Fairmont Hotel Seeks Venetian Room Memorabilia

Historical image of the Venetian Room provided by The Fairmont Hotel

Since opening in 1969, Fairmont Dallas has been at the center of its community and at the heart of the hotel is the legendary Venetian Room. To commemorate the debut of the newly renovated Venetian Room and to celebrate its history, Fairmont Dallas is seeking memorabilia of the storied space. From historic photos or show programs to favors from charity events to pressed wedding flowers or graduation tassel from the countless celebrations held in the room, the best pieces will be placed in a time capsule to be buried under the legendary stage for future generations. The time capsule memorabilia will be displayed and placed under the stage at a private preview of the renovated Venetian Room on September 15, 2016. Since the opening of the hotel in 1969, The Venetian Room – sister show room to the Venetian Room at Fairmont San Francisco – played host to a variety of performers. The opulent venue which boasted fourteen seven-foot tall chandeliers, gold moldings and specially commissioned murals painted in Italy, quickly became a legendary setting for intimate, cabaret-style entertainment and was considered by many as the premier venue between New York and Las Vegas. From Jack Jones at the room’s grand opening to a “who’s who” of entertainers over the past 40 years, including Carol Channing, Eartha Kitt, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Sonny & Cher, Bernadette Peters, Lou Rawls, Johnny Mathis, Jerry Lewis, Peggy Lee, Tina Turner, Ginger Rogers and Jose Feliciano, among others.

I met Shirley Jones at the Venetian Room in 2013

As the space transitioned in the early nineties from show room to event venue, The Venetian Room continued to be at the center of Dallas society, hosting weddings, graduation celebrations and charity events. The beloved stage remains a focal point of the new Venetian Room that features enhanced ceiling moldings, sophisticated crystal chandeliers, and modern accents surroundings of an all-one-level space. Currently, the Fairmont is seeking memorabilia for a time capsule to be buried under the Venetian Room stage.

Anyone providing an item selected for inclusion in the capsule will be invited to the private preview on September 15, 2016. To share memorabilia for consideration, please drop off items the Hotel concierge desk or mail to: Sara Stolpe, Social Catering Manager, at Fairmont Dallas, 1717 N. Akard St., Dallas, TX 75201. For more information about the memorabilia search, please call Sara Stolpe at 214-720-5275. For more information about Fairmont Dallas, please visit fairmont.com/Dallas.