
DATE: Sunday, July 13, 1997                 TAG: 9707110237

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 04   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: SHIRLEY BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  113 lines

BIRTHDAY PARTY RECREATES 19TH CENTURY SOCIAL EVENT THE ACTIVITIES JULY 20 FOLLOW THE BOOK, ``THE BIRTHDAY SECRET: ANNA MARY OF RIDDICK'S FOLLY.''

Young ladies, who delight in ``make believe,'' are invited to step into the past for an afternoon of 19th century fun and games at Riddick's Folly.

Anna Mary Riddick's 10th Birthday Party will be held at 2 p.m. July 20 and is designed to resemble an event that could have taken place over a century ago in the parlor at Riddick's Folly.

The daughter of Nathanial and Missouri Riddick, Anna Mary was also the granddaughter of Mills Riddick, a prosperous businessman, who built his four-story brick home on Main Street in 1837. Many townspeople of that day thought it folly to build a 20-room house with 16 fireplaces. Thus, the name, ``Riddick's Folly.''

Anna Mary celebrated her 10th birthday in July, 1851. That occasion is also the subject of a children's book entitled ``The Birthday Secret: Anna Mary of Riddick's Folly'' written and illustrated by Riddick's Folly board members.

``We won't follow the story line exactly,'' said Patty Jack, director of Riddick's Folly, ``but Anna Mary was born at Riddick's Folly and lived here all of her life. Although there is no documentation for birthday cakes, birthdays were celebrated with parties, and presentation and hospitality were very important.''

Upon arrival, families will be ushered into the back parlor where Missouri Riddick, portrayed by Starr Matton of Virginia Beach, will welcome her daughter's guests to the party. Anna Mary, dressed in period costume, will be portrayed by 10-year-old Alice Pretlow.

Divided into groups, guests will rotate between three separate activities, Jack said.

Missouri Riddick will discuss events, customs and etiquette of the day with the first group. Then, she will lead her audience onto the piazza to enjoy cakes and lemonade.

The second group will be outside playing Anna Mary's favorite games, featuring 19th century toys, particularly, ``cups and balls'' and hoops and sticks.

``A favorite game among young ladies at that time was `graces,' ''Jack said. ``Girls would decorate hoops with their favorite color ribbons and then try to toss the hoops back and forth without dropping them.''

On the museum's basement level, a third group will make Anna Mary's favorite toy, a chromatrope. The toy is a colored disk with a cord threaded through the middle. After winding the disk, the choromatrope is spun to reveal a variety of rainbow colors.

Lee Poe of Fairfield Photography will be on hand to from 1 to 5 p.m. to take sepia-tone portraits of a child or family in the historic setting.

The portraits will resemble daguerreotypes, which were early photographs produced on a silver or silver-covered copper plate.

``Missouri will probably refer to the portrait sitting and camera as some `new-fangled invention' from Philadelphia, which takes portraits in minutes instead of days,'' Jack said.

A special feature will be a drawing for an ``Anna Mary doll'' with its own smaller baby doll, and a hand-made wooden cradle crafted by Lee King, assistant director of Riddick's Folly.

The doll is made of cloth with a hand-painted face and is typical of the period.

``Anna Mary's birthday party and similar workshops help promote an appreciation of not only Riddick's Folly and the Riddick family, but our community as a whole,'' Jack said.

On Aug. 24, Riddick's Folly will present its fourth Pleasant Company event, ``Back to School With Addy, An American Girl'' at 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The Pleasant Company's popular American Girls series include dolls, authentic period clothing and accessories, and books featuring five fictional young ladies who lived during various periods in America's history.

The Addy character is a 9-year-old African-American girl who escapes slavery in North Carolina and travels with her mother to freedom in Philadelphia in 1864. For the first time, she is exposed to a formal education at the Sixth Street School, where she learns to read and write.

Debbie Canty, an historical interpreter for School and Group Services for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, will portray Addy's teacher, Miss Dunn.

``The children are invited to bring their dolls and will experience a similar school lesson that Addy may have experienced,'' Jack said. ``They will work with slates and slate pencils, write in copy books with pen and ink, practice penmanship, and make and color paper boxes in which to store their school supplies.

``Miss Dunn will talk about her favorite student (Addy) and there will be some story-telling. Jumbals, which are large sugar cookies, lemonade, and games similar to the period, will be enjoyed during recess.''

There also will be a drawing for an American Girl gift pack, which contains $36 worth of merchandise.

``In the past, the packs have contained several items . . . a handerchief kit, necklace kit, wreath kit, post cards and trading cards,'' Jack said.

``Reading about history in history books is usually quite dull and uninteresting,'' she said. ``The American Girls series of books and products promote and foster young ladies' interest in our past and in our heritage. It makes learning about history fun for children. They don't realize they are receiving an education. They look at it as fun.'' MEMO: ``The Birthday Secret: Anna Mary of Riddick's Folly'' is written

by Jean Mauck and Ann Story Powell. Illustrations are by Penny H.

Birdsong and Lee King. The books are for sale in the Riddick's Folly

gift shop. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER

Lexi Holland plays with some Anna Mary Riddick dolls that will be a

part of the celebration at Riddick's Folly.

Graphic

ABOUT THE EVENTS

WHAT: Anna Mary's 10th Birthday Party,''

WHEN: 2 p.m. July 20

WHERE: Riddick's Folly, 510 N. Main St.

COST: Free, but reservations are required.

OTHER ACTIVITIES: Reservations are suggested for portraits;