When I first heard that Leslie Goddard would be portraying Jackie Kennedy at a fundraising event in February, I eagerly set about gathering a circle of women to share a table. The event was a benefit for the Elmhurst Heritage Foundation, which supports the Elmhurst Historical Museum and the Churchville Schoolhouse, both of which celebrate local history.
I first saw Leslie Goddard last winter when she portrayed one of my favorite authors, Louisa May Alcott. I knew she would capture the essence of the former first lady of the United States. She did not disappoint.
It was fun to meet up with those sharing my table, and see so many women I haven’t seen in a long while. Many wore pill box hats, suits, and outfits reflecting the 1960’s and the brief years of the Kennedy administration.
I didn’t wear a hat, or gloves, or a suit, but I did wear several strands of pearls around my neck, pearl earrings and a vintage brooch at my lapel.
The tea was outstanding; savories and sweets filled our plates and satisfied our palates as we sipped tea, chatted, and waited for Jackie to arrive.
When she did, in a red suit, pill box hat, and signature wide-brimmed sunglasses, I felt myself taken back, 50 years, to the days of my youth, watching the black and white television tour of the White House with Mrs. Kennedy, who was bringing its history alive. I remembered how glamorous I though Jackie Kennedy was and how she influenced fashion of the time in her classic manner. I recalled how we all bought mantillas to wear on our heads to church and how I wanted to learn more of our nation’s history and furnishings. Of course, as Ms. Goddard spoke of that fateful day in Texas, I remembered the assassination of JFK, of how sad and frightening those days in November, 1963 were, and of Jackie’s quiet, graceful dignity that helped us all through, in spite of her grief and her trauma.
What a elegant afternoon it was. How fortunate I was to share it with friends and family. How amazing it is to have such talented historians as Ms. Goddard, who bring history alive in such meaningful ways.
I wish you could have been us, dear reader. I really do.
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