A lot of Pacifica life is not easily seen. There is much going on behind closed doors – including longtime businesses. Periwinkle Custom Framing is one such business. Lionel Emde, owner of Periwinkle Custom Framing, has experience in matting and framing that goes back to his youth, learned from his mother Enid, and father Dale’s business, which went by the name of Periwinkle Art Gallery, then Periwinkle Prints and Gifts, to now Periwinkle Custom Framing.
Lionel regularly does work for fine art museums in San Francisco, so he knows his business — you will see that he comes by it honestly. Periwinkle’s employees were known as the “Winkle Workers,” who were also artists and friends. Their clients spanned the range of local to well-known artists, like Galen Wolf, who was also a dear friend. Over the years, from 1969 to the present, Periwinkle has occupied nine locations in Pacifica, sequentially - that might be a record!
In addition to the Emdes’ involvement with the visual arts, they are also a musical family. Lionel not only plays trumpet, he repairs brass instruments of all kinds for Hornucopia in San Carlos. His father Dale was an opera singer who performed for the San Francisco Opera House. In addition to his career as an opera singer, he and Enid both majored in music at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The Emdes and Periwinkle framing are part of a very rich history in Pacifica, which is ongoing.
What makes a person start a business, and stay in it for decades? Enid Emde didn't intend to start her own business, when she went to work part-time at a gallery in Pacifica. As Enid explains: "In 1969, a gallery and potter’s workshop named Dal-Pac, in Pacific Manor, run by Larry Kempher, was for sale. The workshop was located next door to Manor Music. To keep costs down, the two businesses shared the same telephone number. When they received a call (phone was located in our shop), I'd bang on the wall! Can you imagine that happening now?
When Larry moved to Palmetto, between an electrician and plumber who hung a toilet seat outside his door for “open” and “closed” information. It was Kempher’s belief that Palmetto was destined to become Pacifica’s 'downtown.'" Larry asked Enid to help him find someone to carry on the business, and she did. Hours were 10 to 3:30 PM, so mom was home after school. The potter's workshop was gone.
Deb: "So, where did the name: Periwinkle come from?"
Enid:"I renamed it The Periwinkle, because that is a shell, a color, and a flower, and reflects the energy felt within the store.”
Occupying a total of nine locations, Periwinkle, in its various transitions, may have set a record for occupying the most addresses in Pacifica. These included two in Pedro Point, two in the Pacific Manor district, and three in the Sharp Park district (Eureka Square).
Enid: "Periwinkle carried consigned art and art supplies. A vacancy in an old surf shop on Pedro Point opened up, and the gallery moved again. After about 21/2 years, the Firehouse on the point was for rent. Another move, but what a wonderful setting. The firehouse was a perfect setup for concerts, movies and gallery openings."
It was in the Firehouse on Pedro Point where Enid, Dale and friends had quick set-ups in place for film festivals and musical events.
Enid: "At the firehouse, we built large flats with rollers, to hang the art. They were moveable, and stacked nicely. The firehouse provided chairs. A stage was built and soon Sheldon Smith, our friend and piano restorer, provided a nine-foot Steinway for concerts. Between 1972 and 1978, we had classical concerts twice monthly. Lionel recorded many of the concerts. Eventually “Jazz at the Firehouse” began.
In addition to “Music at the Gallery”, Dave Campbell set up a program of old movies where popcorn was provided. The 'Flash Gordon' series brought so many people from all over the peninsula, the fire department made us install push bar doors for safety."
Dale Emde spoke of the Flash Gordon series that Periwinkle presented, which brought out people in droves. “There was this talk show on the radio, and the host was sitting in for the regular D.J. I thought, well, maybe this guy would like to listen to our Flash Gordon Series at Periwinkle, or say something about it...and so, he put it on the air (laughs), and that place was just flooded with people – jammed! And we had this whole series of Flash Gordon films....and they were really bad....but we also had lots of wine, so it somehow didn’t matter!”
Periwinkle preceded the Sanchez Concert Hall as Pacifica’s entertainment center. Despite all the activity, the firehouse was in a remote location. Being an entertainment center does not necessarily help business. Yes, another move, this time to Linda Mar Center. The Winkle Workers were Enid, Dale, Lionel, Donna Reid, Shirley Petersen, Maggie Piver, Deb House and Big B, their store cat.
Enid: "Business grew, and we needed more room. We asked for half of the adjacent shop, since the owners wanted less space. The management said they would prefer putting a Kragen’s in the extra space. We did it again. We moved to Eureka Square, eventually expanding into two stores, a gallery, gift stop and a custom framing and office supply store. Discount art suppliers put an end to the art supply sales.”
At that time, Dale left his job with a pharmaceutical company to work with Enid at Periwinkle in the framing department of the gallery. The Prints and Gifts shop, which was managed by Enid and the "Winkle Workers", held art exhibits and hosted many receptions for the artists whose works were featured. The gift store was so successful that it moved to a larger location in the shopping center. Lionel helped with the work and managed the store, with his parents.
My next column will include more about the “Winkle Workers", and about Periwinkle today. Stay tuned!
