> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museum discussion list
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of Eric Siegel
> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 1999 6:45 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: I love this list--Czech Fez
>
>
> This list is incredible...
>
>
> " Does anyone know why
> a GI might have acquired a fez shaped
> hat in Czechoslovakia?"
>
>
>
> Eric Siegel
> Director, Planning &
> Program Development
> The New York Hall of Science
> http://www.nyhallsci.org
>
When I was a young boy (about 7 years) while
visiting relatives, my parents dropped me off at a
theatre in Fresno, CA to see a matinee of the
newly released movie "The Ten Commandments."
Unfortunately, they didn't realize that the movie
was a special showing for the Shriners that
afternoon. Being an independant little cuss, they
had turned me loose with ticket and popcorn money
and sped away. The lady in the box office was
adamant that no one got in who wasn't a Shriner.
Finally I was rescued by an enormously tall man
wearing a red fez. He took me in as his guest and
upon entering the theatre I saw a literal ocean of
red fezs. There were 400 Shriners wearing them and
they would only take them off while the movie was
playing. Quite an experience!
So the posting of the Czech fez brought back a
deeply embedded memory of the unique headgear I
remember so well. The movie was pretty cool too.
Excuse the off-topic posting but I thought the
anecdote might bring a moment of lightness to our
overworked day.

Alan Heaberlin
Business Manager/Coordinator
California Institute For Peruvian Studies
http://www.buffalorun.com/cips