In the 1930s, San Diego artist Florence Hord began creating intricately designed holiday ornaments. Colorfully adorned with semi-precious stones, sequins and filigree, the ornaments were so painstakingly crafted that it took anywhere from two days to two weeks to finish just one.
In 1959, Hord — the wife of renowned American sculptor Donal Hord — asked a family friend, San Diego schoolteacher Elizabeth Schlappi, to help with the ornament-making endeavor. Eventually, the collection grew to more than 1,400 pieces, a mix of ornaments created by Hord and Schlappi.
The ornaments eventually landed in the hands of San Diegan Lynne Thompson, a close friend of Schlappi’s. Thompson, a longtime volunteer who helps decorate the Timken’s massive Christmas tree, donated all of the ornaments to the Balboa Park institution a few years ago.
It turned out to be the perfect home for the ornaments: Since 1988, the ornaments have been the centerpiece of the annual “Jewels of the Season” installation, which is back on display this year and continues through Dec. 31.
“We are thrilled to welcome the public back to experience ‘Jewels of the Season’,” Megan Pogue, executive director of the Timken, said in a statement. “The Hord and Schlappi ornament collection is a gorgeous display of art and craftsmanship and such a special way for the community to come together and celebrate the season.”
The popular exhibition is presented by the Timken in partnership with San Diego State University’s Theatre, Television and Film Department and the San Diego Model Railroad Museum.
‘Jewels of the Season’
When: Through Dec. 31. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
Where: Timken Museum of Art, 1500 El Prado, Balboa Park
Tickets: Free admission to the museum, but $85 for members and $95 for non-members for ornament-making workshops (10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27)
Online: timkenmuseum.org
A view of the ornaments on display at the Timken Museum of Art’s “Jewels of the Season” holiday installation.
(Courtesy of Timken Museum of Art)