Petaluma Historic Library and Museum Archives

Photographer Gary Kaplan to show #Petaluma’s Artists and Artisans

Artists and Artisans is a unique show that celebrates the diverse talent that Petaluma has to offer. Photographer Gary Kaplan visited twenty four artists where he photographed each artists in their work environment. Along with these stunning color photographs will be a piece by each participant that will be for sale. You get to see the face behind the art and where it was created.

Those being shown include fine artists, painters, metalworkers, ceramicists, violin maker, guitar maker, illustrators, tattoo artist, photographer, letter press printer, performance painter, bike maker, map maker, and a vintner.

Click here to see the Artists & Artisans Poster poster showing the subjects of Kaplan’s showing.

This show is schedule at the Petaluma Historic Library and Museum located at 20 4th St., Petaluma for the months of November and December. Opening reception is on Nov. 14th from 5 – 9:00 PM.

Lest We Forget – Helen Putnam’s Petaluma’s 4th of July Tradition

Although former mayor and county supervisor Helen Putnam died thirty-one years ago on July 2, 1984, there are many new comers that have moved to Petaluma that may not know about her public service and many contributions to her local community. One of my earlier blogs summarized her many accomplishments and was posted on this site, November 4, 201 4, and titled, “Lest We Forget – Helen Putnam.”

One of Petaluma’s historic traditions, the ringing of a bell on the steps of the Petaluma Historical Museum & Library, can be traced back 53 years to 1962. If you want to hear the story behind the bell and the history of this local traditional celebration, please join us at the Museum on Independence Day, July 4th, at 10:30 a.m. The sounding of the bell will take place at 11:00 a.m., and followed with the serving of cookies and lemonade in the Courtyard behind the Museum.

In 1962, the Putnams had the Korbel Bell mounted on an “A” frame, with a rope attached, set up on the front yard of their home. On a nearby oak tree, the American flag and California Bear Flag were hosted, and one of the boys tooted his bugle. The Korbel-Putnam bell was rung 13 times, followed by everybody gathering in the rear garden for lemonade and cookies. Thus started Petaluma’s July 4th. celebration tradition.

Check out the new ‘Petalumans of Yesteryear’ website

Yesteryear is a word that has been used in a variety of ways. The Walking Tour Guides of our Historic Downtown District, who have adopted the personas of some of Petaluma’s prominent citizens from the late 19^th or early 20^th Century, have created a unique team of historical enthusiasts who are known as the Petalumans of Yesteryear. Through special presentations, Adult School history classes, and cemetery tours, they help preserve knowledge about our town’s past.

Several years ago, a website was created that included, in addition to a historical time line of Petaluma; a write-up about the contributions each of the Petalumans of Yesteryear made as our river town grew and developed over the years was created. Since then, some of the original Petalumans of Yesteryear have died or moved away. New volunteers have stepped up to the plate to replace them and to add new historic personalities. Over the past few weeks, a new website has been designed and is now available for the public:

PETALUMANS OF YESTERYEAR

http://www.petalumansofyesteryear.org/

Stay tuned as we continue to preserve and to share many of the interesting stories about the people and events that made Petaluma what it is today. Look for future “Lest We Forget” posts about prominent citizens, past and present, on this site and my blog “Our River Town” on Argus-Courier’s Petaluma360.