{"id":5853,"date":"2011-11-24T06:02:55","date_gmt":"2011-11-24T14:02:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/?p=5853"},"modified":"2014-10-29T15:39:44","modified_gmt":"2014-10-29T22:39:44","slug":"restored-creche-figures-to-%e2%80%9cdebut%e2%80%9d-at-dickens-village","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/?p=5853","title":{"rendered":"Restored Creche Figures to \u201cDebut\u201d at Dickens Village"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The original cr\u00e8che, donated by Leila Roberts in the 1950s. 1957 Photo by Bert Embree. Courtesy of the Sierra Madre Historical Archives. Click to enlarge.<\/p><\/div>\n

Posted 11\/23\/11<\/em>, by Bill Coburn<\/strong> – Each year during Sierra Madre\u2019s annual Candlelight Procession, two young residents are selected to perform in the role of Mary and Joseph, walking down the hill at the head of the procession carrying the figure of the baby Jesus, which they then place in the manger in the town cr\u00e8che (defined by Encarta World Dictionary as 1) Nativity scene: a three-dimensional representation of the scene at the birth of Jesus Christ). Local clergy then lead the crowd in Christmas carols between readings from scripture. The tradition of the Candlelight Procession was begun in 1971 by Pastor Bob Vander Zaag of Bethany Church and Rev. Richard Anderson of Congregational Church. However, the tradition of the cr\u00e8che in Kersting Court began long before then, and a new chapter begins in that tradition this year.<\/p>\n

In the 1950s, Leilah Roberts (think Roberts Market) donated the original figures for the cr\u00e8che. According to a 1973 article in the local newspaper The View from Sierra Madre<\/em>, Gordon Baker Lloyd was asked to assist with decorating the cr\u00e8che, and as of that writing was the official keeper of the cr\u00e8che. At the time, Lloyd was with the Chamber of Commerce, which has continued to be the keeper of the cr\u00e8che through the years. The barn structure of the cr\u00e8che was replaced in about 1968. But in 1973, according to the View article, disaster struck. On December ninth, a Monday morning, shortly after 5am, the cr\u00e8che burned to the ground, including all the figures.<\/p>\n

According to the article, the only\u00a0remaining piece of the cr\u00e8che was a 4-foot cross that had been used as a\u00a0support for one of the figures.\u00a0 The\u00a0article states that the fire was not\u00a0accidental, but there is no record of the perpetrator having been caught.\u00a0 The town pulled together to raise money for replacement figures, with more than $400 being raised in the first week alone.\u00a0 New figures were purchased in New York, and the world-famous\u00a0volunteer group the Flying Tigers, upon hearing of the town\u2019s plight, flew the figures to Sierra Madre free of charge, they arrived on Dec. 17th.<\/p>\n

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Installation of cr\u00e8che in Kersting Court, circa 1988. Polaroid from the Ruth Alexander Collection. Pictured are Bill Sullivan, Jr., Gordon Baker Lloyd and Jerry Atkins of the Chamber of Commerce Photo courtesy of the Sierra Madre Historical Archives. Click to enlarge<\/p><\/div>\n

Griffin Lumber donated wood for a new\u00a0structure, which was built by members of the Volunteer Fire Dept.\u00a0 Unfortunately, on Dec. 20th<\/sup>, strong Santa Ana winds blew into town and knocked the new structure flat.\u00a0 The firefighters rebuilt a new, sturdier structure and had it in place by Dec. 22nd<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

The cr\u00e8che stable was replaced in 1997 by Sierra Madre City College, which had taken over storage and construction\/tear down responsibility of the structure some years before.\u00a0 Each year, Osti Tree Service donates palm fronds to adorn the roof, and Santa Anita Park donates hay to dress it up \u201cstable-style.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prior to this year, the figures had been repainted twice since their 1973 arrival.\u00a0 However, due to prolonged exposure last year to weather conditions that were particularly adverse, it was once again time for a facelift.\u00a0 The Chamber of Commerce contacted Patricia Ancona, who leads the Friends of the Arts\u00a0organization, recently formed to promote Sierra Madre arts and artists, as well as public art for the community.\u00a0 Ms.\u00a0\u00a0Ancona agreed to contact local artists in the organization to enlist their help in\u00a0 restoring the damaged figures.<\/p>\n

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Patricia Ancona paints a king. Click to enlarge<\/p><\/div>\n

According to Ms. Ancona: \u201cUpon\u00a0examination of the figures, the process\u00a0had to start from the original layer of plaster that had been the outer layer of the figure pulled from a mold. Over the years since their last painting, moisture had seeped up through this layer causing shrinkage and weakness. The\u00a0sanding was done all by hand requiring the use of mask and goggles. Then each figure was repaired, filling missing surface areas, rebuilding broken fingers, design elements, then covered with gesso.\u00a0 Upon the repair of the first\u00a0figure, I was shocked and thrilled to\u00a0discover the amount of detail and design elements that had been lost under the three layers of color.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ms. Ancona noted that the \u201cgesso\u201d\u00a0figure was similar to the Greco Roman sculptures that we now see as white marble.\u00a0 \u201cBeautiful flowing robes, facial expression and textile patterns, inspired me to think of the paintings so common during pre and early Renaissance times. During historical times the painting most\u00a0 often called the Adoration of the Magi <\/em>was a very popular theme.\u00a0 In myresearch I realized that the important characters, Mary and Joseph, wore\u00a0 specific colors of\u00a0 garments.\u00a0 Mary\u2019s\u00a0 inside robe was red with an outside layer of blue,\u00a0\u00a0 Joseph wore a blue-green inner robe with an outside layer of orange, and the angels sported multi-color wings, like a rainbow.\u201d\u00a0 The\u00a0\u00a0decision was made to incorporate the Renaissance era colors into the\u00a0restoration of the figures.<\/p>\n

The Chamber of Commerce is paying for the materials, and the local Christian churches were solicited for donations to the Friends of the Arts, with some of the funds going to the artists themselves.\u00a0 Ascension, Bethany, SM Congregational and St. Rita have committed to donating.\u00a0 United Methodist is considering the donation, but as of press time, the decision had not been made.\u00a0 Said Ancona\u00a0 \u201cOver the last two and one half months, I have had the pleasure of working with four other artists from our community (on this project). This has been an all-consuming activity, from sunrise to sunset, rain or shine, every weekend, holidays and a few hooky days from work. But I have enjoyed every\u00a0minute.\u201d\u00a0 Other artists contributing their time and talent to the project were Carol Adams, David Em, Jeryd Pojawa, and Sherrin Mullen.<\/p>\n

The new figures will be on display\u00a0beginning this weekend during\u00a0Dickens Village, the Chamber of Commerce sponsored kick-off to the holiday shopping season, which takes place in downtown Sierra Madre Saturday from 3 to 8pm.\u00a0 One of the figures has\u00a0remained untouched, so that people will be able to see the condition the figures were in prior to the restoration.\u00a0 A second\u00a0figure was kept in the all white \u201cgesso\u201d condition, allowing\u00a0 viewers to see the detail of the unpainted figures.<\/p>\n