Serendipity is one of my favorite things, but I wonder if this anniversary was mere coincidence. Bob Gillette taught me a Yiddish word that I think is more fitting: beshert. It means destiny. Fate.

Whether it was predestined or not, I’m certain that Gramps was smiling down on us as his great-great-grandchildren unveiled the historic marker acknowledging his heroic attempt to save as many German Jews as he could at Hyde Park Farm.

After the ceremony, as I sat on the front porch of the old farmhouse eating a deviled egg and chicken salad croissant, I watched my daughter Lyla and her cousins chasing each other in the yard. I thought of the German Jewish teenagers tending to the fields and the chickens on the same land 75 years prior. 75 years before the refugees lived at Hyde Farm, slaves lived in the outbuildings and toiled in the fields. I wonder what Hyde Farm will observe over the next 75 years?

The best photograph will win a very unique Thalhimers prize. So enter now, and pass along the word that WE WANT YOUR THALHIMERS PHOTOS! 

Do you remember Angelo’s? It was run by Mr. Junes (pronounced June-us) and was in the basement of the downtown Thalhimers store for a number of years. They had tiny jukeboxes at many of the tables, which was always a lot of fun for me and my sisters!

Who wants a hot dog?

For reservations, contact Virginia Rep’s box office at 282-2620.

For more info on when Snow Bear was just a cub, take a look at this video shared by a reader…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz9ZNfuDM8U

I don’t have a photo of the store-wide Thanksgiving celebration, but I do have this photo of Amelia, my great-great grandmother (that’s her front and center) along with her husband Isaac and five daughters. Missing from the photo: their only son to live past childhood, William B. Thalhimer Sr. I wonder where he was that day?

Many thanks to my distant cousin Sam Revenson for sharing this photo with me after reading Finding Thalhimers.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Today’s reason for a toast: my brother-in-law, John Adamson, just dropped by with a gift. He found an unopened bottle of “Taylor New York State Golden Sherry” – most likely purchased by his late grandmother – with the Thalhimers price tag still on it. She got a good deal. The original price was $4.99 but had been marked down to $3.99.

The Taylor Wine Company dates back to the 1880s. When do you think a bottle of Sherry cost $3.99 at Thalhimers? 

Do you remember buying Schreiner costume jewelry at Thalhimers?

Schreiner Jewelry Co. was founded in 1939 in New York, NY, by Henry Schreiner. The small, family run company manufactured extraordinary costume jewelry throughout the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. Admired by collectors and fashion enthusiasts alike, many believe that there is no other costume jewelry designer who consistently made such fine, diverse, and original pieces. In addition to creating their own collections, they collaborated with many of the top couturiers including Christian Dior, Norman Norell, and Pauline Trigère. At the height of their popularity, pieces by the Schreiner Jewelry Co. graced the covers of Vogue, Glamour, and Harper’s Bazaar and were touted by celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, and Audrey Hepburn.

Schreiner jewelry was sold in the fashion department at Thalhimers Department Store. Take a look at the images…do you remember purchasing or selling these incredible jewels? If so, researcher Eve Townsend wants to know. Eve works for the Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection, and the pieces depicted here are part of Ms. Tanenbaum’s personal collection. They are collaborating on a book and gathering research. If you have a story to share, contact them through the website www.caroletanenbaum.com or on their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/caroletanenbaumvintage

How do I know if a piece of jewelry I own was made by Schreiner?

The Schreiner Jewelry Co. never signed pieces going to the couturiers, leaving many Schreiner pieces to be found unsigned today. When pieces are signed they have a cartouche marked Schreiner New York or Schreiner.

The following list of signature characteristics can help you identify unmarked Schreiner jewels:

Inverted Stones:

One of the most famous characteristics of Schreiner jewelry is their use of inverted or “upside down” set stones. The Schreiner Jewelry Co. intentionally set their stones with the point up to optimize sparkle and to add depth and dimension to their pieces. When placed on a garment, the unfoiled stones allowed the fabric to show through creating the illusion that the jewelry was an extension of the clothing.

Hook-and-Eye Construction:

As any collector of costume jewelry will tell you- examining a piece from the back can often tell you as much as the front. The Schreiner Jewelry Co. is well known for their use of the hook-and-eye construction. Utilizing this method allowed them to produce pieces (particularly brooches) in separate parts and then later layer them on top of one another like a wedding cake. This innovative method meant they could eliminate the use of soldering between sections. As a result, today we find a tremendous amount of Schreiner pieces in pristine condition because they haven’t fallen victim to weak soldering. It is important to note that other designers such as Warner and Regency also produced pieces with this type of construction so the presence of hook-and-eye alone does not necessarily identify a  piece to be Schreiner.

Crimped “Cupcake” Settings:

Another well-known Schreiner characteristic is the use of crimped settings. Known to collectors as “cupcake” settings because of their likeness to cupcake holders they add a decorative detail to a piece. Again, there were various designers who incorporated crimped settings into their pieces. So the presence of cupcake settings alone do not, by themselves, attribute a piece to be Schreiner.

Fancy Prongs:

Schreiner stones are almost always prong-set but it is really the types of prongs they chose to use which sets the Schreiner Jewelry Co. apart from the rest. Fancy prongs, Fleur de Les prongs, and elaborate houndstooth prongs are all used by Schreiner.

When trying to attribute a pair of earrings to Schreiner the key is to examine the earring backs. Although Schreiner is known for using a couple of types of earring clips the most common is the donut hole, which features a single round hole at the top of the clip. Schreiner necklaces often feature a five-ring extension accented by five prong-set stones.

If any of these jewels look like something in your jewelry box (or your mom’s or grandmother’s), please get in touch with Eve!

This is the authentic recipe from the old Thalhimers Tea Room lunchroom, (fancy locally owned store chain in VA) given to me by a man who was a personal friend of one of the cooks. This was a secret recipe back then, but now that the store is no more, go ahead and spread it it around. It’s delicious!

Thalhimers’ Chicken Salad

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

2 cups finely chopped celery

2 tbs lemon juice

1/2 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise (no substitutes, only one thick enough)

1/2 teaspoon white pepper (the “secret ingredient”!)

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, chicken, celery, lemon juice and mayonnaise. Stir to blend. Add white pepper and salt, mix thoroughly. Chill before serving.

Then close your eyes and pretend you’re at Thalhimers…