1973 Theme Events Pictorial Map of Renaissance Pleasure Faire, Novato, California

Origins of the American-style Renaissance Fair.

This is a 1973 Theme Events map of the Northern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire held in Novato, California. The Renaissance Pleasure Faire is primarily responsible for setting the mold for the American-style Renaissance fair, which spread in both geographic scope and popularity in the decades after the earliest fairs held in Southern and Northern California.

A Closer Look

The map covers the Faire ground in the Black Point area of Novato in Marin County, California. A variety of tent and stall types are indicated, including craft booths, food and 'drynk' stalls, and mystics' tents, as explained in the legend at left. The individual structures are named on the map, often with the type of food or activity explained, including 'drench-a-wench,' 'dunk the monk,' and printmaking. Several theaters and stages are also illustrated and labeled, along with important services like bathrooms (privies), 'first aid,' and the Faire office. Additional drawings in the margins and at top resemble Medieval depictions of jesters and musicians.

The Renaissance Pleasure Faire

The Renaissance Pleasure Faire was started by husband-wife team Ron and Phyllis Patterson in Los Angeles in 1963. Phyllis was an English and theater teacher while Ron was an art director; the pair combined their interests to develop theater and art workshops in the backyard of their home in Laurel Canyon, which was evolving into a mecca for musicians, artists, and counter-culture types. The first Faire was organized as a fundraiser for a local radio station, and the immersive 'living history' experience proved so popular that a similar event was organized on a larger scale in 1966 and has been held annually ever since. From 1967, a Northern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire has also been held, initially at Marin County's China Camp State Park and from 1970 at the nearby Black Point area in Novato.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared and printed in 1973 by Theme Events, the company founded by Ronald and Phyllis Patterson to produce the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair (held annually at San Francisco's Cow Palace), and other events. This map is only noted among the institutional collections of Stanford University and the University of California Los Angeles.

Condition

Excellent.

References

OCLC 25673751.