There is this bird, a Swinhoe’s Pheasant to be exact, that has been a part of my family for generations. In over 70 years, he has never missed a holiday, or a family meal, or a milestone event. He is strong and beautiful and reliable. This is why I had to save him.
He was chosen back in the early 1950s for my grandmother, Bee. She was beautiful and fashionable and loved having nice things in her home. The Swinhoe’s Pheasant was selected for her New Orleans home by an interior designer and became a member of the family through his constant presence. He lived a whole life with her, making memories as my mother and her family grew. He stood strong and proud accompanying special occasions like the night in this photograph. This is my mother, dressed to the nines, ready to be escorted to her first sorority formal by my father. The night would not have been complete without a picture in front of the family bird. He was there to observe memories I will never know, witness conversations I will never hear and stood strong through celebration and tragedy, one of which almost cost him his life.
This bird stayed proudly on the wall of my grandmother's home up until August of 2005, when hurricane Katrina swallowed New Orleans whole. Grandma Bee, who was then an 88 year old woman, watched her home, her neighbors homes and her city drown. She was rescued by boat and remained out of contact for over a week as she sheltered with nuns in The Ursuline Academy. The Ursuline Convent, located in the Historic French Quarter was the original home of the Ursuline Academy, and is still the oldest building the Mississippi Valley. The Academy was relocated in 1912, was saved from the flood, and provided shelter for those rescued in the wake of the storm. Grandma Bee stayed for days with no power or water or way out. It was then, and continues today to be a completely unfathomable tragedy.
Grandma Bee persevered, and once it was possible, she returned home to assess the damage. There was much work to be done. So many difficult decisions needed to be made, many of them regarding what to salvage and what to let go. Our beloved family bird was damaged, but not destroyed, and I made it known that I would take personal responsibility to restore him to his former glory.
I took this opportunity to bring him into the present, and include him into the updated aesthetic of my own home. We were fortunate. The water level didn't rise to the height of covering the painting, the damage was due to the length of time he sat in a damp house filled with inches of standing water. I took him to the best, Marty & Pat's Frame Shoppe & Art Gallery in Fort Worth, TX. Pat herself walked me through the choices, her recommendations were spot on.
He is now perched lovingly above the mantle, overlooking my dining room table. This piece is more than just a painting to me, he represents how a “designer’s choice” can become a fixture in our family story. He presides over our special occasions and helps to connect the times before to the memories yet to be made yet. Each piece has a story. Some of those stories touch us, stay with us and allow us to feel more connected to the people and places that the piece represents. In anticipation of Mother’s Day, I share this cherished piece from my past, and thank Grandma Bee and my mother for creating a loving legacy that is worth saving, salvaging and maintaining.
