Charles Worth and the House of Worth

Posted on October 13, 2015 by barbara

Charles Worth (born: October 13, 1825 died: March 10, 1895) was a British born fashion designer based in Paris, France. He was the founder of the House of Worth that designed dresses for wealthy clients like Alice and Ava Vanderbilt, created stage costumes for actresses such as Sarah Bernhardt and Jenny Lind and royal clients like Queen Victoria, Czarina Maria Feodorovna of Russia and his most important client the Empress Eugenie of France.

Charles Frederick Worth was born in the small town of Bourne in Lincolnshire, England. His parents were William Worth and Ann Quincey, his father was a solicitor and in 1836 he abandoned the family leaving them penniless and without any means of financial support. So, at the age of 11, Worth was sent to work in a printer’s shop. Then after a year, the young Worth went to London to work for several different textile manufacturers that supplied material for the local seamstresses and this is how he became interested in dress manufacturing. Worth learned about the different types of fabrics and which worked best for a particular dress design and also the intricate structure of a dress and the sewing process required to make it. Worth would sometimes go to the National Gallery in London to study the classic portraits and the clothing of the people in the paintings; this would be the inspiration for his future dress designs.

In 1845, Worth moved to Paris, France to work for a company called Gagelin and Opigez that provided material for the royal court dressmakers. Worth soon became the lead salesman and later opened a small dressmaking department within the company. In 1851, Worth married Marie Vernet and they had two sons, Gaston born in 1853 and Jean Philippe born in 1856. Marie wore many dresses made by Worth and customers always inquired as to “who made your dress” and soon Worth decided to branch out with his own dressmaking company. In 1858, Worth began a partnership with Otto Bobergh and they opened their store at 7 rue de la Paix in the fashion district of Paris. Worth became one of the first men in the fashion industry to have his own store that designed and manufactured women’s dresses exclusively. Worth’s designs were produced with the most beautiful and luxurious fabrics accented with beading or embroidery and he custom fit each dress to the client’s specific body requirements.

To promote his business Worth developed new and innovated ways to market his fashions to his wealthy clients. The main showroom had a wall of mirrors with mannequins placed in front to display the various dresses of the collection; female employees were standing by if the client requested the dress to be modeled. In another room the client would have the opportunity to try on the dress before making a decision to buy and then there was a room in which the client could select the fabric and accents to use for the dress. Worth became the first fashion designer to sew labels and soon women throughout Paris were eager to have a custom made “Worth dress”.

Worth’s fashions were targeted for the wealthy women of Paris but soon he was custom designing dresses for one of the most important women in France … she was Empress Eugenie, the wife of Emperor Napoleon III. The commission kept Worth very busy because the Empress’ royal duties required her to change her wardrobe several times during the day for various events. The Empress needed numerous dresses for both day and evening wear as well more elaborate ball gowns for special occasions and Worth designed and made them all. (An example of the quantity of dresses Worth designed for his royal client is that for the Empress’ short trip to Egypt for the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 Worth created 250 dresses)

By 1862, Paris fashion magazines started commenting on everything the Empress wore and that Worth designed from the unique blue color of her dress (Empress blue) to the shorter dress hemline that exposed her beautiful shoes to her startling choice to omit wearing a shawl or cloak in public (unheard of at the time for a proper lady to do) because she didn’t want to hide her elegant Worth dress. Eventually, Worth and the Empress collaborated on a new dress design that would eliminate the need for crinoline (a stiff material sometimes made of horsehair used in a petticoat to add fullness to a skirt) which was something that they both greatly disliked. The dress design was known as the fourreau, which was straight and narrow in the front to daringly show the shape of a women’s body with extra material in the back that formed a bustle, it proved to be an instant success. (Shown below are photos of the front and back of a beautiful Worth fourreau dress)

Worth’s business continued to grow steadily and eventually Worth’s connection with Empress Eugenie led commissions to design dresses for many other women of the royal courts of Europe. Worth designed dresses for Queen Victoria of England, Czarina Maria Feodorovna of Russia and Empress Elisabeth of Austria. The beautiful Elisabeth was wife of Franz Joseph of Austria and she was known for her slim figure, long brunette hair and exquisite taste in fashion. She was already the Empress of Austria when the royal couple was officially crowned King and Queen of Hungary in June 1867. (Shown below is the Worth dress she wore for the coronation. Also shown below is another dress created by Worth, it is a lovely pink tulle ball gown the Empress Elisabeth wore with sparkling star pins in her long hair for a famous Winterhalter portrait)

Worth court dress - Empress Elisabeth of Austria 1867

Empress Eugenie - dress by Worth portrait by Winterhalter

Unfortunately, Worth’s company closed for the duration of the Franco-Prussian War (July 19,1870 – May 10,1871). The brief war resulted in the collapse of the Second Empire, Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie were exiled from the country. (While the Empress remained in exile, Worth would send her a large bouquet of violets tied together with a mauve ribbon embroidered with his name in gold thread) Worth had lost his best client and had enjoyed his collaborations with the Empress throughout the previous years but now with the royal court gone he did not take any new commissions since many of his wealthy clients had left Paris when the war started.

After the war, Worth decided to reopen his company but without his previous partner Bobergh. Worth was now working with his two sons, Gaston and Jean Phillippe, and he named the new company the House of Worth. To promote his new business Worth put on fashion shows to advertise his twice annual collections and he also started supplying “ready-made” dresses to department stores, such as Le Printemps and La Samaritaine in Paris and the famous Harrods in London, England. Buyers would come each year to view the latest dress designs and then place an order for the department stores. English women were now able to purchase French style fashions at a reasonable price.

Meanwhile, word about his wonderful dresses quickly spread overseas to the United States. Wealthy Americans that travelled to Paris would order an entire wardrobe made by Worth. It would include morning dresses, afternoon tea dresses, elaborate evening dresses and ball gowns as well as undergarments and nightgowns. The House of Worth also custom designed costumes for Sarah Bernhardt and Jenny Lind to wear for their stage performances.

The House of Worth began designing custom dresses for rich Americans women such as Alice Vanderbilt, the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt. One dress of special note was designed for the famous Vanderbilt Costume Ball of 1883, hosted by William and Ava Vanderbilt. It was a very unique and perhaps one the most famous dresses of New York high society and it was made for Alice Vanderbilt, the sister-in-law of the host. It was the “Electric Light” dress which was a stunning costume made of golden satin with a dark blue velvet underskirt and a skirt that formed a bustle in the back of the dress. The entire dress was accented with golden thread embroidery and gold beading used to create lightning bolts and starburst shapes. The dress was also embellished at the shoulders with gold metallic tinsel and beaded tassels with golden fringe at the neckline and golden tulle attached at the shoulders that flowed down the back of the dress. The dress cleverly featured hidden batteries so that Alice would be able to switch on to light up the dress like an electric light bulb, which was a recent invention of Thomas Edison. (Shown in the photo below, which was taken at the ball, Alice also holds a torch in her hand that was battery operated) Special Note: If you are interested in additional information about the Vanderbilt Ball that “changed New York society”, please click on the link.

Alice Vanderbilt - Electric Light dress by Worth

Alice Vanderbilt - Electric Light dress by Worth detail

In the years since the House of Worth opened, Worth’s sons began to take more control over the daily business involved with the company; such as management, finance and design decisions, leaving Worth with some free time at home. He had a house in the Champs-Elysees and a villa near Bois Boulogne which had a garden and a stable of horses, it is said that some of the statues and stones which were used in the garden came from the Tuileries Palace which was former home of the Empress Eugenie. In his final years, Worth’s health began to deteriorate with a variety of medical problems, most notably severe migraines. Sadly, Charles Worth died in 1895 from pneumonia, he was 69 years old. His wife, Marie died three years later.

By the time of Worth’s death, Paris was becoming the center of “haute couture”, which is defined as the custom designing and the making of high-quality and expensive clothes by a prestigious fashion house. Worth sons, Gaston and Jean-Philippe, continued to run the family business. During the turn of the century, the House of Worth made two dresses of special note for Mary Curzon, the wife of George Curzon the Lord of Kedleston and later Viceroy of India. The first dress was made in 1903 and is called the Oak Leaf dress and shows remarkable design and beautiful detailing. The silk satin dress features over 400 oak leaves created individually with an outline of satin cord to create the shape of each leaf and then filled with chenille thread, the darker leaves were created by cutting the fabric in the shape of the leaf and then putting silk netting attached to the back. (The photos below show the entire dress and the old leaf detailing)

Worth dress 1906 - Lady Mary Curzon - oak leaf dress

Worth dress 1906 - Lady Mary Curzon - oak leaf dress detail

The second dress was commissioned for the Delhi Durbar in 1903 and is called the Peacock dress. The Durbar was held in celebration of the coronation of King Edward VII. The detailed gold fabric was made entirely in India to the specifications of the House of Worth and features a pattern of overlapping peacock feathers made of gold beading attached with gold thread. An unusual element of the dress was the item used to create the eye of each individual peacock feather; it is the iridescent green wing of the scarab beetle. When the elaborate beadwork was finished the fabric was sent to Paris and the completed dress also featured white fabric roses at the hemline and an intricate beaded bodice; the completed dress weighted over 10 pounds. (Special Note: The Peacock dress is now over 100 years old, a little tarnished but still spectacular! The dress is currently on display at the Curzon home, Kedleston Hall, located in Derby, England)

Worth dress 1903 - Lady Mary Curzon - peacock dress

Worth dress - Lady Mary Curzon for Delhi 1903 1 detail

Travel – Yosemite National Park (Part Two)

Posted on October 1, 2015 by barbara

Yosemite National Park is located in the state of California on the western portion of the Sierra Nevada Mountains ranging in elevation from 2,127 to 13,114 feet. The park covers almost 1190 square miles but most of the 3.5 million annual visitors spend the majority of their time in the seven square miles of Yosemite Valley. Visitors to Yosemite National Park will see the majestic El Capitan and Half Dome granite formations and a several waterfalls, such as Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Fall, the beautiful open space of Tuolumne Meadows and the massive giant sequoia trees of the Mariposa Grove.

In Part One, of the two part series on Yosemite National Park, I discussed the history of the park throughout the years, please click on the link to Yosemite National Park (Part One). In Part Two, I will discuss Yosemite visitor information and give a list of suggested places to see and things to see and do.

Yosemite National Park Visitor Information

Tips and suggestions for planning a visit to the park

I always recommend when visiting any of our National Parks, it is a good idea to start at the Visitor Center where visitors can get maps, brochures, hiking permits and current weather information or road closures. Also be sure to check the schedule of Ranger presentations or guided hikes which are a great source of information about the park.

For general information on Yosemite National Park please click on the link to their website www.nps.gov/yose for the most accurate information regarding Visitor Center hours, wilderness permits, road closures or other park restrictions.
Once you have determined the time of year you will be visiting the park, be sure to make reservations as far in advance as possible especially during the summer months, Memorial Day to Labor Day. (Please click on the individual hotel and cabin accommodations website links mentioned in this post for more specific information regarding prices and availability)
Yosemite National Park has several campgrounds and reservations are required from March through November. Campground reservations can be made up to five months in advance, on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific time. Be aware that nearly all reservations for the months of May through September are filled the first day they become available. Click on the link www.recreation.gov for more complete information.
When visiting Yosemite Valley consider parking the car at your hotel, cabin or campground and take the readily available Yosemite shuttle buses which stop at all the major sites in the Valley.
Bikes are another great alternative driving your car and an excellent way to avoid traffic congestion in the Valley especially during the summer months. You can bring your own bikes or rentals are also available, there are 12 miles of paved trails in the Valley, be sure to bring bike locks. Please be advised that mountain biking off the trails is not allowed.
Rock Climbing has become an important part of the history of Yosemite; El Capitan is one of the most challenging mountains in the world. Various companies in the Valley offer a variety of classes from novice to experienced climbers. (For more information about El Capitan can be found later in this post)
There are over 800 miles of hiking trails in Yosemite National Park ranging from easy trails that take under an hour, medium trails that can take a couple of hours and strenuous trails that can be a multiple day backpack adventure such as the John Muir Trail (which require a wilderness permit). Be prepared and check out the trails in advance, information is available at any of the park’s visitor centers. (obviously multi-day backpack trips are for the more experienced hikers and will take much more preparation, such as obtaining bear-resistant food storage containers.)
When hiking stay on established trails, observe posted warning signs, carry water to stay hydrated and bring along snacks, stop occasionally and rest in the shade; and eat salty snacks.

Places to see in Yosemite National Park

Wawona Tunnel View –

Most visitors that come to Yosemite National Park arrive in Yosemite Valley through the Wawona Tunnel via California Highway 140 (El Portal Road). The Wawona Tunnel built through solid granite was completed in 1933 is 4,233 feet long making it the longest tunnel in California. After passing through the tunnel, visitors should stop at the Tunnel View Overlook for a wonderful view of Yosemite Valley. As you look out into the Valley from the overlook El Capitan is to the left, to the right is Bridalveil Fall and at the far end of the Valley is Half Dome.

Yosemite Valley –

Yosemite Valley is the destination for most visitors coming to Yosemite National Park, it is open year-round. The numerous activities in the Valley include hiking the various trails, rafting down the Merced River, biking, horseback riding, rock climbing and ranger-led nature walks.

El Capitan –

El Capitan is the granite monolith (a large single vertical rock formation) located at the north-west end of Yosemite Valley; it is 3,000 feet from base to summit. The Ahwanhneechee Native Americans called it “Totokonoolah” and the Mariposa Battalion translated the name into El Capitan. (Historic Fact: The Mariposa Battalion came to the area in 1851 and they were given the ominous task of removing the Native Americans from Yosemite Valley)

El Capitan is a popular destination for rock climbers, there is also a trail located near Yosemite Falls that can be used to reach the summit. El Capitan was once considered impossible to climb until 1958 when a trio of climbers named Warren Harding, Wayne Merry and George Whitmore reached the summit of an area known as “The Nose” in 47 days using rope, pitons and expansion bolts. Throughout the years other routes on the face of El Capitan were created and also new techniques and equipment were developed to make the ascent times faster.

Yosemite National Park Trivia: El Capitan was used as the filming location for the 1989 “Star Trek – the Final Frontier” movie. The scene shows Captain Kirk, played by William Shatner, on shore leave from the Starship Enterprise scaling the face of El Capitan, he loses his grip on the mountain and starts to plummet to the ground but is saved by Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy. Shatner trained for several weeks on the Paramount lot for the close-up shots and stunt doubles for the long shots. For the scene of Spock floating in the air in his levitation boots as he talks to Captain Kirk, Nimoy stood on top of a crane.

Bridalveil Fall –

Bridalveil Fall is the first waterfall visitors will see upon entering Yosemite Valley, it is located in the south-west area of the Valley. Bridalveil Fall is 620 feet in height and in the spring the fall usually runs very full but later in the year it slows to a small trickle. From the parking lot, there is a paved trail to reach the base of the fall and the viewing platform; use caution when reaching the base, the paved trail can be very wet and slippery. HAZARD WARNING: DO NOT LEAVE THE TRAIL TO CLIMB THE ROCKS AT THE BASE OF THE WATERFALL!!

Yosemite Falls –

Yosemite Falls is located at a point midway through the Yosemite Valley on the north-side; the total length is 2,425 feet from the top of the upper fall to the base of the lower fall. The waterfall plunges from Yosemite Creek to the floor of the valley; the Upper Yosemite Fall is 1,430 feet, the Middle Cascades is a section with five separate plunges for a total of 675 feet and the Lower Yosemite Falls is 320 feet. The Yosemite Creek continues from the base of the waterfall and flows into the Merced River that runs through the length of the Valley. HAZARD WARNING: DO NOT LEAVE THE TRAIL TO CLIMB THE ROCKS AT THE BASE OF THE WATERFALL!!

Half Dome –

Half Dome is the granite dome located at the east end of Yosemite Valley, the summit rises 4,737 feet. Much like El Capitan at the other end of the Valley, Half Dome was thought to be impossible to climb. In 1875, George Anderson was able to climb to the summit by constructing a path by drilling and then placing iron bolts into the granite “back” or east side. Today, visitors hike the 8.2 mile Mist Trail, past Vernal and Nevada Falls, to reach the base of Half Dome. Then visitors climb the rounded east side via a set of steel cables to reach the summit, the cables are fixed with bolts on a series of metal poles leading from the base to the summit and are installed from late May to early October. Permits need to be arranged in advance before entering the park, a ranger will check permits on the trail and hikers without the proper permit will not be allowed beyond the base. Hikers caught bypassing the rangers will fined or receive possible jail time.

PLEASE BE ADVISED: THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RECOMMENDS AGAINST CLIMBING THE HALF DOME ROUTE WHEN THE CABLES ARE DOWN OR DURING BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS OR WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE OCCURRING IN THE VICINITY.

Native American Legend: The Ahwahneechee Native Americans called Half Dome by another name, “Tis-sa-ack”. The legend goes that Tissaack, a Native American woman and her husband Nangas lived far away from Yosemite on the Great Plains of America. The couple traveled to Yosemite over the rugged terrain of the Sierra Mountains until finally arriving a few days later in Yosemite Valley. But when they arrived, Nangas was feeling thirsty, hungry and short tempered, and he unexpectedly struck Tissaack and she became frightened and ran eastward back through the Valley to get away from him. The gods were looking down on the couple that was disturbing the peace of the Valley and intended for them to stop; as a result the gods changed Nangas into the rock formation known today as Washington Column and Tissaack into Half Dome. It is said the dark streaks on the face of Half Dome are the tears of Tissaack but they are in fact patches of brown lichens that has formed in the dark vertical grooves of the rock formation.

Vernal Fall / Nevada Fall –

The Mist Trail which travels along a path that takes visitors past two waterfalls, Vernal and Nevada Falls. The trail can sometimes be a strenuous climb to the top and sections of the trail can be closes during late fall and winter depending on snow and icy conditions. The first section of the trail starts at the Happy Isle parking lot and is paved to the Vernal Fall footbridge. The trail can get very crowded in the summer months, keep to the right climbing up and the left climbing down. From the footbridge visitors will have a good view of Vernal Fall, then proceed up a steep 600 step granite stairway, but be careful because the pathway can be wet and slippery from the spray of the waterfall. At the top of Vernal Fall, visitors can look straight down the length of the 317 foot waterfall.

Just past Vernal Fall is Emerald Pool, please keep in mind that it is dangerous to swim in the pool due to the extremely hazardous current as the water moves down from Nevada Fall and continues down to Vernal Fall. As the Mist Trail continues the steep and rocky switchbacks that climb another 1.5 miles up to Nevada Fall. There is a footbridge at the top that crosses Nevada Fall as it thunders down 594 feet. There are several options that can be accessed from this part of the trail. Visitors can return down the same route in which they climb up (2.5 miles) or they can join the John Muir Trail for an alternate route back to Yosemite Valley (4 miles).

DANGEROUS CONDITIONS CAN EXIST WITH WET AND SLIPPERY AREAS ALONG THE MIST TRAIL. PLEASE OBSERVE ALL WARNING SIGNS AND DO NOT CROSS OVER RAILINGS OR ENTER THE WATER, THE CURRENT CAN BE VERY STRONG AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

Curry Village –

Curry Village has a very long history in the Yosemite Valley; it was originally founded in 1899 by David and Jennie Curry. When the couple, who were two schoolteachers from Indiana, decided to visit the park they found that they could barely afford the transportation and the park lodgings. So, as a result of their dilemma they established Camp Curry in 1899 which started as several canvas tents and a communal dining room for their guests. Not only was Camp Curry the most affordable accommodation within the Yosemite Valley but the Curry’s thought that entertainment was also a key to their success. So, throughout the years Camp Curry has featured a dance hall, nightly movies, a soda fountain, a swimming pool during the spring and summer months and an ice skating rink in the winter but the most famous nightly entertainment was the Yosemite FireFall. The dozen tents expanded into over a hundred and additional wooden cabins were also built and later the dance hall was converted into the Stoneman House lodge with 18 rooms. For more information about the Camp Curry facility and activities or to book a reservation for a stay in Yosemite Valley, please click on the link to their website at www.yosemitepark.com/curry-village.aspx

Historical Note: The Yosemite Firefall was a nightly summer time event that began in 1872 and for almost one hundred years, interrupted only during the World War II, until the event continued until 1968. From the top of Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park, the owner of the Glacier Point Hotel would start the event on the signal “Let the fire fall” from David Curry, the owner of Curry Village that was located 3,000 below in Yosemite Valley. Hot embers from a huge bonfire at Glacier Point would be pushed off the edge giving the appearance of a glowing waterfall in the night as the “Indian Love Call” song was played creating a very dramatic mood; the spectacle would conclude the evening program at Camp Curry. In the mid-1960s, the National Park Service was in the midst of changing their policy to eliminate unnatural activities from the parks and the order was given to stop the nightly Yosemite Firefall. Not only was it a potentially dangerous activity but the surrounding meadows near Camp Curry would be trampled every night with visitors gathering to catch a glimpse of the event. A year after the last Firefall in January 1968, the Glacier Point Hotel was standing vacant due to sustained damage from an unusually heavy snowfall that winter and an electrical fire in July 1969 burned down the hotel and it was never rebuilt.

Yosemite Lodge at the Falls –

Formerly known as the Yosemite Lodge, the name was changed in the mid 2000s to reflect the hotel’s close proximity to Yosemite Falls located just 0.5 miles away. “The Lodge” is a moderately priced hotel with a total of 249 rooms spread out across the property in 15 separate buildings which are named after various flowers and trees that can be found in Yosemite National Park. The hotel was once a larger complex but the devastating flood of the Merced River in January 1997 destroyed over half of the pre-existing rooms and cabins. (Travel Tip: Book hotel reservations as far in advance as possible especially if a visit is planned during the busy summer months) To book a room at the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, please click on the link to their website at www.yosemitepark.com/yosemite-lodge.aspx

Ahwanhee Hotel –

The Ahwanhee Hotel is the premiere grand hotel in Yosemite National Park; it is the highest priced accommodations in the park with 123 beautifully decorated rooms in the hotel and 24 luxury cabins. To book a room at the Ahwanhee, please click on the link to their website at www.yosemitepark.com/ahwahnee-accommodations.aspx. (For more information regarding the history of the Ahwanhee Hotel and the annual Bracebridge which is held at the hotel every Christmas season since 1927, please click on the link)

Tuolumne Grove –

Tuolumne Grove is a small group of sequoia trees(Sequoiadendron giganteum) located near Crane Flat on Tioga Road (CA HWY 120) in Yosemite National Park, about 16 miles west of the Yosemite Valley. Although its location is closer to the Valley than Mariposa Grove in the southern part of the park, the Tuolumne Grove is definitely less crowded for a more quiet experience for visitors.

Tenaya Lake –

Tenaya Lake is an alpine lake in north-east part of Yosemite National Park and it is about 50 miles from Yosemite Valley; travel time on the mountainous Tioga Road can take almost an hour and a half. Tenaya Lake is at an elevation of elevation of 8,150 feet and was initially formed many centuries ago by ancient glaciers moving through the region. History notes that the lake was named for Chief Tenaya, the leader of the Ahwanhneechee Native Americans and it is on the shores of the lake that he met the Mariposa Brigade.

Tuolumne Meadows –

Tuolumne Meadows in located in the north-east part of Yosemite National Park and it is about 54 miles from Yosemite Valley; travel time on Tioga Road is about an hour and a half. Tuolumne Meadow is a large alpine meadow which located at an elevation of 8,619 feet and is surrounded by the Cathedral Range to the north and Lembert Dome to the north. In the winter the snowmelt sometimes floods the meadow turning the area into a temporary lake and in the late spring this brings a profusion of wildflowers with the Tuolumne River winding through the meadow.

Tuolumne Meadows offers visitors an alternative to the sometimes crowded Yosemite Valley during the months from May to October with numerous opportunities for easy day hikes and rock climbing. In the winter Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Road can be closed in the winter due to snow. Travel Advisory: For visitors traveling in late fall and winter should check in advance for road closures.

Tioga Pass –

Tioga Pass is located in the north-east part of Yosemite National Park; it is the highest California State Highway (120) that passes through the Sierra Nevada Mountains at an elevation of 9,943 feet. The Tioga Pass entrance to the park is subject to closures in late fall to winter due to heavy snowfall, visitors should check in advance if traveling in the area.

Glacier Point –

Glacier Point is located in the south-central part of Yosemite National Park with an elevation of 7,214 feet, it is 30 miles from Yosemite Valley and a one hour drive. From Glacier Point visitors are able to look down into Yosemite Valley, it is approximately 3,200 feet below to the Valley floor. Curry Village can be seen directly below and there are spectacular views of Yosemite Fall and El Capitan to the left with Half Dome, Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall to the right. Glacier Point can be reached by car or bus and the road is usually open from June to October. Visitors can also climb the Four Mile Trail from the Yosemite Valley up to Glacier Point, the trail is considered strenuous. In the winter the Glacier Point Road is closed and the Four Mile Trail can be extremely hazardous when covered with snow and ice.

Wawona Hotel –

The Wawona Hotel is located in the southern part of Yosemite National Park; it is about 26 miles from Yosemite Valley and an hour and fifteen minute drive. The Wawona Hotel is also located 4 miles from the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park that is accessed via California State Highway 41 from Fresno. The Wawona Hotel was built in 1876 in a Victorian style with a veranda wrapping around the first and second floors. The hotel was originally built to accommodate visitors to the Mariposa Grove and later an addition was built in 1916 as tourism increased. The hotel has 104 guest rooms which have no telephones or televisions, what a novel idea! To book a room at the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, please click on the link to their website at http://www.yosemitepark.com/wawona-hotel.aspx

Within walking distance to the Wawona Hotel are several trails that are used in the spring to fall seasons, cross-country skiing and snowshoe paths are available in the winter. Located across the highway from the hotel is a golf course which has been operating since 1918, it is one of the few golf courses within any National Park. The golf course is open from spring to fall.

Pioneer Yosemite History Center –

The Pioneer Yosemite History Center is located a short distance from the Wawona Hotel. The Center is a collection of several historic buildings that were move there from previous locations in Yosemite National Park, such as the Wawona Covered Bridge and the Hodgdon Homestead Cabin. The Center is a wonderful place for visitors to explore and the buildings are usually open Wednesday to Sunday during the summer, it is an outdoor museum with interpretive signs and a self-guide brochures. Also in the summer there are living history demonstrations and stagecoach rides on the weekends.

Mariposa Grove –

Mariposa Grove is a group of several giant sequoia trees (Sequoiadendron giganteum) located near the south entrance to Yosemite National Park, almost 30 miles from Yosemite Valley. Both the Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley were first protected by the Yosemite Grant, which was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in June 1864.

Here is a list of some of the sequoia trees found in the Mariposa Grove:

The Grizzly Giant – The Grizzly Giant tree is the oldest tree in the Mariposa grove, it is between 1900-2400 years old. The Grizzly Giant is 210 feet tall with a diameter of 30 feet at the base.

The Wawona Tunnel Tree – The 227 feet tall Wawona Tunnel Tree was the first tree in the Mariposa grove to have a tunnel carved through its trunk in 1881, unfortunately the tree fell over during a snowstorm in 1969. This eventually led to the resurgence in the National Park Service preservation program and also a greater awareness and need for public education as to the sensitivity of ecosystems. As shown in the photos below, the tree was a major tourist attraction in the earliest days of the park and it was considered a novelty for visitors to ride through the tunnel in carriages and later automobiles.

The Fallen Monarch – The Fallen Monarch fell to the ground more than three hundred years ago and it serves as an example of how a giant sequoia is resistant to decay and can survive in a “preserved state” for a very long period of time when undisturbed.

The California Tunnel Tree – The California Tunnel Tree had a tunnel carved through its trunk in 1895, it is still standing in the Mariposa Grove and in the past visitors could ride a carriage or drive a car through but today visitors are only allowed to walk through it.

For more information about posts related to Yosemite National Park, please click on the links to:

John Muir post about the man that helped to establish Yosemite as a National Park as well as the first president of the Sierra Club,
The Bracebridge Dinner post which is about the popular annual Christmas event held at the Ahwanhee Hotel in Yosemite and
Sequoia National Park travel post with detailed information about one of the other nearby national parks in California.

Travel – Yosemite National Park (Part One)

Posted on October 1, 2015 by barbara

One of the things about moving from California to the Midwest that we miss most is the easy access to some of the great National Parks located in the Western States and one of our family favorites is Yosemite National Park. We have spent many fun-filled vacations over the last 30 years exploring and hiking areas such as Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, and Tuolumne Meadows and we have also stayed at a variety of campgrounds, cabins and luxury hotels within the park.

Yosemite National Park is located in the state of California on the western portion of the Sierra Nevada Mountains ranging in elevation from 2,127 to 13,114 feet. The park covers almost 1190 square miles although the over 3.5 million annual visitors spend the majority of their time in the seven square miles of Yosemite Valley. Visitors to Yosemite National Park can see the majestic El Capitan and Half Dome granite formations and the multitude of waterfalls, such as Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Falls, to the beautiful open space of Tuolumne Meadows and the massive giant sequoia trees of the Mariposa Grove.

In Part One, of the two part series on Yosemite National Park, I will discuss the history of the park throughout the years. In Part Two, I will discuss Yosemite visitor information and a list of suggested places to see and things to see and do, please click on the link to Yosemite National Park (Part Two)

A brief history of Yosemite National Park

Four hundred million years ago sediments accumulated on the floor of an ancient sea and were compressed and then formed layers of rock that were thousands of feet deep. Later now extinct volcanoes erupted and then the molten rock cooled to form granite mixed with the sedimentary rock. Between 25 and 15 million years the rock formations were uplifted by the tectonic plates, slowly tilted to form a range of mountains that would evenly become the Sierra Nevada. Two million years ago during what became known as the Ice Age the area became covered with ice and glaciers slowly moved down the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range carving the granite into dramatic domes and severe cliffs, such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and creating deep U-shaped valleys, most notably the Yosemite and Hetchy Hetchy Valleys. As the ice and glaciers melted leaving thousands of lakes and numerous waterfalls scattered across the area. Over time, some of these lakes filled with sediment to form forested flat lands or meadows that are seasonally covered with colorful spring flowers.

According to archaeological evidence, Yosemite Valley was first settled by the indigenous Native Americans known as the Ahwahneeshee. The Ahwahneeshee survived on local vegetation with acorns being the main staple of their diet and they also fished for salmon and hunted deer as well as trading with other Native Americans in the region.

In the mid-19^th century, during the time of the California Gold Rush, European- Americans came to the area and later established settlements within the region. This new influx of people created conflicts with the Native Americans and in 1851 the Mariposa Wars were intended to resolve the problem. The Mariposa Battalion, a United States Army regiment led by Major Savage, entered the Yosemite Valley in pursuit of 200 Ahwahneechee led by Chief Tenaya. Chief Tenaya and the Ahwahneechee were eventually captured, their village destroyed and relocated to a reservation near Fresno, California. These Native American encounters were written about by the officers of the Mariposa Battalion and they also include the first documented reports of the beauty of Yosemite. (Travel Note: For visitors wanting to see an example of an Ahwahneechee Native American Village, one was built behind the Yosemite Museum located next to the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center)

Between 1855 and 1860, businessman James Hutchings and artist Thomas Ayres are credited for writing several articles in magazines about Yosemite. Ayres held an art exhibition of his Yosemite drawings in New York City and quickly the news spread across the nation about the beauty and grandeur of Yosemite and it soon became a popular tourist destination. Galen Clark, an earlier settler in the Wawona area of Yosemite, built lodgings for tourists near the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia trees. Visitors came to see the famous Wawona Tree, later called the Tunnel Tree. In 1881, a hole had been cut through the tree and it was considered quite a novelty for horse-drawn carriages to carry visitors through the tree and stop to take photos. (For more information on the Wawona Tunnel Tree, please check out the “Yosemite National Park Visitor Information” section later in this post)

In the late 19^th century, the attitude of the people of the United States was changing toward the preservation of the land. Galen Clark and Senator John Conness actively worked to support the protection of the Yosemite Valley and President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill on June 30, 1864 creating the Yosemite Grant. A few years later, when Yellowstone was made the first national park in 1872, this inspired the further protection of the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove and the land was given to the State of California and it was made into a state park. Eventually on October 1, 1890 President Benjamin Harrison signed the legislation to create Yosemite National Park, making it the third national park in the nation. Yosemite National Park included over 1,500 square miles of land which included the Yosemite Valley, Mariposa Grove, Tuolumne Meadows and the Hetch Hetchy Valley. Meanwhile the newly established Yosemite National Park was administered by the State of California and managed by the U.S. Army.

One of those early visitors to Yosemite was John Muir, a Scottish born American naturalist, author and staunch advocate for the preservation of the wilderness. He wandered through most of Yosemite and was one of the first to theorize and prove with his scientific research that much of the area was created by large glaciers, which was contrary to the long held belief that the area was formed only by tectonic activity. It was also through his efforts that Yosemite became a national park; Muir was very vocal about the overgrazing of the meadows by the sheep (ironically he briefly worked as a shepherd in the Valley), the logging of the giant sequoia (which proved to be poor building material) and the general commercialization of the park.

Muir was now deeply involved in conservation efforts writing article for newspapers and books about his travel across the country, he was also the first president of the Sierra Club since May of 1892. In May of 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt came to Yosemite National Park and together with a small group led by John Muir as their guide they toured the park for three days. The group traveled throughout the Valley to Mariposa Grove and to Glacier Point for magnificent views of El Capitan, Half Dome, Vernal and Nevada Falls and the Yosemite Valley far below. During the trip Muir advised Roosevelt to take control of Yosemite from California and transfer it to the federal government for long term protection; three years later Roosevelt signed the bill to do exactly that in 1906. (Eventually when the National Park Service was formed in 1916, the administration and management of Yosemite (as well as the other national parks) was transferred to the new agency)

Yosemite - John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt

Yosemite - John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt Mariposa grove

But Muir was not always successful in his conservation efforts. There was one section in Yosemite National Park called the Hetch Hetchy Valley that rivaled Yosemite Valley with soaring granite monoliths, cascading waterfalls and beautiful meadows of flowers in spring. In 1903, there was a proposal to dam the river to provide water and power for the growing metropolis of San Francisco thereby flooding the Hetch Hetchy and losing all the beautiful scenery. After a failed attempt by the Sierra Club and other interests to block the project from moving forward, unfortunately the U.S. Congress authorized the O’Shaughnessy Dam in 1913. Muir was devastated by the loss of one of the most beautiful places in Yosemite National Park.

Throughout the years the tourism to the park had increased steadily first with the railroads built to reach the foothills of the Sierra Nevada later roads for stagecoaches and carriages were laid allowing easier transportation for visitors into the park. In the late 19^th century the National Park Service had been reluctant to allow organized commercial development within Yosemite but eventually they permitted a limited number of concessions. In 1899 David and Jennie Curry started the Curry Company to provide concessions to park visitors and they later built s campground and cabins that would eventually become known as Curry Village. Later another rival company, called the Yosemite National Park Company was established by John Degnan and they built hotels, stores and other park services. In 1925 the two separate companies merged to form the Yosemite Park & Curry Company that later built the Ahwahnee Hotel in 1927.

Throughout the years, in order to protect the land surrounding Yosemite from over development, Congress designated an additional 677,600 acres as a protected wilderness area. The National Park Service, in order to preserve the park in its natural condition eliminated any activities that were artificially produced, such the popular nightly event known as the Firefall. (For more information on this Yosemite tradition that was stopped in 1969, please click on the link to Yosemite National Park – Part Two) As the visitor attendance to the park dramatically increased, especially in Yosemite Valley, traffic congestion became a big problem. The solution that visitors were encouraged to park their cars at their hotels, campsites or visitor center while they were visiting the Yosemite Valley and take special buses that would reduce the amount of traffic on the park roads. In September of 1995, the National Park Service started using electric buses that would be quieter and more importantly eliminate air pollution.

For more information regarding Yosemite visitor information and a list of suggested places to see and things to see and do, please click on the link to Yosemite National Park (Part Two)

For more information about posts related to Yosemite National Park on this blog site, please click on the links to:

John Muir – a post about the man that helped to establish Yosemite as a National Park as well as the first president of the Sierra Club,
The Bracebridge Dinner – a post about the popular annual Christmas event held at the Ahwanhee Hotel in Yosemite and
Sequoia National Park – a travel post with detailed information about one of the other nearby national parks in California.

The Ed Sullivan Show

Posted on September 28, 2015 by barbara

In honor of the birthday of Edward “Ed” Sullivan (born: September 28, 1901 died: October 13, 1974) birthday, this post will discuss both his personal and profession life. Sullivan started as a sports and entertainment reporter with a syndicated column in the New York Daily News. He created and hosted “The Toast of the Town” television variety show, it was later renamed “The Ed Sullivan Show” that ran on CBS for 23 years. Sullivan became known as the “star maker” because many of the featured guests on his show went on to be entertainment stars, such as Elvis Presley and the Beatles. (Special Note: As I was writing this post I had a lot of fun watching all the performances by Elvis and the Beatles … I suggest that you search the internet for the videos and do the same after you are done reading this!!)

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show was “must watch” television on Sunday nights for almost three decades; it ran on CBS from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971. The Ed Sullivan Show was an hour of great entertainment featuring a variety of popular singers and bands, opera singers, ballet dancers, Broadway shows, comedians, and sometimes jugglers, plate spinners and acrobats. People of the baby boomer generation will remember the show for the first performances of the most popular musical acts of the 1950s to 1970s such as Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, the Supremes and the Jackson 5.

The “Toast of the Town” show was originally created and produced by Marlo Lewis and Ed Sullivan was hired as the host of the show in 1948. The show was filmed and broadcasted live from the Maxine Elliott Theatre and in a few years the show’s name changed to “The Ed Sullivan Show”. In 1953 the show moved to the CBS TV Studio 50 and later the building’s name was changed to the Ed Sullivan Theater in 1967. (Special Note: Several years later “The Late Show with David Letterman” filmed there from August 1993 until May 2015 and now the new “The Late Show with Steven Colbert” started filming there in September 2015)

The show was arranged in six segments which allowed each act almost ten minutes for each guest performance, the commercials were done live at the beginning. At the start of each segment, Sullivan would introduce the act, they would perform and then afterwards he would briefly talk to them. The show was very popular and it was great entertainment for the whole family to watch together.

Over the years the show’s format remained basically unchanged. At first the show was filmed in black and white and then with technological advancements the show started filming in color. To keep the show relevant, Sullivan made sure to schedule the best and most current entertainment but by the late 1960s the show’s ratings began to decline. Finally in 1971, the Ed Sullivan Show was canceled and Sullivan went on to produce a few television specials for CBS until his death in 1974.

Listed below are three of the most famous acts to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show:

Elvis Presley –

Elvis Presley made his first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on September 9, 1956. Presley was causing a sensation with his music, good looks and wild stage presence especially with teenage girls. A few months earlier, Presley’s performances on the Dorsey Brothers, Milton Berle and Steve Allen shows were highly criticized for being too sexually suggestive. Initially, Sullivan declined to put Presley on his show because he thought it would be inappropriate because of the show’s family audience. Later, Sullivan reconsider and agreed to have Presley on the show with the stipulation that his performance only to be shot from the waist up to avoid any offending gyrations been seen.

On the night of the broadcast, Presley was in Hollywood filming his first movie, “Love Me Tender” and his performance on The Ed Sullivan Show would be telecast from the CBS Studios in Los Angeles. Also Sullivan had recently been in an almost fatal car accident and Charles Laughton was the guest host. For the first segment, Presley sang “Don’t Be Cruel” his current record and “Love Me Tender” the title song from his new movie. The second segment featured the song “Ready Teddy” and a brief message from Presley to Sullivan wishing him a speedy recovery and return to TV and then he gave a short rendition of “Hound Dog”. Presley gave a great performance on the show that night, he was extremely professional in his manner and maybe even a little bit subdued. The show that night was seen by 60 million television viewers.

Elvis 1st appearance on Ed Sullivan 9-9-1956 2a

Elvis 1st appearance on Ed Sullivan 9-9-1956 1a

A few months later, Presley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show for the second time on October 28, 1956. This time Sullivan was back hosting the show and for his first segment Presley performed the same song as before, “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Love Me Tender”. Then, as Sullivan spoke to the audience, Presley standing behind him playfully started shaking his leg and the studio audience screamed. By the time Sullivan turned to look at Presley he was innocently standing still. For his second segment, Presley sang “Love Me” and then a full version of “Hound Dog”.

Elvis 2nd appearance on Ed Sullivan 10-28-1956 2

Elvis 2nd appearance on Ed Sullivan 10-28-1956 1

The next year Presley made his third and final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on January 6, 1957. For the first segment Presley performed a medley of “Hound Dog”, “Love Me Tender” and “Heartbreak Hotel” and a full version of “Don’t Be Cruel”. For the second segment Presley sang “Too Much and “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again”. The last song he sang was the ballad, “Peace in the Valley” with the Jordanaires as the back-up singers. For this final appearance on the show, Presley wore an unusual outfit with a shiny shirt, vest and baggy pants. Before the show closed that evening Sullivan praised Presley as a good, decent guy and a consummate professional.

Years later, Sullivan tried to book Presley for another appearance on the show and Colonel Tom Parker, his manager, who wanted an outrageous fee and had a long list of conditions … Sullivan declined and Presley never appeared on the show again.

The Beatles –

While Sullivan happened to be at Heathrow Airport in 1963 as the Beatles were returning from a performance in Stockholm, Sweden and their fans greeted them with mass hysteria. Sullivan took note and he immediately called their manager, Brian Epstein, to book them on his show. It took a few months until Sullivan and Epstein could reach an agreement and the band was signed to three consecutive appearances on the show.

The Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. Prior to their arrival in America the Beatles new single, “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, had been released and was already climbing the record charts. Teenage girls were anxiously anticipating the “Fab Four” arrival from England and the excitement was building for the British invasion … Beatlemania was about to hit the United States!

The Beatles arrived at JFK Airport in New York on February 7, 1964 and they were greeted by a crowd of screaming fans. A brief press conference was held at the airport by Capitol Records before the Beatles left for The Plaza Hotel to prepare for their appearance on The Ed Sullivan show. The scene at the hotel was crazy with teenage girls camping outside and some even trying to sneak inside. Meanwhile, the demand for tickets to the show had reached 50,000 requests for a theater that only held about 700.

Beatles 1st appearance - outside the Plaza Hotel

Beatles 1st appearance - outside the theater

On February 9, 1964 Sullivan opened the show by reading a telegram from Elvis Presley congratulating the Beatles. The band opened with “All My Loving” and the audience of mostly teenage girls started screaming! The next song was a slower ballad, “Till There Was You”. During the song the camera focused on each individual Beatle with their name flashed on the screen and when they got to John the television screen read “Sorry girls, he’s married”. To finish the segment the Beatles sang “She Loves You” and then walked over to Sullivan for a quick hello and wave to the audience. For the Beatles’ second segment, which concluded the show, they sang “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand”. The show that night was watched by 73 million people and it went down in history as one of the most important rock and roll performances.

Then a week later the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show for the second time on February 16, 1964. Their segments were shot live from the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida because everyone was in town for the Cassisus Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) and Sonny Liston boxing match. Much like the craziest of their stay at the Plaza Hotel the previous week, teenage fans were crowded outside the hotel and some made their way into the lobby and were blocking the Beatles from entering the ballroom for their performance. Sullivan had to quickly go to a commercial break and with the help of the security guards the Beatles made their way into the ballroom for their delayed introduction. The Beatles started the first segment with “She Loves You”, followed by the ballad “This Boy” and closed the set with “All My Loving”. For the second segment, the Beatles once again closed the show with “I Saw Her Standing There”, “From Me to You” and end with “I Want to Hold Your Hand”.

Beatles 2nd appearance on Ed Sullivan 2-16-1964 Deuville Hotel Miami Beach

Beatles at the Deuville Hotel Miami Beach

Beatles 2nd appearance on Ed Sullivan 2-16-1964 1

Beatles 2nd appearance on Ed Sullivan 2-16-1964 2

The Beatles third appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show was broadcast on February 23, 1964; their performance was actually taped back at the beginning of February. The Beatles sang “Twist and Shout”, “Please Please Me” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand”.

The Beatles did appear on The Ed Sullivan Show one more time a year later on September 12, 1965. The band performed “I Feel Fine”, “I’m Down”, “Act Naturally”, “Ticket to Ride”, “Yesterday” and “Help!” This appearance on the show was actually taped on August 14, 1965 the day after the Beatles started their first North American Tour with a sold-out concert at Shea Stadium in New York City.

(Personal Note: The Beatles’ performance on The Ed Sullivan Show is one of those days that people remember exactly what they were doing when it happened. For me, my memory is being an almost six year old sitting on the living room floor watching the program in black and white on TV with my family and quite frankly all I remember is the Beatles shaking their heads … yeah, yeah, yeah!!!)

Topo Gigio –

Topo Gigio was a mouse puppet that performed on Italian and Spanish children’s televisions shows in the early 1960s. The character had originally debuted in 1959 and he was created by artist Maria Perego and voiced by Giuseppe Mazzullo. Topo Gigio first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on December 9, 1962.

Topo Gigio was a 10” tall mouse with large eyes made of foam and it took four people to “operate” the puppet, three to move the puppet and one to voice the character. To help create the illusion, the puppet was set on a special-made small black portable stage with black velvet curtains to hide the puppeteers who were completely dressed in black. The puppeteers operated three different parts of Topo Gigio’s body by wooden dowel rods that were also painted black to create the illusion that the mouse was moving independently. The illusion worked remarkably well and Topo Gigio appeared to actually walk on his feet, gesture with his hands and move his mouth to talk and sing. After one of the puppet’s appearances on the show, Sullivan asked the puppeteers to come out and take a bow. Topo Gigio appeared on more than fifty Ed Sullivan shows and he had the honor of closing the final show to be broadcast in 1971.

The personal and professional life of Ed Sullivan

Ed Sullivan was born in Harlem, New York City on September 28, 1901; his parents were Peter Sullivan and Elizabeth Smith. Sullivan had a twin brother named Daniel and a sister named Elizabeth, both died as children. Eventually, the family moved to Port Chester, New York and Sullivan attended St. Mary’s Catholic School and later Port Chester High School where he excelled at sports.

After Sullivan graduated he went to work for the New York Evening Mail until it closed in 1923. He then went to work for the Associated Press and his articles appeared in several prominent newspapers on the East Coast. In 1927 Sullivan took a job at The Evening Graphic as a sports writer and soon became the sports editor. Then when a fellow reporter, Walter Winchell, left to join the Hearst newspaper syndicate Sullivan became the Evening Graphic’s entertainment columnist specializing on Broadway shows and gossip which was a big departure from reporting on sports. In the years that followed Sullivan and Winchell became competing rivals.

During the 1920s and 1930s, while Sullivan worked for the newspaper he began producing vaudeville shows; he also served as the master of ceremonies for the shows. Then, during World War II, he directed a local radio program at WABC and organized special variety shows that raised money for several war-related causes.

After the war, Sullivan was the master of ceremonies for an annual event called the Harvest Moon Ball. The event was broadcast on a local television which led to Sullivan being hired as the host of the CBS TV show, “Toast of the Town” which debuted in June 1948 at the Maxine Elliott Theatre. It proved to be so successful and Sullivan did such a great job that the name of the show was soon changed to “The Ed Sullivan Show” and in 1953 it moved to the CBS TV Studio 50. The building’s name was later changed to the Ed Sullivan Theater in 1967 and it filmed there until 1971.

Throughout the years, Sullivan also had an uncanny ability for spotting rising talent and during the show’s long 23 year run it featured a wide variety of performances by comedians, Broadway musicals and some of the biggest musical acts in the entertainment business.

The only criticism that Sullivan received about the show was directed at him personally. The comments stated that Sullivan showed no personality when announcing his guests and that he appeared stiff, slightly awkward and his speaking voice was sometimes garbled. In fact, Sullivan had such a good sense of humor that he even had comedian impersonators such as Frank Gorshin and Rich Little on the show that would imitate him … and he loved it!

In regards to Sullivan’s personal life, he married Sylvia Weinstein on April 28, 1930. They had one daughter, Betty, who was born on December 22, 1930, many years later she married Bob Precht, a producer of “The Ed Sullivan Show”. Sullivan and his wife were so devoted to each other that he would call her immediately after every show to get her opinion; the show was seen live on the East Coast and taped for airing on the West Coast.

In September 1974, about three years after the show ended, Sullivan was diagnosed with esophageal cancer with only a short time to live. In discussions with the doctor, the family decided not to tell him and he believed his illness was due to complication from gastric ulcers. It has also been speculated the Sullivan struggled with Alzheimer’s disease during his last years. Sadly, Sullivan died five weeks later on October 13, 1974. Sullivan is buried at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.

Travel – Yellowstone National Park (Part Two)

Posted on September 24, 2015 by barbara

Yellowstone is one the largest National Parks and there was so much information about the park that two posts were needed to cover all the information. In Part One, I discussed the history of the park, general visitor information for planning a visit and a list of things to see and do. In Part Two, I will discuss the wildlife found within Yellowstone, such as the bears that made the park famous and the herds of elk that migrate through the park seasonally. I will also discuss the 1995 re-introduction of the wolves that was so important to balance the ecosystem of the park. Finally, I will discuss the devastating 1988 wildfire that impacted the animals and plants in the park and set the precedence for future National Park firefighting policies. Let’s start with some information and tips about safely viewing the wildlife in Yellowstone.

Information about safely viewing wildlife in Yellowstone

The animals that live in Yellowstone can be unpredictable and potentially dangerous. Upon arriving in the park, I would suggest stopping in the Visitor Center for more information about official rules and regulations concerning wildlife. Here are some basic rules:

Always use designated road pullouts when viewing wildlife, follow the posted speed limits and use caution when driving. DO NOT STOP IN THE ROAD!
Keep a safe distance from all wildlife; especially do not approach bears, wolves, bison or elk. It is illegal to willfully approach wildlife and remain within any distance that disturbs the animal.
Use binoculars for viewing wildlife at the safe distance and avoid disturbing them, be sensitive to their natural behavior and environment.
Be especially cautious of a female animal and her young; do not get between a mother and her babies.
Always store food safely in the car, cabin or campsite. Use bear safe containers when available. Bears can cause severe damage to personal property so please be cautious and be safe with food storage.

Yellowstone animals can be seen at any time during the day but in general the best time for wildlife viewing is in the early morning or in the evening when there are less people. Listed below are two areas within Yellowstone National Park where wildlife viewing is highly recommended:

Hayden Valley –

Hayden Valley is located near Canyon Village at the center of the park. The valley is named for Ferdinand Hayden who came to Yellowstone in 1891 to do a geological survey of the area. The valley is approximately 7 miles long from north to south and 7 miles wide from east to west, an area that covers approximately 50 square miles. Hayden Valley is known as an outstanding wildlife habitat and is frequented by bison, elk, bear and coyote as well as smaller mammals and a variety of birds. The valley is closed to hiking trails that cross the valley as a means to protect and prevent any disturbance to the wildlife or their natural environment, there is no fishing allowed in the river, streams or pond within Hayden Valley. There are two trails accessible for hikers that follow the edge of the valley, the Hayden Valley Trail on the east side and Mary Mountain Trail on the north side. Hayden Valley is an excellent place for wildlife viewing especially in the early morning as the sun rises or in the evening before the sun sets because that is the best time to see the wildlife in this area of Yellowstone.

Lamar Valley –

Lamar Valley is a little more remote then Hayden Valley and it is located not far from the Tower/Roosevelt Ranger Station near the northeast entrance to the park. Lamar Valley is also a great place for wildlife viewing, especially in the early morning hours or at twilight. In the valley herds of bison and elk are most often seen, the area also has the highest concentration of grizzly bears within the park and it is the best place to see packs of wolves. When visiting the Lamar Valley be sure to bring a pair of binoculars to see the wildlife at a safe distance. Also, the valley is known for excellent trout fishing in the Lamar River, so maybe bring a fishing pole too!

The WildLife in Yellowstone National Park

Grizzly Bear and Black Bear –

Since Yellowstone first became a National Park in 1872 visitors have been interested in the wildlife of the park, especially the bears. The grizzly bear (ursus arctos horribilis) and black bear (ursus americanus) soon became as much a tourist attraction as the geysers, lakes, rivers and mountains of the park; it is one of the only places in the United States where the two bears coexist in relative harmony. By 1889, visitors started to gather behind the hotels at night to watch the bears feeding from the garbage dumps; sometimes the bears were even hand-feed until that practice was prohibited in 1902.

By 1910, the bears became less cautious and fearful of human contact and could be seen during the daytime along the park roads or in populated areas of the park searching for more human food. Unfortunately this situation started to lead to human injury inflicted by the bears and in 1916 the first human fatality caused by a bear was confirmed. In 1931, the National Park Service began to keep detailed records of the bear activity within the park involving human injuries, property damage and incidences when the bear’s actions needed to be controlled. Throughout the years the situation continued to escalate and by 1969 the annual report recorded 48 human injuries and over 100 cases of property damage.

In 1970, Yellowstone began to implement a new bear management program to eliminate the bear’s dependence on human food which cause the animals to revert to a completely natural diet. New restrictions were implemented immediately and strictly enforced; the garbage dumps were permanently closed or entirely removed from the park boundaries. The feeding of bears was prohibited and new bear-proof containers were distributed throughout the park as well as notices posted regarding proper food storage and disposal of garbage. Bears frequenting popular areas where visitors are present were tagged, removed and relocated far away to the more remote backcountry areas of the park or sadly killed if it was a bear that was a repeat offender. In 1975, the population of bears had decreased significally and the grizzly bear was put on the threatened list under the Endangered Species Act. By 2000, studies showed that there was a severe reduction in personal injury to visitors caused by bears, only 1 recorded injury, and a dramatic decrease in property damage to only 14 were reported. Unfortunately in 2011 the seventh bear-related death in the park occurred.

So, the bears still remain within Yellowstone National Park and park official continue to follow a program to educate the public on the dangers of close contact with bears and the need for proper food storage and trash disposal. The grizzly bears are still a presence in Yellowstone but only in the remote areas of the park such as the Hayden and Lamar valleys, there are only approximately 150 grizzly bears within the park boundaries. The black bear are relatively common in Yellowstone and can be seen more frequently than the grizzly bear throughout the park; the current population is estimated between 500-600 black bears.

Personal Note: As a baby-boomer child, I grew up with the Sunday morning cartoons and one of my favorites was 1961 “The Yogi Bear Show” created by Hanna-Barbera. (Yogi actually made his cartoon debut in 1958 as a supporting character on “The Huckleberry Hound Show”) The plot of most of the cartoons was Yogi and Boo-boo Bear trying to steal the picnic baskets from the campers visiting the fictional Jellystone Park. So, when my family was on a road trip in the early 1970s we made a stop in Yellowstone and I was most anxious to see the bears. I was not disappointed when a mother and her cubs stopped traffic on one of the roads in the park; luckily we have some wonderful home-movies of our visit. Many years later, after the more restrictive bear regulations were fully in effect, I visited Yellowstone with my young son and I don’t remember seeing any bears during our trip but we did see bison, elk and even a coyote.

Bison –

For centuries now, the bison have roamed the North American continent, long ago there were reportedly between 30 and 60 million. The Native Americans hunted the bison and used every part of the animal, such as the bison meat for food (the tongue was said to be the most delicious and prized part of the bison to eat), the bison hide was used for clothing, tepee covers, and winter blankets, the bison bones were used for spear handles, knives and needles, the beard and tail of the bison were used for clothing and tepee decorations, brushes, the bladder of the bison was used for pouches and medicine bags and the horns were used for headdress decorations and drinking cups.

Special Note: When the French fur trappers came to this area of the United States, the bison population on the Great Plaines was still very large and they called the bison by another name, les boeufs (meaning oxen), the early settlers called the animal buffalo, a variation on the French name. The names of bison and buffalo are used interchangeably for the same animal. The American bison only lives in North American (bison bison), the other two buffalo species live in Africa and Asia. The African buffalo (syncerus caffe) sometimes known as the Cape buffalo can be found throughout Africa. The Asian buffalo (bubalus arnee) sometimes known as the Water Buffalo can be found in parts of India and Southeast Asia.

Eventually the bison were hunted almost to the point of extinction, in 1902 there were only 50 bison in Yellowstone and currently the number ranges from 4,000 to almost 5,000 depending on weather condition and food supplies. In 2008 the bison population had dropped to less than 3,000 due to a very harsh winter and a very controversial slaughter of many hundreds of bison due to brucellosis (an infectious disease caused by bacteria, most commonly found in cattle and sheep but can be transferred to humans that eat contaminated meat or animal products). It was believed the possibly infected bison were killed when they wandered outside the boundaries of Yellowstone in an effort to protect the cattle of the private ranches in the vicinity from the perceived threat. Since then, the APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) have recommended vaccination to eliminated brucellosis from the bison and elk herds throughout Yellowstone.

Elk –

The Native Americans called the elk wapiti which translate to white-rumped deer. The North American elk (cervus canadensis) is the largest population of mammals found within Yellowstone National Park. The northern elk herds spends the summer months mostly in the Lamar and Yellowstone river valleys located in the northern section of the park. In the fall and winter months the herds migrate to the northwest area of the park near Mammoth Hot Springs eventually settling around Gardiner, Montana or just outside the northwest boundary of the park. The number of elk of the northern herds has decreased drastically from 16,000 in 1995 when the gray wolves were re-introduction back into Yellowstone to almost 5,000 in 2015.

The southern elk herds spend the summer months in the area between Grant Village and the South Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. In the fall and winter months the herds migrate south out of Yellowstone through to the Grand Teton National Park and finally settle in an area known as the National Elf Refuge located in the Jackson Valley. The average winter count of the elk is approximately 7,500 each winter in the Refuge. There is also one herd that lives year-round inside Yellowstone Park in an area slightly north of Old Faithful, the Madison-Firehole elk herd is less than 100.

1995 Re-introduction of Wolves into Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley is the location where the gray wolves (canis lupus) were re-introduced to Yellowstone National Park in 1995 after an absence of almost 70 years. When the park was first created in 1872, the population of gray wolves was already starting to decline due to the increased settlement within the area. Local ranchers, cattlemen and farmers were seriously concerned when many of their horses and cattle were severely injured or killed by wolves. This very vocal group of citizens lobbied for stricter regulations and controls of these “dangerous” animals, but unfortunately Yellowstone’s national park status did not provide protection for the wolves and in fact many U.S. government predator control programs during the first part of the 20^th century helped to eliminate the gray wolves, the last ones were killed in Yellowstone in 1926.

By the 1940s, several independent studies were done by park managers and scientists that indicated that the wolves actually helped to balance the wildlife in the region; an example of this was the dramatic increase in the elk population that was overgrazing the land and systematically destroying the plants and trees. Then, when the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973 and the gray wolf was put on the list which would now allow the process of the legal reintroduction of the wolves back into Yellowstone, even with legal authorization the process was met controversy and renewed protest from the ranchers and cattlemen. Finally in January 1995, 14 wolves were captured in Jasper National Park in Canada and a few weeks later they were relocated to Yellowstone and held in pens until March when they were released into the Lamar Valley, an additional 17 wolves were released in 1996 and these were the last ones because park officials thought that natural reproduction of the wolves would be sufficient to maintain the packs.

Today, twenty years after the wolves were re-introduced to Yellowstone; there are almost 100 wolves that are divided into ten different packs that roam mostly in the northern section of the park, about 22% of the wolves have been equipped with radio collars to tract their movement. The recovery number goal that was determined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was reached in 2002 and since that time the gray wolves have been removed from the endangered species list. Unfortunately, this means that any wolves that wander outside of the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park can once again be legally shot and killed. Time will tell what the lasting effects of the re-introduction of the wolves back into Yellowstone will mean but studies are showing that one benefit is a much more balanced ecosystem with a decrease in the elk population since the wolves return.

1988 Yellowstone Wildfire

To put the Yellowstone wildfire in perspective we need to first take a look at the National Park Service fire management policy. When the NPS was first established it was believed that any fire started within a National Park should be immediately fought and extinguished as soon as possible regardless of whether the fire was started naturally by lightning or by humans. Firefighting crews were established for the purpose to fight the fires on the ground and by the 1940s additional firefighting methods included lookout towers for spotting fires, special helicopters and airplanes with water or fire retardant drop capabilities and smokejumpers (a specially trained fire crew that parachutes into an area to extinguish fires in remote locations). But over time, environmentalists began to determine that wildfires were actually beneficial to the forest ecosystems for natural tree and plant propagation. After extensive studies and reports, the National Park Service revised the fire management policy in 1972 to allow fires started naturally to burn out without assistance if there was no risk to human lives or property. They also allowed controlled burns (prescribed fires to reduce shrubs and trees) periodically set to restore balance to the ecosystems when needed in specific areas.

The 1988 Yellowstone wildfire was the largest one in the history of Yellowstone National Park; almost 800,000 acres in the park were affected by the wildfire. At the time Yellowstone was experiencing one of the driest summers on record and the severe drought conditions created vast areas of extremely dry grasslands and dense underbrush in the forests. From mid-June to mid-September several fires, ignited by the dry vegetation and aided by the increasingly strong winds, broke out in various areas of the park. Per the NPS policy on fire management, the fires that were caused by careless park visitors were attempted to be contained and extinguished by fire crews. The other fires that were started by lightning strikes were allowed to burn but closely watched by fire crews that intervened when the fire threatened populated areas of the park.

Then, as the days and weeks passed, the individual fires joined to become larger fires creating a perfect fire storm that was building to massive proportions with potential of burning almost everything in its path and threatening many historic buildings as it progress through the park. Finally near the end of July the National Park Service started a concentrate effort to control and extinguish ALL the fires that were now engulfing over 60% of the park. Over 20,000 firefighters were fighting fires in various locations throughout the park and assisted by helicopters and airplanes making water and fire retardant drops, also 4,000 U.S. military personnel were brought into Yellowstone to help with the fire control efforts.

On August 20 the unthinkable happened when 150,000 acres were consumed throughout the day in a series of intense firestorms, the day would become known as “Black Saturday”. The land destroyed in that one single day exceeded the total amount of land burned by fire since the establishment of Yellowstone National Park, which is a period of 116 years. The high winds that day caused the fire to jump roads and bulldozed fire lines, burning embers blown a mile away were reported to have started new fires and ground fires raced up the forest trees creating a wall of fire over 200 feet high.

A firestorm passes over the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming during the 1988 historic fire.

NPS staff and other land management agencies proved to be unprepared for the catastrophic situation and the decision was made to close the park to visitors on September 8 and to only allow authorized emergency crews inside the park. At the point when everything seemed to be out of control nature intervened on September 11 when cooler weather moved into the area, rain and snow at the higher elevations started to fall within the park. Finally, the fires were being stopped or suppressed allowing the fire crews to completely contain them and eventually all the fires within Yellowstone were extinguished although some areas of the park would continue to smolder in isolated spots until November 18 when the fires were officially declared out.

Controversy and public outrage had started while the fires were still raging in Yellowstone and only intensified afterwards. The media coverage of the Yellowstone fire was aimed at the mismanagement of the National Park Service and the public demanded to know why the fires had burned for so long without immediate action to extinguish them. Inaccurate reports indicated long-term health effects caused by the smoke or that the plants and forests destroyed by the fire would never return or the reported animal death count was highly inflated or that Yellowstone would never fully recover and to return to its previous condition.

In fact, the recovery process from the fire damage is slow but it is happening. Within a few weeks plants appropriately called fireweed started growing. Most of the areas affected by the fire grow back the previous vegetation through either sprouts not damaged by the fire or a natural process of called re-seeding. An example of this process is the lodgepole pine which produces serotinous (the process of plant seeds being dispensed by an environmental stimulus rather than seed maturation) pinecones that usually remain closed and will not release seeds unless it is subjected to fire. Then, by the next spring the forest floors had an abundance of wildflowers growing and within a few years the burned areas were experiencing a rapid regeneration of their ecosystems. The Aspen tree, once rare in the park before the fire, are now experiencing a high volume of growth in areas that were once dominated by conifer trees, this can possibly be only a temporary situation until the strong conifers grow back or the Yellowstone elk eat the Aspens. About 300 large mammals died in the fire but reports show that in general the animals in Yellowstone have not been greatly affected and the animal population within the park has been maintained or has even slightly increased in certain species of mammals.

In 1992 a new fire management plan was implemented in Yellowstone National Park as a direct result of the 1988 fire. Stricter guidelines were developed for managing natural wildfires and included a larger budget and funding for fire management allotted for an increase in staff and equipment for monitoring fires. Additional revisions to the fire plan in 2004 determined the time natural wildfires could be allowed to burn by setting limits in regards to size, weather conditions and potential danger to lives or property. These changes did not affect man-made fires; the policy remained the same and it was that all man-made fires should be suppressed as quickly as possible. The overall view of the role of fire in maintaining a balanced and natural ecosystem as remained the important objective.

Special Note: Please click on the link for Part One of the two part series on Yellowstone National Park for information regarding the history of the park and how it became the first national park in the United States.

Also, be sure to check out the other Travel Post this month about nearby Grand Teton National Park, just click on the link.

The Enchanted Manor

a lifestyle blog by Barbara Jones

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