The first Tulip Court and Wooden Shoes, 1937
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
The first Tulip Court was selected for the 1937 Tulip Festival. In the photo below, the ladies show off their wooden shoes.
Tulip Court: Arie Vande Stoep, who wrote the history of the early Tulip Festival celebrations, described the queen's coronation as an "outstanding innovation." While the selection process and pageantry have changed over the years, the queen and her court remains an important part of the festival.
Wooden Shoes: Wooden shoes were - and are - one of the most visual symbols of Dutch identity. A favorite attraction at early festivals was shoemaker Jacob Van't Hoff's wooden shoe making display. His float won first prize at the inaugural festival (1936).
[From left to right, court members are Eleanor Rozeboom, Queen Elizabeth Top, Betty Klein, and Ruby Vogalaar.]
