Portland Rose Festival Royalty at City Hall - circa 1912
King Rex Oregonus and the Queen of the Rose Festival gather with their court to receive the key to the city in this ceremony opening the Festival in about 1912. We are estimating the date, based partly on the man on the right of King Rex, who appears to be Allen Rushlight, Portland mayor from 1911 through 1913.
Rex reigned from 1908 through 1913, and again later in the 1920s. I have found little information about a queen serving at the same time as Rex during the teens, and several sources say the first elected queen served in 1914, without Rex.
This is a rare look at the early ceremonies of the Rose Festival, which were patterned in part after Mardis Gras ceremonies. If you know precisely which year this is, please let us know.
-- This photo is restored and printed by Old Oregon.
Photographer | Angelus Studio |
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Location | Portland, Multnomah County |
Subject | Fairs and Expositions, Government Buildings, Group Portraits |
Decade | 1910s |
Print Maker | Old Oregon |
Original Type | Medium-size Print |
Size of Original | 4.6 x 6.6 inches |