The Colonial Dames of America

06/11/2020

CDA MEMORIES
~~~Brantley Knowles CDA CHAPTER XVII-PB & Kathy Springhorn of Parent Chapter at a CDA Museum Benefit circa 2012, New York, at the CDA Abigail Adams Smith Ballroom.

06/10/2020

THE KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE
~~~In 1716 LT Governor ALEXANDER SPOTSWOOD of Virginia is a qualifying ancestor for The CDA. He was joined on an westward expedition by numerous Prominent VA “grandees” with names such as Mason, Washington, Beverley, Fontaine, Taylor and Brooke. These gentlemen took an historic trek to the Blue Ridge Mountains. They began in Tidewater, and gathered more participants as they ventured west. The horses were shod at Germanna as they were approaching rocky terrain. ( Because of the soft sandy soil, horses were not shod in Tidewater at that time.) Once they reached the mountains the explorers camped and had a remarkable, elegant dinner by the Shenandoah River. Many toasts were made to the English royal family. This was the beginning of the Westward Movement. Below-Alexander Spotswood; the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia.

06/09/2020

SIGNERS OF THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT
~~~Are qualifying ancestors for CDA.

06/08/2020

DR WILLIAM KELSO, CBE ( Hons) (left) ARCHAEOLOGIST EMERITUS OF JAMESTOWN REDISCOVERY
~~~At a dinner at PENSHURST PLACE in Kent, England, owned by the Sidney family since 1552. A Jamestown Patron group in 2019 was touring the homes of the investors in the Jamestown Venture-all courtiers of King James I. One of the early investors in the London Virginia Company was a Sidney. At right is PETER KNOWLES, former Board President of PRESERVATION VIRGINIA.
( The Jamestown Rediscovery Project has been a recipient of funds from CDA’s Education & Scholarship Committtee, chaired by Jocelyn Lance. )

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/07/2020

CHLOE’ OUR CDA MASCOT
~~~”Chloe’ rises a bit after actual sunrise and loves early morning walks on the South Flagler seawall, and stops to appreciate our beautiful flag.” Kathy Springhorn, Chloe’s Mommie, is a Parent Chapter member and longtime CDA leader.

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/06/2020

OUR WONDERFUL CDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
~~~DEB MCWILLIAMS celebrates a special big birthday today 🎂

06/06/2020

MEET 2020 CDA HEARST FELLOWS (one of two) MOUNT VERNON HOTEL MUSEUM ( MVHM)
~~~MAYA COLMAN (top)is a rising senior at Oberlin College (Oberlin, Ohio) with a Major in history & a minor in sociology. She has been an intern at the Oberlin Heritage Center and at the Los Angeles United Methodist Museum of Social Justice. For her project, she will research the African-American experience in NYC after the abolition of slavery & incorporate her findings into a specialty tour. For the 36th year, the Hearst Fellowship has been funded at MVHM by the WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST FOUNDATION . We have two Hearst Fellows yearly. William Randolph Hearst, media magnate of the 20th century, is pictured at bottom.

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/06/2020

MEET 2020 CDA HEARST FELLOWS ( one of two) MOUNT VERNON HOTEL MUSEUM ( MVHM)
~~~KIMBERLEY EARLYWINE (left) a rising sophomore at Salve Regina University ( Newport, RI) is double majoring in Cultural & Historic Preservation, as well as Religious & Theological Studies. She has been a docent for two years at Ringwood Manor ( NJ), built in 1739. Kimberley’s project is to develop a program for our high school interns that may be used during the Academic year. For the 36th year the Hearst Fellowship has been funded at MVHM by the WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST FOUNDATION. We have two Hearst Fellows yearly. William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951), media magnate of the 20th century, is pictured at right.

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/05/2020

CDA WISHES A HAPPY “VERY 🎂 BIG”
JUNE 6 BIRTHDAY TO
DEB MCWILLIAMS
CDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

06/05/2020

THE VIRGINIA SETTLERS BROUGHT WITH THEM
~~~”The Great Charter of Virginia” in 1607, the Foundation of Virginia Law.
Photo courtesy of Linda Juba, Chapter XXI-Dallas

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/05/2020

GARDENS OF DAMES
~~~Parent Chapter member and First VP Beverley Sherrid says of her garden, “I’ve been creating a vegetable garden...it’s all in, and triple fenced. All I have to do now is watch it grow, so I can attend to the flowers now.” 🌸

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/04/2020

MIRRORS FROM OUR MUSEUM
~~~Three are highlighted.

www.cda1890.org

The Museum has six functioning mirrors. Each one serves a necessary purpose. For this installment of “Meg’s Favorites” she focuses on three of them, all made in America.

There are four mirrors in the upstairs Ladies’ Parlors; reflecting light rather than visages is their similar characteristic. The circular girandole above the mantel is simply placed too high to look into, plus this mirror is convex, so it is not likely to appeal to young ladies’ self-appraisal! The three candles and gilt surface serve to brighten the room.

The nearby pier table (the “pier” refers to the south wall between the two windows) has a mirror near the floor, which could be perfect for ladies’ petticoats that required adjustment. Additionally, light from the windows was also reflected in the mirror.

In the Lower Hall is the eglomise (reverse painting on glass) mirror that features a naval scene. It is based on a print or etching that amplifies America’s triumph as a world power. Ironically, the glass itself may come from England, a defeated foe in the war of 1812! A similarly themed rectangular mirror can also be seen in the Men’s Tavern Room.

Both men and women were well served by the mirrors in the Mount Vernon Hotel in 19th-century New York City.

06/04/2020

CELEBRATION CAKES
~~~Were prevalent in the 18th & 19th centuries!

We will need a virtual one 🎂
For CDA Executive Director, DEB MCWILLIAMS, who is having a really big birthday SATURDAY JUNE 6TH 🎂🍾🥂

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/04/2020

CONGRATULATIONS
~~~We heard that Tonya Finton of Chapter XXIII-VA and husband, Tim, recently had a special wedding anniversary! Best wishes!
💙💛

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/04/2020

PAINTING OF GEORGE III STATUE DESTRUCTION
~~~Lower Manhattan ( Bowling Green) 1776
Artist: Johannes Adam Simon Oertel, courtesy The New York Histirical Society, “ History teaches us that monuments come and go....
It is the human spirit that endures.”

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/04/2020

BRUSH BRUSH BRUSH
~~~Your pearly whites. Lid says in French,
“Coral Powder” for tooth brushing. Ground coral sounds very exotic, but the product is actually dyed gypsum ( calcium sulfate), which would have become toothpaste when moistened. This 18th c tooth powder box is from the Collection of Colonial Williamsburg.

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/03/2020

CERULEAN BLUE SATIN
~~~Wish I knew the artist! 👩‍🎨 This is the same blue as CDA insignia ribbon.

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/03/2020

The Colonial Dames Waltzes - 1890 - The Colonial Dames of America

In 1896, John Philip Sousa, most famous for "The Stars and Stripes Forever" composed a piece called "The Colonial Dames Waltzes." Click the link below to watch the original piano version recently performed by Chapter ###I member Adryn Sumner.

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

The Colonial Dames Waltzes   “The Colonial Dames Waltzes” were composed by the famous American composer John Philip Sousa in 1896.   Adryn Sumner, a member of Chapter ###I – South Carolina, performed the original piano version of John Philip Sousa’s piece in a recording...

06/02/2020

SPANISH ESCUDILLAS
~~~Possibly bought by settlers when they stopped at the Canary Islands on way to Jamestown.

www.cda1890.org

Sherds of at least six Spanish lustreware double-handed bowls (or escudillas) have been found at Jamestown. These wares were manufactured between the 13th and 17th centuries and display a decorative technique brought to Spain from North Africa. Neutron activation analysis of the Jamestown examples shows that they were made in Barcelona and Muel. Such lustrewares are generally found on Spanish colonial sites, suggesting the settlers may have obtained the bowls when stopping in the Canary Islands or the West Indies on their way to Jamestown. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3bzfMus #GuessThatArtifact

06/02/2020

MRS. ASTOR ORGANIZED A GREAT DEBUTANTE BALL 1902
~~~The Assembly Ball was an important Society affair, with the debutantes wearing white, held at the Waldorf-Astoria, December 12, 1902. Imagine our Dames in attendance! It was organized by Society leader, Caroline “Lina” Webster Schermerhorn Astor of “The 400” fame. As the New York Times said, “Brilliant affair...with many guests from other cities, never so many debutantes...beautiful gowns worn.” Captions under photos.

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/02/2020

THE SERENITY OF A SWAN
~~~Photo courtesy of Chapter ###I-SC member Laurie Aldinger, taken during a recent sojourn to Swan Lake in Sumter, SC.

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/02/2020

DELFT IN THE COLONIES
~~~Delft is a decorative tin glazed earthenware, a type of faience. It was made in many countries, the city of Delft in Holland was a major producer. Dutch and English delftware would have been prevalent in the American colonies. The start of manufacture in Delft was about 1600, and the “Golden” period of design was 1640-1740. Many designs copied those of blue and white Chinese wares. Delftware is made today. Pictured below is an antique delftware exhibit in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow.

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/02/2020

SWAN LAKE
~~~At Sumter, SC. Chapter ###I-SC member Laurie Aldinger and husband Tom had a pastoral picnic at Swan Lake to escape the recent events. Laurie is pictured with a stand of native irises by the lake. She is a former Chapter ###I-SC President, former member of the Society Board of managers, and present CDA Audit Chairman. “There is nothing like a Dame.” 🎼

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/01/2020

CDA CHAPTERS
PLEASE SHARE OUR FACEBOOK & WEBSITE INFO WITH YOUR MEMBERS!

06/01/2020

GARDENS OF DAMES
~~~”Full blooms in the morning light”, from Melissa Cliett Levesque , CDA Chapter ###I-SC. Besides being First VP of her Chapter, Melissa was elected to the CDA Development Committee at the Society level, which is a Standing Committee. Members of CDA Standing Committees are voted on by the CDA Board of Managers. Brava! 🍃

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

06/01/2020

SUNRISE IN PALM BEACH
~~~CDA Parent Chapter member Kathy Springhorn shares this serene and beautiful photograph of sunrise over Lake Worth, West Palm Beach looking towards the East. Paradise regained.

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

05/31/2020

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL TODAY
~~~Heavenly Dames blue.
( Courtesy of Mrs. Daffodil)

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

05/31/2020

A WALK IN CENTRAL PARK
~~~CDA Parent Chapter member Angela Parks Massand and husband Prakash enjoy the spring weather in New York after the Covid lock down. 🍃

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

05/30/2020

Society Colonial Wars MD

A VERY INFORMATIVE VIDEO ABOUT
THE SOCIETY OF COLONIAL WARS (SCW)
~~~In the State of Maryland, a men’s group which has a similar mission to CDA. The video shows many projects and commemorations. CDA Chapter I-Baltimore is participating in the video. The Colonial Wars time of service is 1607-1775, the colonial, not revolutionary period. There are SCW Societies in various states through US.

www.cda1890.org

05/30/2020

GARDENS OF DAMES
~~~In the North Carolina Mountains woodland bounty courtesy of CDA Registrar General Laura Dean Ramsay Chapter ###IX-Birmingham. L-delicate leucothoe or “Dog Hobble”; center-asarum or “Wild Ginger”; R-Galax leaves, larger than depicted in photo, leaves turn reddish in fall- great for floral designs.

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www. Cda1890.org

05/30/2020

AN 18TH C SILHOUETTE
~~~Robe a la Francaise

www.cda1890.org

Robe à la française
1775, probably the Netherlands
Silk plain weave (faille) with supplementary weft-float patterning, moiré finish, and silk passementerie with silk fly fringe
LACMA

05/30/2020

TIARA OF A COLONIAL DAME
~~~This antique beauty was owned , and worn by Cereal Heiress and General Foods founder, Marjorie Merriweather Post, member of CDA Chapter XVII-Palm Beach. Purchased at auction, Mrs. Post enjoyed this gorgeous piece and later gave it to the Smithsonian jewel collection.

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

05/30/2020

CDA’S MUSEUM HEARST FELLOWS
~~~Mount Vernon Hotel Museum is grateful to have been funded for 36 years by the WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST FOUNDATION to sponsor two summer fellowships for graduate and undergraduate students. Fellows assist with summer programming and complete an independent project to enhance the Museum’s interpretation of New York Life 1826-1833. The fellows work full time June 1- July 31 ( this year virtually) and later present their projects at the annual Hearst Fellows Symposium, July 31. Our two Hearst Fellows will be highlighted in separate posts. Painting below of William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951) important 20th c businessman, newspaper publisher, media mogul. Artist: Daniel E. Green, NA

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

05/29/2020

INTREPID DAMES AT GEORGE WASHINGTON’S MOUNT VERNON
~~~Before “corona times” , CDA Chapter XXIII-VA had a field trip to Mount Vernon ( top Photo) and explored the cupola atop the house! Pictured, the view “from the top” ( bottom-left) and brave Mary Ellen Winks, Chapter Treasurer, gracefully climbing down! ( Bottom-Right) The view WAS worth it!!

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org

05/29/2020

CHLOE’ THE WESTIE
~~~Our special Dames mascot, Chloe’, has been socially distancing since March in P🌴B. Born in Italy, Chloe’ resided there to bond with her “new” Mommie-Parent Chapter member Kathy Springhorn her first months of puppyhood. Chloe’ had to learn commands in English as well as her native Italian. Upon relocation to NYC, she enjoyed a New York Christmas 🎄, assisted with the CDA Holiday Party, but soon after relocated to P🌴B due to corona. Chloe’ loves fun in the sun ☀️, her walks along Lake Worth, and her garden frolics-especially curly tail lizards 🦎 . Chloe’ may choose stay here 🌴.....more to come.

AMERICA’S FIRST COLONIAL DAMES
~~~CDA 1890
www.cda1890.org