Code,801005 Subject,Mary Hamlin Date,2/20/2009 Interviewer,Judith MacKeigan Abstract,"Mary Hamlin, retired teacher and volunteer with the Cleveland Cultural Garden Federation, relates the history of the British Garden,originally called the Shakespeare Garden. Topics include the layout of the garden, famous visitors,sponsorship by the Daughters of the British Empire, and significance of the poets and artists represented in the garden. Hamlin provides an oral tour of the garden, and mentions plans for future additions to the garden,and relates some of the problems involved in creating new structures. Other topics include the role of the Federation in creating, maintaining, and promoting the gardens, and the activities offered to the public." Special Notes, minutes:, 0,"Background information on Mary Hamlin, born of English parents in Northern Ireland, resident of the United States for thirty years" 1,"retired teacher, now teaches occasionly and volunteers, most volunteer work done with Cleveland Cultural Garden Federation" 2,History of British Garden (originally Shakespeare Garden) began in 1916 3,"famous actors and writers who have visited the garden, description of physical layout of the garden, desingned to resemble an Elizabethen garden" 4,flowers planted in garden were mentioned in Shakespeare's plays 5,"description of plaque honoring Jessie Withycombe Mercer. Mercer, a member of Daughters of the British Empire, a Cleveland resident, was instrumental in creating the Shakespeare Garden." 6,"Daughters of British Empire sponsor the garden since 1932, Hamlin is a member and describes criteria for membership" 7,"Ivy was planted in a jar by Rabindranath Tagoren, Indian poet known as the ""Shakespeare of India,"" the ivy is no longer living, but the jar remains" 8,"members would like to put other busts in the gardens, along with the Shakespeare bust currently on display, funding is problematical" 9,"male figures are predominate in the gardens, but a few statues in other gardens portray women" 10, 11,"role of Federation in creating, maintaining, and promoting the gardens" 12, 13,"significance of the many poets and artists represented in the gardens, their work represents native cultures and lives on" 14, 15,"description of musical events and poetry readings held in the gardens. Suggestions for other items Hamlin would like to see added to the garden," 16,"""visual tour,"" of the British garden" 17, 18,more information on the Daughters of the British Empire in Ohio 19,"Hamlin is also active in the English Speaking Union, to ""promote excellence in English language, she describes the Shakespeare competition for high school students" 20, 21, 22,"Hamlin talks about the problems of erecting any type of structure in the gardens, police need to be able to see through or over any permanent structures" 23, 24,Hamlin notes that several existing programs or books show photos of early years of gardens 25, 26,"Hamlin, a former English Lit teacher, quotes lines from ""A Midsummer Night's Dream,"" that come into her mind as she works in the British Garden" 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60,