We stopped by the Recreational Vehicle/Manufactured Housing (the guy at the desk informed us that we no longer refer to them as “mobile homes”) Hall of Fame and Museum in Elkhart, Indiana. I’d been there before, but my wife hadn’t, and on my first visit, I didn’t have the Red Chair. I could see the guy at the desk eyeing it as we paid our admission fees, but he didn’t ask and I didn’t explain.
This tiny Airstream was “born†the same year I was.
1931 Mae West Housecar
The plaque reads, “This 1932 Chevrolet-based custom made housecar was one of the enticements offered by Paramount Studios to get Mae West to leave the Vaudeville circuit and begin to make movies for them. It is designed as a chauffeur-driven lounge and not as a “camper†unit. It features a small hot plate stove, an icebox, and a small table to enjoy lunch or a spot of tea. it was used for several years to transport Miss West from her home or hotel to the shooting locations. The story indicates she had a rocking chair on the back porch where she could enjoy the breeze when appropriate.â€
Which caused me to wonder when Mae West ever did anything appropriate.
