A red, white and blue affair

June Casagrande

Uncle Sam wants you -- to know that he was a real man. Well, kind of.

Walter Botts, who died in 1972 at the age of 72, is considered the

original Uncle Sam, even though the icon is older than he is.

An exhibit of Walter Botts memorabilia at the Orange County Fair is as

educational as it is inspiring. This look at Uncle Sam the icon and Uncle

Sam the man is just part of the patriotic theme that’s making this year’s

fair something really special.

“It’s amazing to see all the things people collect,” said Rick Ruck of

Pomona. “Who knew they would mean so much today?”

The Uncle Sam memorabilia is in the Collectors Corner -- one of the

two most patriotic portions of the fair. Patriotic memorabilia

collections offer some stirring exhibits. They include “Healing America,”

a chain of 2,854 Band-Aids and flag-colored Band-Aids, many signed by New

York firefighters and others. A Christmas tree covered with the vehicle

license plates from all 50 states dotted with red, white and blue is

another impressive addition to the collection.

Like the Collectors Corner, the Home and Hobbies building, too, has

taken to new heights the country’s reverence for America the Beautiful.

An entire corner of the home crafts exhibit is dedicated to patriotic

themes. A stunning show of American creativity dominates the walls and

floor exhibits: American flag quilts, crocheted and knitted blankets and

wall hangings; and red, white and blue clothing, crafts, posters and

garden items. Just about everything craftspeople like to make, they made

this year in honor of Old Glory.

“It’s amazing to see all the extremely fine detail in the work,” said

Joanna Bronowicka of Huntington Beach. “And it’s so apropos.”

Craft artist Debbe Lynn Russell of Los Alamitos explained that

entrants are told in advance what the themes and categories will be for

crafts competition. When she learned that this year’s theme would be

patriotism, she wasn’t surprised.

“It’s a wonderful theme,” Russell said. “Seeing it all together, it’s

very moving.”