LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - MARCH 29, 2020 by Lynne Belluscio This question has been bothering me ever since I read that Josephine Baker, the notorious entertainer, made her debut in Paris at the Theatre des Champs Elysees wearing nothing more than one pink flamingo feather. Why, you ask, was I even interested in this little bit of history? Well, I was putting together trivia questions about the Roaring Twenties for the annual Historical Society Dinner Auction (which by the way has been postponed – we hope to hold it May 2, but it might be later if things don’t clear up). Since it is that time of year when the flamingoes return to LeRoy, I thought I’d better fact check this obscure piece of flamingo history. Well believe it or not, Lynn Haney wrote a biography of Josephine Baker, “Naked at the Feast.” The book was 338 pages long and published in New York by Dodd, Mead & Company. The book was reviewed in the New York Times on March 29, 1981 and the flamingo story is substantiated. I really expected to read that it was a peacock feather or an ostrich feather, but no it’s true, she wore one pink flamingo feather. (Was it just by coincidence that the article in the New York Times was written three days before April 1?) So, as I read more about Josephine Baker, I discovered that she was much more than a dancer who wore only a pink feather - - well she did dance with a belt tied with bananas once. One of her quotations – “I wasn’t really naked - - I simply didn’t have any clothes on.” I guess what intrigued me was that although she had a notorious career as an exotic dancer and performer, she was a serious activist. She was born in St. Louis in 1906 and experienced a lot of racial intimidation. When she was quite young, she decided to move to France and gave up her American citizenship. Her career in Europe far exceeded her career in the United States and she became the first African-American to star in a major movie picture, in the 1927 silent film, “Siren of the Tropics.” She became a symbol of the Jazz Age and was called the “Black Venus” and the “Black Pearl.” She aided the French during World War II and was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French military and was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by General Charles de Gaulle. When she returned to the United States, she refused to play to segregated audiences and was directly involved with the Civil Rights Movement. In 1968, after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King asked her to assume a leadership role but she declined out of concern for the welfare of her children. She died in 1975 in France. So, the quest of Josephine Baker’s flamingo feather story, brought me to looking on the internet to see if I could buy a flamingo feather - - and yep - - they can be purchased, but they are pretty small - - could be used to make earrings - - not big enough to dance behind. Perhaps she danced behind a flamingo feather fan, but I couldn’t find any photos of her and the flamingo feather. There were plenty photos of her and the banana belt. But if you decide to look for yourself, make sure the kids aren’t looking over your shoulder! While I was looking for flamingo feathers, I discovered that there is aflower that is known as a “pink flamingo feather.” It’s the celosia – sometimes spelled celiosa - the pink variety is also known as “flamingo celosia.” It’s in the amaranth family which includes cockscomb. The flamingo celosia is an annual and is distinguished by pink feathery plumes on strong branching plants. So, I’ve decided that we will have some in the gardens this year behind LeRoy House. I know I can buy seeds from Harris Seed Company, but hopefully, Garden Factory will have some plants for sale. So, usually, the April 1 article is a bit of a stretch of the truth, but you can believe everything you read. And we hope, to have the flock out on April 1 - - spaced at least 6 feet apart. In addition to the dinner auction being moved to a later date, we have decided that it is in everyone’s best interest to keep the Jell-O Gallery and the research library closed for a while. As soon as the coast is clear, we’ll be back in operation with the doors wide open. I am posting daily on LeRoy Then and Now, a photo from the Historical Society files and continue to find great things about our community to share with all of you. So be well and do good work ---- from home, of course. How Big is one Flamingo Feather?