This 1920 photo shows the future president holding a rifle. For gun enthusiasts the rifle is most likely a Remington M91 Mosin Nagant. The uncropped but blurrier photo below Continue reading
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.
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
The event held on January 25, 1939 in Fort Myer, VA was a benefit fighting infantile paralysis. Errol Flynn (above) rides Badger, a horse belonging to John Roosevelt, son of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
So what did Flynn do to earn the trophy? Being a movie star entitles one to receive accolades and awards even if they’re meaningless. Mrs. Roosevelt presents Flynn a silver cup for participating in the event.
As part a two day show, for the President’s birthday program, monies went to the National Foundation of Infantile Paralysis. The previous year, comedian Eddie Cantor incorporated the name this organization is commonly known as today – The March of Dimes. Continue reading
President William Howard Taft throws out the ceremonial first pitch at opening day -1911.
President McKinley was invited to the Baltimore Orioles National League opening day in 1897, and though he assured the team he would try to make it to the game, he ended up not going. Had McKinley attended he might have been the first president to attend baseball’s opening day and throw out a ceremonial first pitch.
In 1910 President William Howard Taft threw a ceremonial first pitch to begin the baseball season. Taft, threw the baseball from the grandstand to pitcher Walter Johnson, but catcher Gabby Street who Taft was supposed to throw it to, took the ball from Johnson and promptly put the ball in his pocket to keep as a souvenir. Later, Street returned the baseball to Johnson who went on to pitch a one-hit, 3-0 shutout against the visiting Philadelphia Athletics.
After the game Johnson sent the ball to the White House to have it autographed by Taft. President Taft returned the ball to Johnson with this inscription: “To Walter Johnson, with the hope that he may continue to be as formidable as in yesterday’s game. William H. Taft.”
Since then it has become a tradition for the president to attend baseball’s opening day and toss a pitch.
President Woodrow Wilson with his wife Edith at opening day – 1916.
It was relatively easy for the president to show up at opening day with the Washington Senators having their home games at Griffith Stadium from 1911 – 1961, only five miles from the White House.
In recent years many presidents have shirked the tradition and have attended only one or two opening games during their presidential tenure. While he was President, Jimmy Carter never attended an opening day, but did throw out a ceremonial first pitch at the 1979 World Series. In his eight years as commander-in-chief Barack Obama has only attended one opening day.
Here is a gallery of president’s at opening day.
President Warren G. Harding at opening day – 1922. Continue reading
The Nation Mourns After Learning of the Death Of F.D.R.
This is how the New York newspapers announced the death of F.D.R. on April 12, 1945.
70 years ago today when the 32nd President of the Unites States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt died suddenly of a massive stroke at the age of 63 in Warm Springs, GA there was an overwhelming outpouring of grief across the globe.
With the exception of Adolph Hitler and a few die hard anti-FDR Republicans most of the world was saddened to learn of Roosevelt’s death. Roosevelt was held in high esteem by most Americans, even those that did not agree with many of his policies. There were also those who could not stand the man, but were in awe of Roosevelt as a shrewd politician and the job he had done in seeing the United States through the Great Depression and World War II.
It was especially sad that Roosevelt never got to witness the end of the war which brought final victory to the Allies. Less than four weeks after Roosevelt’s death, Hitler and Mussolini were dead and Victory in Europe Day was celebrated May 8, 1945. Japan unconditionally surrendered on August 15, 1945.
What I cannot imagine happening now in today’s world of partisan politics is having a universal outpouring of sorrow if a President were to die suddenly while in office. There is so much outright hatred and disrespect in modern politics that we will never see anything like this again.
FDR’s funeral procession in Washington D.C.
The Brooklyn Eagle Continue reading