Friday, December 6, 2013

Master Docents: Graycliff at Valentine's Day


Each year over the weekend nearest Valentine's Day, Graycliff offers fun tours that incorporate information on the many loves of Frank Lloyd Wright.  This is then contrasted with the life long love between Darwin and Isabelle Martin.  Following the tour, we give out free hot chocolate and chocolate kisses.

If you've read up on Wright's love life...first wife Catherine; his relationship with Mamah Cheney and its horrific conclusion, his second marriage to Miriam Noel, and his final marriage and rather unusual relationship with with Olgivanna...not to mention murder and mayhem, arrest under the Mann Act, drug abuse, abandoned children, and digging up remains after burial....perhaps you'd like to give one of these tours.

The Buffalo News will be covering these tours, and we typically fill them anyway...so we can expect full tours, which will most likely take place as follows:

February—Saturday, February 15 –11:00  In-Depth FLW Loves Tour;  1:30 In-Depth FLW Loves Tour

                      Sunday, February 16 –1:30 In-Depth FLW Loves Tour

If you are a Master Docent, and you'd like to docent for them (perhaps do a little refresher reading in January...a good time for it)  please email or call.


Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Care of New Floors at Graycliff

Hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather!

 Our new floors are expected to be completed soon, and we now have information about how to best maintain them.

1)  The wide-plank cypress we are using is a very soft wood.  For this reason, no high heels are permitted to be worn on any Graycliff tour.  This policy was set several years ago, and for those guests who arrive wearing them,we have "Croc-style" shoes in a variety of sizes available for them to wear.  Docents, can you please scan visitors shoes at the start of each tour?  Staff will be doing this as well, but sometimes it's hard to see over the register!

2) All folding chairs and tables must have rubber tips.  We'll be checking our existing chairs and tables this winter to make sure they do...but if you ever notice that a rubber tip has fallen off, please don't use that chair....just put it aside until we can get a replacement tip.

3) The rubber tips themselves will likely cause scuff marks.  So if using folding chairs or helping with set up and breakdown, please be careful not to drag chairs.

4) Historic Housekeeping Team:  If you notice scuff marks, they can be removed with WD-40 and a soft cloth.

5) Eventually the living room will have a carpet covering most of it, so the areas of concern will primarily be in the dining room and the entry...but we will have runners/rugs in those areas as well.

6) Each winter, we'll be applying a refresher coat..probably in late January each year....so there will be a couple of weeks annually when those rooms will not be accessible.

7) Green Team and anyone else who is interested:  We will be removing all live plants from the interior of the building, with the exception of the ferns in the Fern/View Room.  If you'd like a free plant...let us know ASAP.

Thank you for all you do for Graycliff.....including helping to maintain the areas that are already restored.