Long ago and far away, when I was living in England, one of my regular driving routes was along the banks of the Thames and through the meadows of Runnymede.
This was the site where in 1215, the barons forced Bad King John to sign the Magna Carta, which has been the basis of many formative documents all helping to lay out the terms for the freedoms and the rights of people.
Perhaps the most direct descendant of that famous charter has been the Constitution of the United States, but then what about the Bill of Rights? I have to say that at times I get a little confused with both these famous documents.
My recent visit to the Edward-Dean Museum and Gardens in Cherry Valley helped clear up some of my misunderstandings. I was fortunate to meet Kathie Dillon, who is the curator of the current exhibit there, called “Foundations of Freedom.”
“Whereas the constitution is the foundation for a nation, the Bill of Rights is a set of rights for its people,” she said.
I began to understand. Also that the Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments of that constitution, and was incorporated into it in 1791.
The exhibit is in the Edward Dean room dedicated to specific displays and runs through May 27. One wall has copies of the Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights and the Massachusetts Bay Charter, another very important document forged to build America’s history of human rights.
Edward Eberle and Dean Stout were antiques dealers and set designers in the 1950s, and they brought many of their favorite pieces here in the days when a drive to Palm Springs was quite an adventure. As a result, their place became a stop off for many famous people while en route to the desert resort.
Although smaller than the grand museums, there is plenty to look at and enjoy.
I’ve been here many times during the last 15 years and I always enjoy coming back, particularly when making the drive through Oak Glen through the apple orchards. The drive rather sets you up for a quiet house that was obviously put together by people who loved art and wonderful surroundings.
The central room of the museum is set up as a European living room from the late 18th and early 19th century. As such, it lacks a common design theme and has pieces from disparate places — that is, in fact, its theme — each one a jewel in its own right.
The Blue Room is a replica of the main room at the home Stout and Eberle shared in Pasadena.
There is a basement dedicated to the library and also there is a music room on the ground floor, where piano recitals are given regularly — check the website for information.
Wandering around the rooms and the downstairs library gives one a strong feeling of a distant world where elegance was often at the expense of many hours of creativity. It is impossible not to be attracted to such a collection. From the passive and gentle country life outside the doors, it is interesting to enter a world of formal discipline and man’s attempt to tame the forces that surround him.
Remembering my days passing along through Runnymede in England, I often wondered exactly where Bad King John was forced to sign away his absolute power. The Thames has wandered around a little over the last 800 years and they don’t know the exact spot.
Nonetheless, that signature changed the world forever and looking at the current exhibition at this wonderful museum will give you a better understanding of our history.
“Trevor’s Travels (in Southern California)” is available from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and other booksellers. You can reach Trevor at trevorsummons@hotmail.com.
Edward-Dean Museum & Gardens
Where: 9401 Oak Glen Road, Cherry Valley
Information: 951-845-2626, www.edward-deanmuseum.org
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday
Cost: $5 adults, free for veterans and children 12 and younger
