Ryerss Museum & Library

It was a parade kind of day at Ryerss today. Thanks to everyone who joined us. Our next Storytime is June 8 with a special Laughter Event led by Barbara Hee our Laughter specialist.

Even the children got into the act.

Another great performance at Ryerss by the Philadelphia Jazz Tap Ensemble. Thanks to the talented performers. We hope you’ll join us again.

A special congratulations and “Thank You” to our Friends of Ryerss volunteers who created such a beautiful and fun Victorian Christmas Open House for our community. They spent countless hours in planning, decorating, baking, preparing and holding the event which was enjoyed by 500 people. Thank you also to Santa who stopped by to see us and the music provided by our friends from New Foundations Charter School. If you came out for the event, thank you for supporting the programs of Ryerss Museum and Library.

Lots of fun at Ryerss today. Lots of buttons for the children (and grown-ups) to push to make rockets fly, cranes move, whistles blow—fun!!! Open until 3:30 today. Come on over.

Take a look at the “Magic” tea we enjoyed at our Alice in Wonderland Tea Party yesterday. The magic happens when a little bit of lemonade is added.

Continuing the series of posts highlighting famous modern-day authors: this month, Martha Grimes. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1931 to William Grimes, Pittsburgh's city solicitor, and June Dunnington, who owned the Mountain Lake Hotel in Western Maryland where Martha spent much of her childhood, Grimes earned her B.A. and M.A. at the University of Maryland. She then taught at the University of Iowa, Frostburg State University, and Montgomery College. Grimes initially became known for her series of novels featuring Richard Jury, an inspector with Scotland Yard, and his friend Melrose Plant, a British aristocrat who has given up his titles. Her tales fall into the mystery genre referred to as the "Literary Mystery," with the emphasis on well-written character-driven stories and less on violence. Her Emma Graham quartet of novels beginning with Hotel Paradise is set in an atmospheric aging lake resort in western Maryland, and delves into mysteries of past secrets and human nature. The background to the series draws on the experiences she enjoyed spending summers at her mother's hotel in Mountain Lake Park, Maryland. The Andi Oliver set of two novels centers on a young drifter with amnesia, making her way in the northern U.S. mid-west armed with a strong sense of right and wrong, and a great compassion.

Here are more pictures from last Sunday's excellent presentation by John Whitenight. The parlor was well filled by a rapt audience who heard John discuss the fascination topic of Victorian glass domes (or "shades", as they were called back then). He brought in and displayed several of his own domes, and he let us know that Ryerss very own glass dome was not what it appeared to be. Thanks John... And thanks to volunteer Kathi McDonough who bought and donated to Ryerss Library a copy of John's book, Under Glass: A Victorian Obsession (2013)!

Whitenight talk on April 22, 2018

Thanks to those who came to Ryerss today to see/hear John Whitenight discuss the fascination topic of Victorian glass domes (or "shades", as they were called). The program, besides being captivating, was very popular, with over 30 participants! Thanks go also to John for a great talk...

UNDER GLASS: A VICTORIAN OBSESSION

Join us next Sunday, on April 22nd, at 1 pm, for a very special event: noted author, lecturer & collector John Whitenight will be speaking about Victorian Glass Domes and showing examples of these unique Victorian objects. He will also discuss his book, UNDER GLASS: A VICTORIAN OBSESSION: The Natural World Under Glass (copies will be for sale). Come learn about this fascinating Victorian art form at this talk to be held in Ryerss' downstairs Victorian parlor, not far away from our own example of a glass dome. Admission free; donations most appreciated.

Robert Ryerss Birthday Party

Thanks to all who came to celebrate Robert Ryerss' birthday at the mansion today! Old Bob Ryerss was 187 years old on March 8th. While he currently resides at Laurel Hill Cemetery, there were refreshments and games at his NE Philly home, including pin the tail on Old Gray! "Mrs. Ryerss" was a guest of honor, as was Mr. Cash, the therapy dog. (Remember that the Ryerss family loved their pets and horses.) And how surprised would Mr. Ryerss be to know that people were throwing him a birthday party 122 years after he died? This free annual event commemorates his legacy, as he graciously donated the mansion and all of Burholme Park to be used as a library, museum and park "Free to the people forever." Here are some photos...

Continuing the series of posts highlighting famous modern-day authors: This week, Sandra Brown, an American bestselling author of romantic novels and thriller suspense novels. She was born in Waco, Texas, and raised in Fort Worth, and majored in English at Texas Christian University before leaving college in 1968 to marry her husband, Michael Brown, a former television news anchor and award-winning documentarian. Brown later worked as a TV weathercaster, then returned to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area where she became a news reporter . Brown started her writing career in 1981 on a dare from her husband. Since then, she has published nearly 70 novels and had more than 50 New York Times bestsellers. Brown's novel French Silk was made into a television movie. She has also published works under the pen names of Rachel Ryan, Laura Jordan, and Erin St. Claire. Ryerss has many of Brown's books; several are on special display.

Storytime parade

Children brought their favorite stuffed animal to Storytime on Friday. After hearing stories the children and their animals paraded around the gallery.

Continuing the series of posts highlighting famous modern-day authors: This week, James Patterson, who you may have seen lately on cable TV hawking some kind of mystery show or another. Born in 1947, he is best known as an author of serial and stand-alone detective thrillers, non-fiction and romance novels. His books have sold more than 300 million copies. In 2016, Patterson topped Forbes's list of highest-paid authors for the third consecutive year, with an income of $95 million. His total income over a decade is estimated at $700 million. Patterson has written 147 novels since 1976. Many of them feature his character Alex Cross, a forensic psychologist formerly of the Washington Metropolitan Police and FBI, who works as a private psychologist and government consultant. These volumes are the top-selling U.S. detective series in the past ten years. Patterson has had 114 New York Times bestselling novels, and holds The New York Times record for most #1 New York Times bestsellers by a single author (67). His novels account for one in 17 of all hardcover novels sold in the United States; in recent years his novels have sold more copies than those of Stephen King, John Grisham, and Dan Brown combined. Patterson founded the James Patterson PageTurner Awards in 2005 to donate over $100,000 that year to people, companies, schools, and other institutions that find original ways to spread the excitement of books and reading. The PageTurner Awards were put on hold in 2008 to focus on Patterson's new initiative, ReadKiddoRead.com, which helps parents, teachers, and librarians find the best books for their children. Patterson's awards include the Edgar Award, the BCA Mystery Guild's Thriller of the Year, the International Thriller of the Year award, and the Children's Choice Book Award for Author of the Year. He is the first author to have No. 1 titles simultaneously on The New York Times adult and children's bestsellers lists. In November 2015, Patterson received the Literar

Continuing the series of posts highlighting famous modern-day authors: This week, sadly, Sue Grafton, who died this past Thursday after a two-year battle with cancer of the appendix. She is best known as the author of the "alphabet series" ("A" Is for Alibi, etc.) of detective novels featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California. "Y Is for Yesterday" is the last book she completed in this series. Grafton had publicly stated that the final book would be titled "Z" Is for Zero, but she did not live to start writing it. Her daughter said Grafton would never allow a ghostwriter to write in her name and "as far as we in the family are concerned, the alphabet now ends at Y." Grafton started the alphabet novels in 1982. Born in 1940, Sue Grafton was the daughter of detective novelist C. W. Grafton. Prior to success with the best-selling "alphabet series," she wrote screenplays for television movies. Grafton's novels have been published in 28 countries and in 26 languages. She had refused to sell the film and television rights to her books, as her time writing screenplays had "cured" her of the desire to work with Hollywood. The strongest influence on her crime novels was author Ross Macdonald. Ryerss has many of the Grafton's books; several are on special display.

Here are some pictures, taken by Ryerss super volunteer Cheryl McQuade, of the Deck the Halls at Ryerss festivities yesterday, when volunteers came to the mansion and decorated it for the Christmas season. The Friends of Ryerss organized the event in preparation for next weekend's Victorian Christmas Bazaar and Tea. Come out next Saturday to experience a local annual holiday tradition. The event is free and features a visit from Santa at 10:30--and Gary the Elf. Lunch will be available--a platter includes half a sandwich wrap, snack bag, potato salad, 2 pastries, and a beverage, all for $7). Hot and cold beverages (especially tea(!) and coffee) will also be available for purchase in the mansion's tea room. The event includes a homemade bake table and craft tables featuring the creations of a variety of vendors. Even Fox Chase Farms will be on the porch selling holiday greens, and Stuart the Blacksmith from the Philadelphia Blacksmith Guild, will be giving demonstrations of his craft at the Ryerss Carraige House throughout the day. A raffle will offer spectacular gift baskets donated by local businesses, and the monthly Ryerss used book sale will be held in the basement. The Ryettes, a local girl's dance group, will be performing on the porch at 11 am, and Fox Chase School choir (under director Christina DiBernardo) will be singing at 12. And watch for a visit from "Mr and Mrs. Ryerss" in Victorian costume. A great time can be had by young and old at the Ryerss Victorian Christmas Bazaar and Tea! P.S. The Burholme Stamp will be meeting the next day, Sunday, in the early afternoon.

Continuing the series of posts highlighting famous modern-day authors: This week, Philadelphia's own Lisa Scottoline (born July 1, 1955). An author of legal thrillers, she earned a B.A. in English magna cm laude from the University of Pennsylvania, then graduated cm laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She clerked for judges at the state and federal appellate courts and later became a litigator at the Dechert firm in Philadelphia. After the birth of her daughter, she left the law firm and started writing. She has written 30 bestselling novels, including Look Again and Don't Go, both which reached number two on The New York Times Best Seller list. Several, including her most recent, Exposed, are on display at Ryerss. Scottoline has served as President of the Mystery Writers of America and won many other honors. Her book Final Appeal received an Edgar Award for excellence in crime fiction. Her novels have been translated into 30 languages and she has 30 million copies in print. Since March 2007, Scottoline and her daughter Francesca Serritella have been writing the "Chick Wit" column for The Philadelphia Inquirer. A collection of those humorous nonfiction columns has been published in a series of bestselling books co-written with her daughter Francesca Serritella.

Today is Love Your Park day here at Burholme Park. Many thanks to the volunteers who came to weed, rake and otherwise clean up the grounds around Ryerss Mansion. Burholme Park received a lot of love today...

Halloween is coming to Ryerss! Besides visiting Ryerss for Trick or Treat from 6 to 8 PM on Halloween night, you can check out some of the classic scary books in the collection any Friday, Saturday or Sunday, 10 til 4. Frightening titles include Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Stephen King's Pet Sematary (how appropriate for Ryerss Mansion, which has its own pet cemetery out back!), among his other horror titles. And then there's Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Imagination, a collection of some of Poe's greatest stories of the macabre. If that isn't horrifying enough, you can take whack at Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, all 741 pages of it.

Continuing the series of posts highlighting famous modern-day authors: This week, Janet Evanovich, who began her career writing short contemporary romance novels under the pen name Steffie Hall, but gained fame authoring a series of contemporary mysteries featuring Stephanie Plum, a former lingerie buyer who becomes a bounty hunter to make ends meet after losing her job. The numbered novels in this series are set in Trenton, New Jersey, and have been on The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestseller lists. Evanovich has had her last seventeen Plums debut at #1 on the NY Times Best Sellers list and eleven of them have hit #1 on USA Today Best-Selling Books list. She has over two hundred million books in print worldwide and is translated into over 40 languages. Pictured are just a few of Evanovich's Stephanie Plum titles, as well as few non-Plum books.