Behind the Door

We have had a couple of sunny days with warmer temperatures. I was not surprised Saturday to arrive home from yoga to find one of my neighbors splayed out in her front yard working on her tan. She knows how to tan, so she's sticking to her plan.

Yesterday morning, before I went to work, I decided to take advantage of the sunlight and the low threat of frostbite by taking a stroll along Monument Avenue before I came to the office. The picture on the left was taken outside Branch House. The property is surrounded by a brick wall, and this is a side service gate. Constructed more like a door, it makes you want to open it to see what lies behind.

Yesterday morning in my early AA meeting we discussed one of our Promises. We do this every Monday, and today's discussion was about "We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves." We had a powerful discussion centering around this promise. One woman, quiet as a mouse, who has been joining us for a few months opened up and told us some of her private troubles. It was the most we have ever heard from her, and despite the tears and torment I know that she took a healing step this morning by letting us peek behind the door. To watch someone look cautiously into a better life instead of back toward shame and remorse is truly thrilling.

So we're back to the morning walk. I'd like to show you more of Branch House, but the structure is so massive that it's hard to capture it with my cheap little camera. I run the risk of being struck by a car if I stray off the sidewalk. The home was designed by John Russell Pope (who also designed the National Gallery of Art) for John Kerr Branch in 1916, and was completed in 1919. It was the largest private home on the street with a nearly 30,000 square foot interior. That allowed room for a private chapel, so the Branches didn't have to mingle with the hoi polloi. It's now the Virginia Center for Architecture. The photo on the right is from an oblique side/front sort of angle, so you're not seeing much of the house, I'm afraid.

Oh, look, I found a better picture on line. Maybe someone stopped traffic for this photographer. John Kerr Branch was a banker who liked to collect stuff, and I guess if your tastes run toward suits of armor and big old tapestries you need a house with oversized rooms. The house remained in the Branch family until the 1950's, and was then bequeathed to the United Giver's Fund. Who can blame the family? Can you imagine inheriting a money pit like this place? It sits on an entire city block, and I can tell you that city taxes are ghastly. I can hear my mother's ghost whispering in my ear "I'd hate to clean that place." That's the first thing she'd think of, buddy.

In the next block sits this house, designed by William Bottomley (the fellow who designed Stuart Court, one of my favorite former homes). This handsome house is still occupied by Frances Lewis, widow of Sydney Lewis. Together, they co-founded a chain of catalog showrooms that some of you may remember. Best Products started in Richmond, and remained headquartered here until its demise in 1997. Best Products was known for its association with the SITE architectural firm, and many of the Best Products showrooms were famous for whimsical design. I'll include a couple of pictures of Best Products stores at the very bottom of this post.

The Lewises were major 20th century art collectors, and their patronage has greatly benefited the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, located just around the corner from their Monument Avenue home. Their home was also a repository of art, and modern sculptures could frequently be seen in front of their house near the circular driveway. A giant brown clothes-pin stood guard outside the front door for years.

In the previous post I showed a picture of Jeff & Vicki's current house. I knew them for several years before I discovered that they had once lived in the third-floor caretaker's apartment in the Lewis home. Jeff, now a dentist, was studying at MCV many years ago, and met Sydney Lewis several times. One day Mr. Lewis asked Jeff if he & his wife would be interested in moving into their top-floor apartment. Jeff demurred, thanking Mr. Lewis, but explaining that as students they could barely afford to live in their current apartment.

Mr. Lewis told Jeff that they could live there rent-free, if they would agree to keep watch on the house while the Lewises traveled the globe collecting art. Jeff & Vicki had free run of the entire house, as long as Sydney & Frances weren't in town. They could even hold parties, but Sydney cautioned them about who they invited, since the home was stuffed with famous & costly art. Jeff & Vicki were also invited to parties hosted by the Lewises, where patrons and artists mingled. Jeff recalled Andy Warhol moping about in a corner during one gathering.

I can't pretend that I'm on lunch break any longer. I fetched a club sandwich from City Diner, one of my favorite breakfast spots, and - Good Heavens! - it was the tallest club sandwich I have ever tried to eat. My mouth could not stretch wide enough, and I prayed that no one would come in my office while I was trying to wrap my face around the behemoth. It sure was delicious, though. Now I need to get busy unpacking books.

I was sorry to hear that Blossom Dearie died this past Saturday. I love her voice. I'll include a song I found on YouTube of some unknown person's trip to Manhattan. He's bound to be a swell guy, though, if he likes Blossom. So, enjoy one of my favorite Blossom Dearie songs, They Say It's Spring. Rest easy, Miss Dearie.