THE CROWD:

A false summer evening on the Orange Riviera attracted lovely ladies and handsome gents to a very lively social cocktail party on Lido Isle.

Patrons in support of The Decorative Arts Society, aka DARTS, descended upon the French inspired manor house of Lorraine and Tom Hennessy to welcome Emmanuel Ducamp, guest speaker at a recent DARTS symposium on world art history and design. Ducamp jetted in from Paris to share his formidable knowledge of Imperial Russian art and architecture.

Naturally, the first question asked of Ducamp was, “Where is the Amber Room?”

The erudite Frenchman replied with a twinkle in his eye, “Lost in World War II, most probably bombed into oblivion.”

The Russian Amber Room, considered one of the great artistic interior architectural achievements of mankind was presented to Czar Peter The Great by the King of Prussia in 1716.

With Hitler’s invasion of Russia in 1941, the Nazi’s reclaimed the great baroque treasure, dismantled the room in the Tsarskoye Selo Palace and shipped it to Königsberg, Germany where it was presumed destroyed by the allied invasion.

Amber Room mysteries were only a hint of Ducamp’s spellbinding retinue of historic insights, which charmed the crowd sipping Chardonnay and sampling the bountiful buffet dinner served by Lorraine Hennessy’s catering staff led by the talented chef Christopher Roman and his crew from The Bay Burger restaurant on the Balboa Peninsula.

Lorraine Hennessy is a former San Diego-based television newswoman married to Tom, a high-ranking national healthcare executive.

The couple recently completed construction on one of Lido’s new landmark properties, a warm and very chic European villa that transported guests right to St. Tropez in the South of France.

Bruce and Cecilia Nott, Thomas and Margaret Larkin, Barbara Bowie, Marian Hartwich, Sandra and Don Ayres, Marion Palley, Arlene and Len Spielman, Kitty Canada, Sharon Henwood, Rebecca Flood, Hyla Bertea, Brenda Eastman and Ann Dennis were among the sophisticated patrons touring the home, chatting with Ducamp, and coming together on this balmy evening to continue their fundraising efforts on behalf of charities they support including New Directions For Women, Girl’s Inc. and Laura’s House.

Each organization was presented a check for $45,000 the following day at the lecture presentation fronted by Ducamp.

Founded in 1996, The Decorative Arts Society began as a confederation of decorators and design professionals who banded together to support local causes associated with The Junior League of Newport Beach.

Twelve years later the group has expanded and produces a much admired annual series of presentations introducing the community to many of the world’s leading design, art, and architectural experts.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.