Jan 30 2010
Glitter
View from the Legion of Honor, January 28
With my trunk full of pizza, I headed west, young lady.
West to the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, to give it its proper (long) name. It’s one of my favorite places in San Francisco, perched in a beautiful setting overlooking the Marin headlands (and the good bridge), and having a small, yet exquisite collection.
But the lure for me that day was the special exhibit Cartier and America, celebrating the jeweler to the stars’ century on these shores. And what a celebration!
The exhibit was arranged chronologically, starting with the fabulous tiaras worn by American heiresses while shopping for titled husbands in England in the early part of the 20th century. An elderly lady saw me admiring an emerald and diamond necklace belonging to Lady Granard (born plain old Beatrice Mills in San Francisco), and asked me if I’d ever wear it. “Absolutely!” I replied, without thinking, and she burst out laughing. I would, too. After all, it might as well have stayed in the ground if it’s never going to see the light of day.
Jewelry was made to be worn. And worn it was. By Gloria Swanson (the diamond bracelets from “Sunset Boulevard”, no less). By Grace Kelly (her elegant, 10.47 carat diamond engagement ring, worn in her final film, “High Society”). By Elizabeth Taylor (a set of diamond and ruby earrings and necklace, given to her by then husband, Mike Todd). By the Duchess of Windsor (her famous panther bracelet, and equally famed flamingo brooch, its first public showing ever). By Vanderbilts, Barbara Hutton, and Marjorie Merriweather Post. There was even a wristwatch belonging to Al Jolson.
I wandered from room to room, gasping at the splendor and occasionally moaning with covetousness. You can see some of the pieces here.
It was the Suziest thing ever. If I can, I’ll go back and see it again before it ends in mid-April.
3 Responses to “Glitter”
Wow! what a collection. All this glitter in one place…..
jx
I can see why you would call it a Suzy thing, all that glitter, glad you enjoyed it all and plan to return.
Yikers…of course, I clicked the link to the other woman’s blog and noticed a glaring punctuation error which would have annoyed me anyway….but really and truly annoyed me when she said something about being academic and intimated that she’s a journalist of some sort.