Celebrating at Booth One
A typical pocket garden in the walk.
By MMcK
The Dearborn Garden Walk was begun in the 1950s to inspire Gold Coast property owners to clear away backyard debris and replace existing rubble with greenery, flowering plants and charming garden furniture. The immensely successful result is showcased one Sunday a year when hidden gardens are revealed to supporters of the walk. The gardens are typically small, but exquisite, patches tucked beside or in back of their owners’ houses — many are innovative, some are traditionally sedate and others wittily augmented for the day. All are delightful.
This Sunday, July 15, will mark the Walk’s 60th Diamond Jubilee and on Tuesday night, July 10, those behind the annual event gathered both in preparation for the upcoming occasion and to begin celebrating its anniversary.
A few of the pictures of Hollywood celebrities who celebrated in Booth One.
What better place to gather than Chicago’s world famous restaurant for celebrating. The committee selected the historic former Pump Room, now refurbished and appropriately renamed Booth One.
Gary Cooper and Lupe Velez were among the Hollywood stars who were regulars in the restaurant between trains.
Janet Leigh was another . . .
And Rosalind Russell.
Seated in Booth One during the days when the stars traveled between Hollywood and New York, changing trains in Chicago, were from left, Frank Sinatra, Janis Paige, Irv Kupcinet, who recorded it all, Jane Russell, Peter Lawford and Kup’s wife, Essee.
Today the stars in Booth One are Dearborn Garden Walk Co-chairs Nina Ganz and Erin Murphy.
See you on Sunday, July 15. Illustration by Stacy Sweat.
Selected Photography by Kay Whitfield
