> I was intrigued by this, because I noticed the use of pineapple motifs > engraved on glasses, etc., at Colonial Williamsburg. I associate pineapple > with the tropics, and was curious if the design was used in Williamsburg in > the late 1700šs, or if it was a contemporary motif.. > David > > This is a question for all you museum educators and curators out there. My > Education Coordinator is presenting a session at our local historic sites > consortium symposium about museum/historic house myths and will be explaining > but mostly debunking the popular myths heard around the country, e.g. closets > were taxed, firescreens kept people's wax makeup from melting, the second > leading cause of death among women was catching on fire, etc. > > She has come across one that is intriguing and wants to include it in her > talk. There are apparently several versions of the "pineapple story" floating > around. One, a pineapple was placed on a visitor's plate at mealtime if they > had overstayed their welcome thereby giving them a signal that it was time to > leave. Another version states that "pineapples" carved on the posts (I assume > the mean the finials) of four-poster beds were removed if the visitor has > overstayed their welcome. I think this last one refers to the crosshatched > elliptical decoration sometimes seen on rococo-style furniture. > > Has anyone heard these or versions of these? Do you have any suggestions on > where it might have originated? We all know about the pineapple being a symbol > of welcome and hospitality, when was this connection created? > > > Heidi Campbell-Shoaf > Curator > Historical Society of Frederick County > 24 E. Church St. > Frederick, MD 21701 > [log in to unmask] > ========================================================= Important Subscriber > Information: > > The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ > . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a > one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the > message should read "help" (without the quotes). > > If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to > [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff > Museum-L" (without the quotes). -- Yakima Valley Museum yakimavalleymuseum.org 509-248-0747 ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).