get taken to a little gem of a diner, ‘It’s Tops!’ 1801 Market Street. In the same place since 1935, it is the real deal, but doesn’t make a big fuss about it. No huge queues here, but great American diner food. Highly recommended. While on my San Fran travels I also met the owners of one of the best vintage clubs in town, Stookeys Club Modern at 895 Bush Street and Taylor Street. As members of the Art Deco Society of California they know their Art Deco, and it was a grand old time hanging out with them!
San Francisco has a rich, interesting history and pieces of it are found all around the city, so spend some time here, get away from the tourist areas and let San Fran woo you... I'm sure that you, like myself, will eventually be hooked.  Glory Days' resident ghost hunter, Claire Gormly, gets spooked at the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose but lives to tell the tale... When I was a little girl I had a friend with a huge farmhouse. It had secret passageways and was great fun to play hide and seek in, but it was also was a little scary! Fast forward 35 years and I had déjà vu in a big way at The Winchester Mystery House. The house is spectacular in and of itself, but it also comes with one hell of a story. Sarah Pardee was a wealthy, well educated woman when she met her husband to be William Winchester. They lived a happy life together funded by the money from William's share of the Winchester gun fortune.  They were very much in love and overjoyed when they had their daughter Annie, but things were about to go horribly wrong. Annie was born with fatal condition that meant she only lived a short time and Sarah and William never had any more children. 15 years later, William died of tuberculosis and Sarah was devastated. In Victorian times there were no psychiatrists to help with mental health issues, only spirit mediums, and it is said that Sarah consulted one to help her through her grief. She was allegedly informed that she was cursed and haunted by the spirits of those killed by Winchester rifles, that her money was blood money, and the only way to appease them was to build a house.... and never stop. Sarah found a piece of land in San Jose and did just that. She employed carpenters to work around the clock, to build to her own plans and specifications, exactly what she wanted. This turned out to be a never ending collection of rooms and passageways. She had no end of money, and no end of ideas. She would build, rebuild, build over and tear down room after room.  Every night at 12, a bell would ring and Sarah would retire to the seance room in the middle of the house - a room with a secret entrance and a precipitous drop into the kitchen on one side. She would take out one of her thirteen robes and sit at a small table. The spirits would arrive and tell her exactly what she needed to do next to the house. Although she courted them for their building advice, Sarah didn’t want them hanging around and so the house is full of spiritually significant features such as chimneys that don’t reach the ceiling to stop spirits getting in, very few mirrors, and the number thirteen everywhere. There are thirteen windows in the 13th bathroom, thirteen palm trees in the garden, thirteen stairs in the main stairway. Because of the spirits contrary nature, or maybe because Mrs Winchester was not an architect, the house is odd to say the least. Doors to nowhere, cupboard doors into another room, stairways that go up, then down, then up again, windows that look into walls.  She was a tiny 4 foot and suffered from arthritis, so there are switchback stairways with loads of tiny steps. She was also an innovator, coming up with many ingenious features including one of the first showers, dust catchers built into stairs and a watering system for her gardeners that conserved water. The tour of the house is guided as it is apparently rather easy to get lost and people were stealing bits and pieces from the rooms. The guides are very good and the stories are so interesting that any feeling of it being twee doesn’t last. Everything about the house is intricate and exquisite, even down to the door latches. There are rare examples of wallpaper and priceless stained glass. Personally, her bedroom where she died was the most moving room for me and the seance room was the most spooky.  As for ghosts, there are lots of stories, but this chap on the far right of the photo below was so devoted to Sarah that apparently he still pushes a wheelbarrow around the basement.  The overiding feeling you get about Sarah is that she was an incredible woman, a scholar, an inventor, a conservationist, a generous employee and a visionary. She may or may not have been a medium and/ or a little mad, but anyway you look at it, she built something unique and incredible that was her legacy to the world. I do hope the spirits are happy.
Read more about the Winchester Mystery house at www.winchestermysteryhouse.com  There has been no shortage of top vintage stylists and beauty experts over the last few weeks in New Zealand! Following Cherry Dollface's visit last month (which you can read about here) we are lucky enough to have Miss Chrissy paying Hamilton and Christchurch over the next two weeks! On the even of her tour, Glory Days found out what it takes to become the head of the class at her "Lindy Charm School for Girls". Miss Chrissy is renowned as one of Australia’s foremost vintage stylists and her hair, make-up and styling skills are highly sought after across Australia, New Zealand and the US. As an aficionado of early 20th century style, manners and etiquette demand for her knowledge and expertise led her to create her own business “The Lindy Charm School for Girls”. The Charm School serves to empower women, to bring out their inner beauty and find the confidence to be themselves. Chrissy professes that every girl deserves to look and feel glamorous, regardless of age, shape or dress size, and works towards helping every woman in the world feel confident and individually glamorous – one pin curl at a time!   First stop for Miss Chrissy is the Craft and Quilt Fair in Hamilton from the 3rd - 6th September. She will offer free 30 minute presentations throughout all three days on the following topics...
Miss Chrissy will also offer special classes and 'dos for Quilt and Craft Show attendees. On Thursday and Friday 3pm – 4.30pm join in a masterclass. Fancy a little old-school glamour? Let Miss Chrissy show you her make-up techniques and tricks to create the perfect pin-up look – and pick up lots of great tips to use every day. Plus style your hair to create a special ‘do’ influenced by a variety of eras from the 1930s to the 1950s – and learn what styles suit your look. You’ll learn to achieve that primped, preened look! Masterclass cost: $30 Bookings at lindycharmschool@gmail.com On Saturday from 2.30pm onwards you can get a ‘night out hair-do’ special! Have a hair do created just for you in a great ‘vintage’ style by Miss Chrissy. You’ll look smashing for a special evening out on the town! Cost is $35 and there are limited appointment times, so book at lindycharmschool@gmail.com or call +61 (0)409 727 888
Miss Chrissy is also going to be hosting Vintage Styling Sessions at 19black in Hamilton on the 5th September and
Kabella Baby in Christchurch on the 12th September. See the posters above to find out how you can book in and find your inner bombshell, and look out for a Telegram next week about Miss Monique Sweet's experience at the Lindy Charm School for Girls! |
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