Join Mabry-Hazen House for a Rated R for Risqué: Courtship, Romance and Intimacy in the Hazen Household on Thursday and Friday, February 13-14, 7-8:30 p.m., 1711 Dandridge Ave, Knoxville, TN 37915.
Preserving the stories of three generations of women, this Mabry-Hazen House tour will explore romantic conventions and challenges of falling in love at the turn of the 20th century. Learn how each generation thought about romance – the good and the bad – and how it changed across the decades.
Beginning with the courtship of Alice and Rush Hazen, visitors will learn how Victorian conventions of romance evolved into the more familiar ideas of dating in the age of Gibson Girls and flappers. The story of Evelyn Hazen and her ill-fated 15-year engagement to Ralph Scharringhaus and subsequent “heart balm” lawsuit will offer visitors an intimate glimpse into the thoughts and actions of a couple falling in and out of love during the Jazz Age.
With much of the original furniture and decor owned by the family on display, visitors will stand next to exactly where romantic interactions and exchanges occurred, see books and artifacts that taught and helped them be “good ladies,” and hear their own words about their experiences courting, dating and loving.
Wine and light refreshments will be available. Tour starts at 7 p.m. and will last about 75 minutes. Tickets are $15 per person and pre-purchasing is encouraged as tickets at the door are not guaranteed. Space is limited to 18 visitors. To purchase tickets and gain more information, visit here.
Visitors must be 18 or older and/or 16 or older with a parent or guardian older than 21 years.
This program will discuss topics such as sexual trauma and harassment and could be triggering for those sensitive to such issues.
Information and quotes for this story provided by Mabry-Hazen House.
