Mummers Museum (2/21/2020)

Friday, February 21, 2020
Back on New Year's Eve we were entertained at Granite Farms Estates by three members of a Mummers string band, and some of our fellow residents got up to do the "Mummers Strut," seeming to just prance around. We were not familiar with this Philadelphia tradition of a New Year's Day parade with groups of folks in outlandish costumes, many playing musical instruments or putting on skits.
So today we joined the GFE field trip to the Mummers Museum in Philadelphia, PA.

Mummers Museum at 100 S 2nd Street

Mummers are known through recorded history as masqueraders who used to seek food or drink in return for a small performance such as music, song, dance, a skit or a joke. European immigrants brought their traditions to Philadelphia and groups would be out at different times. The City of Philadelphia decided to organize all these factions into one parade on New Year's Day, the first one being in 1901.

The GFE group in front of the Winners Circle display
of first prize winners in the 2020 Philadelphia Mummers Parade

2020 First Prize Handsome Costume won by
Golden Sunrise NYA with "Jesters Court"

2020 First Prize Original Character Category
of Comic Division won by Gideon Lynch

2020 First Prize Brigade won by Murray Comic Club with
"Mumming Roaring 20s"

Mummers belong to clubs in five divisions: Comic, Fancy, Wench Brigade, String Band, and Fancy Brigade.

Fancy Club Captain's Cape circa 1940s

2015 Third Prize Handsome Trim won by
Golden Sunrise NYA with "The Phoenix"

The Phoenix was rigged so that "smoke"
(fire extinguisher spray) came out of its beak

1952 Second Prize String Band won by Joseph A Ferko String Band
with "Playing Cards" where each of 52 capes were hand-painted

A frame costume was worn/carried by a single person

On L: 2019 Fourth Prize Fancy Brigade Division won by
Avenuers NYB with "Reflections of China" and on R: 2019 First Prize
Fancy Division won by Golden Sunrise NYA with "King Kelce"

Tamiko (photo by Jan)

Kent (photo by Jan)

 Musical instruments played through the years by the string bands

The unofficial theme song of the Mummers is "Dem Golden Slippers" composed by James Bland in 1879, although he did not receive credit at the time.
After a thorough tour of the museum led by the curator, we were driven to Nick's Roast Beef Bar and Grille for lunch.