🎶Christmas Music🎶
November 29th was Louisa May Alcott's birthday* and since she shares her birthday with me it was a perfect day for an overnight in Odessa, Delaware, to view Historic Odessa Foundation's recreation of Alcott's Little Women! The last time we had been there was in 2011 when they recreated Tasha Tudor's Christmas. You can read about it on this blog HERE. The Wilson-Warner House each year is turned into a classic children's story Christmas celebration. Other years have been Beatrix Potter, Madeline, Snow White, Secret Garden, Alice in Wonderland. I missed all of these! So I'm signing up to receive their newsletters.
Our tour began (see above photo) in the parlor. As you move around the room you see a manikin depicting each of the March sisters from Little Women. This is Meg, the eldest. She is not happy being poor and is constantly trying to reform Jo to behave more lady-like. Notice the basket of presents they have waiting for Marmee on Christmas morning.....
"It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.
Jo, the second oldest, whose passion is writing stands near the writing desk.....
" I think I shall write books, and get rich and famous; that would suit me, so that is my favorite dream."
In the center of the room is the table they all gather around each evening at tea time to share what they did that day....
Popcorn and cranberry garland on Christmas trees began to be common in America in the 1840s.....
Beth was the third-born and the musician in the family....
"We've got father and mother and each other," said Beth contentedly, from her corner.
Beth is the one who lavishes love on Mrs. Snowball, the cat...
Amy, the youngest of the sisters, is somewhat spoiled and struggles with their lack of finer things....
"I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff.
The roses seen around the room were given to them Christmas Day along with many Christmas delectables when old Mr. Laurence saw the girls taking their Christmas breakfast to the destitute and very ill Hummels.....
Next we toured the dining room...
When they saw the table, they looked at one another in rapturous amazement.
There was ice-cream,--actually two dishes of it, pink and white,....
and cake and fruit and distracting French bonbons, and, in the middle of the table, four great bouquets of hot-house flowers!....
"Is it fairies?" asked Amy.
"It's Santa Claus," said Beth.
"Mother did it," and Meg smiled her sweetest...
"Aunt March had a good fit, and sent the supper," cried Jo, with a sudden inspiration.
"All wrong. Old Mr. Laurence sent it," replied Mrs. March.
On the landing of the upstairs our guide pointed out the trunk of costumes the girls used for their plays...
Then we peeked into the girls' bedroom....
The tour around the room starts with Amy this time. The skates represent her fall through the ice....
Amy was an artist and would eventually go to Europe with Aunt March....
Beth is the one who rescued broken dolls and loved all their cats, even the ugly ones...
Jo has her books....
And her manuscript....
Meg is the neat one, making her bed each day....
And loves pretty clothes....
Across the landing is their parents' bedroom, the manikins representing Marmee and papa March, who is away serving as a Chaplain in the Union Army...
Marmee's knitting...
A bust of Abraham Lincoln to represent the time period...
This room represented the school where Amy was humiliated because she had brought pickled limes to share with her friends, an infraction her teacher punished her for in front of the class...
Note the limes on the desk....
She went, without a word to anyone, straight into the anteroom, snatched her things, and left the place "forever," as she passionately declared to herself.
The kitchen of the Wilson-Warner house was used to depict the Hummels' room...
A poor, bare, miserable room it was, with broken windows, no fire, ragged clothes, a sick mother, wailing baby, and a group of pale, hungry children cuddled under one old quilt, trying to keep warm.
Soon the girls had a fire going in the fireplace with the wood they'd brought and the food laid out on the table...
"Das ist gut!" "Die Engel-kinder! " cried the poor things, as they ate, and warmed their purple hands at the comfortable blaze.
~ ~
In
The Little Women Guide to Christmas by Elsie at teaandinksociety.com she gives her four ways to celebrate Christmas like
Little Women:
1. Embrace generosity
2. Make your own entertainment
3. Give thoughtful gifts
4. Take joy in simply being together
That last one is especially poignant this year for those who are able to get together with loved ones.
This is also an interesting article if you are interested in Louisa's life: Who Alcott based her characters on
The Orchard House Museum loaned out a few of their items for this exhibit:
More on Orchard House can be found HERE.
The Historic Odessa Museum is normally closed on Mondays but will give you a private tour if you make a reservation. We were able to book a charming cottage a block away behind the Cantwell House B&B. The exhibit runs through December 31st.
Wishing each and every one of you a very Happy Christmas and a Joyful New Year!
What a wonderful tour! I feel like I was right there with you! Thank you for taking the time to share it. Love you Sis! xoxo
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ReplyDeleteI always love your tours, Cathy. Belated Birthday Greetings to you! I'm so glad you had such a splendid trip!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the birthday wishes, Elaine. ❤️
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