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Kathleen Ferguson (above) was well known to Frank and Hilya’s granddaughters later in her life, as a thin, elderly Scottish woman with a large nose and a finicky manner. We called her Fergie. She lived many summers of our childhood in a cabin near the barns and grew roses.
Of the nudist years Linda wrote: It was a fun time for Essie and me. We played rings, baseball, swam at Uncas Lake and sunbathed with various people. This group had parties, played games, such as “Murder,” and put on a play.
The performance of Barely Proper was apparently a highlight of the nudist years. Essie and Elena were both in the play. Al Taylor played the male lead, and his wife, Dean, played the female lead. (above, Al and Dean Taylor) In the introduction to Theatre Au Naturel: A Collection Of Naturist Plays [p. 10], the editor, Mark Storey, wrote: From nearly the moment it was published, nudist groups produced Barely Proper, informally and privately for their club members and, at times, for a select number of invited guests. One of the earliest performances would have been by a Connecticut group who owned 1200 acres of rural property for summer residences. The owners of “The Hill” were liberal-minded artists, scientists, and college professors who wanted an exclusive setting for summer relaxation. Many of them enjoyed communal nudity, and the others didn’t mind. The September 1932 performance held on their grounds may have been the “world premiere” of Barely Proper. |
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