Lucy & Desi Museum (11/11/2019)

Monday, November 11, 2019
Veterans' Day - for honoring our country's military veterans.
We made another stopover in Jamestown, NY, hometown of Lucille Ball.
Our first stop was the Hunt family plot Lakeview Cemetery.

Follow the I Love Lucy hearts to the grave site

The Ball Family grave marker

Lucille Ball died at age 77 in 1989, at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center near Los Angeles. She was cremated and initially buried at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery. In 2002, her children moved the ashes to Jamestown, where she rests with her parents and brother.

Under Lucy's info, it states "You've Come Home"

Lucy's hometown honors "America's Favorite Redhead" with five murals painted by local artist Gary Peters, Jr with his father Gary Peters.

"I Love Lucy" Postage Stamp was the first mural to be painted,
on the E 3rd Street building that houses the post office,
on the Prendergast Avenue side

Two murals are located on a parking garage between E 3rd and E 4th Streets, on the Spring Street side.

"I Love Lucy" Vitameatavegamin Mural

Desi and Lucy Mural

"I Love Lucy" Candy Factory Mural

We had lunch at Lisciandro's Restaurant, established in 1954.

Lisciandro's Restaurant at 207 N Main Street

Just good and fresh home cooking!

Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum is located in two buildings;
this one is named Desilu Studios at 2 W 3rd Street,
and the other is the Lucy Desi Museum at 10 W 3rd Street

Desilu Studios focuses on the "I Love Lucy" television program.

The roots of the show was a radio program, where
Lucille Ball was the voice of Liz Cugat/Cooper
in "My Favorite Husband" (1948-1951)

CBS and the sponsor, Jell-O, wanted to do a television version of the show and Lucille Ball was willing only if her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz, played the TV husband. Eventually CBS agreed, creating the show "I Love Lucy" (1951-1957).

The "I Love Lucy" producer, Jess Oppenheimer,
created his own Oppy Awards to present to the
cast upon his farewell to move to other projects in 1956

Re-creation of the New York Apartment of the Ricardos: kitchen

Re-creation of the New York Apartment of the Ricardos; living room L

Re-creation of the New York Apartment of the Ricardos; living room R

Desilu Productions (1950, created initially to produce Lucy's and
Desi's vaudeville act, and "I Love Lucy") introduced several
innovations to the filming industry, including this Three-headed Monster,
a film editing machine to handle film from three camera angles

Many costumes and artifacts were on display.

"Jacques Marcel" Burlap Dress and Hat

Ricky's and Fred's plan to trick Lucy and Ethel into wearing burlap sacks in public backfires when the dresses become the latest in Paris fashion.
The Lucy Desi Museum covers everything else about the two celebrities.

Director chairs of Desi and Lucy

"Live Like Lucy" bedroom furniture set that sold for $198 in 1953;
other product tie-ins were Ricky Jr's baby carriage and rocking horse

A bunch of Emmy Awards

A model of a Phoenix Wheel that was featured
at Celoron Park from 1896-1951

Costumes from shows that featured Lucille Ball
such as "The Carol Burnett Show" and "Donny and Marie"

Lucille Ball's Birthplace at 69 Stewart Avenue
(formerly 60 Stewart Avenue)

Lucille Ball's Childhood Home at 59 Lucy Lane (formerly 8th Street),
in Celoron, NY, belonged to her maternal grandparents

Celoron Park was renamed Lucille Ball Memorial Park;
it is difficult to imagine this was once an amusement park

Now the park has two statue of Lucille Ball.

Vitameatavegamin Lucy (2009, by Dave Poulin)

That Vitameatavegamin must taste really awful!

The new improved Lucy statue (2016, by Carolyn Palmer)

This Lucy is standing on a Hollywood Walk of fame star

Celoron Lighthouse is also in the park
on the shore of Lake Chautauqua

Finally, the "I Love Lucy" California, Here We Come Mural
(2012, by Gary Peters and Gary Peters, Jr), the world's
largest "I Love Lucy" mural!