It Took Over 33 Years, But Postman Ferdinand Cheval Built Himself A Palace
Ferdinand Cheval photo via Bonkersclutterbucks.com
As a postal carrier in southern France, Joseph Ferdinand Cheval could only dream of owning a mansion. Cheval would spend his free time looking at pictures and reading books about palaces and castles.
In his postal duties Cheval would pass by a magnificent castle-like home, admiring it every day. But what sparked his imagination and lead to taking action was an accident. Continue reading →
Nassau Street and Maiden Lane 1915 – The Center of Stamp Collecting
In this snapshot bereft of vehicles and full of people, Nassau Street is seen from Maiden Lane at ground level.
A boy runs towards the cameraman and pedestrians go about their business on a typical day in lower Manhattan.
In 1915 Nassau Street was lined with restaurants, drug stores, bars and merchants like an umbrella repair shop with its sign seen directly behind the man standing on the corner with the straw hat. Also behind the umbrella sign is 61 Nassau Street.
Wall Street Workers Have Money To Spend
This area is in the environs of the financial district. Quite a few of the downtown workers could afford to spend their money on luxuries and hobbies. Maiden Lane was once known for its cluster of jewelry manufacturers and shops. Continue reading →
Doctor’s Orders
Because of the immense success of two episodes in the Dr. Kildare TV series which featured lovely Yvette Mimieux as the glamor interest for Richard Chamberlain, the handsome doctor of Blair General Hospital is to have the girl as his leading lady in a feature film called Joy In The Morning. For us, the appearance on the screen of enchanting Yvette Mimieux will make it joy in the afternoon or evening as well. – May 15, 1964 – NBC
After receiving hundreds of fan letters praising her appearance on Dr. Kildare Yvette Mimieux said, “People loved it because I played a vital, intelligent girl. She was a surfer but wasn’t cheap. Producers of vulgar pictures are exploiting the industry. They forget there are still many people of good taste.”
A “Good Blank Expression”
Yvette Carmen Mimeux was born January 8, 1942 in Los Angeles to a Mexican mother Maria del Carmen-Montemayor (1910-2000) and a French father, Rene Antoine Mimieux (1900-1978).
Yvette Mimieux was discovered by her manager, Jim Byron by accident when she was 15-years-old. Byron was riding in a helicopter on his way to an event and strong winds forced the helicopter to land on a bridle path where Mimieux was riding with a girl friend. Continue reading →
NYC Schools Used To Teach Kids The Responsibilities Of Citizenship
Something We Apparently Fail To Do Now
Teaching Civics, Respect & Unity, Not Divisiveness
Boys Club of PS 62 Hester and Norfolk St with policeman c 1907
Originally this piece was going to be about how dysfunctional the New York City school system is.
Then I realized that a critique of all the political correctness and hypocrisy that dominates decision making at the Department of Education and what kids are actually learning would require a book rather than an article.
Instead it would be better to examine what children used to learn in grammar school. The main focus was of course on reading, writing and arithmetic. A primary education as it should be.
The established standards applied to all children, regardless of religion, ethnicity, race or income level. But something else was taught that has been lost today: how to become useful and good citizens.
Simply put, Civics.
To understand this better let’s turn to a book that was in use in New York City schools during the early part of the twentieth century.
The book is called Good Citizenship by Julia Richman, Continue reading →
Lost Video Of Australia’s #1 Band In The 1960s Rediscovered
The Easybeats Perform Friday On My Mind On BBC’s Top Of The Pops
Top Of The Pops (TOTP) ran weekly on BBC One Television from 1964 – 2006. The program would highlight the top charting musical acts and their songs. Unfortunately only five complete episodes of the 315 TOTP programs from the 1960s exist. The rest of the tapes were wiped clean for re-use as videotape was considered more valuable than preserving the program.
Lucy Culliton the daughter of former television director Tony Cuillton was going through the belongings of her late father at the family home in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia, when she made an astonishing discovery.
On a shelf with reel to reel audio tapes, one small box was labeled “Easybeats print – Friday On My Mind.” It was a film copy of The Easybeats performance on TOTP from November 24, 1966.
Culliton had worked with The Easybeats earlier in 1966, directing the live music program It’s All Happening, and later an Easybeats TV special.
You’ll notice none of the musicians even have their instrument cords attached to amplifiers. So the performance is playback with live vocals from lead singer Stevie Wright.
In Australia Friday on My Mind was a number one hit and also charted well in Europe and the U.S.A. The song Continue reading →
Unloading The Cargo At The Fulton Fish Market 1923
The Fulton Fish Market turned 200 years old in 2021. According to Richard C. McKay author of South StreetA Mariritme History of New York (Putnam) 1934, after a fire in January 1821 destroyed a large number of wooden buildings around South Street, a fish market building was erected in the area and was open for business in November of that year.
Our photograph was taken by Percy Loomis Sperr in 1923 and shows the loading of fish into barrels. Continue reading →
The Seymour families in the 1960s photo via theoldcuriousityshop.net
Cape Cod 60 years ago. Fewer people. No cell phones to tether your life to work. And fewer distractions when on vacation. It was a time to spend with your family. It was a simpler way of life.
For brothers Mike and Thaddeus Seymour and their families, the early 1960s was apparently an idyllic time. From 1959 – 2003 the families annually spent two weeks together on the Cape in Chatham and later Orleans.
The family have put a few of these home movie memories up on YouTube. Continue reading →
An out of work man, a beautiful woman, gangsters, an about to retire visually impaired cop, an escaped lion and a robbery at The Central Park Casino make up the plot of Warner Bros. 1932 drama Central Park.Continue reading →
The Army Fires Live Shells & Hits New York’s Equitable Building – 1942
Photograph shows where New York City’s Equitable Building was struck by an anti-aircraft shell. March 13, 1942 Photo: AP
The old Equitable Building at 120 Broadway was destroyed by fire January 9, 1912.
A different sort of accident occurred thirty years later to the new Equitable Building.
On Friday, March 13, 1942 during World War II, eight anti-aircraft shells were mistakenly launched by the army from the East River. The Equitable Building was hit by one of the 37 millimeter shells. Continue reading →
Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell At Grauman’s Chinese Theater 1953
Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell leave lasting impressions at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. If it were up to Marilyn though it would not have been their hands and feet impressed in wet cement in front of the theater. Continue reading →
