Oral History Center, the Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley

Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley Oral History Center University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Jeanne Rose Jeanne Rose: Rock and Roll Couturière, Herbalist, Aromatherapist, Author, and Ecologist Interviews conducted by Amanda Tewes in 2018 Interviews sponsored by Ann Ash and Christine Suppes Copyright © 2018 by The Regents of the University of California Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley ii Since 1954 the Oral History Center of the Bancroft Library, formerly the Regional Oral History Office, has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the nation. Oral History is a method of collecting historical information through tape-recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. The tape recording is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The corrected manuscript is bound with photographs and illustrative materials and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and in other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ********************************* All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between The Regents of the University of California and Jeanne Rose dated May 14, 2018. The manuscript is thereby made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Excerpts up to 1000 words from this interview may be quoted for publication without seeking permission as long as the use is non-commercial and properly cited. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to The Bancroft Library, Head of Public Services, Mail Code 6000, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-6000, and should follow instructions available online at http://ucblib.link/OHC-rights. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Jeanne Rose, “Jeanne Rose: Rock and Roll Couturière, Herbalist, Aromatherapist, Author, and Ecologist” conducted by Amanda Tewes in 2018, Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 2018. Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley iii Jeanne Rose doing a television demonstration for KPIX Channel 5 with Helen Bentley, photo by Ken Howard, March 5, 1973 Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley iv Jeanne Rose is an herbalist, aromatherapist, distiller, and was the couturière to rock and roll bands like Jefferson Airplane in the late 1960s. Rose grew up in Antioch, California, and graduated from San José State University in the 1950s before attending University of Miami Marine Laboratory for graduate school. She started a couturière business called New Age Creations in Cloth, and her fashions became emblematic of the hippie movement in San Francisco. Rose has written over twenty books about herbal remedies and uses, including the 1972 Herbs and Things: A Compendium of Practical and Exotic Herb Lore. She also owned and operated New Age Creations, the first natural cosmetic company in the United States. She continues to teach and lecture about herbalism in the Bay Area. In this interview, Rose discusses her early life and education in the sciences; living simultaneously in Big Sur and San Francisco in the 1960s; designing and making clothes for rock and roll bands in San Francisco, especially Jefferson Airplane; the hippie movement in California; researching and writing books on herbalism; making and selling natural products, including Bruise Juice; personal ecology and its relation to consumerism and environmentalism. Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley v Table of Contents — Jeanne Rose Interview 1: April 23, 2018 Hour 1 1 Born in Stockton, California, on January 9, 1937, as Jean Alice Colón — Growing up in Antioch, California — Changing name to Jeanne Rose — Parents and family background — Mother’s friendship with OSS agent Linn Farish — During World War II, father built canals in California and mother worked as a GS-2 typist — Parents’ divorce — Working for California Fairs and Expositions as a livestock secretary and rodeo clerk — Childhood during World War II — Swim training with Coach Charlie Sava — Involvement in Girl Scouts — Relationship with her mother — Attending Catholic boarding school in Benicia, California — High school antics — Attending San José State University [SJSU] starting in 1954 and living at the Catholic Women’s Center Hour 2 21 Attending a summer program at Hopkins Marine Station — College professors — Taking care of bodies in the animal room at SJSU — Brief first marriage and move to Hawaii — Graduating from SJSU in January 1960 — Observing prejudice in St. Louis, Missouri, and Florida — Attending University of Miami Marine Laboratory School for graduate school — Collecting insects and recording honey bee movements — Marrying second husband — Divorcing and leaving Florida in 1963 — Driving cross-country with her dog, George, to return to California Interview 2: April 30, 2018 Hour 1 35 Mother’s indigenous and French Canadian heritage — Journey to Big Sur, California — Working for the phone company in Monterey, California — Having her daughter, Amber, in 1964 — Introduction to LSD — Connections to nature and natural food — Residences in Big Sur and San Francisco — Forays into spiritualism — Consumerism — Experience with LSD — Opinion on term ‘hippie’ — Using natural fabrics for clothing — Partaking in the Death of Money film — Summer of Love in 1967 Hour 2 52 The Diggers’ performance of the Death of Hippie — Making and selling baby clothes and menswear — Clothing photographed by Baron Wolman — Building her couturière business, New Age Creations in Cloth — Using the name Jeanne Farout — Fash-In fashion show at Pauley Ballroom at UC Berkeley — Design inspiration and materials — Paisley and Tie-Dye — Working for Dr. Linus Pauling — Collarless shirt as her signature piece — Interviews with national magazines, such as Rolling Stone — Making clothing for bands such as Cold Blood, Country Joe and the Fish, Elvin Bishop, the Flamin’ Groovies, Fourth Way, the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver, Rascals, and Steve Miller Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley vi Hour 3 71 Working mainly with Jefferson Airplane — Magazine spread for the San Francisco Chronicle in October 1967, featuring her clothing and friend, Janis Joplin — Working with Marika Contompasis — Being a single mother — Design inspiration — Working with Jefferson Airplane — Connection between consumerism, environmentalism, and fashion — Making a flag for Jefferson Airplane — Marrying third husband, Michael S. Moore — Designs shown in the Summer of Love exhibit at the De Young Museum in 2017 — Amelia Newell and the Sun Gallery — Car crash on March 30, 1969 — Writing Herbs and Things Interview 3: May 14, 2018 Hour 1 85 Love beads — Attending Altamont Speedway Music Festival in December 1969 — Experimenting with herbalism and writing Herbs and Things — Having her son, Bryan — Making and selling natural products, including Bruise Juice — Collection of antiquarian books about herbs — Process of researching and writing books — Forming New Age Creations, the first natural cosmetic company — Learning to distill — Experiences as a woman in STEM — Impact of written work on the field of herbalism — Researching and writing more books — Writing a blog with the backing of Eden Botanicals — Herbs and Things banned — Working for Dr. Linus Pauling Hour 2 102 Personal definitions of herbalism and aromatherapy — Making shampoo and other products — Distillation and inventing the word “hydrosol” — Traveling to speak about herbalism — Losing the draft of her first aromatherapy book —Teaching a class on witchcraft — Teaching herbalism at UC Extension — Philosophy of personal ecology — Changes in the practice of herbalism — Consumerism — Changing fashion according to location — Giving New Age Creations to her employees in 1980 — Time with children while running businesses — Girl Scouts — Memory of a teenage date — Making toothpaste and detergent — Personal garden in San Francisco — Changes in the Bay Area and in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood — Contributions to the fields of herbalism, aromatherapy, and distillation Hour 3 119 Farming in California — Reflections on teaching — Climate change and population growth — Personal legacy Appendices: Jeanne Rose Timeline 123 Jeanne Rose Honors and Awards 124 Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley vii Bands that Wore Jeanne Rose Clothes 125 Quotes 126 Images 128 Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley 1 Interview 1: April 23, 2018 01-00:00:02 Tewes: Okay. This is the first interview with Jeanne Rose for the Oral History Center of The Bancroft Library. The interview is being conducted by Amanda Tewes

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