This is the fall newsletter I made for the Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum. I am very happy with how it turned out.

1. Fall 2012
A message from our Director
It is hard to believe we are now in fall and we are looking toward 2013. What a year to
date! The Museum continues to produce activities, events, programming, and tours with
the goal of preserving and increasing community awareness of early California history as
it relates to the Dominguez family, homestead adobe, and the Rancho San Pedro, the first
Spanish land grant in California.
This summer we had a couple of wonderful activities. We held our 4th annual Ice Cream
Social, and it was a success. Over 150 people attended and were treated to ice cream
sundaes provided by Fosselman’s Ice Cream, and as much popcorn and cotton candy as
they could eat. The “Boys are Back” barbershop quartet strolled the lower grounds singing
to everyone and the children partook of the many games like the three-legged race, water
balloon toss, and “Guess the Flavor” contest. Two children tied guessing all three flavors:
Peppermint, Blueberry, and Cherry.
We followed that event with our concert in the park, which over 100 people attended. This
Guess the flavor at the Ice Cream Social year we featured Camino Rio lead by Karl Grossman. Karl and Camino Rio (River Road)
played fresh melodies, rhythms, and harmonies that featured nylon guitar, Latin percussion,
and palmas, and there was a special performance by Angelita, LA’s own flamenco dancer.
It was an amazing show! People came and brought their blankets, chairs, and picnic and
enjoyed a breezy early evening on the lower grounds of the Rancho. It has been quite a
summer here at the Rancho.
In September we featured our first Flamenco Friday where 40 people enjoyed a flamenco
performance, talk about Flamenco, tapas, and a wine tasting. This Friday evening event
was a great way to introduce new people to the Rancho, and will continue in the following
month and into 2013.
We hosted our first Grandparents Day and over 100 grandparents and their grandchildren
came and made bricks, learned to sew on hand crank sewing machines, panned for gold,
made candles, enjoyed a complimentary lunch, and more.
Last, we had our annual Watercolor Day where Ron Libbrecht taught a beginner’s course
in watercolor. Ron also gave a very interesting talk on the history of watercolor and how it
has become so popular.
In October we will be having our first pumpkin decorating contest on October 27th. Try
Camino Rio performs at the Rancho your hand at decorating a pumpkin and enter one of the many contests such as “the most
colorful” or the “most creative.”
On December 8th we feature our annual Living History night starting at 3pm. And look for
our 2013 event calendar, which will be coming out mid-October. We will have our annual
events as well as new events such as Father Serra’s 300th birthday celebration and a Native
American Indian Art show. So much is new at the Rancho.
The Museum is a vibrant place and we are so pleased to be able to continue our program-
ming. As always, none of this would be possible without the generous financial support of
the patrons of the Friends of Rancho San Pedro and our wonderful volunteers and docents.
It is because of your collective financial and volunteer commitment to the Rancho that we
are able to provide all the unique and interesting programming that the Museum offers.
If you would like to become a supporter of the Friends of Rancho San Pedro and the
Museum there are many ways to contribute. Please contact us to find out more. There’s so
much happening, come and experience the Museum!
Alison Bruesehoff
Flamenco Friday at the Rancho Alison Bruesehoff
Museum Executive Director
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2. Stay Warm in Dangerous Style
Before the days of electric blankets and hot rubber water bottles, people used some
pretty adventurous means to stay warm.
How much do you detest the sensation of climbing into a cold bed? Would you fill
a pan on a stick with burning coals and move it around under the sheets to warm
them? Well, that’s precisely what people in the 18th and 19th centuries did. This in-
vention became much more stylized, of course, than the simple pan-on-a-stick, but
still, there were some serious imperfections with these new-fangled “bed warmers”.
Basically, when a bed was deemed too cold, a servant would move a kind of sting
ray-looking object made of bronze, gold, or silver, to and fro underneath the sheets
before the master climbed in. This was done with caution however, as a warming
pan held too long in one position meant burnt bed sheets—or fire in the bedroom!
The Rancho is lucky enough to have some of these fascinating contraptions. One
of our bed warmers is a lustrous bronze color with a pierced pattern on its cover.
This pierced pattern indicates that the bed warmer was for the home owner, and not
servants. Generally speaking, servants had enclosed bed warmers without holes in
them because they were less expensive and maintained heat for less time.
Warmers with holes generated heat for a longer period of time; however, depending
on the materials used inside the pan, the outcome could give off quite an unpleasant
odor. This did not seem to matter much though, due to fact that these objects were a
status symbol.
Another one of our bed warmers has the bust of a horse pierced on the front, sur-
rounded by a delicate circle of leaves. This design further asserts the wealth of its
owners, as intricate designs would have cost significantly more.
The Rancho also has in its collection a bed warmer with what appears to be a
“Fleur-de-lis,” which translates to “Flower of the lily” in French. It is a symbol of-
ten seen on family crests, especially of those in France. This symbol was often used
to assert royal connections, and was first featured on King Louis VI’s shield. Since
then, the symbol has been adopted to a wide range of meanings, including “purity”
and “light”. By the 19th century, the symbol became simply an aesthetic choice.
Still, it harkened to a sense of nobility, and our bed warmer bares the mark.
The bed warmer was certainly dangerous, but it was another beautiful example of
antique ingenuity. These curious inventions look oddly dignified at the end of an
ornate bed, like an outstretched iron dog. Make sure you give them some attention
next time you tour the Rancho. Examples of Bedwarmers found in the 18 and
19th century, note the sting ray like shape.
Virtual Volunteers
Did you know that we have volunteers from around the United States?
We do! Our volunteer range spans from California to New York to
Canada and England. These volunteers help in the following areas:
• Web design
• Graphic design
• Editing our newsletters
• Research
Join in welcoming our new online volunteer group as we spread the
word about the Museum across the United States.

3. Intern at the Museum Upcoming Events to Mark on Your Calen-
Are you ready for an extraordinary academic experi- dars
ence – one that takes you out of the classroom and
into the great laboratory of the working world? Battle Reenactment on October 13th and 14th
Would you like to extend your studies, acquire
experience, explore career directions, and develop Two-day 1840s California based living history event featuring a reenact-
capabilities as a professional and a leader? Join the ment of the Battle of Dominguez Hill, also known as the Battle of the Old
Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum’s Internship Woman’s Gun. Join us for an action-packed afternoon each day featuring:
Program.
• Battle re-creations from the Mexican-American War
We offer internships every fall, spring, and summer
for history, education, museum studies, advertising • 150th Anniversary of California’s involvement in the Civil War
and marketing, communication, and arts majors who • California and U.S. Navy encampment re-creation
wish to gain experience in a museum environment. • Civil War encampment re-creation
As a Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum Intern you • Time period clothing and artifact sales
will: • Dance Saturday night
♦ Get a rare opportunity to work at a state and na- Living History Afternoon on December 8th at 3pm
tional landmark
♦ Gain professional experience that will help you Join us for our holiday living history afternoon at the Rancho. Meet the
with your studies and in the workplace
♦ Develop networking opportunities Dominguez daughters and their family as you tour the Rancho. Santa will
♦ Earn strong letters of recommendation as you suc- be visiting this year so be sure to get your photo with Santa while you
cessfully complete the program enjoy light refreshments and music. It will be a fun afternoon for all the
♦ Set yourself apart by adding valuable skills and family!
talents to your resume or curriculum vitae that other
candidates applying for the same job won’t have
♦ Interact with other museum interns and volunteers
at planned social events
♦ Be placed in an internship that matches your inter-
ests, abilities, and career goals
♦ Learn about what life is like in the industry you are
pursuing in your studies
♦ Provide a much needed service to your community
All internships follow the national guidelines for
internships in honoring course requirements and giv-
ing credit towards the course linked to the internship.
The Museum will provide supervision for the student
throughout the term of the internship.
Our three programs offer many great opportunities
and each program can be customized to what an
intern would like to do. Our three programs are:
Arts and Education: Provides students first-hand
professional experiences working in a museum
creating public programming, developing curriculum
for school tours, creating and writing educational
development plans and materials for children, and
creating art projects for youth.
Media and Communication Program: Provides
students first-hand experience in the field of com-
munications, including advertising, public rela-
tions, photography, graphic design, web design, and
electronic media.
Curatorial and Conservation Program: Provides
students first-hand experience in research, exhibit
management, archiving, and conservation. Curatorial
interns work on exhibits and research, and conserva-
tion interns assist with the care of the actual objects
in the Adobe as well as researching the latest conser-
vation techniques for paper, paintings, artifacts, and
plant material.

4. Friends of Rancho San Pedro Open to the public
Board of Directors with docent-led tours:
Mr. William Barger
Mr. Tom Huston Saturday of each month
Brother Rene Lepage every Wednesday and Sunday
Mr. Manny Marrero
Mr. John F. Watkins All tours are held at
18127 South Alameda Street Ms. Jean Willard
1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m.
Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220
Mr. Tom Van Woerkum
(310) 603-0088 • fax (310) 603-0009 Admission is free.
information@DominguezRancho.org California Historic Landmark No. 152
www.DominguezRancho.org National Register of Historical Landmark
NONPROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
LOS ANGELES, CA
PERMIT # 2016
Flamenco Friday
October 5th, 5pm to 7pm
Battle of the Old Woman’s Gun - Reenactment
October 13th and 14th, all day 10:30am-6:30pm
on Sat. and 10:30am-4:00pm on Sun.
Pumpkin Decorating
October 27th, 1pm to 3pm
Meet Father Serra
9:30am – 11:30am
October 25th, November 7th
Living History Night
December 8th, 3pm to 5pm
www.DominguezRancho.org
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