Festival Celebrates Bemelmans’ Times At Fort Ontario, Anniversary of World War I

by Steve Yablonski | May 21, 2017 11:44 pm

The festival began on May 12 with a talk by Jennifer Emmons, who is currently office manager and park supervisor at the Saratoga Spa State Park. She discussed her research regarding Bemelmans and how his time here shaped the rest of his life. [1]

The festival began on May 12 with a talk by Jennifer Emmons, who is currently office manager and park supervisor at the Saratoga Spa State Park. She discussed her research regarding Bemelmans and how his time here shaped the rest of his life.

Pen and ink drawing of a cannon by Ludwig Bemelmans was given to Fort Ontario by his daughter, Barbara Bemelmans as part of the celebration of her father's deployment to the fort in 1917. [2]

Pen and ink drawing of a cannon by Ludwig Bemelmans was given to Fort Ontario by his daughter, Barbara Bemelmans as part of the celebration of her father’s deployment to the fort in 1917.

Abe Gosek pauses during the children's parade to gaze at the many colorful kites sailing above Fort Ontario on Saturday. [3]

Abe Gosek pauses during the children’s parade to gaze at the many colorful kites sailing above Fort Ontario on Saturday.

David Isham enjoys a dish of Byrne Dairy ice cream provided by the Children's Museum of Oswego following the parade around the fort grounds. [4]

David Isham enjoys a dish of Byrne Dairy ice cream provided by the Children’s Museum of Oswego following the parade around the fort grounds.

Maestro Larry Rapshaw plays a World War I diddy on his trusty accordion as he helps lead the children's parade back to Fort Ontario. [5]

Maestro Larry Rapshaw plays a World War I diddy on his trusty accordion as he helps lead the children’s parade back to Fort Ontario.

Kites ruled the sky over Fort Ontario Saturday. [6]

Kites ruled the sky over Fort Ontario Saturday.

Paul Lear, center, superintendent of the Fort Ontario historic site, greets some visitors on opening day. [7]

Paul Lear, center, superintendent of the Fort Ontario historic site, greets some visitors on opening day.

In celebration of Bemelmans’ deployment to Fort Ontario in 1917, the Art Association of Oswego hosted an art show of local artwork showing Madeline at a location in Oswego. Pictured is Laurie Kester's Pepito and the Eiffel Tower. [8]

In celebration of Bemelmans’ deployment to Fort Ontario in 1917, the Art Association of Oswego hosted an art show of local artwork showing Madeline at a location in Oswego. Pictured is Laurie Kester’s Pepito and the Eiffel Tower.

Photographs of Madeline were also on display at the exhibit [9]

Photographs of Madeline were also on display at the exhibit

Larry Rapshaw's artwork depicts Madeline where she can still be found today - at the Oswego Library. [10]

Larry Rapshaw’s artwork depicts Madeline where she can still be found today – at the Oswego Library.

Flying a kite - World War I style [11]

Flying a kite – World War I style

Some of the kites were so massive that the encroached upon the baseball diamond near the fort. [12]

Some of the kites were so massive that the encroached upon the baseball diamond near the fort.

The Children's Parade heads out from near the Gallagher pool area and treks around to historic Fort Ontario. [13]

The Children’s Parade heads out from near the Gallagher pool area and treks around to historic Fort Ontario.

Sophia Terzulli attempts to give her kite a boost skyward. [14]

Sophia Terzulli attempts to give her kite a boost skyward.

OSWEGO, NY – The Port City’s first Bemelmans Festival wrapped up over the weekend at the Fort Ontario Complex.

The festival celebrated the 100th anniversary of World War I and 1917 deployment of Ludwig Bemelmans, author of the Madeline books, as a Private at Fort Ontario.

From 1917 to 1919, Fort Ontario served as General Hospital #5 where sick and wounded soldiers from army camps in the U.S. and the fighting in Europe were brought for followup surgeries, rehabilitation, and convalescence.

A variety of activities were scheduled including:

• A walking tour of buildings still standing at the fort mentioned by Bemelmans in his book, “My War With The United States.”
• The world premiere of the adaptation of the book for the stage by the Oswego Players’ president Rick Sivers.
• KiteFest on the grounds of Fort Ontario
• A jazz concert
• A children’s parade followed by an ice cream social at the fort.
• A gallery exhibit at the Art Association of Oswego

Bemelmans was 19 years old and kept a diary while stationed at the fort. He turned the diary into ‘My War With The United States.’ His daughter holds the rights to all of his materials and she gave Sivers permission to turn those pages into a play.

Parts of the play involved how Bemelmans used his pistol to ensure the “oldtimers” in his ward obeyed his lights out command, and how some prisoners at the fort showed him how to take his weapon apart and put it back together again without his superiors’ finding out.

While at Fort Ontario, Bemelmans hadn’t even thought of becoming a writer or a painter; that would come later when in 1939 Bemelmans’ first copyrighted the Madeline story.

By the end of the 1950s, the Madeline stories were everywhere.He also wrote books for adults, at least one Hollywood movie script, and was known as an accomplished painter on the Paris and New York art scene as well.

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Endnotes:
  1. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-emmons/
  2. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-cannon/
  3. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-abe/
  4. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-ice-cream/
  5. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-larry/
  6. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-kites/
  7. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-paul/
  8. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-l-kester/
  9. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-photo/
  10. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-library/
  11. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-w-w-i-kite/
  12. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-ll/
  13. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-parade-start/
  14. [Image] : https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/festival-celebrates-bemelmans-times-at-fort-ontario-anniversary-of-world-war-i/attachment/b-sophia/

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