Tuesday, July 29, 2014

#194: Eugene Field House

This was my second time trying to get the cake here. This location was for a long time, an indoor cake. The museum/house is only open on certain days, so anyone who would come here on a Monday or Tuesday would be out of luck. (I came here on a Monday back in May) In mid-July they moved it outside the entrance. Now, it is behind a locked gate. Lucky for me, I was able to get it while it was in front of the building.

Eugene Field was the son of Roswell Field, who represented Dred Scott in the famous court case that divided this nation. Eugene, who was born in the house in 1850, went on to become a children's writer, as well as a columnist for various newspapers. His poems gained national fame, one of them being 'Wynken, Blynken and Nod'. Field moved to various cities during his lifetime, including St. Joseph, Missouri and Denver, Colorado. He died in Chicago in 1895. 

The house is also known as a toy museum. Apparently, Eugene was a mega toy collector in his short life. Unfortunately, none of his toys that he collected no longer exist. Thankfully though, the museum has collected toys in his honor. You'll see plenty of them on display inside the place.


Here's a few shots of what I saw in the house/museum:
A replica of Roswell Field's office.

Random shot of one of the toy rooms

Dollhouse

One of several enlarged posters throughout the museum. This one is a timeline of the Fields' life and house.


And now, the cake. The inspiration for the cake was a lily pond, surrounded by the beatifications of Tower Grove Park. Otherwise, the cake doesn't have anything to do with Eugene Field House/Toy Museum:
Right side of the cake

Left side of the cake
There are many places that are named in Eugene Field's honor. In fact, there is another Eugene Field House (open for tourists) in Denver.

NOW: The cake is still at the Eugene Field House. However, it is in the back yard behind a fence.

Eugene Field House on FB
Wikipedia link
Official website

634 South Broadway, ST. LOUIS, MO, 63102
Cake artist: Corinne Didisheim  (Corinne also decorated the Grants Trail cake)

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