Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold
Red Cross Stories
Marjorie Lyon volunteered for the Red Cross beginning in 1917 when she was living in Columbia, South Carolina, to be near her husband, Captain George Lyon, who was at Camp Jackson training recruits for service … Read more.
Mr. Isaacs by Marjorie Lyon
Three or four years ago I was sent by the Red Cross Motor Corps to pick up a patient for one of the Hospital Clinics. It was the day of a blizzard and the street … Read more.
A Modern Fairy Tale by Marjorie Lyon
My story is a Modern Fairy Tale. It happened right here in Boston when the First Displaced Persons ship arrived. The Red Cross Personnel were there to meet and feed them. Docks are usually cold … Read more.
My Three Blind Men by Marjorie Lyon
They are quite varied – not at all like the three blind mice of the rhyme who always did everything in unison. One is independent and likes to go as much alone as possible. He … Read more.
Red Cross Dividends
By Marjorie Lyon April 23, 1952 Dividends are hard to explain. Sometimes you earn them and sometimes they are just thrust upon you. It seems to me that the dividends that come from Red Cross … Read more.
A Shared Sense of Humor
In February, 1949 Marjorie Lyon wrote an amusing short essay on ‘Confusing Traffic Signs.’ She said: As a small schoolgirl, I was taught to read either from left to right or from top to bottom. … Read more.
A New Portrait of Augustine
When visitors take the special tour of our extensive Archives and Collections department on the third floor, they invariably comment that we must know everything there is to know about the Pardee/Van Wickle family. But … Read more.
Pierre Casteran And Bill Cunningham
Pierre Casteran was the son of a wealthy French family who visited Blithewold several times in the 1950s and 1960s. The late Bill Cunningham, as many are aware, was the American fashion photographer for the … Read more.
A New Painting by Marjorie
Blithewold has in its collection more than 500 paintings by Marjorie Van Wickle Lyon. Some are exhibited in the Mansion; many more are stored safely in the Archives and Collections facility on the third floor. … Read more.
Captain George A. Lyon
George Lyon was a captain in World War I. In July 1918, as he waited for orders to Europe, he wrote a touching letter to his wife, Marjorie, “…a farewell note to tell you how … Read more.