April 02, 2008

Lucie Arnaz Sends Memorabilia to Jamestown

Jamestown, NY--Jamestown’s Lucy-Desi Center received a special delivery last week.

Cartons containing memorabilia that were once part of Lucille Ball’s Beverly Hills home arrived in Jamestown courtesy of Lucie Arnaz. The items had previously been showcased at Universal Studios: Hollywood where a special tribute to Lucille Ball was created in the early 1990’s and has since been seen by millions of visitors from throughout the world.

“It feels like Christmas,” said Ric Wyman, executive director of the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center. “While we have an itemized list of everything that has been shipped to us, there will be a lot of unwrapping and excitement in the next few days,” Wyman explained.

Items that arrived include Lucille Ball’s TV console, one of Lucy’s backgammon tables, and a swag lamp that comes with a very special story.

“The story goes that Lucy didn’t like how the light from the lamp shone in her eyes while it hung above her backgammon table,” Wyman explained, “so Lucy asked a member of the house staff to fix it. Earl, the handyman, solved Lucy’s concerns by painting an empty coffee can with a metallic gold paint and sticking the can inside the lamp to shelter the direct light from Lucy’s eyes. Earl’s solution didn’t bother the Queen of Comedy at all,” Wyman said.

The painted coffee can hung in Lucy’s home in Beverly Hills for the rest of her life.

This lamp and other items on loan from Lucie Arnaz will be featured in future exhibits at the Lucy-Desi Museum.

1 comment:

  1. I find it particularly offensive that the director of the Center, is quoted by the Jamestown NY Post-Journal: "Lucie sent us a bunch of stuff of her mother's..." - what an absolute eye-opening bit of proof that he is no longer viable as a dependable person to continue in a leadership position of the Center... time to leave, arrdubya! And take your side-kick assist. dir. with you...

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