LMMM kicks off a memorable holiday season with new exhibit

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will kick off the holiday season with a great selection of festive events for children and adults, starting with the unveiling of the exhibit, "A Grand Victorian Holiday at the Mansion," today from noon-3 p.m.

The festivities will continue through December with a vintage fashion show by clothing collector Nancy Standard and special programs, featuring cherished holiday themes. The LMMM calendar will also include a lecture by acclaimed Rockefeller Center historian and tour guide Sibyl McCormac Groff, a candlelight tour, and a "Holiday Open House" with musical entertainment, LMMM Chairman of the Board Christopher Cooke dressed as Santa Claus and plenty of treats donated by Stew Leonard's.

Sought-after interior designers Linda Fontaine and Victoria Vandamm are decorating the entrance hall of the mansion for the holidays. Fontaine and Vandamm have an international clientele and work on residential and commercial projects throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

The monumental staircase originally designed by the Herter Brothers and considered unparalleled in American domestic architecture of the period, is being decorated by floral designer Danna DiElsi, owner of the Silk Touch in Norwalk.

The LMMM exhibit, "A Grand Victorian Holiday at the Mansion," will tell the story of the evolution of the Christmas tree and its decorations during the Victorian era. Beginning in the 1850s in America, the evolution started with small tabletop trees decorated with edibles and homemade ornaments, and became more elaborate with each succeeding decade until by the end of the 19th century, lavishly decorated trees stood on the floor and almost reached the ceiling. For this exhibit, LMMM Curatorial Consultant Stacey Danielson and a group of dedicated volunteers created handmade ornaments that replicate those shown in late 19th-century ladies' periodicals such as Godey's Lady's Book.

General Admission: Wed.-Sun. $10 adults; $8 seniors; $6 children 9-18.

"A Journey Back to the Past: Fashion from 1980 to the 1800s" will take place Dec. 2, at 2 p.m. The cost is $20 for members ; $25 for non-members.

From a black cape with beads from the Civil War era to the bell bottoms of the `60s, more than a century of fashion will be featured in a show by Old Greenwich resident and clothing collector Nancy Standard. Choosing from her collection, which includes more than 300 vintage and antique garments, Standard will show a selection of outstanding outfits with the assistance of eight high school girls, transformed into runway models for the occasion. Her collection also includes the "outrageous" short skirts of the flappers in the Roaring Twenties and a uniform worn in the trenches in World War I. The fashion show will be accompanied by pianist Madilyn Walker. Tea and cakes will be served after the event.

"20th Century Christmas-Gothamtide: Enrichment, Enlightenment and Charitable Endeavors," a lecture by Sibyl McCormac Groff, will be presented Dec. 6, at 4 p.m. The cost is $20 for members; $25 for non-members

Rockefeller Center historian and tour guide Groff has researched and written about Christmas for more than 20 years, with a special emphasis on New York City, the center of the publishing industry in the United States and a propelling force in the development of this cherished holiday.

In her lecture, Groff will trace the cultural evolution of Christmas from its New York City origins and explore the work of renowned political cartoonist Thomas Nast, as well as other prominent figures who have contributed to the cultural development of Christmas.

"With all my research, I have created a new word, Gothamtide, for secular and universal holiday traditions that crystallized in New York," said Groff. "Gotham gives credit to Washington Irving and tide is a time for celebration." Wine and cheese and a candlelight tour of the Mansion is included with admission.

Candlelight Tours will continue Dec. 6, at 6 and 7 p.m. General Admission: $5

The Candlelight Tour includes the period rooms on the first floor of the mansion. The tour will lend a sense of enchantment and mystery to holiday visitors and provide a unique opportunity to experience this national monument under the soft flickering light of period-style, (battery operated) candles.

The festivities continue with a free Victorian holiday open house on Dec. 13, from noon-4 p.m. The open house will feature period-style and traditional decorations, music, hot chocolate and holiday treats, all in the spirit of an old-fashioned community celebration. Visitors are welcome to bring their children for a photo-op with Santa and his elves before he goes back to the North Pole. The Open House, sponsored by Patriot Bank and Stew Leonard's, will feature West Rocks Middle School, (Noon-12:30 p.m.); actor James Noble, holiday reading, (12:45- 1:15 p.m.); the Norwalk Youth Symphony, (1:15-1:45 p.m.); Serendipity Singers, (2-2:30 p.m.); Pianist Jon Hunt solo performance (2:45-3:15); carol sing-along with Pianist Jon Hunt, (3:15-3:45).

The LMMM holiday party will take place Dec. 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. The cost is $55 for non-members; $50 members

Each December, the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum toasts the new holiday season at the annual holiday party. This year, this festive event will include a performance by The Southern Connecticut Camerata Madrigal Singers and "The Grassroots Invitational" exhibit of collages and paintings by artists Debra Schaffer and Gail Ingis-Claus. Attendees will be invited to the opening reception and to view the period rooms of the first floor of the Mansion adorned with Victorian-style decorations. Sumptuous hors d'oeuvres and wines will be sponsored by Pierson & Smith, Inc. and LMMM Board Member Port Draper.

For information on any of the events, call 838-9799 or e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com.