Travel – United States Mint

Posted on September 2, 2013 by barbara

Today in history the U.S. Treasury Department was established in 1789. This post will discuss the history of the Treasury Department and the functions of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing located in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Mint which has several locations across the United States.

A Brief History of the U.S. Treasury Department

Established by an act of Congress in 1789, the Department of the Treasury is an executive department of the U.S. federal government. The first Secretary of the Treasury was Alexander Hamilton. He was appointed by President George Washington and sworn in on September 11, 1789. During his five years as the Treasury Secretary, he established the nation’s first financial system.

Currently, the U.S. Treasury Department prints all paper currency and postage stamps at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing located in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Mints create all coins in circulation throughout the United States. The Treasury Department manages all the United States federal finances, supervises the national banks and lending institutions, advises on domestic and international financial, economic and trade policies, and enforces and collects all federal taxes while investigating and prosecuting tax evaders through the Internal Revenue Service.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is a government agency of the U.S. Treasury Department which designs and produces a variety of secured products for the United States Government, mainly the Federal Reserve Notes (paper currency).

The Bureau began in 1861 during the Civil War and was authorized by Congress to issue paper currency instead of coins due to the lack of funds needed to support the war. The paper currency was basically a government IOU and were called Demand Notes which were payable “on demand” in coin at the Treasury facilities. At the time, a private company produced the Demand Notes in sheets of four, then clerks would sign the individual notes by hand and workers would trim and cut the sheets into individual Demand Notes.

Initially the currency processing operations of the Treasury Department were not formally organized until the formation of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing which was officially recognized by congressional legislation in 1874.

By 1918 the plate capacity used in the printing presses increased from four to eight notes per sheet to meet the production requirements needed during World War I. Then in 1929, there was the first major design change in paper currency. The bill design was standardized and the size of each bill was reduced and the Bureau converted from the eight to twelve notes per sheet. This redesign helped to reduce paper costs and counterfeit deterrents were implemented for the general public to recognize the bills features.

In 1952, there were further improvements with new faster-drying inks that enable printed back sheets to be kept damp until the front sheets were printed allowing less distortion since the sheets needed to be dampened before each printing. The size of each sheet was also increased from twelve to eighteen notes per sheet. Then in 1957, the Bureau began printing currency with the dry intaglio method which uses special paper and inks and further increased from eighteen to thirty-two notes per sheets. Since 1968, all currency has been printed using this method of the dry intaglio and the need to wet each paper prior to printing was permanently eliminated.

With the dry intaglio process, the note engravings were transferred to steel plates. With this new method the ink is applied directly to the plates and then wiped clean leaving the ink only in the engraved lines. The plate is pressed against the sheet of paper allowing the ink to be applied. Both faces are printed and overprinted with the Treasury Seals and serial numbers.

In addition to paper currency, the Bureau has designed and printed a variety of secured products for the U.S. federal government over the years. These items have included military commissions and award certificates, invitations for White House events, passports for the State Department, money orders for the Post Office Department and many different types of identification cards, forms and special security documents for all types of government agencies.

In 1894, the Bureau took over the production of postage stamps for the United States government and by the end of that first year the stamp production was more than 2.1 billion stamps. Then in 2005, the United States Postal Service switched to private postage stamp printers and thus ended 111 years of production by the Bureau.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing has two locations. The main location in Washington, D.C. offers a free 30-minute guided tour which features information regarding the various phases of currency production. Tours are available Monday through Friday. There is an additional Bureau location in Fort Worth, Texas with visitor tours available during business hours. The Bureau locations are closed for all federal holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

The United States Mint

The United States Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792 and was originally a part of the Department of State. In 1799, the Mint was made an independent agency and later in 1873 it became part of the Department of the Treasury.

The function of the U.S. Mint is to design and produce coins, commemorative medals, and special coins, in addition to safeguarding, controlling and disbursing gold and silver bullion for authorized federal government purposes.

Currently there are four coin producing locations, the Mint’s headquarters in Philadelphia, PA. and additional facilities in Denver, San Francisco and West Point, New York and a gold bullion depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Several additional facilities across the United States have opened and closed since the creation of the U.S. Mint.

The Philadelphia Mint –

The Philadelphia Mint is the largest mint and the current facility opened in 1969, there have also been three previous buildings located in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia location is also the site of the master die production for the U.S. coinage and the design and engraving departments of the U.S. Mint are also located there.

The Denver Mint –

The Denver location began in 1863 as the local assay office five years after the discovery of gold in the area and by the early 1900s the office was bringing in over $5 million in annual gold and silver deposits. In 1906 the Mint officially opened the new Denver Mint and became coin production.

The San Francisco Mint –

The San Francisco location opened in 1854 during the California Gold Rush but moved to a new location in 1874. This building was one of the few that survived the 1906 earthquake and closed in 1937 when the current facility was built. Currently the facility is producing only proof coinage and not general circulation coins.

West Point, New York –

The West Point facility is the newest mint location as of 1988. Originally the West Point Bullion Depository opened in 1937 and cents (pennies) were produced there from 1973 to 1986. Currently the West Point facility is still used for storage of a portion of the United States gold bullion reserve and produces gold, silver and platinum American Eagle coins.

Fort Knox –

Fort Knox does not produce coins but is a storage facility for the majority of the United States gold and silver bullion reserves.

In general all coins produced at U.S. Mint facilities are given mintmarks.

Here is the current mintmark information for each coin:

Cent: Unlike all other coins, which had their mintmarks on the reverse until 1964, the Lincoln cent or penny has always had the mintmark on the obverse side below the date to the right of Lincoln’s bust since its 1909 introduction.
Nickel: The mintmark was located near the rim of the obverse side to the right of Thomas Jefferson’s bust from 1968 to 2005. With the 2006 redesigned of the obverse of the nickel, the mintmark is now located below the date on the lower right. Many earlier nickels from 1938 to 1964 are still in circulation, and their mintmarks can be found on the reverse side to the right of Monticello, with the exception of the 1942-1945 war nickels.
Dime: The mintmark is above the date on the obverse side to the right of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s bust.
Quarter: The mintmark is to the right of George Washington’s bust.
Half dollar: The mintmark is below the center of John F. Kennedy’s bust, above the date.
Presidential dollar: first issued in 2007: The mintmark and date are found on the rim of the coin.

Tour information regarding the Department of Treasury facilities

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing –

Free tours are offered at both facilities, Washington, D.C. and Fort Worth, TX. In general, the tours feature the various steps involved in the production of our national currency. The process starts with large blank sheets of special paper and ends with the finished bills. For more information regarding hours and dates of each facility, please see the website, www.moneyfactory.gov/tours

The U.S. Mints –

Visiting one of the United States Mints is an exciting experience for all ages. Free tours cover the history of the Mint and visitors will be able to see the process that takes from the beginning of designing the coins, creating sculptured dies to the actual making of the coins. For more information regarding hours and dates of each facility, please see the website, www.usmint.gov/mint_tours

Travel tips and suggestions

Check ahead at each facility for safety and security restrictions. Some may require for adults to provide government-issued photo identification for security purposes.
If the Department of Homeland Security level is elevated to CODE ORANGE, the United States Mint at Philadelphia will be CLOSED to the public unless otherwise noted.
The United States Mint reserves the right to deny access to anyone at any time; in addition, members of the general public touring the facility may be subject to search by the United States Mint Police.
Restrictions regarding cameras and cellphones, purses and backpacks may be prohibited.
Photography inside the Department of Treasury buildings is prohibited.
TRAVEL NOTE: Advanced planning is a good idea, especially when planning a short visit to the specific cities, and when possible it is a good idea to make reservations if available.

We have been fortunate to have visited the Bureau of Engraving and Printing when we were in Washington, D.C. in 2002. We also have visited two of the U.S. Mints on our road trips across the United States, the ones in Philadelphia, PA and the Denver, CO. Taking the tours with the family is always exciting and interesting!!

Craft – Glass Dome Arrangement

Posted on August 29, 2013 by barbara

One of the most popular trends right now in home accessories is the terrarium container. I have been looking at these decorative terrariums in the local retail and craft supply stores all summer long. I knew I had a glass dome container I had bought on clearance a few years ago with the thought that I would use it for a future craft project. Now, I finally had the idea to create a glass dome arrangement with the container. I found some additional items from my floral supply box and the only item I purchased was a small container of ferns from my local craft store that were on clearance.

Craft Note: Shopping the craft stores in my area weekly, I find items on clearance that I purchase for a minimum amount and then later finding a craft project that I can use them for. This glass dome arrangement craft project is a great example of using items that I previously purchased and buying a few additional items to create a beauty decorative arrangement for our home.

Glass Dome Arrangement – supplies

Glass dome with base or terrarium
Ferns and leaves, amount will be determined by the size of the container
A small pot for the ferns and leaves (Spanish moss for the pot is optional)
A few container accessories, amount will be determined by the size of the container
Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Glass Dome Arrangement – instructions

Any type of glass dome with base can be used or any size of terrarium. If you are using a glass dome it is very important to have a matching base because this is needed to attach the fern or leaves and container accessories. Using the glass dome with base, I hot-glued a small container with ferns that I had purchased on clearance from my local craft store. (To add more fullness to the container I used several additional ferns and the contrast of the two different types of ferns looked great!
Next, attach the accessories to the base with hot glue. (I had found several small mushrooms and snails that I had previously purchased) Any type of container accessories can be used but the scale of the items should be relatively small. I have seen items such as small fairies, miniature garden benches and trellis –there such a nice selection in the craft stores.
This next step can be tricky if you are using a glass dome, if you are using a terrarium or an open-topped container this next step is not required. As you fit the glass dome onto the base, be sure to be aware of where the ferns and leaves are being placed. (I used my fingers to move the ferns so that they were not blocking the view any of the container accessories)

This Glass Dome Arrangement craft project was very easy to do and only took about 30 minutes to complete.

Crown Jewels of England (Part One)

Posted on August 27, 2013 by barbara

On a trip to England in 1998 we visited the Tower of London and were able to see the Crown Jewels of England. They are held in a high security section in a building known as the Jewel House. By definition, the Crown Jewels are the Coronation regalia used for the crowning ceremony of the English kings and queens since 1660. More items were added to the collection over the centuries to include additional crowns acquired by various English monarchs, ceremonial robes, church and banquet plate, medals, insignia and the Royal christening font which will be used shortly for the new Royal baby, HRH Prince George of Cambridge. (For additional information about this ceremony, please see this month’s Celebration post, A Royal Christening)

In this post, I will discuss the regalia used during the coronation ceremony which is traditional held at Westminster Abbey in London, England. (For information about the remaining items in the collection, please check out the Crown Jewels of England (Part Two). Britain is the only European monarchy to still use regalia for the consecration ceremony of their king or queens and these are considered the main items of the Crown Jewels collection. The coronation ceremony of the English monarch has taken place in Westminster Abbey since William I was crowned in 1066. At the time of his coronation centuries ago there was an older smaller church on the site in the City of Westminster (London) prior to the current large Gothic cathedral. Most people will recognize Westminster Abbey as the place where Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge married Catherine Middleton in April 2011.

During the coronation ceremony the Sovereign will wear several different robes and garments. The first item of clothing is normally a crimson surcoat and is worn for the duration of the ceremony under all the other robes. The Sovereign will enter Westminster Abbey wearing the surcoat under the Robe of State. In 1953, for her coronation Queen Elizabeth II worn a specially made gown designed by Norman Hartnell instead of the surcoat.

The coronation regalia items used in the first portion of the service are strictly ceremonial and are used only during the procession that precedes the Sovereign’s entrance into the Abbey. These items are listed below:

The Royal Maces – There are sixteen royal maces in the Crown Jewels collection but only two are carried into the Abbey on coronation day. Originally royal maces were used as protection weapons for the king’s sergeant of arms and later they developed into ceremonial staffs that represent royal authority. The maces are approximately 5 feet in length and the head of each is decorated with the royal arms, cyphers and symbols of the rose, thistle, harp and fluer-de-lys.

The Three Ceremonial Swords – There are a total of five swords used in the coronation ceremony. Three swords are used during the coronation procession into the Abbey; they are the Sword of Spiritual Justice, the Sword of Temporal Justice and the Sword of Mercy. The swords were originally made for Charles I coronation and are among the few items of the crown jewels that survived and were not melted down by Oliver Cromwell. The first two swords symbolize the Sovereign’s relationship with the church and the state. The third sword, known as Edward the Confessor’s Sword, has a blade that is broken and squared. This sword represents the quality of mercy and according to legend the tip was broken off by an angel to prevent a wrongful killing.

The Sword of State – This sword is the largest in the crown jewels collection and is carried during the procession into the Abbey and later exchanged for the Jeweled Sword of Offering during a later portion of the coronation ceremony. The sword dates back to 1678 and has a steel blade with a wooden velvet covered scabbard which is decorated with silver gilt floral symbols of the United Kingdom and features a crosspiece in the form of a lion and a unicorn. The Sword of State is also carried during the State Opening of Parliament.

St. Edward’s Staff – The original staff is traditionally thought to have been used by Edward the Confessor, but it did not survive when Oliver Cromwell melted down most of the crown jewels. In 1660 it was recreated for the coronation of Charles II and is carried in the procession but has no official function in the coronation ceremony. The plain gold rod comes in three sections with a steel spike at the end and is 56” in length and weighs 55 ounces.

After the procession, the Sovereign is formally introduced to the congregation and recites the coronation oath. Next, the Sovereign is dressed in an anointing gown made of plain white cloth that fastens in the back, and the Archbishop of Canterbury uses holy water to anoint the Sovereign’s hands, breast and head. The regalia items used in this portion of the coronation ceremony are listed below:

The Ampulla – which dates back to 1661, is a golden eagle flask which holds the consecrated holy oil which is poured into the coronation spoon to anoint the Sovereign.

The Coronation Spoon – The silver gilt spoon decorated with pearls is the oldest piece and dates back to St Edward coronation in 1349 when it was first recorded as part of the regalia.

After the anointing ceremony, the Sovereign puts on a fresh clean tunic, known as the colobium sindonis, which is a loose white sleeveless undergarment made of linen and edged with a lace border that opens at the sides. Between 1661 and 1838, new robes were customarily made for each monarch. Since Queen Victoria’s coronation, all her successors have worn the same robe. The following is a list of the other robes and garments worn during the investiture portion of the coronation ceremony:

The Supertunica – The Supertunica was made for the coronation of George V in 1911 and has been worn by George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. It is full length long sleeved gold silk garment which opens in the front and is lined with red silk which is fastened with an embroidered belt with a gold buckle decorated with roses, thistles and shamrocks.

The Stole – The Stole is worn over the Supertunica and is a long narrow band of gold silk, lined with red silk and fringed ends. Originally made for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, the Stole is embroidered in gold and colored threads and designed with symbols of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.

The Imperial Mantle – The Imperial Mantle was made for the coronation of George IV in 1821 and is designed in the style of earlier ones worn by the Tudor and Stuart monarchs, it is worn over the Supertunica and the Stole. The Imperial Mantle is made of gold cloth, lined with red silk and woven with colored threads designed with a pattern of crowns, eagles, fleur-de-lis, roses, thistles and shamrock held together at the chest with a gold clasp in the form of an eagle.

During the final portion of the coronation ceremony, the Sovereign is presented with various regalia ornaments and these items are listed below:

The Jeweled Sword of Offerings – This sword is the only one actually presented to the Sovereign by the Archbishop of Canterbury during the coronation ceremony. Originally made for the coronation of George IV in 1911, the blade is made of steel with the hilt and the scabbard decorated with thousands of precious stones of diamonds, rubies and sapphires.

The Spurs – The Spurs date back to 1661 and were made for the coronation of Charles II. Currently the Spurs are presented to the Sovereign to represent knighthood and chivalry; for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II the Spurs were briefly presented to her, never worn but symbolically placed on the altar. The golden spurs are each designed with Tudor roses with a spike in the center and narrow velvet straps are attached to the buckles with gold embroidery thread.

The Armills – The Armills are symbolic of the Sovereign’s sincerity and wisdom. For the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, she was presented with 22 carat gold Armills that are lined in red velvet with Tudor rose clasps as a gift from the Commonwealth governments.

The Orbs – There are two orbs in the crown jewels regalia, the Sovereign’s Orb and Queen Mary II Orb. During the coronation ceremony, the Sovereign’s Orb is presented by the Archbishop and placed in the Sovereign’s right hand to represent supreme power and independent authority over the country; it was made for Charles II coronation in 1661 and has been used in all subsequent coronations. The Orb is a golden hallow sphere 6.5” in diameter and decorated with a band of precious stones and pearls across the center and a half-band across the top. As the Sovereign leaves the Abbey after the conclusion of the coronation ceremony the Orb is carried in their left hand.

The Queen Mary II Orb was made in 1689 for the coronation of William and Mary who came to the throne of England as equal King and Queen and reign jointly. Two sets of regalia were needed for their coronation and this second orb was made for Queen Mary II and is smaller in diameter at 5.75” and is also decorated with precious stones and pearls.

The Coronation Rings – There are two different coronation rings in the regalia, the Sovereign’s Ring and the Queen Consort’s Ring. During the coronation ceremony, the Sovereign’s Ring is place by the Archbishop on the fourth finger of the Sovereign’s right hand and represents kingly dignity. The ring was originally made for the coronation of William IV in 1831 and has been used at the subsequent coronations from Edward VII through Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Victoria had very small fingers so an exact replica of the Sovereign’s Ring was made in a smaller size for her coronation. The Sovereign’s Ring is an octagonal sapphire set in gold with an overlay of four rectangular cut and one square cut rubies finished with a border of diamonds and an additional diamond on each side of the band.

The Queen Consort’s Ring was made for Queen Adelaide in 1831 for the coronation of her husband William IV and has been worn subsequently by Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The Queen Consort’s Ring is a rectangular ruby set in gold surrounded by diamonds with smaller rubies decorating the sides of the band.

The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross – This sceptre, which symbolizes temporal power, is presented to the Sovereign near the end of the coronation ceremony and is held in their right hand. The Sovereign’s Sceptre with the Cross was originally made in 1661 for Charles II. For the coronation of George V it was redesigned to incorporate the Cullinan I which is the largest flawless cut diamond in the world at over 530 carats. (For additional information about the spectacular Cullinan diamonds used in the Sovereign’s Sceptre and the Imperial State Crown, please check out the Crown Jewels of England (Part Two).

The Sceptre with the Dove – The Sceptre with the Dove symbolizes spiritual power and is presented to the Sovereign to be held in their left hand.

Two additional scepters in the Crown Jewels regalia collection were used for the coronations when a queen consort is crowned, these include the smaller Queen Consort’s Sceptre with Cross and Ivory Rod Dove.

Finally the dramatic end of the coronation ceremony is when the Archbishop of Canterbury approaches the Sovereign, and solemnly holds the St. Edward’s Crown high for a few brief moments and then reverently places it upon the Sovereign’s head. This act constitutes the actual crowning of the Sovereign who symbolically takes possession of the kingdom and then receives the homage of the other royal members, peers and clergy who have gathered in Westminster Abbey to witness the coronation ceremony.

The St. Edward’s Crown – This crown is one of the most important pieces of the coronation regalia and was originally made in 1661. The St. Edward’s Crown is a solid gold frame formed in a circular designed with four crosses, four fluer-de-lis with two crossing arches topped with another cross. The crown has 444 precious stones, including diamonds, sapphires, amethysts and topazes; and weighs almost five pounds.

For more information about some of the remaining items in the royal collection, please check out the Crown Jewels of England (Part Two) which goes into details about such items as the Imperial State Crown, the George IV State Diadem, the Crown of Mary Modena, Queen Victoria’s small diamond crown and the Crown of Queen Elizabeth. Other items in the collection also include several tiaras, necklaces and earring sets and a variety of pins worn by the previous British Royal family.

Mary Poppins – the book, movie and play

Posted on August 26, 2013 by barbara

Today marks the theatrical release of the classic Disney movie, “Mary Poppins”, on August 26, 1964. Living in California at the time, I remember my Mom taking us to the premiere at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood. It was a star-studded event and seemed so glamorous and it was very exciting to see Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke the stars of the movie but the best part was seeing Walt Disney!! What a wonderful memory!!

Helen Lyndon Goff (born: August 9,1899 died: April 23,1996) was an Austrailian novelist, actress and writer that emigrated to England in 1924 where she wrote under the pen name P.L. Travers. In 1933 she began writing a first book in a series of children’s books about a magical English nanny called the Mary Poppins. The first book was published in 1934 followed by several more books throughout the years with the last book being published in 1989. Briefly, the story was about the Banks family who lived at Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane in London and their extraordinary nanny that blows into their lives on the winds of the east arriving with her carpetbag and umbrella with the parrot head handle. Quickly the children learn that Mary Poppins might appear to be stern, vain and very proper but she really has a magical quality that becomes apparent as the story unfolds. But, Mary Poppins is only there temporarily and when she is satisfied that her work has been done teaching the Banks family some important lessons she leaves just as suddenly as she first appeared on their doorstep but now leaves on the winds west.

Walt Disney attempted to purchase the film rights as early as 1938; his daughters had enjoyed the Mary Poppins books he had made a promise the story into a movie. Travers had long been resistant to any film adaptations of her Mary Poppins books and she had felt that a film version would not be able to do justice to the character and she definitely did not want an animated cartoon version. Finally in 1961 Disney had persuaded Travers to consent to granting the film rights with full script approval. Once Disney obtained the film rights to Mary Poppins the planning, composing the music and movie productions took over two years. Julie Andrew was cast as Mary Poppins and Dick Van Dyke as Bert the charming chimneysweep. The movie was based on the adventures of Mary Poppins and the Bank family that were taken from the first three books. The memorable songs in the movie were written by the famous Sherman Brothers, who can forget “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”.

Travers had a very rocky relationship with Disney and felt that she was treated in a discourteous manner at the film’ premiere and ultimately was dissatisfied with the 1964 movie specifically the animated portion of the movie and she refused to allow any of her other stories filmed. Travers eventually agreed to sell the stage rights to the London theater producer Cameron Mackintosh. The agreement given (per her will) was that only English-born writers, specifically no Americans and in particular no one involved in the previous film production, were to directly be involved in the creative process of the stage musical. The world premiere of the Disney Theatrical stage adaption took place at the Bristol Hippodrome in England in 2004 and later the production was moved to London’s West End were it ran for three years before closing in 2008. In 2006 the musical was performed on Broadway in the United States and the show ran until 2013. (Our family was very fortunate to see the musical performed by one of the national companies in 2009 at the Cadillac Theater in Chicago, IL – it was wonderful performance and thoroughly entertaining!)

Johnes family at Mary Poppins the musical

There is a great book called “Mary Poppins, She Wrote” by Valerie Lawson published in 2008 which is a biography about Travers. The book was originally published in 199 under the title, “Out of the Sky She Came”. The new Disney movie, “Saving Mr. Banks” starring Tom Hanks as Disney and Emma Thompson as Travers that is being released in December 2013 is based on this book. The movie shifts focus between Travers childhood years in Australia, then during the negotiation process with Disney and follows through with the making of the movie in the 1960s. The title of the book/movie refers to Travers father who was the inspiration for Mr. Banks.

“Mary Poppins” Disney Trivia

Originally Disney considered Mary Martin or Angela Lansbury for the part of Mary Poppins given the stern portrayal of the character in the books.
When Disney had seen Julie Andrews on the Ed Sullivan show in 1961 singing the songs from “Camelot” which she was currently starring in the Broadway musical productions and he knew that he might have his Mary Poppins. A month later Disney flew to New York to see Andrews backstage after one of her shows to speak with her about the movie. Andrews was reluctant, holding out for a part in the Warner Brothers movie adaption of “My Fair Lady”, and Disney invited her out to California to visit the Walt Disney Studios and consider the part. Still hesitate to play Mary Poppins she only agreed to play the role after Warner Brothers announced they had cast Audrey Hepburn in “My Fair Lady”.
Travers was very adamant that in the film version of her stories there should be no suggestion of any romance between Mary Poppins and Bert.
Over 100 glass and matte paintings were used in the film’s production to recreate the London skyline.
Prior to the premiere of “Mary Poppins”, the last time Disney attended a movie premiere was in 1937 for “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”.
Walt Disney regarded “Mary Poppins” as one of the finest achievements of his movie career.
At the 1964 Golden Globes Awards, Julie Andrews won the Best Actress award for “Mary Poppins” and in her acceptance speech she very sweetly “thanked” Jack Warner for his faith in her, this was a subtle yet classy jab at him for not casting her in the movie “My Fair Lady”. Andrews also won the Oscar for Best Actress at the 1964 Academy Awards.
Some of the filming of the 2001 Disney movie “Princess Diaries”, in which Julie Andrew played Queen Clarisse Renald, was shot on the same Disney sound stage in Burbank that “Mary Poppins” was filmed. There is a plaque on the soundstage to commemorate the 1964 musical.
At Disneyland in Anaheim, CA there is the King Arthur Carrousel in Fantasyland. The lead horse is named Jingles with beautiful carvings that include straps of jingle bells hanging from her saddle, she was Walt’s favorite. The horse is very similar to the one that Mary Poppins rides in the fantasy section of the movie. For Disneyland’s 50th anniversary in 2005 Jingles was repainted entirely in gold and trimmed in 18k gold leaf.

Then later Jingles received a refurbishment the saddle decoration details were painted on the saddle blanket with ironic parrot head umbrella from Mary Poppins. On the knee pad of Jingles there is a crest that is divided into four sections with a monogram “JA” (for Julie Andrews), a robin perched at the top high button shoes, the silhouette of Mary Poppins flying and the number 50 for the 50 Magical Years of this original Disneyland attraction. Jingles was officially dedicated to Julie Andrews in 2008 as “Honorary Ambassador to Disneyland and the title is painted beneath the Hidden Mickey on the horses’ saddle.

Personal Note: Disney characters can be found daily throughout Disneyland and they will stop to greet guests and sign autographs. While we were visiting Disneyland in 2005 we saw the characters of Mary Poppins and Bert. Cassie approached them for their autograph and Mary Poppins had her sit on her lap and she started singing “Feed the Birds” from the movie – it was such a sweet and wonderful moment and this is the photo taken on that day!

Travel – Hawaii (the 50th State)

Posted on August 21, 2013 by barbara

In celebration of this date in history when Hawaii officially became the 50th State, I would like to share the history of the islands and offer some travel suggestions for each of the main islands that have become known as the Hawaiian Islands.

Hawaii became a state on August 21, 1959 and is the 50th state of the United Sates. The state is unusual because unlike the “mainland” United States, the state of Hawaii is actually a group of six main volcanic islands that are located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The islands are Hawaii (also known as the Big Island), Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai and Lanai. Several smaller islands are also included within the state of Hawaii and are not as well known as the major islands in the chain and generally are not included as tourist destinations.

Anthropologists have found archaeological evidence that dates the earliest human inhabitants on the islands of Hawaii were originally Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands and they arrived on the islands as early as 300-500 AD, there is an ongoing debate regarding a more specific date of the first arrival. The Polynesians arrived on the shores of Hawaii in double hulled canoes which travel over 3,500 miles across the Pacific Ocean from their original home. Living in this new land, they lived in harmony with nature and were able to provide seafood to eat while still being careful to conserve the fish in the reefs or streams and to never abuse the land which provided their crops. These new Hawaiians eventually learned to govern themselves under a set of rules called the Kapu system, and the first chief, Pa’ao, introduced the building of heiaus (Hawaiian temples) and the practice of human sacrifices.

In 1778, Captain James Cook, a British explorer, sailed into Waimea Bay on Kauai becoming the first European to visit the Hawaiian Islands. Cook returned to the islands again in 1779, this time sailing into Kealakekua Bay on the “Big Island” of Hawaii. After eight weeks of exploration of the islands, Cook prepared to leave but the foremast of his ship broke and he returned to Kealakekua Bay for repairs. At this point, tensions suddenly grew between the Hawaiians and Cook’s crew and eventually a group of Hawaiian took one of Cook’s smaller boats. In retaliation Cook’s crew attempted to take Kalaniopuu, the Hawaiian chief, as a hostage in hopes to reclaim their boat in exchange. To prevent their King from being abducted, the Hawaiians attacked Cook and his men as they tried to launch their boat in an attempt to flee and in the confrontation Cook was killed.

At this point in the history of Hawaii, each island still had several chiefs and there was no single ruler that controlled all the islands. Then, a young chief named Kamehameha set out to conquer the other chiefs. By 1791, he defeated the chief on the Big Island and by 1795 he had conquered and gained control of the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Oahu. In 1810 the chief that ruled Kauai finally pledged his loyalty to Kamehameha who finally came to rule as the first King of Hawaii. Kamehameha ruled Hawaii with complete control and tried to prepare and protect the Hawaiian people for the Europeans that were starting to come to the islands in increasing numbers. Unfortunately the King could not protect them from disease and the Hawaiian population decreased by 80% from influenza, typhoid fever and measles during this period.

In 1820 the first Christian missionaries arrived and changed the islands forever. With the end of the Kapu system and their conversion to Christianity, the ancient Hawaiian temples were destroyed and replace with Christian churches. The missionaries also brought reading and writing to Hawaii, which was important because prior to this time there was no written language of the Hawaiian people. In 1840 the Hawaiian Parliament and the Supreme Court were formed and a constitution was written. By 1843, land was available for purchase and for the first time foreigners could own land on Hawaiian Islands.

By this time in the history of Hawaii, there had been a succession of Kings who lived in their own houses during their reigns until finally in 1882 Iolani Palace was built on Oahu and it became the official residence of the Hawaiian monarchy. King Kalakaua was the first monarch to live in the palace. During the past decades, Hawaii had experienced a great agricultural boom which brought many immigrants from Japan, China and the Philippines to work in the sugarcane and pineapple fields which were under the control of American entrepreneurs; also the U.S. military became a presence in the region during this same period. Unfortunately, this foreign influence greatly dominated the islands and the King sadly became aware that the Hawaiian native culture was starting to be lost and he set a course to preserve the Hawaiian traditions and customs. When he died in 1891 his sister became Queen Lilliuokalani. During her brief reign she attempted to institute a new Hawaiian constitution that would strengthen the Hawaiian monarchy and reduce the oppression of native Hawaiian people, the conflict between royalty and the native Hawaiian and the American businessman only continued to grow. Finally, in order to protect their businesses, the American entrepreneurs seized control of the islands with the aid of the U.S. military. In 1893 Queen Liliuokalani was overthrown, imprisoned and forced to sign a document relinquishing her power. She underwent a public trail and was found guilty, fined and sentenced to 5 years of hard labor. This sentence was later changed to house arrest in the Iolani Palace where she was forced to live in only one of the rooms, she served an additional year under house arrest but the remaining condition was that she was forbidden from ever leaving the island of Oahu.

At this period in the history of Hawaii, the Republic of Hawaii was formed and eventually in 1898 the U.S. government claimed the Hawaiian Islands as a U.S. territory. Then sixty years later in 1958 the voters of Hawaii approved statehood and on August 21, 1959 Hawaii officially became the 50th state of the United States.

Travel recommendations for Hawaii

Hawaii’s diverse natural scenery of sandy beaches and clear ocean waters, tropical plants and beautiful flowers, active volcanoes and warm climate that is perfect for outdoor sports such as surfing and scuba diving or snorkeling, all these things make Hawaii a wonderful vacation destination. We have been fortunate to have visited Oahu and the “Big Island” of Hawaii in October 2008, my husband had visited several of the islands before but this was the first trip for both my daughter and I to Hawaii.

Listed are the different islands and suggested sites to visit – (asterisk * designates a site that we visited and personally recommend)

Hawaii (the Big Island)

This island is the largest of the six islands with a total area of 4,028 miles. That is the current estimated land mass because with three active volcanoes on the island it is continuing to grow in size. The highest point on the island is the dormant volcano Mauna Kea at 13,796 feet. The largest cities on the island are Hilo and Kona.