Flappers and fellas



Graduating from UNE, April 2013

Wow, I really have been under the radar for the past couple of months. Life has been busy for this genealogist. Finally graduating from the University of New England with my Advanced Diploma in Local, Family & Applied History, I had the urge to expand my knowledge and recently enrolled in the Bachelor of Historical Inquiry and Practice through UNE, which I will begin in a few short weeks. Fruitless job hunting efforts (anyone in need of a genealogist??), helping out at a friend’s cafe, archiving decade’s worth of accounting work, waitressing at the odd wedding and assisting with the overwhelming job of packing up and relocating the Geelong Heritage Centre. All the while trying to organise dinner party with a 1920s theme. It has been busy!!

Amuri's recipe books from
 throughout the 20th century

It’s all about The Great Gatsby. And hey, if Baz Luhrmann can pull it off, surely I can host the 1920s-esque dinner party of the century.  If truth be told, I have neither read, nor seen F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work about just how great Gatsby was, nor was it the pomp and pizzazz of the recent movie release that inspired me to host a dinner centred around this ostentatious decade. It actually came about during another cupboard clean out and the discovery of a couple of notebooks filed with newspaper clippings and handwritten recipes belonging to my great grandmother throughout the twentieth century. It seems that she and a friend, Mrs Shannon constantly exchanged recipes through that archaic form of correspondence – snail mail. These recipes consisted of everything from drop scones (pikelets), potted meats, jellied tongue and even ‘Wurrook Fluff’. It fascinated me. There is a published pamphlet of recipes compiled by Amuri and a Mrs Champ of recipes called ‘Barwon Heads: Favourite Recipes’, which raised and donated funds for the Barwon Heads Branch of the Red Cross Society and the Auxiliary for the Blind, two groups my great grandmother was a fanatical patriot for.



Amuri with Tom & Erica
outside 'Wurrook', c. 1927.

Amuri with Erica in the car, c. 1928.

Along with planning the menu, I have had the fascinating task of researching the fashion of the era, this inevitably started with the requisite Google search and found opulence and glamour in an era coming out of the devastation of the First World War and prior to the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Google search aside, I did a little personal research of my own and discovered some family photos of my great grandparents. Very fashionable in their fox furs, glamorous jewels and chauffeur driven cars, with and without two children in tow, the Russell’s were the epitome of 1920s (and beyond) opulence.

 

So in a few weeks time I will try and replicate my version of the 1920s with cuisine, cocktails and clothing of the decade. I will attempt to make the night as close as possible to the time, even pulling out some of the family silverware (Silvo come at me) for serving and the odd outfit from the archives (yes, items belonging to my great grandmother, possibly with a slight odour of moths).

 

1920s wedding party. Tom Russell at left, Eric & Amuri fifth from right.

I am off to plan the menu, test the Mint Juleps and Gin Rickeys before beginning Dry July and taking-on prohibition and fundraising for Geelong’s Andrew Love Cancer Centre.

Wish me luck!

 

Please feel free to support my Dry July bid, where proceeds raised will go to Andrew Love Cancer Centre, Geelong. Search for Phoebe Wilkens to directly donate to the cause.