Collections & Archives

Hungarian Crumb Pudding: The Perfect Ending to a Formal Dinner

By Michelle Turner | February 14, 2019

At the turn of the twentieth century, dinner parties were elaborate affairs, designed to impress and to indicate social status. Evening Dress was the rule – tails for the gentlemen…

funeral of Owen Brown

Owen Brown in Pasadena

By Michelle Turner | January 10, 2018

January 10, 1889 was a significant date in early Pasadena history – the funeral of Owen Brown, son of abolitionist John Brown.  Owen was the last survivor of the historic…

1984 Olympic soccer game

A Well-rounded Bowl: The Stadium in the Arroyo

By Michelle Turner | December 27, 2017

Pasadena is best known for its roses and architecture, both of which are embodied by one structure – the Rose Bowl. Designed by famed Pasadena architect Myron Hunt, the stadium…

one of the greeting cards in the collection

The Art of Greetings: Studio Art Greeting Cards

By Michelle Turner | December 20, 2017

Sending greeting cards during the holiday season has been a western tradition since the mid-nineteenth century. First popular in England, mass-produced greeting cards began being printed in the United States…

Language of Flowers floral bouquet

Edwardian Christmas Décor: Part II

By Michelle Turner | December 13, 2017

  Floral Displays Like the Victorians before them, Edwardians were lavish in their use of plants and plant materials for décor. In these great houses, nearly every table and mantelpiece…

holiday decor in dining room

Edwardian Christmas Décor: Part I

By Michelle Turner | December 6, 2017

Deck the Halls! ‘Tis the season to be decorating – and gifting friends and family with tokens of our love and appreciation, often in the form of plants and flowers.…

Photograph of Kenneth Bell

Rescued From a Rental Car: Memories from the Bell Family

By Michelle Turner | November 29, 2017

In 2009, PMH received a small package of materials the sender had found in a rental car and enclosed a note saying, “You might like to have these.” After a…

Thanksgiving Green ad

Colonel G. G. Green Carves the Turkey

By Michelle Turner | November 21, 2017

“A California Pilgrimage” On Thursday, November 29, 1900, family and friends of Colonel G. G. Green celebrated Thanksgiving in the Colonel’s private Pullman train car while traveling from Woodbury, New…

Hungarian recipe for milk dumplings

Cooking with Eva: Hungarian Recipes for Adalbert

By Michelle Turner | November 15, 2017

Amongst the cookbooks in the Fenyes Mansion and the family papers in the Archives are handwritten vintage recipes from a century ago. Some of Eva Scott Fenyes’ hand-written dishes include Hungarian recipes,…

1967 Rose Princess gown by William Cahill

William Cahill: Wedding Couturier and Royal Court Designer

By Michelle Turner | November 8, 2017

The Royals of Pasadena: Rose Queen® and Royal Court exhibit features eight gowns by world renowned wedding dress designer, William Cahill (1918 – 2005). William Cahill is remembered as a…

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