There’s this beautiful black & white photograph ….. with dazzling white Chinese lanterns and long rows of pennants twisting in the wind. The lanterns are draped festively, lazily, happily, haphazardly across a vibrant downtown street. The pennants, each one more interesting than the last, bear a resemblance to national flags, geometric shapes, celestial bodies….
Where, might you ask, is this intriguing mix of white lanterns and colorful pennants? And you might be surprised to hear the answer. The year is 1942, the street is number Two, and the vibrant town is our own.
This year we aim to recreate that brilliant scene from 1942. One hundred white lanterns are in the mail, and we are throwing a pennant making party next Wednesday, December 2nd, from 5 until 7 PM at the Downtown Association office on 410 Cushman Street. If you are artistically inclined, come join us as we recreate a particularly radiant bit of history.
The photograph is from Candy Waugaman’s amazing collections.
