EMPEROR NORTON'S GARDEN PARTY

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The E-Sylum: Volume 17, Number 39, September 21, 2014, Article 26

EMPEROR NORTON'S GARDEN PARTY

As noted in E-Sylum articles this past June, a local campaign is calling for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to be renamed in honor of Joshua Abraham Norton. Many American numismatists are familiar with the eccentric Emperor Norton of San Francisco because of the rare scrip notes he issued. Today the group held "The Emperor's Garden Party" to draw attention to their campaign and honor Norton's place in history. Here's how they described the planned event in an email earlier this week. -Editor

On 17 September 1872, Emperor Norton penned the third and final of his three "bridge proclamations" of that year, in which he set out the vision for what we now know as the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

The proclamation was published on 21 September.

Thirteen years earlier — on 17 September 1859 — Joshua Abraham Norton had issued his most famous Proclamation of all: the one declaring himself Emperor and signed "Norton I, Emperor of the United States."

Please join THE EMPEROR'S BRIDGE CAMPAIGN in celebrating these two anniversaries — the Emperor's third Bridge Proclamation (142 years ago) and his imperial self-declaration (155 years ago) — with a lovely, fun afternoon in the park.

The Emperor's Garden Party
Sunday 21 September from 2 to 5 p.m.

Jefferson Square Park
Eddy St., between Gough & Laguna
San Francisco

A SPECIAL WELCOME TO KIDS — We've got some fun activities planned!

2 to 3:15 P.M. >>> Make Your Own Emperor's Hat
Starting at 2 o'clock, we'll have a hat-making station, where kids will be shown photos of the Emperor in his beaver hat and will be provided with construction paper, crayons, glitter and feathers, for making making and decorating their own "Emperor's hats"! --- with adult assistance, of course.

3:15 P.M. >>> The Emperor's Story Time
The kids will gather round, in their hats, to hear Emperor Norton himself — played by Joseph Amster of Emperor Norton's Fantastic San Francisco Time Machine

3:30 P.M. >>> The Emperor's Parade
After The Emperor's Story Time, Emperor Norton will lead the kids — in their hats! — in a little parade around Jefferson Square Park.

The email linked to a video blog which included many great clips of an Emperor Norton impersonator making his way around town. Stick with it - it's entertaining. My old pal J.S.G. Boggs would enjoy the scene of Emperor Norton attempting to purchase beer with his scrip notes. -Editor

Emperor Norton discussing his scrip

Emperor Norton Impersonator paying in scrip

Emperor Norton buying beers with his scrip

To watch the video blog, see:
Overland Monthly 1- Emperor Norton (www.youtube.com/watch?v=h852nCp_rls)

For more information on the Norton impersonator's tour, see:
Emperor Norton's Fantastic San Francisco Time Machine (www.emperornortontour.com)

For more information on the Emperor's Bridge campaign, see:
www.emperorsbridge.org/

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
EMPEROR NORTON'S BRIDGE (/www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n23a36.html)
MORE ON THE EMPEROR NORTON BRIDGE CAMPAIGN (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n24a25.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum

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