By mary shannon wells
Want to know the best way to make Mobile, Alabama, natives’ blood boil? Tell them Mardi Gras was started in New Orleans or argue with them when they insist that, “No, Mardi Gras began in Mobile.”
Mobilians are proud of their city’s rich history, especially the part that includes one of the world’s most lively traditions, the season that is Mardi Gras. I would know, because I’m from Mobile. After moving away from Mobile, I was shocked how many people, even other Alabama natives, don’t know much about Mardi Gras other than MoonPies, beads and parties.
The best place to learn about Mardi Gras is none other than the William and Emily Hearin Mobile Carnival Museum. I took a tour of the museum with its curator, Edward B. Ladd. The museum is a nonprofit project of the Mobile Carnival Association, or MCA.
Any and all Mardi Gras historical information can be found at the Carnival Museum’s website, mobilecarnivalmuseum.com or on their virtual tour at mobilecarnival.toursphere.com.
Mardi Gras began in 1703 at Twenty-Seven Mile Bluff, the first settlement in Mobile. The first masked parading society was formed in 1830, and it was called the Cowbellion de Rakin Society. Over 300 years have passed since then, and Mardi Gras has grown to include over 60 parading and non-parading organizations in Mobile. Cities all over the United States have created Mardi Gras celebrations and societies of their own, but none are quite like the original in Mobile.
The Mobile Carnival Association was established in 1872, and its founders thought it fitting for a king to rule over Mardi Gras. The first king ruled under the name “Emperor Felix I.” In 1875, the Carnival Association convinced the Alabama state legislature to declare Fat Tuesday a legal holiday, according to the Carnival Museum.
A queen was added to MCA’s royalty in 1893, and in 1927 the Carnival Association officially adopted the name of their king as “King Felix III.” Their coronation is traditionally held on the Saturday before Mardi Gras day, or Fat Tuesday.
Although the Mobile Carnival Association was the first to establish a queen and king, many organizations have their own queens, kings and courts.
In the MCA court, the king, queen and the ladies of their court wear long trains. These trains can weigh over 50 pounds and be 15 feet or longer. However, the ornateness of the design determines the length and weight of the train. The ladies in waiting and the queen also wear sparkling crowns and mantles on their shoulders, adding even more weight to their ensembles.
Handcrafting a Mardi Gras train is no easy task, especially when figuring out how to attach it to a dress and ensure the wearer can even pull the train around. Kim McKinney has been making these trains for several organizations since 2014.
“Train-making is different than sewing because you don’t do it on a machine,” McKinney said. “It’s all done by hand.”
McKinney has been making dresses for the Mobile Azalea Trail Maids, a separate Mobile tradition from Mardi Gras, for years. She had never thought about train-making before, until a friend asked her to make her daughter’s train.
“I said, ‘You know I’ve not done this before,’ and she goes, ‘Yeah, but I know you can do it,’ ” McKinney said.
She could, and she did. The first two trains McKinney made took about eight weeks each, and she estimated she worked 25 hours per week. In order to make the trains, McKinney has to have the right materials, and in order to have the right materials, she had to get a business license. McKinney gets most of her materials from wholesale places in New York. Trains can include fabric, ribbon, jewels, fringe — any material you can imagine. Many trains have hundreds of beads and crystals so that they sparkle in the spotlight. Sometimes, the fabric McKinney buys comes from a “one-off,” which is basically leftover fabric that designers sell at wholesale prices once they’re done with it. McKinney has her “big bag of bling” that she keeps all her train materials in.
“You don’t just slap one thing on there,” McKinney said. “It just keeps building up and building up, but that’s what makes it look better than a craft project is to give it that depth and layered look.”
First, McKinney sits down with her clients to discuss each girl’s vision for her train. Many trains showcase the wearer’s hobbies, favorite places or different influences. For example, some trains might have a nautical theme or feature the girl’s favorite flower. No two trains are alike, and court members can let their personalities and imaginations show on their trains. Aside from the fun colors and designs, there’s also a lot of technical work that goes into making Mardi Gras trains.
“The hardest part is figuring out how to incorporate it into the dress and make sure that if the girl wants it pulled up here (on the shoulders) or wants it pulled down here (on the waist),” McKinney said.
Since the trains weigh so much, they have to be securely fastened to the dresses to prevent any mishaps.
“I tell you, that Coronation night, I’m as nervous as anybody in there,” McKinney said.
McKinney also makes miniature trains for the stuffed animals that the knights of the court present to the ladies of the court at the Queen’s Luncheon on Lundi Gras, the Monday before Fat Tuesday. Each knight gives his lady a stuffed animal — usually her favorite animal — wearing a replica of her train. McKinney has made miniature trains for a stuffed lion, German shepherd, teddy bear and even a porcelain doll.
“Those are like making throw pillows,” McKinney laughed. “I mean they’re not because they’re still hand-done and everything, but I can usually make one of them in about three days. They’re fun to make because they’re little.”
As cute as the stuffed animal’s trains are, McKinney is most proud of the big trains she makes. After hours of hand-sewing each train, McKinney loves to see the ladies of the court walk out in her creations, even if her hands and fingers are cut and calloused from hand-stitching every last bead.
“It’s quite an adventure,” McKinney said.
As grand as the trains are, every queen has to have a crown, including the queen of Mardi Gras. Dynasty Collection in the Springhill area of Mobile is where over 170 organizations from along the Gulf Coast come for custom-made crowns, scepters, pins and jewelry fit for royalty.
Tanya and Tommy (known to everyone in Mobile as “Mr. Tommy”) Cain and Tanya’s parents Jim and Jane Rhinewalt own and run the business together. The family got their start traveling and selling word pins in trade shows. One year, the mother of a Mardi Gras queen asked them if they could make a crown for her daughter. From there, the rest is royal history. Almost 30 years later, Dynasty Collection serves clients of all kinds. While the bulk of their business is in Mardi Gras, Dynasty Collection works for many different societies and groups — even pirate organizations — everywhere from the coast of Texas down to Tampa, Florida.
“What we do is we up the ante,” Tanya Cain said. “Instead of fighting China on price point and volume, which we’re not into, we’re more one-one-one. We upped the ante. In other words, we use top-of-the-line product, and it’s all custom-made.”
Every crown and scepter the Cains and Rhinewalts sell is hand-and custom-made. Each pin, crown and scepter starts with a custom mold. The pieces are put into the molds to make an impression, and then Jane Rhinewalt adds the stones into the mold. In the back of the shop, Tommy Cain and Jim Rhinewalt solder the materials together. The last step is to plate the item, whether it be a crown or scepter, in either silver or gold.
“We use the highest-end materials that you could use, which is Swarovski crystals,” Tanya Cain said. “None of our materials come from China.”
The Cains and Rhinewalts are proud to have everything made in-store. Even the Swarovski crystals Dynasty Collection uses are of the highest quality and cut. When a customer comes to Dynasty Collection, they can expect to quite literally be treated like royalty.
“When they come in here, it’s all about them,” Tanya Cain said. “We get large groups that come in. We’ll have the king and queen and maybe the board, the officers. They’ll schedule an appointment because we work by appointment only. They’ll rent a limo. They make a party out of it.”
Customers try the crowns on display to pick which design they prefer. The display crowns are adjustable in the back so that Tanya and Tommy can measure the customer’s head. Once they’re measured, the Cains and Rhinewalts create a custom-fit crown with the design the customer picked. Unlike the adjustable crowns that have the adjustable fastener in the back, the design goes all the way around the back of the head on the custom-made crowns. Then, customers can add any color stone or charm they want featured on their crown to personalize it.
Many people put a little charm on the back of the crown to represent something that’s special to them. Some have their initials and the year of their reign soldered on the back, while others include a charm of their pet or their alma mater’s letters.
One customer had worked her way up to be queen in an organization, but by the time she was named queen, her parents weren’t alive to see it. When she came to get her crown, she brought her parents’ wedding rings to Dynasty Collection. The Cains and Rhinewalts cut and interlocked the rings and then soldered them in the back of her crown right above her initials.
“So that when she made her walk, it was like her parents were with her,” Tanya Cain said. “So people don’t realize that behind all the glitz and glamour, there’s a lot of personal meaning and a lot of historical value to it.”
And she’s right. Mardi Gras crowns become family heirlooms that can be passed down through generations. While many kings and queens keep their crowns in the family, some donate their jewels to museums like the Mobile Carnival Museum.
“It’s just really a special thing that will last in their memory forever, and their crown will stay in their family forever,” Tanya Cain said.
However, Dynasty Collection doesn’t stop with the crowns. Every crown made at Dynasty Collection has a matching scepter. Traditionally, scepters are a sign of authority or royalty.
“People on stage use a microphone, well royalty — kings and queens — have a scepter, and that’s the way they greet their guests,” Tanya Cain said. “The king or queen make their walk, and they’re presented to their subjects or to the organization … So as they see people throughout, they raise the royal scepter to acknowledge them and basically what they’re saying is, ‘Welcome to my ball. I’m glad you’re here.’ ”
Although Dynasty Collection has been crowning kings and queens for decades, Tanya Cain never gets tired of watching customers when their crowns are unveiled.
“I guess the most rewarding part is after it’s all done — after they come in, visit with us, make their selection and we make it — is when they pick it up,” Tanya Cain said. “I mean, we have a little box of tissues. Usually they start crying, especially if they’ve had the back of their crown personalized.”
While the trains, crowns and true royalty of Mobile’s Mardi Gras society are foreign to most people, the parades, beads and MoonPies are universally understood. Toomey’s Mardi Gras has been the place to buy those Mardi Gras supplies in Mobile since 1978.
In the 1970s, Stephen Toomey’s dad began to buy Mardi Gras throws (beads, cups, MoonPies, etc. that “maskers” riding on floats throw to crowds during parades) for himself, and then he began buying throws for his family and friends. Finally, his wife said she’d had enough of people showing up at their house for Mardi Gras throws, so they opened their first retail store.
“It was a seasonal business from really the ’70s up until about ’97 or ’98 when I returned back to Mobile to help them with the business, and we went online,” Toomey said. “ … that kind of turned us into a full-time, year-round operation basically.”
People that visit Toomey’s to buy items to throw in parades usually begin coming around the first of the year, depending on when Mardi Gras falls that year. Toomey said that’s when about 60 percent of their revenue comes in. Even though Mardi Gras is their biggest seller, Toomey’s sells beads to casinos and beach communities on the Gulf Coast and also does a lot of corporate branding for liquor and beer companies. Other holidays like St. Patrick’s Day bring in business for Toomey's too. During the Mardi Gras season, Toomey’s hires about 80 employees, but there’s a core group of about 15 employees that work year-round. Toomey estimated that the store sells over 3 million MoonPies during Mardi Gras season and throughout the year. He said chocolate is the number-one seller in MoonPies every year. Toomey couldn’t even begin to calculate how many beads the store must sell every year.
“It’s just a fun business,” Toomey said. “If you’re going to go spend whatever it is, you know, $500-$1,000 on something, it’s not real exciting shopping for a washer and dryer. But here, people enjoy purchasing their goods.”
Not only do people enjoy purchasing their Mardi Gras supplies at Toomey’s, but they also enjoy keeping up with what’s new each year. Maskers like to know what the crowd wants, and Toomey is always keeping up with the latest trends in throws. Toomey’s carries over 4,000 items, and their inventory is always changing and growing.
“It’s real personal for people. They like to throw what they like to throw, and everybody is always looking for something new and different,” Toomey said. “Light-up toys seem to be extremely popular these days — the glow sticks, things of that nature.”
While light-up toys, beads, masks and all of Toomey’s goods are wacky and fun, Toomey appreciates other aspects of the Mobile Mardi Gras season.
“You know, Mardi Gras is such a melting pot of the community,” Toomey said. “ … They’re all having a good time, and even at the parades you'll notice that. You know, they all treat each other with respect and (it’s) just the way things should be. It really just kind of brings everybody together.”
Toomey couldn't have summed up the true essence of Mobile Mardi Gras better.
During Mardi Gras, kings reign over the city. Children watch in awe as beads come flying through the air at their first parade. Families pass down heirloom crowns and trains. The city comes together to celebrate royalty and revelry. To Mobilians, Mardi Gras isn’t just a holiday or a big party. Mardi Gras is a meaningful part of our history. Mardi Gras is a tradition unlike any other, spanning over 300 years.
Aside from all of that, most importantly, just remember: Mardi Gras began in Mobile, Alabama, not New Orleans.
Mobilians are proud of their city’s rich history, especially the part that includes one of the world’s most lively traditions, the season that is Mardi Gras. I would know, because I’m from Mobile. After moving away from Mobile, I was shocked how many people, even other Alabama natives, don’t know much about Mardi Gras other than MoonPies, beads and parties.
The best place to learn about Mardi Gras is none other than the William and Emily Hearin Mobile Carnival Museum. I took a tour of the museum with its curator, Edward B. Ladd. The museum is a nonprofit project of the Mobile Carnival Association, or MCA.
Any and all Mardi Gras historical information can be found at the Carnival Museum’s website, mobilecarnivalmuseum.com or on their virtual tour at mobilecarnival.toursphere.com.
Mardi Gras began in 1703 at Twenty-Seven Mile Bluff, the first settlement in Mobile. The first masked parading society was formed in 1830, and it was called the Cowbellion de Rakin Society. Over 300 years have passed since then, and Mardi Gras has grown to include over 60 parading and non-parading organizations in Mobile. Cities all over the United States have created Mardi Gras celebrations and societies of their own, but none are quite like the original in Mobile.
The Mobile Carnival Association was established in 1872, and its founders thought it fitting for a king to rule over Mardi Gras. The first king ruled under the name “Emperor Felix I.” In 1875, the Carnival Association convinced the Alabama state legislature to declare Fat Tuesday a legal holiday, according to the Carnival Museum.
A queen was added to MCA’s royalty in 1893, and in 1927 the Carnival Association officially adopted the name of their king as “King Felix III.” Their coronation is traditionally held on the Saturday before Mardi Gras day, or Fat Tuesday.
Although the Mobile Carnival Association was the first to establish a queen and king, many organizations have their own queens, kings and courts.
In the MCA court, the king, queen and the ladies of their court wear long trains. These trains can weigh over 50 pounds and be 15 feet or longer. However, the ornateness of the design determines the length and weight of the train. The ladies in waiting and the queen also wear sparkling crowns and mantles on their shoulders, adding even more weight to their ensembles.
Handcrafting a Mardi Gras train is no easy task, especially when figuring out how to attach it to a dress and ensure the wearer can even pull the train around. Kim McKinney has been making these trains for several organizations since 2014.
“Train-making is different than sewing because you don’t do it on a machine,” McKinney said. “It’s all done by hand.”
McKinney has been making dresses for the Mobile Azalea Trail Maids, a separate Mobile tradition from Mardi Gras, for years. She had never thought about train-making before, until a friend asked her to make her daughter’s train.
“I said, ‘You know I’ve not done this before,’ and she goes, ‘Yeah, but I know you can do it,’ ” McKinney said.
She could, and she did. The first two trains McKinney made took about eight weeks each, and she estimated she worked 25 hours per week. In order to make the trains, McKinney has to have the right materials, and in order to have the right materials, she had to get a business license. McKinney gets most of her materials from wholesale places in New York. Trains can include fabric, ribbon, jewels, fringe — any material you can imagine. Many trains have hundreds of beads and crystals so that they sparkle in the spotlight. Sometimes, the fabric McKinney buys comes from a “one-off,” which is basically leftover fabric that designers sell at wholesale prices once they’re done with it. McKinney has her “big bag of bling” that she keeps all her train materials in.
“You don’t just slap one thing on there,” McKinney said. “It just keeps building up and building up, but that’s what makes it look better than a craft project is to give it that depth and layered look.”
First, McKinney sits down with her clients to discuss each girl’s vision for her train. Many trains showcase the wearer’s hobbies, favorite places or different influences. For example, some trains might have a nautical theme or feature the girl’s favorite flower. No two trains are alike, and court members can let their personalities and imaginations show on their trains. Aside from the fun colors and designs, there’s also a lot of technical work that goes into making Mardi Gras trains.
“The hardest part is figuring out how to incorporate it into the dress and make sure that if the girl wants it pulled up here (on the shoulders) or wants it pulled down here (on the waist),” McKinney said.
Since the trains weigh so much, they have to be securely fastened to the dresses to prevent any mishaps.
“I tell you, that Coronation night, I’m as nervous as anybody in there,” McKinney said.
McKinney also makes miniature trains for the stuffed animals that the knights of the court present to the ladies of the court at the Queen’s Luncheon on Lundi Gras, the Monday before Fat Tuesday. Each knight gives his lady a stuffed animal — usually her favorite animal — wearing a replica of her train. McKinney has made miniature trains for a stuffed lion, German shepherd, teddy bear and even a porcelain doll.
“Those are like making throw pillows,” McKinney laughed. “I mean they’re not because they’re still hand-done and everything, but I can usually make one of them in about three days. They’re fun to make because they’re little.”
As cute as the stuffed animal’s trains are, McKinney is most proud of the big trains she makes. After hours of hand-sewing each train, McKinney loves to see the ladies of the court walk out in her creations, even if her hands and fingers are cut and calloused from hand-stitching every last bead.
“It’s quite an adventure,” McKinney said.
As grand as the trains are, every queen has to have a crown, including the queen of Mardi Gras. Dynasty Collection in the Springhill area of Mobile is where over 170 organizations from along the Gulf Coast come for custom-made crowns, scepters, pins and jewelry fit for royalty.
Tanya and Tommy (known to everyone in Mobile as “Mr. Tommy”) Cain and Tanya’s parents Jim and Jane Rhinewalt own and run the business together. The family got their start traveling and selling word pins in trade shows. One year, the mother of a Mardi Gras queen asked them if they could make a crown for her daughter. From there, the rest is royal history. Almost 30 years later, Dynasty Collection serves clients of all kinds. While the bulk of their business is in Mardi Gras, Dynasty Collection works for many different societies and groups — even pirate organizations — everywhere from the coast of Texas down to Tampa, Florida.
“What we do is we up the ante,” Tanya Cain said. “Instead of fighting China on price point and volume, which we’re not into, we’re more one-one-one. We upped the ante. In other words, we use top-of-the-line product, and it’s all custom-made.”
Every crown and scepter the Cains and Rhinewalts sell is hand-and custom-made. Each pin, crown and scepter starts with a custom mold. The pieces are put into the molds to make an impression, and then Jane Rhinewalt adds the stones into the mold. In the back of the shop, Tommy Cain and Jim Rhinewalt solder the materials together. The last step is to plate the item, whether it be a crown or scepter, in either silver or gold.
“We use the highest-end materials that you could use, which is Swarovski crystals,” Tanya Cain said. “None of our materials come from China.”
The Cains and Rhinewalts are proud to have everything made in-store. Even the Swarovski crystals Dynasty Collection uses are of the highest quality and cut. When a customer comes to Dynasty Collection, they can expect to quite literally be treated like royalty.
“When they come in here, it’s all about them,” Tanya Cain said. “We get large groups that come in. We’ll have the king and queen and maybe the board, the officers. They’ll schedule an appointment because we work by appointment only. They’ll rent a limo. They make a party out of it.”
Customers try the crowns on display to pick which design they prefer. The display crowns are adjustable in the back so that Tanya and Tommy can measure the customer’s head. Once they’re measured, the Cains and Rhinewalts create a custom-fit crown with the design the customer picked. Unlike the adjustable crowns that have the adjustable fastener in the back, the design goes all the way around the back of the head on the custom-made crowns. Then, customers can add any color stone or charm they want featured on their crown to personalize it.
Many people put a little charm on the back of the crown to represent something that’s special to them. Some have their initials and the year of their reign soldered on the back, while others include a charm of their pet or their alma mater’s letters.
One customer had worked her way up to be queen in an organization, but by the time she was named queen, her parents weren’t alive to see it. When she came to get her crown, she brought her parents’ wedding rings to Dynasty Collection. The Cains and Rhinewalts cut and interlocked the rings and then soldered them in the back of her crown right above her initials.
“So that when she made her walk, it was like her parents were with her,” Tanya Cain said. “So people don’t realize that behind all the glitz and glamour, there’s a lot of personal meaning and a lot of historical value to it.”
And she’s right. Mardi Gras crowns become family heirlooms that can be passed down through generations. While many kings and queens keep their crowns in the family, some donate their jewels to museums like the Mobile Carnival Museum.
“It’s just really a special thing that will last in their memory forever, and their crown will stay in their family forever,” Tanya Cain said.
However, Dynasty Collection doesn’t stop with the crowns. Every crown made at Dynasty Collection has a matching scepter. Traditionally, scepters are a sign of authority or royalty.
“People on stage use a microphone, well royalty — kings and queens — have a scepter, and that’s the way they greet their guests,” Tanya Cain said. “The king or queen make their walk, and they’re presented to their subjects or to the organization … So as they see people throughout, they raise the royal scepter to acknowledge them and basically what they’re saying is, ‘Welcome to my ball. I’m glad you’re here.’ ”
Although Dynasty Collection has been crowning kings and queens for decades, Tanya Cain never gets tired of watching customers when their crowns are unveiled.
“I guess the most rewarding part is after it’s all done — after they come in, visit with us, make their selection and we make it — is when they pick it up,” Tanya Cain said. “I mean, we have a little box of tissues. Usually they start crying, especially if they’ve had the back of their crown personalized.”
While the trains, crowns and true royalty of Mobile’s Mardi Gras society are foreign to most people, the parades, beads and MoonPies are universally understood. Toomey’s Mardi Gras has been the place to buy those Mardi Gras supplies in Mobile since 1978.
In the 1970s, Stephen Toomey’s dad began to buy Mardi Gras throws (beads, cups, MoonPies, etc. that “maskers” riding on floats throw to crowds during parades) for himself, and then he began buying throws for his family and friends. Finally, his wife said she’d had enough of people showing up at their house for Mardi Gras throws, so they opened their first retail store.
“It was a seasonal business from really the ’70s up until about ’97 or ’98 when I returned back to Mobile to help them with the business, and we went online,” Toomey said. “ … that kind of turned us into a full-time, year-round operation basically.”
People that visit Toomey’s to buy items to throw in parades usually begin coming around the first of the year, depending on when Mardi Gras falls that year. Toomey said that’s when about 60 percent of their revenue comes in. Even though Mardi Gras is their biggest seller, Toomey’s sells beads to casinos and beach communities on the Gulf Coast and also does a lot of corporate branding for liquor and beer companies. Other holidays like St. Patrick’s Day bring in business for Toomey's too. During the Mardi Gras season, Toomey’s hires about 80 employees, but there’s a core group of about 15 employees that work year-round. Toomey estimated that the store sells over 3 million MoonPies during Mardi Gras season and throughout the year. He said chocolate is the number-one seller in MoonPies every year. Toomey couldn’t even begin to calculate how many beads the store must sell every year.
“It’s just a fun business,” Toomey said. “If you’re going to go spend whatever it is, you know, $500-$1,000 on something, it’s not real exciting shopping for a washer and dryer. But here, people enjoy purchasing their goods.”
Not only do people enjoy purchasing their Mardi Gras supplies at Toomey’s, but they also enjoy keeping up with what’s new each year. Maskers like to know what the crowd wants, and Toomey is always keeping up with the latest trends in throws. Toomey’s carries over 4,000 items, and their inventory is always changing and growing.
“It’s real personal for people. They like to throw what they like to throw, and everybody is always looking for something new and different,” Toomey said. “Light-up toys seem to be extremely popular these days — the glow sticks, things of that nature.”
While light-up toys, beads, masks and all of Toomey’s goods are wacky and fun, Toomey appreciates other aspects of the Mobile Mardi Gras season.
“You know, Mardi Gras is such a melting pot of the community,” Toomey said. “ … They’re all having a good time, and even at the parades you'll notice that. You know, they all treat each other with respect and (it’s) just the way things should be. It really just kind of brings everybody together.”
Toomey couldn't have summed up the true essence of Mobile Mardi Gras better.
During Mardi Gras, kings reign over the city. Children watch in awe as beads come flying through the air at their first parade. Families pass down heirloom crowns and trains. The city comes together to celebrate royalty and revelry. To Mobilians, Mardi Gras isn’t just a holiday or a big party. Mardi Gras is a meaningful part of our history. Mardi Gras is a tradition unlike any other, spanning over 300 years.
Aside from all of that, most importantly, just remember: Mardi Gras began in Mobile, Alabama, not New Orleans.