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November 16, 2012
www.FWDailyNews.com
A window to the past Nostalgia brings back longtime Fort Wayne tradition By Valerie Gough vgough@kpcnews.net
The first time Steve Wesner saw a holiday lighting display in downtown Fort Wayne, he was just a boy standing among a crowd of thousands outside the Wolf & Dessauer department store. Each year, a winter wonderland took over the storefront, a magical, moving spectacle depicting everything good about the Christmas season. People traveled from all over the region to see its big reveal. “It was just extremely fascinating and the crowd would be heavy. You had to wait and work your way up to the front of the line to get up to the windows. People would be standing there as deep as the sidewalk was wide,” Wesner recalled. Years later, he would stand waiting in similar lines as his own children marveled at the sight. Wolf & Dessauer’s display was a first-rate means to attract shoppers and lure them through its doors. But nothing lasts forever — eventually the lavish window displays were discontinued after the retailer was purchased by L.S. Ayers. For many, those department store windows are thought of as a beloved childhood memory. But over the past several years, a sort of revival has taken place to restore the tradition so a new generation can make similar memories in Fort Wayne. “I really wanted to see something that
Courtesy photo
Kathy James, event planner and decorator at Corner House Creations, dresses an animated Santa Claus figure in preparation for the Embassy Theatre’s Christmas window reveal at the old Indiana Hotel. happened years ago at Wolf & Dessauer,” James said. said Kathy James, event planner and decoSince most Festival of Trees guests used rator at Corner House Creations. For years, street or garage parking off Harrison, they she has taken part in decorating the Festival walked right by the old Indiana Hotel on of Trees, an eight-day festival at the historic their way to Embassy Theatre. James saw Embassy Theatre and old Indiana Hotel. an opportunity. But in 2008, James said she begged Dana “There was nothing that would make you Berkes, marketing director at Embassy want to come to those windows. So I just Theatre, for a chance to pay homage to the said, let me do this … What I was thinking, former department store tradition. I don’t know,” she said, laughing. “We are of that era. We’re old enough to Since then, she and her husband, David, remember Wolf & Dessauer’s windows,” have brought the windows to life, revealing
From their family to yours Doctorʼs family takes pride in annual Christmas village showcase at Dupont Hospital By Nichole Hacha-Thomas nthomas@kpcnews.net
Courtesy photo
Karen Smitley of LML Estate Management, left, assists Dr. Todd Rumsey, right, with the installation of Dupont Hospital’s annual Christmas village display. A train chugging along tracks was added to the display this year. The entire village of more than 100 ceramic buildings takes more than 350 man hours to assemble. anniversary, birthday or occasion, the village expanded. After a few years, Todd said, the display was large enough
to cover the dining room table and mantle. In 1995 when the couple See DUPONT, page A4
3306 Independence Dr., Fort Wayne, IN 46808
Times Community Publications
A bustling Christmas wonderland has taken over the lobby at Dupont Hospital again this year with more than 100 ceramic buildings, figurines and a newly added train. The village has been a fixture at the hospital since 2004 when local doctor Todd Rumsey and his wife, Barb, donated their stash of Department 56 items. It started in 1990 when Todd and Barb were engaged to be married. A relative gifted the couple the quaintly decorated doctor’s house to begin their Christmas traditions together, Todd said. “Then, from there, it became an easy present for people to give us,” Todd said of how the collection grew. With each passing
them to the public each year during the Night of Lights. The event draws thousands to downtown Fort Wayne to watch various lighting displays turn on for the holiday season, including the former Wolf & Dessauer Santa and his reindeer, and Merry Christmas wreath displays. The James’ window designs were first inspired by a storybook Christmas tree at the Embassy’s Festival of Trees. “Our windows are a story line,” David said. “When you go to the big cities, each window is a story in itself. But this is like reading a chapter book. Each window tells you a little piece of that story.” Kathy and David have worked with local sculptor and illustrator Don Johnson to create “Oscar” the elf, a character who appears each year in the story line. Johnson illustrates the story and meticulously sculpts the characters before animator Dennis Baker works to mechanize their movements. Kathy describes Johnson as a perfectionist, something she thinks stems from his previous work as a pattern maker. “I always tell him, ‘Don, you’re too picky,’” she said. Creating the display is a year-round effort, beginning just after the new year. Once the team of volunteers has settled on a story line, they then sculpt, animate and dress the characters from a workshop. See WINDOW, page A6