tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44470207728091504782024-03-18T12:13:28.933-04:00TempoSenzaTempoA photo gallery of timeless musiciansMike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.comBlogger692125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-79368521851363115982024-03-16T18:09:00.003-04:002024-03-16T18:31:20.597-04:00The Elegant Guitarist<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SvctAiPTj742DrlDhPw2d0JHLGFhbbgR-8RJUhrTopUe7o-F1aip7q9O64DlgjLEToid86wdeTRixVb9FdhT7r1yPJm5008dJ1IHtYoAL3xiDNSNk_TwvB6vlUOf49s3OJ4GB6yjvFvRG1whx5eIzuWZVdsYHJjs8HSHmuOHd_2jPSNvBRRpr73ZyCc/s1610/New%20York%20Guitar%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1610" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SvctAiPTj742DrlDhPw2d0JHLGFhbbgR-8RJUhrTopUe7o-F1aip7q9O64DlgjLEToid86wdeTRixVb9FdhT7r1yPJm5008dJ1IHtYoAL3xiDNSNk_TwvB6vlUOf49s3OJ4GB6yjvFvRG1whx5eIzuWZVdsYHJjs8HSHmuOHd_2jPSNvBRRpr73ZyCc/w636-h640/New%20York%20Guitar%20tst%20A.jpg" width="636" /></a></div> <br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The guitar is a versatile instrument.<br />It can be played solo <br />or in a group<br />by contributing melody,<br />accompaniment,<br />or both.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSToiRHMLY6mPqrhEBAvMhoZ_eVMxxB6vaFBamk2RAmxy-gD6LNHzUFODvIBeoV_SXhWiY3j-7IQj_7zjd9xqBzW-gIAAgR7ERlin3TmS1vD_pJQrDp3dGT70YYpn1tBrXHfye87G0-AB6DSP590kSjh9yYh07yImfLSSCH95fdjWvkuGo1RJ7IBgmzAc/s1633/Wisconsin%20Guitar%20Duo%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1633" data-original-width="1446" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSToiRHMLY6mPqrhEBAvMhoZ_eVMxxB6vaFBamk2RAmxy-gD6LNHzUFODvIBeoV_SXhWiY3j-7IQj_7zjd9xqBzW-gIAAgR7ERlin3TmS1vD_pJQrDp3dGT70YYpn1tBrXHfye87G0-AB6DSP590kSjh9yYh07yImfLSSCH95fdjWvkuGo1RJ7IBgmzAc/w566-h640/Wisconsin%20Guitar%20Duo%20tst%20C.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's a very tactile instrument, too.<br />The </span><span style="font-size: large;">guitar's </span><span style="font-size: large;">strings and fretboard </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">invite fingers to touch it<br />and make a sound<br />that vibrates the wooden body.<br /></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynI-Y_ohjnQXkA1KxrDflKhTH3lued173bqWtXq208johb_td-dAv2iNpxb0OH62gnh8OtLwFjpBt5rdy_GUyQSj3ulQ7DdOLPSG5PM9sVHch1ngOuSRVk9fT4Yk3Wt9rxVvHfKjfHEs2E_JMU0k2Odib8z3tX2yjb71fa-Tl01sZq18aF9BcBxsfxlI/s1664/Wisconsin%20Guitar%20Duo%20tst%20D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1633" data-original-width="1664" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynI-Y_ohjnQXkA1KxrDflKhTH3lued173bqWtXq208johb_td-dAv2iNpxb0OH62gnh8OtLwFjpBt5rdy_GUyQSj3ulQ7DdOLPSG5PM9sVHch1ngOuSRVk9fT4Yk3Wt9rxVvHfKjfHEs2E_JMU0k2Odib8z3tX2yjb71fa-Tl01sZq18aF9BcBxsfxlI/w640-h628/Wisconsin%20Guitar%20Duo%20tst%20D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Whether strummed or picked,<br />chords and arpeggios<br />come naturally to the guitar<br />and create music<br />that is intimate and personal.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUTulD23Tnx7JNPsyORtN5xXsDak1Y-IvW9Ck7hFWJ1VSD7dK0G5FAuB567-8dtZNw_hrLIBmSei6O38xl1VfLllF2HIrYpbgMg6ffkAFZ-q03g5sf6SLLDll-hvy-UqMVHpfiAvqcE7I93468hdrPyL0FdETBkN36K0SG9AqUJX1InvXYkKyXcIkdLs/s1636/Webb%20City%20MO%20Guitar%20Gal%20tst%20AAA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1636" data-original-width="1615" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUTulD23Tnx7JNPsyORtN5xXsDak1Y-IvW9Ck7hFWJ1VSD7dK0G5FAuB567-8dtZNw_hrLIBmSei6O38xl1VfLllF2HIrYpbgMg6ffkAFZ-q03g5sf6SLLDll-hvy-UqMVHpfiAvqcE7I93468hdrPyL0FdETBkN36K0SG9AqUJX1InvXYkKyXcIkdLs/w632-h640/Webb%20City%20MO%20Guitar%20Gal%20tst%20AAA.jpg" width="632" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It's also lightweight and very portable<br />which makes it easy to make music anywhere.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today a modern guitar can easily rock a stadium <br />with its amplification turned up to eleven, <br />but in earlier non-electric times it was known <br />only in its acoustic form,<br />a shapely classical instrument<br />with a </span><span style="font-size: large;">warm</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">quiet tone.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> <br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I present <br />three vintage photographs<br />of young women who enjoyed <br />playing the guitar. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCVEbzq2o-SaoWSnO-i6F3ZnApYFBPLmAamfj9HbPYvrgK3IyBN9nR9YmFsg-FLK1-lex4KyrtkPvoTnI8UR08MsI2pt6R0srBEqpnTScL2YZDQP3h7wxYlcOL66Y8vxdCrXem5m86t0cmyaeoLi98WYMVNqsm9Xcp6tmDMDNdea65PvfdZ2mAf_LIjs/s2200/New%20York%20Guitar%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1435" height="741" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCVEbzq2o-SaoWSnO-i6F3ZnApYFBPLmAamfj9HbPYvrgK3IyBN9nR9YmFsg-FLK1-lex4KyrtkPvoTnI8UR08MsI2pt6R0srBEqpnTScL2YZDQP3h7wxYlcOL66Y8vxdCrXem5m86t0cmyaeoLi98WYMVNqsm9Xcp6tmDMDNdea65PvfdZ2mAf_LIjs/w484-h741/New%20York%20Guitar%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="484" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My first guitarist posed for her portrait seated with her instrument in playing position. She wears a dark satiny dress made with tight sleeves and collar and a generous amount of material for the skirt. She looks about age 21 to 30 years old with attractive features of a high society woman of the 1880s. I can't say very much about her instrument except that the guitar's body seems smaller than most modern acoustic guitars. The ribbon bow tied to the headstock gives it a light-hearted style. The photo has no annotation so the woman's name is unknown. Her dress and hair style fits with fashions of the late 1880s and early 1890s. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Her photograph was taken at the studio of W. Kurtz in New York City at Madison Square & 233 Broadway. The back of the photo has the Kurtz business mark advertising its 12 first class medals from New York, Vienna, Paris, and Philadelphia. The bottom imprint of <span style="font-family: Playfair Display SC;">Branch 233 Broadway</span> likely means the photo came from that studio which was located, I think, on Broadway across from City Hall park just two blocks up from St. Paul's Chapel. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpu-Z5W21i5C4AmaPQS8tu981TVR2ux2pSZs4y1118qiaaBGkepZf47p6YNPee_rL2DpQ78NMU9tMDVBXnAn90PTff-RccqYktvTyvNziKaEnak0PVh1wIncQxwjMl7TK_vJOf7HaseophtahxTM8LGsEGDQ6Yz39a5FgajJlYlOoLUAHwnS67zZbjbA/s1700/New%20York%20Guitar%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1700" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpu-Z5W21i5C4AmaPQS8tu981TVR2ux2pSZs4y1118qiaaBGkepZf47p6YNPee_rL2DpQ78NMU9tMDVBXnAn90PTff-RccqYktvTyvNziKaEnak0PVh1wIncQxwjMl7TK_vJOf7HaseophtahxTM8LGsEGDQ6Yz39a5FgajJlYlOoLUAHwnS67zZbjbA/w424-h640/New%20York%20Guitar%20tst%20B.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The proprietor of this studio was Wilhelm or <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Kurtz_(photographer)" target="_blank">William Kurtz</a> </b>(1833 – 1904) , a German-American photographer and illustrator. He is recognized as a pioneer in the development of halftone and color printing for reproducing photographs. Kurtz was born in Hesse, Germany in 1833 and as a young man trained to be a lithographer. However after serving his compulsory two years of military service he lost his apprenticeship and left Germany to seek his fortune. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He first traveled to England where he joined the British German Legion and fought in the Crimean War. After surviving that war he set off for China only to be shipwrecked off the Falkland Islands. He was rescued and taken to New York City where he found work in a photography studio. When the American Civil War started Kurtz enlisted in the New York Seventh Regiment and managed to survive that conflict, too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE79OoQEKqEfddXbCc6RjhfodynxQCy5J7LNgdusmc0kNEs_-qFoTivcUUKsg_WhHaMLN2ukB2geScYIjnQ-jwjreHI1cIBiTahbikeMZfad3mntBWmyNtrDLthLBIxjtP1tat9Kdmubg7t13O-DgLyFidtRLwToOhzKcUlPlbvoudMIevcq_SoIec_BY/s760/nypl.digitalcollections.510d47e1-2cf8-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99.001.w.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="578" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE79OoQEKqEfddXbCc6RjhfodynxQCy5J7LNgdusmc0kNEs_-qFoTivcUUKsg_WhHaMLN2ukB2geScYIjnQ-jwjreHI1cIBiTahbikeMZfad3mntBWmyNtrDLthLBIxjtP1tat9Kdmubg7t13O-DgLyFidtRLwToOhzKcUlPlbvoudMIevcq_SoIec_BY/w486-h640/nypl.digitalcollections.510d47e1-2cf8-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99.001.w.jpg" width="486" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Kurtz photograph gallery, circa 1885<br />Source: New York Public Library Archive</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Returning to New York he went back to work as a photographer and in 1873 opened his own studio on East 23rd Street opposite Madison Square. The building was five stories tall and Kurtz's studio was on the top floors to take advantage of window lighting. Later his studio was one of the first to introduce electric lights. In this illustration his studio is covered in advertising promoting his name, but it is interesting that he shared the building with the Remington Sewing Machine Co., too.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">William Kurtz became very successful making portraits of New York's society people and theater and literary celebrities. The last decades of the 19th century were a time when photographs became a very popular medium largely because innovations in photo printing allowed them to be reproduced in great numbers. It's quite possible that this guitarist's photo is a souvenir photo of a well-known actress or socialite but without more clues she will have to remain anonymous.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"> * * *</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrhM3Pfik1chDPdK039fjzH31MGkyNRxRdacg3ykBkAGp5brD46Qo0Dm3rivVXbU-wUoRIhZmIUbFhBKQohK4eqhF7Lw5ydvwoD_H4wU7wKKXPitmyTqKJRdm6AF7WRRhV8Exuv012qQMkNZAGvaRh82uEdaRligy7dkiu1733ChV8Rl3oLkbERYNn-Q/s2300/Wisconsin%20Guitar%20Duo%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1504" data-original-width="2300" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrhM3Pfik1chDPdK039fjzH31MGkyNRxRdacg3ykBkAGp5brD46Qo0Dm3rivVXbU-wUoRIhZmIUbFhBKQohK4eqhF7Lw5ydvwoD_H4wU7wKKXPitmyTqKJRdm6AF7WRRhV8Exuv012qQMkNZAGvaRh82uEdaRligy7dkiu1733ChV8Rl3oLkbERYNn-Q/w640-h418/Wisconsin%20Guitar%20Duo%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My second and third guitarists appeared together as a duo on the same cabinet card photograph. Both wear fine dresses of a dark color with tight sleeves but modestly puffy shoulders, a fashion that dates from the early to mid 1890s. The girl on the left seems rather young, perhaps 14 to 18 years old maybe, while the woman on the right it closer to age 22 or 30. They might be sisters but they don't share many facial features so I'm inclined to think this is a photo of a student and teacher. Their guitars are small like the previous woman's instrument. The girl on the left has a capo across the fretboard to transpose her strings to a higher key. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This photo is in remarkably perfect condition with a high gloss finish that makes it look as if it was taken yesterday. It has none of the surface abrasion or faded contrast that I usually find in antique photos of this period. The photographer was <b>F. T. Bannister</b> of New Richmond, Wisconsin. His business imprint on the back announces that <i>"Pictures like this may be had at any time, for $2.00 per dozen, after the first dozen."</i> For this kind of quality that sounds like quite a deal.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMElP_RP9sOowsseIKVqYQqzkmbMkqhgVUEeA4znOjUHJpjtEqnQhygDVnYoe7tOX5zORI7F8UovEMQMsH4M1OoUGqEE8fV77FWJYLznABd1CS4W2qsa6AYWPnesqBkCPhpHyIbi98R-7BpMrK0kX3-pJ8eIsqu9bUOpMngzQehD_XZbcbs3ut8j_WpeA/s1700/Wisconsin%20Guitar%20Duo%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1700" data-original-width="1117" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMElP_RP9sOowsseIKVqYQqzkmbMkqhgVUEeA4znOjUHJpjtEqnQhygDVnYoe7tOX5zORI7F8UovEMQMsH4M1OoUGqEE8fV77FWJYLznABd1CS4W2qsa6AYWPnesqBkCPhpHyIbi98R-7BpMrK0kX3-pJ8eIsqu9bUOpMngzQehD_XZbcbs3ut8j_WpeA/w420-h640/Wisconsin%20Guitar%20Duo%20tst%20B.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The photographer's name was <b>Frank Truman Bannister</b>. Courtesy of one of his descendants who posted his family tree on Ancestry.com, I learned he was born in 1854 in Rome, Michigan. In 1888 Frank Bannister set up his own photography shop in New Richmond, Wisconsin with a specialty in "General Viewing of Railroads, Bridges, Mills, Residencies, Life-size Photographs, Fine India Ink and Crayon Portraits." </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Richmond,_Wisconsin#" target="_blank">New Richmond</a> is in St. Croix County, Wisconsin about 40-35 miles northeast of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. In the 1890s it was a thriving small town of about 1,500 residents that served a larger region of farms and timberlands. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On Monday, 12 June 1899, New Richmond was welcoming many visitors because the Gollmar Bros. Circus was in town. The weather was not ideal and the afternoon brought heavy rain with hail that spoiled the show, but by suppertime the rain let up and people began heading back to their homes and to the town's center. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Suddenly the sky grew very menacing with flashes of lightning and rumble of thunder. Within seconds a tornado touched down near the southwest corner of the town in a residential neighborhood where many of New Richmond's prosperous families lived. In an instant over fifty homes were destroyed. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The tornado then rapidly advanced on the town's central business district where many people had sought refuge in the stone and brick commercial buildings. Yet these masonry structures were no defense against this tornado's monstrous energy and fury. All were demolished killing many people sheltering inside. In moments it hit the circus grounds, shredding the tents and killing a few horses and an elephant. The town of New Richmond was almost completely obliterated and hundreds perished with many more injured. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ShtWbPbLQyE4WpFmwXjpsDcbUBCpF5o3tdUF9PtRvLTvPqnLzxn7h6Tb0unGZY3erD3H3swfZHuRGFnQnsyHP8tDsQkm6Gr4CqZgW4VufQPNBAG5BMVF6MG2kEhFuKAcpP6YCs_jbm4rxWPR4ksc4Fn-5ps8Pa0UYiks8sX9pH6NPl7DBPD9cI-Mohc/s3752/1899-06-13%20Minneapolis%20Tribune%20-%20%20new%20Richmond%20cyclone%20REDUCED.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3752" data-original-width="2611" height="790" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ShtWbPbLQyE4WpFmwXjpsDcbUBCpF5o3tdUF9PtRvLTvPqnLzxn7h6Tb0unGZY3erD3H3swfZHuRGFnQnsyHP8tDsQkm6Gr4CqZgW4VufQPNBAG5BMVF6MG2kEhFuKAcpP6YCs_jbm4rxWPR4ksc4Fn-5ps8Pa0UYiks8sX9pH6NPl7DBPD9cI-Mohc/w551-h790/1899-06-13%20Minneapolis%20Tribune%20-%20%20new%20Richmond%20cyclone%20REDUCED.jpg" width="551" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minneapolis <i>Tribune</i><br />13 June 1899</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1899_New_Richmond_tornado" target="_blank">1899 New Richmond cyclone</a> was estimated as an F5 tornado, the most powerful kind with the highest velocity winds. That evening of June 12th it ripped a 45-mile path of devastation through St. Croix, Polk, and Barron counties in west-central Wisconsin. Within New Richmond and the surrounding area 117 people were killed, and at least twice as many more were injured. Hundreds were left homeless. The wind peeled the bark off trees. Houses were totally destroyed. Damaged tanks of flammable material caught fire setting off a secondary wave of destruction. This next image taken the next day shows only part of the damage. It was clipped from a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1899_New_Richmond_tornado#/media/File:New_Richmond_Tornado_panorama.jpg" target="_blank">larger panoramic photo</a> that gives a better view of this terrible tragic event.</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXjdKHoGg9qGJGaKj6eJDprYXus2BRbzIIh57Sdap99pCwv-_KFcnzvAbFSZWaA1mS5TMMBMQJmhLmGEfc2d1GtGRLbzSSoCvVfJgTP7N6QnqSRv25zC3I3Erlaq_63-vGFj0JCAc3bej5TVkVIzd90bCSGGSyOoRe6vOABXkutFagAhM8zISO6-ozSU/s600/1899%20New%20Richmond%20WS%20tornado%20WHS%2061758.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="600" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXjdKHoGg9qGJGaKj6eJDprYXus2BRbzIIh57Sdap99pCwv-_KFcnzvAbFSZWaA1mS5TMMBMQJmhLmGEfc2d1GtGRLbzSSoCvVfJgTP7N6QnqSRv25zC3I3Erlaq_63-vGFj0JCAc3bej5TVkVIzd90bCSGGSyOoRe6vOABXkutFagAhM8zISO6-ozSU/w640-h516/1899%20New%20Richmond%20WS%20tornado%20WHS%2061758.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elevated view of New Richmond after the tornado hit on June 12, 1899. <br />The Willow River is visible in the foreground.<br />Source: Wisconsin Historical Society image 61758</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Reports on the destruction of New Richmond continued through the week as the world learned of the horrendous disaster. Mr. Bannister's business appeared in one account which was repeated in several newspapers around the country.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The people are still so dazed that, with few exceptions, the bereaved ones evince no grief or apparent emotion. This gives the impression of indifference, but physicians say they are so dazed by the disaster that they do not realize its extent or their losses of friends and property. One old man was looking over the ruins of <b>Bannister's photograph gallery</b>. In answer to a question as to what he was looking for he replied, in a perfectly indifferent manner:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> "Oh, I was just looking for a picture of my wife and children. They were all killed and my house went, too."</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> This is a fair sample of the state of mind every one is in who lost part of or all they possessed. Money and supplies are coming in constantly, but as far as money is concerned, it is not enough to give the desolate town anything like a new start. It is problematic whether or not this once thriving community will rise from its ashes, or rather debris, and attain the prosperity which prevailed before it was demolished.</span></span></span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A few weeks later in another newspaper, Mr. Bannister told a reporter that he had begun building three small buildings to restart his photography business. By the 1910 census Frank T. Bannister listed his occupation as photographer and included his eldest son, also named Frank, in the business. He died in 1919 at age 65. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"> * * *</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlcecxEqyHmMCOHk_pAr-hItUJjrA_eCUXvaykJ7CMErDtTpsUae1OP16i8VjguVp-3beTqHVkMj3g_t-SQeCNMHV4duHx5UAYy_J_Z2ACN78XphJ6F07IzVXmxcgNm6aOEMK_rq2F2t5aHsMwWXbJu9og4MpJj0xsXT143ZI3TlHl9jVvBDLkC_RZhc/s2100/Webb%20City%20MO%20Guitar%20Gal%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1354" height="765" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlcecxEqyHmMCOHk_pAr-hItUJjrA_eCUXvaykJ7CMErDtTpsUae1OP16i8VjguVp-3beTqHVkMj3g_t-SQeCNMHV4duHx5UAYy_J_Z2ACN78XphJ6F07IzVXmxcgNm6aOEMK_rq2F2t5aHsMwWXbJu9og4MpJj0xsXT143ZI3TlHl9jVvBDLkC_RZhc/w492-h765/Webb%20City%20MO%20Guitar%20Gal%20tst%20A.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My third photo and fourth guitarist is posed standing in a photographer's studio while leaning her head on her instrument's headstock. This is <u>not</u> how you tune a guitar. She wears dark skirt with a a loose blouse made of a broad crisscross pattern satiny fabric with big puffy shoulders. That fashion and her hair tied into a top knot, (along with the ornate rattan chair, too) are a typical style of the late 1890s. Her direct gaze at the camera also gives her a subtle provocative quality that is not common in photos of this era. Her guitar is similar to the others but has a darker varnish. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The photographer was <b>E. E. Spracklen</b> of 101,103 & 105 Allen St. in Webb City, Missouri. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webb_City,_Missouri#" target="_blank">Webb City</a> is located in the southwest corner of Missouri, west of Springfield and near the border corners of Kansas and Oklahoma. It was developed partly on 200-acres owned by a farmer named John C. Webb who drew up plans for a town in September 1875. He incorporated his self-named city in December 1876 when it already had a population of 700. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mr. Webb knew the value of the land as he had discovered lead ore there while plowing. In this great age of the industrial revolution it did not take long for mining companies to start digging. By the late 1890s when this photo was taken there were over 700 mines located within the limits of Webb City and adjacent Carterville. The region was also rich in other minerals, especially zinc ore. By 1880, just a few years after its incorporation, Webb City's population more than doubled to 1,588. By 1890 it jumped 217.6% to 5,043 residents. After a decade it was 9,201 in the 1900 census and then 11,817 in 1910. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In 2020 Webb City has a modest but respectable population of 13,031, but in the 1890s it was clearly a prosperous place with enough wealth for a photographer to make a good living producing fine photos like this one of a young woman with her guitar. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The photographer's full name was <b>Edwin Eveliegh Spracklen</b>. Courtesy of information posed on the FindaGrave.com website, Edwin E. Spracklen was born in December 1853 on the Isle of Guernsey in English Channel. As a child he immigrated with his family to London, Ontario where he evidently got a good Canadian practical education. He trained as a photographer in Chicago and after a period traveling around the west, Spracklen settled in Webb City opening his own photography studio there in 1880. He was remembered as an artistic photographer and dealer in picture frames and art sundries. In 1898 he was elected mayor of Webb City, a position he held of two years. He died in March 1941 at the age of 87 and is buried in the Webb City cemetery. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We may never know the names of anonymous people in old photographs but sometimes we can make a sketch of their lives by learning more about the person behind the camera. I'd bet good money that Mr. Kurtz, Mr. Bannister, and Mr. Spracklen each got to hear their guitarists play. A private concert in return for a beautiful photograph.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/03/sepia-saturday-715-saturday-16th-march.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where things outside always look better<br />if you clean the windows.</b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/03/sepia-saturday-715-saturday-16th-march.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54HpLOnKhZ1_yzW-glsElP8oJOBPU1jEUyIxtNry86qNPGJc5R5wC0GqY3W0jINZPHX9a5VkwQChYFWUU8V6329swIgFChx8qg3845Hem4fxZ3bs3swyItCN6C-HLcuS_4PsJ7iHD1XX4RtlRAqJLO0iDcBXR8D0DSM2K0Ibr-guL1u_g4aqm041eE74/w400-h400/20240316%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-65280918021726166942024-03-09T13:14:00.001-05:002024-03-09T18:36:13.255-05:00Comrades in Music<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVb_zA2Mk_oeLTVay-TA9R5qLZKgjg4PKptEb062zh1br-tP3dO1GP5jofOcPxQ3fDsAxs4q1eLMZyXEkKLhigJbgiZeY0Jr5jRkAT7WksYhURlo2wfg24fibNN5wQIj8fSqCj_UCcIsW32In5xV1DZvmC-7vL_B1R2F_3-L9LM6oPs9Q-B_AkHpePvY/s1524/Kaiser's%20Horn%20Trombone%20Duo%20tst%20E.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1524" data-original-width="1504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVb_zA2Mk_oeLTVay-TA9R5qLZKgjg4PKptEb062zh1br-tP3dO1GP5jofOcPxQ3fDsAxs4q1eLMZyXEkKLhigJbgiZeY0Jr5jRkAT7WksYhURlo2wfg24fibNN5wQIj8fSqCj_UCcIsW32In5xV1DZvmC-7vL_B1R2F_3-L9LM6oPs9Q-B_AkHpePvY/w632-h640/Kaiser's%20Horn%20Trombone%20Duo%20tst%20E.jpg" width="632" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Best of buddies.<br />Real pals.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uIB83Ehgrk-L6jI58wi7FiIFDFnUbapwsquwDlKThWdaUJsCVkeFhSk5WhmCCpHxtJyqYcjC0Pa8JCXyd57DjQ6OnU2zXqrctf4Usn-xVLKKy5xO4xrx9xVcfTtgLKwkxT8MyGDa2TGX_EXLLvgM0MqIZGetSmGSVNC-WUzdaN7TSUmfm51zqrZ_hLQ/s1400/Kaiser's%20Brass%20Bandsmen%201%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1223" data-original-width="1400" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uIB83Ehgrk-L6jI58wi7FiIFDFnUbapwsquwDlKThWdaUJsCVkeFhSk5WhmCCpHxtJyqYcjC0Pa8JCXyd57DjQ6OnU2zXqrctf4Usn-xVLKKy5xO4xrx9xVcfTtgLKwkxT8MyGDa2TGX_EXLLvgM0MqIZGetSmGSVNC-WUzdaN7TSUmfm51zqrZ_hLQ/w640-h560/Kaiser's%20Brass%20Bandsmen%201%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Close chums.<br />Favorite mates.</span></div><div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="1067" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtOfnZE8L_N4aFAcS9JHDxzNRrPRWmevkIihY-xXon2sil2tjL3UccQDeZ9QIF3mRqTrgFEHN_JoCIa9P2-UbRE-E7ZhZl6YwjsEWy01omwBthwMb57FUnwBTRXTUxgkA1ClfLoWO2wpq5l2XwSyr4utfeb4-EUaX9Po7yyxOuGgImjFxb6yN3fI6CN8/w640-h506/Kaiser's%20Tuba%20&%20Clarinet%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Comrades in arms.<br />Brothers in wartime.<br /><br /></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The friendships made by soldiers<br />can last a lifetime. <br />Photographs of that bond<br />were common enough <br />for regular soldiers <br />in World War One,<br />but it was just as true <br />for army musicians too.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I present a small sample <br />of private photos <br />of unknown soldiers<br />who were bandsmen in<br />the Imperial German Army.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsc5LsXXWlkoHURELhGMa8vQaNEe6aKLXYY44PcG9PK7mxKjHeODGXEiJTUCTxNSFPal0Tj8mO2SerNt0Z8v4Wqmy63Mgm9EwOO1rh-efx2wAsSw66ZpaIUN8-uX_FhzIj5_LVtNQfIlkK9INt4XqC2AXsyRJ_uJO4_DFWdT2h9L2M5gghqRGyrTLDZz0/s2200/Kaiser's%20Horn%20Trombone%20Duo%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1434" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsc5LsXXWlkoHURELhGMa8vQaNEe6aKLXYY44PcG9PK7mxKjHeODGXEiJTUCTxNSFPal0Tj8mO2SerNt0Z8v4Wqmy63Mgm9EwOO1rh-efx2wAsSw66ZpaIUN8-uX_FhzIj5_LVtNQfIlkK9INt4XqC2AXsyRJ_uJO4_DFWdT2h9L2M5gghqRGyrTLDZz0/w418-h640/Kaiser's%20Horn%20Trombone%20Duo%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="418" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This pair of bandsmen, a hornist and a trombonist, posed for a relaxing moment outdoors while enjoying a smoke. The photographers, <i>Gebrüderen </i>Spahn were a professional studio in Hammelburg, a city in Bayern/Bavaria. They probably arranged to take photos of soldiers who were doing their army training at the <i>Lager-Hammelburg</i> ~ army barracks which were south of the city. Soldiers bought the postcards to send to friends and family back home. The <i>Waffen</i>, the ornate brass plate affixed to the front of their distinctive <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickelhaube" target="_blank">Pickelhaube</a> </i>helmets matches the pattern used by the Bavarian army. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The postcard was sent from the Hammelburg Barracks on 13 June/July (?) 1907 to <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wohlgeboren" target="_blank">Wohlgeboren</a></i> (i.e. well born, a title for a minor nobility) J---(?) F. Müller, a <i>Kaufman </i>~ merchant in Neustadt, a very common city name in Germany. The addition of "on S." means Neustadt in Sachsen, I think. The Spahn brothers also helpfully included the year 1907 with their printed business name on the back. It's interesting that cigarettes are a favorite prop featured in many similar photos of French soldiers from this era, while German soldiers, especially those from Bavaria, are often depicted smoking pipes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrakjM-UOHK8UHvY_OTlRRl5LXfDsaeh1q5LSN9GtmA3RalSdmmqxqHuO1aWlzd-eoC7HNyPSay52RU3QeOZ0x_Hyr6wuHpYzMnEKbKZKlBaOFZkvONcCb78luLBoDGk9W4r-fyjotT8y3kk2CkRTFDfv-AvFOFm-_mbZlcKD8IKRkpr6ytN8iKMo13C8/s1600/Kaiser's%20Horn%20Trombone%20Duo%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1045" data-original-width="1600" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrakjM-UOHK8UHvY_OTlRRl5LXfDsaeh1q5LSN9GtmA3RalSdmmqxqHuO1aWlzd-eoC7HNyPSay52RU3QeOZ0x_Hyr6wuHpYzMnEKbKZKlBaOFZkvONcCb78luLBoDGk9W4r-fyjotT8y3kk2CkRTFDfv-AvFOFm-_mbZlcKD8IKRkpr6ytN8iKMo13C8/w640-h418/Kaiser's%20Horn%20Trombone%20Duo%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExY0FwVLqY-G1dLSpA4FCm5L7BmjuBDZ6sgiFPoPUt_XOoqVmzfgRTK5yWhLAVJKPelBJMVoNI1qadoSV6cIjQdCxzj3Arp46vNOaHnlryYLY6Iirw5HvJMsiGQiON3YkRFZC6oCq2BKGQzwhXaBTNDoNLd0aU7R30nH1aMzzvPk2P9wMYkUCoIUH3wc/s2000/Kaiser's%20Brass%20Bandsmen%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1294" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExY0FwVLqY-G1dLSpA4FCm5L7BmjuBDZ6sgiFPoPUt_XOoqVmzfgRTK5yWhLAVJKPelBJMVoNI1qadoSV6cIjQdCxzj3Arp46vNOaHnlryYLY6Iirw5HvJMsiGQiON3YkRFZC6oCq2BKGQzwhXaBTNDoNLd0aU7R30nH1aMzzvPk2P9wMYkUCoIUH3wc/w414-h640/Kaiser's%20Brass%20Bandsmen%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This next duo also stand outdoors wearing proper German <i>Pickelhaube </i>but dressed in less formal uniforms with ordinary shoes instead of boots. I think this was the attire worn for indoor concerts which required no marching or ceremonial precision from a band. The tall trumpet player even has a short bandsman's sword attached to his belt, though his companion, a tenor hornist, is missing his sword. The back of the card is blank, so the only clues for identification are their helmet plates. Unfortunately the sunlight glare makes it difficult to see the full design but I think it matches the regimental pattern for Württemberg.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">***</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rqmdW5_0uLdRcXFAZbPAnUA9mGkffgYkgZgJpZQSUYN9wiUTHL1MqFvmW8rZKCn7K0DxN-GYSj3lGmlasdkDpGBy2JjPYcJLS0H9OVFWyZeBquwqr6UP_OdWBa8hIT0kS93tpefJy82oE-43me43HACExZP7eRkFP9g1zxW1xx1Y8PkPiSJt4PrH1Us/s2200/Kaiser's%20Tuba%20&%20Clarinet%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1390" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rqmdW5_0uLdRcXFAZbPAnUA9mGkffgYkgZgJpZQSUYN9wiUTHL1MqFvmW8rZKCn7K0DxN-GYSj3lGmlasdkDpGBy2JjPYcJLS0H9OVFWyZeBquwqr6UP_OdWBa8hIT0kS93tpefJy82oE-43me43HACExZP7eRkFP9g1zxW1xx1Y8PkPiSJt4PrH1Us/w404-h640/Kaiser's%20Tuba%20&%20Clarinet%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="404" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This next pair of German bandsmen were photographed in a studio standing in front of a painted backdrop of a dramatic cloudy landscape. One soldier holds a tuba and the other a clarinet. They wear dark wool overcoats, boots, and <i>Pickelhauben</i>. On their belts are pouches for their sheet music. Their helmet plates have the Prussian eagle gripping the royal scepter and orb which is a design used by several Prussian infantry regiments.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The postcard is blank except for a stamp of the photographer's studio, H. Kalinke, of Gotha, a large city in Thuringia, Germany, northeast of Frankfurt and west of Leipzig. However one soldier has left his mark. The clarinetist drew a cross over himself, just in case his parents might not recognize him in uniform. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">***</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2VEj2iQM0sZABINWHPI5FmGyN-dhCYXTPVj2FIHnw0Sad9VY0KF7ZBYXgKcVlAgyFbzrlvisg2vsFxUN_0-rWijtc4Dn8ZZWP_CLf4msMMJtPERytbxM6IoKibQu1F3vjY-rN-AFsF-vWIq3RbEX8RdxV8jFHc1dl1IAQ7J7ZlzU19r8yyCYWzZ_anA/s2000/Kaiser's%20Brass%20Quartet%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1496" data-original-width="2000" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2VEj2iQM0sZABINWHPI5FmGyN-dhCYXTPVj2FIHnw0Sad9VY0KF7ZBYXgKcVlAgyFbzrlvisg2vsFxUN_0-rWijtc4Dn8ZZWP_CLf4msMMJtPERytbxM6IoKibQu1F3vjY-rN-AFsF-vWIq3RbEX8RdxV8jFHc1dl1IAQ7J7ZlzU19r8yyCYWzZ_anA/w640-h478/Kaiser's%20Brass%20Quartet%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My last photo is not a duo but a quartet of bandsmen in dress uniforms performing outside on tuba, trumpet, horn, and bassoon. Next to them a stout non-commissioned soldier wearing a white fatigue uniform appears to interrupt their concert. He carries a beer keg under one arm and seems to be offering them a box of cigars, as he is smoking one too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Leaning on the horn player's legs is a slate-board sign which has a message written in chalk. The first line, <i>"Albert lebe hoch"</i> is "Albert lives long", but I can't make out the next words to translate them. Presumably it's a humorous comment about the soldier with the beer and cigars. However the last line is clear, "<i>Schießplatz Jüterbog"</i> translates as "Jüterbog shooting range". Jüterbog is a town in northeastern Germany, in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg, about 65 km (40 mi) southwest of Berlin. The helmet plate pattern is a Prussian infantry or Garde regiment, similar to those of the bandsmen from Gotha. Notice that they wave short swords too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The postcard was never posted but it does have a message on the back. However the handwriting is too broad for me to make out any of the letters. Maybe it's part of the joke. :—)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVly8KwuGtYCJa1lCkfqxExqdjub1l0vNkr1OoqUsT5FZAdfNTYzeg3y9UqYCu2KRNSPdCykQ4MFWgtD6UKcz6ZlgxADJjCUmUHiQ8Wf6xBI34caYBvX939TYbtKKIKK0t0ApOwfmWqYtI-TIk6TP5268izBNwOqWrfuz8Gkw5y4FJ4-9ykPy3wVhRafs/s1400/Kaiser's%20Brass%20Quartet%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1400" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVly8KwuGtYCJa1lCkfqxExqdjub1l0vNkr1OoqUsT5FZAdfNTYzeg3y9UqYCu2KRNSPdCykQ4MFWgtD6UKcz6ZlgxADJjCUmUHiQ8Wf6xBI34caYBvX939TYbtKKIKK0t0ApOwfmWqYtI-TIk6TP5268izBNwOqWrfuz8Gkw5y4FJ4-9ykPy3wVhRafs/w640-h410/Kaiser's%20Brass%20Quartet%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Since only one postcard has a date, which was from 1907, I can't say that the other photos were taken in that pre-war decade or later during the Great War from 1914-1918. What I can say is that Germans were very fond of band music, uniforms, and cameras. I have found far more personal photos of soldiers in the Imperial German Army than of British, French, Belgian, or American servicemen from the same era. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The little leather <i>Pickelhauben </i>look silly and impractical to our modern eyes, but at the beginning of the 20th century the spiked Prussian helmet was an important symbol of German military heritage, especially because it was still new as a unified Germany empire did not exist until 1871. These men wore it with pride and were respected for their military music traditions, many of which were borrowed by military bands in France, Britain, and the United States. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But what I like best about these photos of anonymous bandsmen is that they reveal close personal friendships that come from making music together while serving your country. These musicians genuinely belonged to a band of brothers.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/03/sepia-saturday-714-saturday-9th-march.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where your only choice</b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>is to fish or cut bait. </b></div></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/03/sepia-saturday-714-saturday-9th-march.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5MzBem1BN-bdUtD6w6eDiVT4OMr9y3Lr2YFUxMmrqYXyijXp9hHAqWU-TTMXLj2xKga6sFhq9sGM_IpCcDx98bZw5zel8FCdzbxPzXBi5xcz7kEZ_DDj2RbvmpZ5SENwlS-H8amkqukS8DAKNnP_vZ-ONzhmfJAATgRTcLpOQHjfECoFuE5Yz0YEerE/w400-h400/20240309%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-35590365365714395522024-03-02T16:03:00.003-05:002024-03-02T21:30:26.335-05:00The Showman with a Big Hat<div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGwsdc4aFZGik2T7NRmUPItY_hiPstU-_u_Q8pijUqoXHxk9e_XVoNkDJ4c3FaUVt7Acb30IJzf9bLUYjBwjrWLJ2dscJYETW_zb2yHyxA1GcOXmefJrze2-LcWnvGIpYx2aDNTuV-Gy1xNQwCUVbt4O_2ArzRzC6Z1CZy1FipDvzsCF1gJU_q-C36M0/s1800/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1394" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGwsdc4aFZGik2T7NRmUPItY_hiPstU-_u_Q8pijUqoXHxk9e_XVoNkDJ4c3FaUVt7Acb30IJzf9bLUYjBwjrWLJ2dscJYETW_zb2yHyxA1GcOXmefJrze2-LcWnvGIpYx2aDNTuV-Gy1xNQwCUVbt4O_2ArzRzC6Z1CZy1FipDvzsCF1gJU_q-C36M0/w496-h640/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="496" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is not a practical hat.<br />For one thing it has no brim <br />with only </span><span style="font-size: large;">fuzzy</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">fur to shield</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the eyes from the sun.<br />It might keep the head warm,<br />but the ears? <br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not so much.</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFNni9P0bYYWFbgRzWUhfu3qM9Xi6-0FCDMTXPY8oTlhiJipheX_7BFJtpxQlMlDcok5HSSFNd6n5AITmVh6kdrCGaeMi7_rw-kQ8Uuowi5gxkUiNM4HZh0jR09g-v2DUGGvcXAsBrS0TIJwRlvSFP07QBvvoTV_jmwtYD04C_evotwefQ2Hm1u4SZyw/s1600/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20TT%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1320" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFNni9P0bYYWFbgRzWUhfu3qM9Xi6-0FCDMTXPY8oTlhiJipheX_7BFJtpxQlMlDcok5HSSFNd6n5AITmVh6kdrCGaeMi7_rw-kQ8Uuowi5gxkUiNM4HZh0jR09g-v2DUGGvcXAsBrS0TIJwRlvSFP07QBvvoTV_jmwtYD04C_evotwefQ2Hm1u4SZyw/w528-h640/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20TT%20tst%20C.jpg" width="528" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's also ridiculously top heavy<br />necessitating a strong chin strap<br />that forces the wearer to maintain <br />perfect posture at all times.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What happens if you drop something?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekjYtHaJDYC35i3kGHfRv4QmX-OH11zsEQBzYCNUGgm-Z8skdnwooUo-Zv7VFvfaJTej9YDXHNSlbq_r8UBxv_lcP7sYPDV-nhpL2yAIOxpJ-cJmpYn23bROFuaxEHb0OflLVZ5VCuD0kxWP3EOB4eoJL-XUXuOGO1yoMvPJgGOhKj8gp_O9VHWcEcq8/s1722/Scots%20Guard%20Band%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1210" data-original-width="1722" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekjYtHaJDYC35i3kGHfRv4QmX-OH11zsEQBzYCNUGgm-Z8skdnwooUo-Zv7VFvfaJTej9YDXHNSlbq_r8UBxv_lcP7sYPDV-nhpL2yAIOxpJ-cJmpYn23bROFuaxEHb0OflLVZ5VCuD0kxWP3EOB4eoJL-XUXuOGO1yoMvPJgGOhKj8gp_O9VHWcEcq8/w640-h450/Scots%20Guard%20Band%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I suppose it is large enough<br />to stow a hot lunch or thermos of tea<br />inside its extra insulated space.<br />But in summer maybe a block of ice <br />would be more appropriate.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Honestly, who would chose to wear such a thing<br />unless you were paid good money to do so?<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The answer is someone who wants <br />to be the center of attention.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And that would be a man <br />who was proud to wear<br />such a towering bearskin hat<br />and lead a marching band.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">He usually carried a big stick, too.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I present <br />a small selection of<br />anonymous drum majors.<br />Each one wearing an impressive bearskin. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoQA58xQvlxSxBHn7K2-fyjGlwNsb13GKMDJqw_8p5piZsYdVEutI53upbpq2GPZi9YiwESP043FpzrSCAh2PC_lrD-C3ZqdFcHHbdKHEu9jXH_5R4OZLM_YZmLxlEPauhDeC2g_b7szLaCHl8nmeIVPVNpiQ5KoNOJaq8V1dJ8Nx2aV7uCQHYT9KN-g/s2000/Drum%20Major%202nd%20Scots%20Guards%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1251" height="824" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoQA58xQvlxSxBHn7K2-fyjGlwNsb13GKMDJqw_8p5piZsYdVEutI53upbpq2GPZi9YiwESP043FpzrSCAh2PC_lrD-C3ZqdFcHHbdKHEu9jXH_5R4OZLM_YZmLxlEPauhDeC2g_b7szLaCHl8nmeIVPVNpiQ5KoNOJaq8V1dJ8Nx2aV7uCQHYT9KN-g/w515-h824/Drum%20Major%202nd%20Scots%20Guards%20tst%20A.jpg" width="515" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The position of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_major_(military)" target="_blank">Drum Major</a> in a military marching band has a long history that goes back to the at least the 17th century and probably earlier. Initially a drum major's duties were for leading and maintaining the drum and bugle units that military commanders used to communicate orders to soldiers on the battlefield. In the early 19th century as military wind bands became larger and marching became an important element of military displays, the drum major acquired a new status as the prestigious leader of a band when it was on parade. That required a special uniform with extra flashy equipment. <div><br /></div><div>In earlier times no army could surpass the British Army for military pageantry and extravagant livery. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearskin" target="_blank">bearskin </a>worn by this Drum Major of the 2nd Scots Guard is typical of the ceremonial dress headgear worn by soldiers in various British regiments. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scots_Guards" target="_blank">Scots Guard</a> are one of the five Foot Guards regiments in the Household Division. They and the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Irish Guards and Welsh Guards are entrusted with guarding the British monarch and performing ceremonial service in London. All the regiments have bands that wear similar uniforms topped off by a tall bearskin. </div><div><br /></div><div>This drum major of the Scots Guard appeared on a colorful tourist's postcard sent from London to Paris on 29 September 1908 during the reign of King Edward VII. It was addressed to Monsieur Victor, <i>Le Chef Plongeur</i>, the chief dishwasher at the Hotel du Louvre in Paris. Built in 1855, the <a href="https://www.placesinfrance.com/history_of_the_hotel_du_louvre.html" target="_blank">Hotel du Louvre</a> was the first luxury hotel in Paris. It had 700 guestrooms with a staff of 1,250 and became renowned for its French and international cuisine that earned it a five-star rating. I think to be a chief bottlewasher there was no joke. <br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdtxHaHxBGBMhEUZ8skDK2UMv9q45BQ5aTyHQFv1-Xgc8MSeoRPlCHZGfFFRceMout4SzADmwGRhNhHhvxP7My8ArMo5jODdEabiLsly4qW5kqlVTDtPHZDi_H09Oanx4_LPV8h73L7dUN8pM2t0H5OMYQnFbVOc8MOi5VO13G-tlwVlBIxzXoKLDYPI/s1600/Drum%20Major%202nd%20Scots%20Guards%20tst%20B.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="1600" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdtxHaHxBGBMhEUZ8skDK2UMv9q45BQ5aTyHQFv1-Xgc8MSeoRPlCHZGfFFRceMout4SzADmwGRhNhHhvxP7My8ArMo5jODdEabiLsly4qW5kqlVTDtPHZDi_H09Oanx4_LPV8h73L7dUN8pM2t0H5OMYQnFbVOc8MOi5VO13G-tlwVlBIxzXoKLDYPI/w640-h402/Drum%20Major%202nd%20Scots%20Guards%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VRqoSTdEzCA7JvN60ebB80IPfAeYArN3sFaJEJdQq7blRXHDCWEJC5fXpcyHn37nW8wJ6i7A-aC1xbVTasAq8-mrjgyboUBMiKO3V833AAKAQbzmwM-Y2S0lUmpl9GRzssnjW59V7Wzw13uQeLVrX7AL2OVES-fcir9m9ybkhghjhchLJHVkMbMIFZ0/s2200/Scots%20Guard%20Band%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1381" data-original-width="2200" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VRqoSTdEzCA7JvN60ebB80IPfAeYArN3sFaJEJdQq7blRXHDCWEJC5fXpcyHn37nW8wJ6i7A-aC1xbVTasAq8-mrjgyboUBMiKO3V833AAKAQbzmwM-Y2S0lUmpl9GRzssnjW59V7Wzw13uQeLVrX7AL2OVES-fcir9m9ybkhghjhchLJHVkMbMIFZ0/w640-h402/Scots%20Guard%20Band%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Recently, I acquired a photo postcard of the Band of the Scots Guards performing on a large plaza. The drum major is not in the picture but the bandsmen are all decked out in full dress uniforms with tall bearskins. The postcard was never mailed but the printed instructions on the left side of the divided back, <i>"For Inland Postage Only, This Space May Be Used For Communication"</i> is the form used in postcards from 1902-1906 when messages were first permitted on the back of postcards sent to addresses within Britain but not for places outside the United Kingdom. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I thought the location of this photo might be the famous Horse Guards Parade in London, but I've been unable to verify it and can't find a vintage photo that matches. When I first visited London in the 80s it was at the end of May when her majesty Queen Elizabeth traditionally celebrated her "official" birthday. This ceremonial event is called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trooping_the_Colour#:~:text=Trooping%20the%20Colour%20is%20a,as%20the%20Sovereign's%20Birthday%20Parade." target="_blank">Trooping the Colour</a> when all the regiments and bands of the Household Division perform en mass at the Horse Guards Parade near Buckingham Palace. I managed to get a bleacher seat and watched this amazing spectacle which included her majesty riding her horse along with various members of the royal family. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For an impressionable young American like myself it was like the biggest football halftime show multiplied by 10. What I remember most is that as thousands of soldiers and bandsmen marched in perfect straight step, shod in shiny black shoes with very thick soles, they never avoided the poop left behind by the hundreds of horses that preceded their part of the pageant. During the remainder of this event flocks of London pigeons descended on the parade grounds and consumed the horse refuse so that by the end of the show the ground was perfectly clean again. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVu7B3cMCKtoTR7a6LYKz_iy6zB2MJTSyw4NHb-FESBQDjD7A1WToIrMqmqDCpRJ2kKaGEPF_VMXjgbDZJnsOzO3WgTMs-Mz5vn7Vj81CngFG7OiG9Te5UYdx6ZiCIMf4-Lj6KCudEbqp20BMwwSVYEjJQFOC60M3oAusCghGxUbAvmbAjSSRS3r7Zjo/s2000/Drum%20Major%20Grenadier%20Guards%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1253" height="835" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVu7B3cMCKtoTR7a6LYKz_iy6zB2MJTSyw4NHb-FESBQDjD7A1WToIrMqmqDCpRJ2kKaGEPF_VMXjgbDZJnsOzO3WgTMs-Mz5vn7Vj81CngFG7OiG9Te5UYdx6ZiCIMf4-Lj6KCudEbqp20BMwwSVYEjJQFOC60M3oAusCghGxUbAvmbAjSSRS3r7Zjo/w522-h835/Drum%20Major%20Grenadier%20Guards%20tst%20A.jpg" width="522" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">For state ceremonies a drum major of a royal British regimental band does not wear a red coat and bearskin but instead dons a splendid tunic of gold and red with white leggings and a plain black hat, not unlike an American baseball cap. This postcard shows the Drum Major of the Grenadier Guards in Review Order. [The braided gold trim on the tunic is called a "galloon" or sometime "galon", a useful material to make any garment fancier. The satin strip on men's formal black trouser legs are also a type of galloon.] </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>This postcard was sent from London to a young lady in Switzerland. The postmark shows 2 AM on December 6, but the year is smudged. Sometime in 190_?, I think. A nice touch is that the writer adds an upside down comment at the top.<i> "Voi'la le Tambour Major de la Garde des Grenadiere Regiment Royal." </i> Ironically the British Grenadier Guards adopted the bearskin hat style for their uniforms from the French Imperial Guard after their victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbeFiwNbsk7NkZdEbgbL9PwhkqBBrSyZBTf17JIGCR84TX0Lc0YMoRy-3or5Uw82gDxrUeA1WFjM4WxvFZSgsLtfmwS2eNHzghQqY86Dpl7x1d1Tu9yLN4VvhUU2Hf7MNjNIxjUo0XAuMsHaD3ng6_WR3uqTdWx1Km9g2JSlerd9I4ufQ1sC12HuzJBE/s1600/Drum%20Major%20Grenadier%20Guards%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="1600" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbeFiwNbsk7NkZdEbgbL9PwhkqBBrSyZBTf17JIGCR84TX0Lc0YMoRy-3or5Uw82gDxrUeA1WFjM4WxvFZSgsLtfmwS2eNHzghQqY86Dpl7x1d1Tu9yLN4VvhUU2Hf7MNjNIxjUo0XAuMsHaD3ng6_WR3uqTdWx1Km9g2JSlerd9I4ufQ1sC12HuzJBE/w640-h408/Drum%20Major%20Grenadier%20Guards%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDFPE2x4pdvF1k_rCEbiZkhhNPx9WeHmQ_ceRedU86uO1AIAJvW8Q5R2h9X55SAeH43AeEjR0lWvt5NksSsmO_ZLBGsWgFasbCracfjASNFn-ohkW1yrWf5U4xqVbZxGxFJYYhanfmXlcQXNBorHhjbJf9d6m6cY7d895iJ_b-gQAxJmgpLmNy_g1tcE/s2100/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1292" height="838" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDFPE2x4pdvF1k_rCEbiZkhhNPx9WeHmQ_ceRedU86uO1AIAJvW8Q5R2h9X55SAeH43AeEjR0lWvt5NksSsmO_ZLBGsWgFasbCracfjASNFn-ohkW1yrWf5U4xqVbZxGxFJYYhanfmXlcQXNBorHhjbJf9d6m6cY7d895iJ_b-gQAxJmgpLmNy_g1tcE/w516-h838/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20tst%20A.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This cabinet card photograph of a drum major in a tall bearskin is unmarked and well worn, but I'm pretty certain it is of American origin despite the painted backdrop of a classical landscape with palm trees, ferns and ornamental plinths. His mace is likely a standard size somewhere between 52 to 58 inches long. His height is 20% more than the length of his mace so he is about 5 feet 7 inches. But his bearskin hat makes him look 6 feet 6 inches tall!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">His uniform has lots of the traditional military style accoutrements like frilled epaulets, braided cords, and three rows of buttons, but I don't believe he is from a regular army band. There are a couple of ribbons pinned to his tunic that could be souvenirs of a recent special event, perhaps a political rally or civic holiday, but the camera didn't have the best focus to make out the words. He could be in the uniform of a state militia band but in the 19th century there were no consistent fashions to place him in any unit. My best guess judging from the card and his mustache is that the photo was taken in the 1880s or early 1890s.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzq03wdyL4lRmINR8tuYdaFlJPKSHbJ6X-UTN0zm-03q2eWt5I-ylLpdQN5y7EnEtFF96s7gS38hv1bfOdDABptjxX0sbH3YJaJpqBe7R_GS_BkBRT-TJV2Tdaqg4VkI_ND6_ghjDo9MkeE9sqtY4fTXJs_PTsbdQS8xUFdFaVJMMbrx5a6eSUgWNf57c/s2100/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20TT%20tst%20RAW.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1376" height="744" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzq03wdyL4lRmINR8tuYdaFlJPKSHbJ6X-UTN0zm-03q2eWt5I-ylLpdQN5y7EnEtFF96s7gS38hv1bfOdDABptjxX0sbH3YJaJpqBe7R_GS_BkBRT-TJV2Tdaqg4VkI_ND6_ghjDo9MkeE9sqtY4fTXJs_PTsbdQS8xUFdFaVJMMbrx5a6eSUgWNf57c/w488-h744/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20TT%20tst%20RAW.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My next drum major comes from a small ferrotype about 55mm x 85mm. This "tintype" was a inexpensive photograph that was popular from around 1865 to 1885. Its photographic method used camera that often picked up very fine detail but since it was preserved only on this little rectangle of sheet metal it meant that no duplicates could be made. The image often came out like this one with very dark contrast that gave the impression the photo was taken at night. When photographers began using glass plates to record a negative, the photos were such a great improvement that tintypes became an obsolete medium. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fortunately with the aid of modern computers and scanners, the contrast of a ferrotype can be restored to more acceptable level. Here is my improvement.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDjvOHF-NsN8OoWoc4b92EKwoxkjdaDsFmF2iANYVOZP63vDdZQUIjCYmqvOlcFeXRe_NoVBBcwfyEoYikAquMvpuPR15_ThxRjz5zZDhQmM9SuV3PNrV63FYvM4Yz2P0gDOlQTE0ib4VJFH4A2TeFk1HeYOql32EXqSFOGhqjjEDyvPtGpm9iHRNJ60/s2100/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20TT%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1376" height="733" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDjvOHF-NsN8OoWoc4b92EKwoxkjdaDsFmF2iANYVOZP63vDdZQUIjCYmqvOlcFeXRe_NoVBBcwfyEoYikAquMvpuPR15_ThxRjz5zZDhQmM9SuV3PNrV63FYvM4Yz2P0gDOlQTE0ib4VJFH4A2TeFk1HeYOql32EXqSFOGhqjjEDyvPtGpm9iHRNJ60/w481-h733/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20TT%20tst%20A.jpg" width="481" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The way a ferrotype "tin" is positioned behind a camera lens means it records light just like a mirror does. The image is not really true to life but reversed. If you look at this drum major's tunic buttons you can see his coat's button seam edge is on his left which is opposite from how a man's buttons should be. With digital software it requires only a click and the whole image is flipped horizonal and we can then see the drum major in his true orientation.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7MK3zt3BiUwB5PjLygaisRxXzyI_TeyVEOTKkGuycz95wsidVOjUNc5MqdFjlukfZG2RttUkzZyTI4_w5pDVZNpTY2fHTavuFUy5zwQ9eBKurJX01M8nKmsaqN8HFPwg9x-aqTVQCmDnf58smTuUXLthMzUURboGyYdURYHQCp36HjYplp7DCGb78V8/s2101/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20TT%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2101" data-original-width="1376" height="751" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7MK3zt3BiUwB5PjLygaisRxXzyI_TeyVEOTKkGuycz95wsidVOjUNc5MqdFjlukfZG2RttUkzZyTI4_w5pDVZNpTY2fHTavuFUy5zwQ9eBKurJX01M8nKmsaqN8HFPwg9x-aqTVQCmDnf58smTuUXLthMzUURboGyYdURYHQCp36HjYplp7DCGb78V8/w493-h751/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20TT%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="493" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This drum major's uniform is very similar to the previous man. The tunic has the frilled epaulets and aiguillette cords, but is longer and only has one row of buttons. Like the other bearskin this drum major's hat also has a frilled badge attached to front. I think this drum major's mace is longer, maybe 58 inches, which would make him about 6 feet tall without hat, and 7 feet with bearskin.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Most ferrotype photos are unmarked unless they are fortunate to have been preserved in the paper envelopes that came from the photographer. This photo was not so lucky but there is a message scratched in the black paint on the back of the photo.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTpQU763m2XKMqiOiWOWEcOmcatMISpDzM5VigMKhr2NyvvgYDo4TM5g6zsBlCxVGBoKlF27rQTAii-rvuP1bzdy-E9KY30aloemQZ_IXtBksHORYwln4kp090BxpFZPAEIFonl-8jsCOXZ91HImJcG7dN5xLWh4nQ0aZ1uRP0d_9V5-cnXxslfSjbdA/s1600/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20TT%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1600" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTpQU763m2XKMqiOiWOWEcOmcatMISpDzM5VigMKhr2NyvvgYDo4TM5g6zsBlCxVGBoKlF27rQTAii-rvuP1bzdy-E9KY30aloemQZ_IXtBksHORYwln4kp090BxpFZPAEIFonl-8jsCOXZ91HImJcG7dN5xLWh4nQ0aZ1uRP0d_9V5-cnXxslfSjbdA/w640-h430/Bearskin%20Hat%20Drum%20Major%20TT%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: x-large;"><i style="background-color: #fff2cc;"> This is a show <br /> man </i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearskin" target="_blank">bearskin hat</a> remains a standard feature of formal ceremonial military uniforms in many countries. Beside Britain, the bearskin is worn by soldiers in guard regiments of 13 other nations. It weighs about 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs) and is about 14 to 18 inches tall. It is made from a single bearskin, usually from a female North American black bear, which has thicker, longer fur but is usually brown. This skin is then died black to make into a hat. Recent fashion campaigns rejecting animal furs have forced many military departments to find artificial replacements for bearskin. The British Army has yet to adopt one. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Success in show biz often depends on getting the best costumes.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: x-large;">***</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>No one acquires a drum major's skill<br />without a lot of practice and drill.<br />This video </span><span>was taken in April 2023 and </span><span>is titled </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://youtu.be/fbPC766WL8w?si=nulBAhfHI220Qbya" target="_blank">Drum Major Drill for Trooping the Colour - Wellington barracks</a>.<br /></span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The four drum majors are<br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Senior Drum Major Gareth Chambers </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Drum Major Chris Rees</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Drum Major Stu Liang</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Drum Major Scott Fitzgeral.<br />The bass drummer is unnamed. </span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="413" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fbPC766WL8w" width="497" youtube-src-id="fbPC766WL8w"></iframe></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: x-large;">***</b><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;">Here is video of the <a href="https://youtu.be/irdPiDh65lo?si=8StZtguFOcA040jt" target="_blank">Band of the Scots Guard</a> <br />changing the guard on 5/9/2021.<br />I like it because near the start (0:22)<br />the camera is positioned directly <br />in front of the band and the drum major.<br />Notice that the drum major carries a sword as well as a mace.<br /></span><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="404" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/irdPiDh65lo" width="487" youtube-src-id="irdPiDh65lo"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: x-large;">***</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is a short video of </span><br /><a href="https://youtu.be/om9gM3bq3E4?si=07dTHy0qb8tU1nMa" target="_blank">Trooping The Colour in 2022</a><br />with Senior Drum Major Gareth Chambers <br />giving the commands. <br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's very like the event I saw forty+ years ago.<br />Anyone who can perform in front of royalty<br />and thousands of loyal spectators<br />ordering a company of hundreds of soldiers<br />who need to turn exactly on the mark<br />has my greatest admiration.<br />That's a true measure of a show man.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="404" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/om9gM3bq3E4" width="487" youtube-src-id="om9gM3bq3E4"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: x-large;">***</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sharp-eyed readers<br />may have spotted the animal <br />in the photo of the Scots Guard band.<br />At first I was unsure if it was a dog. or a goat,<br />or maybe just a blur of motion.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGsmYnmRsCb3Yls_9SmI7LVQsPN4qP6oyksR5KQ5FBMDC-mA_0ihWfOHr3ps8Wavr1sLCLnUUkZ5_0vfppsKCx7o_eB9fQr-08MV-VoMJ8dFWN5cTnB8MKhYGEFNmQPrkku-J4PCfWDd4PYZPIYyaxBGsEimSXkFL-IouuDZ5yrQFKoQ5uNeG2nHLDRY/s498/Scots%20Guard%20Band%20tst%20D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="498" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGsmYnmRsCb3Yls_9SmI7LVQsPN4qP6oyksR5KQ5FBMDC-mA_0ihWfOHr3ps8Wavr1sLCLnUUkZ5_0vfppsKCx7o_eB9fQr-08MV-VoMJ8dFWN5cTnB8MKhYGEFNmQPrkku-J4PCfWDd4PYZPIYyaxBGsEimSXkFL-IouuDZ5yrQFKoQ5uNeG2nHLDRY/w640-h624/Scots%20Guard%20Band%20tst%20D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>It is, in fact, the hind view of a dog,<br />something I'm very familiar with as an owner of two dogs.<br />Whether this dog was the band's mascot <br />is a detail lost in history.<br /></span>I bet he could sing along with them. <br /> </span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/03/sepia-saturday-713-2-march-2024.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where no one gets their signals crossed this weekend.</b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/03/sepia-saturday-713-2-march-2024.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjudx93GYZyg6cIdpbM8a3X3mmiH4aLw-spd3qeFR4qOdm5yUwWP9y-rBYSqfUp0AiC5gDAVMK2jlnxxVhnmGHyQKlGLdTtTnGoguYJ3K_0ywOf1OR7w_M7w33ICp13gWzSKC3s6q9MeyI-tkeqNWblStJt6I9fr67gCx0_qfeobtzGSsFZURBoU4yZ1g/w400-h400/20240302%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-2301436669516829242024-02-24T18:19:00.000-05:002024-02-24T18:19:29.478-05:00The Arc of the Bow<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_BjveNiFApCMIQw2NYyir11QNVZhis23xPGv6j_05H3vgVO7ftFmOBkjHTZngoWZpPUX4zYmuMYM_-XQhuxbT6jcemNfw9N1CL_SxTe92O6G8WeMV2oaHIq8iYYqhB6KG2dAmN5l3sgNLIPZgIdL4uQEDZMd7h3QyPekdvnp14XUOjjWSv4tn5Uvq4I/s1800/Unknown%20Violin%20Lady%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1800" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_BjveNiFApCMIQw2NYyir11QNVZhis23xPGv6j_05H3vgVO7ftFmOBkjHTZngoWZpPUX4zYmuMYM_-XQhuxbT6jcemNfw9N1CL_SxTe92O6G8WeMV2oaHIq8iYYqhB6KG2dAmN5l3sgNLIPZgIdL4uQEDZMd7h3QyPekdvnp14XUOjjWSv4tn5Uvq4I/w640-h586/Unknown%20Violin%20Lady%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's a stick.<br />This special musical tool was <br />artfully designed hundreds of years ago,<br />for the string instrument family.<br />Made of an exotic Brazilian wood<br />that is gently bent into a subtle curve<br />to hold taunt a ribbon <br />of hair from a horse's tail,<br />it is called a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_(music)#:~:text=It%20is%20moved%20across%20some,saws%20and%20other%20bowed%20idiophones." target="_blank">bow</a>.<br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's slender shape, length, weight, and material <br />follow century old traditions <br />of musical instrument craftsmanship. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">By itself the bow makes no sound.<br />But a violin could not sing without it.<br /><br />It's still a stick.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I feature a small medley<br />of photographs of unknown string players <br />demonstrating how a bow is applied to their instrument.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLby1etuYZRxqc530WnS0ZOMv8U16ttGm0-Mxm6buze8KzRBiNbAQYHT0J_JvwoTKbU6ksmcy5J9Qr14MxA3udhiUJuXs0t7dm1v0MLblBvBIq9gQ5Ev4r8MLK9FGGbG3RHuO8l83UPEEdlD-YtkhEsb2iFfsnOlGLUXjPQRlcfkaU9L4eApaJcn-rCc/s2100/German%20Double-Bass%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1364" height="771" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLby1etuYZRxqc530WnS0ZOMv8U16ttGm0-Mxm6buze8KzRBiNbAQYHT0J_JvwoTKbU6ksmcy5J9Qr14MxA3udhiUJuXs0t7dm1v0MLblBvBIq9gQ5Ev4r8MLK9FGGbG3RHuO8l83UPEEdlD-YtkhEsb2iFfsnOlGLUXjPQRlcfkaU9L4eApaJcn-rCc/w501-h771/German%20Double-Bass%20tst%20A.jpg" width="501" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">There are a few differences between bows used by different string instruments. The bow for a double bass is stouter and, generally, has black horsehair which is coarser to better vibrate a bass's longer, thicker strings. The grip or "frog" is also different for bassists who sometimes follow a German technique and hold the bow in an underhand position like this musician from Meyenburg, a town north of Berlin. This cabinet card probably dates from the 1890s. </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">White horsehair is preferred for the other strings. It comes from white horses that are bred in colder climates like Siberia, Mongolia, Manchuria, Poland, Canada and more recently, Argentina. Every few months the horsehair wears out and needs replacing. It's very common to see string players pluck broken strands of hair from their bows. On several occasions I've seen the bow of a string soloist come undone in the middle of a concert. Usually a quick replacement from a member of the orchestra is handed over so that the performance can carry on. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk2HgV0s36stEF1Bviir7AI5077TVPbH65p0V_KM6bF_Jl2LWfdbEgRoxyjphcO73t6HYwetuLxp90V1aoOjECYmYbfQ1WEzlmlwtfK9rhGG2vIHDauhrxefo-7VWrEYj2n9ob2a8noHbmUr3amV-Rexco352Ox1ToUIsaX87mswOcJuMN86fo4Za7zQ/s2000/Leipzig%20Cellist%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1292" height="759" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk2HgV0s36stEF1Bviir7AI5077TVPbH65p0V_KM6bF_Jl2LWfdbEgRoxyjphcO73t6HYwetuLxp90V1aoOjECYmYbfQ1WEzlmlwtfK9rhGG2vIHDauhrxefo-7VWrEYj2n9ob2a8noHbmUr3amV-Rexco352Ox1ToUIsaX87mswOcJuMN86fo4Za7zQ/w491-h759/Leipzig%20Cellist%20tst%20A.jpg" width="491" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">The cello or violoncello needs a less heavy bow and it is played with an overhand position.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Like a bass player, a cellist saws the bow back and forth rather than up and down like violin or viola players. The highest pitch string is also on the other side of the instrument from the bow arm, the reverse from the violin and viola.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">This cellist has the look of a professional musician though he is wearing just a tuxedo with black bow tie and not a formal tailcoat with white tie. The photographer is "Géza Schröter" from Leipzig, Germany. I think this cabinet card dates from around 1910.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXW6LtTcah5Xt4FC67BfaS76KKflEeGOoaULtN3T8W3_49ltF4zunlJrCXJ4kPRs36Y6ysBac0wFX5x_QBfWpGKAgEl3AB3iV-rg71V_gr39FObV2yob7eR1GCVADgTtvnx3w5vpKOMqPOUWfYS58-sbUhbyU5C7S-aiHL327wvZllF3AOvSq33wHVByA/s1800/Leipzig%20Cellist%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1167" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXW6LtTcah5Xt4FC67BfaS76KKflEeGOoaULtN3T8W3_49ltF4zunlJrCXJ4kPRs36Y6ysBac0wFX5x_QBfWpGKAgEl3AB3iV-rg71V_gr39FObV2yob7eR1GCVADgTtvnx3w5vpKOMqPOUWfYS58-sbUhbyU5C7S-aiHL327wvZllF3AOvSq33wHVByA/w414-h640/Leipzig%20Cellist%20tst%20B.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>A bow maker is called an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_maker" target="_blank"><i><b>archetier</b></i></a>, and they are a craftsman independent from a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luthier" target="_blank">luthier</a> who make violins, violas, cellos, double basses. though a luthier regularly repair and re-hair bows. The style and dimensions of string instrument bows were set by the French archetier François Tourte (1747–1835) between 1785 and 1790. He introduced a consistent balance and high standard of construction for the bow that greatly improved the sound and playing action of string instruments. In the 21st century Tourte's bows are as prized and sought after as the violins of celebrated Italian violin makers like Stradivarius and Guarneri. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9mlIeZvwaIgIqWqr4-76WN2kQo_PEUZEPE6Dk07Ldp-QutNm5xQJFO4DcTroR01g8C1izUYgikTheaYc2oYUr9yEPE4Ywpc21bxutFmR40fmJBQ52fBrEDOHuhLIxk-U2DYoCpd5htG4jxmesbyyIjwib_BrTgrePXZ5snHXVdm6e71ke4L6xUZlcJY/s2800/Unknown%20Violin%20Lady%20tst%20AAA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2800" data-original-width="2022" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9mlIeZvwaIgIqWqr4-76WN2kQo_PEUZEPE6Dk07Ldp-QutNm5xQJFO4DcTroR01g8C1izUYgikTheaYc2oYUr9yEPE4Ywpc21bxutFmR40fmJBQ52fBrEDOHuhLIxk-U2DYoCpd5htG4jxmesbyyIjwib_BrTgrePXZ5snHXVdm6e71ke4L6xUZlcJY/w462-h640/Unknown%20Violin%20Lady%20tst%20AAA.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">My opening image was cropped from this cabinet card photograph of a young woman looking directly at the camera as she plays her violin. Her standing position shows off the playing geometry of bow to strings that all string players must learn in order to master their instrument. For a violin the top E string is near the bow arm but I think from her bow's angle that she is playing the third D string. The bow would need to be more horizonal to touch the lowest G string.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">The dark green card mount has only the imprinted name of a photographer– M. E. Jenkins and no city or town. So my best guess is that the woman is from someplace in America in around 1895 to 1910.</div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oJJaaP1MPCoMQKUtiVww0mCclILH3GHe9dbo5JHlgU-88zEMOqBCb0n3S6_MvMA-MKyEJu4nQLmqj2pCpufCEwJxbiVsbWKoluXYQL7aWmo1M5U8OQ5p-4J2g7tWJHAJAKUAJUgTj4AnIDPGNmgAx4Kawld-rYI_5xtJZwzcldCwrtSiwf9Bq-Dc1s4/s1102/Unknown%20Violin%20Lady%20tst%20B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="1102" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oJJaaP1MPCoMQKUtiVww0mCclILH3GHe9dbo5JHlgU-88zEMOqBCb0n3S6_MvMA-MKyEJu4nQLmqj2pCpufCEwJxbiVsbWKoluXYQL7aWmo1M5U8OQ5p-4J2g7tWJHAJAKUAJUgTj4AnIDPGNmgAx4Kawld-rYI_5xtJZwzcldCwrtSiwf9Bq-Dc1s4/w400-h233/Unknown%20Violin%20Lady%20tst%20B.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Since François Tourte's time the timber used to make a quality bow has almost always been <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paubrasilia" target="_blank">Pernambuco</a> wood, Paubrasilia echinata, from Brazil. The tip of the bow may have a small ivory triangle to cover where the horsehair is mounted and the opposite end's grip or frog is made of ebony wood with a screw mechanism to tighten the bow hair. In modern times both the ivory and Pernambuco are endangered materials whose export is strictly regulated by international treaties, so string players must carry documentation for their bows when travelling across foreign borders.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EnD00pkG2P3zEhlld75GGP2G43Cf3796RWXXJI__Ub1UvC1EVGKHUuzlsoDoWn5FyaFXiXbQ23l8HGlhglWWfFw6RLO9bXJwDfhwAjjpxgT-7oFcxsUPjKa-TfO0ct6y3m8ihf9V-RThO4kH6QEhHJxPz7kD1nthEJ9JaKEwwyU4vmfT1v_sB1ILK5A/s2000/Japanese%20Violin%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1357" height="711" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EnD00pkG2P3zEhlld75GGP2G43Cf3796RWXXJI__Ub1UvC1EVGKHUuzlsoDoWn5FyaFXiXbQ23l8HGlhglWWfFw6RLO9bXJwDfhwAjjpxgT-7oFcxsUPjKa-TfO0ct6y3m8ihf9V-RThO4kH6QEhHJxPz7kD1nthEJ9JaKEwwyU4vmfT1v_sB1ILK5A/w482-h711/Japanese%20Violin%20tst%20A.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This young woman is the only Japanese musician in my collection. She wears a traditional Japanese kimono and is slightly turned to her left, nearly the same position as my previous violinist. However her bow arm is down and I think the bow is placed on the top E string. This is a sepia photo that could definitely be improved with color.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This small carte de visite has the name of the photographer and location written in Japanese. But drawing the characters into the Google Translate app failed to produce a satisfactory translation. Al I can add is that the seller informed me that the style of photo dates to 1907. If that is correct the violin would be unusual as Japan was isolated from Western Culture until 1853 when American naval officer, Matthew Perry, opened the nation to diplomacy and trade with the West.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4DnYuO1m6dp02_qE3FdEHVKL0OPWrvoHwooS5MvZBQdQB8mPHbLGLfzUEndn-q8HnYLecy0G8dD8b18vwSUn655VBPZXob9Md0MioD7NZ_RY7TOhnuOiZ8HSl552Mg0T-pPOqikasnW9-ZTaBAEkXhleLfX0cuD7bEfb7Hiz-Uk5wJvd9cqP2yOHY9Y/s2000/Da%20Capo%20Violin%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1310" height="704" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4DnYuO1m6dp02_qE3FdEHVKL0OPWrvoHwooS5MvZBQdQB8mPHbLGLfzUEndn-q8HnYLecy0G8dD8b18vwSUn655VBPZXob9Md0MioD7NZ_RY7TOhnuOiZ8HSl552Mg0T-pPOqikasnW9-ZTaBAEkXhleLfX0cuD7bEfb7Hiz-Uk5wJvd9cqP2yOHY9Y/w462-h704/Da%20Capo%20Violin%20tst%20A.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Finally my last violinist demonstrates an unconventional technique by playing his instrument on top his head. He stands in front of a theatrical backdrop of a rustic country lane with a caption painted on: <i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Varietie Bavaria. </i>He looks like a fun guy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"> Judging from the back of the photo, I believe he is a professional entertainer showing off one of his tricks and he sent this postcard to a friend, Herrn Ruland, a <i>Musikal Unteroffizier </i>at a military base near Rosenberg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The violinist's was a member of a instrumental and comic troupe and his name was Abs. J. Hosemann from Augsburg in Bayern or Bavaria. His handwriting is unusual because of the block letters.</div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uEHeIegdS0zWgmIBpGMfpjiAxGkE8KTFmVAXvJciEP4YdeR7t9g8Oi_4IYKQNIjRxwhNOrg03QOZWkoB3W-TJ6vvxELXGWGJSPFNIs9u0RnI1gkbbqPHv5Z2DmDX8ihojNhMvxMMdhSbc2-O-ps-XiG2zWXXPmvOCRP1u2cqcm2qTyRRBUNfmArD8n0/s1400/Da%20Capo%20Violin%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1400" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uEHeIegdS0zWgmIBpGMfpjiAxGkE8KTFmVAXvJciEP4YdeR7t9g8Oi_4IYKQNIjRxwhNOrg03QOZWkoB3W-TJ6vvxELXGWGJSPFNIs9u0RnI1gkbbqPHv5Z2DmDX8ihojNhMvxMMdhSbc2-O-ps-XiG2zWXXPmvOCRP1u2cqcm2qTyRRBUNfmArD8n0/w640-h412/Da%20Capo%20Violin%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The movement of a bow follows an arc across the instrument's strings. In fact the Italian word used in music to indicate that a player should play with the bow is <i>arco</i>. It gives string players a physicality in making music, not unlike dancing, as the bow follows the tempo and beat of the music. The infinite variety of dynamics and tones of a bowed string instrument come from the player's tiny adjustments made to this stick. The friction from the rosined horsehair gently, or aggressively, vibrate the string to make it sound. In a way the bow is the breathe that gives the instrument a voice. To hear an orchestra string section play as one choir is a true marvel. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here is a short YouTube performance to demonstrate<br />how animated a string orchestra can be at times.<br />especially when it stands like this orchestra.<br />The music is the <a href="https://youtu.be/ecNpAy6HZRs?si=hgtXWFJ7YFqX981Y" target="_blank">Allegro molto, Kammersinfonie</a> op. 110a<br />by Russian composer </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975). </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />The orchestra is the Junge Kammerphilharmonie Rhein-Neckar <br />— Heidelberg Youth Chamber Orchestra<br />with conductor, Thomas Kalb in a performance <br />at the Stadthalle Heidelberg, Jubiläumskonzert on 6.10.2018.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="412" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ecNpAy6HZRs" width="496" youtube-src-id="ecNpAy6HZRs"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And for contrast with a seated string orchestra<br />here is the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra<br />under its leader Terje Tønnensen, playing<br />Romanian Folk Dances for String Orchestra Sz.56 BB 68<br />by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók (1881–1945)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="404" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z50Ooqv1GFg" width="486" youtube-src-id="Z50Ooqv1GFg"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/02/sepia-saturday-712-saturday-24th.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where everyone is on target this weekend.</b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/02/sepia-saturday-712-saturday-24th.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9iLnc0UTqFZMhu7pbKBX5WQPYP9E2Yd5dUwUdkp11CUR5DnMSZIOlZzTKmoAJbvBKaSYbGlCzVh83PCDczi_hxjwShRWFKElBfzjFFFMvBtewaDqjduFsKs-8F5Wf170YuZbDm11uLkLO10-MMjJv_4kUgz7iEOAVaKGpbT-xBqaIBBzyWm71e_iPCKY/w400-h400/20240224%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-53227144197127344382024-02-17T15:11:00.000-05:002024-02-17T15:11:20.966-05:00Another Clown Band<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LZC_v79wBy_dqGNbyvY2AKXECMAehdkYLfeLrsidJveab84hmMYYb_P-69FLiQV0Fklb0yC5dy4jDpieSNmsyH8FDbTpvuLp9iUUHG6GIPwvb23w0UPBXRjLRRyNs9nu5oMG3zXwle2EVm6w2QWF90lw0CRgxK2GqNfYdYiJM0QVjr8P3s_Cg0RPLr0/s1357/Charly%20Petrelly%20Clown%20Capelle%20tst%20D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1357" data-original-width="1077" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LZC_v79wBy_dqGNbyvY2AKXECMAehdkYLfeLrsidJveab84hmMYYb_P-69FLiQV0Fklb0yC5dy4jDpieSNmsyH8FDbTpvuLp9iUUHG6GIPwvb23w0UPBXRjLRRyNs9nu5oMG3zXwle2EVm6w2QWF90lw0CRgxK2GqNfYdYiJM0QVjr8P3s_Cg0RPLr0/w508-h640/Charly%20Petrelly%20Clown%20Capelle%20tst%20D.jpg" width="508" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: x-large;">THE CLOWNS</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">Their flour hands forever learning</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">To be tongues and speak, the clowns</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">Pull down their flags, they collapse</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">As tents over poles.</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAQLXlf9S6NvLTV8ZY6x8UEXNiB62mFlLSV1LS4TrHwfB9rpyinNG2_bY-kEnulDkEKMy2kQbOTcTgM8iHJNkD9DMn8mwJNQ8AbgnazyG3kHmj2J3OsxcHyYaXVwHfZSFl7J1UmTOBdabkUfiGdo_qTXP9RSUYQktNbXXPD1NpxzrQ_XfMc-J_vdPMU8/s1465/Charly%20Petrelly%20Clown%20Capelle%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1465" data-original-width="1145" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAQLXlf9S6NvLTV8ZY6x8UEXNiB62mFlLSV1LS4TrHwfB9rpyinNG2_bY-kEnulDkEKMy2kQbOTcTgM8iHJNkD9DMn8mwJNQ8AbgnazyG3kHmj2J3OsxcHyYaXVwHfZSFl7J1UmTOBdabkUfiGdo_qTXP9RSUYQktNbXXPD1NpxzrQ_XfMc-J_vdPMU8/w500-h640/Charly%20Petrelly%20Clown%20Capelle%20tst%20C.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">The clowns haul down their hearts</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">Like kites.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">They open their loves like oysters.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">They open</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">To seek the clever eyes of love.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">(Papa, what are clowns?)</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">(They are fools, son.)</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_3mm-q4_6zUE1j6YgICRZbwMsPOuA74pDR73V8tuKmdSSCt969s0NgTwgsSL_yqQyQc8lsCzYLnjCRd42IzWKMs0UGARuQl9pvpsLkqXU-7F3DLzA7wPIpc9CnhofOgPfbvUErRcIuH2gxDGNsXb9Zuzu_bQCPPbAgLtsd-srH7-6iqJDrLiV4FK4f0/s1297/Charly%20Petrelly%20Clown%20Capelle%20tst%20E.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="949" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_3mm-q4_6zUE1j6YgICRZbwMsPOuA74pDR73V8tuKmdSSCt969s0NgTwgsSL_yqQyQc8lsCzYLnjCRd42IzWKMs0UGARuQl9pvpsLkqXU-7F3DLzA7wPIpc9CnhofOgPfbvUErRcIuH2gxDGNsXb9Zuzu_bQCPPbAgLtsd-srH7-6iqJDrLiV4FK4f0/w468-h640/Charly%20Petrelly%20Clown%20Capelle%20tst%20E.jpg" width="468" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">The clowns are making us beggars,</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">They dance in a ring,</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">They have the metal eyes of birds</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">And have traveled from country to country.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">(Papa, what do clowns do?)</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">(They make us laugh, son.)</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPLARdQYc-I4LbEG45h-k0LClNk9Rx-VHoLZhp0JejubZRxPpqS7GzHPeK8vhFTLgqZLItWX9mtGjr-2ryBd7CoIL_SYyPprPRaApCf5AiPOsp0queLlBbw-VX6FT4qrG8LzWCCLKgdj2dSt49GXrQplKhQMY-jl8W7RAv0EvshhExHzFrp8YZmPC1qs/s2100/Charly%20Petrelly%20Clown%20Capelle%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1332" data-original-width="2100" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPLARdQYc-I4LbEG45h-k0LClNk9Rx-VHoLZhp0JejubZRxPpqS7GzHPeK8vhFTLgqZLItWX9mtGjr-2ryBd7CoIL_SYyPprPRaApCf5AiPOsp0queLlBbw-VX6FT4qrG8LzWCCLKgdj2dSt49GXrQplKhQMY-jl8W7RAv0EvshhExHzFrp8YZmPC1qs/w640-h406/Charly%20Petrelly%20Clown%20Capelle%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">Clowns cannot be tripped, like dancers,</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">Nor broken, like banjos,</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">They sometimes wrestle with weather</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">Like old trees.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;">by Richard O. Moore </span>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><i>Poetry</i>, vol. 67, no. 4 (Jan., 1946)</span>
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<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The preceding poem was the work of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_O._Moore" target="_blank">Richard O. Moore</a> (1920 – 2015), an American poet associated with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Renaissance" target="_blank">San Francisco Renaissance</a>. This movement in modern poetry and other associated artforms was also connected to poets and writers working at Black Mountain College, a private liberal arts college that operated from 1933–1957 in Black Mountain, North Carolina. The composer John Cage (1912–1992) also taught there, but I do not know if Richard Moore ever had any direct link with the college. By coincidence Black Mountain is only 15 miles from where I live now. I chose Moore's poem by chance because I thought it fit the image of this German clown band. It was published in January 1946 in <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=24347" target="_blank">Poetry, A Magazine of Verse</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7qJqHpxCc6g88bhlqrEV5NA4YK_yAvlM66PwsZAT7AatstHcKPieG4sWFiXGjXe3P3rCDhJiKjiAbjCYoevzJyYC7juhA6gf1tDmpAhIhyphenhyphennhmbULKFSCh3_7e7COG_qC9mUIH630O2vGW2URzcFwwztwXuS9n2VTAv7lPZQOMf389AMHVcysalkMauM/s1600/Charly%20Petrelly%20Clown%20Capelle%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="1600" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7qJqHpxCc6g88bhlqrEV5NA4YK_yAvlM66PwsZAT7AatstHcKPieG4sWFiXGjXe3P3rCDhJiKjiAbjCYoevzJyYC7juhA6gf1tDmpAhIhyphenhyphennhmbULKFSCh3_7e7COG_qC9mUIH630O2vGW2URzcFwwztwXuS9n2VTAv7lPZQOMf389AMHVcysalkMauM/w640-h412/Charly%20Petrelly%20Clown%20Capelle%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The six costumed musicians pictured on this postcard are <b>Charly Petrelly's</b> <b><i>Orig. Clown-Capelle</i> ~ Original Clown Band</b>. The
clown standing center with a violin is the leader, Charly Petrelly. They seem
to be on a stage surrounded by an assortment of musical instruments. In
addition to Charly's fiddle there are several brass instruments, a blackwood
flute, drums and three trapezoidal xylophones which were a popular folk
instrument in Central Europe in the 1900s. On the left backwall is a shelf
displaying some wine and/or liquor bottles which I believe were played like a
tuned percussion instrument. There is also an upright piano with a pair of
long herald trumpets above. Hung along the top of the wall are over a dozen ribbon
awards. Perhaps commemorating prizes won at some clown contest? It looks more like a clubhouse than a theater's stage.</div>
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<div>
The postcard was sent from Bremen, Germany on 22 March 1914 to a soldier's
address in Sondershausen, a central German town in Thuringia, west of
Leipzig. The handwriting is difficult to make out clearly, as the addressee's rank looks more
like <i>Musketier </i>than <i>Musiker</i>, though neither uses an
umlaut <span style="font-family: Courier Prime;">ü. </span>What amuses me about the message is that at least three, maybe four people, have
written a greeting in grey, red, and blue, orienting the lines along four
directions. On the front picture of the band two of the clowns have signatures
written in pencil on their white collars, so maybe the card was sent by the clowns.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkE_tXzHq1sG4SXW9i3RyjN_a9UuELaL_GRYvGYIJrMy4WA8OOUq2m3oWotChFkgVyP6Ahh8PLpJiFtwoTn-I5Zj9NIgTPsND6sgp-zxQna5lR-RCkZKxL7R1aAwvZCZDNP1XjUF8GED2QF3FVbCp1IlMjofZH3_Co20UROP9b6KJvnWEKAkF38DRJ8Q/s784/1913-09-23%20L%C3%BCbecker%20Volksbote.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="484" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkE_tXzHq1sG4SXW9i3RyjN_a9UuELaL_GRYvGYIJrMy4WA8OOUq2m3oWotChFkgVyP6Ahh8PLpJiFtwoTn-I5Zj9NIgTPsND6sgp-zxQna5lR-RCkZKxL7R1aAwvZCZDNP1XjUF8GED2QF3FVbCp1IlMjofZH3_Co20UROP9b6KJvnWEKAkF38DRJ8Q/w396-h640/1913-09-23%20L%C3%BCbecker%20Volksbote.jpg" width="396" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lübecker Volksbote</i><br />23 September 1913</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Charly Petrelly was known as <i>„Die fidelen Leipziger”</i> ~ The jolly Leipziger as featured in this German theater notice from September 1913. He and his <i>Klown-Kapelle</i> performed at the <i>Konzerthaus Zauberflöte ~ </i>Concert Hall Magic Flute (Mozart's most famous opera) in Lübeck, a port city northeast of Hamburg on the Baltic Sea. They were known as <i>Die 7 Blödsinnigen</i> ~ the Seven Idiots, an appropriate name for a bunch of foolish clowns.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">_ _</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here is another postcard of Charly Petrelly and his comical crew. [Pardon the image quality but I just found it online today and have not yet purchased it.]</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUSYk-qo90YrcRTyHXsA650Grwg2w7w7YcPituMgLe_dp6nWefWeI7aPpZjF-6JD_2wzd1-VM3D57YclPlmPXBNwWnt64Ocffz9FdTNtjHrQ7-zEbbXNLiGsxjxQ2CLXu0TgjNE6CkjRfe1JRXkEhcTkFeXseLisCE-2UjYGGN2NGTgc868bB3Q0wE0U/s823/Charly%20Petrelly%20Clown%20Capelle%20%202%20A%20ZZ.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="823" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUSYk-qo90YrcRTyHXsA650Grwg2w7w7YcPituMgLe_dp6nWefWeI7aPpZjF-6JD_2wzd1-VM3D57YclPlmPXBNwWnt64Ocffz9FdTNtjHrQ7-zEbbXNLiGsxjxQ2CLXu0TgjNE6CkjRfe1JRXkEhcTkFeXseLisCE-2UjYGGN2NGTgc868bB3Q0wE0U/w640-h432/Charly%20Petrelly%20Clown%20Capelle%20%202%20A%20ZZ.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Here the group is a quintet, not a sextet as in the other postcard. They display mostly brass and percussion instruments with three of long trumpets carefully arranged at the front. The three clowns in the center appear to be floating in the air but are actually lying on a thin tabletop. The postmark date is 14 September 1910 from Leipzig. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What kind of music did Charly Petrelly's clown band they play? Did it include singing too? I imagine their act was an absurd imitation of a real musical ensemble with lots of foolish pratfalls, weird noises, and other outlandish behavior like throwing pies. However I suspect that the humor of a clown band from 1913-14 would still make a 21st century audience roar with laughter, whereas the jokes of a standup comic from the same era would be very stale and unamusing. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">To be successful entertainers Charly Petrelly's clown band needed to practice its timing, coordinate its banter and buffoonery, and hone the act to a sharp edge of absurd slapstick. Being funny in show biz is a serious business. It's all about finding the invisible balance between pathos and cheer. The world could use more clown bands right now.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
Here's a suitable video to accompany this postcard.
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
It's a clip from the 1948 MGM film
<a href="https://youtu.be/HBVEhAJqVuM?si=N1AhuDnhCVRqha8U" target="_blank"><i>The Pirate</i></a>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
This scene features a memorable song by Cole Porter<br />and a dance number </span><span style="font-size: medium;">that features Gene Kelly (the pirate)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
and the fabulous Nicholas Brothers,
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000).
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="381" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HBVEhAJqVuM" width="458" youtube-src-id="HBVEhAJqVuM"></iframe>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And for a musical bonus here is a clip</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">from another Gene Kelly movie</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Singin' In The Rain</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
which was released four years later in 1952.
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The song is "Make 'Em Laugh"<br /></span><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">which perceptive listeners will hear </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
bears a very strong similarity to Cole Porter's song in <i>The Pirate.</i>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is performed by Donald O'Connor.</span></div></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iGCNBdCvzL4" width="469" youtube-src-id="iGCNBdCvzL4"></iframe>
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<div style="text-align: left;">From the Wikipedia entry for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Make_%27Em_Laugh" target="_blank">"Make 'Em Laugh"</a>: </div>
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">O'Connor's performance for is noted for its extreme physical difficulty, featuring dozens of jumps, pratfalls, and two backflips. Hollywood legend states that O'Connor, though only 27 years old at the time but a chain-smoker, was bedridden for several days after filming the sequence.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote>The song was a last minute addition to the film and was acknowledged as "100% plagiarism" as both the music and lyrics of "Make 'Em Laugh" are nearly identical in form and style to "Be a Clown". Although Cole Porter had unchallenged reason to bring suit, he never sued for copyright infringement.</blockquote></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to
<a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/02/sepia-saturday-711-17th-february-2024.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<b>where everyone is clowning around this weekend.</b>
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<a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/02/sepia-saturday-711-17th-february-2024.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxu0d8fbByOZJYrVh3RivNQ1WQCPb-KkmRBsRbrkldjn5KivQzFz2GNKk1i2gHLtw-J_F9X3twkIkijRKPEOGdZWbRqNLUgu8AMcXBOfGRuXOEgpavmBBRV7v7HMbcrKYWdL3OJFifPgrJ-a0ymspesYipnPsU7_tOX6GjvRZlxEVhYN4SBrJRQx6qSsM/w400-h400/20240217%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqMCDB-yx0eJLDp0l7zHtsWlcRvt1-9nYgHrUA3CUhHWaDiR4uN8yC-LUdFYU7BWFmhuvb07YvrytgIdOHaHD_6F6-xsKao5yd8L8ZJAlHAQ02uB2j9QV37lwUAFRTANRAH2M2hJby-dXs7tSAhD9Lxz9fPkEGmqopKYfpTGEyKd89TV4tgnHVDdG9xY/s2184/20240216%20AVL%20Juggler%20Clown%20Dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="1638" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqMCDB-yx0eJLDp0l7zHtsWlcRvt1-9nYgHrUA3CUhHWaDiR4uN8yC-LUdFYU7BWFmhuvb07YvrytgIdOHaHD_6F6-xsKao5yd8L8ZJAlHAQ02uB2j9QV37lwUAFRTANRAH2M2hJby-dXs7tSAhD9Lxz9fPkEGmqopKYfpTGEyKd89TV4tgnHVDdG9xY/w480-h640/20240216%20AVL%20Juggler%20Clown%20Dog.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">And by pure chance <br />this talented clown and his sidekick <br />were performing yesterday (16 February)<br />here in downtown Asheville, North Carolina.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Make 'em laugh, indeed!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-64218544848296485432024-02-10T23:43:00.001-05:002024-02-11T11:18:14.277-05:00Music for an Amusement Park<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Z_spvZnpHXHkpfc7KeNljNvB6qFr04sP4faT5Tlp-ZBhJu3JxRxvUHSsAVFpKfjhJgXqRnzi-TghrnSNcfj5y4ng_M2FbeMyZANRJS_89PJdFve17GamOux9GX6ZtcBoKO1btN2cg7JK18rjRy3XKBOR0zQ7ajScO7R79OTOiI3Qj5NlLEp5UQhm1HE/s463/Meier's%20Band%2002%20tst%20CC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="463" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Z_spvZnpHXHkpfc7KeNljNvB6qFr04sP4faT5Tlp-ZBhJu3JxRxvUHSsAVFpKfjhJgXqRnzi-TghrnSNcfj5y4ng_M2FbeMyZANRJS_89PJdFve17GamOux9GX6ZtcBoKO1btN2cg7JK18rjRy3XKBOR0zQ7ajScO7R79OTOiI3Qj5NlLEp5UQhm1HE/w640-h624/Meier's%20Band%2002%20tst%20CC.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">The first clue was a hat.<br />Or to be more specific,<br />it was an
insignia on a hat <br />that spelt MEIER.</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOJqDaiEf3ZO5w-9zCEV1ymKT5Vpb7kQk9bZfEKq2kAbHLFfwiF4LZKShOPW8y5IhKc92NCpytNpR-SHmF8EbGmC9u7Xv1NOgLAgA5xhyphenhyphenIDRikEliN7QwQOMJlIiYGesmCpF7u4vbQ1BdWhAvVFNVQsO8ItDbmBrT3c3d2mVRyspzlnsyfOcPi_gsb4A/s902/Meier's%20Band%2004%20tst%20BB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="902" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOJqDaiEf3ZO5w-9zCEV1ymKT5Vpb7kQk9bZfEKq2kAbHLFfwiF4LZKShOPW8y5IhKc92NCpytNpR-SHmF8EbGmC9u7Xv1NOgLAgA5xhyphenhyphenIDRikEliN7QwQOMJlIiYGesmCpF7u4vbQ1BdWhAvVFNVQsO8ItDbmBrT3c3d2mVRyspzlnsyfOcPi_gsb4A/w640-h616/Meier's%20Band%2004%20tst%20BB.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">The next clue was less obvious,<br />almost hidden,<br />and not in the
hats<br />but in a reflection. <br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWlF4UG5qgpOy2LrPdHkJw5HxVm-J1-qhoBy_6Q4u5L_95FRQp_-GCGlkb7bZxcq0LaxBQghKpXbOl-Id0MIvnw0dX-AwE92uk_E79Kld0vfDYx9NKIaflNLMdU3DXLHSwK4W3T89XvoOn_ROqekrzlxXkm2SCCpPaaYSyDDWPjW3eKqZxd0UnfKohLU/s2060/Meier's%20Band%2003a%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2060" data-original-width="2000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWlF4UG5qgpOy2LrPdHkJw5HxVm-J1-qhoBy_6Q4u5L_95FRQp_-GCGlkb7bZxcq0LaxBQghKpXbOl-Id0MIvnw0dX-AwE92uk_E79Kld0vfDYx9NKIaflNLMdU3DXLHSwK4W3T89XvoOn_ROqekrzlxXkm2SCCpPaaYSyDDWPjW3eKqZxd0UnfKohLU/w622-h640/Meier's%20Band%2003a%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="622" /></a>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">The last clue was clear though.<br />On the bottom border of a small
photo<br />was a handwritten note.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: x-large;"><i>Luna Park 1908</i></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">These photos were part of a large collection<br />that I acquired from a
dealer several years ago.<br />The man seated center in this photo played
euphonium<br />and wore a different hat when he played <br />in the
Washington National Guard.<br />His name was Orville M. Snyder.<br />and he
appeared in my story from February 2019:<br /><a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-band-at-old-campground.html" target="_blank">The Band at the Old Campground</a><br /><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFw78YJj9lXa5p_INdBvVVTCAbTF0GQqd3zEwNqTLDYBD7aYzaPAyAQmoKrW9QceNim_2JXptIqaX44_VXaIhEYloPpvXLIiETpSkTG1KzX3L4nnDnvZUmJ85whi3cAKl_rNb3x3ITTxGFyVlUGxpB9khu2nbiyNf5nKm-rVPMWmIvsBHYiwXTE3jgiM/s1099/Wash%20Nat%20Guard%20Baritone%20tst%20D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1099" data-original-width="1099" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFw78YJj9lXa5p_INdBvVVTCAbTF0GQqd3zEwNqTLDYBD7aYzaPAyAQmoKrW9QceNim_2JXptIqaX44_VXaIhEYloPpvXLIiETpSkTG1KzX3L4nnDnvZUmJ85whi3cAKl_rNb3x3ITTxGFyVlUGxpB9khu2nbiyNf5nKm-rVPMWmIvsBHYiwXTE3jgiM/w640-h640/Wash%20Nat%20Guard%20Baritone%20tst%20D.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Orville's</span><span style="font-size: large;"> gig with the National Guard band only occupied <br />a couple of
weeks in the summer.<br />During other parts of the year <br />his
bandleader, </span><span style="font-size: large;">Prof. Meier, </span><span style="font-size: large;">b</span><span style="font-size: large;">ooked various engagements <br />around the </span><span style="font-size: large;">area and this was one of them.</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was 1908 and Meier's Band was playing concerts <br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">at a new amusement park—<br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_Park,_Seattle" target="_blank">Luna Park</a>
in </span><span style="font-size: large;">Seattle, Washington</span><span style="font-size: large;">. </span>
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Amusement parks have a long, long history that goes back to ancient times. In
the 17th century they developed into "pleasure gardens" that borrowed
traditional entertainments from wine gardens, spas, market day fairs, Mardi
Gras festivals, and wild animal menageries. By the 1900s amusement parks
became a big business usually associated with huge expositions that built
fantastic wonderlands offering the public a giant spectacle of fun rides on
thrilling machines, clever games of chance, exhibits of marvels and oddities
from around the world, and endless concessions of irresistible confections and
savories. And of course, music was necessary to fill in the soundscape. Luna
Park in Seattle had it all.
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The first
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_Park" target="_blank">Luna Park</a>
opened in 1903 at New York's Coney Island in competition with other amusement
parks at this popular seaside resort. The concept came from two showmen
Frederic Thompson and Elmer "Skip" Dundy who were at various times both rivals
and partners in this new cutthroat entertainment business. Using their experience
designing temporary parks at other "world fairs", Thompson and Dundy created a
more permanent park that featured a structure they called "A Trip to the
Moon". This so-called "dark ride" transported patrons on a guided
electric-powered vehicle on an simulated flying trip to the moon, hence <i>Luna</i>.
The park also included many other novelty and thrill rides and was brilliantly
illuminated at night by thousands of electric lights.
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After their success at Coney Island, Thompson and Dundy and other
entrepreneurs began developing new venues around the country that borrowed the
"Luna Park" name. In 1903 a second Luna Park opened in Portland, Oregon,
followed by another in 1904 in Buffalo, New York. In 1905 there were
five new parks in Cleveland; Johnston, PA; Mansfield, OH; and Pittsburgh. Five
more new Luna Parks opened in the summer of 1906 including one in Detroit and
one in Mexico City. And in 1907 Chicago got a Luna Park and so did Seattle,
Washington.
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In this closeup of the previous postcard we can see an arcade sign "Admission
Free" which is partly hidden in the background of the photo of Orville Snyder.
The small hut behind them marked "Palmistry" is also visible. This part
of the park was called the "Midway" and acted as the central hub for patrons
to pass though on their way to the other attractions.
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The location was on 12 acres of shoreline in West Seattle called Duwamish Head at
the northern tip of Alki Point. One of the developers was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I._D._Looff" target="_blank">Charles I. D. Looff</a>, (1852–1918), a Danish master woodcarver who immigrated to America in 1870
and created a very successful business manufacturing carousels and other
amusement rides. In 1876 Looff built his first merry-go-round for a park in Coney Island
and was later hired by Thompson and Dundy to build carousels for their
parks. He has over 45 carousels around the world credited to his company.</div>
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Luna Park, Seattle WA<br />circa 1907-13<br />Source: The Internet
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As seen in this color postcard, the foundations of Luna Park were constructed on
pilings set into a large tidal mud flat in Elliot Bay. West Seattle is separated
from Seattle by water so a special tram line and ferry was built to bring
patrons (and the bandsmen too) directly to the park entrance. Construction
began in the fall of 1906 and amazingly was finished in less than a year to
open for the 1907 summer season.
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Seattle WA <i>Star</i><br />19 April 1907
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The cost for building Luna Park was reported in the Seattle newspapers as
$500,000. It featured a "vast concrete natatorium, with tanks for men and
women, hot and cold water, salt water, etc.; a big figure-eight roller
coaster; a "merry-go-round," entirely different from the old style; the
"Canals of Venice," affording a half mile gondola ride; a "shoot the shoots'
sliding 290 feet into an artificial lake, and a score of other
attractions. A big cafe will be run in connection with the park." The park would also have its own oil-fired electrical generator to power thousands of electric lights and motorized equipment. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLZAa3S6C7zG1joyS3MdTotLHWMkFWo0fLdpCv0hvWW0EQiwD73tU3NK_AqbHLe74Bum4hCcA6SDs-vb_vC9Sj-sEn-PN-vc_ZMlmzK8mRDxmUg9Z2-rP1_8wYvvgRLSbtBrfTueaJ8Lg9BDuLz31dd0E2zFog6dgOqZdDjnn68ZZcpMGQqhrNDKTYSk/s1578/Luna_Park%20%201913%20a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="974" data-original-width="1578" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLZAa3S6C7zG1joyS3MdTotLHWMkFWo0fLdpCv0hvWW0EQiwD73tU3NK_AqbHLe74Bum4hCcA6SDs-vb_vC9Sj-sEn-PN-vc_ZMlmzK8mRDxmUg9Z2-rP1_8wYvvgRLSbtBrfTueaJ8Lg9BDuLz31dd0E2zFog6dgOqZdDjnn68ZZcpMGQqhrNDKTYSk/w640-h396/Luna_Park%20%201913%20a.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Luna Park, Seattle WA<br />circa 1907-13<br />Source: The Internet
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The carousel manufacturer Charles Looff had initially planned to send one of
his grand carousels to a park in San Francisco. But the Great Earthquake of
1906 squashed that idea and instead Loof decided to build his own Luna Park
in Seattle. This postcard shows the reverse viewpoint from the first
postcard of the park and in the center is Loof's huge carousel barn which would have been just behind the photographer of the three bandsmen.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIML3GwWDxIXFwit5BV-K9Q5BJE1xSNKF4bigxafpNqJ_Z2UOVwz_xFP0UDJ3fJjGA4x-ce5un5inAX4Cdm0RlABJ-nkqgTfhEGk4hL6D031oEi1zqSgs0mhEln1HjNYbTlsGEKLk4_Z3I8wOJC2wUptJcsGeuwzQK9w4mM2DuQO9j_r9YYwPiCjWNUiE/s2000/1907-05-16%20Seattle%20Daily_Times%20-%20Luna%20Park%20carousel%20orchestrion.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2000" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIML3GwWDxIXFwit5BV-K9Q5BJE1xSNKF4bigxafpNqJ_Z2UOVwz_xFP0UDJ3fJjGA4x-ce5un5inAX4Cdm0RlABJ-nkqgTfhEGk4hL6D031oEi1zqSgs0mhEln1HjNYbTlsGEKLk4_Z3I8wOJC2wUptJcsGeuwzQK9w4mM2DuQO9j_r9YYwPiCjWNUiE/w640-h586/1907-05-16%20Seattle%20Daily_Times%20-%20Luna%20Park%20carousel%20orchestrion.png" width="640" /></a>
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Seattle WA <i>Daily Times</i><br />16 May 1907
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At the center of the carousel was a marvel of engineering and music. It was
called an "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestrion" target="_blank">Orchestrion</a>" and reputed to cost $12,000. It was essentially a gigantic player-organ,
elaborately decorated with ornate woodcarvings, that made music on hundreds
of whistle and reed pipes when triggered by a pinned cylinder or music
roll mechanism. Judging from the photo published in the Seattle
<i>Daily Times </i>this huge machine surely had to be installed first before the
rest of the carousel could be assembled.
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Even before the park opened in June 1907 there was a sizable protest from
citizens of West Seattle. People objected to the size and location, of
course, but their most serious concern was over the park having a large
saloon serving alcohol. This would surely lead to it becoming a hangout for
an "undesirable class of persons" meaning drunks, prostitutes, and
criminals. The protest turned into such strong opposition to the park's liquor
license that the residents of West Seattle demanded that their town be
annexed by the city of Seattle in the hope that its conservative mayor, a staunch
defender of law and order, would better deal with the situation. Two days
after Luna Park opened in 1907 Seattle annexed West Seattle. However it also
annexed five other towns forcing the mayor to manage so many new obligations
that the citizens of West Seattle never got the support they expected.
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Seattle WA <i>Star</i><br />21 May 1908<br /><br />
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In 1908 the big draw for Luna Park was Prof. Davidson who made a balloon
accent every afternoon at 3 o'clock. This was reportedly the first flight of
any kind made in the Pacific Northwest. It is interesting to note that the
Boeing Aircraft Company was founded in Seattle in 1916 by William
Boeing. Perhaps he saw Davidson's balloon or Uncle Hiram and his pig.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCLnPRghJAFlllfnV2wTAZM5ZO5qhk2l_nmCo0Mj-rZUGI3OUnMayq_f3QegVOPuiUwrto7LwwD6LvEbYrU5xCi2qOe1e_CB6F5OiAmYsTaeZiuLc_jU6Dp8boBif5QwGxexJByhhwaAjXwKO5PP8bvvVudTVuDQ3J6TWwwOcR6eYes95i05fM3rEt58/s805/Luna_Park_Original_BAND_STAND_WIKI.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="805" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCLnPRghJAFlllfnV2wTAZM5ZO5qhk2l_nmCo0Mj-rZUGI3OUnMayq_f3QegVOPuiUwrto7LwwD6LvEbYrU5xCi2qOe1e_CB6F5OiAmYsTaeZiuLc_jU6Dp8boBif5QwGxexJByhhwaAjXwKO5PP8bvvVudTVuDQ3J6TWwwOcR6eYes95i05fM3rEt58/w640-h401/Luna_Park_Original_BAND_STAND_WIKI.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Luna Park, Seattle WA<br />circa 1907-13<br />Source: The Internet
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In this postcard we can see the bandshell where musical groups performed and
next to it is Prof. Davidson's balloon. Its size looks too small to be a hot
air type balloon. I believe all lighter-than-air craft in this era used
hydrogen for lift. The professor sensibly tethered his balloon for both
safety and practicality. The winds in Puget Sound must have caused a number
of delays.
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The band hired to play at Luna Park was Ernest Meier's Military Band. In
this large 8" x 5" photo the band is seated in the bandshell with its
bandleader standing center. Along the bottom edge is written Luna Park ?.?
?.? 1908. Orville Snyder sits center right next to the tuba player.
There are fifteen bandsmen and all wear the same uniform and hat with a
MEIER insignia.
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Seattle Union Record<br />8 December 1900
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According to the 1900 US census, Ernest R. Meier was born in Germany in
September 1859 and came to America as a young man in 1876. I found reference
to a Meier's Band that played in the late 1880-1890 decades in Pittsburgh
and Indianapolis, so I suspect he moved to Seattle in around 1899-1900 when
the city was beginning a boom in industry. He advertised his band and
orchestra regularly, promoting "Music furnished for all occasions,
Up-to-date repertoire, Neat uniforms." The orchestra was for indoor dances and probably used a different set of musicians since, for instance there are no euphonium parts in orchestral music. But some of his bandsmen may have played string instruments too as this cross-over talent was a common skill set for many musicians in this era. Meier's "military" band was a type of
concert band that used more clarinets and flutes than a brass band. It also
usually had at least two horns and a bassoon to add class to the group.
Prof. Meier doesn't have a bassoon but there are two horn players seated on
the right.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgGFPMaWert3i9cL-B8VDEyh3lh7VF2jYzATsdZhoyMjCda_fmTnYPdWzYRE4cw-qxMGJWDeqnDDwDO_22gH7vvM4j88WDcsAPpfjOwr2AnB7OgvS7q6VY03ZUlaeft10iSuOku9CAqS0pYr4CSfFNmn7IQN271kn2KB67PgJj-2dkD6hUN-g2fr5giA/s1495/Luna%20Park%201%201911%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="1495" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgGFPMaWert3i9cL-B8VDEyh3lh7VF2jYzATsdZhoyMjCda_fmTnYPdWzYRE4cw-qxMGJWDeqnDDwDO_22gH7vvM4j88WDcsAPpfjOwr2AnB7OgvS7q6VY03ZUlaeft10iSuOku9CAqS0pYr4CSfFNmn7IQN271kn2KB67PgJj-2dkD6hUN-g2fr5giA/w640-h402/Luna%20Park%201%201911%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luna Park, Seattle WA<br />circa 1907-13<br />Source: The Internet<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">In this birds-eye-view colorized photo postcard we get a good view looking
north of Luna Park's location on Elliott Bay and Puget Sound. The
photographer was on a small hill above the point. The chutes ride is on the
left next to the "Canals of Venice" and n the right is the band stand and
whirling boat ride. Prof. Davidson's balloon, looking a bit misshapen as if
low on gas, floats above the park. The balloon doesn't appear to have a
basket like Prof. Marvel's balloon in the <i>Wizard of Oz</i>. It looks like
it is just a human body suspended from the balloon's rigging. That's pretty
extreme even by our modern standards of thrill rides.
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A second 8" x 5" photo shows the band in a different spot at the park.
Along the lower edge is written Luna Park – 08. The bandsmen are the same
men with Ernest Meier seated center holding a blackwood baton. Just behind
him is Orville Snyder, and 2nd man to his right is the bespectacled bandsman
with the brushy mustache who was sitting with Orville on the midway. He
holds a piccolo here and in the other photo is on the far left with a
blackwood flute. The third man in the midway photo is the lantern-jaw
drummer standing on the right here and back center left in the other photo.
The clarinetist seated far right is the man I introduced at the beginning whose hat remained in
focus allowing me to identify the band.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKY7r91civSr1nDgSXgq-XdNr3N9Nb0QiymJvah7ICRAsk2UaHow6LkjI4ZrHpBx6tpfA0-v0cPuzNsVKx9zOQANBQ1DJ-v9LNjZVPjm7RWYRloIyYmyqG264ypDBcTT2lZsqMvQjNvdD_IsPQpzQYieaqOSZkF80cNyfUsI923oGDhmrfDqIKONIfS0/s979/Meier's%20Band%2002%20tst%20BB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="977" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKY7r91civSr1nDgSXgq-XdNr3N9Nb0QiymJvah7ICRAsk2UaHow6LkjI4ZrHpBx6tpfA0-v0cPuzNsVKx9zOQANBQ1DJ-v9LNjZVPjm7RWYRloIyYmyqG264ypDBcTT2lZsqMvQjNvdD_IsPQpzQYieaqOSZkF80cNyfUsI923oGDhmrfDqIKONIfS0/w399-h400/Meier's%20Band%2002%20tst%20BB.jpg" width="399" /></a>
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But the location for this photo was a bit of a mystery until I saw in
the back corner of this odd fake rock formation some letters. "CA?? OF
MYSTE??? In several notices for Luna Park there was a mention
of "Cave of Mystery" which I presume was a kind of "dark ride"
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKgA2Ni8ppsUdhdSIeuScPFwv1A1fwlw8QfSveA_PrVzDPuJvdMgyvCB0XP41FTMMUUreuSLlfXZe9MTRwyYEtf4SpCOCzQdcqcLXVz0ZB3WsjkoRMmdypG3ZdeV2BojHJO65fIEVi1GWKtcYEr1tIvdrFyvuN73C-PiA4b36EDcfR4SJdPNnJF4zseE/s230/Luna_Park_Original_BAND_STAND_WIKI%20DETAIL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="215" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKgA2Ni8ppsUdhdSIeuScPFwv1A1fwlw8QfSveA_PrVzDPuJvdMgyvCB0XP41FTMMUUreuSLlfXZe9MTRwyYEtf4SpCOCzQdcqcLXVz0ZB3WsjkoRMmdypG3ZdeV2BojHJO65fIEVi1GWKtcYEr1tIvdrFyvuN73C-PiA4b36EDcfR4SJdPNnJF4zseE/w374-h400/Luna_Park_Original_BAND_STAND_WIKI%20DETAIL.jpg" width="374" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoPtiiGfLh3ajQFmPX077qcKbskSGGmW791ilHsQZoy2ST66noRBCz_frT-KYB2gik57_O703xKtEQiVCE_4MIYLMMVsK3-sT1PiZjUuRHJpWSplaPXNVYeqBDae3FpwFLzPTegJLMTlBL7aoa5LWFDvfYYMwRo2W1LIcEb-q3SoktBiPsnEqmJMMXIQ/s1325/1908-03-28%20Seattle%20Union%20Record%20-%20List%20of%20Seattle%20Labor%20Unions.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1325" data-original-width="554" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoPtiiGfLh3ajQFmPX077qcKbskSGGmW791ilHsQZoy2ST66noRBCz_frT-KYB2gik57_O703xKtEQiVCE_4MIYLMMVsK3-sT1PiZjUuRHJpWSplaPXNVYeqBDae3FpwFLzPTegJLMTlBL7aoa5LWFDvfYYMwRo2W1LIcEb-q3SoktBiPsnEqmJMMXIQ/w268-h640/1908-03-28%20Seattle%20Union%20Record%20-%20List%20of%20Seattle%20Labor%20Unions.jpg" width="268" /></a>
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Seattle WA <i>Union Record</i><br />28 March 1908
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Prof. Meier and his bandsmen were members of the Seattle Musicians' Union, a
local with the American Federation of Musicians (of which I am also a
member). In 1908 it was just one of 29 labor unions in Seattle compiled in a
list by the Seattle <i>Union Record</i> newspaper. There were trade unions
for all kinds of workers from Bakers, Bartenders, Barbers to Typographical workers, Waiters, and Waitresses. Seattle was then an important city for American labor organizations and musicians were an important part of Seattle's workers. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>When plans for Seattle's Luna Park were announced there was more public concern about the project than just its liquor license. The developers ignored Seattle's construction workers' unions, refusing to negotiate contracts and instead used non-union labor. In June 1907, just before the park was scheduled to open, Seattle's Central Labor Federation put Luna Park on an unfair list and called for a boycott by all its union members. The board of the musicians' union passed a resolution that all musicians were "subject to a fine of $5 for patronizing Luna Park while it is on the unfair list."</div><div><br /></div></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8QtiDS5I9xUwzebz86cXx5JH1CCaVEYxM_54359JUSt2mUQRK9ERGMMW4ooAR_X9NRm0OP3VXZLj2Q8JeXuc_-Zsb1RPG2LqTsBvdT9DzFYoN5l-Zqp7_itSw8vL3DcwI2kmddxDOD44mU1yusE9YSOhW2hobI7qRcfzmrhcXBYqqAhAHjSMFcWwy5I/s1033/1907-06-22%20Seattle%20Union%20Record%20-%20Labor%20Unions%20boycott%20Luna%20Park.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1033" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8QtiDS5I9xUwzebz86cXx5JH1CCaVEYxM_54359JUSt2mUQRK9ERGMMW4ooAR_X9NRm0OP3VXZLj2Q8JeXuc_-Zsb1RPG2LqTsBvdT9DzFYoN5l-Zqp7_itSw8vL3DcwI2kmddxDOD44mU1yusE9YSOhW2hobI7qRcfzmrhcXBYqqAhAHjSMFcWwy5I/w640-h434/1907-06-22%20Seattle%20Union%20Record%20-%20Labor%20Unions%20boycott%20Luna%20Park.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seattle WA <i>Union Record</i><br />28 June 1907</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The first summer of Luna Park must have been both exciting and frustrating for the many people concerned about this new entertainment venue. The general public was intrigued or dismayed at the very idea of an amusement park. The developers like Charles Looff were mostly interested in bringing in the crowds and making a good return on their investment. How they managed to get this kind of complicated project finished in less than a year is a testimony to skillful planners and an army of workers, even if most of them were non-union. When the park released its notice for the opening of Luna Park on 27 June 1907, "The Nation's Greatest Playground on the Pacific Coast" it proudly listed all the various rides and features. It also prominently announced that Prof. <i><b>Miner's</b></i> Military Band would provide two grand concerts daily—afternoon and evening.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTaO20i5jXvY9n_qhV6t90JGSQtXgbAzbVUSu3fGqU1h-fPwH6eNt2V0BgCO4vmy66QD2JK103O5NTAELueKcJkZvhh1eFCgmvGykUI1sdN2DCbK6eR4AQfyNIQfNif4gBnJXroxofT441cLcoY7NONNma7A8uCXahDeyIjSYbKDfMdlFFrdEMiPpcIo/s743/1907-06-23%20Seattle%20Daily_Times%20-%20Luna%20Park%20opens%20ADVERT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="743" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTaO20i5jXvY9n_qhV6t90JGSQtXgbAzbVUSu3fGqU1h-fPwH6eNt2V0BgCO4vmy66QD2JK103O5NTAELueKcJkZvhh1eFCgmvGykUI1sdN2DCbK6eR4AQfyNIQfNif4gBnJXroxofT441cLcoY7NONNma7A8uCXahDeyIjSYbKDfMdlFFrdEMiPpcIo/w640-h562/1907-06-23%20Seattle%20Daily_Times%20-%20Luna%20Park%20opens%20ADVERT.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seattle WA <i>Daily Times</i><br />23 June 1907</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't think "Miner's" band was a misprint of "Meier's" band, as it appeared this way in other newspaper notices that called the group Prof. Miner's concert band or cornet band. The similarity was a strange coincidence that suggested some duplicity on the part of Ernest Meier. But with further research I discovered there was in fact a "Prof." Mark Minor who was both a music teacher and the leader of a boys' band and at one time the conductor of the Seattle Post Office Band. However by the end of the 1907 season the Luna Park management probably noticed that Minor's musicians were no match for the quality of real professional bandsmen. It may have helped that early in 1908 all the trade unions amicably settled their differences with Luna Park, too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAHvm0IpmBCdVrpxLHp6NmXsWi39O8ad8qerOBJexocDEEuLfidBlcFZ2yMvmP_4JHi-MVoa4tTie9VM7KuD_amE2CD-aaaSKsiXQVFE6iqG6q8Hj9E8qs564BfzPPOjwRE6HDDryvPFJ02DGqk0UhXLdfCf6br1ehmUhixxbZIYFT-hW2-fB3Y5Oz68/s1080/1908-03-28%20Seattle%20Union%20Record%20-%20Labor%20Unions%20settle%20with%20Luna%20Park.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAHvm0IpmBCdVrpxLHp6NmXsWi39O8ad8qerOBJexocDEEuLfidBlcFZ2yMvmP_4JHi-MVoa4tTie9VM7KuD_amE2CD-aaaSKsiXQVFE6iqG6q8Hj9E8qs564BfzPPOjwRE6HDDryvPFJ02DGqk0UhXLdfCf6br1ehmUhixxbZIYFT-hW2-fB3Y5Oz68/w640-h400/1908-03-28%20Seattle%20Union%20Record%20-%20Labor%20Unions%20settle%20with%20Luna%20Park.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seattle WA <i>Union Record</i><br />28 March1908</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">In March 1908 the Central Labor Council of Seattle reached an understanding with Luna Park and removed it from the unfair list. I don't know how long this goodwill with unions lasted, but it at least allowed Ernest Meier to secure a steady engagement for his band that summer. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This small photo of two (though actually three) Meier's bandsmen didn't look like much when it came with the collection I bought. It was very faded and even after correcting the contrast it doesn't look like much. But I'm now pretty certain the man on the left is Orville M. Snyder, the euphonium player in Meier's band, He comrade is the E-flat clarinetist sitting next to Meier in the Cave of Mystery photo. The third man is reflected in the oval mirror and he is the photographer looking down at the camera viewfinder. In the reflection background is Luna Park's big whirling boat ride. Like the other photos this one is annotated in the same handwriting—Luna Park 1908.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The band kept to a strict schedule that likely meant playing several concerts in a day's work. They were not likely to stray far from the bandstand so where is this place with this unusual mirror? Could I find it in any of the photos of Luna Park? Indeed I could but before I reveal where it is I'll give readers a chance to find it in this next image.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6B1DKdW3mAkbOXHnFvq6uUc1M9Zd8IPWhvlSht2mBuRGNbhOlWsykEx_pTyimeJRiAswmhK5Xlh9fX0J08WnzMtSHUwv2sRGZyfcSKBKkKDnNSWRXC0TDBGFERgokrA6PGgmFM7PWFYlJNbiRFgSBY5MvB2nmIt1NyjAHcmoyT4wRzv306imnNumsog/s1444/Luna%20Park%20RPPC%20XYZ.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="1444" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6B1DKdW3mAkbOXHnFvq6uUc1M9Zd8IPWhvlSht2mBuRGNbhOlWsykEx_pTyimeJRiAswmhK5Xlh9fX0J08WnzMtSHUwv2sRGZyfcSKBKkKDnNSWRXC0TDBGFERgokrA6PGgmFM7PWFYlJNbiRFgSBY5MvB2nmIt1NyjAHcmoyT4wRzv306imnNumsog/w640-h392/Luna%20Park%20RPPC%20XYZ.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luna Park, Seattle WA<br />circa 1907-13<br />Source: The Internet<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6B1DKdW3mAkbOXHnFvq6uUc1M9Zd8IPWhvlSht2mBuRGNbhOlWsykEx_pTyimeJRiAswmhK5Xlh9fX0J08WnzMtSHUwv2sRGZyfcSKBKkKDnNSWRXC0TDBGFERgokrA6PGgmFM7PWFYlJNbiRFgSBY5MvB2nmIt1NyjAHcmoyT4wRzv306imnNumsog/s1444/Luna%20Park%20RPPC%20XYZ.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Did you spot it? <br />It's at an entrance with three arches <br />and the sign: <br /><span style="font-family: Playfair Display SC;">LOST CHILD</span>. </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm not certain if this was a security office to collect and protect lost children or instead a weird mirror maze. But I'm certain it was a place some of Meier's bandsmen found shade from Seattle's summertime sun.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As far as I can determine, Ernest Meier and his band left Luna Park before the end of its 1908 season and never got a return engagement. In August most of them were encamped with the Washington National Guard. When the park reopened in 1909 another band took their place.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzux5dQPCNAwRxkR5WovjI97C-OjBtTlkDnbp_fWFderPIMXSs3e93OJ_ZZx8kxung9LblVzfdikMSF0BEenrkHFaTeDi12-IS4zYMf9KaE1FUwg1gX3_PaBQIKFweE3UXDTQ47NzvuJTmio_Gkhp4nhBkQf6SKO0FM7kAg0Di4E5OXvASizT36u88N2g/s1135/1909-06-20%20Seattle%20Daily_Times%20-Luna%20Park%20AD.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1135" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzux5dQPCNAwRxkR5WovjI97C-OjBtTlkDnbp_fWFderPIMXSs3e93OJ_ZZx8kxung9LblVzfdikMSF0BEenrkHFaTeDi12-IS4zYMf9KaE1FUwg1gX3_PaBQIKFweE3UXDTQ47NzvuJTmio_Gkhp4nhBkQf6SKO0FM7kAg0Di4E5OXvASizT36u88N2g/w640-h384/1909-06-20%20Seattle%20Daily_Times%20-Luna%20Park%20AD.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seattle WA <i>Daily Times</i><br />20 June 1909</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">By this time the actual manager of Seattle's Luna Park was the Charles Looff's son William Looff and he came up with new ideas to keep the park popular. The balloonist was replaced by a female high diver named Spray who climbed a 60 foot tall tower to dive into a tank of water six foot square. [See my July 2017 story, <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-special-swimsuit-edition.html" target="_blank">The Special Swimsuit Edition</a>, to learn why this became a fad in the 1910s] The rides were still promoted but the big attraction for 1909 was Ostriches! They were trained to drive in harness and do other tricks. [I've met ostriches before and can vouch that they are some nasty mean big birds. Not like pigeons in any way.] And the band for Luna Park was La Sousa's Clown Band. Not a class act, I think.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngVSukomB1XEyP4h524cGC46dh1ErzGP_uujQW_6I7caYrAypmUSxamar9y3wc8v37K54RdDYzh7JUDZTwO-TeqBPqnB57WPf4cRkyo1w9c2-4dwAqOBtFlDP_yogGWRNOB56-z3qfOfhjJhUoGWQtZLjX8-Gh-JySIB02E7JHlAUK7nDVXr9t1-dtDs/s1200/Seattle_-_Luna_Park_-_1910.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="1200" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngVSukomB1XEyP4h524cGC46dh1ErzGP_uujQW_6I7caYrAypmUSxamar9y3wc8v37K54RdDYzh7JUDZTwO-TeqBPqnB57WPf4cRkyo1w9c2-4dwAqOBtFlDP_yogGWRNOB56-z3qfOfhjJhUoGWQtZLjX8-Gh-JySIB02E7JHlAUK7nDVXr9t1-dtDs/w640-h510/Seattle_-_Luna_Park_-_1910.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luna Park, Seattle Washington, circa 1910<br />Source: Wikimedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The years 1910 to 1912 were a troubled time for Luna Park and for some reason newspapers stopped printing its notices. There had been several tragic accidents at the park which led to costly lawsuits. A dance hall had opened next to the park that, and just as the West Seattle folk had feared, it brought in a disreputable clientele. Luna Park's owners also got embroiled in business disputes that required expensive litigation. It didn't help that Seattle's mayor and police chief were caught up with scandals and corruption. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Perhaps the park lost appeal because of its distance from Seattle's center. The trolley line and ferry ride took about 45 minutes, but maybe this was now too long. In this new decade more people were acquiring automobiles and a drive to West Seattle may have introduced disagreeable parking and traffic problems. The only thing at Luna Park that seemed successful with the public was its "Natatorium" where the heated swimming pool let it stay open for much of the year. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In 1913 hope for Seattle's amusement park seemed renewed when a new manager was brought on board. The rides were expanded and the business bought bigger newspaper ads promoting Luna Park's laughter and fun potential.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29sMTCJFiI9KVnxItECDboSyR9SQM9FEQb6IJsmfBMbG6-_d4Nn5dgpw0K5oNjHfvSO-6zgOMVFVl2PRtsoRh5xK2DzSmWOjnGJs6a97_wV1dKqN7Docu2OZYSg3hztjADeXmHWNPPBiPHg-17qPmELsYWTsK7qRjCEPGcOyhd88oFE395tHh3sxXn-g/s912/1913-06-06%20Seattle%20Star%20-%20Luna%20Park%20reopens%20ADVERT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="813" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29sMTCJFiI9KVnxItECDboSyR9SQM9FEQb6IJsmfBMbG6-_d4Nn5dgpw0K5oNjHfvSO-6zgOMVFVl2PRtsoRh5xK2DzSmWOjnGJs6a97_wV1dKqN7Docu2OZYSg3hztjADeXmHWNPPBiPHg-17qPmELsYWTsK7qRjCEPGcOyhd88oFE395tHh3sxXn-g/w570-h640/1913-06-06%20Seattle%20Star%20-%20Luna%20Park%20reopens%20ADVERT.jpg" width="570" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seattle WA <i>Star</i><br />6 June 1913</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The clown band was replaced by Dicastro's Royal Military Band of 30 soloists. Gone were the balloonists, high divers, and ostriches. Instead an Italian Band got top billing. Admission was free but probably nothing else was. By the end of the 1913 summer season the Seattle public had found other amusements more attractive and Luna Park closed its gates for good. All the ride equipment was disassembled and shipped to other parks or scrapped. Unfortunately I have yet to find the exact date when the business went bust as after 1913 Seattle's newspapers seem to have given up reporting about Luna Park. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>The dance hall, swimming pools and cafe stuck around for several more years. But in April 1931 an arsonist set the Natatorium ablaze and the last remaining structure of Luna Park was destroyed. </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Many years ago, just out of college, I worked a summer at Busch Gardens, a modern amusement park in Williamsburg, Virginia. For this gig I didn't play horn in a band but instead was a member of a small quartet of strolling musicians who played Renaissance wind instruments in the park's fantasy Olde England. We wore "Renaissance" costumes made from heavy upholstery material and played "Elizabethan" and "Shakespearean" era music outdoors in front of Ye Olde Globe Theatre at the parks entrance/exit. It was 7 hours work for a six-day week that rarely attracted much attention as most people arriving at the park were in a hurry to get to the rides and beer hall. And six hours later when people were leaving most were too tired to watch us perform for more than a minute. The only perk of the job was a free pass to ride the roller coasters when our shift ended. That summer I learned a lot about the "art of performing" and about the nature of real "show business". </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So as I discovered more about Seattle's Luna Park, I realized that Orville Snyder and I shared a similar experiences working in an amusement park. If I had a time machine I'd like to go back to 1908 Seattle and trade stories with Orville and the fellas in Meier's Military Band. And maybe sit in with the band and play my horn as Prof. Davidson made his balloon accension. That would be fun.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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The grand carousel that once delighted Seattle children, and adults too, was
originally made for a park in San Francisco. Though it had a short life at Luna Park, the carousel was preserved and eventually made its way to Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco where it has been restored and installed at the Children's Creativity Museum. According to another recent video almost all the carousel horses are the original wooden carvings, though now with more durable paintwork, I think. Here's a <a href="https://youtu.be/kRxqluGFEu4?si=mM-WVOLuBpFTUUIy" target="_blank">short video</a> that demonstrates how some fun never gets old. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">There is one more story to tell<br />about this collection of musical photos from Seattle.<br />It's about the same musicians but a different bandleader.<br />Stay tuned.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/02/sepia-saturday-710-10th-february-2024.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b>
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<b>where everyone is spinning round</b>
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<b>and around <br />and aaround<br />and aaaround <br />and
aaaaaround<br />and aaaaaaaaaaaround<br />and
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaround.<br /><br /></b></div></b></span>
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Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-88679551655201497082024-02-03T15:06:00.003-05:002024-02-03T15:06:29.989-05:00Girls Just Want to Have Fun<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpSCJ38KVPRkgaUVPB-xPss3fc-Jo0T3iyZuiIMu_sY44jT6Z_t5XU6fCoFediGL4ujD4k3jRfCFSB8sC85tFZRM8jLw9QKqFuKPpOVsANlEt0AaQeMEHOyujKlyVqR-pNDCTQTrf1b9G3chudwJh2sOFq5ijj57OmAIrF4nJRCqabEJX9VRObUgp7yQ/s2200/Nymphen%20Nordseestrand%20Gesang%20Quartet%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1423" data-original-width="2200" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpSCJ38KVPRkgaUVPB-xPss3fc-Jo0T3iyZuiIMu_sY44jT6Z_t5XU6fCoFediGL4ujD4k3jRfCFSB8sC85tFZRM8jLw9QKqFuKPpOVsANlEt0AaQeMEHOyujKlyVqR-pNDCTQTrf1b9G3chudwJh2sOFq5ijj57OmAIrF4nJRCqabEJX9VRObUgp7yQ/w640-h414/Nymphen%20Nordseestrand%20Gesang%20Quartet%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">They called themselves <i><b>“Die Nymphen vom Nordseestrand”</b></i> ~ “The nymphs from the North Sea beach” Wearing shiny satin bathing costumes complete white tights, slippers, and royal crowns this ladies singing quartet was one of director Franz Appel's Variety and Burlesque Ensembles. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The postcard was sent on 24 February 1911 from Mittweida, a small town in Saxony, Germany. It's a very long way (300 miles) from the cold North Sea shore.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wfEAP5jId9c9zBrooEUvOkZgkUHX5YolG78GulUY3Q9vSgMKf3EzwkkRP2QqDklIdyjNCFGTCiR74Jklg2hpO3PkoKnuKURbQCHrJHTVK5-_nwIZILhyphenhyphenQETZ7ar6waQY81KFmUDX8MNpaqPCD9WExhV-6U6qI3qiz2QXEf3y-KHyq58sASrDGooEBH8/s1600/Nymphen%20Nordseestrand%20Gesang%20Quartet%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1600" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wfEAP5jId9c9zBrooEUvOkZgkUHX5YolG78GulUY3Q9vSgMKf3EzwkkRP2QqDklIdyjNCFGTCiR74Jklg2hpO3PkoKnuKURbQCHrJHTVK5-_nwIZILhyphenhyphenQETZ7ar6waQY81KFmUDX8MNpaqPCD9WExhV-6U6qI3qiz2QXEf3y-KHyq58sASrDGooEBH8/w640-h416/Nymphen%20Nordseestrand%20Gesang%20Quartet%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"><b>* * *</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzAL51pwzS7kA2m0kq8X_aofRdUn7Tbs6GKvg-14gzzXjJFv5Dd84EiEh1lKW_1cUUkjkcMpqP8R7zBa_u5rTOguRfkIjHJa3WFNhH8YhGBLQcDssC2L4igssTwqOI5lO_5CrwO4wzC6ljK-zdVk9_zBdetrdvZBkaIkE3T_-GMJ6GS57zwrcPmC5wz4/s2200/Monte-Carlo%20Damen%20Orch%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1431" data-original-width="2200" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzAL51pwzS7kA2m0kq8X_aofRdUn7Tbs6GKvg-14gzzXjJFv5Dd84EiEh1lKW_1cUUkjkcMpqP8R7zBa_u5rTOguRfkIjHJa3WFNhH8YhGBLQcDssC2L4igssTwqOI5lO_5CrwO4wzC6ljK-zdVk9_zBdetrdvZBkaIkE3T_-GMJ6GS57zwrcPmC5wz4/w640-h416/Monte-Carlo%20Damen%20Orch%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The <i><b>Damen-Orchester “Monte-Carlo”</b></i> dressed more sensibly for a visit to the seaside with matching sailor suits. But their small rowboat looks dangerously overloaded for a sextet. They do look a bit worried as one young lady waves a white handkerchief in hope of rescue. Good thing they did not bring their instruments along.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The postmark is from 27 September 1911 from the port city of Bremerhaven, Germany where their costumes would certainly be familiar to most people. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4xCX2JNm0t1LlmpoE8XWHfKAbA7ISDxq6czaO5tsbC0OESIfAlOgU0-gYnN4yE5lsTC8Xm41AerjZpzbOmgH9pUIox0evZEEKamIe8Th4R3iDc7bwsqA240vnIv9L1qbPlCaXhtW5v8RjJ6CqFSq_Lsa2hbbCs2b9jouQcInLIrVcBmmEPgYP0RRQ9E/s1600/Monte-Carlo%20Damen%20Orch%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4xCX2JNm0t1LlmpoE8XWHfKAbA7ISDxq6czaO5tsbC0OESIfAlOgU0-gYnN4yE5lsTC8Xm41AerjZpzbOmgH9pUIox0evZEEKamIe8Th4R3iDc7bwsqA240vnIv9L1qbPlCaXhtW5v8RjJ6CqFSq_Lsa2hbbCs2b9jouQcInLIrVcBmmEPgYP0RRQ9E/w640-h422/Monte-Carlo%20Damen%20Orch%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsb2FNpNPwH5IrpTl0KzS-qNQgaYONx2J8sbG3NJ473WqzeCbey2Ofw3ra8TNOmI5fVgbrH-NfgbmwFe8VP1ZfR0HDYN1ddeYsnXa8eizkURHOtvOt8VPb0F9FCLCCAyhWgPs-mBpygQmTuwg0fK986E-L0x1pCT1nBHRO-0bizxvY5yZTas7wmr3C-jU/s2200/Orig%20Flora-Truppe%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="2200" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsb2FNpNPwH5IrpTl0KzS-qNQgaYONx2J8sbG3NJ473WqzeCbey2Ofw3ra8TNOmI5fVgbrH-NfgbmwFe8VP1ZfR0HDYN1ddeYsnXa8eizkURHOtvOt8VPb0F9FCLCCAyhWgPs-mBpygQmTuwg0fK986E-L0x1pCT1nBHRO-0bizxvY5yZTas7wmr3C-jU/w640-h412/Orig%20Flora-Truppe%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The four young ladies of the <i><b>Original Flora-Truppe</b></i>, directed by Frau M. Hinsch, chose more fashionable dresses with matching parasols for a stroll along a seaside boardwalk (at least that's what I think it's supposed to be). Their specialty is not included in the caption but the short hem length of their dresses suggest they were a song and dance troupe. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The postmark is dated 16 July 1910 but the location is smudged. However the writer conveniently included a place name in their message of Neuhaus, a municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany at the mouth of the River Oste on the North Sea. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZXe7FVIO-qdsV6JvSXrcRf_yXcbP1clLwM8kfKlxydXGLbI59gHNJjW-DuY1XoHwcJ-uPrSHBrhm_V_2FuzGjjaNzU3h2QUgInNnRIn-9VAyu4vY0qd27MTC22eUZtuMyoqEdfyx2mdYDLL-wM3s46b4Vdu-Q7At0LD8NgERjwJ3a2no6PKhv8O_kwA/s1600/Orig%20Flora-Truppe%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1600" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZXe7FVIO-qdsV6JvSXrcRf_yXcbP1clLwM8kfKlxydXGLbI59gHNJjW-DuY1XoHwcJ-uPrSHBrhm_V_2FuzGjjaNzU3h2QUgInNnRIn-9VAyu4vY0qd27MTC22eUZtuMyoqEdfyx2mdYDLL-wM3s46b4Vdu-Q7At0LD8NgERjwJ3a2no6PKhv8O_kwA/w640-h414/Orig%20Flora-Truppe%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;">* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGikWkSrOI-PPmUSBJa-8ssN1WyOt4aNi26ro7Z-L_CBCNdvTt5oRfS7gu_htk9oYfDoXLgAHCRR6M37yy-noUArtSPVJFNTMq0EkNgC4B8y5PA0d2gf8tBT9ZbCTcBChzy6vbwgRg9Q6e8d14khS45JeIa_SUhFP26gcXUGOafGOW7IR214B9ol5hQ14/s2200/Orig%20Lobersiana%20Madels%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1398" data-original-width="2200" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGikWkSrOI-PPmUSBJa-8ssN1WyOt4aNi26ro7Z-L_CBCNdvTt5oRfS7gu_htk9oYfDoXLgAHCRR6M37yy-noUArtSPVJFNTMq0EkNgC4B8y5PA0d2gf8tBT9ZbCTcBChzy6vbwgRg9Q6e8d14khS45JeIa_SUhFP26gcXUGOafGOW7IR214B9ol5hQ14/w640-h406/Orig%20Lobersiana%20Madels%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />This next quartet of young women wear matching red costumes with short-shorts and rolled sleeves that hint of some recreational activity. Behind them is a gloomy backdrop that could be a boardwalk along a riverside but it's too vague to know for sure. They are <b><i>“Die Feschen Original Lobersiana Mädels”</i></b> ~ The attractive Lobersiana Lassies. Their act is not described but I think singing and dancing were part of it. Evidently they also promoted a beauty product as there is a 25 Pfennig advertising stamp affixed to the front of the postcard for <i>Shampoon mit dem schwarzen-Kopf! mit Eigelb-Zusatz</i> ~ Shampoo with the black head! With added egg yolk. <div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This postcard was mailed by a German soldier during WW1 using the free military postal service on 5 May 1917. The postmark is possibly from Rodenberg, a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, just west of Hannover. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWnUGoqQdjXZ5dCEndKYZOmj6RDG4_hhkZ5Zl5xOlS-HdHJdlWk4OOys-4CQ67vhUhLU6otpwDwmWx2Mxjx3txpCnEml2YY1JmyolCL_M3sbRtxjcT1hm7UkmGoeWizIoEn-AuYnub57xVZKdhLWkve-PHGmAhYv8pAxhfdOLvDxa05ZSUyXFXkqXqZ4/s1600/Orig%20Lobersiana%20Madels%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="1600" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWnUGoqQdjXZ5dCEndKYZOmj6RDG4_hhkZ5Zl5xOlS-HdHJdlWk4OOys-4CQ67vhUhLU6otpwDwmWx2Mxjx3txpCnEml2YY1JmyolCL_M3sbRtxjcT1hm7UkmGoeWizIoEn-AuYnub57xVZKdhLWkve-PHGmAhYv8pAxhfdOLvDxa05ZSUyXFXkqXqZ4/w640-h404/Orig%20Lobersiana%20Madels%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;">* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJUWj_0RDWoeMIwRTxHN-B3edBBmy4NXa7gC7BOQLxfXJonTaNEdLN_i4d37SQMImxw2yEVg3i2vWdNAE3_FXY51Owa5HI-dYoeyrw2TNG86ACMiEs8NNh_ag4l2KlAM_qdQzLDVLtDqzKlrWJd9q7Ug251Fo5jqNXA3NKoq78gLCVqceVzvSy91BS74/s2200/Gathgen's%20Orig%20Thalias%20Akrobat%20Tanzsanger%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1422" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJUWj_0RDWoeMIwRTxHN-B3edBBmy4NXa7gC7BOQLxfXJonTaNEdLN_i4d37SQMImxw2yEVg3i2vWdNAE3_FXY51Owa5HI-dYoeyrw2TNG86ACMiEs8NNh_ag4l2KlAM_qdQzLDVLtDqzKlrWJd9q7Ug251Fo5jqNXA3NKoq78gLCVqceVzvSy91BS74/w414-h640/Gathgen's%20Orig%20Thalias%20Akrobat%20Tanzsanger%20tst%20A.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><br /><div>But for shear<i> joie de vie</i> or <i>Lebensfreude </i>as Germans would say, few female acts could compete with the 6 <b><i>Original Thalias Akrobatische Tanzsängerinnen</i></b> from Gäthgen's Hamburger <i>Variété und Brilesken Ensemble. </i>Posed in a three tier human pyramid these young ladies did it all. Singing, dancing, and acrobatic feats in costumes made out of heavy embroidered upholstery fabric. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This card was sent from Cassel, now Kassel, a city almost in the center of Germany. The writer includes a date of 8 December 1913. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdY3x8HE659hAxA-RxvTlr4z-cSw2HVgzsFKwHy9A515I7SEV0mlsL6Rk3S568tvQlP0uXfYQOyLX0yawoDrZJnKhf7tUaEojSgj22A2G2w_qJ3Zjb1buDb9U72_DfHTazX3BxrLNDjXa_6kSGFSmU2F-sP-yTWli0LyccelMsmaHFX2u3hEUxqwEsfqQ/s1600/Gathgen's%20Orig%20Thalias%20Akrobat%20Tanzsanger%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1600" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdY3x8HE659hAxA-RxvTlr4z-cSw2HVgzsFKwHy9A515I7SEV0mlsL6Rk3S568tvQlP0uXfYQOyLX0yawoDrZJnKhf7tUaEojSgj22A2G2w_qJ3Zjb1buDb9U72_DfHTazX3BxrLNDjXa_6kSGFSmU2F-sP-yTWli0LyccelMsmaHFX2u3hEUxqwEsfqQ/w640-h416/Gathgen's%20Orig%20Thalias%20Akrobat%20Tanzsanger%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Several years ago I began collecting postcards of groups of professional female entertainers who performed on the music hall circuits of the German and Austrian/Hungarian Empires. As I have discovered, there were hundreds, maybe thousands, of young ladies who were members of small orchestras, brass bands, vocal groups, dance troupes, and folk ensembles. Their postcards made the German postcard publishers very wealthy men as every group used postcards to promote their act at a theater, restaurant, or beerhall. By themselves some of the cards are less interesting, but when they are put together in subcategories by their acts, they present a rich and vibrant Germanic culture. I only wish I could describe their music. I guess we will have to use our imagination.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/02/sepia-saturday-709-saturday-3-february.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where some people are enjoying a day at the beach.</b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/02/sepia-saturday-709-saturday-3-february.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVpkQFrUp6L0KAf820NVB2XeNxQ85lOQTOeeWIH4tMIYttnjrwn9yHY1-T_X8lFeSdjjOql8M1r1NXZCYVYl7wW4h3bvHGoxVDEgLWZH0sqT1egGSbW9_0fHgc6efEwtjEuRKX2qFULzMgvEYeinx0dGYeFicTGTcg_TOKcDc47JKB6IL0ymJB_z340U/w400-h400/20240203%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-1694894584531875682024-01-28T19:21:00.004-05:002024-02-13T07:52:10.741-05:00A Temple of Music<div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eaq3wb0FFgLPJywnAvlABa_i_YDJpN6z3T4DVxGTBJZoTIRsl7wP9LVnq6_7ny0Dkir52A0PXRdZCe2dLKMuiRDG62nl2YutwAeJs6NUlClpXgspqPWWxlGpwIGQz4qJ7UICTl4SWNQIKVSj3F2je0-G9pqcNAQIa9xa1s1B5sCZgKCgPShvp3TVNXc/s1007/Bayreuth%202%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1007" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eaq3wb0FFgLPJywnAvlABa_i_YDJpN6z3T4DVxGTBJZoTIRsl7wP9LVnq6_7ny0Dkir52A0PXRdZCe2dLKMuiRDG62nl2YutwAeJs6NUlClpXgspqPWWxlGpwIGQz4qJ7UICTl4SWNQIKVSj3F2je0-G9pqcNAQIa9xa1s1B5sCZgKCgPShvp3TVNXc/w640-h584/Bayreuth%202%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">T<span>he building seems to gleam <br />like a small cloud floating above the city.<br />The distant shape could be a stately palace, <br />a venerable basilica, or a grand museum.<br />But from its location in this illustration<br />there's a suggestion that this place <br />should be the focus of the viewer's attention.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">In a way it is all those things, and more. <br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This was, and still is, a true temple of music.<br /><br />It is the <i><b>Festspielhaus </b></i>of Bayreuth.<br />The living shrine to the music of Richard Wagner.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrSXX5YMmZTCuJ-qaEW3Y3RZwaEo9dmi0cKgrFVureKXiczS4A0kRJH23l_hDGw6Cm93dYJpR1TeUNevYs6YSmRZDU3jO_EwezPwUbzY4bXi8apCCBz0SKLhRZlWaIC8nG7kDBXqLuc5rfSA_KOtVD4vbJDB8ahnrwEYoYWQVDweOvBUri8flHgr05fg/s2100/Bayreuth%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="2100" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrSXX5YMmZTCuJ-qaEW3Y3RZwaEo9dmi0cKgrFVureKXiczS4A0kRJH23l_hDGw6Cm93dYJpR1TeUNevYs6YSmRZDU3jO_EwezPwUbzY4bXi8apCCBz0SKLhRZlWaIC8nG7kDBXqLuc5rfSA_KOtVD4vbJDB8ahnrwEYoYWQVDweOvBUri8flHgr05fg/w640-h426/Bayreuth%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The Festspielhaus is seen faintly in the back center of this colorized bird's-eye-view of the city of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayreuth" target="_blank">Bayreuth</a> which is situated in Bavaria, about 48 miles northeast of Nürnberg. The postcard was printed by Ottmar Zieher of München and, based on my analysis of Google's modern maps, was likely made from a photo taken from atop the 16th century tower at the famous <i>Schlosskirche </i>in Bayreuth. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The postcard was sent from Bayreuth on 15 July 1902 at 3-4 PM and arrived at Wunsiedel, a town 25 miles east, a few hours later at 7-8 PM. It was probably no more than a quick message of safe arrival written on a tourist postcard but it serves to demonstrate a bit of German culture that still retains the same qualities 120 years later.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJwTK2YyvceSM8GqW5QY7eAoYzklj1E1MwXyL9ltH1Q1NjaKI4wNrongr-4IHlFRxBRTyaPJlh4wuU_jKqMTKT0u6iG-xYdYTcBZC5TWLtcHhXRYxZ0nTaLti0K8W_WDWYW2ldeTqDPPb-lVPu4tqfXeGfKvPG129NjQHdx2DJVoEogdDzFR1Gim3KOw/s1600/Bayreuth%202%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1600" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJwTK2YyvceSM8GqW5QY7eAoYzklj1E1MwXyL9ltH1Q1NjaKI4wNrongr-4IHlFRxBRTyaPJlh4wuU_jKqMTKT0u6iG-xYdYTcBZC5TWLtcHhXRYxZ0nTaLti0K8W_WDWYW2ldeTqDPPb-lVPu4tqfXeGfKvPG129NjQHdx2DJVoEogdDzFR1Gim3KOw/w640-h420/Bayreuth%202%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayreuth_Festspielhaus" target="_blank">Festspielhaus</a> of Bayreuth was built by the composer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wagner" target="_blank">Richard Wagner</a> (1813–1883) specifically for the performances of his operas. Work on the theater's foundation began in May 1872 and the theater opened in August 1876 with the <span style="text-align: center;">premiere of Wagner's complete four-opera cycle of <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Ring_des_Nibelungen" target="_blank">Der Ring des Nibelungen</a></i> (The Ring of the Nibelung). </span><span style="text-align: center;">The four </span><span style="text-align: center;">operas, in order, are:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><ol><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><li><i>Das Rheingold</i> (The Rhinegold)</li><li><i>Die Walküre </i>(The Valkyrie)</li><li><i>Siegfried</i></li><li><i>Götterdämmerung</i> (Twilight of the Gods)</li></span></ol></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">The Ring Cycle, as it is commonly called, is considered the most challenging production for any opera company to undertake as it requires four separate performances which together </span><span style="text-align: center;">total about 15 hours of playing time. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Götterdämmerung,</i></span><span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">the </span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">last opera</span>, is typically 5 hours long. </span><span style="text-align: center;">In recent times since WW II, with the exception of 2020's pandemic, the <i>Bayreuth Festspiele</i> has presented every summer, either a full production of the Ring Cycle, or a mix of Wagner's other famous works: </span><i>Der fliegende Holländer</i> (The Flying Dutchman), <i>Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Tristan und Isolde</i>, <i>Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, </i>and<i> </i><span style="text-align: center;"><i>Parsifal, </i>which together are called the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayreuth_canon" target="_blank">Bayreuth Canon</a>"<i>. </i></span><span style="text-align: center;">Only the operas of Wagner are programed and</span> they are usually repeated a few times during the festival, which now lasts from <span style="text-align: center;">from the end of July to the beginning of September.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_bTXTrx_B_i_ARYPqbUFDH17AHWj7-W5Noetj843etp7nKqhvxaC3u9VtmbkH23vYEtUeA_5gRfhxBOxr7kmp5wpC3c7TC3iqAIXS6ZyU0DITznjsYkaFC-iufd_V8HzLWYan7oZ80H3QwX7bw-1SCZ1iFwHUKZV-oY7w4GjdCGPrYt98P8X6etKS-Q/s2100/Richard%20Wagner,%20H_Torggler%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1366" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_bTXTrx_B_i_ARYPqbUFDH17AHWj7-W5Noetj843etp7nKqhvxaC3u9VtmbkH23vYEtUeA_5gRfhxBOxr7kmp5wpC3c7TC3iqAIXS6ZyU0DITznjsYkaFC-iufd_V8HzLWYan7oZ80H3QwX7bw-1SCZ1iFwHUKZV-oY7w4GjdCGPrYt98P8X6etKS-Q/w416-h640/Richard%20Wagner,%20H_Torggler%20tst%20A.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">Richard Wagner is arguably one of the most influential composers of the 19th century, whose works inspired many composers and theater producers, too. </span>Though the majority of his works were written for the stage, as opposed for the concert hall, Wagner's music introduced many new ideas of melodic structure, chromatic harmony, and dramatic use of music that were revolutionary in his time. His musical talent led many people to consider him a genius, while others were shocked, and even repulsed, by his overwrought music dramas. Wagner was also a prolific writer and his ideas on music, drama, philosophy, and politics were often very controversial and at odds with established norms. In his personal life he earned a reputation for tempestuous love affairs, shameful financial schemes, and an ego without limit. Yet it was Wagner's boundless imagination as revealed in his fantastic operas that attracted the adoration of millions of people. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">Like with all of his other operas, Richard Wagner wrote his own libretto for the Ring Cycle as well as the music. He wanted the story to be an immersive performance that integrated music and staging to support the drama, what he first conceived as a </span><i>Gesamtkunstwerk</i> or a total work of art. Later it became known as <span style="text-align: center;">a </span><i>Musikdrama </i>or <span style="text-align: center;">music drama and was intended by Wagner to be an artform that was different from traditional operas of the 18th and early 19th centuries. His first <i>Musikdrama, Das Rheingold</i>, opened in September 1869 at the</span> <i>Bayerische Staatsoper</i> ~ Bavarian State Opera in Munich<span style="text-align: center;">, followed by </span><i>Die Walküre</i> in June 1870. The last two works, Siegfried and <i>Götterdämmerung </i>were first performed in 1876 at his new theater in Bayreuth. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>This portrait of Richard Wagner comes from a postcard series produced by the Austrian artist, Herman Torggler (1878-1939). I featured another copy of the postcard in my December 2020 story, <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2020/12/herman-torgglers-great-composers-part-2.html" target="_blank">Hermann Torggler's Great Composers - part 2</a> which dates from 1912. This one has a postmark of 8 February 1913 and was sent from Ludwigsburg, a city north of Stuttgart and about 150 miles (242 km) from Bayreuth.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpCNQbyCq6zhZOPBjv1iaIsL0qD1MHo6ORMpo117UN84FFRUr4SlbU7GNpyGf1gzk-gRUdHPFwptTLm4Ub3081bSBkstBtQI0QZJvjBF3LeM6TjTAOz5xvYDAQzfqvVRloNxxw00lThsiupKed61DE8nM7z_HTJ9Nr66Lbaw8dV2Ct56vytMJvPifeh0/s1600/Richard%20Wagner,%20H_Torggler%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1600" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpCNQbyCq6zhZOPBjv1iaIsL0qD1MHo6ORMpo117UN84FFRUr4SlbU7GNpyGf1gzk-gRUdHPFwptTLm4Ub3081bSBkstBtQI0QZJvjBF3LeM6TjTAOz5xvYDAQzfqvVRloNxxw00lThsiupKed61DE8nM7z_HTJ9Nr66Lbaw8dV2Ct56vytMJvPifeh0/w640-h416/Richard%20Wagner,%20H_Torggler%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Wagner began thinking of a personal theater when his early operas were not received with the respect he felt they deserved. The way opera houses followed certain conventions, like always including one act with ballet, upset him and he desired more artistic control free of obstructive government censors and uncooperative theater directors. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He was attracted to the city of Bayreuth partly because it was outside the legal limits of the music publishers who owned the rights to his music. He preferred a royalty-free zone, so-to-speak, though Bayreuth had plenty of royal history. In the town there was an old theater called the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margravial_Opera_House" target="_blank">Margravial Opera House</a> which Wagner thought might be large enough for his operas. It had also been closed for a hundred years.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFtm9rOfELiO_midIcR2xN5PpgLFdgvG4To8aO7ao-miPABTmrroNey7Z4lrJ4IR4AiA86ziHKe8ags3wJdgqBHM5ibz7WzX1ibQXq6_TvNmr4at37TwsVnFB_w7h44ZzaUIwwVjJMAzbGS7J22miuqY94mCobA0rtQ7FZWK-hijljO1GhpJ3XL7ZWp4/s1400/Markgraflich%20Oper%20Bayreuth%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1400" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFtm9rOfELiO_midIcR2xN5PpgLFdgvG4To8aO7ao-miPABTmrroNey7Z4lrJ4IR4AiA86ziHKe8ags3wJdgqBHM5ibz7WzX1ibQXq6_TvNmr4at37TwsVnFB_w7h44ZzaUIwwVjJMAzbGS7J22miuqY94mCobA0rtQ7FZWK-hijljO1GhpJ3XL7ZWp4/w640-h458/Markgraflich%20Oper%20Bayreuth%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margravial Opera House, <br />Bayreuth, Germany<br />stage view<br />Source: Wikimedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The Margravial was a theatre built in 1744–1748 for Margrave Frederick of Brandenburg-Bayreuth and his wife Princess Wilhelmine of Prussia. It was richly decorated in a high baroque style with gilded ornate carvings and classical paintings. Though the stage was very deep, 27 meters (89 ft), the orchestra platform was visible and not hidden in a pit. It was also too small for the size orchestra Wagner wished to use. The stage proscenium was also too narrow for the special effects that Wagner envisioned and unsuitable for a large chorus or cast. It also only seated 500 people. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrG96HKwuHTq3R6opsQEm5QqntzTZl23jYbncDOoOA36NLqO1dOfI-g5TBsixd5jLfRkeQ6JszIFrmUkR5DKyWJa7JF_8yw_8V-yyPyvKXG3cRr0DrBbhxk9PxACCx_su4CXELVpGg3sggDHTj7OPLevIWPnD7ChErakeUnMoN0HyD6iKexAnGC19lvA/s2000/Markgr%C3%A4fliches_Opernhaus_Bayreuth_innen_2020-10-13_10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrG96HKwuHTq3R6opsQEm5QqntzTZl23jYbncDOoOA36NLqO1dOfI-g5TBsixd5jLfRkeQ6JszIFrmUkR5DKyWJa7JF_8yw_8V-yyPyvKXG3cRr0DrBbhxk9PxACCx_su4CXELVpGg3sggDHTj7OPLevIWPnD7ChErakeUnMoN0HyD6iKexAnGC19lvA/w640-h480/Markgr%C3%A4fliches_Opernhaus_Bayreuth_innen_2020-10-13_10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margravial Opera House,<br />Bayreuth, Germany<br />court loge view<br />Source: Wikimedia</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The margrave and his wife were generous patrons of the arts. In 1737 Princess Wilhelmine, who was the eldest sister of the Prussian king Frederick the Great, a celebrated flutist in his own right beside being a king, established her own theatre company in Bayreuth. When their new opera house opened in 1748 the princess put on operas and <i>Singspiele </i>that she composed and even worked as an actor and director. The theater was closed to performance upon her death in 1758 and by the 1860s had been left neglected but persevered. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When he first saw it Wagner probably instantly recognized that the Margravial Opera was inappropriate for the gigantic operas he imagined. Nonetheless he liked Bayreuth and persuaded the city's officers to approve his project for a bigger modern theater. It would require a lot of money, but he felt he could finance some of it through concerts as he was also a conductor. His earlier operas had attracted enough popular attention that he could organize Wagner Societies around Germany to raise music for the theater. He even appealed to the German government for funds. It wasn't enough. Yet Wagner knew of one man who had very deep pockets indeed. He would ask Ludwig. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKb1KVgtiDd2u0wQzTZrZWgPXZZgmbOBRq29lCbjnFdDcyfyyUmba3hR_HQo5OHTIvou568Hldn0D6rLzLMqhEeIQX-PjYEOuEZtBpS1ECxEueM9cm2WKmVFYssTGGO8Vnd9HS0T4rb7rSZtwxJle37FseKLB7OJCk_fT7KdjOpjGKNRC3Gy1tNi-ZYQA/s2100/Bayreuth%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2100" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKb1KVgtiDd2u0wQzTZrZWgPXZZgmbOBRq29lCbjnFdDcyfyyUmba3hR_HQo5OHTIvou568Hldn0D6rLzLMqhEeIQX-PjYEOuEZtBpS1ECxEueM9cm2WKmVFYssTGGO8Vnd9HS0T4rb7rSZtwxJle37FseKLB7OJCk_fT7KdjOpjGKNRC3Gy1tNi-ZYQA/w640-h416/Bayreuth%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This postcard has a viewpoint almost identical to my first colorized illustration, but this is an engraving that, I think, must be copied from the same photo taken in Bayreuth's church tower. The caption offers Greetings from Bayreuth and <i>Blick zum Wagnertheater </i>~ View of Wagner theater. The Festspielhaus is faintly visible below the mountains. This is one of the oldest picture postcards in my collection as the postmark date is 14 September 1898 from Bindlach, a suburb of Bayreuth. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-OyHkK-4vZGGO4rtKSGSEoY4mT4SchYciB_HSfR3K6SE7tc-y2JWRD1xFZeewC3TpWSMPJRHYblr6A6J0jC1bvYlRATVn9nr5XcBOGuy31Cc3iU_8tLTj9pWGwDt4FlPYcNcfE3PygVvQGStKer-xzDdZSm7Ci2jhn5oQJ24FFC3fPC2gCcIG18_Ar4/s1600/Bayreuth%201%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1600" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-OyHkK-4vZGGO4rtKSGSEoY4mT4SchYciB_HSfR3K6SE7tc-y2JWRD1xFZeewC3TpWSMPJRHYblr6A6J0jC1bvYlRATVn9nr5XcBOGuy31Cc3iU_8tLTj9pWGwDt4FlPYcNcfE3PygVvQGStKer-xzDdZSm7Ci2jhn5oQJ24FFC3fPC2gCcIG18_Ar4/w640-h414/Bayreuth%201%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The city of Bayreuth gave Wagner some undeveloped land on a hillside beyond the city center to build his theater. They probably expected a famous composer like Wagner would bring in a lot of tourists. Wagner also acquired property nearby to build a villa for his wife and their family. He gave it the name <i>Wahnfried </i>and it is now the site of the Richard Wagner Museum. His wife Cosima Wagner (1837–1930) was the daughter of Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt and the Franco-German romantic author Marie d'Agoult. She was Wagner's second wife and after his death in 1883 she took charge of managing the festival and safeguarding her husband's legacy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqc-HZb7jQZ3loAo0Ns0Uq3pGVf0JzmjaR0Sr7L8JeRae2GYPDglPy6MmGKLcMkQ4hrAPAh7TP6Wxv5rKggfBAQKgVPg0sjYNxzH3JnLvUnQc8BSH8teMOV_mVyi1mr2xtEFP0vKVr9Xv0FxYRxDLyPxjaWTyO0C19fROE5eVlE4sFsGqS70XEJna1kIc/s2100/Festspielhaus%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="2100" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqc-HZb7jQZ3loAo0Ns0Uq3pGVf0JzmjaR0Sr7L8JeRae2GYPDglPy6MmGKLcMkQ4hrAPAh7TP6Wxv5rKggfBAQKgVPg0sjYNxzH3JnLvUnQc8BSH8teMOV_mVyi1mr2xtEFP0vKVr9Xv0FxYRxDLyPxjaWTyO0C19fROE5eVlE4sFsGqS70XEJna1kIc/w640-h406/Festspielhaus%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Wagner "borrowed" several designs from conceptual plans for a theater in Munich that were created in 1864-66 by the great German architect, Gottfried Semper (1803-1879). Semper designed Dresden's opulent opera house which I featured in my story from November 2013, <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2013/11/feuer-in-der-oper-fire-at-opera-house.html" target="_blank">Feuer in der Oper! Fire at the Opera House!</a>. Unlike the seating in most theaters of Wagner's time, here in Bayreuth all the patrons sit on a single steeply angled floor without multiple tiers of box seats and galleries. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This postcard likely dates from 1911-12 as, even though the postmark is obscured, the 5 pfennig stamp has the years 1886 – 1911 in commemoration of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luitpold,_Prince_Regent_of_Bavaria" target="_blank">Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria</a> (1821–1912). Luitpold was named regent in 1886 after his nephew King Ludwig II (1845– 1886) was declared mentally incompetent. It was King Ludwig, known as "the Mad King" of Bavaria, who was responsible for building several grandiose castles and extravagant palaces in Bavaria like Neuschwanstein Castle, which inspired Walt Disney's fantasy "castles". Ludwig was also a generous patron of the arts, and had already been a great benefactor to Richard Wagner. Though he was reluctant to help again, when Wagner asked for support he agreed to finance Wagner's dream of building an opera theater in Bayreuth. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsdXPWWvi6-YoH-ApuLzxSCczQfwCAsRepyA6bYTjVNCy6-1j-mJFxQS0Oi7xoqpTknO-BG0GaxDmdkSU6U_V2JVhIJX2n3lOkdi1Vt4PlMTNCQYEG98BsbxLdj01wXMlvEzvzjsknQk841PMxoR6v7xUkOqkkbV65sA5WYQHe0oBeTQE-1Q-HrqHlnE/s1600/Festspielhaus%202%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsdXPWWvi6-YoH-ApuLzxSCczQfwCAsRepyA6bYTjVNCy6-1j-mJFxQS0Oi7xoqpTknO-BG0GaxDmdkSU6U_V2JVhIJX2n3lOkdi1Vt4PlMTNCQYEG98BsbxLdj01wXMlvEzvzjsknQk841PMxoR6v7xUkOqkkbV65sA5WYQHe0oBeTQE-1Q-HrqHlnE/w640-h410/Festspielhaus%202%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Three days after Luitpold assumed the regency in June 1886, Ludwig took his own life, and was officially succeeded as King of Bavaria by his younger brother Otto (1848–1916). However since 1873 Otto had been kept in medical confinement after several episodes of severe mental illness and remained isolated for the remainder of his life. His life was just one of several tragic stories from the history of the Bavarian monarchy. Stories that were almost deserving to made into an opera. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtJWFua1m9oJhZzsjqKUs3gu53OiA_LMxuFrLcgWAxxPtqO988Laa51euPwugpa38Utw9HQaLpG-gl8tUjzNMAdipMg4g22za0Rf5h7zUSAnMHXnTold7q8EnEU799NVyTe7a61X_0VkhG3xH6BdYnbVdN7uJqeCEQuhkjWJy2ir-YDZuyXm-91Lj7Vc/s2200/Bayreuth%20Festspielhaus%20Auffahrt%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1429" data-original-width="2200" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtJWFua1m9oJhZzsjqKUs3gu53OiA_LMxuFrLcgWAxxPtqO988Laa51euPwugpa38Utw9HQaLpG-gl8tUjzNMAdipMg4g22za0Rf5h7zUSAnMHXnTold7q8EnEU799NVyTe7a61X_0VkhG3xH6BdYnbVdN7uJqeCEQuhkjWJy2ir-YDZuyXm-91Lj7Vc/w640-h416/Bayreuth%20Festspielhaus%20Auffahrt%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A great many streets of Bayreuth are named after either Wagner's opera titles, or the characters, or celebrated musicians and conductors connected with his music. From Bayreuth's train station to the Festspielhaus is an almost straight line, little more than a kilometer, to the theater's park along Siegfried-Wagner-Allee, named after Wagner's son. In the short summer season the Festival route can get quite congested though before the age of automobiles it was carriage traffic that caused delays. This postcard was sent from Bayreuth on 24 July 1909 and shows how the Festspielhaus is situated for impressive effect.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3fcRc5MMeOHRQQZuSWimECBz-hEeE8iCVBWyASdUmeGIMkG88cz1_RscTNgdPJ3fvW9CoTZhhIY2H2b8GDaqWg7c1QlkJrzjsp3uzFffinnfhLn_G2nYIIkexzqcwrnGOaTMn65E8sGzVB5CIc6yykHZLATCW4TMc6DJqk_T2Ts_UmjvwoozhxrnLkE/s2100/Festspielhaus%203%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="2100" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3fcRc5MMeOHRQQZuSWimECBz-hEeE8iCVBWyASdUmeGIMkG88cz1_RscTNgdPJ3fvW9CoTZhhIY2H2b8GDaqWg7c1QlkJrzjsp3uzFffinnfhLn_G2nYIIkexzqcwrnGOaTMn65E8sGzVB5CIc6yykHZLATCW4TMc6DJqk_T2Ts_UmjvwoozhxrnLkE/w640-h416/Festspielhaus%203%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The <i>Festspielhaus</i> was built with timber-frame construction and a red and white brick facade with modest ornaments. It seats 1,925 and the structure, including stage and fly-space, has a volume of 10,000 cubic meters. The theater's exterior was recently repaired in 2015. This postcard has a postmark of 2 December 1907 and shows the entrance where patron would alight from their carriages. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JZF7FBy_RAwqxBt-74JCIE9QX2XrKZ32xZLY5eu9NNQdrjB5nqhvQavnRQhik-F0G1E4zYB989v_ixy5LnZiP-7qX4h0f-Qceb8oIJt50QZmzLIibntUy6sCB0n1Fvuhy0dB1sENhuXXbtw0rSDqONyT9MQiUo9yI_N-CxFaKnwcAoct2LBOiBzAiPc/s2200/Festspielhaus%20Fanfare%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1409" data-original-width="2200" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JZF7FBy_RAwqxBt-74JCIE9QX2XrKZ32xZLY5eu9NNQdrjB5nqhvQavnRQhik-F0G1E4zYB989v_ixy5LnZiP-7qX4h0f-Qceb8oIJt50QZmzLIibntUy6sCB0n1Fvuhy0dB1sENhuXXbtw0rSDqONyT9MQiUo9yI_N-CxFaKnwcAoct2LBOiBzAiPc/w640-h410/Festspielhaus%20Fanfare%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The length of Wagner's music dramas required a lot of stamina from an audience but the intervals (or intermissions in American) between acts were generous and offered a chance for refreshments. During these breaks it became a Bayreuth tradition to announce the resumption of the opera with a fanfare played by the orchestra's brass section. Each call is a short excerpt from the opera of the day. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This postcard was postmarked 18 August 1909 from Bayreuth and was likely purchased at the festival. It shows 12 members of the trumpet and trombone sections playing a fanfare. The music is printed in a cutout above them and comes from the third act of <i>Götterdämmerung</i>. Here is how it was performed in Bayreuth in August 2017 for <a href="https://youtu.be/Ge6gKbt2eEc?si=eP11PejYkqMExug-" target="_blank">Vincent Vargas</a> who seems to have heard several of Wagner's operas that season.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="386" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ge6gKbt2eEc" width="464" youtube-src-id="Ge6gKbt2eEc"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The late 19th century brought significant changes to the instrumentation of an orchestra. For example there was no tuba in Mozart's or Beethoven's orchestras, and most trumpets and horns did not have valves until the 1850s. Generally in the Classical era wind instrumentalists came in pairs and operas rarely needed extra players. But Wagner wanted lots more sound, especially in the bass range. When he insisted that a bassoon should play a low A even though the instrument's lowest note, a B-flat, is a half-step higher, instrument makers devised a longer instrument just for his opera. Today's players make-do with a simple cylinder extension attached to the bassoon's bell that lets them reach that pitch. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Wagner also called for 8 horns in the Ring Cycle and requires that 4 horn players also double on a small tuba that is now called a Wagner Tuba because he specifically ordered that it to be invented, and in both F and in B-flat flavors, too. Similarly he added a bass trumpet and a contrabass trombone to his orchestra. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>At the beginning of <i>Das Rheingold</i> there is a scene with a great forge, there are a lot of magic rings, swords and spears used in the Ring Cycle, so Wagner requests the percussion section use 18 anvils—nine small, six medium, and three large—all tuned to 3 octaves of F. In the finale he writes parts for six harps to help depict "Entry of the Gods into Valhalla". Typically a production of one of Wagner's music dramas has 90 musicians in the orchestra pit. And in Bayreuth Wagner designed this space for his orchestra with very specific features unlike other theaters.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwSz9zCmNFlyUreHeJ0nL-WjXNQDr7b1eCmTez3ug1KS2KWfDD5e9bQms2-xGMGLBIv4JaBrB16Uf6gHldxJJVvXJW1TFlGntjK7wpLaWC2tWvgiDfhiur1s1803HO7VdsbrIPJdpnWNduhee-TtlJaN2egzc-onkpNoDjpoucstjQsK1RSMbFbscsQc/s2200/Festspielhaus%20Pit%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1455" data-original-width="2200" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwSz9zCmNFlyUreHeJ0nL-WjXNQDr7b1eCmTez3ug1KS2KWfDD5e9bQms2-xGMGLBIv4JaBrB16Uf6gHldxJJVvXJW1TFlGntjK7wpLaWC2tWvgiDfhiur1s1803HO7VdsbrIPJdpnWNduhee-TtlJaN2egzc-onkpNoDjpoucstjQsK1RSMbFbscsQc/w640-h424/Festspielhaus%20Pit%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The orchestra pit in most opera houses puts the musicians on a lowered flat floor in front of the proscenium which is still visible to the audience. But in Bayreuth's <i>Festspielhaus </i>Wagner wanted the orchestra to be hidden and not distract from the drama on stage. He also wanted to control the dynamics of the orchestra by building the pit on a steep slope with several levels descending downward beneath the stage. He then put brass and percussion at the bottom level and violins at the top with the conductor's podium another step higher. This arrangement balanced the acoustics so that the vocalists on stage were not overwhelmed by the orchestra's sound. </div><div><br /></div><div>In this postcard dated 17 July 1906 the photographer is on one side of the Festspielhaus pit looking upward to the conductor, Richard's son <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_Wagner" target="_blank">Siegfried Wagner</a> (1869–1930). Behind him is a curved wall that covers the strings and over the winds and brass another awning is attached to the stage floor. The result was that the audience could hear but not see the orchestra, and no one, other than the conductor, in the orchestra pit could see the action on stage. Though the sound was favorable for singers coordinating the timing of the music is a major challenge for a conductor. </div><div><br /></div><div>As a young man Wagner's son Siegfried initially considered a career as an architect. But his father's legacy destined him to become a conductor and composer, too. In 1908, two years after this postcard's date, Siegfried took over as artistic director of the Bayreuth Festival after his mother retired from the position. In 1930 Siegfried died at age 61, just four months after his mother Cosima. His wife Winifred succeeded him in managing the festival.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here is <span style="text-align: left;">a </span><a href="https://youtu.be/nsv7tEz2hig?si=gcJ7tBoUcJzTl9Zm&t=237" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">short video</a><span style="text-align: left;"> produced by the Bayreuther Festspiel that shows what Wagner's theater looks and sounds like from the perspective of the pit. It should start at 3:57 which is when the orchestra plays the exciting "Ride of the Valkyries". The beginning is also interesting where one of the horn players explains how his part is played, however it is in German without English translation. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="374" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nsv7tEz2hig" width="450" youtube-src-id="nsv7tEz2hig"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI83yX1FwByvU31A5T9qKPXPjFXfrIsZbMBeZJ90iXtOoZDe0q1wFRCWElN78T0bSHWb4zSsrrOjToCK4_xGCDRo0b2yJyC5DoLjlDVBqpGtpBasKqza-yqqrA8OEr_gom4IrRrYXneq0AYezBhCyuzqx37aNxfwT3H7mmlLwVQsvMsdV7XSkFWLpYvBU/s1429/Jean_de_Reszke_as_Siegfried_-_F%C3%A9lix_Nadar_(MetOpera_Database).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1429" data-original-width="959" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI83yX1FwByvU31A5T9qKPXPjFXfrIsZbMBeZJ90iXtOoZDe0q1wFRCWElN78T0bSHWb4zSsrrOjToCK4_xGCDRo0b2yJyC5DoLjlDVBqpGtpBasKqza-yqqrA8OEr_gom4IrRrYXneq0AYezBhCyuzqx37aNxfwT3H7mmlLwVQsvMsdV7XSkFWLpYvBU/w430-h640/Jean_de_Reszke_as_Siegfried_-_F%C3%A9lix_Nadar_(MetOpera_Database).jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jean de Reszke as <i>Siegfried</i> c. 1896<br />Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jean_de_Reszke_as_Siegfried_-_F%C3%A9lix_Nadar_(MetOpera_Database).jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">In <i>Siegfried</i>, the third music drama of the Ring Cycle, Wagner wrote a solo for the horn, my instrument, which is arguably the most famous tune in all of his operas. It is called <i>Siegfrieds Hornruf</i> and it embodies the romantic and heroic ideals that Wagner wanted in his dramatic characters and music. The fanfare is supposedly played by Siegfried in a dark forest as he tries to attract a magic bird. Instead his horn call only awakens the dragon Fafner who Siegfried then slays with his sword. The actual solo is played by a hornist hidden behind the scenery on stage who follows the action of the singer. It's a very exciting tune that takes the horn into its top range. It's always included on auditions and every horn player learns it, though few ever get a chance to play it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There are lots of videos on YouTube of someone playing Siegfried's horn call by itself but very few that show a view of how it appears on stage. This short excerpt of the famous <a href="https://youtu.be/xODfp-ojkZc?si=e6hN6spZW0xoNGa_" target="_blank">Siegfried horn call</a> is the best I could find, though it cuts off just when the dragon's tail appears. There are no details about the production but the horn call is played by Nobuaki Fukukawa, principal horn of the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xODfp-ojkZc" width="440" youtube-src-id="xODfp-ojkZc"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Great War caused the Bayreuth Fest to suspend its summer season from 1915 to 1923. But at the outbreak of World War II the festival managed to continue. Doubtless aided by the support from one particular devotee of Wagner's music.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMVN4b4VR4bBpjbqoEnvUhdFGuwwvOJ6-Jh8Lp8JLRZ0Pw7ZFKKMQX5FcQNqo0pO3b1oxvRl50BFUWbVnszEZNGdx3U519aOi19mNqjHUWy_oQ5olARvyogXnJSThwcZQ6oPAgs8VYBD3mcx1cFLmn_9ucoZ5HdAzysXSQK8FgxMM1tUEohTfbm-CbNQ/s2100/Festspielhaus%20Seats%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1404" data-original-width="2100" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMVN4b4VR4bBpjbqoEnvUhdFGuwwvOJ6-Jh8Lp8JLRZ0Pw7ZFKKMQX5FcQNqo0pO3b1oxvRl50BFUWbVnszEZNGdx3U519aOi19mNqjHUWy_oQ5olARvyogXnJSThwcZQ6oPAgs8VYBD3mcx1cFLmn_9ucoZ5HdAzysXSQK8FgxMM1tUEohTfbm-CbNQ/w640-h428/Festspielhaus%20Seats%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This photo shows the interior of the <i>Festspielhaus </i>with its open raked seating plan and simple stepped walls without traditional box seats. The stage has a painted backdrop of an Italianate courtyard but all the seats are empty which give the sepia-tone photo a grim forbidding quality.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the 1930s the reputation of the Bayreuth festival suffered from its connection to Adolf Hitler. From the beginning of his political career Winifred Wagner developed a close personal friendship with him and became a strong supporter of the Nazi party. Before the Great War when Hitler was a young man with artistic ambitions he had lived in Vienna where he was introduced to the music dramas of Richard Wagner. After taking power in 1933 Hitler frequently attended the festival and was known to admire Wagner's music for its Germanic nationalism. After the war started the Nazi party took control of the festival and for a time subjected wounded soldiers to benefit performances of Wagner's operas with special lectures on Wagner's music and life. The festival was finally closed in 1943 and did not reopen until 1951. Sadly, late in the war the city of Bayreuth was targeted by Allied bombing which destroyed two-thirds of the city including part of Wagner's house, <i>Wahnfried</i>. Fortunately the theater withstood the attack unharmed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This card was sent from Bayreuth on 20 July 1943 with an extra souvenir imprint of "Bayreuth the city of Richard Wagner" oddly mirroring the stamp of Adolf Hitler. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivR-8tI2bhxGO3TmJexcJnZcRtKn1NhF6u66v1n7i9blsP81d4eFnvKrfyDOoBze2J8lpwt1ycktveUkmjd0hUo1qnYV4fbeJk-3hMiA2785I3nwvSOBZ257cvidx1m38ym10OqgOdcLleYgaC6j0vcXgtv4OHENgVSdaSHE5DpwIZXF98FrcTCk7c4ZQ/s1600/Festspielhaus%20Seats%202%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="1600" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivR-8tI2bhxGO3TmJexcJnZcRtKn1NhF6u66v1n7i9blsP81d4eFnvKrfyDOoBze2J8lpwt1ycktveUkmjd0hUo1qnYV4fbeJk-3hMiA2785I3nwvSOBZ257cvidx1m38ym10OqgOdcLleYgaC6j0vcXgtv4OHENgVSdaSHE5DpwIZXF98FrcTCk7c4ZQ/w640-h420/Festspielhaus%20Seats%202%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Producing any opera requires an army of workers but the Bayreuth Festival is exceptionally large. Since 1886 it has hired a huge orchestra of over 200 musicians (18 horns in this coming season) made up of the best musicians in Germany and abroad for its summer season. For all the operas there might be as many as 45 vocal soloists in the casts, and the chorus easily numbers over 130. Then there are countless people employed in handling the costumes, makeup, lighting, and sets, not to mention the auxiliary teams that manage tickets, concessions, security, catering, and general maintenance for the festival's theater and park. For this coming summer in 2024 there are 30 performances of eight operas, all by Richard Wagner. Tickets for most of the performances are now sold out. </div><div><br /></div><div>Without question Richard Wagner was a singular musical genius. Unlike Niccolò Paganini or Wagner's father-in-law Franz Liszt, his fame was not earned as a virtuoso instrumentalist but only as a composer of musical dramas. And unlike Rossini, Verdi, Gounod, Meyerbeer and other opera composers of his generation, Wagner did not cater to popular tastes but wrote music dramas that pursued higher ideals than mere entertainment. Certainly Wagner the man had many flaws that made him controversial in his own time and which continue to provoke questions about his place in history today. But my interest in collecting postcards of the Bayreuth <i>Festspielhaus </i>was less about Wagner's music than about how it was this theater, built to Wagner's own plans, that made Bayreuth a shrine to his art and life's work. I can think of few composers or artists who have achieved this kind of lasting legacy for their works preserved in a single place. </div><div><br /></div><div>Without the <i>Festspielhaus</i> Wagner's greatest music, the Ring Cycle and his last opera <i>Parisfal </i>would likely never have been produced. We should not forget that in the time before film and recorded music the only way to appreciate theater, opera, or music was to witness it live in person. His influence in music and opera theater might have disappeared after his death were it not for the hundreds of thousands of people who came to the Bayreuth festival to watch and listen to this great works. Even now, a century and a half later, Bayreuth remains a pilgrimage site for both devotees of Wagner's music and great performers who aspire to presenting his monumental music in the place he designed. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">-</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuIKp54bZABtXR8fg1-P6mdPjm11_j6UM8or18LyL1wC9BcAl_V-YTOEXLOejIvxgxNqD4ys-WEHbkwDTRd07zCBtI712JMHmvN0tsuPgwkLDgzMcyegOEHkbXDBbFPNDAL57yJLIwDxhoCrU1Si9TEbAm3lZXk-DdAdYDG_4MHU4K8orfmycai-0Rzs/s2200/Bayreuth%203%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1566" data-original-width="2200" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuIKp54bZABtXR8fg1-P6mdPjm11_j6UM8or18LyL1wC9BcAl_V-YTOEXLOejIvxgxNqD4ys-WEHbkwDTRd07zCBtI712JMHmvN0tsuPgwkLDgzMcyegOEHkbXDBbFPNDAL57yJLIwDxhoCrU1Si9TEbAm3lZXk-DdAdYDG_4MHU4K8orfmycai-0Rzs/w640-h456/Bayreuth%203%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This last postcard dates from November 1975 and gives a better birds-eye-view (or helicopter view) of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus looking northeast. I suspect the residential area around the theater grounds was more forest and fields in Wagner's time. I imagine that during his theater's construction Wagner surely wandered over this beautiful landscape to gain inspiration for his dramas. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">To finish here is the final scene in <i>Götterdämmerung </i>known as Brünnhilde's Immolation. It is from a Bayreuth production in 1976 directed by Patrice Chéreau with Gwyneth Jones as Brünnhilde, and Fritz Hübner as Hagen. The conductor was Pierre Boulez. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="370" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BmX9N8C8nko" width="445" youtube-src-id="BmX9N8C8nko"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/01/sepia-saturday-708-saturday-27th.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where </b><b>sometimes </b><b>stories <br />can go on and on</b></div></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>just like grand opera.</b></div></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/01/sepia-saturday-708-saturday-27th.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBqCetPPoww9G41MGoUpWhZH7HglHVqROT4r9Hwi-YIfc95IPKMtF2mh_P6nUZ41onSnxICjANWrQVeMIMtN9v-hH2HmVuFEbIrCD-IOmXAr21CwPz2JXpDTrCWlmjREBn4UwRx_LP_TSgJ9prOdTzkjmsGwNpfV7aqU6Z5J3j_IHPVFW8mIa9uN9NKE/w400-h400/20240127%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-88501684434216328202024-01-21T00:07:00.003-05:002024-02-20T09:57:55.453-05:00The Little Symphony Orchestra of KDKA Radio<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVUHjkuDkS6VM5jK7OYync2y9QWYJOv3JAmu062V8vdTmJFE01r3Y6GOio_g5sFK4wzBoXaq_opMQ_I2a9nvVIQIh3hA2xmX0YKwoaR1OjhyphenhyphenHaxf5FNttOKMa7rJOGGP9JlJkB7klVUytU510Ks8oO1wBiZpkzBT48iUoFunharydfLLOJm2cuvoSc2A/s1800/KDKA%20Little%20Symphony%20Orchestra%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1127" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVUHjkuDkS6VM5jK7OYync2y9QWYJOv3JAmu062V8vdTmJFE01r3Y6GOio_g5sFK4wzBoXaq_opMQ_I2a9nvVIQIh3hA2xmX0YKwoaR1OjhyphenhyphenHaxf5FNttOKMa7rJOGGP9JlJkB7klVUytU510Ks8oO1wBiZpkzBT48iUoFunharydfLLOJm2cuvoSc2A/w640-h400/KDKA%20Little%20Symphony%20Orchestra%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> </div><div style="text-align: left;">As formal group photos go, this is a nice but unexceptional image of a small orchestra. Fifteen musicians, all men, are dressed in black-tie tuxedos and closely arranged in a small room. Heavy drapes line the walls and the string players' chairs have fabric slip covers. A large clock hangs at the back and a pair of small palm trees add an odd decorative theme. The orchestra's leader, wearing white-tie and tails, stands center. A caption at the bottom of this postcard reads:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display SC; font-size: medium;">The KDKA Little Symphony Orchestra, Victor Saudek, Conductor</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But hidden within this bland half-tone photo is a remarkable history. This small ensemble was one of the first professional radio orchestras to broadcast music in America, and possibly the world. It was the 1920s, an era when peace had seemingly returned to the world and modern technology introduced mankind to a marvelous new electrical device—radio. For the first time people could listen to the sounds of voices and music that originated in places far away from their homes. Geographic distance was no longer an obstacle. By means of invisible electromagnetic airwaves, anyone with this amazing device could magically receive news reports, sermons, stories, lectures, drama, comedy, and music. All sounding as live as if they were in your living room.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The postcard was sent on 30 December 1925 to Louis Anna Reinke of Appleton, Wisconsin, roughly 500 air miles west of Pittsburgh.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAqqHduJWyEGWD0lmlFf9l2UfRqJpgFfUwePszWdGlqIrBE3bJPHhZL0cPIWCF1dkAwkkC93SFVie4QxxPYqMtUfVoshLOIFu-r0Ha-qUr9Yst90GWAtclYpgUzm0Jwxy7gkd8NdPO3gKVd4y8BAZFlro9zodqKxho4n1WjlmVsjrq0ZeIOismGG0v-M/s1200/KDKA%20Little%20Symphony%20Orchestra%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="1200" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAqqHduJWyEGWD0lmlFf9l2UfRqJpgFfUwePszWdGlqIrBE3bJPHhZL0cPIWCF1dkAwkkC93SFVie4QxxPYqMtUfVoshLOIFu-r0Ha-qUr9Yst90GWAtclYpgUzm0Jwxy7gkd8NdPO3gKVd4y8BAZFlro9zodqKxho4n1WjlmVsjrq0ZeIOismGG0v-M/w640-h404/KDKA%20Little%20Symphony%20Orchestra%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Dear Radio Friend:<br /> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>We were glad to know that you enjoyed<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>our radio program about which you wrote<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>us recently. Station KDKA broadcasts a<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>week day program beginning at 6:15 P. M.<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>daily and continuing until the time signals<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>and weather reports are given at 10:00 P. <br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>M. Eastern Standard Time. Popular mid-<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>night programs are given Tuesdays and<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Thursdays at 11:00 P. M. Church services<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>are broadcast each Sunday at 10:45 A. M.,<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>4:45 and 7:45 P. M., with an organ Recital <br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>from Carnegie Music Hall at 4:00 P. M.<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>and a dinner concert at 6:30 P. M.<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> We are always glad to hear from our <br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>radio friends, and welcome constructive<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>suggestions.<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Sincerely,<br /></span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Station KDKA<br /></span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>"The Pioneer Broadcasting Station of the World"</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the first efforts to develop a commercial application for radio communication began with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westinghouse_Electric_Corporation" target="_blank">Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company</a> of East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This gigantic company was founded in 1886 by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Westinghouse" target="_blank">George Westinghouse</a> (1846–1914), the inventor of the railway air brake and a pioneer in developing America's AC electrical infrastructure. By the time of his death in 1914 Westinghouse held 361 patents in his name and was responsible for creating 60 companies. However radio was not one of his inventions. In fact, as the result of a bankruptcy reorganization in 1909, Westinghouse had lost control of his company well before it became known for making radios and, later, television sets.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When war started in Europe the Westinghouse Company expanded into building a million rifles for the Imperial Russian army. But in 1917 the revolutionary Bolshevik government canceled the contract and Westinghouse once again faced bankruptcy. Fortunately the U. S. government took up the order as America entered the war and also awarded Westinghouse a lucrative contract to build radio transmitters and receivers for the military.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The first practical radio communication system was developed by Guglielmo Marconi (1874–1937), an Italian electrical engineer in the late 1890s and early 1900s. However his invention was intended to compete with transatlantic telegraph cables and used a wireless radio signal to transmit Morse code messages. Converting sound into radio waves was a much more challenging problem that involved countless inventors, engineers, and scientists. Though new concepts for audio radios were evolving when the war began, further advancements were delayed until the war ended.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In 1919 the Westinghouse Company in Pittsburgh was already substantially invested in audio radio research, having bought out the patents of other companies, but it had not yet settled on any commercial use for it. Fortunately the company had one important advantage. It employed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Conrad" target="_blank">Frank Conrad</a> (1874–1941) as an electrical engineer in its Testing Department. It was Conrad's fascination with radio that led him to become one of America's leading pioneer broadcasters. In 1916 Conrad was granted an experimental radio license, callsign 8XK, and he began conducting radio experiments at home in his garage. During the war civilian radio stations were prohibited but Conrad luckily worked in Westinghouse's Pittsburgh factory where radio transmitters and receivers were made. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In October 1919 the ban on amateur radio signals was lifted and Conrad returned to his experiments, testing new vacuum-tube radiotelephone equipment. On the evening of 17 October 1919 while he was broadcasting to a very small number of amateur radio buffs, he got tired of speaking and decided to play a gramophone record by moving his Victrola's megaphone horn closer to the microphone. The music became such a hit that Conrad was soon overwhelmed with requests for more. He began scheduling specific times every week to play 78 rpm records from his family's collection but that was not enough. He then contacted a local music store for help and they agreed to provide new records in return for his promotion of their store. In addition to broadcasting records Conrad installed a telephone line from his garage to the music room of his house and let his sons and a niece, who were talented musicians, play music live on-air via a telephone. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mINSy0y0Drr4k63s3WqPj6ApJmVftFQu0UCYjEB5AdxbqfjLxeueKX3NLGgJk2nBaA6cBxALg_NJ079qszWl1ZsNJtbdKnNPnxpeHB39uHqb-iR25HNOvth4h0tI5NMsOjUh-rCphacVEX8iexU_vm4CIHQPWgjo3YLUVa4I0V33JGcxnQZ5nV7QYc0/s2200/1920-09-29%20Pittsburgh%20Press%20-%20Horne%20Dept%20Store%20hears%20radio%20broadcast.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1447" data-original-width="2200" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mINSy0y0Drr4k63s3WqPj6ApJmVftFQu0UCYjEB5AdxbqfjLxeueKX3NLGgJk2nBaA6cBxALg_NJ079qszWl1ZsNJtbdKnNPnxpeHB39uHqb-iR25HNOvth4h0tI5NMsOjUh-rCphacVEX8iexU_vm4CIHQPWgjo3YLUVa4I0V33JGcxnQZ5nV7QYc0/w640-h420/1920-09-29%20Pittsburgh%20Press%20-%20Horne%20Dept%20Store%20hears%20radio%20broadcast.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pittsburgh <i>Press</i><br />29 September 1920</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">By the fall of 1920 there was enough enthusiasm for home radio equipment in Pittsburgh that the Joseph Horne department store took notice and began advertising its stock of amateur wireless sets. On 29 September 1920 they included a report about Frank Conrad's popular radio concerts of Victrola music. The word "radio" was still an unfamiliar word to readers, so instead it was called a "wireless telephone".</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zqoUdOn1rvtZhrbiWfb821zl9SGp4Jr4SAI7SoZyNWeeXaXRNR18panoxinHlPp196QkfBwSzKcHBTRo5KTppQCPMJrUZR9gRG1XYSmGr1vkN2VIeju3ovPOWSV_s34eT0Rsz6uON9hCaF0lyWEVxaE7sqI0Zvlw44EhYDzAd2LOsI0amlD-bm_7K40/s831/1922-02%20%20Radio-Broadcast.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zqoUdOn1rvtZhrbiWfb821zl9SGp4Jr4SAI7SoZyNWeeXaXRNR18panoxinHlPp196QkfBwSzKcHBTRo5KTppQCPMJrUZR9gRG1XYSmGr1vkN2VIeju3ovPOWSV_s34eT0Rsz6uON9hCaF0lyWEVxaE7sqI0Zvlw44EhYDzAd2LOsI0amlD-bm_7K40/w460-h640/1922-02%20%20Radio-Broadcast.jpg" width="460" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Radio Broadcast</i><br />May 1922<br />Source: <a href="https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Home-Early.htm">WorldRadioHistory.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Most readers probably paid little notice to the report, but Mr. Harry P. Davis did. He was a vice president of Westinghouse, and he recognized a good business opportunity for the company. If Westinghouse wanted to increase sales of its radio equipment, he decided it should invest in its own radio broadcasting station because as more people enjoyed listening to news and entertainment, the demand for radio sets was certain to grow. Within a few days he ordered a new station to be constructed and Frank Conrad's operation was moved out of his garage. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The new station, which soon carried the call sign <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDKA_(AM)" target="_blank">KDKA</a>, was operational in time to report the presidential election results on 2 November 1920. That night Pittsburgh's first radio station joined three other new stations in Detroit, St. Louis, and Buffalo to announce the election of Warren G. Harding hours before the news made the newspapers. It was a hollow honor though, as it was estimated that fewer than 1,000 households in Pittsburgh owned a radio and heard that first audio report. More sets had to be sold and more innovation would be needed to attract the public's attention and create a market for commercial radio.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5nvL3Pk9NFSoJ7BPP2EGsmDi0RZ0f8RC2v_ZixBghUhFHDs1RjwRWI7srzZ53GwUMDkR0GRLGHy0wCSuK7wLDkaVYsLZDRox_DIEv4anzAND9ogT3EiCbjkVDQVV97IRkrHq9-GbW3KlQhMGFBf9LzoJt_yt1ZaTzwurU44WZC1sJbGnSuDtpw2otTU/s894/1922-01-22%20Radio-Broadcasting-News%20-%20PittsburghLadies%20Orch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="753" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5nvL3Pk9NFSoJ7BPP2EGsmDi0RZ0f8RC2v_ZixBghUhFHDs1RjwRWI7srzZ53GwUMDkR0GRLGHy0wCSuK7wLDkaVYsLZDRox_DIEv4anzAND9ogT3EiCbjkVDQVV97IRkrHq9-GbW3KlQhMGFBf9LzoJt_yt1ZaTzwurU44WZC1sJbGnSuDtpw2otTU/w540-h640/1922-01-22%20Radio-Broadcasting-News%20-%20PittsburghLadies%20Orch.jpg" width="540" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Radio Broadcasting News</i><br />22 January 1922<br />Source: <a href="https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Home-Early.htm">WorldRadioHistory.com</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>In 1922 the Westinghouse Company began publication of a weekly digest called <i>Radio Broadcasting News</i> that promoted Westinghouse radio sets and its station KDKA. It's banner on the 4th issue in 22 January 1922 claimed it was in its "fifty-seventh week broadcasting". Featured on the cover was a group that I recognized. It was a picture of <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-pittsburgh-ladies-orchestra.html" target="_blank">The Pittsburgh Ladies Orchestra</a> who, by curious coincidence, on 8 January 2022, almost exactly a century later, I featured in a story on this blog. Obviously from their name, this small musical ensemble came from Pittsburgh, so it's no surprise that they would get an invitation to perform on the KDKA studio. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was an all-female group, as long as you didn't count the leader and his son, that began in 1911 with programs designed for the Lyceum and Chautauqua festivals. For over a decade they became popular enough to tour the circuits in 19 states. It was led by Albert D. Liefeld and included his wife, Minnie Liefeld on piano, and son, Theodore S. Liefeld on cornet and trap drum set. According to one newspaper report, in 1921 The Pittsburgh Ladies Orchestra was the first "orchestra" to perform live on radio, that being at station KDKA. However with only three string players in a group of eight musicians, it was not really a proper orchestra. The group played KDKA again in July 1922 and continued performing until 1925 after which it stopped appearing in newspaper notices. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMFwgLHljuyGts1YBX6M1xGAruyOcyVhtRodVZn3jlEeLKCHAZfEw5SfZMsNETqjGPBcLpmml4ecV5TmnFiaxTz04ht3AUkegPGkU8MzliJ7umSh1OczY6Attmfxva2eSoFU03h9RJ8QtJOOeDjsOEd2GJIZMXv045GePXN3LjeVRLKYmwyDWSFlVnfU/s627/KDKA_-_new_studio_-_December_1922.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="627" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMFwgLHljuyGts1YBX6M1xGAruyOcyVhtRodVZn3jlEeLKCHAZfEw5SfZMsNETqjGPBcLpmml4ecV5TmnFiaxTz04ht3AUkegPGkU8MzliJ7umSh1OczY6Attmfxva2eSoFU03h9RJ8QtJOOeDjsOEd2GJIZMXv045GePXN3LjeVRLKYmwyDWSFlVnfU/w640-h486/KDKA_-_new_studio_-_December_1922.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new studio of Radio Station KDKA, Pittsburgh, PA<br />18 December 1922<br />Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDKA_(AM)" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>As more radio stations opened across the country in the 1920s, many musicians and small ensembles from the vaudeville theaters and Chautauqua circuits found work in radio because the early studios were not equipped to handle large musical groups. The performing space was kept small and well insulated to minimize reverb and distortion of the music. Generally only one microphone was used and some instruments were left out as being either too loud or too quiet. </div><div><br /></div><div>In this picture of station KDKA's new studio in December 1922 we see a woman playing a grand piano while a man, perhaps the announcer or sound engineer, watches. This room replaced the first "studio" which was just a tent erected on the rooftop of the Westinghouse building where programs were sometimes interrupted by the sound of train horns. In this picture yuletide wreaths hang on the drapery walls but the palm trees are the same as in the picture of KDKA's Little Symphony Orchestra. It's interesting that a set of tubular bell chimes are over on the left. The sound of chimes was probably introduced as a convenient way to announce time or a change of program. </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwq8t4Ia2FaScwGjcv4XF7xFgdgocZR5IGOpGm8fCDh6kdfYdRBO0ikqFfwSAbvpQHZfVFVds7fgzbpzjaNf1OH4ht0a5dvmMooVB56pjyHTsq9E1Z1BvE52MK3AIxbauSdxcrOYA6iO1OrM2CLnvp7cSyDGLwhmCS2zsXzEMcWvI2MEZ6xMMC0XV_oM/s1023/1925-01%20%20Radio-Broadcast,%20KDKA%20orch%20NAMES.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1023" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwq8t4Ia2FaScwGjcv4XF7xFgdgocZR5IGOpGm8fCDh6kdfYdRBO0ikqFfwSAbvpQHZfVFVds7fgzbpzjaNf1OH4ht0a5dvmMooVB56pjyHTsq9E1Z1BvE52MK3AIxbauSdxcrOYA6iO1OrM2CLnvp7cSyDGLwhmCS2zsXzEMcWvI2MEZ6xMMC0XV_oM/w640-h446/1925-01%20%20Radio-Broadcast,%20KDKA%20orch%20NAMES.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Radio Broadcast</i><br />January 1925<br />Source: <a href="https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Home-Early.htm">WorldRadioHistory.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">THE KDKA LITTLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Victor Saudek, Conductor. Seated, left to right: Milton Lomask, Pierre De Backer, Leo Kruczek, violins; <br />Elmer Hennig, 'cello; Raymond Bandi, viola; James Younger, 'cello; Herbert Saylor, viola; Rest Baker, violin. <br />Standing, left to right: Stephen Konvalinka, trombone; John J. Harvey, trumpet; William Nugier, drums; <br />Karl Haney, bass; Victor Saudek, Conductor; Stephen Miller, Jr., piano; Alvin Hauser, flute; S. Sapienza, clarinet</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In January 1925 the magazine, <i>Radio Broadcast</i>, included a photo of the KDKA Little Symphony Orchestra that matches the one on my postcard. The magazine printed not only the name of the conductor, Victor Saudek, but also the names and instruments of all the musicians. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1879, Victor Saudek became determined at an early age to play the flute and by age 15 was playing with city's orchestra. After high school he went to Chicago for further musical education and then to New York where he studied flute with a noted teacher and also sang in the National Conservatory chorus under Frank Damrosch. In 1910 he settled in Pittsburgh playing principal flute in the Pittsburgh Symphony and teaching music and the flute at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In 1922, or possibly a year earlier, he was chosen to organize an orchestra to play regular musical interludes for the new radio station KDKA. Most of the first references to musical programs were short pieces by vocalists or solo instrumentalists with piano accompaniment or small chamber groups like a string trio or quartet. The rooftop studio probably did not accommodate many people. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkUpIhihUP2xyroGj-JXICxBePm1ZAjMGLZwFkHrm1Ofh1DQJhRh9s3wd1b6vJQ69F1rmymzzqtH_nLgRtdda8JFCBNa_0XtBDtB0mM52wM2axH2cfbJVbcD0vomqqZy-0J_oCghW0sVWT7fIctrkDkK2kfNAzJobfF9z_ufHT7IvYmMRsgjxP-bHOFI/s2332/1922-11-09%20Pittsburgh%20Press%20-%20KDKA%20orch%20play,%20PROGRAM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2332" data-original-width="1963" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkUpIhihUP2xyroGj-JXICxBePm1ZAjMGLZwFkHrm1Ofh1DQJhRh9s3wd1b6vJQ69F1rmymzzqtH_nLgRtdda8JFCBNa_0XtBDtB0mM52wM2axH2cfbJVbcD0vomqqZy-0J_oCghW0sVWT7fIctrkDkK2kfNAzJobfF9z_ufHT7IvYmMRsgjxP-bHOFI/w538-h640/1922-11-09%20Pittsburgh%20Press%20-%20KDKA%20orch%20play,%20PROGRAM.jpg" width="538" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pittsburgh <i>Press</i><br />9 November 1922<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>In around 1921 the Pittsburgh newspapers began listing radio schedules with programs from both Pittsburgh as well as the other new stations available around the country, though there weren't very many of them then. On 28 October 1922 a report for KDKA listed the "Premier concert by Westinghouse KDKA orchestra" at 8:30 but it did not include Victor Saudek's name and the music program was only for a violin, cello, piano trio and a soprano soloist. The next month there was a more substantial program by "KDKA's recently organized orchestra of 12 pieces, under the baton of Victor Saudek" The music was performed at 3:30 p. m. and included:<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Italians in Algiers ...................... Rossini</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Excerpts from The Blue Kitten ... Frimi</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Solo—To be selected</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Funeral March of a Marionette<br />(Comigue) .................................... Gounod</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Scotch Melodies</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Solo—To be selected</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Prelude Siciliana Intermezzo<br /></span>Cavalieria Rusticana ................... Moscagni</li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">March—The Pitt Panther (new) ...Louis Panella</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;">This was very light classical and familiar popular music for the time, clearly arranged for a much smaller instrumentation than what the composers required. After presumably a dinnertime break, the broadcast resumed with news at 7 p. m.; followed by a "bedtime story"; stock market reports; several speakers from the American Red Cross and the Electrical Exposition; then more music provided by a string quartet of KDKA musicians; more speeches; and more music from the Fellows club orchestra. These last bits were likely "phoned in" using a telephone to pick up voices and music from a remote location. Of course, listeners in this early era of radio could not expect the sophisticated sound quality we expect today, a century later. It all just seemed amazing then.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvO9XRGoVxCimzGJxsja_VRPho2hMFrQQElvYbTM7sp0gyaW55w_vPSMejFe62gXuo5N4ewyFs9dgM7NLC3GnNMdQrXClg5yb1u4bC-xH3grjzr0xLwyh1OD7tjN9ZrCNYCiEy_j8ITSu0X6JVIFrROVnCSSm-tLhBou1YMQLVwpmDRSAJzpA8xMqZYU/s966/1922-08%20Radio-Journal%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="711" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvO9XRGoVxCimzGJxsja_VRPho2hMFrQQElvYbTM7sp0gyaW55w_vPSMejFe62gXuo5N4ewyFs9dgM7NLC3GnNMdQrXClg5yb1u4bC-xH3grjzr0xLwyh1OD7tjN9ZrCNYCiEy_j8ITSu0X6JVIFrROVnCSSm-tLhBou1YMQLVwpmDRSAJzpA8xMqZYU/w472-h640/1922-08%20Radio-Journal%202.jpg" width="472" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Radio Journal</i><br />August 1922<br />Source: <a href="https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Home-Early.htm">WorldRadioHistory.com</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4IhBuMENv9DgkOOglIYqD_yYHmZbJ5nhTQXzCy1KybnAwwDxPacqRE94C1-fjZbAVkQaT0nHEgsgiD4Cm0EpDRuEkV_UWcs69XmbETZQKh2BNAd3_a9S3tT2onQ9LVODesyqXzPsrphfY50IaO59u34URdEGseYFjjzD6xxUz_Zsf_1aPIaI_swZOek/s928/1922-05%20E-Z-Radio.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="928" data-original-width="615" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4IhBuMENv9DgkOOglIYqD_yYHmZbJ5nhTQXzCy1KybnAwwDxPacqRE94C1-fjZbAVkQaT0nHEgsgiD4Cm0EpDRuEkV_UWcs69XmbETZQKh2BNAd3_a9S3tT2onQ9LVODesyqXzPsrphfY50IaO59u34URdEGseYFjjzD6xxUz_Zsf_1aPIaI_swZOek/w424-h640/1922-05%20E-Z-Radio.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>E-Z Radio</i><br />May 1922<br />Source: <a href="https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Home-Early.htm">WorldRadioHistory.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>KDKA was Westinghouse's primary radio station but by 1925 the company had added three more: WJZ in Newark, New Jersey, (now in New York City); WBZ in Springfield, Massachusetts (now Boston); and KYW in Chicago, Illinois (now Philadelphia). The first frequency for KDKA was in the 360-meter spectrum which was shared with other radio stations. In 1923 the U. S. Department of Commerce expanded this range and assigned 920 kHz to KDKA on the Amplitude Modulation (AM) band waves. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Westinghouse Radio Broadcasting News encouraged its fans "who are successful in hearing the program from any of the other stations will confer a favor by reporting the circumstances to the Radio Division, Department of Publicity." At this time the nature of how weather and astronomic conditions influenced radio reception was not fully understood and stations relied on distant listeners to measure the range of where the broadcasts could be received.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAtx1j3aFS_N9TwHuAl_X21TUKr5R9vEVH9sjYQulIllf1i4KM3BlBkQRiK8euKnciFKh3R9PpPk_Ncqq6pQC0PAlTFBLjuxSsYxbY3rlrNl0dQ4FdSriC_ZywAVD8JNDW6FVb83tsTO8IAtmBSFGbeTJt-WrjGNcAbMWlnKOd71flD0fydjAf59fl2M/s949/1922-06%20Science%20and%20Invention.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="646" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAtx1j3aFS_N9TwHuAl_X21TUKr5R9vEVH9sjYQulIllf1i4KM3BlBkQRiK8euKnciFKh3R9PpPk_Ncqq6pQC0PAlTFBLjuxSsYxbY3rlrNl0dQ4FdSriC_ZywAVD8JNDW6FVb83tsTO8IAtmBSFGbeTJt-WrjGNcAbMWlnKOd71flD0fydjAf59fl2M/w436-h640/1922-06%20Science%20and%20Invention.jpg" width="436" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Science and Invention</i><br />(formerly <i>Electrical Experimenter</i>)<br />June 1922<br />Source: <a href="https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Home-Early.htm">WorldRadioHistory.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The advance of early radio technology could not have happened without the enthusiasm and experiments of amateur radio hobbyists. The first radio magazines reflect this kind of geeky spirit which did not really have an obvious goal other than basic long distance communication. These magazines are filled with complicated electrical diagrams and lengthy reports on new research or innovations. But it's interesting how quickly music, either live or recorded, became a major incentive for marketing radio as a novel appliance everyone should have in their home. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IJ-WT_2cM7tuMWHOWITvMZo4yJJh1dR1bxvjg2wb321VzxaC-3fpQaM6rk9RyZ-C06STbPo3kec_O-V7q7bcM31tWP7r07dSgyQ0TSnhorBeCNpjnnXJOEdRU4gnLgzdENFH-mncNEanYYYXIKeemVdwf7HjO3NIbl7TCbzC2X9bZugcViCGOcGalqQ/s982/1923-03-31%20Radio%20Broadcasting%20News%20-%20radio%20rectifier.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="982" data-original-width="753" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IJ-WT_2cM7tuMWHOWITvMZo4yJJh1dR1bxvjg2wb321VzxaC-3fpQaM6rk9RyZ-C06STbPo3kec_O-V7q7bcM31tWP7r07dSgyQ0TSnhorBeCNpjnnXJOEdRU4gnLgzdENFH-mncNEanYYYXIKeemVdwf7HjO3NIbl7TCbzC2X9bZugcViCGOcGalqQ/w490-h640/1923-03-31%20Radio%20Broadcasting%20News%20-%20radio%20rectifier.jpg" width="490" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Radio Broadcasting News</i><br />31 March 1923<br />Source: <a href="https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Home-Early.htm">WorldRadioHistory.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ironically for the Westinghouse Company, the early radio sets did not use AC–alternating current which its founder George Westinghouse had established as the American standard for electric service. Instead the sets were powered by bulky batteries that used DC–direct current and had to be regularly recharged. We can only wonder how Thomas Edison, the champion for DC current, might feel vindicated if he could see how the entire world operates on battery power today. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Frank Conrad gave up his amateur radio license in 1924 but continued working on new designs for Westinghouse's consumer radios. He also did important research on shortwave radio signals demonstrating a method that greatly improved the distance that a transatlantic transmission could be received at a fraction of the previous cost. In 1925 KDKA could even boast of its signal reaching radio sets in Australia and South Africa. For those special long distance international broadcasts Victor Saudek and his musicians had to get up very early, sometimes at 3 and 4 AM.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIesL7eLYwVzsr7aw3bD_ASjfFtsdukh6NUuYFxipAjHCBi3Ju4voSXvPExBl60yqkWTKnSuNv_EzTRc3Z2vUQu3MPfWCp-1sF6TNp3c6HvKzO5QpyaQYvLtjBb8HuzUbdcOzPU0P48oVV2Zfm7g57yJEHMSE5SH1rLSLqbIegRh3wd6sNPyf0bJ-UeE/s922/1922-08%20Radio-Journal%201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIesL7eLYwVzsr7aw3bD_ASjfFtsdukh6NUuYFxipAjHCBi3Ju4voSXvPExBl60yqkWTKnSuNv_EzTRc3Z2vUQu3MPfWCp-1sF6TNp3c6HvKzO5QpyaQYvLtjBb8HuzUbdcOzPU0P48oVV2Zfm7g57yJEHMSE5SH1rLSLqbIegRh3wd6sNPyf0bJ-UeE/w468-h640/1922-08%20Radio-Journal%201.jpg" width="468" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Radio Journal</i><br />August 1922<br />Source: <a href="https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Home-Early.htm">WorldRadioHistory.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Within just a few years radio technology rapidly improved and hundreds of new stations started broadcasting all across America. Some countries, like Great Britain, enacted a license fee for radio consumers. But in the United States the airwaves were free, though everyone soon learned that radio programing was more about advertising than anything else. As the radio business model evolved, station KDKA tried to remain on the cutting edge. Victor Saudek was made music director of all four of Westinghouse's radio stations, and though I'm not certain, it seems likely that musicians were employed at each station. What I do know is that by 1927 the KDKA orchestra in Pittsburgh became a bit larger than it was on its first broadcasts. </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCb590Ibf6zoPNMxIDZ-ezwhxi-mQl02i8SH1rm6LXRzrMrZmuqRfSY60YDmpmhPG-vJBLYtc5HuNOiPRsZ4b6bd2bONMdBuKVfvVr_YY6NctK3ZsmIDdD0TeJhZ7FVp2mbBQzrBj7alA2DcDMY-9RZZf5esbCHJu2xrALcgLaq62w8R8UijNvtAIdF58/s2400/KDKA%20Radio%20Little%20Large%20Orchestra%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1842" data-original-width="2400" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCb590Ibf6zoPNMxIDZ-ezwhxi-mQl02i8SH1rm6LXRzrMrZmuqRfSY60YDmpmhPG-vJBLYtc5HuNOiPRsZ4b6bd2bONMdBuKVfvVr_YY6NctK3ZsmIDdD0TeJhZ7FVp2mbBQzrBj7alA2DcDMY-9RZZf5esbCHJu2xrALcgLaq62w8R8UijNvtAIdF58/w640-h492/KDKA%20Radio%20Little%20Large%20Orchestra%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">In this large 8" x 10" printed photo the KDKA Little Symphony Orchestra sits on a proper concert stage with Victor Saudek standing center on a podium. There are twenty musicians including two horns, two trumpets, trombone, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and percussion in addition to full strings. It's a chamber orchestra that would be suitable for most classical music and theater music. It resembles photos of another radio orchestra that I wrote about in 2011, <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2011/05/detroit-news-orchestra.html" target="_blank">The Detroit News Orchestra</a>, which was a competitor and contemporary of the KDKA ensemble.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The photo was taken by the Trinity Court Studio of Pittsburgh and marked 1-29-27 in the lower right corner, January 29, 1927. A printed label along the border identifies it as a souvenir gift, "presented to our radio friends through KDKA with compliments of Trinity Court Studio. Like the previous picture the musicians are dressed in formal suits like they might be for a regular performance but, of course, there was no audience inside their studio so why bother with high class fashion? This appears to be a theater stage and not the little KDKA studio so perhaps this was a rare occasion for a proper concert. The palm trees look bigger too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodYcY7Roj2PX_pl8qOiPEOAxKaRRPPwz9S4ZuVwiwq90GwrhF12TULoQMiq9WgImPxR-AZFGamlO-P58gFt1qHuHpnmi63Gfvb0Edn9X1LDeHIrMDXFCRViOZ8A_XHMd0MsTEy4uod41ftv064eYXl4KenoJgv_xp8NwghnOQIiauZlr-7djN4MhW5ac/s911/KDKA%20Radio%20Little%20Large%20Orchestra%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="911" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodYcY7Roj2PX_pl8qOiPEOAxKaRRPPwz9S4ZuVwiwq90GwrhF12TULoQMiq9WgImPxR-AZFGamlO-P58gFt1qHuHpnmi63Gfvb0Edn9X1LDeHIrMDXFCRViOZ8A_XHMd0MsTEy4uod41ftv064eYXl4KenoJgv_xp8NwghnOQIiauZlr-7djN4MhW5ac/w640-h206/KDKA%20Radio%20Little%20Large%20Orchestra%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I haven't yet discovered how long KDKA retained the services of Victor Saudek and his Little Symphony Orchestra musicians. An ensemble like this would be typical of a large theater orchestra used to accompany silent films. But 1927 was the year that Warner Bros. Studios released the <i>The Jazz Singer</i>, the first feature film with sound. Theater orchestras were soon made redundant. And two years later in 1929 Wall Street collapsed and Americans entered a long period of economic depression. Musicians became very expendable and any orchestra, large or small, was surplus to requirements. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRw2ZADCTqRKTqgfrhb-DzwDQMdtH6LOBpbNlw7M_Ihaoio5EsE-3wXJMouULfoJpOPC-uc_E38BKeisWvI0lhN3FSQJztev80Nvs23p5la-p4M8_85Ag8v6bAQlrYJAVnNrcZXCnJHJd1SmP3PRyTZ1E0LbZPieDeCy25wRBMSz1aMffLvBqXiO8J2s8/s1600/1981-10-02%20Pittsburgh%20Press%20-%20son%20of%20Victor%20Saudek%20PIC.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1031" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRw2ZADCTqRKTqgfrhb-DzwDQMdtH6LOBpbNlw7M_Ihaoio5EsE-3wXJMouULfoJpOPC-uc_E38BKeisWvI0lhN3FSQJztev80Nvs23p5la-p4M8_85Ag8v6bAQlrYJAVnNrcZXCnJHJd1SmP3PRyTZ1E0LbZPieDeCy25wRBMSz1aMffLvBqXiO8J2s8/w412-h640/1981-10-02%20Pittsburgh%20Press%20-%20son%20of%20Victor%20Saudek%20PIC.jpg" width="412" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pittsburgh <i>Press</i><br />2 October 1981</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In October 1981, the Pittsburgh <i>Press</i> featured a story on Victor Saudek, both father and son. The flutist and conductor, Victor Saudek Sr., was the father of <a href="https://www.soaringmuseum.org/hof_more.php?id=91" target="_blank">Victor M. Saudek Jr</a>. who never inherited any of his father's musical talents. Instead he pursued an interest in aviation, especially with gliders, and became a mechanical engineer at Hughes Aircraft in California where he helped design airplanes and satellites for NASA. In 1981, Victor Jr., now retired, said his proudest achievement was working on the unmanned lunar spacecraft Surveyor which landed on the moon in 1966. Sadly his father, Victor Sr died just before the landing. "Father couldn't accept the reality of Surveyor going to the moon," said his son. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">His older brother, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Saudek_(television_executive)" target="_blank">Robert Saudek</a> (1911–1997) became a noted TV producer and was a vice-president of ABC Television Network in the late 1940s and early 1950s. During his career he was honored with eleven <i>Emmys </i>and seven <i>Peabodys</i>. He also helped establish both PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />From radio to the moon.<br />That's a remarkable history of a family and 20th century technology <br />to hide inside a postcard of a little symphony orchestra.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/01/sepia-saturday-707-saturday-20-january.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where no radio license is required</b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>to listen in sepia tone </b></div></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/01/sepia-saturday-707-saturday-20-january.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMt7k2suNb-IBKttqJ-GI_L_mfEzb7Utno78Wf-N866rsFa4XMvDhOJUPBEdu6CIDQ8pQgINT9TPxpILCIuQJhy9MRLT6aQujKkek0t4NkfEEm90IxDKCWNSbClZrdnHseakW7QsZNO8kPdKiX16Tz-5xCSLN9ZtQJknyvd4zGpwOQ8Wb11vcFYpjvRIo/w400-h400/20240120%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-33782981084067865332024-01-14T16:45:00.005-05:002024-01-14T17:06:43.667-05:00Music of the Great White Fleet<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdbGeBv85AD2bX0DpdkzZv-5CcJvmbGzBuDKTHH1lYCDwjHJ7rthcZggxIVXl_Jw1ASWAGEKFZO12OpD6o-uBt8IgykTAn1FrljCw7erYnjnAlO3C56x5ACniBa2TnB1xGwS_SXR5VLMjXCcQHG70VjGaWZpPY9V9qkk6nCeHLtKhyphenhyphenUL4W0SbB9tgBLU/s1578/USS%20Connecticut%20Jr%20Officers%20Mess%20Room%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="1578" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdbGeBv85AD2bX0DpdkzZv-5CcJvmbGzBuDKTHH1lYCDwjHJ7rthcZggxIVXl_Jw1ASWAGEKFZO12OpD6o-uBt8IgykTAn1FrljCw7erYnjnAlO3C56x5ACniBa2TnB1xGwS_SXR5VLMjXCcQHG70VjGaWZpPY9V9qkk6nCeHLtKhyphenhyphenUL4W0SbB9tgBLU/w640-h546/USS%20Connecticut%20Jr%20Officers%20Mess%20Room%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At first glance this image seems like a scene at any gentlemen's' club from a
century ago. A few young men in military uniform are relaxing in a salon or
library. There are assorted pictures hanging on a wall, newspapers and
magazines on a table, and along the back of the room is an upright piano.
Nothing unusual here.
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Except for two things. Their clubroom is not resting on solid ground but is
actually afloat inside a battleship. And that piano is no ordinary musical
instrument but a complex self-playing piano with a pneumatic mechanism able to
reproduce music from cryptic rolls of paper.
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
These men were junior officers in the U. S. Navy and they had returned from a
voyage around the world. And during the trip this player piano gave them a
tiny bit of recreation whenever time permitted.
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-viy60g4AOlrfEZauBJaXrSg8OLoGXDm_DPm0uIp6mnBlSLAcpo-PeTZY5JLpRSbQ3i8bV2xnfdYEZjqH0octhqmx0WypHxpxCT_YrgidJT_vox5OHlycJG5ic1ATy1Ouiqbe977tCKCj_ElkJqIWC4NqXgfVIy3Ytvlh2aByNYbfzhLsIqyHXEPtds/s2000/US%20Battleship%20Fleet%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="2000" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-viy60g4AOlrfEZauBJaXrSg8OLoGXDm_DPm0uIp6mnBlSLAcpo-PeTZY5JLpRSbQ3i8bV2xnfdYEZjqH0octhqmx0WypHxpxCT_YrgidJT_vox5OHlycJG5ic1ATy1Ouiqbe977tCKCj_ElkJqIWC4NqXgfVIy3Ytvlh2aByNYbfzhLsIqyHXEPtds/w640-h410/US%20Battleship%20Fleet%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
On this postcard we see a long line of the warships steaming through a choppy
sea. A caption describes it as the U. S. Battleship fleet leaving Hampton
Roads on its "around-the-World Cruise" and according to the back of the card,
most, if not all, of them had a military-issued player piano onboard. There
were 16 battleships in the fleet and they were all about to sail to South
America and then continue westward across the Pacific Ocean to Asia and
beyond. It was December 1907 and this expedition promised a peaceful display
of naval prestige, as this was a rare time with no eminent threat of war. So
someone decided it was appropriate for such a diplomatic mission to include
music too. The AUTOPIANO company was ready to help.
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3SjK2VlssftYyl7oHPwU4PJo0UVY5tRUxROKnjbPMovHdVNMqgwqjLwcf4UpDihfTRT9SeKpuJ1outv8U-gbLmcKfawR_yB9b6TcbiB9JQhomYHlBWe_3Y_SYdxSy5bBUNth-9YE3xvN7JMaIIRe90jnAQOanYeyJiJiaU1nWCXO919QEhSKQklgBtc/s1500/US%20Battleship%20Fleet%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="1500" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3SjK2VlssftYyl7oHPwU4PJo0UVY5tRUxROKnjbPMovHdVNMqgwqjLwcf4UpDihfTRT9SeKpuJ1outv8U-gbLmcKfawR_yB9b6TcbiB9JQhomYHlBWe_3Y_SYdxSy5bBUNth-9YE3xvN7JMaIIRe90jnAQOanYeyJiJiaU1nWCXO919QEhSKQklgBtc/w640-h414/US%20Battleship%20Fleet%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Playfair Display SC";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Uncle Sam's Choice</b></span></span>
</div>
<br />
</div>
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"> The most severe test to which a player piano can be subjected is
aboard a ship, yet the officers and sailors of over 50 U. S. and Foreign
Battleships have purchased Autopianos, and unhesitatingly express their
appreciation of the enjoyment derived from this wonderful instrument.<br /><br />
During the famous cruise around the world of the American Fleet nearly
every Battleship possessed an "AUTOPIANO" for the amusement and education of
the officers and crew. That these instruments needed little of no
repairing after having been exposed to every climate, is more conclusive proof
of the remarkable durability of the "AUTOPIANO" and of its ability to give
musical enjoyment and great satisfaction under any conditions. The
marvelous Autopiano gives pleasure to every member of the family because all
can play it.<br /><br />
The Autopiano Is Sold By<br /><br />
J. N. Adam & Co.<br />
Buffalo, N. Y.<br /><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"> To any one sending name and address of probable purchaser of
an AUTOPIANO at the The Autopiano Co., 12th Ave., 51st to 52nd St., New York
City, we will send set of postcards of warships carrying Autopianos.</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Autopiano Company of New York arranged for this naval connection to its
"marvelous" instrument as a marketing scheme to gain advantage over its
player-piano rivals. Dozens of different souvenir postcards of the fleet were
printed and used to solicit customers. My first image came from a postcard in
this series. It is possibly the only one that shows an interior shiproom and an Autopiano.
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2ribUGhuGZa5sM7zH_awuW3iG9xg0usqovkfqwO5EsLJkszvBx9qmndrdraIfTWzV7KBFleY0H5vn1ull8ckzAIaUaEqqOim4qwltkWoJ8I-rwpMWIsiWwg1bYBr76ZYDigsUG0ceHq7FyWUeT-fexEMwx-yXIski6EGXncS1LCeGfEaCJ6x3vlYx5k/s2000/USS%20Connecticut%20Jr%20Officers%20Mess%20Room%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="2000" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2ribUGhuGZa5sM7zH_awuW3iG9xg0usqovkfqwO5EsLJkszvBx9qmndrdraIfTWzV7KBFleY0H5vn1ull8ckzAIaUaEqqOim4qwltkWoJ8I-rwpMWIsiWwg1bYBr76ZYDigsUG0ceHq7FyWUeT-fexEMwx-yXIski6EGXncS1LCeGfEaCJ6x3vlYx5k/w640-h424/USS%20Connecticut%20Jr%20Officers%20Mess%20Room%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
The full picture shows more plumbing pipes and steel rivets than usually found in hotel salons or gentlemen's clubs. The postcard is captioned:
</div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;">Junior Officers Mess Room<br />U. S. S. Connecticut<br />This Autopiano
when photographed<br />on May 12, 1911 had been in use<br />on this Ship
over 4½ Years.</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One the back is a full description of the battleship and a testimonial to
the Autopiano.
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCvr87BiYVSdPveIBCX3M0px9SRA0kyaCKDL8tL7eQD7zS32i8VQZVhwrea9_HfgaT8zJwXW3bIDgBW2o9VIu6X35RIbmwfWLwaKswETSwZhf4kdGUep2u8xqYBiJnDtZUyWLPaRuuoYw7opnEWii3YCuXy0HCoD2VCMMZMgh-svcUSINNiZl2ZM95V0/s1600/USS%20Connecticut%20Jr%20Officers%20Mess%20Room%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCvr87BiYVSdPveIBCX3M0px9SRA0kyaCKDL8tL7eQD7zS32i8VQZVhwrea9_HfgaT8zJwXW3bIDgBW2o9VIu6X35RIbmwfWLwaKswETSwZhf4kdGUep2u8xqYBiJnDtZUyWLPaRuuoYw7opnEWii3YCuXy0HCoD2VCMMZMgh-svcUSINNiZl2ZM95V0/w640-h422/USS%20Connecticut%20Jr%20Officers%20Mess%20Room%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Playfair Display SC; font-size: medium;">U. S. S. Connecticut (Battleship)</span>
</div>
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;">Displacement, tons 16,000. Speed, knots 19. Cost,
$8,000,000. Length, 450 feet. Beam, 76 feet, 10 inches.
Draught, 24 feet, 6 inches. Main Battery, 4 - 12 inch guns, 8 - 8 inch
guns, 12 7-inch guns. Secondary Battery, 28 Rapid Fire and Machine
Guns. Complement, 856 men.</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Playfair Display SC; font-size: medium;">Uncle Sam's Choice.</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;">
The AUTOPIANO on board the United States Battleship Connecticut,
Flagship of the Atlantic Fleet was and still is in the Junior Officers' Mess
Room as shown on this interesting picture. </span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"> This AUTOPIANO when photographed on May 14th, 1911 had been in
use for over four and a half years, and that it has more than proved its
worth is evidenced by the following letter from one of the Junior
Officers:</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><i>Napeaque Bay, Long Island, May 24th, 1911.<br />Mr. R. W. Lawrence,
Pres., The Autopiano CO., N. Y.<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> Dear Sir:—<br /></span><span> </span><span> </span><span> The AUTOPIANO purchased from you which has
been in the possession of the Junior Officers' Mess for the past four
and a half years, has given excellent service during that time. It
has been used constantly but retains its good action and tone.
Change of temperature and Climate does not seem to affect it. We
are highly pleased with it, and it seems good for many years of
service. <span> </span><span> Very truly yours,<br /></span></span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> (Signed) ELMER D. LONGWORTHY,<br /></span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></i><span><i> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Midshipman, U. S. Navy.</span></i></span><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span><span><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span><span><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;">The Autopiano Is Sold By</span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">E. B. Guild Music Co.</span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">Topeka, Kansas</div></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5xPFHc1rOe2tsu2qdVJ-0esibS3NDJeLH6ZTG7ps4L8Coh6AWRxTmdynNMLT2_QYsqhzQjFa7AyAvO5oOhT_LjGX2id3KFS3NCLM4pcxiR53TqwutuzSRqSG9gdwuWLSFaiJ749Ar36yF7bwqbYSplif-kmYfRydvq0AS7qMhNBUSAWHXYGHIpwheZY/s2000/USS%20Connecticut%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="2000" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5xPFHc1rOe2tsu2qdVJ-0esibS3NDJeLH6ZTG7ps4L8Coh6AWRxTmdynNMLT2_QYsqhzQjFa7AyAvO5oOhT_LjGX2id3KFS3NCLM4pcxiR53TqwutuzSRqSG9gdwuWLSFaiJ749Ar36yF7bwqbYSplif-kmYfRydvq0AS7qMhNBUSAWHXYGHIpwheZY/w640-h412/USS%20Connecticut%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Connecticut_(BB-18)" target="_blank">U. S. S. Connecticut</a> appears on another postcard in the Autopiano series in a sepia tone
illustration. The picture has a copyright 1904 by E. Muller. The Connecticut
was built in the Brooklyn NY Navy Yard and was launched on 29
September 1904. Exactly two years later in 1906 it was commissioned and
considered the most sophisticated ship in the US Navy.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2V52yWoHAnZP5ctxe_asYBYOqxEZlFL8UM2Jlxb157Z0v_C_oFev4-JmOax4umBsB5GipzYYROlwl1002HA5bWAfs4R5M4Vq15nljTf5tno3njDiijs3YYmZWknGo4k12OVmKK_Wa6eEU15Mg_bSwP2OPRcwRmY9FAYLJXZ0IvRYtO1k-amv7lcWs5M/s820/Wills%20Cigarette%20Card,%20Autopiano.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="820" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2V52yWoHAnZP5ctxe_asYBYOqxEZlFL8UM2Jlxb157Z0v_C_oFev4-JmOax4umBsB5GipzYYROlwl1002HA5bWAfs4R5M4Vq15nljTf5tno3njDiijs3YYmZWknGo4k12OVmKK_Wa6eEU15Mg_bSwP2OPRcwRmY9FAYLJXZ0IvRYtO1k-amv7lcWs5M/w640-h574/Wills%20Cigarette%20Card,%20Autopiano.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Will's Cigarette card, <br />Famous Inventions No.
23, Auto-Piano<br />Source: New York Public Library Archive<br /><br />
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Like the battleship Connecticut, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Player_piano" target="_blank">player piano</a>
was also a marvel of modern technology. The first successful instrument was
called the Pianola. Invented in 1896 by Edwin S. Votey, it combined a standard
piano with pneumatic actuators that followed a code of perforated holes punched
into a long roll of stiff paper. A person "played" it by using their feet to
pump pedals attached to bellows, not unlike a parlor reed organ, that
pressurized the mechanism. This complicated action was added onto an already complex system for the piano which still functioned even if the player-piano was now used. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm5kWd6TqkdW_lOUVwE-0BJACljuMO4fCqTKJDwlb0LXT664llx8t2qaVV53Ur0PJk8bDsLz57mGWHBPmBnHhSXjiGgMCIhq6eQ4eguUYps6Bxaq6__pFkfNLfCjrbs86c1jtAuW0iOc2OkQXfqgYBmZLL1DGvvppmyE_yNzD2rM5vZtP7X_De-AXuZA/s1571/Pneumatic_piano.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1571" data-original-width="964" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm5kWd6TqkdW_lOUVwE-0BJACljuMO4fCqTKJDwlb0LXT664llx8t2qaVV53Ur0PJk8bDsLz57mGWHBPmBnHhSXjiGgMCIhq6eQ4eguUYps6Bxaq6__pFkfNLfCjrbs86c1jtAuW0iOc2OkQXfqgYBmZLL1DGvvppmyE_yNzD2rM5vZtP7X_De-AXuZA/w392-h640/Pneumatic_piano.png" width="392" /></a>
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Sectional illustration of player piano interior action,<br />1909 William
Braid White<br />Source:
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pneumatic_piano.png" target="_blank">Wikimedia</a>
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Here's a schematic sideview <br />of the mechanism of a player piano.<br /><br />
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1. Pedal. <br />2. Pedal connection. <br />3. Exhauster (one only shown).
<br />4. Reservoir; high tension <br />(low-tension reservoir not shown.)
<br />5. Exhaust trunk. <br />6. Exhaust tube to motor. <br />7. Air space
above primary valves. <br />8. Secondary valves. <br />9. Striking
pneumatic. <br />10. Connection from pneumatic <br />to action of piano.
<br />11. Piano action. <br />12. Pneumatic motor. <br />13.
Trackerboard (music roll <br />passes over trackerboard).
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Player-piano music rolls were 11¼ inch wide and were mass produced by several companies that initially followed a standard format for playing only 65 notes. By 1903 one company had a catalog of over 9,000 titles. In 1908 the industry adopted a new standard with 88 notes, the same number of notes as on an ordinary piano. Newer player-pianos like the Autopiano were modified to accept this increased range.</div>
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The
<a href="https://www.lindebladpiano.com/library/autopiano-company" target="_blank">Autopiano Company</a>
was just one of hundreds of manufacturers of pianos, reed organs, and player
pianos that flourished in America at the turn of the 20th century. The
company was based in New York City and began operations in 1903 at a huge
factory that had 300,000 square feet of space and occupied two blocks along the Hudson River. Within a short time it was producing 10,000
instruments a year, all player piano types with pneumatic controls. The
company quickly established a reputation in the industry for making for a superior product that was robust in any kind of climate, dry or humid. Soon
it was exporting Autopianos to music lovers around the globe. </div>
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This postcard illustration gives a fanciful bird's eye-view of the Hudson
River in New York. A caption identifies it as "The Atlantic Battleship
Fleet passing the Autopiano Factories."
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The card was never posted but on the back there is a message to Edith Lerris (?) from Myrtle
Brenner (?). Either Myrtle was only six years old or never mastered penmanship.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jNiwXgpiP5A7Uug0JI-RqrarnCVOnJgVATXjETOKkFg32oj1-l0JoNgUXJWTG2a4FID5P8GelWlUln0zUdu_hqzMe3yuGyOditr17kkUCK8djnFR1JeiyzTk0Od3u0AkcHxIFh54gRbLcpWUWoVy2uTpUzT2s37usbICNFXGtf4k2vKs9iKa6MCTIHo/s1700/Autopiano%20NYC%20Day%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1700" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jNiwXgpiP5A7Uug0JI-RqrarnCVOnJgVATXjETOKkFg32oj1-l0JoNgUXJWTG2a4FID5P8GelWlUln0zUdu_hqzMe3yuGyOditr17kkUCK8djnFR1JeiyzTk0Od3u0AkcHxIFh54gRbLcpWUWoVy2uTpUzT2s37usbICNFXGtf4k2vKs9iKa6MCTIHo/w640-h406/Autopiano%20NYC%20Day%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i style="background-color: #fff2cc;">A note to<br />you<br />dont it<br />look it.<br />it is a dish<br />of
honey<br />and cheese<br />for you</i></span>
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Even opera divas like
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luisa_Tetrazzini" target="_blank">Luisa Tetrazzini</a>
(1871–1940), pictured on this next postcard, endorsed the "marvelous
Autopiano—the piano that anyone can play." Tetrazzini was an Italian
coloratura soprano who performed in major opera houses around the world and became one of the highest paid artists of the early
20th century. The Italian-American dish, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrazzini" target="_blank">chicken tetrazzini</a>, was named in her honor.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5arbbQUDe9KAbNUDI_HThK7ZVeTivQMrDG0xVDGrhbhGCcEVfNSldT_G2HbTrPP4t-33r9HMz4sf2tsUSItwCi5s8fQiaOcRP23AfNCsgUoDty4gYeNTDWdrLE9Jy3JWwmkuhWDI_A20uhVSRpRJuarF43qFnqVs1kr96MDuwOQrKG6w5M5il32IHZ0/s1500/Luisa%20Tetrazzini%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="1500" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5arbbQUDe9KAbNUDI_HThK7ZVeTivQMrDG0xVDGrhbhGCcEVfNSldT_G2HbTrPP4t-33r9HMz4sf2tsUSItwCi5s8fQiaOcRP23AfNCsgUoDty4gYeNTDWdrLE9Jy3JWwmkuhWDI_A20uhVSRpRJuarF43qFnqVs1kr96MDuwOQrKG6w5M5il32IHZ0/w640-h402/Luisa%20Tetrazzini%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;">San Francisco, Cal.<span> <br /><br /><span> </span><span> </span>The Autopiano Co., New York, N.
Y.</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">GENTLEMEN:</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> The Autopiano is a blessing to humanity. It should
be in every home, for it brings with it the culture and refinement which
only the compositions of the great masters afford. I find I can
play the great operas with the same feeling and expression with which I
sing them. I love to play it—it is wonderful—there is no player
piano to equal it. Faithfully
yours,</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Luisa Tetrazzini</i></b></span><br /></span>
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<span><span><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span>
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<span><span><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;">Porch Brothers, Inc.<br />Johnstown, Pa.</span></span></span>
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In 1910 Madame Tetrazzini became embroiled in a contract dispute with her manager Oscar Hammerstein who wanted her to perform in New York while she insisted on San Francisco. Her concert fee was also part of the disagreement. During a press conference she declared, "I will sing in San Francisco if I have to sing there in the streets, for I know the streets of San Francisco are free." She prevailed and fulfilled her promise to San Francisco. So on Christmas Eve 1910, on a stage erected in front of the Chronicle newspaper building and accompanied by an orchestra and chorus of 50 singers, <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Luisa-Tetrazzini-s-gift-ends-S-F-era-on-high-note-2452300.php">Madame Tetrazzini sang</a> for thousands of people. Her concert was especially memorable to San Franciscans because the city was still suffering from the devasting effects of the terrible earthquake of 1906. <br /><div><br /></div>
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This second postcard of the Autopiano factories shows the building lit at
night with more battleships using searchlights out in the Hudson River. The
caption reads: "The Autopiano factories work over-time to supply the demand
for this marvelous Player Piano". I can easily imagine that a few navy midshipmen like Elmer D. Longworthy worked overtime too, acting as Autopiano Co. agents in foreign ports</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5WYKn-X8vwLEhkWj1GHI2R3l-SqHBgVf0Ev_7F81iE3bOTNriM81vjYdvbMPEs5imUSw4Pgp4fxlkNu8V3THtff9w4xQYra-SMTBwRPnpn_OYUwOs2o9VRxxMXbpIenR0mdmL445IK3BtpdjRZKbmelml0FxO-EjqEv6M-m9IV8zZLW3eNYIDB8JISo/s2039/1909-02-36%20Grant%20NE%20Perkins_County_News%20-%20Great%20White%20Fleet%20returns%20PIC.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2039" data-original-width="1454" height="704" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5WYKn-X8vwLEhkWj1GHI2R3l-SqHBgVf0Ev_7F81iE3bOTNriM81vjYdvbMPEs5imUSw4Pgp4fxlkNu8V3THtff9w4xQYra-SMTBwRPnpn_OYUwOs2o9VRxxMXbpIenR0mdmL445IK3BtpdjRZKbmelml0FxO-EjqEv6M-m9IV8zZLW3eNYIDB8JISo/w501-h704/1909-02-36%20Grant%20NE%20Perkins_County_News%20-%20Great%20White%20Fleet%20returns%20PIC.jpg" width="501" /></a>
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Grant NE <i>Perkin County News</i><br />26 February 1909
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In 1906-07 as the Autopiano company began suppling the U. S. Navy with its
musical instruments, the navy was preparing its fleet for an historic
voyage around the world by order of President Theodore Roosevelt. The fleet consisted
of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with various smaller
escort and support ships. Eventually the expedition would have 30 ships in all, manned by 14,000 sailors. It was later given the nickname "The Great White
Fleet" because the ship hulls were painted white. The U.S.S. Connecticut was
the flagship of the fleet and probably got the best paintwork. The expedition began on December 16, 1907 and finished on February 22, 1909. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCi9cXcxBSue65Oqe8_CntdtuXTWPk83qRMQelOfr-SegpsoMTdXdueTQJCcYfhGu1DvZ5oeqqZTFV8gy63EOYPFXylhE5FTYZRka7bj0Z5wnazmaHTr9VQr1VOyPOtcybqht0aiOoL2T1fp29_E4pLNTF2CLNT-RmV90UFzxFa7q_L_H1AWEN2a-Ziw/s804/USS%20Connecticut%20BB18%20No1268.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="804" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCi9cXcxBSue65Oqe8_CntdtuXTWPk83qRMQelOfr-SegpsoMTdXdueTQJCcYfhGu1DvZ5oeqqZTFV8gy63EOYPFXylhE5FTYZRka7bj0Z5wnazmaHTr9VQr1VOyPOtcybqht0aiOoL2T1fp29_E4pLNTF2CLNT-RmV90UFzxFa7q_L_H1AWEN2a-Ziw/w640-h410/USS%20Connecticut%20BB18%20No1268.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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U.S.S. Connecticut (BB-18), circa 1906<br />Source:
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Connecticut_(BB-18)" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>
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The mission of the
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_White_Fleet#Ships" target="_blank">Great White Fleet</a>
was largely diplomatic as the fleet would be paying courtesy calls to
ports of many countries. But President Roosevelt also intended it as a
display of America's new battleship fleet, demonstrating America's military prowess
and naval capabilities as a major power in a world that was dominated by colonial
empires. And the United States was the newest nation to join that club.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCzuch4-cHWNutv7YIHvPsE86n0YGzLPKZdyVtJ9hvT-U5BH7hUO0fKoTmZ_CvXv9FfkzkrkQwMkOIKV3DsS_rWcit20_PVdnAVqbY8SRiJAM_Z7uBjnvYx7AnUv_sBWCRhwdXGnZQBaEQenyygYj1Y8sjtjWRyBKY2p6sTL9Op3UIpjvEzvY9ytB_G4/s960/Map%20of%20Great%20White%20Fleet%201905.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCzuch4-cHWNutv7YIHvPsE86n0YGzLPKZdyVtJ9hvT-U5BH7hUO0fKoTmZ_CvXv9FfkzkrkQwMkOIKV3DsS_rWcit20_PVdnAVqbY8SRiJAM_Z7uBjnvYx7AnUv_sBWCRhwdXGnZQBaEQenyygYj1Y8sjtjWRyBKY2p6sTL9Op3UIpjvEzvY9ytB_G4/w640-h480/Map%20of%20Great%20White%20Fleet%201905.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Map of the voyage of the Great White Fleet, 1907-1909<br />Source: The
Internet
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<div style="text-align: left;"><div>This map shows the route that began and ended in Hampton Roads, the great harbor on the James River between Norfolk and Hampton, Virginia near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Notice that the fleet travelled around Cape Horn in South America as the Panama Canal was still under construction and would not be finished until August 1914. The placenames in red are where the fleet re-coaled the ships. Once it reached San Francisco, the fleet replaced two battleships before continuing across the Pacific. </div><div><br /></div><div>As the result of the Spanish-American War and the annexation of Hawaii in 1898, the route included stops at the new U. S. territories of Hawaii, Samoa, Guam. and the Philippines. On its return leg the fleet took a short cut from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal, rather than going around Africa. The expedition took 14 months and covered 43,000 miles while making calls on twenty ports on six continents.</div></div>
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The
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Florida_(BB-30)" target="_blank">U. S. S. Florida (BB-30)</a> was pictured on another Autopiano postcard. Like the postcard of the
U. S. S. Connecticut there was information about the ship on the back of the
card as well as a promotion of the Autopiano Company by the Orton Bros.
music store of Butte, Montana.
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<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzY-0-3euoElpL6gm9dUlHx0RL-0Q8G5yx43TwEzTVcK-DmjDR8MtADbBDfmQqZeENXuL2aeVXWI6c2912hnArOe9Y0QYi6CvclHNt4TkG2RWifQD5NEgm7_ELk7_ROZp5pD2mSoKqeDv8V_kDzevEERQde39YlYJjDJKDEzJThVXxcs25tBNNNJobBso/s1600/USS%20Florida%202%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1600" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzY-0-3euoElpL6gm9dUlHx0RL-0Q8G5yx43TwEzTVcK-DmjDR8MtADbBDfmQqZeENXuL2aeVXWI6c2912hnArOe9Y0QYi6CvclHNt4TkG2RWifQD5NEgm7_ELk7_ROZp5pD2mSoKqeDv8V_kDzevEERQde39YlYJjDJKDEzJThVXxcs25tBNNNJobBso/w640-h412/USS%20Florida%202%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Playfair Display SC; font-size: medium;">U. S. S. Florida (Battleship)</span>
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<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;">Displacement, tons 21,825. Speed, knots 21. Cost,
$6,000,000. Length, 521 feet, six inches. Beam, 88 feet, 2
inches. Draught, 28 feet, 6 inches. Main Battery, 10 - 12
inch guns, 16 - 5 inch guns. Secondary Battery, 10 Rapid Fire and
Machine Guns. Complement, 1014 men.</span>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Florida was larger and more powerful than the Connecticut but it was not
launched until May 1910 and was commissioned on 15 September 1911, so
this ship was not part of the Great White Fleet of 1907-09. Evidently the Autopiano Company profited by this kind of patriotic advertising and expanded its promotion into the next decade. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I should also note that many crews of the battleships included a navy band. I've written a story about photos of two of them, including the Florida, in <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2011/11/uss-florida-and-uss-arkansas-navy-bands.html" target="_blank">The USS Florida and USS Arkansas Navy Bands</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rr0mzBLv2rTvHrRIe5Az-uWAmDbWdOvvXk9e9S7AYiKJfcnoPVf6LvffViv-zLO6tWEch_vc8fnJGTpyQC8LyMh4fFbrxa5IkcJID-VDynyagefa7w_1DO8okiLf3xE8wv2ThumQaqGfZ8-gn74lhCFyF7VnGaZrvHcDsl-nC92iC5urt8dKEXD1xrM/s2000/USS%20Colorado%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1271" data-original-width="2000" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rr0mzBLv2rTvHrRIe5Az-uWAmDbWdOvvXk9e9S7AYiKJfcnoPVf6LvffViv-zLO6tWEch_vc8fnJGTpyQC8LyMh4fFbrxa5IkcJID-VDynyagefa7w_1DO8okiLf3xE8wv2ThumQaqGfZ8-gn74lhCFyF7VnGaZrvHcDsl-nC92iC5urt8dKEXD1xrM/w640-h406/USS%20Colorado%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Autopiano battleship series included a picture of the U. S. Battleship
Colorado, also known as
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Colorado_(ACR-7)" target="_blank">Armored Cruiser No. 7</a>, which also did not accompany the Great White Fleet in 1907-09. In
November 1916 while being overhauled the ship was renamed Pueblo, in
order to free up her original name for use by a newer bigger battleship
Colorado. This card promoted sales of the Autopiano by a music dealer, J. H. Troup, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. </div>
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Likewise this next ship, the Protected Cruiser
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_New_Orleans_(CL-22)" target="_blank">"New Orleans" (CL-22) </a>was not part of the Great White Fleet either but supposedly still had an
Autopiano onboard. It was a much smaller and older ship than the previous
battleships. Commissioned in March 1898, the ship was immediately put to service in
Cuba during the Spanish-American War and later was assigned to the Asiatic
Fleet in Manila, Philippines. The back of the card offered Autopianos sold by Weiler Bros., of Quincy, Illinois.</div>
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The next battleship in the Autopiano series was the U.S. Armored Cruiser
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_New_York_(ACR-2)" target="_blank">New York (ACR-2)</a> which also wasn't a ship in the Great White Fleet. Perhaps this
was because of its age as its keel was laid in 1890 and at the time of the
1907-09 expedition the New York was laid up for an extensive refit that was
not finished until 1909. Presumably it then got a new Autopiano too. Maybe purchased from W. H. Rider of Kingston, New York.</div>
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Another in the Autopiano series was the Armored Cruiser
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_St._Louis_(C-20)" target="_blank">St. Louis (CA-2)</a>
which was launched in 1905 but was already stationed on the west coast in
1907 when the Great White Fleet left on its voyage. The St. Louis was built
for $2,740,000 which seems a bargain, especially because a top of the line
Autopiano cost $600 then. The recipient of this postcard might have got a better deal from the J. E. Lothrop Piano Co. of Dover, New Hampshire.</div>
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Finally I finish with the U. S. Battleship <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Wisconsin_(BB-9)" target="_blank">Wisconsin (BB-9)</a>
which did join the Great White Fleet in 1908 for the second leg of its
voyage when it switched with the U.S.S. Maine in San Francisco. This
Illinois-class battleship was launched in November 1898 and commissioned on
4 February 1901. This postcard encouraged music lovers to get a marvelous Autopiano from the Yahrling-Raynar Piano Co. of Youngstown, Ohio.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsnBwXPz_85hWqkcooOY6D2P7Kf30y_uZIOe_Jzuzr0pOo5HMhTMeovEE0YFA8y06_3WnhuwaLeWa3Mvw6Ip9EQBpUj3heSVIh7hm8pux7IVWcEodRsb6Q-Uyffuh82626dEwhuFOD3C5VHdmPaXdB7sJTKSRN5OK9j7SNcWrkh0zHFRPgSjQlob8o-Y/s876/1912%20Pacific%20Medical%20Journal%20,%20Autopiano%20advert.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="577" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsnBwXPz_85hWqkcooOY6D2P7Kf30y_uZIOe_Jzuzr0pOo5HMhTMeovEE0YFA8y06_3WnhuwaLeWa3Mvw6Ip9EQBpUj3heSVIh7hm8pux7IVWcEodRsb6Q-Uyffuh82626dEwhuFOD3C5VHdmPaXdB7sJTKSRN5OK9j7SNcWrkh0zHFRPgSjQlob8o-Y/w422-h640/1912%20Pacific%20Medical%20Journal%20,%20Autopiano%20advert.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1912 Pacific Medical Journal</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In 1912 the Autopiano company claimed it had instruments on seventy five ships of the U. S. Navy and that 30th regiment U. S. Infantry had taken 20 Autopianos to Alaska. Even the Pope had an Autopiano in the Vatican. (Which brings to mind an odd image of his Holiness sitting on a piano bench vigorously pumping his legs to sing along to the latest music roll, presumably a hymn tune.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In 1917 the Autopiano Company installed its instruments in over 100 army training camps as America prepared to join the war in Europe. The company was one of the largest producers of musical instruments which were known for being reliable and expressive devices for playing music. But all the player-piano companies were competing against another medium that was rapidly gaining strength. The 78rpm gramophone record. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In several ways a gramophone/victrola and a player-piano were alike. Both were mechanical marvels that produced music on demand from prerecorded performances. Both used a special media, a disc or a paper roll, that encoded the music invisibly. Both were promoted by famous composers, song writers, and musicians. Both became enormously popular creating a consumer demand that turned music into a consumable commodity which resulted in thousands of new titles produced every week. And as Autopiano advertising boasted, both player-pianos and gramophones required no musical skills and could be played by anyone.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The big differences between the two mediums was that a player-piano like the Autopiano required continuous physical action by a human to play music, while a gramophone needed only minimal effort to crank the motor spring and set down the needle. But more crucial difference was that a gramophone record reproduced the exact sound of voices and instruments while a player-piano just sounded like a like a piano. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My first experience of music came from a little black and tan RCA 45rpm record player that my mother let me play using a stack of records she must have acquired when she was in high school and college. A few years later my dad got hooked by the hi-fi stereo craze and I discovered jazz, opera, and orchestral music on 32rpm discs. Soon I began buying my own records and still have a large collection though I admit I rarely listen to them. I try not to think about the crypt that stores my collection of cassette tapes since I no longer have a machine that can play them. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When compact discs first came out in the 1980s everyone was amazed that they were so small and light weight, compact as they say, compared to the heavy albums of vinyl records. Yet today, 40 years after buying my first CD, I've thrown away most of the clunky boxes that they came in and store my CDs in clear plastic envelopes. Unfortunately I can't use them in my car anymore as the "entertainment center" can't play them. Instead I've converted—ripped countless music albums from CDs into digital files on a flash drive. This means that most of the time I don't know the title of a song or the name of the artist performing. How do you turn off random shuffle play? Now even flash-drives are old fashioned. Who needs messy digital files when music can come straight from the Spotify or Apple clouds. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The average lifespan of the seven battleships used to promote the Autopiano was about 27 years, skewed by the cruiser New York lasting 42 years. Despite their size, or maybe because they were so immense, battleships were not built to last and all these ships ended up being cut up for scrap long before the start of the next war. I wonder if those Autopianos were saved from demolition.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Autopiano company endeavored to remain independently solvent but in the 1920s it was bought by the Kohler and Campbell piano company. The new owners continued manufacturing player-pianos into the 1930s but like many businesses that depended on consumer demand, it was unable to survive the Great Depression and closed its Autopiano factory forever. Everyone was listening to the radio anyway.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But once upon a time, young navy midshipmen tapped their feet and swung to music on the rolling sea as they sang along to music coming from the marvelous, fantastic Autopiano. Did the company supply them with enough music-roll titles? How many times did they listen to the same tune on a trip around the world?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To demonstrate the sound and machinery of a player-piano<br /> here is a video of a 1905 Autopiano Player Piano, made of white oak,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
that was beautifully restored by the craftsmen at
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@pianosnthings" target="_blank">Pianosnthings</a>.<br />Notice how the little levers under the keyboard control the
music<br />and the foot pedal action almost turns the Autopiano<br />into
some kind of fitness equipment found at a gym. </span></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/01/sepia-saturday-706-saturday-13-january.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b>
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<b>where music sometimes comes in a sepia box.</b>
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<a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/01/sepia-saturday-706-saturday-13-january.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzgj3z5ZHPYi-LpqLcSkyYljsytxBAbtuQ46k6EQcIe08l-YHCmVSHXU8YcbwJ9fnjdF0nHec4Mh4xDqipQRIVuOpOiuYqkBlpDT7DTqFswuipXBHArndDD9sFpj8az6f5V0tn4TOReFkcGOztA72wKvA5zFvu8tq4vmwP_Tfs9_YzZQzxBlWRbByqb4/w400-h400/20240113%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-77797402175549467232024-01-06T15:48:00.002-05:002024-03-11T10:39:59.026-04:00The Squeeze Box <div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1MjDsgeTETZXekUx6NAtNJjgfj9ftTnSo99lcx8KbTYdYMBd8OHLnkZVyt1CrLagkP1YbaB_Qwc7Rvav-I-9XYSacKO5SMoXEVZlelRlvGDRyf1PObD6od1qXp2Dmugql94vdwAbdxpbgXn5JKMkYJTyS_Cjroh2tos9-LEoDbtQZqSkX-CGrX0wmSM/s2400/Schrammel%20Trio%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1542" data-original-width="2400" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1MjDsgeTETZXekUx6NAtNJjgfj9ftTnSo99lcx8KbTYdYMBd8OHLnkZVyt1CrLagkP1YbaB_Qwc7Rvav-I-9XYSacKO5SMoXEVZlelRlvGDRyf1PObD6od1qXp2Dmugql94vdwAbdxpbgXn5JKMkYJTyS_Cjroh2tos9-LEoDbtQZqSkX-CGrX0wmSM/w640-h412/Schrammel%20Trio%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />There are many ways to make sound and musical instruments come in a bewildering variety of shapes and sizes. In the past few years I've expanded my collection to include photos of musicians who played unusual instruments that are rarely seen today, but once were common members of musical ensembles.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This trio, for example, has a violin, a button accordion and an unusual guitar called a contra or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraguitar" target="_blank">Schrammel guitar</a>. It's a string instrument first popularized in Vienna, Austria in the late 1840s. The design combines a traditional six-string guitar with a secondary fretless neck that has nine longer bass strings. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In this kind of group, the violin would generally play the melody; the contraguitar the chords and bass line; and the button accordion could add sustained sounds that covered both the tune and the accompaniment. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here is a short video of <br />the <a href="https://youtu.be/5q4AS_eU7ag?si=UpiYWs7u-AG-uaB5" target="_blank">Wiener Salonschrammeln</a>,<br />a similar quartet of two violins, accordion, <br />and the Schrammel guitar<br />performing outdoors in a Viennese wine garden.<br />The music reflects <i>Gemütlichkeit</i>,<br />the Germanic tradition <br />of warm friendship and good cheer. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="357" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5q4AS_eU7ag" width="429" youtube-src-id="5q4AS_eU7ag"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">* * * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rq8sAxivHIHoGaHYNHUeOByNBlTtkqZHFfkaHjZRkVt6an5ZjeF7Qe86JujySjU7Rp2dIgl_zlmJ5a3NuOFABHduCJ2n1NWSyRpZmX0Xv8Y3oNrBiqrJbW-oOUWaxW8GeWvVQVC9Kvvg5PE2YYoSQ0idNUtD_a_1EZaz9luqilUlFhSWdRpvw4vzFks/s2000/Image4Rensi%20&%20Turco%20Akkordion%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1355" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rq8sAxivHIHoGaHYNHUeOByNBlTtkqZHFfkaHjZRkVt6an5ZjeF7Qe86JujySjU7Rp2dIgl_zlmJ5a3NuOFABHduCJ2n1NWSyRpZmX0Xv8Y3oNrBiqrJbW-oOUWaxW8GeWvVQVC9Kvvg5PE2YYoSQ0idNUtD_a_1EZaz9luqilUlFhSWdRpvw4vzFks/w434-h640/Image4Rensi%20&%20Turco%20Akkordion%20tst%20A.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But my theme for this week's collection of photos of musicians is really the accordion. It's not an obscure instrument like the contraguitar but it does come in a wide assortment of types and sizes. In this postcard <i><b>Rensi and Truco, Akkordion-Orchesterkünstler,</b></i> a music-hall duo act, sit in a photographer's studio posed with their two accordions. Their instruments are examples of an early style of squeezebox, or to use its proper music family name, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_reed_aerophone" target="_blank">free reed aerophone</a>. The sound of an accordion or concertina begins with air supplied by bellows which vibrate brass free-reeds, the same as found in mouthblown harmonicas or pump-action parlor reed organs. At each end of the squeezebox are buttons or keys that activate the reeds. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This postcard was sent from Buchholz, a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on 10 May 1903. The recipient lived in Mügeln, a town near Leipzig in upper Saxony. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nc2mUfjV4jFoWeCW64719NC-0P1qNiQm_MYFq77IxF4YOopXd3hkstm3mwToCP2ny-GJyC9Lquc0HwLkP3YSZ_VkawNIipbauFXPctB3KAUNDQFrabyKx1z9vZjSrkxtwY_x0MjMXGab1ZSRMHMCOaxspk1X7cb5HURDyUFJSTRJB_LLnsHyeoQBJKE/s1600/Image4Rensi%20&%20Turco%20Akkordion%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1600" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nc2mUfjV4jFoWeCW64719NC-0P1qNiQm_MYFq77IxF4YOopXd3hkstm3mwToCP2ny-GJyC9Lquc0HwLkP3YSZ_VkawNIipbauFXPctB3KAUNDQFrabyKx1z9vZjSrkxtwY_x0MjMXGab1ZSRMHMCOaxspk1X7cb5HURDyUFJSTRJB_LLnsHyeoQBJKE/w640-h432/Image4Rensi%20&%20Turco%20Akkordion%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To demonstrate the sound of two accordions <br />and give an idea of what kind of music-hall act <br />Renzi and Turco might have performed,<br />here is a British Pathé short film from 1935<br />entitled <a href="https://youtu.be/U9eSJY47xKM?si=OZmKdIq10gZCUbMh" target="_blank">"Four Handed Melody - Isidoro And Catarina"</a>.<br />Their accordions use a piano style keyboard for the right hand.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="363" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U9eSJY47xKM" width="437" youtube-src-id="U9eSJY47xKM"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"><b>* * * *</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgOvp8diOQ_eu3HkQPCCQY8Xk2F6e76hUUiWoRwP-vfbhJbmYU1GdehODVaKTTIYnuizDLscXkmAV_Fd4tG8Y9hbIxHkhfDUHzOFIJ9Vu00U-gWXeDmcGBECArEhaODlq4sI0BLDGnYoej_mgahdFnP-lYtEn_NAcAlN6n8w1lBuIYCY4rCF9RMg-dBM/s2200/Bremer%20Schrammel%20Capelle%20Arion%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1436" data-original-width="2200" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgOvp8diOQ_eu3HkQPCCQY8Xk2F6e76hUUiWoRwP-vfbhJbmYU1GdehODVaKTTIYnuizDLscXkmAV_Fd4tG8Y9hbIxHkhfDUHzOFIJ9Vu00U-gWXeDmcGBECArEhaODlq4sI0BLDGnYoej_mgahdFnP-lYtEn_NAcAlN6n8w1lBuIYCY4rCF9RMg-dBM/w640-h418/Bremer%20Schrammel%20Capelle%20Arion%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This next postcard shows a sextet of men dressed in matching vests and knee pants. The caption identifies them as the <i><b>Bremer Schrammel-Capelle „Arion“</b></i>. Here the melody instruments are flute, trumpet, and violin with a double bass, and two accordions handling the accompaniments. The ensemble also has two drums available too. They were essentially a dance band and probably performed at beer halls or outdoor restaurants.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The accordions are a type of square squeezebox called a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemnitzer_concertina" target="_blank">Chemnitzer concertina</a>. They were originally produced in Chemnitz, the third-largest city in the German state of Saxony. Simpler versions of the Chemnitzer concertina have anywhere from 38 to 52 buttons, but more professional models can have an amazing 65 or even 76 for a full three octave range with extra buttons that add a function for chords too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This postcard was sent from Bremen, Germany on 8 October 1906. If I'm not mistaken, each musician is identified with a name written in pencil on their shirts sleeves. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7OCuEPGcGCJlProhO1gv99O11etsRrQSmZjNcfi_kIIXmOm8fJWcunWtJf-MlsIC06t3JJLYfTrdc9XfDcTwMgyHT1WvNlsHkdqESg1VJgHle2z82uJwstrNlxlfOTP-8csRgotdYQka49AFnsr-wBDePn05sGokqa48FAaxpVtx9WsbrJ-6mQCcvFQ/s1600/Bremer%20Schrammel%20Capelle%20Arion%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="1600" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7OCuEPGcGCJlProhO1gv99O11etsRrQSmZjNcfi_kIIXmOm8fJWcunWtJf-MlsIC06t3JJLYfTrdc9XfDcTwMgyHT1WvNlsHkdqESg1VJgHle2z82uJwstrNlxlfOTP-8csRgotdYQka49AFnsr-wBDePn05sGokqa48FAaxpVtx9WsbrJ-6mQCcvFQ/w640-h418/Bremer%20Schrammel%20Capelle%20Arion%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For this kind of accordion music<br />I found this delightful couple on <br />Ruud Sligchers YouTube channel.<br />They call themselves <a href="https://youtu.be/H6pVX2KgH0k?si=TkIXsx1uGYTGM-OP" target="_blank">Duo Alpen-Gold</a><br />and they are playing a dance tune <br />called<i> "Schneewalzer" </i>on two different accordions,<br />one with a piano keyboard and the other with buttons.<br />Wait until about 2:00 when someone gets the giggles.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H6pVX2KgH0k" width="420" youtube-src-id="H6pVX2KgH0k"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">* * * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7yRHPpps7gBksnP87F0vIrfmvW8vu0rZuSN17KsbjMgUH4yibxZBG8D3eSpMCCyDADtsZH-yo_YqVbLAcbAyEelnOHKmg1WA_dOxkMX2L_qj8EUW-Vk-7_OVlaHgFIBULxES5K-M_SslFtvKh-bN1HBSX4yfMLR0W-x7FiyICqrmpg9GgEaIf5Lq040/s2400/German%20Accordion%20Orchestra%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1555" data-original-width="2400" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7yRHPpps7gBksnP87F0vIrfmvW8vu0rZuSN17KsbjMgUH4yibxZBG8D3eSpMCCyDADtsZH-yo_YqVbLAcbAyEelnOHKmg1WA_dOxkMX2L_qj8EUW-Vk-7_OVlaHgFIBULxES5K-M_SslFtvKh-bN1HBSX4yfMLR0W-x7FiyICqrmpg9GgEaIf5Lq040/w640-h414/German%20Accordion%20Orchestra%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally I present a large band where the main instrument is clearly the Chemnitzer concertina as there are seven in this group of 17 musicians. Even with four brass players, two clarinetists, one violinist (look for the bow) and two drummers, the sound of concertinas would have been very dominant. Two of the men sit on beer kegs marked with S11. The postcard was never used so there is no date or identification but the bass drum has lettering. Using the magic of image software I was able to better highlight the words. The top word is still obscured but the second is "Falkenau" over the year 1911. Falkenau is a village in Saxony, Germany only 10 miles east of Chemnitz. Perhaps these men might have worked at the factory which made these concertinas. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8u2d6mth8bkVLMFJ-l2O49jyYWdyVC0L4L8lmoPlG5AU_Cgzmc6_gVf_HjD4s6H3QRf3c0OAQzuWcpUfr27JI4GKs8tL2hOQ_sy9nSUfSypqxyu96iuaemU_KeDlPqRuLyJh1TGmggeIdqZ_1WKD4JLwgVjLydAYl7aol1V0uylhYXMZQugO8VqwGpcY/s908/German%20Accordion%20Orchestra%20tst%20DD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="908" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8u2d6mth8bkVLMFJ-l2O49jyYWdyVC0L4L8lmoPlG5AU_Cgzmc6_gVf_HjD4s6H3QRf3c0OAQzuWcpUfr27JI4GKs8tL2hOQ_sy9nSUfSypqxyu96iuaemU_KeDlPqRuLyJh1TGmggeIdqZ_1WKD4JLwgVjLydAYl7aol1V0uylhYXMZQugO8VqwGpcY/w400-h385/German%20Accordion%20Orchestra%20tst%20DD.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But if you think seven concertinas <br />are a lot of squeezeboxes<br />you should hear a 3 or four dozen!<br />Here is a <a href="https://youtu.be/L07V4gFLr1c?si=Mn0i6evFcp1mrIha" target="_blank">concertina jam session</a> <br />at the 2022 Polka Festival in Pulaski, Wisconsin.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I suspect this music is best appreciated <br />while consuming lots of beer, pretzels and string cheese.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="356" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L07V4gFLr1c" width="429" youtube-src-id="L07V4gFLr1c"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display SC; font-size: x-large;">Encore!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I can resist adding this 1940 British Pathé video<br />of <a href="https://youtu.be/BuMMs_Hg5lY?si=23KT-driyfqqdK2l" target="_blank">The Two Eddies</a> performing on accordions<br />using an unusual acrobatic technique.<br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Don't try this at home!</u><br /></span><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="377" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BuMMs_Hg5lY" width="453" youtube-src-id="BuMMs_Hg5lY"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/01/sepia-saturday-705-saturday-6th-january.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where the sound of music</b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>is best heard in sepia tones.</b></div></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2024/01/sepia-saturday-705-saturday-6th-january.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43sWg3ThOtiVaMgJkzPfuKODCbYlIhlydqGRm3L3N3Fjuc88k_pRjRPg7TKJC7hfFeG-nz3NxpDwGNmBR3t0EnRn3nnmXQmDoa9pfMQr_aHyQZ1zXIWecFsHg10Aqvqs6dEA17dKkYJY8h5IxUjNVxar62Fk0d7T6xZWuHaYcSO3HJNnzXrcJ3oDSIWg/w400-h400/20240106%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-6171311751410624842023-12-24T14:33:00.005-05:002023-12-24T18:20:14.375-05:00Fanfares for a New Year!<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQlH_HIOXtPepZNZ2ifCF5tddgpIPX463wZ3PctBAwN1sc6zCLdGu-PDHdv83TvzHV6FEZqoB5I17HlEbMHXdO9oqPNyVPJeEvha2jOFlXn0TArCGqfLG0KKDIeI0CB54ecIwanjPkZsDus_7Si3ZWV0Rq519xS_E_aQNw4aMWxIV7Q579u5fa8wr6bk/s2200/Prosit%20Neu%20Jahr%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1434" height="723" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQlH_HIOXtPepZNZ2ifCF5tddgpIPX463wZ3PctBAwN1sc6zCLdGu-PDHdv83TvzHV6FEZqoB5I17HlEbMHXdO9oqPNyVPJeEvha2jOFlXn0TArCGqfLG0KKDIeI0CB54ecIwanjPkZsDus_7Si3ZWV0Rq519xS_E_aQNw4aMWxIV7Q579u5fa8wr6bk/w472-h723/Prosit%20Neu%20Jahr%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="472" /></a></div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's the end of the year,</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">and, as it happens, a century too.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">The year 1900 has been satisfying for some folk</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">and not so good for others.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh well, so it goes.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Still we can't complain.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">We wish you a warm<br /></span><br /><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Prosit Neujahr!</span></i></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8BViMKN67BOvfMB9QKSlEsV2c-cQooVmSRqp-_c3ZXRuyLe63r5FXAXp_iNdXjblrPzl0IvraJu_POUbYmrThQVVpRoa2c9r6ieytlo_IlnhW5a-vRrX549WKHHbro9DaK-U9bQBw-UxwD66S2F8oZT4e2NRleCcoWrjw55YQYNLpQDPtDyw9T6sgKo/s1600/Prosit%20Neu%20Jahr%202%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="1600" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8BViMKN67BOvfMB9QKSlEsV2c-cQooVmSRqp-_c3ZXRuyLe63r5FXAXp_iNdXjblrPzl0IvraJu_POUbYmrThQVVpRoa2c9r6ieytlo_IlnhW5a-vRrX549WKHHbro9DaK-U9bQBw-UxwD66S2F8oZT4e2NRleCcoWrjw55YQYNLpQDPtDyw9T6sgKo/w640-h418/Prosit%20Neu%20Jahr%202%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A brass band plays a fanfare on a fanciful castle tower high above a sleeping city. Hovering above them, a young girl waves a handkerchief as she floats along in the moonlit clouds. The quintet (look closely to spot the fifth musician) has waited until the stroke of midnight to add their sound to the peal of a great bell behind them. It marks an exciting moment as it was indeed the true turn of the century.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This colorful salute to the New Year appeared on a German postcard with a postmark of 31.12.00 — 31 December 1900 from Frankfurt am Main, possibly also the place where it was printed. The card was addressed to <i>Musketier Eckhardt</i> of the <i>Infanterie Regiment Nr. 117</i> in Mainz, Germany. Presumably it was sent by one of his army comrades who thanks him for his card and sends best wishes for a new year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There was a lot to remember about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1900" target="_blank">1900</a>. In February, Britain and the United States signed a treaty to build a canal in Nicaragua that would link the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. In May, the second Olympic games opened in Paris. Then in July, Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin's airship LX-1 made the first successful flight over Lake Constance. Then in September, Galveston, Texas became the target of a devastating hurricane that took thousands of lives. And throughout the year, there were terrible wars going on in South Africa, China, and the Philippines too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"><b>* * *</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJpv6ziNGhyphenhyphen1wH3PxX295N4_wNyQlP9Pz2b8by8KSylmx4E6Q-MQ64WzqtfYV3kMCzgndzFVqTM5DaADdBisQZVFUFJbpBpOr_rvDRP5g79cAGVkYb8zXF-G_upWwn5KKo2e7rC5jXQrLQtUmJTpB4dNUbA7gy115KAP-Nm9DxYjnP2EbYlI05o6SeFs/s2200/Prosit%20Neujahr%204%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1424" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJpv6ziNGhyphenhyphen1wH3PxX295N4_wNyQlP9Pz2b8by8KSylmx4E6Q-MQ64WzqtfYV3kMCzgndzFVqTM5DaADdBisQZVFUFJbpBpOr_rvDRP5g79cAGVkYb8zXF-G_upWwn5KKo2e7rC5jXQrLQtUmJTpB4dNUbA7gy115KAP-Nm9DxYjnP2EbYlI05o6SeFs/w414-h640/Prosit%20Neujahr%204%20tst%20A.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another fine year comes to a close</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">having given the 20th century a respectable start.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1903 has been decent enough for most people</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">though others might think it pretty poor.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh well, so it goes.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Still we can't complain.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We wish you a<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Prosit Neujahr!</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSjXR3t1MNm5CwMYmtNjX29H-NJuT5j7Gilub_3kJJdA24kGen6zWAgHNQykD4Orw-gmdBqXdY0wx49fOL-_lNL4waZie6U9qB-8plnmuO_6vGt0ic2SzRWArPLcQcDsykcVu5gXSLN1pdz3sdQp-0UcvlePq2HSiF9ajqXwgBGJZ-2MD_FBFE4QHhuo/s1600/Prosit%20Neujahr%204%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1600" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSjXR3t1MNm5CwMYmtNjX29H-NJuT5j7Gilub_3kJJdA24kGen6zWAgHNQykD4Orw-gmdBqXdY0wx49fOL-_lNL4waZie6U9qB-8plnmuO_6vGt0ic2SzRWArPLcQcDsykcVu5gXSLN1pdz3sdQp-0UcvlePq2HSiF9ajqXwgBGJZ-2MD_FBFE4QHhuo/w640-h416/Prosit%20Neujahr%204%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>On this next postcard a small band of four intrepid musicians stands outside in the snow playing tunes for the New Year. They are wrapped up warmly with sprigs of evergreens in their hats. This charming caricature appeared on a card sent to Zürich, Switzerland on 31.XII.03 — 31 December 1903 from someplace (the postmark is unclear) in Bayern – Bavaria. The back of the postcard dutifully advertises in 13 European languages that it is indeed an officially approved postcard. </div><div><br /></div><div>The year <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1903" target="_blank">1903</a> was generally more peaceful for most people. In January, the first transatlantic radio broadcast was made from the United States to England. In February, the new Republic of Cuba leased Guantánamo Bay to the United States "in perpetuity". In March, the Ottoman and German Empires signed an agreement to build the Constantinople–Baghdad Railway. April was sadly a violent month as many people were killed in a pogrom in Kishinev, Russia (now in Moldova), and then many more died in a calamitous earthquake in Turkey. In November the United States signed a treaty that gave it exclusive rights over the Panama Canal Zone, formerly a French project. And in December, the Wright brothers made the first successful flight of a powered aircraft. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkilHhyphenhyphenEw4vrPUK86hVzZ-uNB0rNl5mvGFicfHAWBOy3T6o0Qrlkh4pMmIhORgJYhKBKVPtA-n4UC7DK-Z-WLhf29ym8ZglhZR_vJitMKOsPx_sNqlMyLfLs4dxixV1ykE-aZz6SA6NLHQJ-fbJufZWp_H7vJQnbIGfjC30-PqrndnzKvMuVQIBULPIU/s2000/Neuen%20Jahre%201%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1429" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkilHhyphenhyphenEw4vrPUK86hVzZ-uNB0rNl5mvGFicfHAWBOy3T6o0Qrlkh4pMmIhORgJYhKBKVPtA-n4UC7DK-Z-WLhf29ym8ZglhZR_vJitMKOsPx_sNqlMyLfLs4dxixV1ykE-aZz6SA6NLHQJ-fbJufZWp_H7vJQnbIGfjC30-PqrndnzKvMuVQIBULPIU/w458-h640/Neuen%20Jahre%201%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once more a year has passed.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The decade may have a bit more to go,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">but 1908 has been remarkably agreeable</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">though for some people maybe not so much.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh well, so it goes.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Still we can't complain.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We offer our congratulations</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">and best wishes</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">for the New Year!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPEbMAnR4bcTJMIqWChbRDsNE9A6agzA08BMJrlpr2mSYCGb03qZXt9zF7Pko6Tp2AxiDNHRvGdOdMfjfNB3D07vWGVezGIKGyIE03_3mIkv6XQYh_TnL9u14ONwxzPG0dMdHPF_gWTsCPmUQi4x0lWtRbdacaGB-GxGfdZzp6znIw1YuOkC1yKMwk5w/s1600/Neuen%20Jahre%201%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1600" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPEbMAnR4bcTJMIqWChbRDsNE9A6agzA08BMJrlpr2mSYCGb03qZXt9zF7Pko6Tp2AxiDNHRvGdOdMfjfNB3D07vWGVezGIKGyIE03_3mIkv6XQYh_TnL9u14ONwxzPG0dMdHPF_gWTsCPmUQi4x0lWtRbdacaGB-GxGfdZzp6znIw1YuOkC1yKMwk5w/w640-h412/Neuen%20Jahre%201%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Another year and another band announces the turning of the calendar. Though technically this little group is just a quartet with two woodwind instruments, a clarinet and bassoon, I think it will still count. This German postcard was sent from Berlin on 31.12.08 — 31 December 1908. The bright colors of the illustration are enhanced by a subtle embossed outline that is more visible on the back of the card. This card was approved by <u>15</u> European postal services! (Double points for readers who can spot the new languages.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The year <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1908" target="_blank">1908</a> ushered in many new signs of a modern era. In London in January, Robert Baden-Powell published his book "Scouting for Boys" which quickly became such a bestseller that it started the worldwide Boy Scout movement. In February, assassins murdered King Carlos I of Portugal and Prince Luis Filipe in Lisbon to supposedly advance a democratic republic. In July, the third Olympiad opened in London. In August, Wilbur Wright demonstrated a new flying machine to thousands of people at a horseracing track in Le Mans, France. Later that month, the Hoover Company of Canton, Ohio acquired the rights to manufacture an upright portable vacuum cleaner. In October, Henry Ford's factory in Detroit rolled out the first Model T automobile. Then tragically in late December, between 75,000 and 82,000 people perished in an earthquake that shook Sicily and Calabria in southern Italy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtChzpY0rhgKt_WPBM88qw-jW9pVCFNpVbLayIYOnrqpELNhjBJgfGQVKnqrVJlfWxpXe_Wn0gHvHi7qvXjhtiZw45T9qya7aQXtR2z7JfFH3mWuQELhs494ehNsykszMTxiUdx_aLhYYlot79vQjgj3eDFZa8hmCeF3s1Ef5oE2H3PdcjoOgTa3-kuCY/s3162/Prosit%20Neujahr%202%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3162" data-original-width="1961" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtChzpY0rhgKt_WPBM88qw-jW9pVCFNpVbLayIYOnrqpELNhjBJgfGQVKnqrVJlfWxpXe_Wn0gHvHi7qvXjhtiZw45T9qya7aQXtR2z7JfFH3mWuQELhs494ehNsykszMTxiUdx_aLhYYlot79vQjgj3eDFZa8hmCeF3s1Ef5oE2H3PdcjoOgTa3-kuCY/w396-h640/Prosit%20Neujahr%202%20B.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Just like clockwork,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">a year has finally wound down.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Its beginning was not too bad,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">but as 1914 ends,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the world has little cheer to share</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">and far too much bad luck for everyone.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh well, so it goes.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Still we can't complain.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We offer a hearty</span></div><div><br style="font-size: large;" /><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Prosit Neujahr!</b></i></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1Am5TaeEytm-JGH7H2aAbB22tdbMEOimX90jU0tl_bDpkztJhVJDUvwQ1yXuWVzKl7QEHDa2F3XdQPU2IPxTG3XZfzjZt5nlKvt8AIVF-_8rXt0rfoLN4fIHJN7myBeylBA-2IPRLDmYWz5AHXUZAJaX_uf5JW9R6JMX1OwKkWVV9WDlD663UEFt0Pk/s1850/Prosit%20Neujahr%202%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="1850" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1Am5TaeEytm-JGH7H2aAbB22tdbMEOimX90jU0tl_bDpkztJhVJDUvwQ1yXuWVzKl7QEHDa2F3XdQPU2IPxTG3XZfzjZt5nlKvt8AIVF-_8rXt0rfoLN4fIHJN7myBeylBA-2IPRLDmYWz5AHXUZAJaX_uf5JW9R6JMX1OwKkWVV9WDlD663UEFt0Pk/w640-h400/Prosit%20Neujahr%202%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This last postcard offers plenty of brass bands, all precariously perched on snow-covered rooftops. The artist has combined painting and photography to create a scene with almost Escher-like perspective. Ignoring the danger of slippery slopes, the musicians seem determined to sing and play in the new year as the clock hands move relentlessly to midnight. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This card is from Austria as indicated by the mutilated green stamp of the Emperor Franz Joseph but the postmark is unclear. The only date is a handwritten note of 28 M***? 1914, which looks like a date, along with a placename which, I think, stands for Albrechtsberg an der Großen Krems, a small town in the district of Krems-Land in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. The card was sent by the family Pochmann and addressed to Fritz Pinkert, a <i>Musikdirektor</i> in Kemberg, a small town in the Wittenberg district of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. I wonder if Fritz played a brass instrument. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Few years in world history can compare to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1914" target="_blank">1914</a> which everyone remembers as the summer when the Great War began. In February the first stone of the Lincoln Memorial was laid. In March, a Belgian surgeon Albert Hustin made the first successful non-direct blood transfusion, using anticoagulants. In April, 2,300 U.S. Navy sailors and Marines landed in Veracruz, Mexico, which they would occupy for over six months. At the end of May, the ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sank in the Gulf of St. Lawrence taking 1,012 lives. In June Kaiser Wilhelm reopened the improved Kiel Canal linking the North and Baltic Seas and in August the SS Ancon made the first passage of the Panama Canal.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But it was the tragic assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo that triggered the main events of 1914. Within a month, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia which led to the mobilization of troops in Russia and then Germany. Within days France, Belgium, and Britain ordered their forces to deploy too. By late summer most of Europe was in the throes of a terrifying war. As the year closed in December 1914 there seemed to be no end in sight. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As I began to write my last story of 2023, I chose from my collection four postcards of new year's greetings from the beginning of the 20th century. By themselves they are colorful, even silly, pictures of how people used to celebrate the start of a new year. But as I looked at the postmark dates, I realized that there was a larger context for each card that was worth examining. </div><br />Just as in our time, each year brought far more tragedy, injustice, and suffering than anyone could have imagined at the time. And likewise there were countless new inventions, scientific discoveries, and astounding developments that seemed to offer transformative benefits to mankind. The hearty toast to the new year was more than just a simple sentiment. It was then, as it is now, an optimistic expression of hope and reassurance for the people we love. Be well. Stay safe. Prosper and enjoy life. May the new year bring you happiness and joy. <div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So just as in times long passed, <br />my wish for everyone is the same.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Be well, stay safe,<br />and have a wonderful new year <br />for 2024. <br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Prosit!</b></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/12/sepia-saturday-704-christmas-and-new.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where not every holiday <br />is merry and bright. </b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/12/sepia-saturday-704-christmas-and-new.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9D1mGoLBr2uJDJ_8SdHknlTIGxmxszRbj9r16ffpk9XomqQYjdwVQcRGHIEHGn5eFrQKXxIg2wSwPTZPEd4YeN22_YE56e1TR0dNgffB-cA9sY36DhFo_swcyxvnv_iH5idKx7m2YdeZaQrsr3e9hAtbyrG84we_dEMx__RrUKCLBnYch8O9I2LgG_XU/w400-h400/20231223%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;">And for a special holiday treat,<br />this morning, 24 December, <br />these lovely ladies paid a visit <br />to my neighbor's house across the street.<br />Anyone for some Christmas turkey?</span></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUOSWgK4Q0MrzcZ_gHI7EVtsdZ35Hf2nBKOcHeGJay02TOnKwNIO3PhAd28ZSbMzHNBCAeMefHAJVipuGPrusbPXjxhpO36DLTPmH-nqRlCJvXmbcRBlwwFU_J2Tdz9DokdatEniBpxx_aM3AIz-8PNuHMD-z_eC5ZhmZ32Ic93GgA74hVbEZ9JTYeHI/s2000/XMAS%20turkeys%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUOSWgK4Q0MrzcZ_gHI7EVtsdZ35Hf2nBKOcHeGJay02TOnKwNIO3PhAd28ZSbMzHNBCAeMefHAJVipuGPrusbPXjxhpO36DLTPmH-nqRlCJvXmbcRBlwwFU_J2Tdz9DokdatEniBpxx_aM3AIz-8PNuHMD-z_eC5ZhmZ32Ic93GgA74hVbEZ9JTYeHI/w640-h480/XMAS%20turkeys%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-13505515260392733292023-12-16T23:58:00.009-05:002023-12-17T11:23:47.912-05:00The Königsbrück POW Camp, A Theatre of War<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiG4mRI1qN7eO4hTn97J26UJiMpztxDWeve9_prLIYP0JrCPeCRibwGfECFjDc-Vprm9dUSML1GcnaJMUJYQ_d2ig_1pJbD0gLigUF_vk8uwrdY9svWbshjnSi6iiB05B9Tyu30puiJT960Rvv_D0zI0oKmF1EbfpMeYrW1nZ28EJupN2bFLw-mrCrqg/s2000/KB%20Clown%20Million%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1305" height="747" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiG4mRI1qN7eO4hTn97J26UJiMpztxDWeve9_prLIYP0JrCPeCRibwGfECFjDc-Vprm9dUSML1GcnaJMUJYQ_d2ig_1pJbD0gLigUF_vk8uwrdY9svWbshjnSi6iiB05B9Tyu30puiJT960Rvv_D0zI0oKmF1EbfpMeYrW1nZ28EJupN2bFLw-mrCrqg/w488-h747/KB%20Clown%20Million%20tst%20A.jpg" width="488" /></a></div> <br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In show business <br />it's always good to start<br />with a clown act <br />that gets the audience laughing. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMCQsQinCYZZMtsQK4GegF5QGkDbjoyFTTCpDFd3DkFKNE3uimqA1YzqJB3fjn6ehmYDfcUbFBDatpbbbRzWX_qGeLeo8gYAepLNoyEFko36w7IU1RSXKd0Y4MzMSRX8nnzvUO0NL0tzev9gmtQZPmzGnsruFVGOBfd6FbnaEGsDiMPfqcQcjCWHy9po/s2200/KB%20French%20Theater%20Actor%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1434" height="730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMCQsQinCYZZMtsQK4GegF5QGkDbjoyFTTCpDFd3DkFKNE3uimqA1YzqJB3fjn6ehmYDfcUbFBDatpbbbRzWX_qGeLeo8gYAepLNoyEFko36w7IU1RSXKd0Y4MzMSRX8nnzvUO0NL0tzev9gmtQZPmzGnsruFVGOBfd6FbnaEGsDiMPfqcQcjCWHy9po/w477-h730/KB%20French%20Theater%20Actor%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="477" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course every successful show <br />needs a handsome man<br />to play the lead, <br />the hero of the drama.</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKSBi8Liea2ov5eEVB5z_m7VqbGosrmA7HzLrwHL2jfcqplThKJD8ZBlH_1ATVzIQX_xEX94H3-TZMbss_58T9GabSRXkgeYcDTsKpCUdfbB-ChXzmAjN3bkFyfFd4oZu_mbiVU4IcDa1SwxFSegI5hY-Ferbvp79wUF6296xBd0ax449Ot58H7Skjt4/s2000/KB%20French%20Theater%201%20tst%20A%20gg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1246" height="749" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKSBi8Liea2ov5eEVB5z_m7VqbGosrmA7HzLrwHL2jfcqplThKJD8ZBlH_1ATVzIQX_xEX94H3-TZMbss_58T9GabSRXkgeYcDTsKpCUdfbB-ChXzmAjN3bkFyfFd4oZu_mbiVU4IcDa1SwxFSegI5hY-Ferbvp79wUF6296xBd0ax449Ot58H7Skjt4/w466-h749/KB%20French%20Theater%201%20tst%20A%20gg.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And an actress or two is important<br />to add romance and intrigue to the story. <br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sets, props,<br />costumes, wigs, makeup,<br />complete the illusion. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Once everything on stage is arranged, <br />the actors have studied their lines,<br />and all the blocking and cues are rehearsed,<br />the call goes out to the company.<br />It's time for the show to begin.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Tv6Ck5tbSaE7e6OnvoBxVvktIJ2PajlOXuiUHQMuHr_EEWOFmZwwRS6lFJQk6dERjH45d1ZJOZPxeN4zRonz2ko0fxwqXK3SjjXnGZf5fKAKjWd9UTN2TuK85iX21USNPsKS9mGYewbWIUUK7DeBTEt5KX2x9QqmobEMQuiUHAfvZLAAGpMtVd-pilA/s2100/KB%20French%20Theater%203%20tst%20A%20cr.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1372" data-original-width="2100" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Tv6Ck5tbSaE7e6OnvoBxVvktIJ2PajlOXuiUHQMuHr_EEWOFmZwwRS6lFJQk6dERjH45d1ZJOZPxeN4zRonz2ko0fxwqXK3SjjXnGZf5fKAKjWd9UTN2TuK85iX21USNPsKS9mGYewbWIUUK7DeBTEt5KX2x9QqmobEMQuiUHAfvZLAAGpMtVd-pilA/w640-h418/KB%20French%20Theater%203%20tst%20A%20cr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The patrons have taken their seats in the hall <br />awaiting an evening of entertainment.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No matter if it's a comic farce,<br />a musical revue, or a tragic melodrama,<br />this captivated crowd will welcome any distraction <br />from a life of perpetual monotony<br />far removed from a terrible war.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a story of theater productions<br />produced at a <span style="text-align: left;">prisoner of war camp<br />in </span><span style="text-align: left;">Königsbrück, Germany.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is 1916<br />and this was the company's second season<br />There would be two more<br />before the curtain finally closed forever.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /> <br />. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKhOtKJa62dKs8qQQiF7CReeNpHEXqHUFoAobFpp1tU4TI-JgtMqrQbOV-tOoiyd2gbJi1lPTg1fXTsNS60kWOWvXgv4BZTmK_WQm2oHXwCcYcj6X-724KfPFjhvdRvrWbMJWxnTusOr-cPVIRxV0IowCyN4a6bEQKrbNOA1scpmBHwMv7NsYkcm-Wlo/s1008/K%C3%B6nigsbr%C3%BCck%20Turmpfad%20Haselberg%20Serb%20monument.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="1008" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKhOtKJa62dKs8qQQiF7CReeNpHEXqHUFoAobFpp1tU4TI-JgtMqrQbOV-tOoiyd2gbJi1lPTg1fXTsNS60kWOWvXgv4BZTmK_WQm2oHXwCcYcj6X-724KfPFjhvdRvrWbMJWxnTusOr-cPVIRxV0IowCyN4a6bEQKrbNOA1scpmBHwMv7NsYkcm-Wlo/w640-h436/K%C3%B6nigsbr%C3%BCck%20Turmpfad%20Haselberg%20Serb%20monument.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WW1 Serbian Memorial, Königsbrück, Germany 2020 </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The location of this World War One prisoner of war camp was a short distance north of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6nigsbr%C3%BCck" target="_blank">Königsbrück</a>, a small town in the German state of Saxony. In a strange twist of irony in our age of the internet, if you search on Google for Königsbrück, the first image offered is a photo of a war memorial found at the site of this camp. It's a dramatic sculpture of a fallen Serbian soldier created to honor his comrades who are buried at the camp's cemetery. It was carved by a Frenchman, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmond_Delphaut" target="_blank">Edmond Delphaut</a> (1891 1957), a talented artist and soldier who was also imprisoned there. In August 2021 I told the story of this sculpture in <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2021/08/monument-to-fallen-konigsbruck-1918.html" target="_blank">Monument to the Fallen, Königsbrück 1918</a>. Since then, I acquired this next photo of Delphaut and his assistants putting the finishing touches to the monument before its dedication in September 1918. Delphaut is the man dressed in a white suit on the right.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0ku2cP_JtPZZqyaVgKG-zMQbHeTHhHEzAHF0zzyQJOCw9HJpM3cInuJz0glJinuOuLFUk8Uyvi3CIfbi22Yt-ZkOAoNKrl5ctDYgaTugkDLAU3MRqSpVwG4IRu7m3Lei5NbXt4Wh_6dvDhLE2N3XMCtwo2PCi7quCdsq2Yj7M4ueuyhei8o9KtGzYrQ/s2100/KB%20Serb%20Monument%206%20Artisans%20tst%20A%20am.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1336" data-original-width="2100" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0ku2cP_JtPZZqyaVgKG-zMQbHeTHhHEzAHF0zzyQJOCw9HJpM3cInuJz0glJinuOuLFUk8Uyvi3CIfbi22Yt-ZkOAoNKrl5ctDYgaTugkDLAU3MRqSpVwG4IRu7m3Lei5NbXt4Wh_6dvDhLE2N3XMCtwo2PCi7quCdsq2Yj7M4ueuyhei8o9KtGzYrQ/w640-h408/KB%20Serb%20Monument%206%20Artisans%20tst%20A%20am.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Several years ago my first interest in the Königsbrück camp was sparked by discovering photos of its orchestra of French and Belgian soldiers. After more research I learned that from 1914 to 1918 this German POW camp produced hundreds of photo postcards recording the activities of thousands of French, Belgian, British, Italian, Russian, and Serbian soldiers imprisoned there. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Last week I presented a story about a set of photos from the Königsbrück POW camp called <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-konigsbruck-pow-camp-soldiers-at.html">Soldiers at Ease</a>, which followed a theme of men seated at tables doing a variety of mundane things. This week we will follow them to the camp theatre which was the center for a variety of entertaining pursuits for the soldiers. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8UAN4odTtiyD1N4j4xcJ7pXnIgqWYBK5QsngKOdTcoZ9-Vp68AeMDRLSDBuMwANawm2PUvQY0SsF3I8Hns1W-ukEgEMZmbyHRhiRKDgnXea8ufgzAf9VsEnC4fGz8Lem16OCfH6WH3UlTQMo1GJE3Hazy1nR4uPLmsK1ek-REWWdhqWo5gQ1KvYZ7cc/s2200/KB%20French%20Lager%202%20tst%20A%20am.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1413" data-original-width="2200" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8UAN4odTtiyD1N4j4xcJ7pXnIgqWYBK5QsngKOdTcoZ9-Vp68AeMDRLSDBuMwANawm2PUvQY0SsF3I8Hns1W-ukEgEMZmbyHRhiRKDgnXea8ufgzAf9VsEnC4fGz8Lem16OCfH6WH3UlTQMo1GJE3Hazy1nR4uPLmsK1ek-REWWdhqWo5gQ1KvYZ7cc/w640-h412/KB%20French%20Lager%202%20tst%20A%20am.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The Königsbrück camp was number 87 in a 1917 gazetteer of 177 prison camps in Germany and Austria. It was described as: <i>"A camp of wooden hutments situated on sandy soil amidst pine-woods a short distance from the town. Capacity, 15,000. 12th Army Corps."</i> It was hastily set up in August 1914, just weeks after the start of the war, at a training base for the Imperial German Army. This was chosen for convenience as the first prisoners, mainly French and Belgian soldiers, were quickly housed in some of the former German army barracks. However within a few months the military command realized it would need much more space for captured Russian troops, so new extension camps, <i>Neuen Lagers</i>, were constructed. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This postcard was taken outdoors with the camera several meters above the ground, presumably from a guard tower, and it shows several casual groups of men, mostly French by their uniforms, standing along a "street" in the camp. The trees are too tall to have been planted in 1914, so I think this is somewhere in the old camp. The white building in the center looks like a stables. The raised section on the left with a barn-like roof seems large enough for a small stage. Though it is impossible to be certain about its use, it does demonstrate that there were buildings at the camp with space suitable for a stage and theater seating. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The photo's location is identified on the back with both an official Königsbrück stamp and the writer's message. It is addressed to Monsieur A. Mazot of St. Denis-de-Cabanne, a commune in the Loire department in central France. The postmark and message date is 16 October 1918, just 4 weeks before the end of the war. But more interesting is the note and date written on the front:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: large;"><i>A bientôt 18-11-18</i><br />~<br />See you soon 18 November 1918</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxcTxkzhxojDUogUX6NeXoJ6Tpucln5ofFTPw_BQ_T6C4RBxeSSmsV10Zyn0XRne2loPS9HPd2PdNE3iUXAkAGUmPx3HY2UukXNgFbvA5AM2W1JbRutj6sPk0mUOI6MYjcEODPsrP9aUMFyCsK0kFrS2qu_bL6CagWpBZIVO9bM6p-iV22nkeuvTJfGQ/s1600/KB%20French%20Lager%202%20tst%20B%20am.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxcTxkzhxojDUogUX6NeXoJ6Tpucln5ofFTPw_BQ_T6C4RBxeSSmsV10Zyn0XRne2loPS9HPd2PdNE3iUXAkAGUmPx3HY2UukXNgFbvA5AM2W1JbRutj6sPk0mUOI6MYjcEODPsrP9aUMFyCsK0kFrS2qu_bL6CagWpBZIVO9bM6p-iV22nkeuvTJfGQ/w640-h410/KB%20French%20Lager%202%20tst%20B%20am.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">My first postcard at the beginning of this story was of <i>Million, Comic Exentric</i> who signed the card with a salutation to a friend and a date: 15 February 1916. The photographer, Carl Schmidt of Königsbrück whose name was on almost all the postcards, was generous enough to write the clown's caption just like it would appear on a typical entertainer's promotional card. The card was never mailed but has the standard imprint of the Königsbrück POW camp.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Million's wild plaid suit and Buster Keaton porkpie hat are the classical costume of a music hall/circus comic. Was he a professional clown before the war? My bet is that he was a hilarious mime who needed no language to be funny. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My second postcard of the man with the long dark hair, goatee and <i>artiste's </i>bowtie is labeled a <i>Schauspieler </i>~ actor, from the French prisoner of war camp in Königsbrück. This card went through the Germany military post, presumably from a camp guard, and sent to Kötzschenbroda, a district in Saxony north of Dresden. It has a postmark and written date of 30 November 1916. The closeup portrait is unusual to find in photos of prisoners, and because it lacks the usual prison camp backstanp, it may be a private photo produced by Carl Schmidt for only the camp's guards to use. It does suggest that the German captors got to enjoy the shows too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPto643hfva3TtOPdA_mkvhf7ss4LK2tnCWrZcifi1pndFVfiR84DaxSFuSWTZGbmd_1RqwcFZ22HP3gNfZRMSl9U3YEuraQTzkb990coq2jYy0zFyIG00zdxf5ZhBrQ8fu1NqwyIZsCHsppECpNemd5sfkwGqtk2uTSaLnvCzBR-hQbqu2eC1ZKgCxJE/s2100/KB%20French%20Theater%204%20tst%20A%20cr.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1322" data-original-width="2100" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPto643hfva3TtOPdA_mkvhf7ss4LK2tnCWrZcifi1pndFVfiR84DaxSFuSWTZGbmd_1RqwcFZ22HP3gNfZRMSl9U3YEuraQTzkb990coq2jYy0zFyIG00zdxf5ZhBrQ8fu1NqwyIZsCHsppECpNemd5sfkwGqtk2uTSaLnvCzBR-hQbqu2eC1ZKgCxJE/w640-h402/KB%20French%20Theater%204%20tst%20A%20cr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div>My third image was of two "women" performing in a play. Of course there were no female soldiers held at the prison camp, so these two "actresses" were men cleverly dressed in wigs and fashionable costumes. I believe they are also pictured in this next stage scene. The woman with the white headband is now seated on the right, and her companion may be the woman seated center who gasps in shock at the detective's report. The cast of five, two men and three women are in a residential drawing or dining room, artfully fitted with faux paneling , paintings, and china racks.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">Unfortunately the caption was cut off in this photo, but the other photo has the title: "<i>La Roulotte,</i> <i>MMe. Delattre et Braconnier dans la fin tragique</i> ~ Mademoiselle Delattre and poacher in the tragic ending." The title is a match for a French novel of the same name from 1897 but I could find no mention of the name <i>Delattre </i>in it. However <i>La Roulette</i> was a celebrated cabaret in Paris. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As an aside, I should mention that men playing female roles is a theater tradition as old as Shakespeare. In this era it was quite common to find cross dressing entertainers of both sexes performing on the European and American theater circuits. I've posted several stories on them in this blog. At times these performers could be suggestive, maybe a bit bawdy, even titillating, but I don't think it is fair or accurate to assign our 21st century assumptions about sexual orientation and gender to unknown people in antique photos. In these photos it was just another kind of show biz illusion.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVj7oCayiJ6ztBiAvBrWWhyphenhyphen9Oo8y7_hSJXm2VKw0b464yKIEUsqObjD_IqCUy8ZV3Zv6lDkT3y2mqrmLtkAxbUoz8yJlxaaFTI9s3SS__NDAZWjT2bw4QqojQ_IEJFIfcYmVcnXNJp7cas9WCMkhwk42C6DnvSkwfRWvgCW5tv3L5xFieF828kU2C9oM/s1600/KB%20French%20Theater%204%20tst%20B%20cr.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="1600" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVj7oCayiJ6ztBiAvBrWWhyphenhyphen9Oo8y7_hSJXm2VKw0b464yKIEUsqObjD_IqCUy8ZV3Zv6lDkT3y2mqrmLtkAxbUoz8yJlxaaFTI9s3SS__NDAZWjT2bw4QqojQ_IEJFIfcYmVcnXNJp7cas9WCMkhwk42C6DnvSkwfRWvgCW5tv3L5xFieF828kU2C9oM/w640-h404/KB%20French%20Theater%204%20tst%20B%20cr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This card was sent by Alfred Cerene of the 156th infantry regiment to Mademoiselle Fernande Montels of Decazeville, a commune in the Aveyron department of the Occitanie region in southern France. In the corner is <u>No. 52</u> which I interpret as Alfred's 52nd card to Fernande, presumably his sweetheart. Though this card has no postmark date, I have a number of Alfred Cerene's postcards from Königsbrück which were preserved for a hundred years and then sold through a dealer to collectors like me. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Alfred's neat penmanship made it easy to read his name and unit which led me to find him in the gigantic database of WW1 prisoners of war that was compiled by the <a href="https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/" target="_blank">International Commitee of the Red Cross</a>, both during and after the war. There I learned that Alfred Cerene, infantryman of the 156th regiment was captured on 20 August 1914 in a battle in <i>Mörchingen</i>, a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is now called Morhange but in 1914 it was in the Lorraine territory captured by German in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. It's no wonder then that Alfred had time to write so many letters and cards. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNcx6Jj1whl941tffuRnhieTK60iPzgUavz6mUdLBR6CC1FU1HtDCRHw0yaZfBaPlYIoeQ1FTLnTvtM4FfjTznhws1rQ51GZ9vVvh6QvVs1ZOq5BukE_4czbGINn_dxKxuWprOParbpQvH2gUUpY6B7UqDOOFw-3LX3gVUYaITVyRsJYU4CMjed-FHNo/s2100/KB%20French%20Theater%202%20tst%20A%20cr.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1359" data-original-width="2100" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNcx6Jj1whl941tffuRnhieTK60iPzgUavz6mUdLBR6CC1FU1HtDCRHw0yaZfBaPlYIoeQ1FTLnTvtM4FfjTznhws1rQ51GZ9vVvh6QvVs1ZOq5BukE_4czbGINn_dxKxuWprOParbpQvH2gUUpY6B7UqDOOFw-3LX3gVUYaITVyRsJYU4CMjed-FHNo/w640-h414/KB%20French%20Theater%202%20tst%20A%20cr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This next scene comes from a different play, "<i>Mlle. Josette ma Femme</i> ~ Miss Josette my Wife." Seven characters, four men and three women seriously ponder some point of uncertainty. The maid's offer of a cup of tea does not seem to allay the seated woman's discomfort. The set is another drawing room, but it is a few degrees classier than the other play. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This card was also sent by Alfred Cerene to Mlle. Fernandes Montels. He numbered it 32, so it is earlier than the other play. Alfred included a brief message: <i>"Received your photo 1000 times thank you, and am very happy. Soon will write more." </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My fourth photo from the top, the one showing soldiers seated close to the stage, was sent by Alfred too and marked as number 27. It's a testimony to the high standards of European postal services of this era that even in wartime a postcard from eastern Germany could make its way to a small town in the south of France. I wonder what the number was for his final postcard to Fernande? Surely it was her that saved all his cards. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMmSc8tv1ar6Nre5ySsuq1o1xCQj9-CDGQ8Vnhs0Eas9_Jr2Ni00aGQHwSIY5GDVVHiRSUfKYBxFjUY8xEda54HfZ3xnkYeT1rNiXzEU0CHi6Ruu9e6CKgjJMXBz98hP7oLVmkzXqkoRTcol3xUktwY3bvqqvszaEmHwyjh8k19_5C2_ZEW81CaXGixs/s2200/KB%20French%20Theater%209%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1410" data-original-width="2200" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMmSc8tv1ar6Nre5ySsuq1o1xCQj9-CDGQ8Vnhs0Eas9_Jr2Ni00aGQHwSIY5GDVVHiRSUfKYBxFjUY8xEda54HfZ3xnkYeT1rNiXzEU0CHi6Ruu9e6CKgjJMXBz98hP7oLVmkzXqkoRTcol3xUktwY3bvqqvszaEmHwyjh8k19_5C2_ZEW81CaXGixs/w640-h410/KB%20French%20Theater%209%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This next scene has no caption but I think we can get the idea even without a translation. A man and a woman are having a discussion, perhaps an argument. He sits relaxed in a chair, maybe smoking, I think, with a haughty expression on his face. She has an gutsy air about her even though she is dressed only in her undergarments. There is a bed between them. Who will prevail? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This card is marked from Königsbrück but was never posted. I have more examples of scenes from plays of the French theater, but it was not the only theater in the camp. Russian soldiers enjoyed theatrical entertainments just as much as the French.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrEQF_cifSyXI803j4NgWlBSlsFIceKXJELqr2EOLTHb3muNsL9M0lgXtFf-2aWOCDgYT7e7Fw4-DBlKUg5xgcQzggTf0bjygY0UIWTBoJQxwgReG15wphwfC0gr_vjTrZK9kJLN_o-BolIJI1YW5HKtAcQOMjapfyrHIJdpmMlYWnLJgJv8N9ujfHTQ/s2100/KB%20Russen%20Theater%201%20tst%20A%20cr.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1324" data-original-width="2100" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrEQF_cifSyXI803j4NgWlBSlsFIceKXJELqr2EOLTHb3muNsL9M0lgXtFf-2aWOCDgYT7e7Fw4-DBlKUg5xgcQzggTf0bjygY0UIWTBoJQxwgReG15wphwfC0gr_vjTrZK9kJLN_o-BolIJI1YW5HKtAcQOMjapfyrHIJdpmMlYWnLJgJv8N9ujfHTQ/w640-h404/KB%20Russen%20Theater%201%20tst%20A%20cr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Alfred marked this next card number 41. This scene is similar to the last one but with a twist in location. A man and woman are seated at a low table. The man, old with a beard, pours the young woman a glass of spirits or wine. She is seated on a narrow bed. The set is not of a room in a Parisian hotel but in a crude Russian log cabin. In one corner is a large brick oven suitable for cold Siberian winters. What did soldiers worry about or lose sleep over? Not the battles or the bombs, but the menace to their unprotected wives and sweethearts back home. It's an old story every trooper feared. And as playwrights well know, anxiety breeds drama. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfFmL3t8dFjYq6PzmZ2y5GlOw6TPz7ne29Vzzv6SnW_zD97tPs5hSLWfh_w7zJql3CP9tHyKUpI5PlnZRFu4NfnRAUUUd8HGySPCxhm-2FJk9XnzZrpMScb7C8clEsQFnLYne04bFjcXHha9YoRp8xlqYZPyJRJc7s1Bu80En0jx8cmf3pNnSQvdwVjQ/s2000/KB%20Russen%20Theater%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1269" data-original-width="2000" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfFmL3t8dFjYq6PzmZ2y5GlOw6TPz7ne29Vzzv6SnW_zD97tPs5hSLWfh_w7zJql3CP9tHyKUpI5PlnZRFu4NfnRAUUUd8HGySPCxhm-2FJk9XnzZrpMScb7C8clEsQFnLYne04bFjcXHha9YoRp8xlqYZPyJRJc7s1Bu80En0jx8cmf3pNnSQvdwVjQ/w640-h406/KB%20Russen%20Theater%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This next card is captioned as the prisoner of war camp at Königsbrück, the Russian Theater. Here we see an exterior set somewhere in a birch forest with a lake and mountains in the distance. Two young women confront an old woman who is seated on a park bench. The women look surprised at something the old crone has revealed. I think this play has a fairytale quality as it seems more rustic and less sophisticated than the French plays. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As the number of prisoner of war camps increased in 1915, on both sides of this now global conflict, the Red Cross and YMCA stepped in as neutral agencies to monitor the condition of prison camps. Besides checking on the food, housing, and medical services in the camps, these organizations also found ways to look after the captive soldiers' morale by suppling library material, sports equipment, and musical instruments to the prisoners. Some of these instruments came from local German music stores while others were handmade by the captive soldiers.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQn0sx1zkCCDeXrvFL6x09tEqRVr64IA5ucSfdD1CjM7oadgoLWpnLPJjdBdtHsA5kkBL0XuTf_9shytt6ndZBPKMT7ZLllSqhxYqYcMRqfUwgmxvAL-Gje3MRHRM4pm76bmr57L2-nSSHOmrUxI571D_mrnmY2EN3hrydmycR7DHylz4QWQTUhgDiiTc/s2100/KB%20Russen%20Theater%205%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1339" data-original-width="2100" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQn0sx1zkCCDeXrvFL6x09tEqRVr64IA5ucSfdD1CjM7oadgoLWpnLPJjdBdtHsA5kkBL0XuTf_9shytt6ndZBPKMT7ZLllSqhxYqYcMRqfUwgmxvAL-Gje3MRHRM4pm76bmr57L2-nSSHOmrUxI571D_mrnmY2EN3hrydmycR7DHylz4QWQTUhgDiiTc/w640-h408/KB%20Russen%20Theater%205%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">By the end of 1915 both the French and Russian sections of the POW camp in Königsbrück had their own orchestras. And what do you get if you put instrumentalists and actors together? A musical revue! In this photo nearly two dozen men fill the tiny stage. The caption identifies it as the Königsbrück Russian Theater and this show has everything needed for a proper musical. There are a bunch of costumed actors and actresses at the back. A chorus of men in military tunics. And in front a string orchestra of two mandolins, violin, guitar, and two triangular Russian balalaikas. A playbill in the center announces the acts in Russian Cyrillic characters. Notice the Corinthian columns on each side of the proscenium. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtOxb7V21cpEAKbZrOMaBYPNyacTS2sHnHRaihO0cAEYu29W1i7gKXDER9mnk3Pq7pzIvZ_PUujCIEV3vTqB1qvRogNIYoDfJ3oM1GFuPLXGuFenoPeVaQE6mBHZlEs9gMwkv0pU6VVfxDcyLe2-L3hpDyf_2YGxY_TDlEbhHTrFcLDJ3QopDlsQmfEA/s2100/KB%20French%20Theater%20Revue%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1373" data-original-width="2100" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtOxb7V21cpEAKbZrOMaBYPNyacTS2sHnHRaihO0cAEYu29W1i7gKXDER9mnk3Pq7pzIvZ_PUujCIEV3vTqB1qvRogNIYoDfJ3oM1GFuPLXGuFenoPeVaQE6mBHZlEs9gMwkv0pU6VVfxDcyLe2-L3hpDyf_2YGxY_TDlEbhHTrFcLDJ3QopDlsQmfEA/w640-h418/KB%20French%20Theater%20Revue%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Not to be outdone, the French theater put on their own musical revue. Here the cast has eighteen characters on stage, including four wearing clown makeup and two women. In front of the stage an orchestra of at least nine musicians sits in a makeshift "pit" with four violins, flute, clarinet and tambourine. This is a group large enough to bring the roof down. Did the German command allow the singing of "La Marseillaise"? I doubt they could have stopped it on this night.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For over four years, several thousand soldiers were held at the Königsbrück POW camp. Some, like Alfred Cerene, came early and endured a full sentence until finally released in November 1918. Others arrived late, having suffered the horrors of a brutal war of attrition on the Eastern Front, or the terror of relentless bombardments on the Western Front. And hundreds more came from now forgotten battles in Italy, Serbia, and Romania. How the camp commander managed to control so many men speaking different languages is difficult to understand. But how he tolerated, and maybe even promoted, the theater arts is astounding to me. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Concerts, dramatic plays, or musical revues are not art forms that can be produced by just one or two people. It takes real teamwork by an army of people, if you will, to design sets, fashion costumes, write scripts, and arrange music. Even in the best of times this is hard work. How did ordinary soldiers, sidelined from combat, and now held captive deep inside enemy lines manage to generate so much entertainment in this prison camp? Where did they get the material to build scenery and props? How did they write out the scripts or the music? Where did they find the time to do all this? Oh, wait. They are confined to a prison, so there's the answer to that question at least.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have many more questions and even more photos from the Königsbrück prison camp that I want to introduce in the near future. My next story in this series will be on the musicians of the camp with maybe some more photos from the theaters too. Stay tuned. It's enough to make you forget that there was a war on.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And as <i>Loegel the Comique</i> <br />probably would say,<br />"Don't worry. Cheer up!<br />Life is but a joke!</span>"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvn_rdMZS1Tuqsg5kSk66ur8OqJxoE-LdgiPmcgM561-q_3mSpjvwLMRCHPLIdKXPvah1GStaGYCt3CFnf89zbrXunnrSEl2qrDE2MZFoNJWt3ZI6oufo9lBetpWl_a10CV0FLdyZg9jnRSt8WlbqBwRQInUcq2_YGl8zKT5rvCNijsGhrh5MRl0OJlI/s2000/KB%20Clown%20Loegel%20tst%20A%20cr.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1287" height="738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvn_rdMZS1Tuqsg5kSk66ur8OqJxoE-LdgiPmcgM561-q_3mSpjvwLMRCHPLIdKXPvah1GStaGYCt3CFnf89zbrXunnrSEl2qrDE2MZFoNJWt3ZI6oufo9lBetpWl_a10CV0FLdyZg9jnRSt8WlbqBwRQInUcq2_YGl8zKT5rvCNijsGhrh5MRl0OJlI/w475-h738/KB%20Clown%20Loegel%20tst%20A%20cr.jpg" width="475" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/12/sepia-saturday-703-16th-december-2023.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where the play is the real thing.</b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/12/sepia-saturday-703-16th-december-2023.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcivfY5DIqhb7JvjiZ8N3nfPQTK5DSj9uiLj7bTbrL94vMUpVk5ecHdXGn6VBM8WFaZ4ws1Rj59Gf6pd9iKMTNTT8reTmJ4EjLKTYzi_wrRQKPpyMaC1u5jjxZlAXe-dvMjuiitUbqx186DooZjhNXA0Lmbpe4TlKdjJV5zI5sTZhoeYTRUJTNtpCrcfY/w400-h400/20231216%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-51044115439518212272023-12-09T16:58:00.000-05:002023-12-09T16:58:02.515-05:00The Königsbrück POW Camp, Soldiers at Ease<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirCY-SZj2kVwXt5xAIbeX4DtRbf1UFzcPqKPuUErRDUFB47xCXgFQUaLvj4Wkv4hSVUKRxng482jfpqQAflw-GcIjeWN_BxICTHBw2FxbeSmVVuK9390ZQ-KX136FH_FhC1D4mv0fLVQC-SH_aDsBK1SI1J7dogryeqzHCrxtPLs0oPNX0QJ0o_pA0Nk/s2268/KB%20French%20POWs%20March%203%2029-8-1914%20tst%20C.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1591" data-original-width="2268" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirCY-SZj2kVwXt5xAIbeX4DtRbf1UFzcPqKPuUErRDUFB47xCXgFQUaLvj4Wkv4hSVUKRxng482jfpqQAflw-GcIjeWN_BxICTHBw2FxbeSmVVuK9390ZQ-KX136FH_FhC1D4mv0fLVQC-SH_aDsBK1SI1J7dogryeqzHCrxtPLs0oPNX0QJ0o_pA0Nk/w640-h448/KB%20French%20POWs%20March%203%2029-8-1914%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Most of the men walked there.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaC74v377-bnLSwoGOG8SQ5Gxw7ALKs5UtVTLfpe_3YOTzH05NUwR_ZPn17VWoOpnNsp85b83dLxyxIVsIHG5vuXN32wCTnwik3t4X3rHZywQmT-Tiq1d3Sj2Sai3FTJc038lfwyv-Z5JHA38f0lUZdgsO5I3tvlJSoVvPmVqdwWWSI8y-OqDZUbz6KgI/s1200/KB%20French%20POWS%20Wagon%201%20tst%20E.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="1200" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaC74v377-bnLSwoGOG8SQ5Gxw7ALKs5UtVTLfpe_3YOTzH05NUwR_ZPn17VWoOpnNsp85b83dLxyxIVsIHG5vuXN32wCTnwik3t4X3rHZywQmT-Tiq1d3Sj2Sai3FTJc038lfwyv-Z5JHA38f0lUZdgsO5I3tvlJSoVvPmVqdwWWSI8y-OqDZUbz6KgI/w640-h550/KB%20French%20POWS%20Wagon%201%20tst%20E.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Those that couldn't walk<br />got a ride.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXItvbfkHS27ApVbkqGUmTKhQqjtMBjDxIiry4qmGFegT3CfkUqGJTImOowWAnEVg45gveSsJbv-Jnjw-wYkTzhT-07D5CdajkGnxDjE7LHQ52ntMyECNTwZMM97oU5fJvvzM8MhAX7oQenDoKzcB13HRZGBDqMbWLlsH9KNTIjf3xETHO_YiNcy5Fqhk/s1433/KB%20Russian%20POWs%204%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1433" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXItvbfkHS27ApVbkqGUmTKhQqjtMBjDxIiry4qmGFegT3CfkUqGJTImOowWAnEVg45gveSsJbv-Jnjw-wYkTzhT-07D5CdajkGnxDjE7LHQ52ntMyECNTwZMM97oU5fJvvzM8MhAX7oQenDoKzcB13HRZGBDqMbWLlsH9KNTIjf3xETHO_YiNcy5Fqhk/w640-h478/KB%20Russian%20POWs%204%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And those men from further away</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">came by train.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9MwM43zXYatouKVyJabuoAIWlFpNN46okl_OHSUpy8gj6BAVlo4PZT6QTxJDVsX8Qb2KiufXi5uF7wDIgKpZMHP11bU_zApeYJrVZhsKHHi9bUQcMCPUsrjBEnq1B0OxKsnMEDe5GeWN1gJZAR2smuk6jtra0DmqVS9tzW92h4A4FLObh84uzIngdBg/s2200/KB%20Russian%20Lager%201%20tst%20A%20cr.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1424" data-original-width="2200" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9MwM43zXYatouKVyJabuoAIWlFpNN46okl_OHSUpy8gj6BAVlo4PZT6QTxJDVsX8Qb2KiufXi5uF7wDIgKpZMHP11bU_zApeYJrVZhsKHHi9bUQcMCPUsrjBEnq1B0OxKsnMEDe5GeWN1gJZAR2smuk6jtra0DmqVS9tzW92h4A4FLObh84uzIngdBg/w640-h414/KB%20Russian%20Lager%201%20tst%20A%20cr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And for the next 4 years<br />this would be their home.<br /><br />It was the time of the Great War<br />and these men were enemy soldiers<br />who had been captured on the battlefield.<br />They came from France, Russia, <br />Belgium, Britain, and Serbia.<br />Now they were in the heart of Germany.<br /><br />They had arrived at <br />the <span style="text-align: left;">Königsbrück Prisoner of War Camp.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It was only the end of August 1914. <br />They were removed from combat<br />but they now had a lot of free time on their hands. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3ZCPCpKHh2Li4TwGPWpTzP5IpVMN5I_9o9VI8sOBbSR7fRcAW_z1eOfDqEP6kLwDKrgnPLa0-ynblEcHd-dq-lO9iqUp8xeYnaqZFd4w1g4y9bBT50ZseN0EYwqwKHCbjSLb2Yu2buW3iZdt6OnAZgV7MYy5k7L8d3oFq7k-CiKPdaBUKJZd9vf5X7g/s2200/KB%20French%20POWs%20March%203%2029-8-1914%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1431" data-original-width="2200" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3ZCPCpKHh2Li4TwGPWpTzP5IpVMN5I_9o9VI8sOBbSR7fRcAW_z1eOfDqEP6kLwDKrgnPLa0-ynblEcHd-dq-lO9iqUp8xeYnaqZFd4w1g4y9bBT50ZseN0EYwqwKHCbjSLb2Yu2buW3iZdt6OnAZgV7MYy5k7L8d3oFq7k-CiKPdaBUKJZd9vf5X7g/w640-h416/KB%20French%20POWs%20March%203%2029-8-1914%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The first photo postcard shows French troops guarded by German soldiers marching along a dusty road. It was captioned <i>Königsbrück, Ankunft der Kriegsgefangen</i> ~ Königsbrück<i>, </i>Arrival of prisoners of war. The date was 28/8/1914, just 26 days after the first military action on the Western Front, a small <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skirmish_at_Joncherey" target="_blank">skirmish at Joncherey</a>, a commune on the border in the Territoire de Belfort. It was also only three weeks after the start of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Frontiers" target="_blank">Battles of the Frontiers</a> on 7 August 1914 when a massive German force overwhelmed Belgium and Luxembourg and invaded France with a goal of crushing its capital Paris. The only resistance came from the French 5th Army and the smaller British Expeditionary Force. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In this first month of World War One the battles were about rapid maneuver, unlike the static trench warfare that would later dominate most of the war on the Western Front. Over 30 days the German army suffered nearly <a href="https://american-history.net/world-war-1/battle-of-the-frontiers/" target="_blank">300,000 casualties</a> while the French sustained 330,000 and the British 30,000. Both sides also captured thousands of enemy soldiers and immediately began sending them to internment camps far back from the frontlines. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The prison camp at Königsbrück, a small town in the eastern German state of Saxony, was just one of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_prisoner-of-war_camps_in_World_War_I" target="_blank">over 175 POW camps</a> that Germany established during the war. By November 1918 there were over 2.4 million men held prisoner in Germany. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GT0nfmALt6vb4gFEESKeaDwcHj9jhJzX24kDMWKecZJDZoZPAv76TF4A6GtmZREUUjGK79CwtxIh0rcJFHdf5Ag41YUpACmKx2PlyRd1XfgMfQTuhVRqZ4554fTQpaBQPrOW77tdJjB_27hYILyqaoC5xw8eTa2zX8zynCLqluBxHd1oW4Mg_iqikvQ/s2100/KB%20French%20POWS%20Wagon%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="2100" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GT0nfmALt6vb4gFEESKeaDwcHj9jhJzX24kDMWKecZJDZoZPAv76TF4A6GtmZREUUjGK79CwtxIh0rcJFHdf5Ag41YUpACmKx2PlyRd1XfgMfQTuhVRqZ4554fTQpaBQPrOW77tdJjB_27hYILyqaoC5xw8eTa2zX8zynCLqluBxHd1oW4Mg_iqikvQ/w640-h412/KB%20French%20POWS%20Wagon%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The captured French, Belgians, and British soldiers came from the west, probably traveling most of the way on the same trains that had taken German troops westward for the invasion. The distance from the first battles along the French-Belgian border is about 440 miles from Königsbrück. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioopHPaiZHyW6YTH0Y9w8UY_FVoXcSyhX1cgIsCMCURSjypXfuMPVGykXqvTEWdh8mf97dn13ayBenWVfBF1sg8L0AMRAnoMb8DQLBmxFfIibbSSIUVWmO_9rf7Av9KPON3uPZOaECIUdKptsZqhUkxytPFjO16Et3O1URErIY3b9bKSQWA8eMA_Ge9Z8/s2000/KB%20Russian%20POWs%204%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1302" data-original-width="2000" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioopHPaiZHyW6YTH0Y9w8UY_FVoXcSyhX1cgIsCMCURSjypXfuMPVGykXqvTEWdh8mf97dn13ayBenWVfBF1sg8L0AMRAnoMb8DQLBmxFfIibbSSIUVWmO_9rf7Av9KPON3uPZOaECIUdKptsZqhUkxytPFjO16Et3O1URErIY3b9bKSQWA8eMA_Ge9Z8/w640-h416/KB%20Russian%20POWs%204%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The captured Russians came from the east, transported along the railway lines that connected Prussia to eastern Europe. The German and Austrian-Hungarian rail networks had <a href="https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/railways_russian_empire" target="_blank">32 routes</a> that went to the Russian border with 14 having two-lane tracks. Russia had only 13 lines headed west with just 8 available for two-way traffic. This greatly hindered the mobilization of its armies delaying a full deployment of Russian troops by a month or more. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">During the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tannenberg" target="_blank">Battle of Tannenberg</a>, 23–30 August 1914, the German Eighth Army practically destroyed the Russian First Army in a great victory that strengthened German resolve to continue the war. The German army took only 13,873 casualties at Tannenberg but the Russians lost 30,000 – 78,000 soldiers killed or wounded and 92,000 taken prisoner. The Russian defeat severely crippled its army which ultimately led to its capitulation later in 1917. It is roughly 350 miles from that region, now in Poland, to Königsbrück.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oE4-2WlaItkyCs_eugDLyi6M3asvtW9NSRvCPJV_1rsEY6XceYvGpO-vlPczjlJxDJ0pZK5qX1_QHgnlcPW0bXD4SxsdKIibdKY8YW08eexYORHwfeXCNoVdXrWUQBZ6UbKytbJ-KouZ1siRwrshsROmK69v584MZwL_5k1n9hNlucj4YwQLq_Y5OXo/s2000/KB%20birds_eye_view%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1320" data-original-width="2000" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oE4-2WlaItkyCs_eugDLyi6M3asvtW9NSRvCPJV_1rsEY6XceYvGpO-vlPczjlJxDJ0pZK5qX1_QHgnlcPW0bXD4SxsdKIibdKY8YW08eexYORHwfeXCNoVdXrWUQBZ6UbKytbJ-KouZ1siRwrshsROmK69v584MZwL_5k1n9hNlucj4YwQLq_Y5OXo/w640-h422/KB%20birds_eye_view%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6nigsbr%C3%BCck" target="_blank">Königsbrück</a> is about 27 km (17 mi) northeast of the Saxon capital Dresden, and 114 km (71 mi) east of Leipzig, two major centers for German culture, music, and art. When the war began the town's population was only a few thousand, maybe less, but nearby was a large military base used for army training by the XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps. As German forces advanced east and west and more enemy soldiers were being apprehended the troop barracks of this base were converted into a detention camp for French and Belgian soldiers. Within a year it would intern more than 15,000 men including many Russian and Serbian soldiers. </div><div><br /></div><div>This picturesque view of Königsbrück likely was produced before the war for German soldiers stationed there, but in October 1916 it was used by a French soldier to send a message home about the address of his new posting. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Some years ago I discovered several photo postcards of large <i>Sandplastik</i> sculptures made by the soldiers held at the Königsbrück POW camp. I featured them in my story <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2020/05/art-in-time-of-war.html" target="_blank">Art in a Time of War</a>. </div><div>I also found several postcards of the camp's orchestras and theater productions. As one thing led to another, I began to recognize that the photographers of the Königsbrück POW camp were very prolific and recorded a wider range of subjects than any other camp. So I began to collect these photos and now, after several years, have acquired hundreds of photos that depict the captive soldiers and their activities in the Königsbrück camp. I've previously written about some of them in <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-prisoners-of-konigsbruck.html" target="_blank">The Prisoners of Königsbrück</a> and <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2021/08/monument-to-fallen-konigsbruck-1918.html" target="_blank">Monument to the Fallen, Königsbrück 1918</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My collection is far too big for just one story so I'm going to break it into parts. Today I will begin with pictures of soldiers at ease, resting and enjoying some light recreation by sitting down to table with their comrades. Or just standing around, goofing off for the camera.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69ykDdGQxuQq4dIfAspz6MPzwADaeEiw7moZnXoLiqd8qgYPJjigF2P6R6ajUnKCt0cBkUL_qm8kctHSjDpodAKGbOIVXI_5rK_6iK1WFYERKqGjVqBxqH7mkVY4XUSEN-qyTGE5bqtr1kujuhHBoVhI_43YNMmP7kd5S7hrQ8ZyTxL53AgTijZCpYwc/s2200/KB%20French%20Russian%20POWs%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1431" data-original-width="2200" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69ykDdGQxuQq4dIfAspz6MPzwADaeEiw7moZnXoLiqd8qgYPJjigF2P6R6ajUnKCt0cBkUL_qm8kctHSjDpodAKGbOIVXI_5rK_6iK1WFYERKqGjVqBxqH7mkVY4XUSEN-qyTGE5bqtr1kujuhHBoVhI_43YNMmP7kd5S7hrQ8ZyTxL53AgTijZCpYwc/w640-h416/KB%20French%20Russian%20POWs%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This photo shows one of the barrack lanes in the Königsbrück camp filled with a crowd of soldiers. French, Belgian, and British soldiers were housed in a section separate from the Russians and Serbians. This was likely because of the challenge of maintaining good order between men who spoke and wrote in different languages. Though all POWs remained soldiers and were obliged to obey orders, ordinary military rules were suspended in favor of those of their captors. However in this photo there is a mix of French and Russian uniforms so evidently the men were free to move around the whole camp.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The back of the postcard has a distinctive printed format as a <i>Kriegsgefangensendung </i>or Prisoner of War Letter from Königsbrück. This makes it easy to confirm that a photo came from this particular camp. It has a stamped date of 13 <i>Août </i>(August) 1915 and was sent to someone in Dejon, France, the center of fine French mustard. The spaces for the prisoner's name and barrack number were a way for the German postal censors to monitor prisoner's mail.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18m4BaUdcd2V7n6ssv-eZCzLyu3SPa2p-6NjtetORJ5LuScvZhLxA9MJ4x67_qIFb5EfTXwXMQDgARp7cDyTSR2e8ScnZFr0txyUcNz33G6ktTN_Zb9yy8lzYjmMUa6HL5vaS6EN7tAArYhyphenhyphen3NW5mc3iwevd2dXGYkYPwjJge_k8he85kPsMqd7jUTDU/s1600/KB%20French%20Russian%20POWs%202%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1600" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18m4BaUdcd2V7n6ssv-eZCzLyu3SPa2p-6NjtetORJ5LuScvZhLxA9MJ4x67_qIFb5EfTXwXMQDgARp7cDyTSR2e8ScnZFr0txyUcNz33G6ktTN_Zb9yy8lzYjmMUa6HL5vaS6EN7tAArYhyphenhyphen3NW5mc3iwevd2dXGYkYPwjJge_k8he85kPsMqd7jUTDU/w640-h416/KB%20French%20Russian%20POWs%202%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9nPtzMuJpyTBIhq3pOKrgUpH7V461_RfxahAvBxTyKZ50u6AEmk0hjinDVbvSSGWlgwEfq025SIC8QNtQFdtim6Lzr9vPjWaBeccXCrndLXesGnLwHe-Pd2d3iLgC8ZUN5MeDwSHz0cvqB8-GIYuOq-Onm8D_COIcIt5YbFnzbJbJqbTc3pv2nmbIkY/s2200/KB%20French%20Comrades%206%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1431" data-original-width="2200" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9nPtzMuJpyTBIhq3pOKrgUpH7V461_RfxahAvBxTyKZ50u6AEmk0hjinDVbvSSGWlgwEfq025SIC8QNtQFdtim6Lzr9vPjWaBeccXCrndLXesGnLwHe-Pd2d3iLgC8ZUN5MeDwSHz0cvqB8-GIYuOq-Onm8D_COIcIt5YbFnzbJbJqbTc3pv2nmbIkY/w640-h416/KB%20French%20Comrades%206%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">In this photo a group of seven French soldiers sit around a crudely-made low table for a simple meal. I think it is inside a barrack room. One man reads a thin magazine. This wasn't a spontaneous snapshot as the men appear distracted from each other, probably instructed to look away from the camera flash. Since all enemy soldiers were taken captive during a battle, they usually had only the uniforms the wore and the contents of their haversacks with maybe a blanket bedroll. Anything else had to be acquired in camp, either issued through the German camp authorities or bought using barter or camp scrip.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NaeZeo4LKT7aA6eiO46NpcJMR2JOYt_eqYRJLbt4mb8hGE2yeWRY5XysEFBgHvSPyY9Y-hhdjNmTMq_dWkSorXb2zYnzGq3OHCQsZ5zQkWJgbUISjqtecvFvIkoNw6RY_CbAJeaFNU_A-CAcXy0xRZDxniplHPXeQXbOv9dS-PfgWOj9qjPA4As6B90/s2000/KB%20Book%20Club%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2000" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NaeZeo4LKT7aA6eiO46NpcJMR2JOYt_eqYRJLbt4mb8hGE2yeWRY5XysEFBgHvSPyY9Y-hhdjNmTMq_dWkSorXb2zYnzGq3OHCQsZ5zQkWJgbUISjqtecvFvIkoNw6RY_CbAJeaFNU_A-CAcXy0xRZDxniplHPXeQXbOv9dS-PfgWOj9qjPA4As6B90/w640-h410/KB%20Book%20Club%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Here another group sit at a table and read. Hanging on the barrack wall behind them are several backpacks and cases. The photographer numbered the photo 3424 which implies there were many photos taken before this one. As postcards were a simple and efficient way for a soldier to communicate with his family, the Königsbrück camp may have commissioned one of the prisoners to take these photos. The images would both appeal to soldiers and, at the same time, work as propaganda to convey the impression that the POWs were being treated well.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This card was sent to Dejon by the same French soldier who sent the barrack street photo. I presume he is in this group but I think the name he has written on the bottom is that of a comrade. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPI2qYbQE_tLTMHIXQId9nsxGRXoJZwNOju9UzLjsG6F_KDK7UlpUy9MpUScCVE99XXH0Je8SDTHrj5PGrj-P5ILyM6Q3BI1Wvp6AtkJ9WgDSXI6u7cVZKuvKf4BeMcAAdRDBbVJhPkoNCHMYasZ4cgFd1TsEJS1_gDQUOCg5L9x675M97d4sN5xp_zfw/s2100/KB%20French%20Card%20Game%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1361" data-original-width="2100" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPI2qYbQE_tLTMHIXQId9nsxGRXoJZwNOju9UzLjsG6F_KDK7UlpUy9MpUScCVE99XXH0Je8SDTHrj5PGrj-P5ILyM6Q3BI1Wvp6AtkJ9WgDSXI6u7cVZKuvKf4BeMcAAdRDBbVJhPkoNCHMYasZ4cgFd1TsEJS1_gDQUOCg5L9x675M97d4sN5xp_zfw/w640-h414/KB%20French%20Card%20Game%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Card games have always been a favorite activity of soldiers since probably forever. Here a quartet of men play a game while a comrade watches from a bunk bed. There's no betting but the soldier on the left is keeping score. It's interesting to see coffee mugs hanging from pegs on the wall and an electric lamp is on the table. Penciled on the top right is <i>Décembre </i>1915. <br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNt0D_rrwOE_bA49rInVkFJ8UQ0nFLQ6Ho6MiyXMfaqQ2RVjsBGocDuomWCU2-NG3WGj6GkohGxiC5P8tKXufBC91Gd-dFK_DFf3IOnva7lxT_Fbt-GMJrxpBOaOyY1D7KNUPKSC842GzU1l93TxxIN961DDrTCgzr4r1E0srKJ3RM0dJbrzZWXEolpPM/s2100/KB%20French%20Checkers%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1336" data-original-width="2100" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNt0D_rrwOE_bA49rInVkFJ8UQ0nFLQ6Ho6MiyXMfaqQ2RVjsBGocDuomWCU2-NG3WGj6GkohGxiC5P8tKXufBC91Gd-dFK_DFf3IOnva7lxT_Fbt-GMJrxpBOaOyY1D7KNUPKSC842GzU1l93TxxIN961DDrTCgzr4r1E0srKJ3RM0dJbrzZWXEolpPM/w640-h408/KB%20French%20Checkers%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Board games were another way that soldiers could endure the interminable dullness of camp life, and here two men play a game of checkers, being closely followed by <u>most</u> of their comrades. A message in French is written on the photo along with place and date, <i>Königsbrück 9 Mars 1917</i>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Now reader can play a game too. Can you spot the differences between this photo and the previous one? They were both taken at the same place in the same barrack but at least one year apart. Any message on the front of the 1915 card would probably have been <i>verboten</i> and rejected by the censors, but by 1917 the rules seem to have relaxed a bit. <div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7T4BQCU9kteYMBYhIHvUtSkxEY2967X6lHWs2Fq3MnECeWoMN5nKdUwnvIx2oC8wKxh5VWA9BOU-T9mLUt2vtlMoZpLHrU00_919yM1mjfjM5yw52sasscgPW71_MOAjAGvA-Hni7aLkv-jTmXk9BJeLLC3WPpJ73bVzWmmTXWR1uMcopfrANawRDtc/s2200/KB%20French%20Card%20Game%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1394" data-original-width="2200" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7T4BQCU9kteYMBYhIHvUtSkxEY2967X6lHWs2Fq3MnECeWoMN5nKdUwnvIx2oC8wKxh5VWA9BOU-T9mLUt2vtlMoZpLHrU00_919yM1mjfjM5yw52sasscgPW71_MOAjAGvA-Hni7aLkv-jTmXk9BJeLLC3WPpJ73bVzWmmTXWR1uMcopfrANawRDtc/w640-h406/KB%20French%20Card%20Game%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Here a larger game of cards is played outdoors at a table. The Königsbrück camp was intended for enlisted and noncommissioned ranks and their uniforms often provide clues to the soldiers' units. But over time wardrobes wore out and were often replaced with an assortment of hats, garments, and footwear not found in military handbooks. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ACxv58Gzf7pI8FYx-eS5iBBjb9wsju_YjrMszKH9U2bsSfSVA4AlUbP8OkVcNhUaafAVpfV5kC9qgGlSVe0W9RzKX3UA6v4c-jy_c79w0flVe_-T3pjVdFUNyDJEyMYBYuxK4cRMXJR7NNuD8vqi7tQQNs00f1IWDxgUJbAuaPubmf3O3Ux5qeybmzs/s2300/KB%20Mailroom%201%20tst%20A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1449" data-original-width="2300" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ACxv58Gzf7pI8FYx-eS5iBBjb9wsju_YjrMszKH9U2bsSfSVA4AlUbP8OkVcNhUaafAVpfV5kC9qgGlSVe0W9RzKX3UA6v4c-jy_c79w0flVe_-T3pjVdFUNyDJEyMYBYuxK4cRMXJR7NNuD8vqi7tQQNs00f1IWDxgUJbAuaPubmf3O3Ux5qeybmzs/w640-h404/KB%20Mailroom%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The enemy prisoners held in Germany were entitled to send and receive letters and parcels. This photo shows either a mailroom or a soldiers' library as these men seem intent on some serious correspondence. I'm not certain about the logistics of the POW camps' postal service. I presume it was conducted using a neutral country like Switzerland, Denmark, or Sweden. It seems likely though that there was a long delay. Most of the personal messages are carefully dated and refer to recent letters to reassure correspondents that letters and parcels were received. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRm-EpFVZ4LcoQKxXvYg1gnhNseYX6ujpfOLDr2OWmjSLXBZsUJeZn6yd28BkIVURlrS5QKxwluIUgqTQ5hr5SePpHa6eE48hxYfYyU2pdpoxQT_4GHGASYsmYV4I3A2RJ0Yh26ZeG0ttNy7rA51T3RYVnf_KpAGo2zPm0bduDMKP3NsOTOEApWgwy54/s2100/KB%20French%20Comrades%204%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="2100" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRm-EpFVZ4LcoQKxXvYg1gnhNseYX6ujpfOLDr2OWmjSLXBZsUJeZn6yd28BkIVURlrS5QKxwluIUgqTQ5hr5SePpHa6eE48hxYfYyU2pdpoxQT_4GHGASYsmYV4I3A2RJ0Yh26ZeG0ttNy7rA51T3RYVnf_KpAGo2zPm0bduDMKP3NsOTOEApWgwy54/w640-h404/KB%20French%20Comrades%204%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A group photo was a popular style of photo for POWs. This one looks like a party as it includes a man seated on the floor playing a mandolin. Just to the right is a man at a table showing us his winning hand of cards. It has two aces and I think it's a full house which is appropriate for the 42 men of this barrack. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtD4odOT-bKVjzkTUD15q0jW3JCAtemnYp2oZwz-z1YLxVG00Yy7MkkbCiFCDUuIPm4U3B3MBfAPYegUH8nNUl-NwzmTR39wN_sgu5hFNeUbGIXyC_rZDSDBgATrS6lD3Q0ny_0x-3taXJHDzuOaV2qJL2wa8ajTZuRUvDZWmRTrIiNNaHVajy9eZsQk/s2000/KB%20French%20English%20Turko%20POWs%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1266" data-original-width="2000" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtD4odOT-bKVjzkTUD15q0jW3JCAtemnYp2oZwz-z1YLxVG00Yy7MkkbCiFCDUuIPm4U3B3MBfAPYegUH8nNUl-NwzmTR39wN_sgu5hFNeUbGIXyC_rZDSDBgATrS6lD3Q0ny_0x-3taXJHDzuOaV2qJL2wa8ajTZuRUvDZWmRTrIiNNaHVajy9eZsQk/w640-h406/KB%20French%20English%20Turko%20POWs%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I finish with a colorized photo postcard from Königsbrück of a small group of French, English, and <i>Turko </i>(Algerian) prisoners of war and their two German guards. This style of postcard was produced for the domestic market and was sent by a German soldier on 3 January 1916. It would be nearly three more years before these men could return home to their families.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGp4zsM4XKE1JHNTtOaw4aGtLc_l-KwZUmKPAJPXG2Vxm6IGez95hq7gnH3QC-y7a7S5wqx7fbzjurYsHaa7JZ7aFlNkh66Elflul5jeCOK6jq_M5EBCIVyfGBpaYfOoXmYWStXGWO6z6scoLgsXDW0Z3dnpKMByb7wG_AK24WS1QI0_zdv9r92YpQvg/s1600/KB%20French%20English%20Turko%20POWs%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="1600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGp4zsM4XKE1JHNTtOaw4aGtLc_l-KwZUmKPAJPXG2Vxm6IGez95hq7gnH3QC-y7a7S5wqx7fbzjurYsHaa7JZ7aFlNkh66Elflul5jeCOK6jq_M5EBCIVyfGBpaYfOoXmYWStXGWO6z6scoLgsXDW0Z3dnpKMByb7wG_AK24WS1QI0_zdv9r92YpQvg/w640-h410/KB%20French%20English%20Turko%20POWs%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What I like about these photos is that we see individual men and not faceless masses of marching soldiers. The men were granted salvation from the hell of warfare but condemned to a purgatory that was both a prison and something like a holiday resort. Though there is an element of propaganda in the images, I don't think this was overt disinformation or political promotion of a false narrative. As I hope to demonstrate, the prisoners at Königsbrück had freedom within the camp that was unusually liberal for this era. It raises a lot of questions for which I have not yet found answers, but I think the pictures do tell a good story.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Next weekend is theatre night at the Königsbrück POW camp. <br />Mark the date! You'll not want to miss this show.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/12/sepia-saturday-702-9th-december-2023.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where tea and cake always sounds nice.</b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/12/sepia-saturday-702-9th-december-2023.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlOtPoMRZCWC7kVPFfmLwqWj_5LYW9P14r70wJ3IU4FdVRYyW0HnMQbdJIM3t4XMybwn4gtoHSmFeyl-rDmnAmtymjoO7MatiDdsthq6LqCCPnwWsDwkI5oTHG3gYGdlwt05awwRraIC61h8gOfXSmLf6p9weeg3smSaReDw-VDNCI7FKBPp0LrwVZQQ/w400-h400/20231209%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-49630316102132619932023-12-02T17:38:00.001-05:002023-12-02T17:40:49.144-05:00Musical Freaks: The Horn Violin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73pPgPVJLyfdDTQ7ClCv4qwVnzxxrvRFgNwClFBy9pr2HtgPFxOA6npk0NpeDmyIbyv1obwzFKrbBc35kByejfRd-8PnVygVMS6cLgcT3s1EnxCYK6mn4S0fBWH2fLuhMhLcrA9wGJasQAKF0rql99W_c4MBuz9pAE5QMC1JnH1XmPkwyC93F0bbLyG8/s2000/Strohl%201%20tst%20N.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1354" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73pPgPVJLyfdDTQ7ClCv4qwVnzxxrvRFgNwClFBy9pr2HtgPFxOA6npk0NpeDmyIbyv1obwzFKrbBc35kByejfRd-8PnVygVMS6cLgcT3s1EnxCYK6mn4S0fBWH2fLuhMhLcrA9wGJasQAKF0rql99W_c4MBuz9pAE5QMC1JnH1XmPkwyC93F0bbLyG8/w434-h640/Strohl%201%20tst%20N.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I believe in ghosts<br />because I've seen them.<br />With a light shining behind<br />they are barely visible as <br />transparent phantoms <br />with strange shadowy features.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9QabKTRRxxEfcgUuHrvpfcE83jf37jajKwFRSYgCCEbloU74ZCUFCJWxVE1MBva6bKQXhsi1b-cY8IQRjKST6vTAxhyXu69HuHclp0ETleitg3mKulUIJM21YzrQoL7V_pvHQMI5xpCLfVwr7Rljb7dVM2go6pg1a40Ufy3DuFGdrE3-wiCmpIxUoH0/s2000/Strohl%202%20tst%20N.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1523" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9QabKTRRxxEfcgUuHrvpfcE83jf37jajKwFRSYgCCEbloU74ZCUFCJWxVE1MBva6bKQXhsi1b-cY8IQRjKST6vTAxhyXu69HuHclp0ETleitg3mKulUIJM21YzrQoL7V_pvHQMI5xpCLfVwr7Rljb7dVM2go6pg1a40Ufy3DuFGdrE3-wiCmpIxUoH0/w488-h640/Strohl%202%20tst%20N.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">They do not speak,<br />but some of these supernatural beings <br />do have musical talent and <br />can play instruments<br />that we cannot hear. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I present a story <br />about two of these musical ghosts<br />preserved on glass negatives<br />with their unearthly instrument,<br />the <b>Violinophone </b><br />or the <b>Horn Violin</b>.<br /><br />But first I must summon the digital fairies<br />to do their magic and restore the ghosts<br />into their mortal forms.<br /><br /><br /><@></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><<@>></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><<<@>>><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYSpDSBOCEUhMPVe_bC8rihiJKbynEIguQ4zJid10Cxxz-Yikbsh6mo-1gOYPtMLDB66skSGdoqCRi0FkAzglKF1mKyMmuRkzAWWiRx_0aJK1eBRhgMBW9g7rUdKcWF_apBsJpXpEHzLTgMTial9gRcndioE5LhzFF1v7LX4Ssu3DW4FLGstOf1CPaFA/s700/Stroh%20Violin%20Ghosts.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="700" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYSpDSBOCEUhMPVe_bC8rihiJKbynEIguQ4zJid10Cxxz-Yikbsh6mo-1gOYPtMLDB66skSGdoqCRi0FkAzglKF1mKyMmuRkzAWWiRx_0aJK1eBRhgMBW9g7rUdKcWF_apBsJpXpEHzLTgMTial9gRcndioE5LhzFF1v7LX4Ssu3DW4FLGstOf1CPaFA/w640-h442/Stroh%20Violin%20Ghosts.gif" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvT7jD9biiTdu7cwg5ze03OL5eiarA1xXo-En0wyVQ_WSPtraKEwjt9p3QxMyn8xJphgSUwnO0uvOkkA48yPWSaHWNtMRfQQXyk4JKDuin7jB6pmHlyX5XlJP89onGKBEZ7BeUjMCmynzekbND8-2l9tpZbg5MkJU_8MsEEPrlUXuF5EHD2offhniJnI/s2250/Strohl%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1523" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvT7jD9biiTdu7cwg5ze03OL5eiarA1xXo-En0wyVQ_WSPtraKEwjt9p3QxMyn8xJphgSUwnO0uvOkkA48yPWSaHWNtMRfQQXyk4JKDuin7jB6pmHlyX5XlJP89onGKBEZ7BeUjMCmynzekbND8-2l9tpZbg5MkJU_8MsEEPrlUXuF5EHD2offhniJnI/w434-h640/Strohl%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My first spirit is a young man dressed in formal white tie and tailcoat. He stands in a photographer's studio playing a violin that appears to have a brass horn bell attached to the chin rest. He gazes into the camera lens with a faint hint of a smile.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4RvUEULLUWm4bahk9zDn96ECV0pFTw1fqqk1uu7NGWZPsmISAlbFcLme9vx55hG5uGIOUAcxYfNLlqyvBaWTR6cdLhaEknsF4ljbdGaxrS7zMFMc8pVRcZn7QLJ0h_Ya37T_ZZJxjRxLKT7UmpJekFnNho8uA9Jq0-sb5GybX8EgzoClm0eEGYVpBDk/s1900/Strohl%201%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1621" data-original-width="1900" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4RvUEULLUWm4bahk9zDn96ECV0pFTw1fqqk1uu7NGWZPsmISAlbFcLme9vx55hG5uGIOUAcxYfNLlqyvBaWTR6cdLhaEknsF4ljbdGaxrS7zMFMc8pVRcZn7QLJ0h_Ya37T_ZZJxjRxLKT7UmpJekFnNho8uA9Jq0-sb5GybX8EgzoClm0eEGYVpBDk/w640-h546/Strohl%201%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Most of the instrument is clearly a violin with its familiar curvaceous body, fingerboard, scroll, and of course, bow and strings, too. But above the man's head is a flared bell of a brass instrument very similar to the diameter of a horn, roughly 12 inches, which is larger than bells of trombones or trumpets. When I first encountered these ghostly glass negatives listed on eBay I recognized that the musician holds an uncommon instrument which I only knew from books on the history of obscure musical instruments. It was a hybrid instrument designed to solve an acoustic problem of the early days of sound recording. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM5ycJW7x2LGt_zIYY9c48P8QFBMO1UjCmbtVcaAQr4EAQPbPOaepVHNm91JrsoyxQq3XRnNg6Q7JIHxUuvcxPqFP7Y3LM4zPtYJUgbLk3qihhpy-cdIzzndYB8bMyt6PBcEsbG6sHcQW2ae1B8prCvk0m6RzQKg7WvScU59wf0jEkS4lojyDx9_M7QA/s957/Beardsley.Elgar_acoustic_session.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="957" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM5ycJW7x2LGt_zIYY9c48P8QFBMO1UjCmbtVcaAQr4EAQPbPOaepVHNm91JrsoyxQq3XRnNg6Q7JIHxUuvcxPqFP7Y3LM4zPtYJUgbLk3qihhpy-cdIzzndYB8bMyt6PBcEsbG6sHcQW2ae1B8prCvk0m6RzQKg7WvScU59wf0jEkS4lojyDx9_M7QA/w640-h508/Beardsley.Elgar_acoustic_session.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sir Edward Elgar in a recording session<br />with members or the London Symphony Orchestra in 1914<br />Source: Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_sound_recording#The_Acoustic_Era_(1877%E2%80%931925)" target="_blank">first recording studios</a> did not use microphones, which had not been invented yet, but instead relied on the acoustic energy of sound waves funneled into huge megaphones that transmitted sonic vibrations into a needle that then recorded the music onto a wax cylinder or disc. This was an age of low fidelity recordings that captured only a portion of the full sonic spectrum. In order to record an orchestra since brass instruments were the loudest they were positioned at the back of the studio, with French horn players facing backward with their bells turned toward the megaphone. Woodwind instruments were closer but players had to raise their bells for solo passages. String instruments inherently make a diffuse sound so these players were seated closest to the recording megaphone. The nuance of concert hall dynamics were generally ignored and instead musicians just played loud and louder. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBL3WEAAm6Apzc4XZWt575Ub3DyUU75LN02kXiW8jL17HFOvdRi9CPZybTmNYB60I9J0DBj_fZjvxpX7x2DSn9yi32ARviYSi4dhC_hwHHC2KEVioIcoG5D1iNbhr0EVGVFqfC2v-pD0VuYgmoEq9sVFonW6DLiEJ-rgD5Tou5PF4jmNV4hSFr1BD9BA/s1192/Edison_Recording_Studio_New_York_1916.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1192" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBL3WEAAm6Apzc4XZWt575Ub3DyUU75LN02kXiW8jL17HFOvdRi9CPZybTmNYB60I9J0DBj_fZjvxpX7x2DSn9yi32ARviYSi4dhC_hwHHC2KEVioIcoG5D1iNbhr0EVGVFqfC2v-pD0VuYgmoEq9sVFonW6DLiEJ-rgD5Tou5PF4jmNV4hSFr1BD9BA/w640-h514/Edison_Recording_Studio_New_York_1916.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edison Recording Studio, New York, NY 1916<br />Source: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edison_Recording_Studio_New_York_1916.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Reproducing a proper musical instrument sound was a major challenge in the first era of recording when only mechanical machines were available for picking up acoustic waves. It was not until the advent of electronic technology in the mid-1920s that more sensitive devices could register the full tones of music and voices. But in prior decades many inventors created a different kind of violin that used simple physics to give a violin a bigger dynamic range.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRfEG8ouW487XAIRmR-H2ZVJ-XP4cutm9pWl5-vGzUdVlSoheoE2O_WY1INaPP5nD0dCB6Byw0zxCHDZwdQzQOOpFzNyF41rxVmViq0NsdbcAkDpfMeqprJsJuriJhyaxPUoHlOfn_SY6CfBRjSrxyubIY6RrQiIBSQvwIIybeHtahj-lO6eoZcah48A/s1463/Jar%20Krumphans%20Praha%20Resophonic%20Violin%20c1900%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1463" data-original-width="1321" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRfEG8ouW487XAIRmR-H2ZVJ-XP4cutm9pWl5-vGzUdVlSoheoE2O_WY1INaPP5nD0dCB6Byw0zxCHDZwdQzQOOpFzNyF41rxVmViq0NsdbcAkDpfMeqprJsJuriJhyaxPUoHlOfn_SY6CfBRjSrxyubIY6RrQiIBSQvwIIybeHtahj-lO6eoZcah48A/w578-h640/Jar%20Krumphans%20Praha%20Resophonic%20Violin%20c1900%20A.jpg" width="578" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jar Krumphans Resophonic Violin, c. 1900<br />Source: Retrofret.com </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The clever solution was to graft a metal horn bell onto a violin which would amplify the string sound and gave it a more directional sonority like a brass instrument. The horn-violin instrument above was made in Prague in the 1900s, then part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, and called a Resophonic Violin or a Violinophone. Its construction is very similar to the instrument in my first ghost photo. The conical bell tubing is connected to a metal resonator under a traditional violin bridge that receives the strings' vibrations. Notice that like most band instruments the bell has a lyre for sheet music. Maybe this instrument was intended for use in a marching band? <br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifaXbT4N4E_VCtfxusHcsHohFSIxcweRM5nJT5mZ0CF6d05Mlxe_LB1XDVIVR9oH7oBLJGDuhWjq0o7-2-57OjhpIcbYMryQY9tdkNh8PLHty63VMwC-FXgVXhOKw3XU9ICG7n9pXoFMo44YOarKKjx4u0xl2eQMY1y-aLFLNwE2GrXmriEuVRHtaM95E/s2500/Strohl%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifaXbT4N4E_VCtfxusHcsHohFSIxcweRM5nJT5mZ0CF6d05Mlxe_LB1XDVIVR9oH7oBLJGDuhWjq0o7-2-57OjhpIcbYMryQY9tdkNh8PLHty63VMwC-FXgVXhOKw3XU9ICG7n9pXoFMo44YOarKKjx4u0xl2eQMY1y-aLFLNwE2GrXmriEuVRHtaM95E/w488-h640/Strohl%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My second phantom musician is also in formal wear and in a photographer's studio. He stands on a fur carpet with his eyes closed, passionately playing a standard violin. But resting on a small table next to him is another Violinophone with a large bell. I can't say that the two musicians are the same man. They are roughly the same height (measured by the length of their violin bows) and they share a similar facial structure, but the similarities are not entirely convincing for me. However the instrument does look the same, though with the bell twisted over to the left, perhaps in order to balance it on the tabletop. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NFqQDjbQQHTMS4F4mYCZwCdblH7mVb7z7lVd57-dTuahGp2lH9PgawpW355QPT32sDnVs4AiOnzBbqIhRGc5wBxItyUkNAmxNksC9gAHglt8sBqA1ThbijcInWkTsPuIrNxDQq9FRWFuSuHyVI6FkRDv-A3HJkf0h3brKrvYjP9UzUGcpBsMy3s1qyE/s1500/Strohl%202%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="1500" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NFqQDjbQQHTMS4F4mYCZwCdblH7mVb7z7lVd57-dTuahGp2lH9PgawpW355QPT32sDnVs4AiOnzBbqIhRGc5wBxItyUkNAmxNksC9gAHglt8sBqA1ThbijcInWkTsPuIrNxDQq9FRWFuSuHyVI6FkRDv-A3HJkf0h3brKrvYjP9UzUGcpBsMy3s1qyE/w640-h624/Strohl%202%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>My ghost violinists were preserved on the most fragile of photographic ephemera, thin glass plate negatives, roughly 4¼" x 3¼". Where the photos were taken is unknown but I have a hunch they are European in origin and date from around 1910-1920. How they survived is another matter as negatives are delicate vessels that contain the camera lens' original light. I believe they likely came from a photographer's studio, as only a photographer would save negatives for posterity.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJj7I-1kwWPZ9Ix-rfFchj3VaisxJ3F_3Qwr_CcMAV3NUORlwuENYTY0O48woAuGFZ5PqlOxen_PX9yn5nVpwicZThLEW0VOOQiMcgDGteOQjo8PbqCcSBXTKfEk3YZWT8yXCM4S2W2xoLhwY88fv-_oF7XmFVJOjv9O22_xZVNhP-yVbSt72B5a3Iag/s1280/Violinophone.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="1280" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJj7I-1kwWPZ9Ix-rfFchj3VaisxJ3F_3Qwr_CcMAV3NUORlwuENYTY0O48woAuGFZ5PqlOxen_PX9yn5nVpwicZThLEW0VOOQiMcgDGteOQjo8PbqCcSBXTKfEk3YZWT8yXCM4S2W2xoLhwY88fv-_oF7XmFVJOjv9O22_xZVNhP-yVbSt72B5a3Iag/w640-h272/Violinophone.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violinophone built by Klaus Eberle, c. 2020<br />Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroh_violin#Similar_designs" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The horn-violin instrument is perhaps better known as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroh_violin#" target="_blank">Stroh Violin</a>, an instrument patented in London in 1899 by Johannes Matthias Augustus Stroh, an electrical engineer from Frankfurt, Germany. His design was successfully manufactured by George Evans & Co. from 1909–1942. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ho8GRjJV-PDVDRN7bcnRcJfy84obU456UrOVSvt1VeuK7Ic1ZE7_56StylsNmM94iKBQfNxIKVgNIzFdd44Vb6vP_Khdu8-7RqKmk4AefKsTf0ynTN6m3Vg7lxWCf2KZtwwzko-m97QeOXk6EJzwE82TbRUeQboOwmpNF9X-zhRajuglmJxhmiHXkpY/s1239/1239px-Violon_de_jazz_a_pavillon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1239" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ho8GRjJV-PDVDRN7bcnRcJfy84obU456UrOVSvt1VeuK7Ic1ZE7_56StylsNmM94iKBQfNxIKVgNIzFdd44Vb6vP_Khdu8-7RqKmk4AefKsTf0ynTN6m3Vg7lxWCf2KZtwwzko-m97QeOXk6EJzwE82TbRUeQboOwmpNF9X-zhRajuglmJxhmiHXkpY/w640-h528/1239px-Violon_de_jazz_a_pavillon.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">two views of a Stroh Violin<br />Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroh_violin#" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div>The bell is smaller and affixed to a minimal violin "stick" just stout enough to withstand the string tension but without the regular violin body. It resembles a modern electric violin but here the sound is amplified by simple acoustic principles that send the sound vibrations through the bridge to a small resonator disc, not unlike the disc on an early wind-up gramophone, and then out through the bell. </div><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRh6wAeYim4JdmZPIhOtOQB72faoZubPdaBBZVw8SrkuJqkoPUwjKTk7hE23ynops_cfKC6T1WpHmHtZkMRZxrZrAKz4-uWKDSTaeir6uud7Pv7WVu74Rhb6hnSb8oAvSaGwmu0s4jYDZUlxEs0OJlDEBxJsqp9X3oaXQvVRKWJxEqMCx4-PBdcYd24c/s1412/1902-02%20The%20Strand%20Magazine,%20Stroh%20Violin%20p1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1412" data-original-width="905" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRh6wAeYim4JdmZPIhOtOQB72faoZubPdaBBZVw8SrkuJqkoPUwjKTk7hE23ynops_cfKC6T1WpHmHtZkMRZxrZrAKz4-uWKDSTaeir6uud7Pv7WVu74Rhb6hnSb8oAvSaGwmu0s4jYDZUlxEs0OJlDEBxJsqp9X3oaXQvVRKWJxEqMCx4-PBdcYd24c/w410-h640/1902-02%20The%20Strand%20Magazine,%20Stroh%20Violin%20p1.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Strand Magazine</i><br />February 1902</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The Stroh was featured in magazines as a modern scientific improvement on the old luthier craftsmanship. The bell was patterned after the cornet, the premier solo wind instrument of the time, and made from aluminum, which was then a new material which did not yet have the connotations of cheapness it does now. At the time it was not an inexpensive instrument as it sold for 4 to 6 times the price for a good factory-made violin. It was first marketed to professional violinists to use in theaters and music halls which had limited space for a large string section. Eventually the idea of adding a horn amplifier to a string instrument was incorporated with the viola, cello, double bass, ukulele, mandolin, and guitar. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSKtMM0Q9dNEYtvDQSjCCj2WLaC-7EHiPyxZgRx1vrMSDox6-GIUUQWotGzQAlQaJpgsPxopMALWMW0GcjHZfjluGuzVAeg7BSXOJpI5ZHbXKTqf6Ziux3jZ2hr3tq6yDDvQT_lWmSrgxhXt0EFJ1FOBBSp3_6fBEyFLspUNRNZYE9kZSpx5rRWa6h_4/s1357/1912-01%20The%20Violinist,%20new%20Stroh%20violin%20p1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1357" data-original-width="928" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSKtMM0Q9dNEYtvDQSjCCj2WLaC-7EHiPyxZgRx1vrMSDox6-GIUUQWotGzQAlQaJpgsPxopMALWMW0GcjHZfjluGuzVAeg7BSXOJpI5ZHbXKTqf6Ziux3jZ2hr3tq6yDDvQT_lWmSrgxhXt0EFJ1FOBBSp3_6fBEyFLspUNRNZYE9kZSpx5rRWa6h_4/w438-h640/1912-01%20The%20Violinist,%20new%20Stroh%20violin%20p1.jpg" width="438" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Violinist</i>, January 1912</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Stroh Violin was introduced to American musicians a few years later and used by the Victrola Company in its recordings. In 1912 a Texas violin teacher, Mr. Conway Shaw, promoted the instrument to The Violinist, a leading American music magazine. He claimed that "one Stroh had the volume of 10 or 11 ordinary violins; so that two of them for each part, as against the usual number of wind instruments, gave the proper balance, and could be placed to take a good record." The reporter agreed that the Stroh violin made a stronger sound but he was not so impressed that it would replace the traditional violin.<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4J84PTGcxwxaafgn3ZDnG-v-uwlWoZ6u7IslrMZxYaFg8I0pCGn0XGvCKhpLeNkJOHQ-e6j_yklNULVPpNoiXeF4GtfQcko7eccbClz0pdQutdFrk0CNJb7rx2poT8mxy4hyphenhyphennRBrQNV8O_G8MFHgxl3iW2lyCFVlsCL9xrl_AwbNGZpOEWjvJel5APZQ/s891/1901-05-25%20St%20Johns%20AZ%20Herald%20-%20violin%20horn%20invention%20CROP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="891" data-original-width="690" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4J84PTGcxwxaafgn3ZDnG-v-uwlWoZ6u7IslrMZxYaFg8I0pCGn0XGvCKhpLeNkJOHQ-e6j_yklNULVPpNoiXeF4GtfQcko7eccbClz0pdQutdFrk0CNJb7rx2poT8mxy4hyphenhyphennRBrQNV8O_G8MFHgxl3iW2lyCFVlsCL9xrl_AwbNGZpOEWjvJel5APZQ/w496-h640/1901-05-25%20St%20Johns%20AZ%20Herald%20-%20violin%20horn%20invention%20CROP.jpg" width="496" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Johns AZ Herald<br />25 May 1901<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>In an Arizona newspaper article from May 1901 it was reported that a Swedish-American inventor, Alex Lundgren, had created his version of a hybrid horn violin that he called a "violo-horn." Mr. Lungren, who worked in the "marqueterie" (decorative wood inlay) department of the Pullman railcar company in Pullman, Illinois had been inspired after listening to a violin and horn duet to combine the two instruments. He had shown his instrument to a few friends in Chicago and expected to have it placed on the market soon. The illustration with the article shows an instrument with a horn similar to the one in my photos. Unfortunately there was not enough description to know if the horn part of the "violo-horn" came with a a mouthpiece.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIwPgQKofjrQH6-aNcZOoVZ66G52d0dJLPMCq1ezlazDxwzkUIdxNhe-9P1xzAi1Mp5ohX-wPevQhDaPfPQBG57r1kQ3ZrOiHE3VWSPM1B8wRG49y5OnbMxoK_R2g-F8P1Zl_9f-yHbJC-tT0JZSASS0VFP_PyHs36X7TDMzwk0TlavgcWnripEuC7SA/s750/Beardsley.Victor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="750" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIwPgQKofjrQH6-aNcZOoVZ66G52d0dJLPMCq1ezlazDxwzkUIdxNhe-9P1xzAi1Mp5ohX-wPevQhDaPfPQBG57r1kQ3ZrOiHE3VWSPM1B8wRG49y5OnbMxoK_R2g-F8P1Zl_9f-yHbJC-tT0JZSASS0VFP_PyHs36X7TDMzwk0TlavgcWnripEuC7SA/w640-h492/Beardsley.Victor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: right;">Recording session at Victor Records studio<br />Source: Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">In this undated photo of another early recording studio at Victor Record Company we can see another arrangement of a small orchestra around the recording megaphone. A single cellist is seated on a table bench practically on top of the violins. The nearest violinist and two at back center are playing Stroh violins. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprBUfPlo-sZWKxsq9qiTd8zLu-MzTUfM296a0ROMrPs1GOYLpLcFiAj_14JCUZxZsvnXjSNB2iaxb6iHbSTF6X28nWdU9jZ8maiHOxhPg8cw5yPG53uIhJ1O5ztpJeRWIK2U4t-5RDnyva5ubAhEmq1p-Gg8ET0C1muEcvdhgoLt48AqKzadFELODFs8/s1200/Viol%C3%AD_de_botzina,_MDMB_1120,_Museu_de_la_M%C3%BAsica_de_Barcelona.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprBUfPlo-sZWKxsq9qiTd8zLu-MzTUfM296a0ROMrPs1GOYLpLcFiAj_14JCUZxZsvnXjSNB2iaxb6iHbSTF6X28nWdU9jZ8maiHOxhPg8cw5yPG53uIhJ1O5ztpJeRWIK2U4t-5RDnyva5ubAhEmq1p-Gg8ET0C1muEcvdhgoLt48AqKzadFELODFs8/w640-h426/Viol%C3%AD_de_botzina,_MDMB_1120,_Museu_de_la_M%C3%BAsica_de_Barcelona.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stroh violin at the Museu de la Música de Barcelona<br />Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroh_violin" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">There is no longer a need for the Stroh violin in recording studios. With modern sound engineering a few instruments can now be easily multiplied into 101 strings. But the horn violin is still played in the traditional music of Transylvania and the Romani people. Their folk instrument takes the simple construction of the Stroh violin and adds their own handicraft ideas.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5_sr9fpoXLLTWqIjPDw7ZID-ddZ9SQtenzgvhk9uJij2leHwUlQnF3CUpZ0J-gOEEb3J8SBrPEPQJabfuVnscly6rDL29ANuqQA5UvKn2mNez8eX_AdZRCnO-G52nH8C3S5vJtkISRE4XtJO-U9_E19PxUnOXb4WF84-GTUXdF3MuN7_5bVZ4-rjv4Y/s1327/@_Horn-violin_(Trumpet-violin)_Detail.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1327" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5_sr9fpoXLLTWqIjPDw7ZID-ddZ9SQtenzgvhk9uJij2leHwUlQnF3CUpZ0J-gOEEb3J8SBrPEPQJabfuVnscly6rDL29ANuqQA5UvKn2mNez8eX_AdZRCnO-G52nH8C3S5vJtkISRE4XtJO-U9_E19PxUnOXb4WF84-GTUXdF3MuN7_5bVZ4-rjv4Y/w640-h520/@_Horn-violin_(Trumpet-violin)_Detail.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of Romanian Stroh type violin bridge and diaphragm resonator<br />Source: Wikipedia </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here is a <a href="https://youtu.be/VdctsYXTey4?si=t4mww6FRaCEaWIKV" target="_blank">short video</a> of a busker playing a Romanian style horn-violin. He was filmed on a street in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. Notice how despite lacking a violin's wooden body the instrument's bell amplifies the string sound very much as a trumpet's bell does for a player's lip vibrations. But without the need for a spit-valve. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="389" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VdctsYXTey4" width="468" youtube-src-id="VdctsYXTey4"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I could only find one video of someone playing an instrument like the Violinophone in my two photos. The <a href="https://youtu.be/W5wN9k935I4?si=C4EKNDKcgjnEdVSy" target="_blank">performance</a> is of the Originální Pražský Synkopický Orchestr from a concert in Prague's Blues Cellar on 26 May 2098. The musician on violinophone is Jan Šimůnek. His solo begins about 1:10 into the video. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W5wN9k935I4" width="439" youtube-src-id="W5wN9k935I4"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Notice how the bell is twisted around and above his head, not unlike a bass helicon or sousaphone. I wonder if someone has tried melding a tuba with a double bass. That kind of hybrid would make a monster Steampunk Franken-instrument! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/11/sepia-saturday-701-2nd-december-2023.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where mother's stories are always best.</b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/11/sepia-saturday-701-2nd-december-2023.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTyBjMV3Qebz2N1ofr-M5u7i3iTpshs8_weDe1eP100lZR7ql_vCvhuAcYV8sot-qbj16tb08eCfV5l6dgjP-qXD9zpTLTcOB5QLhswik6LAPo2zNmLzdHCRGJU2aj62X4K820Lrjfq_Y5kAR1tS-jAcm03y56G1VqY3wvYbB2HhRFfxzWF6957SMZSQ/w400-h400/20231202%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> </div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-33839989068686119402023-11-25T22:49:00.001-05:002023-11-25T22:50:06.321-05:00Bands on Parade<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphQLc3Q92jqRYKsxinJ-XKNFk-YI8gPY7plcAF9AQUWc1yMyN49oaj0Fm8E9fbRZMKBwE1zQRW1tQ38sB_hStXV6nzW2m1ahcVKUdcKuqmg9fEF92au_NEF3EeLTtXcQ7-BwSL6-TuiPMNbvzceJLZfsDJ2Bi5EwMwWpqaSX83FQVs9ELrU4qDwDZe_k/s1270/Clearfield%20IA%20Band%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1248" data-original-width="1270" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphQLc3Q92jqRYKsxinJ-XKNFk-YI8gPY7plcAF9AQUWc1yMyN49oaj0Fm8E9fbRZMKBwE1zQRW1tQ38sB_hStXV6nzW2m1ahcVKUdcKuqmg9fEF92au_NEF3EeLTtXcQ7-BwSL6-TuiPMNbvzceJLZfsDJ2Bi5EwMwWpqaSX83FQVs9ELrU4qDwDZe_k/w640-h628/Clearfield%20IA%20Band%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><span style="font-size: medium;">A long time ago Americans used to love a parade. If there was a special occasion, a holiday, a visiting dignitary, or a society convention there was always a parade. And if people were going to march, there had to be a band to lead the procession. <br /></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ykIelGjQhMsJR5oe9TpVvQuqZZ9dJYdaxGraqxSB3K7oUs6ityI-5AwmRX2cQjfqUJdv9mq-gHH6tCle4OMh1DruugVfLaQFXCo0b-ITD2RqtGVJP0rGkJv1Z0bFNytXUcHoLK1tzpEZCSJstx2EDwixHenLG5o_Q8Vo1X8qxgxhPQI30YFmxcZs0G0/s1800/Crookston%20MN%20Band%202%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="1800" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ykIelGjQhMsJR5oe9TpVvQuqZZ9dJYdaxGraqxSB3K7oUs6ityI-5AwmRX2cQjfqUJdv9mq-gHH6tCle4OMh1DruugVfLaQFXCo0b-ITD2RqtGVJP0rGkJv1Z0bFNytXUcHoLK1tzpEZCSJstx2EDwixHenLG5o_Q8Vo1X8qxgxhPQI30YFmxcZs0G0/w640-h436/Crookston%20MN%20Band%202%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Town bands were a popular way of promoting a community's commercial and retail interests. A city parade was a moving concert that drew a crowd and gave merchants a chance to advertise their stores. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoN-wBvMo2SSu6Ehy8qSsbbIkPlE7UAIUFjGC1Wj2yGrP4T1YtvzmGcQp6fi6rXSB3h3HpHYuUxA3LoaeCvdYHZRzsn0jDCC3XCfxz1i_ZaiIVfaICf0r7Qi4wkLawll-PuXgYItA5cjsLLMtD92ZNHmsa7p5EXbHuW5c0g_Fatw9kyfMR112FbYbHe8/s2207/Minot%20ND%20Concert%20Bamd%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1610" data-original-width="2207" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoN-wBvMo2SSu6Ehy8qSsbbIkPlE7UAIUFjGC1Wj2yGrP4T1YtvzmGcQp6fi6rXSB3h3HpHYuUxA3LoaeCvdYHZRzsn0jDCC3XCfxz1i_ZaiIVfaICf0r7Qi4wkLawll-PuXgYItA5cjsLLMtD92ZNHmsa7p5EXbHuW5c0g_Fatw9kyfMR112FbYbHe8/w640-h466/Minot%20ND%20Concert%20Bamd%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The band's instruments were shiny and their uniforms were flashy. The music didn't have to be sophisticated to attract attention, just loud, brash and with a strong beat. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgLJ8R-xkZSkKpTY77SOnk7sXYRbYQxYSoW9ieFJL_IsjMEarsapNkiY-u0B07hrC7p-spHF-9bhKZgNwZJKJqCnfM7yI4erUNgfpuW9On13u89c2qHZO4-DQg9wcNudAKRRjJjj6DMjEFYDmZap5pz4cTtEAVPc-VZR6ZPq6MM4iEFuiB3z98u8ryEs/s522/Wheaton%20MN%20Band,%20Main%20St%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="522" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgLJ8R-xkZSkKpTY77SOnk7sXYRbYQxYSoW9ieFJL_IsjMEarsapNkiY-u0B07hrC7p-spHF-9bhKZgNwZJKJqCnfM7yI4erUNgfpuW9On13u89c2qHZO4-DQg9wcNudAKRRjJjj6DMjEFYDmZap5pz4cTtEAVPc-VZR6ZPq6MM4iEFuiB3z98u8ryEs/w640-h482/Wheaton%20MN%20Band,%20Main%20St%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In a small town the members of the band would be friends and neighbors that everyone knew. In the time before recorded music, before radio and motion pictures with sound , live music and parades were spectacles that everyone in a community wanted to see.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I present a set of postcards<br />featuring four bands on parade.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFrAt5tIHsRPXyAWmOr_k0DUM4dFMlex5CWZVGYa6zO-ErGNCpVf6X6ViLgnXtQntHAJMWdKwK5tdCfrDtxhDUtmxwBmnQ5gmZKg5hmWUoFs9p7Lfci5SAJFByv_JWYkpQjBJq6E6xKMD5F924O6SWoIMiawmZMYC1SUPiEp2p_GzIOdfOjATHUYvE3c/s2400/Clearfield%20IA%20Band%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1525" data-original-width="2400" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFrAt5tIHsRPXyAWmOr_k0DUM4dFMlex5CWZVGYa6zO-ErGNCpVf6X6ViLgnXtQntHAJMWdKwK5tdCfrDtxhDUtmxwBmnQ5gmZKg5hmWUoFs9p7Lfci5SAJFByv_JWYkpQjBJq6E6xKMD5F924O6SWoIMiawmZMYC1SUPiEp2p_GzIOdfOjATHUYvE3c/w640-h406/Clearfield%20IA%20Band%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My first postcard is the only true photograph in this cavalcade of parades. It shows a brass band (with one or two clarinets) of about 15, all men with a few young boys, set up in a simple marching formation on a dirt street. They wear white shirts and ties with a few in suit coats. It looks like a warm summer day. In the background is a long block of shops with a sizeable number of people hidden under the shop awnings that cover the sidewalk. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This postcard was sent from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearfield,_Iowa" target="_blank">Clearfield, Iowa</a> on 22 June 1907 to Ralph Jarvis of Jolley, Iowa. Clearfield is in southwest Iowa near the state's border with Missouri. 1900 was when it had its peak population of 698 but in 2020 that number has declined to just 278. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolley,_Iowa" target="_blank">Jolley, Iowa</a> is in central Iowa, about 140 miles north of Clearfield, and it reached its height in 1920 with 300 residents. Today its population is just 28. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIAV75eED0rKb4wMjdeiFmdQj4VDeFRkAZMW_cALyBl3TFwXRxSlP2UAtsGh6si550K1F-IqD2O9Ie5sCz355LNLDzeTHOD8X-fSnOn8MZKm5FfaOwCLBtjeZ18wlbZy-B2cvnyBAH7jP3Y91Vg0SiEIlGbF8pvKLgk6t6V5F8yD5MBf7G57jlsuNG1w/s1600/Clearfield%20IA%20Band%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="1600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIAV75eED0rKb4wMjdeiFmdQj4VDeFRkAZMW_cALyBl3TFwXRxSlP2UAtsGh6si550K1F-IqD2O9Ie5sCz355LNLDzeTHOD8X-fSnOn8MZKm5FfaOwCLBtjeZ18wlbZy-B2cvnyBAH7jP3Y91Vg0SiEIlGbF8pvKLgk6t6V5F8yD5MBf7G57jlsuNG1w/w640-h410/Clearfield%20IA%20Band%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: large;"><i>Do you know<br />this place<br /><br />Mamma</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2z2EyKpKhXMfrKTmjIxKnfo6OCurdqo6vTkhTkROdPJVtEoS0I9ZBkH-oqKUp2ZSluevfxkyPVSOl9XlZ4Db44l3FeR1r-HV0VoujcjHhMZsrWWlBDkqZ7UApB75tiyaJYysnjH74uYmAUHM7l5MoUikXS8O9p_rcDFcALm4YAo0wOGJmmkkaWJYJAk/s1405/Clearfield%20IA,%20Broadway%20St,%20%202021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1405" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2z2EyKpKhXMfrKTmjIxKnfo6OCurdqo6vTkhTkROdPJVtEoS0I9ZBkH-oqKUp2ZSluevfxkyPVSOl9XlZ4Db44l3FeR1r-HV0VoujcjHhMZsrWWlBDkqZ7UApB75tiyaJYysnjH74uYmAUHM7l5MoUikXS8O9p_rcDFcALm4YAo0wOGJmmkkaWJYJAk/w640-h380/Clearfield%20IA,%20Broadway%20St,%20%202021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearfield, Iowa<br />Broadway St. <br />Source: Google Maps 2021</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The current 2021 Google streetview of Clearfield's Main Street, now called Broadway, shows the block with a recognizable frontage that retains the distinctive arch and hourglass brickwork seen in the 1907 photo. The shop awnings are gone and most of the retail ships look closed but Clearfield's post office occupies one of the old spaces in the block. It doesn't convey any sense of being as prosperous a place as it did in 1907.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"><b>* * *</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuxs6KRdheloMQThAYLeQuYTBCWjUIdiZzDojh0nJJVOTAG8OLaS_H-8L6K29rmMRDHZTgXignNCoO-XmjCpX66HoVhRCnvA79qcz7rvWLEiqYYetuNllVeGb9tm6K1Hup0eJOYB_ugx5aiEMF4yVokdJcaPtrQ3VLj_gzMOg84o1Ir_t6A_4BBc9uDY/s2400/Crookston%20MN%20Band%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1526" data-original-width="2400" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuxs6KRdheloMQThAYLeQuYTBCWjUIdiZzDojh0nJJVOTAG8OLaS_H-8L6K29rmMRDHZTgXignNCoO-XmjCpX66HoVhRCnvA79qcz7rvWLEiqYYetuNllVeGb9tm6K1Hup0eJOYB_ugx5aiEMF4yVokdJcaPtrQ3VLj_gzMOg84o1Ir_t6A_4BBc9uDY/w640-h406/Crookston%20MN%20Band%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next postcard is of a parade with a band leading a line of marchers. The illustration was probably copied from a photo and then colorized on a half-tone print. A caption reads: 2nd Street Crookston, Minn. A large building on the street corner behind the band looks like a hotel. A clothing store is on the opposite side.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crookston,_Minnesota" target="_blank">Crookston</a> is in northwest Minnesota near the border with North Dakota and located in the vast Red River Valley. In 1910 it was a thriving city with 7,559 citizens, very close to its present population of 7,323. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This card was sent on 6 February 1912 to Sister Nora Ambroson of North Leavitt St. in Chicago, Illinois. The address is on a block that is now a large modern hospital complex, but in 1912 it was near the location of Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital. This small hospital was established in 1894 by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth to serve Chicago's Polish community. I believe the writer is a former nurse sister at the hospital who has moved to Crookston. Reading between the lines she sounds a bit lonesome.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJBn6itkXHDRlJBN_F3i641UhYLuStYF7xuuMrhKJaXxpzJsQuq1dxez-TJm_AmmJn4MyxV8H5n7UKAJXPgTJFPJrVrP7FsZ-GyUC1t7asuQbm4eI1vIRWTe8iMkzle2dJWlSz8nQMhSoi4mgmcq926Ycy2KpSDV4o6ikeTshA_m-lxAGFKl3NlWDioM/s1600/Minot%20ND%20Concert%20Bamd%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1600" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJBn6itkXHDRlJBN_F3i641UhYLuStYF7xuuMrhKJaXxpzJsQuq1dxez-TJm_AmmJn4MyxV8H5n7UKAJXPgTJFPJrVrP7FsZ-GyUC1t7asuQbm4eI1vIRWTe8iMkzle2dJWlSz8nQMhSoi4mgmcq926Ycy2KpSDV4o6ikeTshA_m-lxAGFKl3NlWDioM/w640-h412/Minot%20ND%20Concert%20Bamd%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>Crookston 2/ 6/ 12<br />Dear Sister:<br />How are you<br />and all the others on<br />first floor? Have you<br />been very busy since<br />I left. I have not had<br />a word from any one<br />at home yet since I left<br />so I hope you will write<br />if you have any time.<br />Greet all from me. I am feeling (top)<br />fine and having a good<br />time up here. Who are<br />working with you now?<br />Greet All & write soon. Sr. Hanna.</i></span><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_1mGBlhpvQMdmH3lQRJDH5qDzQSwCIuJGaibsRuW4QcSHU_RX9pRomQKacClPA7E0r1p1KYwfxaE11piY_AgWXhpqZoSo9Plaf7BzVc2Tjdtzz7MllTi3zr7Ddfevehg-GzbunoHEVJqfk_12JI9mADmkqS3UJnWmjn-yFY_sYdXAKRkco819D0xSnk/s1143/Crookston%20MN%20W%202nd%20St%202008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1143" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_1mGBlhpvQMdmH3lQRJDH5qDzQSwCIuJGaibsRuW4QcSHU_RX9pRomQKacClPA7E0r1p1KYwfxaE11piY_AgWXhpqZoSo9Plaf7BzVc2Tjdtzz7MllTi3zr7Ddfevehg-GzbunoHEVJqfk_12JI9mADmkqS3UJnWmjn-yFY_sYdXAKRkco819D0xSnk/w640-h442/Crookston%20MN%20W%202nd%20St%202008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crookston, Minnesota, W 2nd St and Main<br />Source: Google Maps 2008<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The Crookston streetview of 2008 on the corner of West 2nd Street and Main shows the tall hotel building with the same window arrangement. Though the image is grainy the building looks like it was restored. But the Google time machine plays a magician's trick because as soon as you <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/4oTX47NjCmH4eTvR8" target="_blank">cross Main street</a> the structure suddenly vanishes as you jump four years into the future from 2008 to 2012. Sadly the old building has been demolished and turned into a parking lot.<div> <br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZLr0YdTe39y0o3mNqMRecOuudUjwjQpGDepe5qt-f7rA25AsbMnnx2in3ineyeCpqewU9iugWdaXUcafkx2dSt4UBKydlOzZAHVCBVKH0KzFt_KUAYPPidgTMvZKzhwUm9vzySOXRp4gqNYfvml88nOaXdctG31_0j2EmVEnIVqQ1cDDi2oFM1tRxJQ/s2200/Minot%20ND%20Concert%20Bamd%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1445" data-original-width="2200" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZLr0YdTe39y0o3mNqMRecOuudUjwjQpGDepe5qt-f7rA25AsbMnnx2in3ineyeCpqewU9iugWdaXUcafkx2dSt4UBKydlOzZAHVCBVKH0KzFt_KUAYPPidgTMvZKzhwUm9vzySOXRp4gqNYfvml88nOaXdctG31_0j2EmVEnIVqQ1cDDi2oFM1tRxJQ/w640-h420/Minot%20ND%20Concert%20Bamd%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Just a short march of 237 miles west of Crookston is Minot, North Dakota. In this colorized halftone photo 21 musicians are in parade position led by a drum major in a tall fur hat. They appear to be standing on a green football field, but I think this is an artistic license taken by the printer. Like the previous postcard this one was also printed in Germany where gigantic printing press factories churned out millions of cards for American orders. This was a common foreign business arrangement for US companies that in just a few years would be terminated by WW1. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minot,_North_Dakota#Demographics" target="_blank">Minot</a> is the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota in the north central region of the state. It saw it biggest growth between 1900 and 1910 when the population jumped 384.6% from 1,277 to 6,188 residents. However the postcard was sent on 10 July 1909 from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake,_North_Dakota#" target="_blank">Drake, North Dakota</a> a small town 50 miles southeast of Minot. In 1910 its population was 348 citizens. Today it is a little less at 232. The card was addressed to Mrs. Gunda Dagfinrnd (?) of Malta, Montana, a city on the high plains of north central Montana. In 1910 it was bigger than Drake with 433 citizens and in the last century has actually grown to 1,860 with only a little decline since its height in the 1980s.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0HX_AXhiznsPs-ajYvdwqiNX0mC1di625s7Wl8if6v0WDjuwathQ3MlazwnBm4M0XAu2a_xcX2iMkah99I14lICw66zcFXq6KnBKnSKE7xZYBdgZxUDD9-X2Sx1R1jrxkNR14MkZOXHGiMbMrD046tYk0_zhb-NUQHOSsqkOMrv9z7HlPpSiuLLggkA/s1600/Minot%20ND%20Concert%20Bamd%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1039" data-original-width="1600" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0HX_AXhiznsPs-ajYvdwqiNX0mC1di625s7Wl8if6v0WDjuwathQ3MlazwnBm4M0XAu2a_xcX2iMkah99I14lICw66zcFXq6KnBKnSKE7xZYBdgZxUDD9-X2Sx1R1jrxkNR14MkZOXHGiMbMrD046tYk0_zhb-NUQHOSsqkOMrv9z7HlPpSiuLLggkA/w640-h416/Minot%20ND%20Concert%20Bamd%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The writer on this card was H. Steen (?) who was Danish, I think, as the message is in that language and the first part translates as <i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic;">"I got here all right on Saturday morning and there was a lot to do here."</span></i> The handwriting style is too challenging for me to make out the remaining words.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrQmHj3SuZ2pJqXNZRHkETwmfL8EnTQPchw5v8SrkYI1YQLMiwdzOclknmAzi9zeAQs2CMZYf2hYV9Fspr_76qG2FqamPL42g0mzMQJNbwG9Ygd5HA7L4SQT-akqa4g1q-Fkk3FOWNh0tZq1VGe51XDZcGwDIJUHTdTd7JvBcK4Ic8Dm2k2h_MrJ0tEU/s1183/Minot%20ND,%20Main%20St%202019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1183" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrQmHj3SuZ2pJqXNZRHkETwmfL8EnTQPchw5v8SrkYI1YQLMiwdzOclknmAzi9zeAQs2CMZYf2hYV9Fspr_76qG2FqamPL42g0mzMQJNbwG9Ygd5HA7L4SQT-akqa4g1q-Fkk3FOWNh0tZq1VGe51XDZcGwDIJUHTdTd7JvBcK4Ic8Dm2k2h_MrJ0tEU/w640-h438/Minot%20ND,%20Main%20St%202019.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minot, North Dakota, Main St. and Central Ave.<br />Source: Google Maps, 2019<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;">The three-story building behind the band was the <a href="http://www.minotmemories.com/2017/04/jacobson-opera-house.html" target="_blank">Jacobson Opera House</a> located at the corner of Main St and Central Avenue in Minot. The theatre was on the third floor and opened in January 1903 with seating for 800 patrons and a generous stage of 30 feet by 50 feet. It was an appropriate place to take a photo of the band since it's likely that some bandsmen played in the theater's orchestra too. In 1923 the Jacobson Opera House suffered the fate of many theaters in this era being destroyed in a fire. It was never rebuilt but the site was used in the 1960s for Minot's Taube Museum of Art. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ysEYZIgkjkrpDsItPJI7iNT_wzArVVNK9m9JgE6N8FsTqPzXDUsN32L8-izUbrm9PfiO77V1p1w8_917WaO774d5Y1FvNe1nNdxetc_KUhr9AdgeZH9ec-bJKpTxxDDFRNPtIu1YjOleFrqVXz1S_SlomkEuIilBi4iYq9u9MDlcD-vtoJXEy44h4U0/s1080/Wheaton%20MN%20Band,%20Main%20St%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="1080" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ysEYZIgkjkrpDsItPJI7iNT_wzArVVNK9m9JgE6N8FsTqPzXDUsN32L8-izUbrm9PfiO77V1p1w8_917WaO774d5Y1FvNe1nNdxetc_KUhr9AdgeZH9ec-bJKpTxxDDFRNPtIu1YjOleFrqVXz1S_SlomkEuIilBi4iYq9u9MDlcD-vtoJXEy44h4U0/w640-h402/Wheaton%20MN%20Band,%20Main%20St%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A similar postcard of a band was produced for the town of Wheaton, Minnesota. This parade has a band of about 13 musicians standing on a dirt street in front of a squad of men who may represent a fraternal society or other civic group. A few lines of adults and children watch from the sidewalk of a retail block. This is another colorized photo printed in Germany.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheaton,_Minnesota#" target="_blank">Wheaton</a> is a small town in west central Minnesota on the border of South Dakota. In 1910 it boasted of a population of 1,300 which in a century has changed very little as today it has 1,426 residents. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This card was sent on 24 August 1908 to Miss Hulda Hellenberg of Mishawaka, Illinois.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSygGt7AVglowT-d2ekzUYfmYtYlJgPUS4q-wO1dtPNvcSCY26B-8j3YWdA6vnoPqPdY79aMWQLv-lbkJ9xbA138VXDLgfrP_JgipSevbH5EgcXyyj9USDaiZlKtuhxPn2mEl5wW3DEshhC04iG0bFd0ekNsaap2sfo9OmC4eo9OX3zQrv21GbC7SO0zc/s1077/Wheaton%20MN%20Band,%20Main%20St%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="1077" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSygGt7AVglowT-d2ekzUYfmYtYlJgPUS4q-wO1dtPNvcSCY26B-8j3YWdA6vnoPqPdY79aMWQLv-lbkJ9xbA138VXDLgfrP_JgipSevbH5EgcXyyj9USDaiZlKtuhxPn2mEl5wW3DEshhC04iG0bFd0ekNsaap2sfo9OmC4eo9OX3zQrv21GbC7SO0zc/w640-h402/Wheaton%20MN%20Band,%20Main%20St%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: Gentium Basic;"><i style="font-size: large;">Dear Friend.<br />Arrived here all<br />O.K. and recieved </i>(sic)<br /><i style="font-size: large;">your postal and</i><br /><i style="font-size: large;">was pleased to </i><br /><i style="font-size: large;">get it. Hoping you</i><br /><i style="font-size: large;">are having a good time</i><br /><i style="font-size: large;">as I am.</i><br /><i style="font-size: large;">Mrs A Cordes</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GbtLs9oKiNC9QuzyqnPmrSDQ84OvBFRXyqCiR9cm8FKM6aoN1CZgeoxAEvS_mNzxxah1y_2349elYy9rjvoBXue7dghBpGXtF2orNVzvKxA4ythw4Yd8EN_gda5bE3rWjCt-v9gZJFpjOleJhyphenhyphenbO0qc7d60IXU5E9Z7UROI-XvI2CRTlIpg5wAItxbs/s1147/Weaton%20MN,%20Broadway%20E%202015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="1147" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GbtLs9oKiNC9QuzyqnPmrSDQ84OvBFRXyqCiR9cm8FKM6aoN1CZgeoxAEvS_mNzxxah1y_2349elYy9rjvoBXue7dghBpGXtF2orNVzvKxA4ythw4Yd8EN_gda5bE3rWjCt-v9gZJFpjOleJhyphenhyphenbO0qc7d60IXU5E9Z7UROI-XvI2CRTlIpg5wAItxbs/w640-h422/Weaton%20MN,%20Broadway%20E%202015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wheaton, Minnesota, Broadway looking east<br />Source: Google Maps 2015<br /><br /></div>I was unable to find any of the buildings seen on the postcard in Google Maps streetview. Main Street is now called Broadway but most of the old buildings are no longer standing. Like most towns in the West and Midwest the streets are arranged in neat grids with a single main road for most of the retail and commercial businesses. This view looking east is my best guess. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7p52_hWhNEcaPyz1vnki3lYuLEYpj2tPfCnj0iRyQVm3gAUP45CVuIqHSCHp5zyjCJ6OijixnUHZMAlIHE2b05iJRy9xs3cJq0-voELMCgwAcD3zMbJFayEBhaKU19qCV6yJAlWFpPt3uBESboyCiN8N3W-yL5h2w4Uyh5f0saRTTD_4gjZwVTpvf5w/s2000/Wheaton%20Band%20on%20Thanksging%20Day%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="2000" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7p52_hWhNEcaPyz1vnki3lYuLEYpj2tPfCnj0iRyQVm3gAUP45CVuIqHSCHp5zyjCJ6OijixnUHZMAlIHE2b05iJRy9xs3cJq0-voELMCgwAcD3zMbJFayEBhaKU19qCV6yJAlWFpPt3uBESboyCiN8N3W-yL5h2w4Uyh5f0saRTTD_4gjZwVTpvf5w/w640-h410/Wheaton%20Band%20on%20Thanksging%20Day%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">However I did find another postcard that is based on the identical photo but printed in gray tone by a company in New York City for the L. E. Baker & Co. A caption reads: <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>Wheaton Band and Firemen<br />on Thanksgiving Day, Wheaton, Mi(nn) </b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The postmark though is dated 26 September 1908, so this must be a parade from at least 1907, and possibly earlier.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl66SC-nGzXF4clvOD4aFYN3_66OMpOmKYW9OQjdqZAB821WhGQ787bV-9NopyA4Njco3jrIj5HSDZV96t4ZyS866Kv5DQXVcdm1BWrkYuLsRmoA2mZMRxnjFMqk4r2IZZgBH03DF0C_NAMfJsVRHwgBCwLpIVobnN6hxNbJyE7Y3nQzUTDoQrlxlxtaI/s1500/Wheaton%20Band%20on%20Thanksging%20Day%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1500" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl66SC-nGzXF4clvOD4aFYN3_66OMpOmKYW9OQjdqZAB821WhGQ787bV-9NopyA4Njco3jrIj5HSDZV96t4ZyS866Kv5DQXVcdm1BWrkYuLsRmoA2mZMRxnjFMqk4r2IZZgBH03DF0C_NAMfJsVRHwgBCwLpIVobnN6hxNbJyE7Y3nQzUTDoQrlxlxtaI/w640-h410/Wheaton%20Band%20on%20Thanksging%20Day%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: large;">Sept 25 1908<br />Dear Mother<br />It is Raining to<br />day I am well<br />and hope you are<br />the same<br />Yours<br />Geo Lane(?)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I hope it didn't rain on the firemen's parade.<br />Marching in mud is never fun.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/11/sepia-saturday-700-25-november-2023.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where some people march to a different dog.</b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/11/sepia-saturday-700-25-november-2023.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerKD-MjXgWWIQCLoFqKLr0D5i-kZnxZBJDyg8AyRfLUm8veCiwBAn4SwZlTZKvVTPQ6FV4kwL3ZlsGKofFpzUYSupV95cUEDkGA3BJH-BaRPKll02E7z6tKntCNs8fNffyUI_qIpm-EFlfJ57QCrKEYcUvxNMZRqSq4GBVjtw0ayRaKjXtdw3K_8P_tQ/w400-h400/20231124%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-18561371062179018862023-11-18T09:31:00.002-05:002023-11-18T09:31:43.794-05:00Music in Rutland, North Dakota<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgmMblwEM0h_-jwe95zG_Bv9Fk8y33Vrgexz8pU42gm5Wo4YYU8fmJ5duLDielWdSEKBq8X1unoDzUvfYDIlgmlur_Y3D2afRFsAkQqAov3OmxRu8Xzga6c3oVoBHNvBD1ersYfHOdqjvIazYRMWrcFSGt-76nFKlESqmiyG_-w9LVPI6cJyXUm3_s-g/s2200/Rutland%20ND%20Band%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1378" data-original-width="2200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgmMblwEM0h_-jwe95zG_Bv9Fk8y33Vrgexz8pU42gm5Wo4YYU8fmJ5duLDielWdSEKBq8X1unoDzUvfYDIlgmlur_Y3D2afRFsAkQqAov3OmxRu8Xzga6c3oVoBHNvBD1ersYfHOdqjvIazYRMWrcFSGt-76nFKlESqmiyG_-w9LVPI6cJyXUm3_s-g/w640-h400/Rutland%20ND%20Band%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />In 1910 a concert band of 22 musicians would be a modest musical ensemble for any large American city, but for a small town out on the great plains of the Midwest this was a band that a community could be proud of. And for the band of Rutland, North Dakota that admiration surely helped pay for their fancy snow white uniforms and caps. The bass drum advertises their location and offers a year, 1910, which was probably when the band was first established. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgAOO0Ly9SwXdUThdOZX_D3pRgDcbYEt6FtAFikDXX02-717mwDihAQ1IJYCkScLqf6stt88W5MkbODEOHM_Yu9mst4b4bRo4Mng8XpqEX4MPsbQr97vwIi0dAzLf8gc8EEkdLDjUutgjAEtOURq7i3Fo90MJ3Pny3f0XIznRKnYkN7z7I8DtTgZ3fn8/s1648/Rutland%20ND%20Band%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1457" data-original-width="1648" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgAOO0Ly9SwXdUThdOZX_D3pRgDcbYEt6FtAFikDXX02-717mwDihAQ1IJYCkScLqf6stt88W5MkbODEOHM_Yu9mst4b4bRo4Mng8XpqEX4MPsbQr97vwIi0dAzLf8gc8EEkdLDjUutgjAEtOURq7i3Fo90MJ3Pny3f0XIznRKnYkN7z7I8DtTgZ3fn8/w640-h566/Rutland%20ND%20Band%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The Rutland Band stands outside a house that is nicely embellished with "gingerbread" trim around the front porch. The group is a mix of younger men with a handful of boys in a typical wind band instrumentation of clarinets and saxophones (including one baritone sax player in a dark uniform, maybe a ringer from another town) with cornets, trombones, tubas and drums. One cornetist, possibly the oldest man of the group, stands at backrow center with epaulets and braided cord rosettes attached to his tunic which, I think, singles him out as the bandleader. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPY9tNnC8dS5LfezC-7e_SboYaZWuifmQAmsNUWvk0UyzQuUZWaKdMcdjNXbYMSBzdkI4rp2-Q9PX0jtS-BS1fif_uGidC3WXm0xTvPYJNKwFmzav6-OdnmmYHLvJKH3qSkMRhM0K5Dx-OECI0B0XUAtG-iIzD_2RJILd5oE4zaEegXomId1JfElSXhkk/s1454/Rutland%20ND%20Band%20tst%20D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="1429" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPY9tNnC8dS5LfezC-7e_SboYaZWuifmQAmsNUWvk0UyzQuUZWaKdMcdjNXbYMSBzdkI4rp2-Q9PX0jtS-BS1fif_uGidC3WXm0xTvPYJNKwFmzav6-OdnmmYHLvJKH3qSkMRhM0K5Dx-OECI0B0XUAtG-iIzD_2RJILd5oE4zaEegXomId1JfElSXhkk/w628-h640/Rutland%20ND%20Band%20tst%20D.jpg" width="628" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutland,_North_Dakota#" target="_blank">Rutland</a> is in Sargent County, North Dakota with an area of 0.38 square miles (0.98 km2). located in the southeast region of the state near the border with South Dakota. It calls itself a city even though its current population is just 162 residents but in 1910 it could boast of 224 citizens of which, it seems, 10% could play a musical instrument in the band. My guess, based on other similar postcard photos of town bands, is that this picture was taken a few years later than 1910, perhaps 1912-18. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This postcard came from a dealer who offered a few other photo views of Rutland which I also acquired. After its band, I believe the townsfolk of Rutland took special pride in their public school. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZtM9M3-TiW9WDRa_QCAj5_RFFycAjHoxr92lTgrvyNDQZCsQnzA7s9qCBOU8qOats4d1NEBjxGx9RflkJNcd2DTCruVpjaBiU0AcMRFWrNGs2oQcwBDxdEhSEEjTT-th7X6dtHVnDb3079kKJG8ibU80VQyWcGV3pklXuUudxbsKeRcRTJxEhQOx6Kw/s2400/Rutland%20ND%20Public%20School%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1573" data-original-width="2400" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZtM9M3-TiW9WDRa_QCAj5_RFFycAjHoxr92lTgrvyNDQZCsQnzA7s9qCBOU8qOats4d1NEBjxGx9RflkJNcd2DTCruVpjaBiU0AcMRFWrNGs2oQcwBDxdEhSEEjTT-th7X6dtHVnDb3079kKJG8ibU80VQyWcGV3pklXuUudxbsKeRcRTJxEhQOx6Kw/w640-h420/Rutland%20ND%20Public%20School%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This handsome two-story structure with clapboard siding, faux columns, and rows of tall windows sits on a large lot that has no trees or adjacent building so it looks brand new to me. I would bet that its grand opening was an occasion for the Rutland Band to provide musical entertainment too. My estimate is that the school had at least four classrooms with maybe a head teacher's office, an assembly room, and a basement too. A large school bell sits left of the entrance. The photo is identified by a photographer's caption and above the center window is the name, <span style="font-family: Playfair Display SC;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rutlan</span>d</span> inside the year <span style="font-family: Playfair Display SC; font-size: medium;">19_11</span>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbL00q2i-qxR86QAODRihmLRr5bX6-c3WRCQ7oyL-9YWYZ00na2GsJiiUKmPA4-q-fbWS-rlQRQp8yFKCL17w4bdw0kxDmXsdBCarrywfihirPxsLhmQDJVO8KLKfKurNOdi8PKZRt6iSGbbB_p1hul1dbwlNINTcpcM9YPFWAufiJbHliReI-Jg-T58/s1151/Rutland%20ND%20Main%20Street%202%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="877" data-original-width="1151" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbL00q2i-qxR86QAODRihmLRr5bX6-c3WRCQ7oyL-9YWYZ00na2GsJiiUKmPA4-q-fbWS-rlQRQp8yFKCL17w4bdw0kxDmXsdBCarrywfihirPxsLhmQDJVO8KLKfKurNOdi8PKZRt6iSGbbB_p1hul1dbwlNINTcpcM9YPFWAufiJbHliReI-Jg-T58/w640-h488/Rutland%20ND%20Main%20Street%202%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Rutland was, and still is, primarily a farming and ranching community though there was other work available with the Northern Pacific Railroad Company whose tracks pass next to the town. The streets of Rutland are neatly laid out east/west and north/south but in 1910 they were not paved. In that era most people used horse drawn wagons though apparently there were a few automobiles to attract the attention of the town's children.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jjU7NG-INhXrTV8fMJIUwXSdpnPVlRjFBwMexUrUwv_lgKbqQP34WxyBYox_JyCSLYiWgX02xnauZ5Rvb04lYx9wN8A4BK0Tqpav6JrLesFZSnInyKDIQQu43QzKXAdg8MJyUovdj5LHHuBbdpdlVm29xNct7gAcXpWyJaay66Ldf4A4YVgFG-EMTFA/s1507/Rutland%20ND%20Main%20Street%202%20tst%20D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="1507" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jjU7NG-INhXrTV8fMJIUwXSdpnPVlRjFBwMexUrUwv_lgKbqQP34WxyBYox_JyCSLYiWgX02xnauZ5Rvb04lYx9wN8A4BK0Tqpav6JrLesFZSnInyKDIQQu43QzKXAdg8MJyUovdj5LHHuBbdpdlVm29xNct7gAcXpWyJaay66Ldf4A4YVgFG-EMTFA/w640-h434/Rutland%20ND%20Main%20Street%202%20tst%20D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">These images were cropped from a postcard marked by the photographer: <span style="font-family: Courier Prime;">Main Street, Rutland N. Dak.</span> Like the band's photo, these postcards were never posted and are unmarked. Though the town had a small population, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sargent_County,_North_Dakota" target="_blank">Sargent County</a> had 9,202 residents in 1910, a 52.4% increase from the census population in 1900, and very close to its peak number in 1920 of 9,655. The current population has declined to a third of that at 3,795. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb33G11uJ-KGMND2YIobNbJq27H1z2FQoj_7MnEmv_rjQkrY2VXg21JHNTaWW1hPRsSPNyAHRjBKc5Gxq_NaoEfQ3EeApKD7YTUa-pn8MYJSRo07kEMCZvdSe7kaE9w_GrSUNy55-Mv8xACTxmqDbx74XkUcwwLDnbzjXaRq8Z0gfiQQTSOAMNHCK8dSQ/s2600/Rutland%20ND%20Main%20Street%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1680" data-original-width="2600" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb33G11uJ-KGMND2YIobNbJq27H1z2FQoj_7MnEmv_rjQkrY2VXg21JHNTaWW1hPRsSPNyAHRjBKc5Gxq_NaoEfQ3EeApKD7YTUa-pn8MYJSRo07kEMCZvdSe7kaE9w_GrSUNy55-Mv8xACTxmqDbx74XkUcwwLDnbzjXaRq8Z0gfiQQTSOAMNHCK8dSQ/w640-h414/Rutland%20ND%20Main%20Street%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Despite the rustic road surface, the town looks active with several commercial shops along the street. The original photo has faded to a bleached coffee color, but through the magic of digital technology I was able to restore the contrast. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I can't be absolutely certain of the camera's direction in the photo but there is a large building on the right, just beyond the automobile and the kids, that bears a resemblance to a building in present-day Rutland. Courtesy of Google Maps, here is a similar view looking north on Main Street, (now called 1st Street). The large building has a sign: RUTLAND, and is the location of the city offices.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuxN2PVF0N3mYMPK3cQAn8rNKs728qPzWZBr3WJ9a0xj0ii4lc-GdQ83D9CC6dJoYetLLoewpfeIo8bcx4fZNsP2WP8zj58eWOkpyubt9UrN8dlAXtjj81d4Jy3ZtDCJ0MpY3SGtCPMEDK8-LM2M1t02GCn-m95qeqMrDz86p-6QTfuCvW2-stuS07fY/s1139/2012%20Rutland%20ND%20Main%20St%20NORTH%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1139" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuxN2PVF0N3mYMPK3cQAn8rNKs728qPzWZBr3WJ9a0xj0ii4lc-GdQ83D9CC6dJoYetLLoewpfeIo8bcx4fZNsP2WP8zj58eWOkpyubt9UrN8dlAXtjj81d4Jy3ZtDCJ0MpY3SGtCPMEDK8-LM2M1t02GCn-m95qeqMrDz86p-6QTfuCvW2-stuS07fY/w640-h430/2012%20Rutland%20ND%20Main%20St%20NORTH%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rutland, North Dakota, 1st Street, looking north<br />Source: Google Maps 2012</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyh1ss1W307IuKZmcNie1yaVhkrDLKrCf4w64VHinwwz0gLZ4eZYUWVtLV7pNv476b-zbKPQtLV0gbRoLswjRLko2OqcoHBvQXd4KbwddcKiioeDxgCgplHjm9cy-rgIfnng-rsVVC5N-u6-kIfrZW0NQ-1HR8Aop433Bx6yAUen4H_bqdRuiwkau-aWQ/s1607/Rutland%20ND%20Main%20Street%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1607" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyh1ss1W307IuKZmcNie1yaVhkrDLKrCf4w64VHinwwz0gLZ4eZYUWVtLV7pNv476b-zbKPQtLV0gbRoLswjRLko2OqcoHBvQXd4KbwddcKiioeDxgCgplHjm9cy-rgIfnng-rsVVC5N-u6-kIfrZW0NQ-1HR8Aop433Bx6yAUen4H_bqdRuiwkau-aWQ/w640-h426/Rutland%20ND%20Main%20Street%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A second postcard shows a different view of Rutland's Main Street and the photo's contrast has been better preserved. On one side there is a two-story building, the First State Bank. Just next to it is Swiden's Pool Hall and a small hotel. Looking at the condition of the street surface you have to wonder at the Rutland Band's choice of white uniforms.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoDrJD9QyXPkznleYMi39KxyJ1S4B9qToVAnYBVHtdbTJwhJlUaMUFfm7nV_vvQ5atvaDLPh5lkb7ojYntICW1jRBlqNxeiQ5P3Qkp8lvcXco3TGfBcdURT5Dv6GN1KkTco3Go2bo9DHwlD4TWlwh1imZmOaDSgA-eLu7EPuuybzMcXgV2opp5irArD0/s1302/Rutland%20ND%20Main%20Street%20tst%20D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1302" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoDrJD9QyXPkznleYMi39KxyJ1S4B9qToVAnYBVHtdbTJwhJlUaMUFfm7nV_vvQ5atvaDLPh5lkb7ojYntICW1jRBlqNxeiQ5P3Qkp8lvcXco3TGfBcdURT5Dv6GN1KkTco3Go2bo9DHwlD4TWlwh1imZmOaDSgA-eLu7EPuuybzMcXgV2opp5irArD0/w640-h422/Rutland%20ND%20Main%20Street%20tst%20D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">On the other side of the street are more retail/trade shops. One sign reads: Columbia Restaurant. Hanging over the broad street is an electric lamp which must have been a wonder for the older folks who remembered the town when it was first founded in 1887. It's also interesting to see a few trees along the street which were surely planted by the residents. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1N69pjC0FuWKGBDI5EfQfPNm_4pI2KHWjSsfeiivXFmqGKUzAUZoNrXfOOjdc4mcmkeFlq9wjf72FLfGZbb65qjTam1BQa-ySkfvkuQHz2LiIrySFkrkUDGEM2mIVlPhJtIJWstorbnX_aoyi38x2CRoDwyYg_0V46DpRdZI_JOwEyhVXsypVG6RdT8/s2600/Rutland%20ND%20Main%20Street%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1664" data-original-width="2600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1N69pjC0FuWKGBDI5EfQfPNm_4pI2KHWjSsfeiivXFmqGKUzAUZoNrXfOOjdc4mcmkeFlq9wjf72FLfGZbb65qjTam1BQa-ySkfvkuQHz2LiIrySFkrkUDGEM2mIVlPhJtIJWstorbnX_aoyi38x2CRoDwyYg_0V46DpRdZI_JOwEyhVXsypVG6RdT8/w640-h410/Rutland%20ND%20Main%20Street%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The full view presents a broad boulevard which was common in Midwest towns out on the prairie, probably because the space favored horse-drawn wagons. A century later Rutland still has all its businesses along the same street and I found a building that matched the old bank. The siding and windows have been covered but the building's shape retains the same unusual sliced corner which was once its entrance. It is now the offices of an insurance broker. If I'm correct the large building on the right in the first photo is on the left in this photo just beyond the hotel. It looks like it is under construction as the windows are not installed. In the Google street view this corresponds to Rutland's 1st Street looking south.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYiuqscEi5FBLqm5-HdOqNIwunV6HnSkLVPG0Hd70mqszR9zwCoi6Zw-u5xmxsqblWnk3g1sMoOvDhl4zpSISzmg348eW3-5VFbR8BTDgjHvQr5vw3WhcYOccImCt5JQ9D73i407DyLDQR1IBkTvCXfoTga2-5EvEVxI9x1nyeCQwn_VmmMdnD7CcZS9c/s1298/2021%20Rutland%20ND%201st%20St%20SOUTH.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1298" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYiuqscEi5FBLqm5-HdOqNIwunV6HnSkLVPG0Hd70mqszR9zwCoi6Zw-u5xmxsqblWnk3g1sMoOvDhl4zpSISzmg348eW3-5VFbR8BTDgjHvQr5vw3WhcYOccImCt5JQ9D73i407DyLDQR1IBkTvCXfoTga2-5EvEVxI9x1nyeCQwn_VmmMdnD7CcZS9c/w640-h406/2021%20Rutland%20ND%201st%20St%20SOUTH.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rutland, North Dakota, 1st Street, looking south<br />Source: Google Maps 2021<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Recently the town of Rutland produced a promotional video for YouTube. A drone camera flies around the water tower to give us a bird's eye view of its city center.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="414" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CWssdLxafpc" width="498" youtube-src-id="CWssdLxafpc"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Scattered around the fields beyond the town's streets are several small ponds. They are actually <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_Pothole_Region" target="_blank">Prairie Potholes</a>, the geological remains of the Wisconsin glaciation which ended about 10,000 years ago. This vast icesheet covered a region northward from Iowa, Minnesota, the Dakotas and into Canada's Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta provinces. As the ice melted it left shallow depressions called glacial potholes or kettle lakes. These holes fill with water in the spring and become temporary or semi-permanent wetlands, an important natural environment for migrating waterfowl and other native animal species and plants. The satellite view of Rutland gives a better idea of how these formations cover this region of North Dakota. The state has over 400 lakes but thousands and thousands of potholes. </div><div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEials6X6xhG4zYXzzlZ45py4naathbTLUz6sYoSwIc4frCrquTFingCwvWjJ2-I_MS6DJdWwncLgb__PdZveoGLLesxlzujePe4rpbh0AS6qsfGOZEMs6iHDFALISHinpy5l-jB4Iiqkao8UsSwqpwivVNuYDAjXLwifwyrSOTrlSpUamUJcpwDVOF4cuI/s1201/2023-11-15%2017_35_36-Rutland%20-%20Google%20Maps%20-%20Brave.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1201" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEials6X6xhG4zYXzzlZ45py4naathbTLUz6sYoSwIc4frCrquTFingCwvWjJ2-I_MS6DJdWwncLgb__PdZveoGLLesxlzujePe4rpbh0AS6qsfGOZEMs6iHDFALISHinpy5l-jB4Iiqkao8UsSwqpwivVNuYDAjXLwifwyrSOTrlSpUamUJcpwDVOF4cuI/w640-h468/2023-11-15%2017_35_36-Rutland%20-%20Google%20Maps%20-%20Brave.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Satellite View of Rutland, North Dakota<br />Source: Google Maps<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Every year on the first Sunday of October Rutland celebrates its Scandinavian heritage with Uffda Day when the city hosts various vendors, craft artists, a vintage car show and a dinner with Scandinavian specialties. And of course there is a parade. Here's another clever drone view of Uffda Day 2023. <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uff_da" target="_blank">Uff da</a> </i>is "a Scandinavian exclamation or interjection used to express dismay, typically upon hearing bad news," frequently translated to "I am overwhelmed."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="391" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_eHYr5Rrp3o" width="470" youtube-src-id="_eHYr5Rrp3o"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally the most famous thing that people of Rutland are proud of is that the city holds the Guinness world record for the <a href="https://rutlandnd.com/world-s-largest-hamburger#:~:text=In%201982%20Rutland%20hosted%20the,the%20tasty%203%2C591%20pound%20burger." target="_blank">largest hamburger</a>. The burger weighed 3,591 pounds and was "cooked" on 26 June 1982 in a huge iron pan. A crowd of 8,000 to 10,000 people came see it prepared and share a taste of the giant burger. The skillet was erected in the city's recreation park to commemorate the event.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0St3TsSiTojJX9FH5DLBtbaMQ-998hy15p6kK5z_L1UGiEY4RYXm5DfqP_xp3C5lhCifK6z1a9kL6D_QVT4HDlv2tVgdZGfYBeCVqmreux0GKZbehvGAuPThWt2aBAcI1Vi2iw2a0FefrBfto_dlL9N0cHZxbZMEzfPmTcfPkzAm2sXzheCug1uT_fo/s1440/1440px-World's_Largest_Hamburger_Rutland,_North_Dakota.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0St3TsSiTojJX9FH5DLBtbaMQ-998hy15p6kK5z_L1UGiEY4RYXm5DfqP_xp3C5lhCifK6z1a9kL6D_QVT4HDlv2tVgdZGfYBeCVqmreux0GKZbehvGAuPThWt2aBAcI1Vi2iw2a0FefrBfto_dlL9N0cHZxbZMEzfPmTcfPkzAm2sXzheCug1uT_fo/w640-h480/1440px-World's_Largest_Hamburger_Rutland,_North_Dakota.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frying Pan used for a world record hamburger<br />cooked in Rutland, North Dakota<br />26 June 1982<br />Source: Wikipedia<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But what I want to know is,<br />did a band play for this giant hamburger cookout? </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What music would be appropriated for such a feast?<br />And did the Pride of the Prairies band<br />wear white uniforms? </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With so much ketchup and mustard? </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I expect not.</span></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/11/sepia-saturday-699-saturday-18th.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where everyone always looks both ways.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/11/sepia-saturday-699-saturday-18th.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgSFFW9VmrMY8kPYclavYUBk0mjodpfBmtohMUYkNCJQMUWjkbAFLdsmvW-fSfjjJmgy-beEMGaaN8FpHFZzVVwyY4jfmWvSnQHGAkH-tPTCA6-oiyWp0-0HoNXHMzaioFy5DbyRay0xFjErRayYrW9cxhtbQPCbQwIoyW3PACG6ag9mwS0MepBb5k04/w400-h400/20231118%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-75421279137105480482023-11-11T23:35:00.000-05:002023-11-11T23:35:05.781-05:00Music in a Time of War, the Street Edition<div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKa725XHJVxATi_E_zrb2XbWGmMFXVCGm3n78hrJhjDlfADf7OMi0UPh6I_CJ-lcaMw6M4YScN7EctndSGPehyphenhyphenA6dN4IawsUzCy0ScSPHoSIrP-H2rOWALSknIGZt31iTB8QHcqHuhvMNS5t62xlkqnTP-76OynE-4g-RTTTSeKt1-Mx_D7rEHaTqr24/s1159/German%20Army%20Band%20in%20circle%20tst%20CC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1106" data-original-width="1159" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKa725XHJVxATi_E_zrb2XbWGmMFXVCGm3n78hrJhjDlfADf7OMi0UPh6I_CJ-lcaMw6M4YScN7EctndSGPehyphenhyphenA6dN4IawsUzCy0ScSPHoSIrP-H2rOWALSknIGZt31iTB8QHcqHuhvMNS5t62xlkqnTP-76OynE-4g-RTTTSeKt1-Mx_D7rEHaTqr24/w640-h610/German%20Army%20Band%20in%20circle%20tst%20CC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Once upon a time it was natural<br />to see free-range children on city streets and village byways.<br />Now it is rare except in third-world countries<br />where poverty drives kids to the streets, <br />the only playground available to them.</span><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSkECnBKgJzQr0o4LxvYEPUCpTA4A62BN_AfF8-bjo9JCkwEJ0FvEfwBf-A8FRF9bEcCgeUdOLgrM8fFSRnRLP1nTd7-PD04eScMQaOv1yrYi4N-nTOAM1mmYQzho3rM3X3Q5aUA2yqkwZO3dBlX0bHC1tT-sNqQ3Frb-iNL8hlVwlFFwLirvegtTmCk/s751/Circle%20Band%20in%20Serbia%20tst%20CC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="751" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSkECnBKgJzQr0o4LxvYEPUCpTA4A62BN_AfF8-bjo9JCkwEJ0FvEfwBf-A8FRF9bEcCgeUdOLgrM8fFSRnRLP1nTd7-PD04eScMQaOv1yrYi4N-nTOAM1mmYQzho3rM3X3Q5aUA2yqkwZO3dBlX0bHC1tT-sNqQ3Frb-iNL8hlVwlFFwLirvegtTmCk/w640-h570/Circle%20Band%20in%20Serbia%20tst%20CC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the curious features of street scenes</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">in old photos or films from earlier times<br />is the number of young boys <br />who appear in urban settings<br />scattered around like so many sparrows.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In my collection of photos from the Great War of 1914–1918</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">small boys are occasional extras in certain scenes,<br />especially at band concerts performed in a town or village.<br />It's not that unusual since music has always been<br />a common way to gather a crowd.<br />But in some photos it is surprising <br />because the entertainment was provided <br />by a band of an enemy army. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0btGVodFql-l-4XmJOaxXDjE7yIUE62uK4FlkOZ70Sy5aKYb5MaNXNtFRCVSkExFF2_oH2-W0n6ffWLb9uX429OsnJzXKL0A2cc4YKLAHlLSetLHGZonPoT2mOvJxhPs2PFtr4YNAAIFWL0no6DShF6aFtxRxC4lQnJCFzpqZvzCBAd_P-h7iO64Q6mk/s1632/Musik%20auf%20Markte%20Vouziers%20tst%20C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1467" data-original-width="1632" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0btGVodFql-l-4XmJOaxXDjE7yIUE62uK4FlkOZ70Sy5aKYb5MaNXNtFRCVSkExFF2_oH2-W0n6ffWLb9uX429OsnJzXKL0A2cc4YKLAHlLSetLHGZonPoT2mOvJxhPs2PFtr4YNAAIFWL0no6DShF6aFtxRxC4lQnJCFzpqZvzCBAd_P-h7iO64Q6mk/w640-h576/Musik%20auf%20Markte%20Vouziers%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Usually the pictures of such concerts in occupied towns <br />show few if any local residents, much less children.<br />This is not surprising since any association with the enemy<br />carried risk from both the foreign forces<br />and the partisan resistance too.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yet music was clearly a required part <br />of any military subjugation during WW1.<br />Did these bands play in order to restore the troops' morale?<br />Or were they attempting to sooth the tempers<br /> of the captive population?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today I present four photos of street concerts</span><br style="font-size: large;" /><span style="font-size: large;">played by bands of the Imperial German Army<br />in towns captured during the Great War.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPg7AVz-30QSKEoEJphF7LlU-rAEOEBjVFVWJKmalo0kwmpFQwK1yGHivSGYdx0N6wm4szxlh01PwFSUvx49OGwUFoQjmaR-tPUEWG0r0MkrFAuqn4_CygyeDiy_h44UStlSwM1aI3hoURxp0ayY3qElSkIripsgFWlBCIxavYCI8WC7tMz0F0DsgeaY/s2100/Musik%20auf%20Markte%20Vouziers%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2100" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPg7AVz-30QSKEoEJphF7LlU-rAEOEBjVFVWJKmalo0kwmpFQwK1yGHivSGYdx0N6wm4szxlh01PwFSUvx49OGwUFoQjmaR-tPUEWG0r0MkrFAuqn4_CygyeDiy_h44UStlSwM1aI3hoURxp0ayY3qElSkIripsgFWlBCIxavYCI8WC7tMz0F0DsgeaY/w640-h406/Musik%20auf%20Markte%20Vouziers%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My first photo is captioned <i>Musik auf dem Märkte Vouziers </i>~ Music at the Vouziers market. A military band is arranged into a circle on the left side of a cobblestone plaza. Surrounding them are several dozen soldiers and officers in German uniforms. The bandsmen wear formal pickelhaube helmets while the other soldiers are in fatigue dress. I don't believe there are any children or French civilians in this photo. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vouziers" target="_blank">Vouziers</a> is a commune of the Ardennes department in northern France. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The writer was a soldier using the free German military post and it is dated 17 January 1916. The postmark identifies his larger army unit as the 56th Infantry division and presumably this photo is of one of the regimental bands. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdw7sO7S6Y2rqnPoXKLWCA1C7fP5pO9TLEuLKboTjmxnnSXCdo-Hs0hOO4BbyiSdvdm75SLWSRSfWPXo2-XN6cLsfeXBgVkkyobvFTQ2OnoBgU-1BugsgnhFGUMwTuTfqY0vVZXmEWYzeMDU8E0KKwXepec-my-af80Zec16v2mbCFa3H5TmXaiQJuR8I/s1600/Musik%20auf%20Markte%20Vouziers%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="1600" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdw7sO7S6Y2rqnPoXKLWCA1C7fP5pO9TLEuLKboTjmxnnSXCdo-Hs0hOO4BbyiSdvdm75SLWSRSfWPXo2-XN6cLsfeXBgVkkyobvFTQ2OnoBgU-1BugsgnhFGUMwTuTfqY0vVZXmEWYzeMDU8E0KKwXepec-my-af80Zec16v2mbCFa3H5TmXaiQJuR8I/w640-h404/Musik%20auf%20Markte%20Vouziers%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"><b>* * *</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PuOl1QXJIP7-W7-1M1tcOWU1x1AbILe5Z1V-5T3fS4qT5Gwpjiy1W5M4_nrVG7cv4NTw-3btAmfkeC076T0Zu7liNzb_O9APhcKYppozPRXU2tqOYufXVhN_j2K5k3Yfh3Ue7W_MHrPUhjNGRL22kDsglzPA2QnbSky1HKCV59SRRnCrICV-9dex5K8/s2300/Band%20on%20Rural%20Road%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1473" data-original-width="2300" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PuOl1QXJIP7-W7-1M1tcOWU1x1AbILe5Z1V-5T3fS4qT5Gwpjiy1W5M4_nrVG7cv4NTw-3btAmfkeC076T0Zu7liNzb_O9APhcKYppozPRXU2tqOYufXVhN_j2K5k3Yfh3Ue7W_MHrPUhjNGRL22kDsglzPA2QnbSky1HKCV59SRRnCrICV-9dex5K8/w640-h410/Band%20on%20Rural%20Road%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This next photo shows a typical German regimental band performing on a dirt road next to the gardens of a large building. There are about 36 bandsmen arranged in a semi-circle around their director while a small group of regular soldiers listen nearby. Again there are no children or civilians. Here the bandsmen are in standard uniforms with just flat brimless campaign caps.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The postcard was never sent but has a penciled note on the back with a date: Sept. 1917. The first word, <i>Lümschweiler</i>, was a challenge because though it seemed like a German place name there is no town with that name in Germany. Today this commune is known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luemschwiller" target="_blank">Luemschwiller</a>, but in 1917 it was actually part of Germany as it is located in the Alsace region of northeastern France which had been annexed by Germany after the Franco-Prussian War. That conflict, which was won by the North German Confederation led by the Prussian King Wilhelm I, only lasted 10 months but it became the prologue to World War One. The war also established the unified German Empire of which Wilhelm I became its first Kaiser. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuetY4WI0rlOC8_U_pZynGTueo4DEAtv8uhgLzl6OoK1lzB0iQ8dijGsezPuo7qX_E91qqlFxM_hQIF_fIwdi3Z4VQYBjq24mWmIL56Lp52TqpyvH_e3mna0wAJzcjlxlKIO8bUYacyb8k7GIjE82LjFy1f_bJ7vxEBvh4ixypei4sIxzQa2oyIyhQ9J8/s1500/Band%20on%20Rural%20Road%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1500" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuetY4WI0rlOC8_U_pZynGTueo4DEAtv8uhgLzl6OoK1lzB0iQ8dijGsezPuo7qX_E91qqlFxM_hQIF_fIwdi3Z4VQYBjq24mWmIL56Lp52TqpyvH_e3mna0wAJzcjlxlKIO8bUYacyb8k7GIjE82LjFy1f_bJ7vxEBvh4ixypei4sIxzQa2oyIyhQ9J8/w640-h410/Band%20on%20Rural%20Road%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz6FRxd0-7DFZkgKNElBUCy9P9UDbRhH0Aq6EOLYfwzbq6AGTd_9pyEJ1X8iUH9egg-HnZ76uLg8CMXsBulH6dh4tp_OCHIuSaaPOlFwFhtUzVAQjKAoGWYOWf68TQ50wPArBt4SUu1pJ3OdMgLieShd2eMPw8EEkMerTI3pbFMj9gPdQRhtx229gGT8/s2400/Circle%20Band%20in%20Serbia%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1750" data-original-width="2400" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz6FRxd0-7DFZkgKNElBUCy9P9UDbRhH0Aq6EOLYfwzbq6AGTd_9pyEJ1X8iUH9egg-HnZ76uLg8CMXsBulH6dh4tp_OCHIuSaaPOlFwFhtUzVAQjKAoGWYOWf68TQ50wPArBt4SUu1pJ3OdMgLieShd2eMPw8EEkMerTI3pbFMj9gPdQRhtx229gGT8/w640-h466/Circle%20Band%20in%20Serbia%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My third band concert is not a postcard but a photo print about 15cm x 11cm. Once again a large regimental band is arranged into a circle on a cobblestone street with a large crowd of soldiers, civilians, and many small boys around them. Each bandsman has a soldier holding their sheet music which seems to amuse some of them. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This photograph was professionally produced and has a printed description on the back from the publisher <i>Berliner Illustrations-Gesellschaft</i>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_xTqzvc503TSpenWHqX6mn-kQfcrD7SI6AF3rnaa1l_s0D5IdoIkBMLnMZ1z7k9pNygGNCqvwlXuDeEz0K_fMN0dvmGO5NTe9hFwZxwpHt69NSNRfmDgEJ6v6btWiyzarnXevpsaZ518PWDmgqSXOsfpmnnrb8aHofHnvlyxVgOsr36xrrpbvigZw-s/s1400/Circle%20Band%20in%20Serbia%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1015" data-original-width="1400" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_xTqzvc503TSpenWHqX6mn-kQfcrD7SI6AF3rnaa1l_s0D5IdoIkBMLnMZ1z7k9pNygGNCqvwlXuDeEz0K_fMN0dvmGO5NTe9hFwZxwpHt69NSNRfmDgEJ6v6btWiyzarnXevpsaZ518PWDmgqSXOsfpmnnrb8aHofHnvlyxVgOsr36xrrpbvigZw-s/w640-h464/Circle%20Band%20in%20Serbia%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Sonntagsmusik in einer serbischen Ortschaft. </i></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>No. 9185. Eine deutsche Militärkapelle bringt ihrem </i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Hauptmann ein Ständchen vor sinem serbischen Quartier.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Dieses Bild wurde vom Stellvertretenden Generalstab IIb </i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Presse Abteilung vur Veröffenlichung freigegeben. Belegab (drücke) </i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>wurden eingereicht. Veröffenlichungen können ohne nochmalige </i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Zensur erfolgen. Der mit dem Zensurstempel versehene </i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Abdruck befindet sich in unsurem Besitz.</i></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">~ ~ ~</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Sunday music in a Serbian town.</b> </span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">No. 9185. A German military band serenades their </span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">captain in front of his Serbian quarters.</span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This image was approved for publication by the Deputy General Staff IIb </span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Press Department. Press receipts have been submitted. </span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Publications can take place without further censorship. </span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The print with the censorship stamp is in our possession.</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>On 28 June 1914 six Bosnian-Serb terrorists assassinated Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie in Sarajevo. Their murder led Austria to declare war on Serbia which then triggered a complex sequence of political decisions that brought other nations into the war. Though Germany initially invaded Russia and then France, during the course of the war it also assisted the Austrian-Hungarian forces too. I think this photo was possibly taken in Serbian territory or in an ethnic Serb community of central Europe.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78tg-a78VNZBBJ0TkYqMfUOCcok0ocGRxmc_nr9hc6PGc-EFlgxCVRDbpvqZ_yUSkNKmn5cJD35_KhZVPAhZwo6X2xq0WbOlpEEAmIuGeT4a1hhnXeA353cpX9z6aDpb3Uvr0lBd4lyBLxY1khSC_wOyt2ACAYW-XsultkbkUznKMg1OsUT92jWTukl0/s2400/German%20Army%20Band%20in%20circle%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1525" data-original-width="2400" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78tg-a78VNZBBJ0TkYqMfUOCcok0ocGRxmc_nr9hc6PGc-EFlgxCVRDbpvqZ_yUSkNKmn5cJD35_KhZVPAhZwo6X2xq0WbOlpEEAmIuGeT4a1hhnXeA353cpX9z6aDpb3Uvr0lBd4lyBLxY1khSC_wOyt2ACAYW-XsultkbkUznKMg1OsUT92jWTukl0/w640-h406/German%20Army%20Band%20in%20circle%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My last photo is again a band performing in a circle, this time with music stands. (A classic design that has never been improved on.) Several boys strike poses for the camera as the band plays. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This postcard was sent on 2 November 1917 by a German soldier. He added a short line on the front of the card, but I'm unable to decipher the handwriting.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQeqqamWrXvIY6WKVKRQZinaeoNifpgyR3Wc0vler0ia9poWyVbgGc51sCvlSfColMr7xRINwKjuI1couyBnsIIRL5LmQW0YMpngLMBX4NLYNOkWoRnfzmJab5heMkEiNNndbEXXJT4IzDcxKjeGMXWkxl8759hLaYRJkzeHrdZo-8ysm9lZ3EdNXvdU/s1641/German%20Army%20Band%20in%20circle%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1045" data-original-width="1641" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQeqqamWrXvIY6WKVKRQZinaeoNifpgyR3Wc0vler0ia9poWyVbgGc51sCvlSfColMr7xRINwKjuI1couyBnsIIRL5LmQW0YMpngLMBX4NLYNOkWoRnfzmJab5heMkEiNNndbEXXJT4IzDcxKjeGMXWkxl8759hLaYRJkzeHrdZo-8ysm9lZ3EdNXvdU/w640-h408/German%20Army%20Band%20in%20circle%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I don't think the writer refers to the location <br />of this little concert, but there is one clue in the background <br />that establishes a general region for this town. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGZFyCFYbs77FVGhyw6sDSbf-GjLtV-Cd3qsbw7uvIoXVbctz82gGBAoYVbYrMBa9TrjXN5tNg3sa5dva-3Zf7sl8FAWPNGVDc4LRMHZwLf-jEjBC607EgtDQjWzjF_p6GiQooMrQc37TOx6F7tonv1khlL11NZhHUGyyM55VE0xWcWPHIk_gkaPspJ0/s577/German%20Army%20Band%20in%20circle%20tst%20D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="577" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGZFyCFYbs77FVGhyw6sDSbf-GjLtV-Cd3qsbw7uvIoXVbctz82gGBAoYVbYrMBa9TrjXN5tNg3sa5dva-3Zf7sl8FAWPNGVDc4LRMHZwLf-jEjBC607EgtDQjWzjF_p6GiQooMrQc37TOx6F7tonv1khlL11NZhHUGyyM55VE0xWcWPHIk_gkaPspJ0/w640-h618/German%20Army%20Band%20in%20circle%20tst%20D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The sign over the entrance gate to a brick building <br />in the background behind the band reads:<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: x-large;"><i>GARÇONS </i>~ BOYS</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />I believe this French word indicates the photo was taken <br />near a school in either in France or possibly Belgium. </span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4uslDpv3VAWIP41LJHH_H-lkAXiJNd1VNX7tK6C7vxZtENz7hqkYdl3tMBmn9Fi0MvPv7DTcay5f9ak3uwbl_a9WUVC6gcKAmrWtkCgwVXFTkmMQg-ajZELCBY_xM3f3oEs3ze60KPuzzAv2Fshc_9If24b_5qL4KOqAODV5NZGotyO6llvGgHJpviU/s1024/22cm_M.15.Minenwerfer_(BildID_15722800).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1024" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4uslDpv3VAWIP41LJHH_H-lkAXiJNd1VNX7tK6C7vxZtENz7hqkYdl3tMBmn9Fi0MvPv7DTcay5f9ak3uwbl_a9WUVC6gcKAmrWtkCgwVXFTkmMQg-ajZELCBY_xM3f3oEs3ze60KPuzzAv2Fshc_9If24b_5qL4KOqAODV5NZGotyO6llvGgHJpviU/w640-h446/22cm_M.15.Minenwerfer_(BildID_15722800).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German soldiers loading a 22cm Minenwerfer, WW1<br />Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minenwerfer" target="_blank">Wikimedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The writer of the message on that last postcard included his unit, a <i>Meinen Werfer Base</i>, so that his family could correctly address a letter to him. This kind of platoon was trained to fire trench mortars called <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minenwerfer" target="_blank">Minenwerfer</a> </i>or Mine Throwers in German. These weapons were used to bombard enemy positions and destroy defensive obstacles like barbed wire and bunkers. They were manufactured in various sizes and proved to be accurate and very effective. Larger artillery pieces required teams of horses to change position but a Minenwerfer had an uncomplicated mechanism that was lighter and easily moved by a few soldiers. The shells could be very large with devasting shrapnel or high explosives. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bg3vVsMKCfuO-jB3GoyOXhyuxK0bKXKdVjdUbeTJk905uPJXDFI0UJRSX6lP8oTV99jNrgD3B2ih-ZSf5TlKIIYJYXgdQzMtW6dtvg_UDV-cOSsI58cZKggeoRjqGhTSC4FILtnStRP_kYQzLoTI9yhuFtub7IF5PVZEB2yflyXuQ6Q89Jw-6PVqPz8/s800/German_troops_towing_light_minenwerfer_1918_IWM_Q_023816.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="800" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bg3vVsMKCfuO-jB3GoyOXhyuxK0bKXKdVjdUbeTJk905uPJXDFI0UJRSX6lP8oTV99jNrgD3B2ih-ZSf5TlKIIYJYXgdQzMtW6dtvg_UDV-cOSsI58cZKggeoRjqGhTSC4FILtnStRP_kYQzLoTI9yhuFtub7IF5PVZEB2yflyXuQ6Q89Jw-6PVqPz8/w640-h417/German_troops_towing_light_minenwerfer_1918_IWM_Q_023816.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German soldiers moving a Minenwerfer, WW1<br />Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minenwerfer" target="_blank">Wikimedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It happens that today 11 November 2023 marks the 105th anniversary of the end of World War One. Originally called Armistice Day, and later Veterans Day, it honors the military servicemen and women who have served our country. When the guns went silent on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 there was a collective cry of elation from people around the world who had suffered four years of a terrible war. Yet it was only an armistice, a cease fire. True peace was not reached until the settlement of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919. And twenty years later another war began that would quickly overwhelm the world with even more death and destruction. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When I first started collecting photos of military bands from the Great War, I was surprised at how many postcards had been preserved. Some, like the card of the band in Vouziers, were commercially printed in large numbers for soldiers to use. Others, like the band in a Serbian village, were a kind propaganda for the German public to reassure people that their soldiers were decent men who loved music and children. And many more were snapshots of a comrades serving their country as army musicians. These are my favorites and I must have a few hundred now with the great majority taken by cameras of German soldiers. How could there be so much music played during this time of war? Despite the appalling slaughter and devastation it amazes me that there were musicians who provided a brief moment of distraction, joy, or solace. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Most of the postcards were obviously saved by families of servicemen, or even bandsmen, as a memento of military service. A soldier's scribbled messages may be faded now but it once read in a voice that someone remembered and treasured. After a century that memory has vanished but the picture and note remain. They are a link to a past we should honor and never forget because now a century later our duty is to never let a war like this happen again. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/11/sepia-saturday-698-saturday-11-november.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where no one is ever lost</b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>if they know where to look.</b></div></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/11/sepia-saturday-698-saturday-11-november.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrWP6i_qMB6zLjC7lAFqfKFzxTJ_gHwUxtkTSnz9_SqCmLkVrs5f0b0c_buDxgSt21C2FHxRO-d9UtWVrlJ5lTbfksAcpP9Li-yt10JOht2VSuF6Xv25n0BT479BdbMymds1EpV4VUjUuu9d-gGoX21CD_Rl2FQ4j21suNoeglmb2hyfGS1XB0_sAsKs/w400-h400/20231111%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-4615750083268016902023-11-04T14:55:00.000-04:002023-11-04T14:55:07.074-04:00The Frat Boys of Old Wien<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5d9-TlXco3qxgifCMhDEgE_PnM4DhjE1uwAjsft2ELJnQXnkVI2YlKLqbg28g6-9jCaB9MYa7fmg_YWH6ENLqKzzV8q9ETEOYYoqpixmiKoQjFPQiXTutneijCLfKTOmESKDqvvBQ1Wf3voxUy8tCcehNOVpksXlp9tKWQiihqHSr-IWw8SwcCcUOQuM/s2000/Fraternity%20Brothers%2001%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1279" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5d9-TlXco3qxgifCMhDEgE_PnM4DhjE1uwAjsft2ELJnQXnkVI2YlKLqbg28g6-9jCaB9MYa7fmg_YWH6ENLqKzzV8q9ETEOYYoqpixmiKoQjFPQiXTutneijCLfKTOmESKDqvvBQ1Wf3voxUy8tCcehNOVpksXlp9tKWQiihqHSr-IWw8SwcCcUOQuM/w410-h640/Fraternity%20Brothers%2001%20tst%20A.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br />It's a caricature of a man and his dog, seemingly floating in the air, but more likely out for a stroll since that's what you do with a dog. This quick sketch of a pudgy man bearing a strong resemblance to his bulldog makes a lighthearted, if not charming, postcard. But there is actually more humor and cultural references in the picture than we might recognize now, a century later. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The artist was <a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Sch%C3%B6npflug#cite_note-2" target="_blank">Fritz Schönpflug</a> (1873–1951), one of my favorite postcard illustrators that I've featured many times on my blog. Fritz was born in Wien (Vienna), Austria where during the last decades of the Hapsburg Empire he used his talent for seeing the whimsical side of life to create hundreds of caricatures like this that gently poke fun at Viennese society. His postcards were produced in Wien by the three Kohn brothers at their printing company, "Postkartenverlag Brüder Kohn" (B.K.W.I). Schönpflug's drawings were almost always put together on a theme (not unlike the Sepia Saturday idea that I participate in every weekend) and published in a series of six or eight different postcards. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This postcard of a man and his dog was number 1 in series 842. It has a Swiss postmark from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biel/Bienne" target="_blank">Biel/Bienne</a>, a town located north of Bern, the capital of Switzerland, with a date of 23 May 1904. The split name is because the town is on the bilingual border of northwestern Switzerland where Biel is the German name for the town and Bienne its French counterpart. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNBhbLvYP8yED7PK3ZfH42lwZkaw7Orp-oGUzKP3-D_duQSdD8xgwxu2vMLwBnawz8D5j5620jbCVmM2SZ89m5HxxUo_KFJWWVSqEsf1mV_Hg_Q8nEI50SOK8tptqtMAS6odDSQKTu6nWG0LmE6_0yitVmzSriiSKnAgQ4VOa2wyNuo-yM6vJUy3cufw/s1600/Fraternity%20Brothers%2001%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="1600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNBhbLvYP8yED7PK3ZfH42lwZkaw7Orp-oGUzKP3-D_duQSdD8xgwxu2vMLwBnawz8D5j5620jbCVmM2SZ89m5HxxUo_KFJWWVSqEsf1mV_Hg_Q8nEI50SOK8tptqtMAS6odDSQKTu6nWG0LmE6_0yitVmzSriiSKnAgQ4VOa2wyNuo-yM6vJUy3cufw/w640-h410/Fraternity%20Brothers%2001%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What makes the pudgy fellow with his dog peculiar is his little pink hat, almost a boy's cap really. It's not a style usually associated with a gentleman, which his cane, striped trousers, and spats implies that he is. Of course in 1904 most Viennese would have recognized what he was, but it took me a bit longer to figure it out. The second postcard in the series, B.K.W.I. 842–2, offered a better clue.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr27RtS74iFmNk0xIoP8-8HD4_uZWR-ZZRxB5pP5yRR_usD_5q52DyqajB0oQo8V6Ss-BvjDNRAbOzkkueI8a15AXwYKiFekMY5cfORQDnMw5UveEDvwX5INV6YT85bCriV8rHRFAt0a_Ax6XGk2j4nJfqbIlaqfnovZupgzwQWdNUObLP86RCQ7LGxPc/s2000/Fraternity%20Brothers%2002%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1305" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr27RtS74iFmNk0xIoP8-8HD4_uZWR-ZZRxB5pP5yRR_usD_5q52DyqajB0oQo8V6Ss-BvjDNRAbOzkkueI8a15AXwYKiFekMY5cfORQDnMw5UveEDvwX5INV6YT85bCriV8rHRFAt0a_Ax6XGk2j4nJfqbIlaqfnovZupgzwQWdNUObLP86RCQ7LGxPc/w418-h640/Fraternity%20Brothers%2002%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This illustration of two men in uniform might be mistaken for military cavalrymen with their tight dark-blue tunics, thigh-high boots, spurs, and long swords. But they are have red-gold-green sashes across their chests and instead of cavalry helmets or shakos they wear little colored beanies. Like the little pudgy man, their expressions are arrogant and haughty, even a bit menacing. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This card was sent from Berlin to an <i>Apothekure</i>, a pharmacist in Stockholm, Sweden on 26 December 1905. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSUiTFPwNqkrB4mRKoEX3We6TdrQynHzxvleSksXV9RzH0JRM-6M8SpMizxbxXvX-ayhwMxopIYBmsM-fuKuxIVL1LBvaht04MwFzhoO1lrM-pNgua7ndopxVXG2P143VAktUn2E7cDbt-AeOmpKjza5WDM9g8ekok43vLEGw7QAu044c4YFNZErFlbs/s1600/Fraternity%20Brothers%2002%201%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="1600" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSUiTFPwNqkrB4mRKoEX3We6TdrQynHzxvleSksXV9RzH0JRM-6M8SpMizxbxXvX-ayhwMxopIYBmsM-fuKuxIVL1LBvaht04MwFzhoO1lrM-pNgua7ndopxVXG2P143VAktUn2E7cDbt-AeOmpKjza5WDM9g8ekok43vLEGw7QAu044c4YFNZErFlbs/w640-h420/Fraternity%20Brothers%2002%201%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>These men were not army officers or soldiers, which Schönpflug frequently sketched for several series on Wien's military characters. What connects them to the first image is that they are all members of a university fraternity. This kind of <a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geschichtehttps://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geschichte_der_Studentenverbindungen_der_Studentenverbindungen" target="_blank">German student society</a> or club is was called a <i>Burschenschaft</i>. They were first organized in Medieval times as a kind of guild to protect student members and provide mutual benefits, mainly wine and beer. Later in the early 19th century these university student associations scattered around the Germanic parts of central Europe added a quasi-military component that linked them to the resistance sparked by Napoleon's domination of Europe. In the 1840s the <i>Burschenschaft </i>students became an important part of the democratic and anti-monarchist movements that advocated for revolution and were rigorously suppressed by authorities in the Germanic states and the Austrian Empire. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrrv9txaqUC3W8-FUnhTvHau4B_FX1BK8QDBZJCUz91BjlluLGmf1-Fce4YHcIzKLyRuKSYTXEEic7EcbKaK0MycGlVZs6UEHIWUq9bRS3o8DCxKzkr4FnsP57tjN0dHf2O7-uKQMAzima2FZuyIFguIr43kSto687CvEviDJL7K0TF-6lLK47oqRoK0/s1280/1280px-Goettinger_Clubbs_-_NUNC_-_1827.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1280" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrrv9txaqUC3W8-FUnhTvHau4B_FX1BK8QDBZJCUz91BjlluLGmf1-Fce4YHcIzKLyRuKSYTXEEic7EcbKaK0MycGlVZs6UEHIWUq9bRS3o8DCxKzkr4FnsP57tjN0dHf2O7-uKQMAzima2FZuyIFguIr43kSto687CvEviDJL7K0TF-6lLK47oqRoK0/w640-h428/1280px-Goettinger_Clubbs_-_NUNC_-_1827.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caps and colors of fraternity clubs<br />at University of Göttingen in 1827<br />Source: <a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studentenverbindung#Entstehung_der_fr%C3%BChen_Corps" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> (German)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><div>By the era of the emperors of Germany and Austria, Wilhelm II and Franz Joseph I, the student associations had evolved into organizations that favored more nationalism, religion, and regional qualities and involved more alumni. Each university had many student clubs, restricted only to men, and each had its own colors, coat of arms, mottos, and secret ceremonies. There were so many that guidebooks were needed, like this page on the clubs' hats at the University of Göttingen in 1827. It helps explain that the pudgy man's pink cap and the two men in military uniforms were making fashion statements that indicated their allegiance to a university's fraternity. </div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47gVA6pSYM2z6FZD9Jr7ttT3JVX4BQVLyMQqkZ66kFX0JkWHdP4Zvy1DKGhcNJvM9fc4-POXkNJ24OlosvqVIy_CsbsBc0m389fCQBaQcq094gA8onwVs6NOyGsuRT5GYHDYdXOeuLYPMpq9-rN4kzmsqSbtCUPv1VaZyhab3o1BFNYjESCTuntmGoCE/s1091/1091px-August-Fuhrmann-Berliner-Studenten-um-1912.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1091" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47gVA6pSYM2z6FZD9Jr7ttT3JVX4BQVLyMQqkZ66kFX0JkWHdP4Zvy1DKGhcNJvM9fc4-POXkNJ24OlosvqVIy_CsbsBc0m389fCQBaQcq094gA8onwVs6NOyGsuRT5GYHDYdXOeuLYPMpq9-rN4kzmsqSbtCUPv1VaZyhab3o1BFNYjESCTuntmGoCE/w640-h634/1091px-August-Fuhrmann-Berliner-Studenten-um-1912.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berlin fraternity students at a festive event in 1912<br />Source: <a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geschichte_der_Studentenverbindungen" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> (German)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div>The element of militarism in these student clubs was also a historic part of German and Austria/Hungarian culture and referred to traditions of chivalry and loyalty to a monarch. The student clubs were sometimes called "Corps" like an army regiment. Their elaborate costumes were not unusual in this era and many American fraternal societies of the time borrowed Germanic uniform styles including the swords. However the colorful beanie caps, as seen in this 1912 picture of Berlin students, seem to have been strictly a Germanic thing. </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzf067JUdXKuUEqshE5ojbtYooZI6ke9Xntu7xtHGX1o1WGOF30MqM39XOfWgA-eAEXlx7_lm3YWHthdr4Os8BZUOGDKlN7-9Y9CvXO8ZiReSbIMBr-rSUbDIcS8Nj5njhWyhALiuyZ3jPbfMeGKimBIZ-2T5r0m4RPk_xagaxrx9RlyI4rC4sguJaA5w/s2000/Fraternity%20Brothers%2003%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1309" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzf067JUdXKuUEqshE5ojbtYooZI6ke9Xntu7xtHGX1o1WGOF30MqM39XOfWgA-eAEXlx7_lm3YWHthdr4Os8BZUOGDKlN7-9Y9CvXO8ZiReSbIMBr-rSUbDIcS8Nj5njhWyhALiuyZ3jPbfMeGKimBIZ-2T5r0m4RPk_xagaxrx9RlyI4rC4sguJaA5w/w418-h640/Fraternity%20Brothers%2003%20tst%20A.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">But for all members of student fraternities, ever since the beginning of higher academic institutions, the true college comradery has been infused with lots of beer, and the <i>Burschenschaften </i></div><div style="text-align: left;">were no different. In this next postcard of Schönpflug's series, two older fraternity brothers, alumni at an outdoor cafe, raise a toast to the good old days. Notice the waitress in the background with a tight grip on eight tall steins of beer. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This postcard was sent from someplace in Germany, the postmark is unclear, on 18 September 1904. Schönpflug's signature also includes the year 1904, following the convention of leaving off the thousand numeral. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDzMEApIHHfT30fiQQZLhAtuE2K6X5gA42b3Kylg4JDyJ3eCNU6Ok89pe3WVKn84tog5l2wiD4oKugfgDgV4q4V3W-WWvIGoXw-dj7s3a_F-6ZBJyd8MZJ2pRb5jHlwZvK1tCNB6uMCWFSJh_B0zKk5wYPqUO7occ36ccyVIJ8WqzbkAgw0FZay9oggQ/s1600/Fraternity%20Brothers%2003%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDzMEApIHHfT30fiQQZLhAtuE2K6X5gA42b3Kylg4JDyJ3eCNU6Ok89pe3WVKn84tog5l2wiD4oKugfgDgV4q4V3W-WWvIGoXw-dj7s3a_F-6ZBJyd8MZJ2pRb5jHlwZvK1tCNB6uMCWFSJh_B0zKk5wYPqUO7occ36ccyVIJ8WqzbkAgw0FZay9oggQ/w640-h422/Fraternity%20Brothers%2003%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrqlk8OhA0Z9DijFj7XYPoa4biKuk_U4nLWno2_8LTQQIpTN44FTy6YOXurgp7O_y0VQhxkJMfFLhJADmDwtAUsN_54LZCGQ4wYlq_BgiMRsGLi5UJYOWyNMd3Iu2uDNQaVGX0Q_vb6iYwwm5hQBsj67tVt_Nt9svQoAGprKRArINWeUhqvjJN4en1SA/s2000/Fraternity%20Brothers%2004%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1291" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrqlk8OhA0Z9DijFj7XYPoa4biKuk_U4nLWno2_8LTQQIpTN44FTy6YOXurgp7O_y0VQhxkJMfFLhJADmDwtAUsN_54LZCGQ4wYlq_BgiMRsGLi5UJYOWyNMd3Iu2uDNQaVGX0Q_vb6iYwwm5hQBsj67tVt_Nt9svQoAGprKRArINWeUhqvjJN4en1SA/w414-h640/Fraternity%20Brothers%2004%20tst%20A.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Another uniformed duo is featured on Schönpflug's fourth postcard. Both wear tunics in a softer hue of Austrian blue with gold-red-gold sashes and look like they are in a parade as one man is mounted on a handsome bay horse. I don't know if all fraternities used cavalry attire like this, but equestrian skill was still an important part of education for young men from upper-class families and the aristocracy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This card was sent on 27 September 1904 from Charlottenberg, Germany to someone named cryptically R. H. 31 in Dahme/Mark, a town in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg, Germany. Perhaps the address was to a post office box. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgre-uUmOCzOldqy5z3CCgaqJ8U9x4Uu2zUVJQQcM-Hk7dhgSP0kcdbS2DEjZ-kMc9MCi-cLfX-E3tFae4Re_l8DDtXFXMAlnkQVg1W6Rv_mBcumdkDNsJCAbhyphenhyphenTJpB2pexMHeuRhJP0Bf2LzIXJNYkkOUI0H7sNQagi4PVHHCfebAX8BjHTl7v3Fdj_d8/s1600/Fraternity%20Brothers%2004%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="1600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgre-uUmOCzOldqy5z3CCgaqJ8U9x4Uu2zUVJQQcM-Hk7dhgSP0kcdbS2DEjZ-kMc9MCi-cLfX-E3tFae4Re_l8DDtXFXMAlnkQVg1W6Rv_mBcumdkDNsJCAbhyphenhyphenTJpB2pexMHeuRhJP0Bf2LzIXJNYkkOUI0H7sNQagi4PVHHCfebAX8BjHTl7v3Fdj_d8/w640-h410/Fraternity%20Brothers%2004%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOnOSPQfN9sdctAEyNJ02HeuNxvcx7O4imEc4fjpuO721tKJJAP6yPehzzA_0ScfdBdidtX-cVHMzl6FBMvJ2PmEvS2zk6S16rFBKFSnlK3OsZ38mbyFOQPjYXAL5vTZfOfoM3HbIb85p4feJ7R_2w7FTV5OItsVDodDK6FjvgoXuEUDtCBcRQnDCQIQ/s2000/Fraternity%20Brothers%2005%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1317" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOnOSPQfN9sdctAEyNJ02HeuNxvcx7O4imEc4fjpuO721tKJJAP6yPehzzA_0ScfdBdidtX-cVHMzl6FBMvJ2PmEvS2zk6S16rFBKFSnlK3OsZ38mbyFOQPjYXAL5vTZfOfoM3HbIb85p4feJ7R_2w7FTV5OItsVDodDK6FjvgoXuEUDtCBcRQnDCQIQ/w422-h640/Fraternity%20Brothers%2005%20tst%20A.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This next drawing shows a group of five frat boys standing around having a very good time, though they may have regrets the next morning. They all wear the same pink cap as the little man in the first card and he may be the same fellow, second from left. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This card has a Swiss postmark of 4 January 1905 from Zürich. The writer's message and address are in French.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsC1SfHKrrnSIhr0O8QPSQ65WVnHN2NyDIpzVlgJMqrPtAxfuaq8gOMBqkx4iMhnyGHuJkbeANaZSqQmSCj32XXsFLQFsOSKBir3SrF0QBHeNnLduWcLjpGz8KIvkiN8UpJBhfiadi28b5BizmoFH3A6BuJP0JzWDFXs82z3knOT_PplIYn2GeH7t5Ro/s1600/Fraternity%20Brothers%2005%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsC1SfHKrrnSIhr0O8QPSQ65WVnHN2NyDIpzVlgJMqrPtAxfuaq8gOMBqkx4iMhnyGHuJkbeANaZSqQmSCj32XXsFLQFsOSKBir3SrF0QBHeNnLduWcLjpGz8KIvkiN8UpJBhfiadi28b5BizmoFH3A6BuJP0JzWDFXs82z3knOT_PplIYn2GeH7t5Ro/w640-h426/Fraternity%20Brothers%2005%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrnZJngFPoaIN6BHlXQXwqMWLgEhylKG3M7D-p9ElMAsZ8P3c-Di8H5hQjBvD2osDvkgbIYnuwcQ8KMvhU4uGX74S8_DihfZwyBrAei-OurVEaGvhDVwQ_4gWOjnMujdnkPTS1yrdg6TMMsi1FQsT07UdHFZDxTU8alBQZdKUpXdF9xkGVVcfAv-kJgo/s2000/Fraternity%20Brothers%2007%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1310" data-original-width="2000" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrnZJngFPoaIN6BHlXQXwqMWLgEhylKG3M7D-p9ElMAsZ8P3c-Di8H5hQjBvD2osDvkgbIYnuwcQ8KMvhU4uGX74S8_DihfZwyBrAei-OurVEaGvhDVwQ_4gWOjnMujdnkPTS1yrdg6TMMsi1FQsT07UdHFZDxTU8alBQZdKUpXdF9xkGVVcfAv-kJgo/w640-h420/Fraternity%20Brothers%2007%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Besides drinking beer, one unusual sport has always been part of Germanic university student clubs, and that is fencing. In this drawing Schönpflug depicts a swordfight between rival clubs, the gold-reds versus the red-white-blues. The men wear protective aprons, goggles, and eye shields. An umpire follows the action and keeps score. It's an activity that looks viciously more competitive than darts or bowling. And as mothers and fathers around the world know too well, anytime you give boys sharp sticks, someone is bound to get hurt. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This card was sent on 22 September 1904 from Polná, a town now in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic, but then part of the Austrian Empire in Bohemia.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_XnjCR7ptFXMHwjrliGwzAyGG4f7Qs8vMHQBV3IOU1HOBpX-Dj7W-wL0PSUwUtVuicTPb8ZLuSa9h9pVzPon4hyphenhyphenvRYWxh-QiAV3l2h6M1yAptB8MPdrzATga5Wf1wHApjngyvmvVm8RZovwILGwimCRdZ_tRlc322tFsc2znYWpcohP2BCWx7cH47M8/s1600/Fraternity%20Brothers%2007%202%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1045" data-original-width="1600" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_XnjCR7ptFXMHwjrliGwzAyGG4f7Qs8vMHQBV3IOU1HOBpX-Dj7W-wL0PSUwUtVuicTPb8ZLuSa9h9pVzPon4hyphenhyphenvRYWxh-QiAV3l2h6M1yAptB8MPdrzATga5Wf1wHApjngyvmvVm8RZovwILGwimCRdZ_tRlc322tFsc2znYWpcohP2BCWx7cH47M8/w640-h418/Fraternity%20Brothers%2007%202%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNTh2OLlHf-WSzS6nRtqyFUSg7y5b6dr_9vVpIR4BjAjHrjekR-fTVFlab1UdQdrNKXy5226_dEkM7KWHcPNr3IvA8cxDlu5y-RuTT_tolZAWCET8T83KjIc_qcexfkj9TZ8l5nERMURz5OB46aM3LjN2x-ZVGqivgF-tPLrsqLOGdwVHmBeWaXaADLs/s1280/1280px-PP_Corps_Saxonia_Wien_-_Silesia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1280" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNTh2OLlHf-WSzS6nRtqyFUSg7y5b6dr_9vVpIR4BjAjHrjekR-fTVFlab1UdQdrNKXy5226_dEkM7KWHcPNr3IvA8cxDlu5y-RuTT_tolZAWCET8T83KjIc_qcexfkj9TZ8l5nERMURz5OB46aM3LjN2x-ZVGqivgF-tPLrsqLOGdwVHmBeWaXaADLs/w640-h420/1280px-PP_Corps_Saxonia_Wien_-_Silesia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fencing match of the Burschenschaft Silesia in 1869 <br />at in the “Hirsch” restaurant in Dornbach near Wien.<br />Source: <a href="Corps Saxonia Vienna c/a Burschenschaft Silesia Wien on March 8, 1869 in the “Hirsch” restaurant in Dornbach near Vienna." target="_blank">Wikimedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The swordsmanship of <i>Burschenschaften </i>became an integral part of Germanic university life, and students in these clubs bore their scars proudly as a badge of courage and measure of their dedication to the their club. Looking closely at Schönpflug's characters we see that they all exhibit fearful scratches on their faces. These fencing matches used heavier weapons than the French/Italian epees and foils. Eye protection was allowed but not full face masks.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2pIKRVr8FHAAkHswODBG7j_zVtgOT4K369Ff_MKkeyyPJcfBY0DsqK-1M7KkMdIvICXPrwi0VvO_mWcpcT3GQdcFfF7St_S6wJPFF4BtB4Rv1IGGppTTi3JCiOUPCSAPOe4m8Ai3TiLLLoeyaaF9zorlJs5ttKzGDA1mBHRxK7BLIT8IS7zzK02lD48/s1575/Fraternity%20Brothers%20SABER%20SCARS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="1575" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2pIKRVr8FHAAkHswODBG7j_zVtgOT4K369Ff_MKkeyyPJcfBY0DsqK-1M7KkMdIvICXPrwi0VvO_mWcpcT3GQdcFfF7St_S6wJPFF4BtB4Rv1IGGppTTi3JCiOUPCSAPOe4m8Ai3TiLLLoeyaaF9zorlJs5ttKzGDA1mBHRxK7BLIT8IS7zzK02lD48/w640-h484/Fraternity%20Brothers%20SABER%20SCARS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I haven't yet acquired Nos. 6 & 8 of Schönpflug's series 842, but at another time he drew another cartoon with a similar pair of university brothers which fits the same theme. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIMf04hyphenhyphenSZLCLXVUTTkwc8jbBcDkA7jvPfq88hlgR0-Ib2vMBDYi7aPAlyoHfB25EBXh0Ob7eZHXgf3Smkxp-iDLBI4SvCLgcCvfZzNWVj-r7C61P3XAzG1dqXC5WZN8yAJwajI8b1og5JJ5O22TjebZr4Zj_TMbOkmBrISaG8gNBIMTDRz1XZamumh8/s2000/Fraternity%20Brothers%20Kontrahage%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1325" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIMf04hyphenhyphenSZLCLXVUTTkwc8jbBcDkA7jvPfq88hlgR0-Ib2vMBDYi7aPAlyoHfB25EBXh0Ob7eZHXgf3Smkxp-iDLBI4SvCLgcCvfZzNWVj-r7C61P3XAzG1dqXC5WZN8yAJwajI8b1og5JJ5O22TjebZr4Zj_TMbOkmBrISaG8gNBIMTDRz1XZamumh8/w424-h640/Fraternity%20Brothers%20Kontrahage%20tst%20A.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Here a small pudgy man wearing a blue fraternity cap, and with a bulldog at his feet, confronts a much taller fellow wearing the same cap and thrusts a piece of paper at him. The caption reads <i>Die Kontrahage</i> which is a word meaning an <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Kontrahage" target="_blank">official challenge</a> to a duel. The faces of both men bear fencing scars. The dog looks a bit intimidated by the tall man. The short cane they both hold is another accessory which may be a mark of a fraternity fellow, perhaps a less threatening substitute for a sword. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This card came from series 762, presumably published before the 1904 series 842, but this is marked "printed in Austria", a notice denoting a new post-war identity for a Viennese company that heretofore was operating in a imperial monarchy. The postmark confirms this with a date of 22 February 1922 on an uninspiring green postage stamp devoid of any royal visage. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4b9kJAFBtErpkbci77XBpvpPEbZKM56ea6C1c5GVT9PrA4_PMv5EPXSjAR7FMkoUzGNisVfhb1RUbrKInmxL8N-tZcRm2wHHwtnF58nHH0ThuYerPwTfRS_aOGlYuzYB6ilZx9-ScU3Ehele7xpfvGI_h_TWO0OITd0sAmmpCMX9z4Z4exT7eFUDZE0/s1600/Fraternity%20Brothers%20Kontrahage%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4b9kJAFBtErpkbci77XBpvpPEbZKM56ea6C1c5GVT9PrA4_PMv5EPXSjAR7FMkoUzGNisVfhb1RUbrKInmxL8N-tZcRm2wHHwtnF58nHH0ThuYerPwTfRS_aOGlYuzYB6ilZx9-ScU3Ehele7xpfvGI_h_TWO0OITd0sAmmpCMX9z4Z4exT7eFUDZE0/w640-h424/Fraternity%20Brothers%20Kontrahage%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkFmabuNs7MrfMUHxNWvRKo5eV1_dtM-_KL1EJX6n_N2d7-KrT9D0bg5YRH0qgwe7jsvepfLNTIsJ5Bn86MAzwuWHTRv1d7OJkKkSMaujX4LEjTLjqfDyPpZE_qlZe7_ES08TYivgSAoTdSTTzoqhFfMtRo03Z7NHPcrt0TQaGg6i2qR_BYsnCy0JkRM/s1274/Burschenschafter%20University%20Wien,%20DiePresse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="1274" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkFmabuNs7MrfMUHxNWvRKo5eV1_dtM-_KL1EJX6n_N2d7-KrT9D0bg5YRH0qgwe7jsvepfLNTIsJ5Bn86MAzwuWHTRv1d7OJkKkSMaujX4LEjTLjqfDyPpZE_qlZe7_ES08TYivgSAoTdSTTzoqhFfMtRo03Z7NHPcrt0TQaGg6i2qR_BYsnCy0JkRM/w640-h382/Burschenschafter%20University%20Wien,%20DiePresse.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Burschenschaft</i> in Wien, Austria 2013<br />Source: <a href="https://www.diepresse.com/1492690/burschenschafter-rfs-zeigt-oeh-der-uni-wien-an?ref=reco_a_packages">DiePress.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The <span style="text-align: center;"><i>Burschenschaften </i>changed after WW1 and increasingly promoted political ideas that further divided central Europe. In the 1930s many became tied to National Socialism while others were persecuted. However, after the German takeover of Austria in 1938, all fraternities were abolished under Hitler's dictatorship. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">After WW2 the university student associations returned but they remained very restrictive and pledging for members was secretive and harsh. Today, partly due to the greater diversity in universities, these student fraternities are less popular but still controversial as they are considered very right-wing political organizations with ties to antisemitism and fascism. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Recently a few of the more militant <i style="text-align: center;">Burschenschaften </i><span style="text-align: center;">sparked</span><i style="text-align: center;"> </i>large counter-protests when they attempted a mass <a href="Burschenschaft in Wien, Austria 2013 Source: DiePress.com" target="_blank">march in Innsbruck</a> in 2013 and a <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/10000-protest-in-vienna-against-far-right-fp%C3%B6-at-academics-ball/a-42328680" target="_blank">student ball in Wien</a> in 2018. Yet it is interesting that the students and alumni of the clubs still continue to wear traditional uniforms as depicted in Schönpflug's postcards from 1904. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VpeFzh7zpQG7DcE2vuv98T3grvv9YIQ6Je_p942LWX8wofrfvjfq9pkPSRlyBOhzMBk9kpRzDFoVU0GUD3UeCDEow7VvksxpqWTVNL-qU0D1TIwRPg5oBzvyGTppO8aqUE9Gvuo4NJJ4n-3MbgrbBjfl72UVselJwM_u79wPdJHDufObVwzJ6RUhzvU/s1097/Burschenschafter%20Innsbruck%20march,%20DiePresse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="1097" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VpeFzh7zpQG7DcE2vuv98T3grvv9YIQ6Je_p942LWX8wofrfvjfq9pkPSRlyBOhzMBk9kpRzDFoVU0GUD3UeCDEow7VvksxpqWTVNL-qU0D1TIwRPg5oBzvyGTppO8aqUE9Gvuo4NJJ4n-3MbgrbBjfl72UVselJwM_u79wPdJHDufObVwzJ6RUhzvU/w640-h446/Burschenschafter%20Innsbruck%20march,%20DiePresse.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Burschenschafteen</i> march in Innsbruck, Austria 2013<br />Source: <a href="Burschenschaft in Wien, Austria 2013 Source: DiePress.com">DiePress.com</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It's hard to know exactly what Fritz Schönpflug thought of the university student clubs and their alumni. After all, these were only caricatures of people he noticed walking along Wien's city streets. But his drawings are not flattering to his subjects. Schönpflug's rendition of their fencing scars and their cocky demeanor gives them a distinctive hideous quality that I think is what Schönpflug wanted the public to see. These were men who wore their school club's colors as a mark of their devotion to bigotry, elitism, and special privilege. I wonder what would catch Fritz's attention seeing them in 21st century Wien. <div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XVnPpQ7-WPhJF6xfG536Flr7S8sDgqy-NxiCILbbE8AfklXZknUAytZ1cJfsu-t7_5xv5oirDHZHx443lLePUM3eZMYAGhpIiWMLzqLRHwF3I0-FO0pm2ngTV3xgGrP2t2Wo9eOUtUPwZjDmVCDDQvcHx0hXqC98l78F7euRynPMyROK0rWGDPmHsLg/s2000/Fraternity%20Brothers%20Wein%20Universitat%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1306" data-original-width="2000" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XVnPpQ7-WPhJF6xfG536Flr7S8sDgqy-NxiCILbbE8AfklXZknUAytZ1cJfsu-t7_5xv5oirDHZHx443lLePUM3eZMYAGhpIiWMLzqLRHwF3I0-FO0pm2ngTV3xgGrP2t2Wo9eOUtUPwZjDmVCDDQvcHx0hXqC98l78F7euRynPMyROK0rWGDPmHsLg/w640-h418/Fraternity%20Brothers%20Wein%20Universitat%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My last postcard from Fritz Schönpflug shows a street in Wien identified in the caption as Franzensring, Universität. One group of men doffs their gold student caps to greet another group doffing their pink caps. Notice that all of them have scars on their cheeks. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To finish let's take a ride<br />along a tram line in old Wien.<br />This historic film from 1906 was remastered<br />by the Youtuber - <a href="https://youtu.be/pN6SrB6r3MA?si=yGpnVucTG9o56-Fg" target="_blank">guy jones</a>. </span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="385" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pN6SrB6r3MA" width="464" youtube-src-id="pN6SrB6r3MA"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/11/sepia-saturday-697-saturday-4th.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where cats and dogs are always welcome<br />as long as they behave themselves.</b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/11/sepia-saturday-697-saturday-4th.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGL757uElDd4C7-fxsC6QTrqz3rk_dGkLu3XgHEDsTEPM9U_xKOH4l9zabdZXWttit2dK_kDz1wRUkfIaItny3vvyYyk6s7PlNa_XbiKE6g8kM1Qw3iHWjeE5tyDwpIw-hlu6d60YGi_L1VAhrk-p8Xf1oH2zzr-FmW7E7CuDM5h9X5a_ayBX9V1R05w/w400-h400/20231104%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-57655472337321939232023-10-28T10:50:00.005-04:002023-10-28T10:51:33.336-04:00Two in One, One in Two<div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXDQARterEi7Ko5B8JzTBjd9E6N_naltOkHoFm-PWIVkAlNesPZL1kYNrclrLboQEwfnrTBTc45YNL8_rwFM-aXDxrTrJXD1Y3SrV4-acAmhce2PAhN4h1I3Fi8qc0keqYSS0ZL9-G1k7zXZRlmkIPV9URpquUFcr79APlGadYZRy91KJptIovl8Kq08/s1000/Berlin%20Boy%20Violinist%201%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1000" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXDQARterEi7Ko5B8JzTBjd9E6N_naltOkHoFm-PWIVkAlNesPZL1kYNrclrLboQEwfnrTBTc45YNL8_rwFM-aXDxrTrJXD1Y3SrV4-acAmhce2PAhN4h1I3Fi8qc0keqYSS0ZL9-G1k7zXZRlmkIPV9URpquUFcr79APlGadYZRy91KJptIovl8Kq08/w640-h632/Berlin%20Boy%20Violinist%201%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The violin is a difficult instrument,<br />so it is best to start lessons at an early age.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_wMRLCOBA71mzpeg04qcEJOl_snjWHKTrL5_h0fJGgaUFmkhFiuYTn3IXLVrHQXpE2GZ-ysWMgIrceBa2-0QupDBers8Ryubfs8SVl0wM_7eFyClNsCd2v2nvP8wYM703GRUb1h6pgvytxzPcFPQoRiHo2ElbdHZNn3v0AFsI53mzK9yg13JnHwGJiQ/s1736/English%20Girl%20Violin%201%20cdv%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1636" data-original-width="1736" height="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_wMRLCOBA71mzpeg04qcEJOl_snjWHKTrL5_h0fJGgaUFmkhFiuYTn3IXLVrHQXpE2GZ-ysWMgIrceBa2-0QupDBers8Ryubfs8SVl0wM_7eFyClNsCd2v2nvP8wYM703GRUb1h6pgvytxzPcFPQoRiHo2ElbdHZNn3v0AFsI53mzK9yg13JnHwGJiQ/w640-h604/English%20Girl%20Violin%201%20cdv%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Though the instrument is not complicated,<br />just a bow and a box with four strings,<br />it still requires nimble fingers<br />and agile coordination.<br /></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivc0lpi3oPoFvq_unXpiM6HEE6VyxJieg4oBYyzGlDa5XoMWxFEcKSIHa26OsegVgDeWM4xEQFC5-fES09l3fjC7ti1KW_6LYlrjd3hyICdPKIUY7UF_1ktuuEYf6srJ6Cw_a1ere8buuD3wGU7B3CcKjkI-dMa_quz76UViLOQNT4Bc7k0ZX7XR5qNck/s1645/Boston%20Violin%20Boy%202%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1645" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivc0lpi3oPoFvq_unXpiM6HEE6VyxJieg4oBYyzGlDa5XoMWxFEcKSIHa26OsegVgDeWM4xEQFC5-fES09l3fjC7ti1KW_6LYlrjd3hyICdPKIUY7UF_1ktuuEYf6srJ6Cw_a1ere8buuD3wGU7B3CcKjkI-dMa_quz76UViLOQNT4Bc7k0ZX7XR5qNck/w584-h640/Boston%20Violin%20Boy%202%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="584" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yet to play a violin well<br />the most important aptitude<br />for a child to have<br />is a good ear.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPr-WkXnk39tmIDMj29gL_wVYdTNkswQqRsWI3JplxhfX8uhPIIFpka6pdvhM1fBHVTzxrW11eNfRnfQC5W8QOj2HmNdPkdBJP9kZINn_XSFrb6ehvrMsqWS3b8bhKotkfwGn3ETIXm0veHJfBQ7ANY1PLyiAmTOLNy2JzsGKSKjhIyIl7uTVeh5MD07g/s1257/Spandau%20Violin%201%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1257" data-original-width="1127" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPr-WkXnk39tmIDMj29gL_wVYdTNkswQqRsWI3JplxhfX8uhPIIFpka6pdvhM1fBHVTzxrW11eNfRnfQC5W8QOj2HmNdPkdBJP9kZINn_XSFrb6ehvrMsqWS3b8bhKotkfwGn3ETIXm0veHJfBQ7ANY1PLyiAmTOLNy2JzsGKSKjhIyIl7uTVeh5MD07g/w574-h640/Spandau%20Violin%201%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="574" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Though some children may have a natural gift for music,<br />most just need patience and discipline<br />to build their musical skills<br />and attain proficiency <br />on their instrument.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I present a collection <br />of portraits of young violinists.<br />All whose names are unknown<br />but who undoubtedly<br />had very proud parents.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKLoQ4mw7l5pNYWl8N91uDujNaMv6xwUf2-_pEwN_-OVdB0C6TgKuDhCncVHDp9bXgn4f0Qb02ak9Q5fTTVxBSnN9xOAZGlHpR1ehyC28eCXXf8LucDLTVnK7FW-XTTcZCdWO3j9LUbJ0eGXEeYNqxuy8h1oq3p3F2AlvsNIO9tL-UmvZDWOj5HuQVOs/s2000/Berlin%20Boy%20Violinist%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1221" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKLoQ4mw7l5pNYWl8N91uDujNaMv6xwUf2-_pEwN_-OVdB0C6TgKuDhCncVHDp9bXgn4f0Qb02ak9Q5fTTVxBSnN9xOAZGlHpR1ehyC28eCXXf8LucDLTVnK7FW-XTTcZCdWO3j9LUbJ0eGXEeYNqxuy8h1oq3p3F2AlvsNIO9tL-UmvZDWOj5HuQVOs/w390-h640/Berlin%20Boy%20Violinist%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My first violinist is a boy seated with his violin in the studio of <b>D. Mendelsohn</b> of Berlin, Germany. He is dressed in a fine three-piece suit with short trousers and looks about age 10-12. Across his vest is a watch chain and fob which is an unusual accessory to see on such a small boy. A sign perhaps that he comes from a well-to-do family. But it is his calm direct gaze into the camera lens that really caught my attention. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVG3eW_z1uTJ-JabINgISTFO8RSMm_SpphZOLaHrVzGaTLSLtPCL5Mfb8O2SUSmtBlf80tCgeMIkIsx658JSCpuvIErvdpJJ9x_2EHXdiERp7rUFMk-kfvTtgKl8tl2LuUryAMjZvhclSCj2Cvx9L9DOHxHki0p56wCb-silh9nuE8YQSETZ7u0N8bq0E/s2000/Berlin%20Boy%20Violinist%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1234" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVG3eW_z1uTJ-JabINgISTFO8RSMm_SpphZOLaHrVzGaTLSLtPCL5Mfb8O2SUSmtBlf80tCgeMIkIsx658JSCpuvIErvdpJJ9x_2EHXdiERp7rUFMk-kfvTtgKl8tl2LuUryAMjZvhclSCj2Cvx9L9DOHxHki0p56wCb-silh9nuE8YQSETZ7u0N8bq0E/w394-h640/Berlin%20Boy%20Violinist%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="394" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">In this second carte de visite photo the boy is standing in front of a painted garden scene at the same studio of the photographer, D. Mendelsohn. The address on the photographer's backstamp is 119 Brunnen Str. in Berlin. I've been unable to find much information on this studio but I did find one example of Mendelsohn's work dated 1897 but at <u>155</u> Brunnen Straße, and another where the number <strike>119</strike> was crossed out and replaced with 155. So it seems fair to say this boy's photo was taken at least some time before 1897.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNJo7C87wpQpYc5Y3P_cGGUhOVCLiHRdgCSIL9vpZO8_iezE_joUii435CsygMpm14m3rWzIEaxBUnJqZLCrkJqO2dN4daqzbyqUj7RhIuczTm_uUOg5ljWXTQ9qmL0V6YJQZJmpFPtx8cfgmnRgeE4p4rsgPxbCk1osuqqt1i3CHoyiCEY8ZFNJpBn8/s1646/Berlin%20Boy%20Violinist%202%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1646" data-original-width="1032" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNJo7C87wpQpYc5Y3P_cGGUhOVCLiHRdgCSIL9vpZO8_iezE_joUii435CsygMpm14m3rWzIEaxBUnJqZLCrkJqO2dN4daqzbyqUj7RhIuczTm_uUOg5ljWXTQ9qmL0V6YJQZJmpFPtx8cfgmnRgeE4p4rsgPxbCk1osuqqt1i3CHoyiCEY8ZFNJpBn8/w402-h640/Berlin%20Boy%20Violinist%202%20tst%20B.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"><b>* * *</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-HPehJmhYFxSenK9L705a1lEZarIwSprHlIUk2s8YlJtsuLRX-ZPjV0fAUveZT90nB6X-i45JT-XpWzPr_uxX3ZmRGIooX-tDAZKDQCEkBoDpK69tJ4RJJBNiX3Eek9uLaRHSKXO1s_ZNQ6wuRvDfJaXAr6bhKeh51T2aP7pEGW13JUFDv-BOqSPQJY/s2200/English%20Girl%20Violin%201%20cdv%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1308" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-HPehJmhYFxSenK9L705a1lEZarIwSprHlIUk2s8YlJtsuLRX-ZPjV0fAUveZT90nB6X-i45JT-XpWzPr_uxX3ZmRGIooX-tDAZKDQCEkBoDpK69tJ4RJJBNiX3Eek9uLaRHSKXO1s_ZNQ6wuRvDfJaXAr6bhKeh51T2aP7pEGW13JUFDv-BOqSPQJY/w380-h640/English%20Girl%20Violin%201%20cdv%20tst%20A.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My second young violinist is a girl from Wales. In this carte de visite she is seated in the studio of <b>E. Lott</b> of Nolton Studio, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgend" target="_blank">Bridgend</a> which is a town in Wales about 20 miles west of Cardiff and 20 miles east of Swansea. Its name is derived from a medieval bridge over the River Ogmore. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The photographer's full name is Edwin Lott and he worked in Bridgend from 1875 to 1920. The style of this cdv is probably from the 1890s. At the same sitting the photographer made a second larger print for a cabinet card mount. The girl's layered frock and long stockings suggest her age is 12-14 years old. The circular thing in her hair is not a blemish but a small brooch of tiny clear gems set around a dark colored stone. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXr8BsuGyNonfXOQEzvCJ-1ppBaVziZHU_CAWICo0d3t_lUAy4XL7DI7Ot4dRGnPH7Qv9bDeIiwEvky79qQszZjtbwySCkbr4pic5RcjDePUcG8cuv60MX4-B8SAVEq6T4hVctnpJ70QSIoUwVmnsMCBHifqTS86A-MpBmsL3STf0VLSATvPO3Xi6wtv0/s2200/English%20Girl%20Violin%202%20CC%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1437" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXr8BsuGyNonfXOQEzvCJ-1ppBaVziZHU_CAWICo0d3t_lUAy4XL7DI7Ot4dRGnPH7Qv9bDeIiwEvky79qQszZjtbwySCkbr4pic5RcjDePUcG8cuv60MX4-B8SAVEq6T4hVctnpJ70QSIoUwVmnsMCBHifqTS86A-MpBmsL3STf0VLSATvPO3Xi6wtv0/w418-h640/English%20Girl%20Violin%202%20CC%20tst%20A.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekAUabnC6C_Fe83PEMspdZFbK8BeIyjCbku1cQmz_bcHKpZzl9ROKNGeq_UNaNU8NVCJZc_Mnj2r3uEAZqHtMVgwK4vNOOMmT5ybAmtmB8t0-Z0TAXdCIoH1kfi0Z_cUbk-kOxpxk7xQgosNfWgTIw9IS2TUqPXj64bTr2zmyFdf4WcYDpJUaQH3UsUY/s2000/Boston%20Violin%20Boy%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekAUabnC6C_Fe83PEMspdZFbK8BeIyjCbku1cQmz_bcHKpZzl9ROKNGeq_UNaNU8NVCJZc_Mnj2r3uEAZqHtMVgwK4vNOOMmT5ybAmtmB8t0-Z0TAXdCIoH1kfi0Z_cUbk-kOxpxk7xQgosNfWgTIw9IS2TUqPXj64bTr2zmyFdf4WcYDpJUaQH3UsUY/w408-h640/Boston%20Violin%20Boy%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My third and fourth violinists are two boys who chose have their photo taken at the same place, perhaps as school pictures. Both are dressed in identical suits with short pants, and are of a similar age, perhaps 11-12, though they are too dissimilar, I think, to be brothers. The first boy has a doltish expression of a child out of phase with the world. In contrast, the second boy has a much brighter face full of self-awareness and maturity. I wonder who was the better musician.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjvrFCNTBy0MNuHNPO0wLsBrwO9BqAfjyTytAFQo3BRhfcOwnp_m-qt0YDJ1ZfU3Pac9TFjiymOzONINTLt_4KKEmdwU0hSQWOJ5XcVSidtdH_j15uv_lFXIzHdQVlGunC3o7xoERPHkhIAFduJQIgWwgked5LZQKuPArbTI5j_Tinyv5bv019wmIIeY/s2000/Boston%20Violin%20Boy%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1290" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjvrFCNTBy0MNuHNPO0wLsBrwO9BqAfjyTytAFQo3BRhfcOwnp_m-qt0YDJ1ZfU3Pac9TFjiymOzONINTLt_4KKEmdwU0hSQWOJ5XcVSidtdH_j15uv_lFXIzHdQVlGunC3o7xoERPHkhIAFduJQIgWwgked5LZQKuPArbTI5j_Tinyv5bv019wmIIeY/w412-h640/Boston%20Violin%20Boy%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The photographer for the two cabinet card photos was <b>Walter E. Chickering</b> of Boston, Massachusetts at 627 Washington St. In my recent story, <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2023/10/even-more-fashionable-lady-cornetists.html" target="_blank">Even More Fashionable Lady Cornetists</a>, I featured a photo of a beautiful cornet player that was taken by his brother, Elmer Chickering (1857–1915). The brothers may or may not have collaborated in business but evidently Walter considered himself the "ORIGINAL" photographer of that name, as noted in the backstamp printed on these photos. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymZu3Wrm5izXP3gUbgCeRGOnBOV9gx6K0RQmcJ4Hs0SmUwfSYrxMKT1gsA7UVoT2V5uumv5JAAKvZD_FmIU-WUneIADwIV4YDlWcWROPWAFV_ArOZd7f6LboeY8Pl-ZPCHv-9EM6Iqh8ZUtTkidnExtSNrl5FL_-4OUjf3O8ytc9PlqvICBwWP5LG7-U/s1800/Boston%20Violin%20Boy%201%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1160" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymZu3Wrm5izXP3gUbgCeRGOnBOV9gx6K0RQmcJ4Hs0SmUwfSYrxMKT1gsA7UVoT2V5uumv5JAAKvZD_FmIU-WUneIADwIV4YDlWcWROPWAFV_ArOZd7f6LboeY8Pl-ZPCHv-9EM6Iqh8ZUtTkidnExtSNrl5FL_-4OUjf3O8ytc9PlqvICBwWP5LG7-U/w412-h640/Boston%20Violin%20Boy%201%20tst%20B.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/138702873/walter-e_-chickering" target="_blank">Walter E. Chickering</a> died in November 1905 at the Boston Insane Hospital at age 50. According to a brief entry on Find-a-Grave.com the cause of death was "Exhaustion in Terminal Dementia". The entry also reports that in 1892 he tried to evade creditors by moving to Canada and was accused of swindling people in Concord, New Hampshire of $1,000 taking advance payments for photographs he failed to deliver. The Boston city directory listed Walter Chickering under <i>Photographers</i> beginning in the 1883 directory. Elmer joined the list in 1886 and the brothers continued to have their separate businesses listed until the 1890 directory, but Walter disappears from the 1892 edition. That means these two young violinists' photos were probably produced in the late 1880s but no later than 1890.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This backstamp is from the second boy's photo and it has his name, Ernest, written twice at the bottom. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6egPTR8yeirGMNjIgHwMD2CfNbLM4WEvfZEPZKawEeDp8LHoguezKoTkCNsNUc4IeGLTlMT7cJ2cLABOo50F7elNqStlscz6frrNdQgts_rluX88zXCmpmmD21Sw9Cn4wZ5n3qJWRYN7cQUYymqTGSREN-0s2P2gmzxKtbqc5D4rtlwpmakpWfsZ8v4/s2000/Spandau%20Violin%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1220" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6egPTR8yeirGMNjIgHwMD2CfNbLM4WEvfZEPZKawEeDp8LHoguezKoTkCNsNUc4IeGLTlMT7cJ2cLABOo50F7elNqStlscz6frrNdQgts_rluX88zXCmpmmD21Sw9Cn4wZ5n3qJWRYN7cQUYymqTGSREN-0s2P2gmzxKtbqc5D4rtlwpmakpWfsZ8v4/w390-h640/Spandau%20Violin%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">In about the same decade, two boys in Germany also posed with their violins. Each stands in the same exact spot next to a cloth covered table in the studio of <i>Atlier </i><b>Emil Schröter</b> of Breite-Str. 32 in Spandau, a western suburb of Berlin. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Like the Boston boys, these young fellows look to be about 12-14 years old. They are not brothers, I think, as one boy wears a different houndstooth suit with long trousers. My hunch is that both were members of a school orchestra that arranged to have individual portraits made.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4I0G9J7B4waeMnyJlNYPAIraNURaRR4xBGk4WkFEtOa3ZcbPTDtUg-WzDRNJTsuK1gvK4YHhuKS0tJmd3x56StIObrVL4j4O18CYsW7DnqQF8LA3AMHzjhLrxVqoxpQUJ_Yqtt4uuddKRZiaiV41wGZU-7cJLKI_viSIgihef8ULD_rFeWJILER-lu8/s2000/Spandau%20Violin%202%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1211" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4I0G9J7B4waeMnyJlNYPAIraNURaRR4xBGk4WkFEtOa3ZcbPTDtUg-WzDRNJTsuK1gvK4YHhuKS0tJmd3x56StIObrVL4j4O18CYsW7DnqQF8LA3AMHzjhLrxVqoxpQUJ_Yqtt4uuddKRZiaiV41wGZU-7cJLKI_viSIgihef8ULD_rFeWJILER-lu8/w388-h640/Spandau%20Violin%202%20tst%20A.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div> </div><div><div>These small carte de visite photos have beautiful clarity, which is not surprising considering Germany was the center for camera technology in the 19th century. This kind of quality is typical of the late 1890s. In looking up the photographer Emil Schröter I found a similar example of his work dated 1901 from a second studio in Potsdam. The printed backstamp of these photos has another name, C. Bläsing, which may be Schröter's associate in Spandau. The design is more modern than the other photos I've featured which suggests it dates to the 1900s. </div></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwPDhp1a_eOxBxChs2lTcWZQiIhyphenhyphenzg7mYWOdaviZ3KaMcerA5Vmh5iBm-uA3KgvDfj-97aO5Tzk_Ieyx87G1hyphenhyphentLm7ZzBYwED_n49XyZl3n63024HMmMm_MsDe3YLUG7snpR6bVL1IdwNm-pxvU2YzsbqwzSXdq0N7o0mwnq6dPMpmOyfEyAbZHGYpFA/s1627/Spandau%20Violin%202%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1627" data-original-width="995" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwPDhp1a_eOxBxChs2lTcWZQiIhyphenhyphenzg7mYWOdaviZ3KaMcerA5Vmh5iBm-uA3KgvDfj-97aO5Tzk_Ieyx87G1hyphenhyphentLm7ZzBYwED_n49XyZl3n63024HMmMm_MsDe3YLUG7snpR6bVL1IdwNm-pxvU2YzsbqwzSXdq0N7o0mwnq6dPMpmOyfEyAbZHGYpFA/w392-h640/Spandau%20Violin%202%20tst%20B.jpg" width="392" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Playfair Display SC; font-size: large;"><u><b>CODA</b></u></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaDHapN3JXLfbJ2W1udkvbP8Ye5iXt-kEjgzvLMuK-SxQV8pHzsvE62tgrGPh51Mx5TWjSIUbylgO08Yk8ccPt4KyXIJbtF95F4fw8gJH0zoCO4LqbC0idfIVZyoUYv2Hn4R3tvOD9YxBlup8XdIB4uBUOatbip9-y_OuIu9-kJfscQx3j_emxsRRzbQ/s1028/Berlin%20Boy%20Violinist%20family%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="673" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaDHapN3JXLfbJ2W1udkvbP8Ye5iXt-kEjgzvLMuK-SxQV8pHzsvE62tgrGPh51Mx5TWjSIUbylgO08Yk8ccPt4KyXIJbtF95F4fw8gJH0zoCO4LqbC0idfIVZyoUYv2Hn4R3tvOD9YxBlup8XdIB4uBUOatbip9-y_OuIu9-kJfscQx3j_emxsRRzbQ/w418-h640/Berlin%20Boy%20Violinist%20family%20A.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">As I was preparing this story yesterday and doing my usual due diligence research I discovered another photograph from D. Mendelsohn of a family group of father, mother, and two sons. The youngest boy is my violinist! This photo was taken perhaps a couple of years before the boy's portraits were made. I have now purchased this photo and though I do not know his name I can at least reunite him with his loving parents and brother. (The image is the dealer's scan and I will replace it once I receive the original photo.) By strange coincidence both of his pictures with a violin came from two other different dealers. That's spooky. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">To finish this post with some music here is a short British Pathé newsreel film from 1948 of Australian radio commentator Dick Fair speaking with Ian McDonough, an <a href="https://youtu.be/qEht9dyqLUs?si=YQAEPxKltl3bUF0O" target="_blank">8-year-old musical prodigy</a> from Victoria who played the violin, piano, clarinet, organ and tin whistle. I suspect this talented boy is the same person as an Australian violinist with the same name who played with the London Symphony Orchestra for many years.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="362" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qEht9dyqLUs" width="435" youtube-src-id="qEht9dyqLUs"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/10/sepia-saturday-696-28th-october-2023.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>where sometime a good photo doesn't need a story<br />to catch your attention.</b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/10/sepia-saturday-696-28th-october-2023.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uBPhHHld1AmWBZhAhtnS3yKbWxu66H0vtayPz8bxCN_y9lTskMjtAlPeul5AemJTU1AnEbGjVfrca6NwTDi8iQ5kJHMG9sh5Nt5siWThlmsNR84FLxzAoWfSt6JN5r2ri0FkqlZf3edsLAGN4LKEVIthrX4uo-OQhde75nXCWhkSaGddo4pAT4iztj4/w400-h400/20231028%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-77991821572839094602023-10-22T01:11:00.004-04:002023-11-17T11:24:02.775-05:00The Art of War - Portraits of Soldiers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymqTkldcq5wR7tglQFXck0LsGaHM2aMICnZ3FPQTCualcU2GhEyx1x9PKkKCgtbDcQFT_CtdVqTlJvUXH8Oiz69ogy7lyYhmQtDC1sOgG9ile-O3XNBG5uKkI02ZTl8qUXBSX14rqINHuD6_JvnLyAA_3vKOiAHQgb_6m27nqSqp-7ncr_SpK7kHrNRI/s1302/Bitterlich%20French%20African%20Cavalryman%201%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1302" data-original-width="1286" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymqTkldcq5wR7tglQFXck0LsGaHM2aMICnZ3FPQTCualcU2GhEyx1x9PKkKCgtbDcQFT_CtdVqTlJvUXH8Oiz69ogy7lyYhmQtDC1sOgG9ile-O3XNBG5uKkI02ZTl8qUXBSX14rqINHuD6_JvnLyAA_3vKOiAHQgb_6m27nqSqp-7ncr_SpK7kHrNRI/w632-h640/Bitterlich%20French%20African%20Cavalryman%201%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="632" /></a></div><br /><br /><div>In August 1914 as armies across Europe mobilized for war, military commands gave little thought to the consequences of a prolonged conflict. Almost everyone believed that this war would last only a few weeks, certainly no more than a month of two. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie by a half-dozen Bosnia-Serb terrorists on 28 June 1914 was a terrible tragedy, but it seemed unthinkable that diplomacy would fail and nations would be forced into war. <div><div><br /></div><div>Yet only a month later hundreds of thousands of soldiers were engaged in ferocious combat across tremendous battlelines drawn across both western and eastern Europe. </div></div><div><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEaLFaxLf3AfzOyhnjd1A4MooZowfxXiVZjvbHefF4xgMFhQeGV-6exGfIP0buXX_rUnWQ7Z3K5aMtmjz0I-07ELhY9RxcEXPdlVm4-KN1MXQyZOJcQL3Ac0zdt7tVTiSEmQTzq2kAaGQM8TPEDBKw_ZxNAiMzn6JZtR60JzroKF-wo5fU_Fxkfsm3Yo/s1209/Ludke%20Russian%20Soldier%203_2%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="1167" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEaLFaxLf3AfzOyhnjd1A4MooZowfxXiVZjvbHefF4xgMFhQeGV-6exGfIP0buXX_rUnWQ7Z3K5aMtmjz0I-07ELhY9RxcEXPdlVm4-KN1MXQyZOJcQL3Ac0zdt7tVTiSEmQTzq2kAaGQM8TPEDBKw_ZxNAiMzn6JZtR60JzroKF-wo5fU_Fxkfsm3Yo/w618-h640/Ludke%20Russian%20Soldier%203_2%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="618" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">The empires of Germany and Austria-Hungary, as well as Russia and the Ottoman empires, were much larger in 1914 than these nations are in the 21st century. As Austria-Hungary embarked on a Serbian campaign on 28 July 1914, it triggered a complicated series of military agreements that compelled Russia and then Germany to deploy their armies, closely followed by Belgium, France, and Britain. In the first weeks of the war Germany took advantage of its military planning and completely overwhelmed the small Belgian army as German forces marched to attack France. Thousands of Belgian soldiers were taken prisoner.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1l44OFPaggvi5E4k4XWuImMMljc6ImJtqpCTqs0vZmjvHYvPVqRthrntLc-w6uA-jzLS7f7rfDgP4Gm5r-pA0wtvNvsXd94EV6qptDGwFSY4L9pOMvhqPy01EQ5oLGvr7FRncsyuWk4bcllUegn5LJ1V2qaI7MKWeSGwG96n0H6C6RMtYP6d_bv4BPp4/s2000/Tilke%20Buddist%20Jwan%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1311" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1l44OFPaggvi5E4k4XWuImMMljc6ImJtqpCTqs0vZmjvHYvPVqRthrntLc-w6uA-jzLS7f7rfDgP4Gm5r-pA0wtvNvsXd94EV6qptDGwFSY4L9pOMvhqPy01EQ5oLGvr7FRncsyuWk4bcllUegn5LJ1V2qaI7MKWeSGwG96n0H6C6RMtYP6d_bv4BPp4/w420-h640/Tilke%20Buddist%20Jwan%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>On the Eastern Front at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tannenberg" target="_blank">Battle of Tannenberg</a>, General Paul von Hindenburg's troops effectively destroyed the Russian 2nd Army in just seven days at the end of August 1914. The German victory resulted in the capture of 92,000 Russian soldiers, including 13 generals.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">But for Germany, these early victories came at a cost. Tens of thousands of Belgian and Russian soldiers were captured. As the war stretched into September more French and British soldiers were taken too. As enemy soldiers, of course, they could not be released. So Germany was compelled to hurriedly construct camps to hold its prisoners of war. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div><br /></div></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqj2bv-iSEQprYL2OkVWEMB-gFMVxkAuSereMsyxB17GbL-qcrcHGDnLKe8kIf2M5b-sT8n7NwjU7j4zLoAT_vXt-Z_QW1cN7gJgR8ijBg88txH2gMBg_dsKU7xDYpQthd8wkTwHMyo5oKokMAhQT-ngJKI0hPtHyThm6JIb8JxE1tJOjdMbCm9xmX44/s2000/Gunkel%20Belgische%20Kavakkerue%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1296" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqj2bv-iSEQprYL2OkVWEMB-gFMVxkAuSereMsyxB17GbL-qcrcHGDnLKe8kIf2M5b-sT8n7NwjU7j4zLoAT_vXt-Z_QW1cN7gJgR8ijBg88txH2gMBg_dsKU7xDYpQthd8wkTwHMyo5oKokMAhQT-ngJKI0hPtHyThm6JIb8JxE1tJOjdMbCm9xmX44/w414-h640/Gunkel%20Belgische%20Kavakkerue%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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By February 1915 Germany had imprisoned 652,000 enemy soldiers and by August
that number increased to 1,045,232. Hundreds of camps were established throughout Germany with separate facilities for officers and enlisted men. Later the camps were further divided by nationalities. In August 1916 the POW population in Germany had grown to 1,625,000 soldiers and it would expand to an astounding 2,415,000
prisoners by the end of the war in November 1918. Though there were German prisoners of war held in Russia, France, and Britain, it was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_prisoners_of_war_in_Germany" target="_blank">POW camps in Germany</a> that confined the most soldiers from August 1914 to November 1918. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">The numbers of the Great War are staggering to understand, especially when combined with the horrible casualties and deaths incurred by all the armed forces. As each nation realized that this war would be horribly different, governments created new departments of propaganda. Germany was especially effective in using picture postcards, a popular medium of communication, to persuade its citizens that this war was a just and righteous struggle against ignoble and villainous foreign people. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A few years ago I began collecting postcards that depicted captive soldiers from both sides of the war. These postcards are typically black and white photographs, sometimes colorized, of ranks of enemy troops usually marching through city streets or assembled for transport to confinement camps. Readers can see examples of these cards in my story <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-color-of-war.html" target="_blank">The Color of War</a> from November 2022.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But my collecting interest was also attracted to a very different kind of German postcard from the war that did not show captive soldiers as unsympathetic masses of enemy troops. These were sensitive portraits of individual soldiers painted or sketched by accomplished artists and then published by respectable German publishing companies. Unlike other postcards of POWs these were not caricatures or cartoons that emphasized racist stereotypes or tried to incite bellicose hatred. These fine art portraits expressed an unusual respectful view of an individual soldier without any blatant bias. Many of the pictures are dated and sometimes identified their subjects or their military units. This collection represents the work of four different artists which I feature today..</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBi8ZFaSLVslaFf1RE2eU6Vab1oOCxo6U-GL7mIaIEI3OASiYYhwQ2VdVkGrhuv-npofOY9qGcvPZv82kzcJynpenzlyAjkR6DGzoTK4SG4dY0vQyZg_PhO8Dule7dw5UEN9X7JUsjK9G4s7aF92ARx8xEJ3zFq8P6oUCjJ7QfEiowR5GTUuVBYyFToro/s2200/Bitterlich%20French%20African%20Cavalryman%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1394" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBi8ZFaSLVslaFf1RE2eU6Vab1oOCxo6U-GL7mIaIEI3OASiYYhwQ2VdVkGrhuv-npofOY9qGcvPZv82kzcJynpenzlyAjkR6DGzoTK4SG4dY0vQyZg_PhO8Dule7dw5UEN9X7JUsjK9G4s7aF92ARx8xEJ3zFq8P6oUCjJ7QfEiowR5GTUuVBYyFToro/w406-h640/Bitterlich%20French%20African%20Cavalryman%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="406" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div>My first artist is the one who painted the colorful soldier at the top of my story. This man is dressed in the colors of a French soldier's uniform with blue jacket and red pantaloons tucked into high cavalry boots. The artist's signature is <b>A. Bitterlich</b>.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFukvkbp50NHoSF6MSs2teIwayMTyDWxlSWEry_l6Xvo3LGhBIWkWKalKyEwmteiimfDCsXFgaJZiwf4zBo5V7P3jmVgCH2UdIwfWkrCCNt5EC0eFeuYsSRSDfsFThkZuLB6dLclknD8D_53Fi4K0_Ug0G9gA7LinBnWShLBUT21bhdo7skr4-xY4AGk/s1600/Bitterlich%20French%20African%20Cavalryman%201%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1009" data-original-width="1600" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFukvkbp50NHoSF6MSs2teIwayMTyDWxlSWEry_l6Xvo3LGhBIWkWKalKyEwmteiimfDCsXFgaJZiwf4zBo5V7P3jmVgCH2UdIwfWkrCCNt5EC0eFeuYsSRSDfsFThkZuLB6dLclknD8D_53Fi4K0_Ug0G9gA7LinBnWShLBUT21bhdo7skr4-xY4AGk/w640-h404/Bitterlich%20French%20African%20Cavalryman%201%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The back of the card has a caption identifying the figure as an <i>Afrikanischer Jäger zu Pferd (Wachtmeister)</i> ~ African hunter (ranger) on horseback (sergeant). It is from a series of cards entitled: <i>Studien aus den Gefangenen-Lagern</i> ~ Studies from the prison camps, produced by the GMT printing company with <i>militäramtlich genehmigt</i> ~ officially approved by the military. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The card was addressed to Madame & Monsieur Dupuis of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montmirey-le-Ch%C3%A2teau" target="_blank">Montmirey-le-Château</a> a small commune in the Jura department of eastern France. In 1911 its population was 271. The card was dated 25 June 1917 and signed with a single name that I can't quite make out. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNToRNaKMtt7jZHuanr8Fi1v9xcl5tWAIlacDuec2qPK18Oy7lV_bZ2uCfRki-q2GmvI0d6uPAhXueJt_kryzMJQCpEx3eAMa6LqBib1QApw_0gHm57Wid1F6gz7M9CaGuOI0WJPhQ2xRaGEMIOo4v7w7NXdr-KjGmEviLW9BnLNKwyRg0aUC2j2oIDw/s2200/Bitterlich%20French%20Soldier%202_1%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1425" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNToRNaKMtt7jZHuanr8Fi1v9xcl5tWAIlacDuec2qPK18Oy7lV_bZ2uCfRki-q2GmvI0d6uPAhXueJt_kryzMJQCpEx3eAMa6LqBib1QApw_0gHm57Wid1F6gz7M9CaGuOI0WJPhQ2xRaGEMIOo4v7w7NXdr-KjGmEviLW9BnLNKwyRg0aUC2j2oIDw/w414-h640/Bitterlich%20French%20Soldier%202_1%20tst%20A.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>This second watercolor by Bitterlich shows another French soldier, called an <i>Infanterist </i>or infantryman in the card's caption. This man is wounded with his left arm and hand bandaged and in a sling under his great coat. The colors of uniforms are, of course, absent in a black and white photo but here the artist gives us the accurate hues worn by French soldiers who began the war in gallant blue coats and cardinal red caps and trousers. However this brilliant fashion may have suited 19th century warfare but in early 1914 the French military command realized that the red and blue made their soldiers easy targets for the enemy. In July 1914 a new uniform was ordered in a blue-grey color known as "horizon-blue" as this tint was considered a better color to mask a soldier's outline against the sky. However the war began before most mobilized units could receive the new uniforms. Therefore this soldier was clearly captured during the first weeks of the conflict.<div><br /></div><div>The artist's full name was <a href="https://www.annexgalleries.com/artists/biography/3896/Bitterlich/Albert" target="_blank">Albert Bitterlich</a> who was a German painter and printmaker born in Bräunsdorf, Saxony, Germany in 1871. He studied at art schools in Dresden and in Munich which became his residence before the war. Some of his artwork is preserved in the State Painting Collection of Munich. Albert Bitterlich died in 1960 in Newuberg, Germany. </div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirad53G8A0lWH1_TvSjOpng_3JmFhX3eMswzNaPGt-baz_tr8_WgexzirGHB30aE5RT4TKYlHvXDQTWF__TV5BwVI3CXYqZyRqiESz2YUXtZ7LGsAb3ZF5C74kW8Z2cGmJ_L-11IK7IfDbXr_xChox_zTQoCS7R6AqpcaO1mFKoCzGI74a1lTFHOPbFD8/s2200/Bitterlich%20Tatar%20Soldier%201%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1408" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirad53G8A0lWH1_TvSjOpng_3JmFhX3eMswzNaPGt-baz_tr8_WgexzirGHB30aE5RT4TKYlHvXDQTWF__TV5BwVI3CXYqZyRqiESz2YUXtZ7LGsAb3ZF5C74kW8Z2cGmJ_L-11IK7IfDbXr_xChox_zTQoCS7R6AqpcaO1mFKoCzGI74a1lTFHOPbFD8/w410-h640/Bitterlich%20Tatar%20Soldier%201%20tst%20A.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>This third image by Bitterlich is called simply <i>Tartar</i> and it shows a Russian soldier reclining on the ground. The man wears a blue peasant shirt and a tall fur hat that has no brim. He looks resigned to his fate. </div><div><br /></div><div>This card, like the previous two, was also addressed to Madame & Monsieur Dupuis of Montmirey-le-Château and signed by the same soldier. This one is dated 15 May 1917 so I presume it was sent to France from a German POW camp. </div><div><br /></div><div>Some of Bitterlich's paintings can be seen at <a href="https://www.artnet.com/artists/albert-bitterlich/" target="_blank">ArtNet</a>. It's a small collection of a few bucolic landscapes and some charming flower arrangements, but I think these cards are far more interesting for both their subjects and his impressionist style.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"><b>* * *</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGstayg9JcMRyHOtYIdKxggOhRg4OXwwV0js0hHeAjrwOyYdvhU11KeQM1WkbBnoVyovxXx73m8BN6SdXXGxP-q_U0iM2NnUn6th3O7RA3jQ6v8Psa4qfzbeLFxzo8MToBl1_dogHndGOYvc98cJRFirbUxvKVrVJsNhhneFlPLcqO21l4Usbt0aE-sFw/s2000/Ludke%20Russian%20Soldier%203_2%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1308" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGstayg9JcMRyHOtYIdKxggOhRg4OXwwV0js0hHeAjrwOyYdvhU11KeQM1WkbBnoVyovxXx73m8BN6SdXXGxP-q_U0iM2NnUn6th3O7RA3jQ6v8Psa4qfzbeLFxzo8MToBl1_dogHndGOYvc98cJRFirbUxvKVrVJsNhhneFlPLcqO21l4Usbt0aE-sFw/w418-h640/Ludke%20Russian%20Soldier%203_2%20tst%20A.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My second artist used a different technique to create quickly sketched portraits in shades of black and grey. I think the medium is charcoal or pastel crayons, but it may be a brushed ink. This postcard shows a Russian soldier with the artist's signature, <b>Erich Lüdke</b>, very clear in the lower corner. Also with the signature is <i>Biała 1915</i>, <i>Belin</i> in block letters and another line in cursive which is unclear. Biala was part of the twin cities now known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bielsko-Bia%C5%82a#Bia%C5%82a" target="_blank">Bielsko-Biała</a> in southern Poland near the borders of Slovakia and the Czech Republic. In 1914 it was within the crownland of Galicia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Several battles between the Russian and Austrian-Hungarian armies were fought in this area.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepZgmUSfhZPsEhRpxbKv9KhC3L6IUFob4j2zxD8hFrpdzQ-K9b46_nPHM3Ah6IfoWDzhH1ouZ6v-i_MUMMWD2NYdzQxp9a_78Uvk1L9p_kILu0w6QNhZ6ycbnOLDvbjgb-8IU-pKIClxloAF0mQCxHWyef_p1HuqHefcXN5Oa413LPNm0lqgxD7NoETc/s1600/Ludke%20Russian%20Soldier%203_2%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1058" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepZgmUSfhZPsEhRpxbKv9KhC3L6IUFob4j2zxD8hFrpdzQ-K9b46_nPHM3Ah6IfoWDzhH1ouZ6v-i_MUMMWD2NYdzQxp9a_78Uvk1L9p_kILu0w6QNhZ6ycbnOLDvbjgb-8IU-pKIClxloAF0mQCxHWyef_p1HuqHefcXN5Oa413LPNm0lqgxD7NoETc/w424-h640/Ludke%20Russian%20Soldier%203_2%20tst%20B.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The back of this card has one of the most unusual handwriting styles I've ever encountered. I believe the long message is in German and written by a soldier, but the spiky penmanship is too dense to make out words. The only thing I can decipher is the date 24 III 17. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tracking down this artist was not easy, partly because the name is shared with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_L%C3%BCdke" target="_blank">Erich Lüdke</a> (1882–1946) a German general who served in both WW1 and WW2. At first I wanted this career army officer to have a side talent as an artist because ironically at the end of WW2 he was captured by the Soviet Union and died in a Russian prison in 1946. However I found other commercial artwork by a Erich Lüdke with the same signature that leads me to believe the artist was a different man. This next German poster has his block letter signature and it dates from 1924/25. I also found examples of illustrations for advertisement posters for cigarettes and coffee that date to the postwar years. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUx-AQi3feSFe_H69DerabCbtzNy6NMnhHHtIAiDKFyFGR6ROKgNEB5-iIrWN2cGZbWUrD6ryKWLMjKUersbe89Z50gUwTPRENYqBdRSvlWtWtRMvjTCwTLxQj8Qz0gj_U_a129cdc4Tef1HC0If_9BoPoHtD4t0hC2sceIw1O4cIdSRJ_1XN7xekBZ1s/s1218/Eric%20L%C3%BCdke%20poster%201924.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="913" data-original-width="1218" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUx-AQi3feSFe_H69DerabCbtzNy6NMnhHHtIAiDKFyFGR6ROKgNEB5-iIrWN2cGZbWUrD6ryKWLMjKUersbe89Z50gUwTPRENYqBdRSvlWtWtRMvjTCwTLxQj8Qz0gj_U_a129cdc4Tef1HC0If_9BoPoHtD4t0hC2sceIw1O4cIdSRJ_1XN7xekBZ1s/w400-h300/Eric%20L%C3%BCdke%20poster%201924.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2ter Deutscher Hanfa-Tag Poster<br />by Erich Lüdke, c1925<br />Source: <a href="https://postermuseum.com/products/2ter-deutscher-hanfa-tag-poster-5" target="_blank">Postermuseum</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I could not find any other information about Erich Lüdke, but I suspect he was Austrian, either a soldier fighting in Galicia or an artist commissioned to draw pictures of Russian prisoners of war since all of his postcards were used by Austrian soldiers. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">I'm trying a new method to display a gallery of images on my blog. It's a Google Slideshow document which I hope will work for all viewers, but with all the privacy blockers around it may not display for everyone. Please leave a comment if you are unable to see this collection of 3 other soldiers' portraits by Erich Lüdke.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="596" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vSFRMTnKxbo4KmnezpqKABeKYfaFZjP0ScRNClS0ZOa5rfOB9xOqOPWYBVHVH7jtta4PRnm1p3JpgOP/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="378"></iframe>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="596" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vRXxnAE8wnFSbX3r9_mzO3i0iS4cnG-pqkgUwPn3fNBLzNtdrkoLgYK_bBCZgiiDalao47px4aVjPHy/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="378"></iframe></div>
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In this sketch we see a bearded French soldier in profile. A caption identifies him as a <i>Französ. Landsturm</i> ~ French militia (reserve) in the 45th regt. of infantry from his collar badge. The artist has signed it: <b>Günkel 1914.</b> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">His previous work at the top of my story was in color and shows a Belgian cavalryman of the 1st regiment of Guides in Brussels. That portrait has a signature of <b>E. Gunkel</b>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The French soldier's card was sent by a German soldier using the military post on 2 October 1915 from Arlon, Belgium in the southern region just next to Luxemburg. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPuXsrBrEc8rlitv4zv8I6fjx6SWbyNdyf-DnKa3WpdbiHgJXXBZih0RM7QcGQ5nCIYtql99oBgz8kP3EoR2GDYpOoeoAOkvsPpVVCT7_scwYzPT1k42wZkgwZGNKZEYCG5wTktXAeS03RmRZRT6OjkYIzrX761J4FVZwZtVHFY7ELrmRbkaOEeaeT9o/s1600/Gunkel%20French%20Infanterie%201%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1600" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPuXsrBrEc8rlitv4zv8I6fjx6SWbyNdyf-DnKa3WpdbiHgJXXBZih0RM7QcGQ5nCIYtql99oBgz8kP3EoR2GDYpOoeoAOkvsPpVVCT7_scwYzPT1k42wZkgwZGNKZEYCG5wTktXAeS03RmRZRT6OjkYIzrX761J4FVZwZtVHFY7ELrmRbkaOEeaeT9o/w640-h416/Gunkel%20French%20Infanterie%201%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The artist's full name was <a href="https://de-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Ernst_G%C3%BCnkel?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc" target="_blank">Ernst Günkel</a> (1876–1925). His German Wikipedia entry offers very little except to say he was a German painter "who was best known for his colored portrait drawings, which were published as war souvenir cards by Dr. Trenkler & Co., Leipzig." By a strange coincidence the only image file included on his Wikipedia page is a slightly different version of this same French soldier.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIhHnFuiEQh_9B4W6dEqxAPB4Q4XducPW1Lx15V8JQAgLUX4QImQcY9da0_KvlB-7Am1CExVAiFnOC1secukVCl78wg9iCze5gthGYohDw5Mo9x0ImlY0kLLcHmUrcibu6i8lPjRpgCPhU-mkmzIdtkEDNwlnLAvJIvp3rvSfWKIi-rH24RVx9R-GFU8/s1150/Ernst_G%C3%BCnkel%20CROP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIhHnFuiEQh_9B4W6dEqxAPB4Q4XducPW1Lx15V8JQAgLUX4QImQcY9da0_KvlB-7Am1CExVAiFnOC1secukVCl78wg9iCze5gthGYohDw5Mo9x0ImlY0kLLcHmUrcibu6i8lPjRpgCPhU-mkmzIdtkEDNwlnLAvJIvp3rvSfWKIi-rH24RVx9R-GFU8/w500-h640/Ernst_G%C3%BCnkel%20CROP.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artwork of Ernst Günkel (1876–1925)<br />Source: <a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_G%C3%BCnkel">de.wikipedia.org</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ernst Günkel's prisoner of war portraits were evidently very popular during the war years as I have found many of his postcards. Like Bitterlich, Lüdke, and Tilke, Günkel painted numerous portraits of Russian soldiers but he was also attracted to the various French-African colonial soldiers who were brought to work and fight on the Western Front. His depiction of Black Africans from Sudan and Sengal as well as swarthy "Turkos" from Algeria and Morocco took a very sympathetic, even fraternal, approach to men whose race was considered exotic to most Germans. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Printed om the back of many of the cards is a title: <i>Kriegs-Erinnerungs-Karte</i> ~ War memorial card. Some were distributed in aid of the German Red Cross. In several portraits the prisoner of war camp is also identified with the soldier. Günkel's signature on the charcoal sketches almost always has the year 1914, so I believe these soldiers were among the first taken prisoner in the war. Based on some of the postmarks, these cards were published throughout the war years, a testimony to the popularity of Günkel's artwork. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">This last slideshow shows twenty of Günkel's portraits in my collection. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">A century later it is difficult to interpret how these portraits of enemy soldiers were perceived by Germans during the war. No doubt many Germans found the unusual uniforms, hats, and complexions a novel curiosity. Perhaps the postcard publisher's intent was to humanize the enemy as a subtle way to check anti-war sentiments in the German public and encourage benevolent feelings toward enemy peoples. But only so long as they were pictures of vanquished soldiers who were incarcerated in prison camps. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What most intrigues me is that Günkel, Tilke, Lüdke, and Bitterlich used their artistic talent in a way that transcends any fake disinformation or jingoistic bluster. These were artists who painted what they saw: real men whose faces reveal pride, anxiety, and even suffering. These were soldiers removed from the horrors of battle but now confined indefinitely to a prison camp. It was a fate that in 1914-15 seemed to have no end. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">There is one more question about these portraits that may never be answered. Did these soldiers ever receive a postcard of their sketch or painting that they could send to the folks back in their homeland? I'd like to believe the artists found a way to give each of the men a personally signed picture.</div>
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<b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/10/sepia-saturday-695-saturday-21-october.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b>
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<b>where great grandpa is always watching what you do. </b></div></span>
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</div></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-5390542917106184412023-10-13T22:22:00.001-04:002023-10-13T22:31:35.391-04:00Four Pairs of Zithers<div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90I1T3AeWdbVrO588qhpIBh5-eKyEvXq8cRiOt_nU2EY7GfmseQOFfpEww50F2OVzzO94SM7vkMe7elJZa3LKneSfCrBUp6eud19spEnk2Z7x6QyWijlqX9UozCB_BG-XCcJwthNctk4e8M9D1_B8t3b7zeiGdzUvgcdvfGCd-A8hDiP8nuT-pdXT-iM/s984/Zither%20Boys%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="984" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90I1T3AeWdbVrO588qhpIBh5-eKyEvXq8cRiOt_nU2EY7GfmseQOFfpEww50F2OVzzO94SM7vkMe7elJZa3LKneSfCrBUp6eud19spEnk2Z7x6QyWijlqX9UozCB_BG-XCcJwthNctk4e8M9D1_B8t3b7zeiGdzUvgcdvfGCd-A8hDiP8nuT-pdXT-iM/w640-h618/Zither%20Boys%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Brothers?<br />Cousins?<br />Friends?<br />Sadly, many portraits <br />of pairs of young men<br />do not tell us.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhGTDyhdZMYszhFVgloiaVq1EBhGIoR7xtqKOrOPPk-G1ZrFqNXaYkXfnvNTXBNQGUWKL_LjHCU_webneKgQnpYGkcNpzmEPNc1h2zAqJvPxWvEZozrmW8ZIiAUht8nSaEvIB2-QCFmoWSOiXyRFPG9CKq1MPplOWl2cjRG74TLyv2nNXClmzLFCDQGA/s1902/Mandolin%20Zither%20Duo%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1611" data-original-width="1902" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhGTDyhdZMYszhFVgloiaVq1EBhGIoR7xtqKOrOPPk-G1ZrFqNXaYkXfnvNTXBNQGUWKL_LjHCU_webneKgQnpYGkcNpzmEPNc1h2zAqJvPxWvEZozrmW8ZIiAUht8nSaEvIB2-QCFmoWSOiXyRFPG9CKq1MPplOWl2cjRG74TLyv2nNXClmzLFCDQGA/w640-h542/Mandolin%20Zither%20Duo%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But when they include musical instruments<br />the relationship at least discloses a shared interest<br />between two fellow musicians.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp00tTCj2ig9lC9ZPqMpWaFdXVwlrSi-2xjyoJYz5L4D9jItKXHmvhmHuxOjozfVhWApXTgfRlDhsdV40IDz4fyCVj3x9QLeNktr3eGqsKMYqykMYsI_R9J0dEqvGXG0Vbh8JW50J0o_OYl_U5j2ubuQvO8A19JBhzb-Ly4F5a2AFEScVXAUDGA5kJSGU/s1500/Munchen%20Zither%20Duo%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1426" data-original-width="1500" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp00tTCj2ig9lC9ZPqMpWaFdXVwlrSi-2xjyoJYz5L4D9jItKXHmvhmHuxOjozfVhWApXTgfRlDhsdV40IDz4fyCVj3x9QLeNktr3eGqsKMYqykMYsI_R9J0dEqvGXG0Vbh8JW50J0o_OYl_U5j2ubuQvO8A19JBhzb-Ly4F5a2AFEScVXAUDGA5kJSGU/w640-h608/Munchen%20Zither%20Duo%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And when the instrument is unusual<br />it often connects the players to a common culture.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSOmIQ2FadH1jIAwm98_ZvoG1FjGW1PRMcWSuXA27kKIOJ729oZ0ew5y5feQHJ67P6E3A290JPPhpbuow1zACJj2uiX0re7F3h0_6wDiN8q8HyTDRPxZFY2H1R1j_LsFRR9HU5wOkaVYre6hGXBlXI64qO-NhPWXFurtX3xTZxhDbjWQa2XRF7Go5Cws/s1238/Zither%20&%20Cigar%20Box%20Violin%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSOmIQ2FadH1jIAwm98_ZvoG1FjGW1PRMcWSuXA27kKIOJ729oZ0ew5y5feQHJ67P6E3A290JPPhpbuow1zACJj2uiX0re7F3h0_6wDiN8q8HyTDRPxZFY2H1R1j_LsFRR9HU5wOkaVYre6hGXBlXI64qO-NhPWXFurtX3xTZxhDbjWQa2XRF7Go5Cws/w620-h640/Zither%20&%20Cigar%20Box%20Violin%20tst%20C.jpg" width="620" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And even in a less sophisticated portrait <br />a musical instrument can reveal <br />a more lighthearted personality <br />than a formal photo could.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I present<br />four pairs of zither players.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mostly.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6ikT6zJKC6M4T-FbZCQa1o7Xdhq1bL3H-S634AIWLuPICrX-vBvZtsk-xnyUNd_gYnWvmutptFDq3HLOpbnT5BwP4E5sXPi2cTPPhaef81N1rXb58F-0-4WjL_oxId9nZRz78iN1XT2atnv1lwA6ukfvnABBmPWDmlzPctSizcL0frrS8g4rW88IZrk/s2000/Zither%20Boys%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1306" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6ikT6zJKC6M4T-FbZCQa1o7Xdhq1bL3H-S634AIWLuPICrX-vBvZtsk-xnyUNd_gYnWvmutptFDq3HLOpbnT5BwP4E5sXPi2cTPPhaef81N1rXb58F-0-4WjL_oxId9nZRz78iN1XT2atnv1lwA6ukfvnABBmPWDmlzPctSizcL0frrS8g4rW88IZrk/w418-h640/Zither%20Boys%20tst%20A.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My first pair are two serious young men who face the camera at Jacks Studio at 136 Bowery, in New York City. They are dressed in their best suits and have two concert zithers displayed upright at their feet. Their zithers have ribbons tied to the tuning peg side, a decorative feature which suggests they have just come from a performance. The young man standing is marked with an <u>X</u> and has conveniently left his name and date on the back of this cabinet card photograph.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JCJY4iIX0Ysv9zmAqokAV87vqG-r97LetTGxrjcy3MzXeOeHsD0rFDPMkDlkDmaAl8D3U1ht6kbLM7zDPIUeXrvDgYzdJaZA1kGOUDVR5FRn72gGYRMed9nYPYYc0Kp3oP4Pp4X_j7jMWeReEHbZF4EmjSf3GIr7XPz6E4ab81jR6-MydEPuXaRRGJQ/s1942/Zither%20Boys%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1942" data-original-width="1265" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JCJY4iIX0Ysv9zmAqokAV87vqG-r97LetTGxrjcy3MzXeOeHsD0rFDPMkDlkDmaAl8D3U1ht6kbLM7zDPIUeXrvDgYzdJaZA1kGOUDVR5FRn72gGYRMed9nYPYYc0Kp3oP4Pp4X_j7jMWeReEHbZF4EmjSf3GIr7XPz6E4ab81jR6-MydEPuXaRRGJQ/w416-h640/Zither%20Boys%20tst%20B.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In ink is written: <span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Compliments of FredK Orphal, 1895</i></span>. Another notation in a different hand reads; <span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Al & Elinor's father.</i></span> Fred's full name was Gottlieb Frederick Orphal and he was born in Germany in 1874. According to the 1920 census, Fred immigrated to the United States in 1881 and became a citizen in 1887. In 1920 Frederick Orphal lived in Brooklyn with his wife Louise and daughter Elinor, age 21, and son Alfred, 18. Fred's occupation was <i>Manager, Roofer</i>.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"><b>* * *</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnFbEx7zhgnUNSNIhL96lDioI-_N0fUle0NjrL3UHMsIAe0xfFJGQ176Gvq4xn13h8R6q2Ldikj46Oiydk5aHhWZ_OQqcuLsq3cdXDQzwdS5uyQEYf2vXj4p3Jq0LUaqldncQHuRk3s1L0rnikm6sM5M73uzUIOCUP8FPhcM43fMUyq7_7meO9kyFYAE/s2000/Mandolin%20Zither%20Duo%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1304" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnFbEx7zhgnUNSNIhL96lDioI-_N0fUle0NjrL3UHMsIAe0xfFJGQ176Gvq4xn13h8R6q2Ldikj46Oiydk5aHhWZ_OQqcuLsq3cdXDQzwdS5uyQEYf2vXj4p3Jq0LUaqldncQHuRk3s1L0rnikm6sM5M73uzUIOCUP8FPhcM43fMUyq7_7meO9kyFYAE/w418-h640/Mandolin%20Zither%20Duo%20tst%20A.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My second pair of sober young men are also from New York, sitting in the Gardiner Art Studio at 461 Fifth Ave. corner of 10th St. in Brooklyn, N. Y. Only one man has a zither while the other holds a mandolin. Unfortunately there is no note to identify them but I think their clothing and the style of the cabinet card date this duo to around 1895-1899.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zither" target="_blank">Zither</a> is a string instrument with many metal strings stretched over a flat wooden box and played by plucking or strumming. There are many cultures around the world that have zither-like instruments, but the ones pictured in my photos today are concert zithers developed in Bavaria and Austria in the early 19th century. They have between 29 to 38 strings with four or five melody strings fixed above a chromatic fretboard that is similar to a guitar. </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Perhaps the best way to explain a zither <br />is to hear the music of two played together.<br />Here is Elfi Gach & Maria Ledinek<br />performing <a href="https://youtu.be/CRsU4ryJjm0?si=VtzISMaROpSVbZ3v" target="_blank">"Der Badewaschl"</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="407" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CRsU4ryJjm0" width="489" youtube-src-id="CRsU4ryJjm0"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNaD7EU23Tk0Je6bPsvU3a1pjZDfWvGDeVTCCpqI-iezDU7vMHMaSmiJNV4RWCxNYkqQk61spIgO7NrlXhZ6y4NH0VBC2GlTLauNqAXisruh5Q0iUmH4_dKnlE8hmBYbYpHYSQTItjHt7mK0kTfJVTyg6-pNkbNPs8vb96AljEBibNQZu5gv-agFpyKo/s2000/Munchen%20Zither%20Duo%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1324" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNaD7EU23Tk0Je6bPsvU3a1pjZDfWvGDeVTCCpqI-iezDU7vMHMaSmiJNV4RWCxNYkqQk61spIgO7NrlXhZ6y4NH0VBC2GlTLauNqAXisruh5Q0iUmH4_dKnlE8hmBYbYpHYSQTItjHt7mK0kTfJVTyg6-pNkbNPs8vb96AljEBibNQZu5gv-agFpyKo/w424-h640/Munchen%20Zither%20Duo%20tst%20A.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My third duo are from München, Germany. This is a smaller carte de visite photo with two young men posed like the men in the first photo, one standing and the other seated. But the man on the right is wearing dark glasses, an accessory used by blind people to distract attention from their eyes. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The photographer was Joseph Werner whose studio was located in München at Zweibrückenstrasse 2.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8Bh3ZIUD5rHYWy9wpVM52mO48ZWNpMSGYgqGj7tA8FJRtjhPH5yZeTZJAZ1IqW8nSFddEd84TSSpN7yyxzMoa_EeCKSMyi7_qogRcKlqB9pPuEMB_DbXh7Pq6kRgkIdP_U_dbqSB53K3bODkRM3yyra4fTv6FAw5H1ngKCYJihwbxxkz2kYM3g79z1c/s1800/Munchen%20Zither%20Duo%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1197" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8Bh3ZIUD5rHYWy9wpVM52mO48ZWNpMSGYgqGj7tA8FJRtjhPH5yZeTZJAZ1IqW8nSFddEd84TSSpN7yyxzMoa_EeCKSMyi7_qogRcKlqB9pPuEMB_DbXh7Pq6kRgkIdP_U_dbqSB53K3bODkRM3yyra4fTv6FAw5H1ngKCYJihwbxxkz2kYM3g79z1c/w426-h640/Munchen%20Zither%20Duo%20tst%20B.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Courier Prime"; font-size: xx-large;">* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIjdpO84G5aYo-m0XMP_n_zFvKGwgOh1t8pVvZJAcl0XSkBw4TBbsyPYKQ0SPuyCK3f4D9-cN8VYmHEMpN6xF9k3sgz6J0MtS_3weV6zsl100q5F4QkKbH57VcRiOEW5wkuWsB_c2VbM7IAd2ITk9vp5dccJ1Jq-RX7_ttJ3zgWp3Ca87NF2JsPKpSho/s2000/Zither%20&%20Cigar%20Box%20Violin%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1305" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIjdpO84G5aYo-m0XMP_n_zFvKGwgOh1t8pVvZJAcl0XSkBw4TBbsyPYKQ0SPuyCK3f4D9-cN8VYmHEMpN6xF9k3sgz6J0MtS_3weV6zsl100q5F4QkKbH57VcRiOEW5wkuWsB_c2VbM7IAd2ITk9vp5dccJ1Jq-RX7_ttJ3zgWp3Ca87NF2JsPKpSho/w418-h640/Zither%20&%20Cigar%20Box%20Violin%20tst%20A.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My last portrait of a pair of musicians is on a German postcard. With a comical "Mutt & Jeff" difference, a short man plays a zither placed on his lap while his taller companion holds a crude folk string instrument made out of a cigar box. It seems to have four strings and a bow like a violin but he holds it between his knees so it may be played like a cello. They are both dressed in nice suits but someone has mischievously drawn a Prussian mustache under the tall fellow's nose. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fnHJ9-xaya-mDMCKZp-x1EnBmisL-SxUwJO7kKywZtO8Do8ssKIdytyvMqAgEFNi9TG_I-P5qiUmZIgZy3jUrDhzihFPRbl5Ezt5IWqv9MnNHQGaI4Y14E-i0oPUG132tVo1Z9CyPaJZbczkUr4VaNkKSTLbazxhvvFGK1VjNU-eWdF54kxmXe_kqYg/s1600/Zither%20&%20Cigar%20Box%20Violin%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1600" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fnHJ9-xaya-mDMCKZp-x1EnBmisL-SxUwJO7kKywZtO8Do8ssKIdytyvMqAgEFNi9TG_I-P5qiUmZIgZy3jUrDhzihFPRbl5Ezt5IWqv9MnNHQGaI4Y14E-i0oPUG132tVo1Z9CyPaJZbczkUr4VaNkKSTLbazxhvvFGK1VjNU-eWdF54kxmXe_kqYg/w640-h418/Zither%20&%20Cigar%20Box%20Violin%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div>The card was sent from Freiburg on 6 August 1903 by a soldier using the German free military post. The message and signature is too messy for me to decipher, but I assume, even though it went by military post, that it was written by one or maybe both of the two men pictured in civilian attire. However it's interesting that it was sent to <i>Herrn </i>Hermann Heüer, a Hoboist or Haut-oboist of an infantry regiment in Freiburg. A Hoboist was a military rank in a German military band that was equivalent to a chief musician or staff sergeant. No doubt Hermann got a laugh from their little joke. </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In conclusion here is some more zither music<br />from a Tyrolean ensemble of three zithers and a guitar<br />playing <a href="https://youtu.be/4Fmat8XhGqk?si=oGgLUQFVu_3__2HF" target="_blank">"Für'n Phil"</a>, a waltz by Dominik Meißnitzer.<br />The musicians are Anton Mooslechner, Dominik Meißnitzer, <br />Kathrin Matzenberger, and Markus Brodinger.<br />It may be a recent composition but I think <br />it demonstrates why the beautiful sound of a zither <br />remains popular with the people of Germany and Austria.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="411" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4Fmat8XhGqk" width="495" youtube-src-id="4Fmat8XhGqk"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: medium;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/10/sepia-saturday-694-saturday-14-october.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></span></div><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">where sometimes two is better than one.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/10/sepia-saturday-694-saturday-14-october.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6JkKtDsEMiq38co7POG10pdydX6UoMf1ZFJJY84jwQB_BzxUTf9pKA2-YycIfE8XQdkUOdYmlTeSrFjfbXYxdeFF7MrgsCRnUcDl5-MbMhYt8QDtgUDXpLe65CA4sV5NUrQQvvkjmzCSdYbeMUxxF-K_dPjfSoD8yxvNEqb2qgL1XlYgrPseJ37sw4I/w400-h400/20231014%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-66704419847213230822023-10-07T15:14:00.003-04:002023-10-07T15:14:21.783-04:00Even More Fashionable Lady Cornetists<div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEc0Nuf0vQ6cjKdLHdAUp5JjUL5O7QpkiiHQMpYtbCSUOknjW5L0b8Q5YEJdstKXGYqLA2BW2uFtbmS1ve8N3Z2ioJwl_Bod7V_87oaokMhyphenhyphenkr7PfcJLrMYZ-LFHs7gZKcxd4LegeJ51vzejPIayzxDKk-ljhbVX88F9BEZ0ySOp7scapDhz6kEREDFU/s1984/Worcester%20Cornet%20tst%20BB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1984" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEc0Nuf0vQ6cjKdLHdAUp5JjUL5O7QpkiiHQMpYtbCSUOknjW5L0b8Q5YEJdstKXGYqLA2BW2uFtbmS1ve8N3Z2ioJwl_Bod7V_87oaokMhyphenhyphenkr7PfcJLrMYZ-LFHs7gZKcxd4LegeJ51vzejPIayzxDKk-ljhbVX88F9BEZ0ySOp7scapDhz6kEREDFU/w580-h640/Worcester%20Cornet%20tst%20BB.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the early days of photography<br />there were no candid snapshots.<br />A photograph was the result of a formal event<br />conducted at a photographer's studio.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7QSRIUhZfttei3GY2oXfNZh1wYso-sDZTFdByvVUeRj300-4e5AJ3O0A4PcfXDpegz0f-zV0mv7Mwc-ZibkOtgK5iZ40poGGwAdQIDyl5teBy0oI5iLaMBfRqxaZ9OIAn5jFFDJNqm6Orv_Z7r_2lx0R-Na9hRICdRDFQOktkyLIwdK2TYwCIWKvSM0/s1935/Meriden%20CN%20Cornet%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1935" data-original-width="1334" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7QSRIUhZfttei3GY2oXfNZh1wYso-sDZTFdByvVUeRj300-4e5AJ3O0A4PcfXDpegz0f-zV0mv7Mwc-ZibkOtgK5iZ40poGGwAdQIDyl5teBy0oI5iLaMBfRqxaZ9OIAn5jFFDJNqm6Orv_Z7r_2lx0R-Na9hRICdRDFQOktkyLIwdK2TYwCIWKvSM0/w442-h640/Meriden%20CN%20Cornet%20tst%20B.jpg" width="442" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Taking a photo was never done <br />on a spontaneous impulse.<br />It was always scheduled <br />with a photographer in advance<br />and the client was expected to look their best.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvSlyl2JA-4Ejhx6QieBMqjRjkbem2RjewQhpuw9jSeTkmehExRFQHrDaMLdFrAPRtmq9cED42XH8tf6UrXFgoc_bBsRC_ylPrUCfnqyTvzoru1Mdta4H2AMTBEAyN4SvgYC8-NVAgxoXY1SkgpEhJ71lDK7dpLiV8p_j5c_o49uBCPK4ofBao6gSeao/s1922/Cornet%20in%20White%20tst%20BB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1922" data-original-width="1900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvSlyl2JA-4Ejhx6QieBMqjRjkbem2RjewQhpuw9jSeTkmehExRFQHrDaMLdFrAPRtmq9cED42XH8tf6UrXFgoc_bBsRC_ylPrUCfnqyTvzoru1Mdta4H2AMTBEAyN4SvgYC8-NVAgxoXY1SkgpEhJ71lDK7dpLiV8p_j5c_o49uBCPK4ofBao6gSeao/w632-h640/Cornet%20in%20White%20tst%20BB.jpg" width="632" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The photographer used their artistic judgement<br />to place the camera in a position<br />that presented their subjects <br />in the most flattering light.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE38eBMfXT1IXjxR49rgZr6DUUVewYUUFvF8DF_wEBB0fTysl5ELHtGNSKbFYudWJsv9Ko2Ox2LZIGRzBvayOHFOZtm57mmF8msy1UBTYesNpbLTNs8NQbD4v0t7nOhuoTIUgz4BYhb_lT9oO6tTxM7whYBU7VikwfxKng4mcpAY6AeQGlGQy_LFJXmuE/s2124/New%20Haven%20CT%20Cornet%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2124" data-original-width="1888" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE38eBMfXT1IXjxR49rgZr6DUUVewYUUFvF8DF_wEBB0fTysl5ELHtGNSKbFYudWJsv9Ko2Ox2LZIGRzBvayOHFOZtm57mmF8msy1UBTYesNpbLTNs8NQbD4v0t7nOhuoTIUgz4BYhb_lT9oO6tTxM7whYBU7VikwfxKng4mcpAY6AeQGlGQy_LFJXmuE/w568-h640/New%20Haven%20CT%20Cornet%20tst%20B.jpg" width="568" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For photos of young women it was very important <br />to have an undistracting background<br />with gentle side illumination to avoid shadows on the face<br />or any glare reflected in the eyes. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyuIWatzo1obMayN9UKjfdYFbTXn6QLda1qPBO9rmT5m9HcprNbMq4YwKhhutsOwKUftxWXi1tWCk12j5WzRsO1SoQLxSw77ADkFRkenjIFVByozx2oaUT_k-HBXNi1lUn0bgp0PXfz5apb2EYcbMEyKYqV0hijOair9MRwib2d7ivUQtbxhT_6AOwk0/s1916/Boston%20Cornet%20tst%20CC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1916" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyuIWatzo1obMayN9UKjfdYFbTXn6QLda1qPBO9rmT5m9HcprNbMq4YwKhhutsOwKUftxWXi1tWCk12j5WzRsO1SoQLxSw77ADkFRkenjIFVByozx2oaUT_k-HBXNi1lUn0bgp0PXfz5apb2EYcbMEyKYqV0hijOair9MRwib2d7ivUQtbxhT_6AOwk0/w602-h640/Boston%20Cornet%20tst%20CC.jpg" width="602" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And sometimes when the occasion allowed<br />a skilled photographer might invite<br />their subject to look into the camera lens<br />and smile.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I present five beautiful portraits<br />of young women from New England,<br />all cornet players from the 1890s<br />and all, unfortunately, missing any identification.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UWSK0OZIYkJAj3gA9pWNksrCiAi6t1Y7inqTfqvknG01ZADyU67D9dsIt3aC3skfHgZXVdgZLMAlBu9XbCKMq4aQk0VdeQEqrI2wBp8sE9RT9C-X0IhVyAvr00aRnvZH7DERSG1hDIH2RTalcXKu6IvuKtb3zRYJh2fnIYbJwqIxx5UyWl_c5QQqtps/s2500/Worcester%20Cornet%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UWSK0OZIYkJAj3gA9pWNksrCiAi6t1Y7inqTfqvknG01ZADyU67D9dsIt3aC3skfHgZXVdgZLMAlBu9XbCKMq4aQk0VdeQEqrI2wBp8sE9RT9C-X0IhVyAvr00aRnvZH7DERSG1hDIH2RTalcXKu6IvuKtb3zRYJh2fnIYbJwqIxx5UyWl_c5QQqtps/w444-h640/Worcester%20Cornet%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My first young cornetist sits in the Holden studio of 393 Main St. in Worcester, Massachusetts. She is wearing a dark satin gown with puffy shoulders and a very tight waistline as she reclines on a velvet covered box. She has a pleasant wistful look as she gazes off to the left. Her B-flat cornet is embellished with a lot of engraving, the sign of a premium instrument. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The photographer was Luman Holden who was born in 1865 in Massachusetts. In the 1900 census he was married to Addie Holden and his occupation was photographer. But the earliest date I could find for his photography studio in Worcester was around 1897. By 1902 his name was missing from the city directory and in the 1910 census he worked as a foreman in a shoe shop.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5GLZ7imMpAcks1mILiM76pQJStwHw5Qr8qqLHLdZdQUKNmVa_ihyphenhyphenDLw-w9nj-WvrT9pN6CySurMne2s1dysCJhcWorRBcfQBcBmvGaOiUZ_GjcO14GTOkMHqBWRcefNmXNttHuyzqVb2aeX4Fy0sC9H8RB2zjlHl3AUF0yZv71ot2_7lVI6FiZS1_q4/s2100/Meriden%20CN%20Cornet%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1368" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5GLZ7imMpAcks1mILiM76pQJStwHw5Qr8qqLHLdZdQUKNmVa_ihyphenhyphenDLw-w9nj-WvrT9pN6CySurMne2s1dysCJhcWorRBcfQBcBmvGaOiUZ_GjcO14GTOkMHqBWRcefNmXNttHuyzqVb2aeX4Fy0sC9H8RB2zjlHl3AUF0yZv71ot2_7lVI6FiZS1_q4/w416-h640/Meriden%20CN%20Cornet%20tst%20A.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The second young lady's portrait is a ¾ view in an oval cut print. She is standing in the Haley & Akers Studio of Meriden, Connecticut. Dressed in a dark striped blouse with modest puffy shoulders and a slim dark skirt, I'd put her age at around 17-20 years old, but I find it hard to be sure when a young girl is so elegantly dressed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The photographers were John P. Haley and John Akers. Their studio first appears in the 1894 Meriden city directory but by 1901, Haley has left and only Akers remains in the photographers listings. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjem671ISV4LrotdN3wMw0ey1O5HM3mzxVgl60TaYSETOeuN7l8sBFmw31xG5C7PN4anP1lBEo-6gYdgFvIc1VIYC8hR65xh8dmDGRJtzZk_-kPLXLzaddZ2DkJocP8338ThjUhOEWqiaIuQWer-hV3A3pF1xRr39YGu8mf3_uYfIPMDLwjDIHsVUYc4k/s2100/Cornet%20in%20White%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1357" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjem671ISV4LrotdN3wMw0ey1O5HM3mzxVgl60TaYSETOeuN7l8sBFmw31xG5C7PN4anP1lBEo-6gYdgFvIc1VIYC8hR65xh8dmDGRJtzZk_-kPLXLzaddZ2DkJocP8338ThjUhOEWqiaIuQWer-hV3A3pF1xRr39YGu8mf3_uYfIPMDLwjDIHsVUYc4k/w414-h640/Cornet%20in%20White%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My third cornetist is actually performing for the camera with her cornet at her lips. However I think it is only a pose as her embouchure would show some tension around her mouth if she was actually blowing a note. Her gown is all white with a ruffle band along the front button seam. Like the previous women she also has a very tight waistline. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The photographer was the Partridge Studio of Boston, Massachusetts in Brookline. The back of the cabinet card photograph has a nice illustration of the studio building showing a kind of Arts & Craft style cottage with a fanciful tower on one corner. Perhaps the many windows on the circular tower was a way to insure good lighting throughout the day. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizg6ojwxBAlLWxNiivHtW0vGDhj58DKVauEmM4z7Dt7Uq3vX6WMzE3BW51BghVgxC2ZoF9fQYUvg_lan2QVMBsDId6u9uQgp4L1TahO59TwHDOAiPsVUObO6lAhJRuLizZTZhacudicccZK2zp6U7VvGnNptgE1T1LfN5ETCU4s2Hp8_nWbNf_PznXevA/s2000/Cornet%20in%20White%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1278" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizg6ojwxBAlLWxNiivHtW0vGDhj58DKVauEmM4z7Dt7Uq3vX6WMzE3BW51BghVgxC2ZoF9fQYUvg_lan2QVMBsDId6u9uQgp4L1TahO59TwHDOAiPsVUObO6lAhJRuLizZTZhacudicccZK2zp6U7VvGnNptgE1T1LfN5ETCU4s2Hp8_nWbNf_PznXevA/w408-h640/Cornet%20in%20White%20tst%20B.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>The photographer <a href="https://www.oldoregonphotos.com/photographers/whpartridge.html" target="_blank">William H. Partridge</a> (1858–1938) was born in Wheeling, West Virginia to a father who was a photographer. William and his two brothers, Edward and Samuel Partridge, all took up photography too, and began working with their father in Boston in 1878 as A. C. Partridge & Sons. In 1884 Edward and William moved to Portland, Oregon where they established a successful studio there. They both made several trips to Alaska and made a number of landscape photos that were printed for sale on both the west and east coasts. In about 1887 William Partridge moved back to Boston where he ran a successful photography studio until 1914 and became known for his portrait and landscape photographs as well as botanical paintings. My collection has several fine portraits of female musicians including some string players that were taken at the Partridge studio, so I believe they all may be connected to the same Boston women's orchestra. </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHeJkZ5YrihRIkb40xZ76Dx2dTA5fI2uGTTD5GST3R7uynEE1tu_P_v_ylFBp5o2Hqbyd0f8aafyzAZS87oeexqKZL9VWyUKcOtntvsHEaXf7zwEpM2zu688P-f4Okif5gGrPpMbfpSC2X9OBQhiYb2oQ7hY5uVa0FEcmjgWsuvSI_Z6nTqwGGgv31H0/s2200/New%20Haven%20CT%20Cornet%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1455" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHeJkZ5YrihRIkb40xZ76Dx2dTA5fI2uGTTD5GST3R7uynEE1tu_P_v_ylFBp5o2Hqbyd0f8aafyzAZS87oeexqKZL9VWyUKcOtntvsHEaXf7zwEpM2zu688P-f4Okif5gGrPpMbfpSC2X9OBQhiYb2oQ7hY5uVa0FEcmjgWsuvSI_Z6nTqwGGgv31H0/w424-h640/New%20Haven%20CT%20Cornet%20tst%20A.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The fourth cornetist is similarly dressed in a white gown with puffy sleeves. She looks the youngest of my set of young ladies, maybe 15-17 years old. The photographer has posed her standing in front of a vague cloud-like backdrop which give her an angelic attitude. This picture was taken by Chipman & Keefe of the Temple Studio at 180 Temple St. in New Haven, Connecticut. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The photographers were Walter F. Chipman and William J. O'Keefe. Chipman was born in 1863 and when he was 17 he listed his occupation as photographer in the 1880 census for New Haven. However his partnership with O'Keefe on Temple St. began with a listing in the 1894 New Haven city directory. This business only lasted two years as in the 1896 directory O'Keefe has the studio at Temple. The following year, in 1897, O'Keef has departed and Chipman has a new partner named Beck with a studio on Chapel St.. And in 1898 New Haven has 25 photographers in its business listings but neither Chipman nor O'Keefe have a studio, though they each list their occupation as photographer in their individual listings. It's an example how photography became a booming field for entrepreneurs in the late 1890s but it was also a very competitive trade. It does mean that this young woman's portrait dates from the years 1894 to 1895 that Chipman and O-Keefe worked together.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhtn4miPz1tPXdyg8SoNuKfeM0M-uehGHB9YHt7ra_guda2B19NGpKiEN49w_rqhsscRbooGQOh_bg4I2VHqNmXRsiBlzAycX4CuI0vUa0dwAs3STPbTMSiXawHmHCSAgwu5Gi6rVvzpxLqJxZw1QbBGvXGvnkXF8T42DwaJGfj0amS6p2CMlwotZmC8/s2100/Boston%20Cornet%20tst%20AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1479" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhtn4miPz1tPXdyg8SoNuKfeM0M-uehGHB9YHt7ra_guda2B19NGpKiEN49w_rqhsscRbooGQOh_bg4I2VHqNmXRsiBlzAycX4CuI0vUa0dwAs3STPbTMSiXawHmHCSAgwu5Gi6rVvzpxLqJxZw1QbBGvXGvnkXF8T42DwaJGfj0amS6p2CMlwotZmC8/w450-h640/Boston%20Cornet%20tst%20AA.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My last cornetist has the most glamorous photo. This young lady is also dressed in a white satin gown with full puffy shoulders, ruffles, ribbons and a super tight waist. She is the only one who gazes directly at the camera lens with a very slight but confident smile. Her curly hair is tied with a ribbon into a topknot. In this ¾ view she is seated on an ornately carved wooden chair with her arm around her instrument that rests oddly on a wooly sheepskin. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The photo was taken at another Boston photography studio operated by Elmer Chickering of 21 West St. in Boston. <a href="https://broadway.library.sc.edu/content/elmer-chickering.html" target="_blank">Elmer Chickering</a> (1857–1915) was born in Vermont where he learned photography but in 1884 relocated to Boston opening a studio on West St. just a half-block from Boston Common park. His establishment had a first floor gallery that was arranged like a museum exhibition space. On the third floor his studio was outfitted with the best cameras including one of the earliest telephoto lens. Chickering was also skilled in several graphic techniques, being a good painter in oils, and an accomplished draughtsmen with crayons, pastels, and India ink. His studio employed several photographers with specialties in arranging photographs of artistic, landscape, and outdoor scenes. Chickering's handsome photo portraits became very popular and attracted a large clientele, especially with theatric entertainers, who purchased multiple cabinet card promotional prints. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Like the Partridge studio, Chickering produced a large number of photos of Boston's female musicians, some of which are now in my collection. Like this young cornetist, almost every one is dressed in a white gown with big puffy sleeves, a fashion popular in the late 1890s. A few of these musicians are identified on the photo and I've been able to find them on the player rosters of several Boston ladies' orchestras from the 1890s. Because Boston was such an important center of American culture and entertainment in this era, it provided female musicians with a number of ladies' bands and orchestras that performed in the New England region. I think this young woman was one of those professional musicians. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But as I put these photographs together this week I noticed a curious detail that I'd not seen before. It's quite small, and unusual to see on a woman of this era. Can you spot it? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTH8bwzV8io1PW4iEJy6wLUGiBnXBMj0clF4ceCzcqEoI_emYGj6mSOl_zJ3yChyKVEH5O00Tbfj2jlOi2fdt7z9gt5_87Sw5-vNnGLvUZn7VxAU_TH_GRaWOR9MJH-eELc6c7BeVVz2dhHaKV5WtQXldk_u5LDV_KHq-mYFDDI6lqTWoCd6Jk6sE6Kj0/s1380/Cornet%20in%20White%20tst%20CC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="1380" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTH8bwzV8io1PW4iEJy6wLUGiBnXBMj0clF4ceCzcqEoI_emYGj6mSOl_zJ3yChyKVEH5O00Tbfj2jlOi2fdt7z9gt5_87Sw5-vNnGLvUZn7VxAU_TH_GRaWOR9MJH-eELc6c7BeVVz2dhHaKV5WtQXldk_u5LDV_KHq-mYFDDI6lqTWoCd6Jk6sE6Kj0/w640-h524/Cornet%20in%20White%20tst%20CC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">It's a tiny diamond or gold stud in the right ear lobe of the cornet player in the Partridge and the Chickering photos. I think it is the same young woman. Both have the same kinky hair which looks to be a ginger color. And both have a very narrow waist. But that pierced ear makes a statement that I believe only a confident talented soloist would make. Maybe one day I'll find her in a group photo of her orchestra. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><b>This is my contribution for <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/10/sepia-saturday-7th-october-2023.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: medium;"><b>where grandma always tells<br />the best stories.<br /><br /></b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/10/sepia-saturday-7th-october-2023.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyi-leFYheP41_guzXTgpjRJ_3fm9xIr5VRPXMLREnN5EcLU0rDHkyRIW6TgeCmDek6YEtHBONgmSerctSlyGZk0gH6q-Cqr0_vWPk-9XL5VtRVj0PohPj07UtX3cedg-RuPuoaUE0Hn8M_74tChkHOl3eFEgOx4eR16PGhhT6bKa5V3NfWVGjt2iiMg/w400-h400/20231007%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-53578573808470444252023-09-30T21:46:00.006-04:002023-10-01T11:29:37.491-04:00Going to the Theatre in Omaha<div class="separator"><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYC3-I_OpLGXYxg7kpi9wXEXy9IpPWMyVVxrDYIVLXLD7pqmeY_DyyNN2TNtwmZHgYlQBQjygwUsildtssh2Fen3cpRcKm6IwPtgsVDEGjWffgV6HLEHu_jLBSDwfhx_0ixy1gO9vjTpQjVqJ4VAgX2sGUslrP7SXz2vKSxV8LTKsK8HLpIT5tIFZ-K8/s2000/Omaha%20NE%20Empress%20Theatre%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1259" height="715" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYC3-I_OpLGXYxg7kpi9wXEXy9IpPWMyVVxrDYIVLXLD7pqmeY_DyyNN2TNtwmZHgYlQBQjygwUsildtssh2Fen3cpRcKm6IwPtgsVDEGjWffgV6HLEHu_jLBSDwfhx_0ixy1gO9vjTpQjVqJ4VAgX2sGUslrP7SXz2vKSxV8LTKsK8HLpIT5tIFZ-K8/w449-h715/Omaha%20NE%20Empress%20Theatre%20tst%20A.jpg" width="449" /></a>
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A theatre is all about illusion.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Even from outside at night<br />its bright lights attract our curiosity<br />and invite us in to see something unique,<br />something stimulating, something amusing.<br />It might be in Paris or London or New York,<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">or even in Omaha, Nebraska,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">but the promise is the same.<br />Come and be entertained.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
This postcard of the </span><br /><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: large;"><b>Empress Theatre by Night, Omaha, Neb</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">was addressed to</span><br /> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Miss Ruth L. Phillips of Alliance, Nebraska,
<br /> c/o St. Agnes Academy. </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">The writer flipped her message and, <br />as is still
the habit in modern times, ran out of space on the card.
</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbCNr2KrWgHiZnGn4ZfAV34uBIZy3-Rgvj_ObyspJrsM89TW8HbK5BzLWOs6P6wocV76yXg_VKmMEmGiiTQrFSVh11xT6LMI4ZQbo9sXE6-D4VBR1WKJez4O8Jl-_R_IGiKIIwPwqq2v32S74kxV6ZpdPUgVUi7-SCsGAaOua0K7SiR3k69y3uEmXlhk/s1600/Omaha%20NE%20Empress%20Theatre%20tst%20BC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1015" data-original-width="1600" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbCNr2KrWgHiZnGn4ZfAV34uBIZy3-Rgvj_ObyspJrsM89TW8HbK5BzLWOs6P6wocV76yXg_VKmMEmGiiTQrFSVh11xT6LMI4ZQbo9sXE6-D4VBR1WKJez4O8Jl-_R_IGiKIIwPwqq2v32S74kxV6ZpdPUgVUi7-SCsGAaOua0K7SiR3k69y3uEmXlhk/w640-h406/Omaha%20NE%20Empress%20Theatre%20tst%20BC.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>Omaha, Mar 13</i></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i><span> <span> </span></span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>My Dear
Ruth:-</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i><span><span> </span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>How are
you. I am well</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span></span>&
hope you are the same</i></span>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span> </span>Mrs. A,
Grandma, & Gusta</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>& little Florence &</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>I all went to the Empress</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>yesterday afternoon it</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>was real good, & to</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>day Grandma & I &</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>Mrs. Anderson are going</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>to the matinee at Brandies (sic)</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>to see Eva Tanguay.</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>They want me to come</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>after Gusta now</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>stay so I will go up</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>there for Papa may come</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>anytime so address</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>my letter to Gusta's</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>2420 Hamilton St.</i></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;">
</i><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;"><i>love your Mama</i></span>
</div>
<br /><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSq-iL9DhlRHrnje8Wn8XPjhZ_vHe0RWRYxCk1_FwN6ff0MtaQXWI6eTaivbtVKCMPMgCgWjBnGu3Z6nGCRylwTPJEd4xXJCKHvOoog-s5MQbAblI-NKLfVFnwaL2dz4YEcnebUfaughEJD9cLd0r5FahZhMMuERV3W1sOBXclgpICcIFSZWkKlarOtMg/s1694/1914-03-08%20Omaha%20Daily_Bee%20-%20Theater%20ADS%20PICS%20CLIP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1694" data-original-width="770" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSq-iL9DhlRHrnje8Wn8XPjhZ_vHe0RWRYxCk1_FwN6ff0MtaQXWI6eTaivbtVKCMPMgCgWjBnGu3Z6nGCRylwTPJEd4xXJCKHvOoog-s5MQbAblI-NKLfVFnwaL2dz4YEcnebUfaughEJD9cLd0r5FahZhMMuERV3W1sOBXclgpICcIFSZWkKlarOtMg/w290-h640/1914-03-08%20Omaha%20Daily_Bee%20-%20Theater%20ADS%20PICS%20CLIP.jpg" width="290" /></a>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
Omaha NE <i>Daily Bee</i><br />8 March 1914
<br /><br /><br /></td>
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mrs. Phillips and her little group first went to the Empress Theatre for it's
vaudeville variety show. It was located at 15th Street and Douglas Street
in Omaha, Nebraska. On the week they were there the show opened with the
Metropole Four, classy harmony singers, followed by the Anker Brothers, a pair
of gymnastic sailors; Wolf and Zadella, "Odd Antics"; the Grace and Rose Ayres
Trio, novelty roller skaters; and "the best of photoplays, always first
run." There were four shows daily at 2:00, 3:, 7;30 and 9:00. Admission
was 10¢, reserved seats, 10¢ extra. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In March 1914 the
<a href="https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/18007" target="_blank">Empress Theatre</a>
had been in business for only fourteen months, having opened in January 1913.
The management boasted that its building's construction of reinforced concrete,
steel, and brick with 17 exits made it absolutely fireproof. The theater was also equipped with an elevator that could take patrons from the
ground floor to the mezzanine and balcony floors. Tickets for all 1,492 seats
were the same price, though for popular shows getting reserved seats was probably
worth the extra premium.
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There was a "first class orchestra" that played "high grade music" and
accompanied the "pictures", i.e. silent movies, as well as the vaudeville
acts. The orchestra was augmented with a "Cathedral organ" too. During
weekdays shows were continuous from noon until 11 at night, so patrons could enter at any time. The Empress
management claimed, "Nothing but the cleanest of acts will be presented They
will be of high quality and please the most fastidious. We guarantee the moral
tone of our entertainment and cater especially to ladies and
children."
</div>
<div><br /></div><div>Just a month earlier in February 1914, the theater opened the Empress Gardens Cafe & Delicatessen located in an immense two-level space beneath the theatre ground floor. On the menu were "oysters, broiled and boiled lobster, Welsh rarebits, broiled spring chicken, macaroni <i>Au Gratin</i>, spaghetti <i>Italienne</i>, salads, sandwiches, cold meat" and "complete soda fountain service". A buffet luncheon cost 25¢. a <i>Table d'Hote</i> dinner was 50¢.</div>
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No doubt Mrs. Phillips and her company heard about a thrilling mishap at
the Empress that occurred just a week before. During an evening performance
Peter Taylor, a lion tamer, was injured by one of his eight lions which suddenly leaped
at him just as he was leaving the cage, slamming the door with such force that
the man was nearly knocked unconscious. Evidently Taylor was accustomed to the risk
and he returned the following afternoon, though he did not venture so close to
his animals.
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<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omaha,_Nebraska" target="_blank">Omaha</a> is situated on the western side of the Missouri River which separates
Nebraska from Iowa. In 1910 it was a sizable city with a population
of <span style="white-space: normal;">124,096 citizens. The Empress Theatre on Douglas St. was just two blocks
away from a notorious area of the city called the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporting_District,_Omaha" target="_blank">Sporting District</a>" where various establishments offering </span>gambling, drinking and prostitution were controlled by a racketeer and
political boss named Tom Dennison. In 1910 it was estimated that
this red-light district had over 100 "houses of questionable character" and by
1918 at least 1,600 prostitutes working there.
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Opened in 1905 the Gayety Theatre, "Omaha's Fun Center", was in this district
and though it originally presented "advanced vaudeville" when it was first known as
the Burwood Theatre, by 1914 it was booking mainly burlesque acts, "nudge nudge, know what I
mean?" In the Gayety's ad under the Empress' notice, Gertrude Hayes and her four dancing Brick Tops was probably an unsuitable entertainment for refined women like Mrs. Phillips.
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Instead she planned to see something more outrageous at the Brandeis.
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Omaha NE <i>Daily Bee</i><br />8 March 1914
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The
<a href="https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4158" target="_blank">Brandeis Theater</a>
was a block away from the Empress at 17th Street and Douglas Street. It
was part of a large development in Omaha made by the Brandeis Department Store. Founded in Omaha by Jonas L. Brandeis in 1881, his company eventually
operated fifteen chain stores in Nebraska. The theater was just a small
addition to its nearby headquarters building. With 1,500 seats and a very large
stage, the Brandeis catered to more sophisticated acts.
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<div style="text-align: left;">Patrons at the previous week's shows saw Montgomery and Stone in the musical fantasy <i><a href="https://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_l/LadyOfTheSlipper.html" target="_blank">The Lady of the Slipper</a>,</i> a three-act operetta with music by Victor Herbert. This show was based on the fairytale of Cinderella and had premiered on Broadway on 28 October 1912 closing after 232 performances on 17 May 1913. It starred two comic actors, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_C._Montgomery" target="_blank">David C. Montgomery</a> (1870–1917) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Stone" target="_blank">Fred A. Stone</a> (1873–1959) who had a partnership that lasted 22 years performing in minstrel shows, vaudeville, musicals and operettas. Their most famous work was in a 1902 production of The Wizard of Oz where Montgomery played the Tin Man and Stone was Scarecrow.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was followed by a play entitled <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kismet_(play)" target="_blank">Kismet, an Arabian Night</a> </i>by Edward Knoblauch and starring Otis Skinner. This three-act play first opened in London in April 1911 and ran for 330 performances. Like many theatrical productions that played well in London this show was staged in New York for later that year. It opened on Christmas Day 1911 with the American actor, Otis Skinner (1858–1942) as Hajj the beggar. Skinner had such success with this role that he played it many times on stage and made both a silent film in 1920 and a sound movie in 1930. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile for those people who liked classical music there was a recital by the young Ukrainian violin virtuoso, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mischa_Elman" target="_blank">Mischa Elman</a> (1891–1967). Those tickets were 50¢ to $2.00. Elman was a child prodigy and began his concert career at a young age. He is considered one of the great masters of the violin. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But Mrs. Phillips was looking forward to seeing "the greatest drawing card known to the amusement world", the "dynamic, cyclonic" Eva Tanguay and her own "volcanic vaudeville". Ticket prices for her shows, matinees and evenings, ranged from 25¢, to 50¢, 75¢, $1.00, and $1.50.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7_DqZfyyAGY4Vkkg4hgn_smCubl-t3ACcMTz9xzfsr7TrUODON9wa1OsqhzoO8WSXao8YAtA7mqj8PsZ87fdM0Cy5uLKNcpMza4smgXBMPIIw2AynW3a9HeEFI_tGOGutLADLnQmrdKhwo7lzOlA0BlZloKiPas3eszEN6vDUETuH-C8WFtNUIFbD_A/s610/David%20C%20Montgomery%20+%20Fred%20Stone%201902%20Wizard%20of%20Oz.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="430" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7_DqZfyyAGY4Vkkg4hgn_smCubl-t3ACcMTz9xzfsr7TrUODON9wa1OsqhzoO8WSXao8YAtA7mqj8PsZ87fdM0Cy5uLKNcpMza4smgXBMPIIw2AynW3a9HeEFI_tGOGutLADLnQmrdKhwo7lzOlA0BlZloKiPas3eszEN6vDUETuH-C8WFtNUIFbD_A/w453-h640/David%20C%20Montgomery%20+%20Fred%20Stone%201902%20Wizard%20of%20Oz.jpg" width="453" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fred A. Stone as Scarecrow <br />and David C. Montgomery as the Tin Woodman<br />in the 1902 stage extravaganza <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_(1902_musical)" target="_blank">The Wizard of Oz</a><br />Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_C._Montgomery" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKF5vLLgVha4LA-nnPINJ9A1enYA-6crYjZTC6lu373jjEe-P0ib_oqebfMvPYoPvBrKeNyKXj9eSuHGDlPZtkxvSNB-5T5YM4el4n8-dyH8z5oH_IUxuqMNlkgxjAPdl_w_gJrvd2bHqJzOFT7IAsrwcvSSzDoxn2D5rMHYGvvJE9_P0rO030-Z8b5Pw/s500/David_C%20Montgomery%20&%20Fred_A%20Stone%20as%20Punks%20&%20Spooks,%20The%20Lady%20of%20Slipper%201912.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKF5vLLgVha4LA-nnPINJ9A1enYA-6crYjZTC6lu373jjEe-P0ib_oqebfMvPYoPvBrKeNyKXj9eSuHGDlPZtkxvSNB-5T5YM4el4n8-dyH8z5oH_IUxuqMNlkgxjAPdl_w_gJrvd2bHqJzOFT7IAsrwcvSSzDoxn2D5rMHYGvvJE9_P0rO030-Z8b5Pw/s16000/David_C%20Montgomery%20&%20Fred_A%20Stone%20as%20Punks%20&%20Spooks,%20The%20Lady%20of%20Slipper%201912.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elsie Janis as Cinderella <br />with David C. Montgomery (left) as Punks and Fred A. Stone (right) as Spooks, <br />in Victor Herbert’s musical play, <i>The Lady of the Slipper</i>, <br />produced at the Globe Theatre, New York, 28 October 1912<br />Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_C._Montgomery" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhCg9Dzk2GnHSXxJ6mdvtH6De2g_f3JB_1jKFwB_DW9kztsDtANMv2wRhLdiAoYs4BGf0yNy99dNPKhQ_6VNuFt9m-nhBidU-GiaQHcW46d6WCjbB1cmlciv8zaKKAYmpranlIzBRJ1sJ8-C75RvgZ9RaY1R7CfwXhV8BQ3bjclh6vn151hRGSY-byjE/s874/Mischa%20Elman%201915.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="874" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhCg9Dzk2GnHSXxJ6mdvtH6De2g_f3JB_1jKFwB_DW9kztsDtANMv2wRhLdiAoYs4BGf0yNy99dNPKhQ_6VNuFt9m-nhBidU-GiaQHcW46d6WCjbB1cmlciv8zaKKAYmpranlIzBRJ1sJ8-C75RvgZ9RaY1R7CfwXhV8BQ3bjclh6vn151hRGSY-byjE/w400-h319/Mischa%20Elman%201915.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1915 portrait of Mischa Elman<span style="text-align: left;"> (1891–1967)<br />Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mischa_Elman" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">Despite what this postcard's caption says, the Brandeis Theatre was on the corner of Douglas and <u>Seventeenth</u> Streets in Omaha. In this illustration of the imposing building at night it seems to outshine the moon. The theatre was across the street from the Brandeis department store and an underground tunnel below the street connected the two buildings. The theatre only occupied a part of the building, the ground floor and other floors offered retail and office space. It opened on 3 March 1910 as a theater for large stage productions. In 1933 it was taken over by the RKO corporation and converted into a cinema for motion pictures. It closed in April 1959 and was demolished by the end of that year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This postcard was has no postmark but is addressed to <br /><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: medium;">Miss Mai Marsh of Altoona, Pennsylvania</span>. <br />The reference to the theatre in the message <br />leads me to believe it was written in 1910.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<i style="font-family: "Gentium Basic"; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> T</span>his Theatre was opened</i>
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<i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>March
3rd. It is not so very</i>
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<i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>large
but the furnishings</i>
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<i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>are
costly & elegant –its</i>
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<i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>the
finest in this part of the</i>
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<i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>country.</i>
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J R McFaren<br />1120 No 17th<br />Omaha</i></span>
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Omaha NE <i>Daily News</i><br />8 March 1914
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<div style="text-align: left;">Considering that its population in 1914 was only around 150,000 residents, Omaha had an astonishing number of newspapers, some publishing both a morning and evening edition. There was the <i>Omaha Daily News</i>; the <i>Omaha Daily Bee</i>; the <i>Omaha World Herald</i>; the <i>Omaha Excelsior</i>; the Bohemian <i>Osveta Americka</i>; the Danish <i>Danske Pioneer</i>; the Swedish <i>Omaha Posten</i>; and the German <i>Tägliche Omaha Tribüne</i>, just to name a few. Entertainment news sold newspapers so reports on Omaha's theaters often included splendid montages of photos of the stars like this example from the 8 March 1914 edition of the <i>Omaha</i> <i>Daily News</i>. Wearing a huge feathered hat Eva Tanguay is on the left; Otis Skinner in his costume for Kismet is on the right; a closeup of Gertrude Hayes is squeezed in between them; and at the lower center is Mae Phelps, the ingénue in a vaudeville skit at the Orpheum theatre. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBd2tlLLFMcMCJ5heYC6FaUblNMK_XG_Yry1pf6xtR0CM4RTjwJcy3StDthGmXGK2O9FSkSFsU-RMfamDzdfBNWEFI8Ps_KWOD3McxUb3_Qfd5yezsetcOxK6SYip-Wa_h2lBhGuK1d2blcfmcMqvZ2ZkWzD8C3KOch128sC-JIJ84KO4gawZQNlHnVo8/s1024/Otis%20Skinner%201912%20Kismet%205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="748" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBd2tlLLFMcMCJ5heYC6FaUblNMK_XG_Yry1pf6xtR0CM4RTjwJcy3StDthGmXGK2O9FSkSFsU-RMfamDzdfBNWEFI8Ps_KWOD3McxUb3_Qfd5yezsetcOxK6SYip-Wa_h2lBhGuK1d2blcfmcMqvZ2ZkWzD8C3KOch128sC-JIJ84KO4gawZQNlHnVo8/w468-h640/Otis%20Skinner%201912%20Kismet%205.jpg" width="468" /></a>
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Otis Skinner as Hajj in <i>Kismet</i>, 1912<br />Source:
<a href="https://www.loc.gov/resource/agc.7a13227/" target="_blank">Library of Congress</a>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otis_Skinner" target="_blank">Otis Skinner</a> (1858–1942) was one of the great American stage actors of his era, appearing in Shakespearean roles like Shylock, Hamlet, Richard III and Romeo as well as playing numerous dramatic and comic roles in American plays. However it was his portrayal of Hajj the beggar in <i>Kismet </i>that made brought him the most acclaim. Otis Skinner appeared in a silent film version of <i>Kismet </i>in 1920, available on <a href="https://youtu.be/pipE18aiTp4?si=JFZejkIpwXN7hoBx" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, where from the opening scene he commands attention to the story. In many ways this 1911 play became America's first introduction to Islamic culture. I think it is responsible for many of the romantic cliches of the Middle East which still persist in the 21st century.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscPVl5PvyrSpcKHUA0Ac9GNzsnxhrqmEcOsakbu5b3APXNoKaZSU4TXmmqKMTA0S-g_vAadDNHWIkaoMyDwh1C_xb3Xp4MbIO-oTu7qdfVPPnN9tX2azHHRAZ1-SHyLoCzpkqrEwVURmFNO1Tf6ejs3NCctWfqOTIRBlkhELpLaz3kCMicLuGMCEVHuk/s1024/eva-tanguay-stage-actress-sayre-9601-f4fd82.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="804" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscPVl5PvyrSpcKHUA0Ac9GNzsnxhrqmEcOsakbu5b3APXNoKaZSU4TXmmqKMTA0S-g_vAadDNHWIkaoMyDwh1C_xb3Xp4MbIO-oTu7qdfVPPnN9tX2azHHRAZ1-SHyLoCzpkqrEwVURmFNO1Tf6ejs3NCctWfqOTIRBlkhELpLaz3kCMicLuGMCEVHuk/w502-h640/eva-tanguay-stage-actress-sayre-9601-f4fd82.jpg" width="502" /></a>
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Eva Tanguay (1878–1947) <br />in <i>The Wild Girl</i>, 1919<br />Source:
<a href="1878 – January 11, 1947)" target="_blank">The Internet</a>
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</table><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>In 1914, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Tanguay" target="_blank">Eva Tanguay</a> (1878–1947) was a theatrical superstar like no other of her era. This Canadian singer with ginger hair became "The Queen of Vaudeville" attaining a level of popularity that made her one of the best known and highest paid entertainers in the 1900s. Born in Quebec but raised in Holyoke, Massachusetts, Eva began her stage career as a child actor in a touring production of Frances Hodgson Burnett's popular novel <i>Little Lord Fauntleroy</i>. Though her voice was of only average quality, it was her enthusiastic over-the-top style that caught audiences' attention. She developed a solo act that used brash suggestive songs that became great hits in this age when American music was evolving from sentimental romance to ragtime and eventually jazz.</div><div><br /></div><div>Her celebrated song titles included "It's All Been Done Before but Not the Way I Do It", "I Want Someone to Go Wild with Me", "Go as Far as You Like", "That's Why They Call Me Tabasco", and her signature song from 1904, "I Don't Care". Eva Tanguay appeared as the headliner in Ziegfeld Follies and at the height of her career was earning $3,500 a week ($109,925 in 2022 dollars). </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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Omaha NE <i>World Herald</i><br />12 March 1914
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<div style="text-align: left;">As the result of business disputes with theater agencies, Tanguay set up her own company which is what she brought to Omaha. She took out a half-page advert for her variety show which had nine "Big Acts" which included comic dancer Johnny Ford who had recently become her husband in 1913. (The marriage did not last as they divorced in 1917.) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In this show Eva came out three times singing and dancing in "The Waltz", a "Tango a-la-Tanguay" and, most audacious, an interpretation of "Salome". This biblical character was made famous, or notorious, in Oscar Wilde's play and Richard Strauss's 1905 opera of the same name. I wrote about Strauss's <i>Salome </i>in my story from April 2022, <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2022/04/souvenirs-of-great-artist-richard.html" target="_blank">Souvenirs of a Great Artist - Richard Strauss</a>. Since then, Salome's infamous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_of_the_Seven_Veils" target="_blank">"Dance of the Seven Veils"</a> had been imitated by many burlesque dancers, though presumably never with Strauss' music. Tanguay's version was perhaps not as revealing as some, but still more titillating than anything the people of Omaha had seen in Otis Skinner's Kismet.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIyqfLqaC1ZJPn9LMX2Y0RWuxWXWP5MXjKCeSM0njLx8KGV8vbgK9WSore67EN4e4n0ZFuHi5DektG_Rp5PO21-MTymHh21UWInRI-ATBQdwTNIKLDD6sw16FIssmbSWW2v7tzOdvxtQb5X4pPdcZSnE6ztG_KvEUvy1ShQJIRXjosPOpNH2h8Nvl23A/s760/Eva%20Tanguay%20as%20Salome%20NYPL.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="760" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIyqfLqaC1ZJPn9LMX2Y0RWuxWXWP5MXjKCeSM0njLx8KGV8vbgK9WSore67EN4e4n0ZFuHi5DektG_Rp5PO21-MTymHh21UWInRI-ATBQdwTNIKLDD6sw16FIssmbSWW2v7tzOdvxtQb5X4pPdcZSnE6ztG_KvEUvy1ShQJIRXjosPOpNH2h8Nvl23A/w640-h528/Eva%20Tanguay%20as%20Salome%20NYPL.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eva Tanguay (1878–1947)<br />as <i>Salome</i>, 1913<br />Source: <a href="https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/a38b57c0-f894-0130-1b5d-58d385a7bbd0" target="_blank">New York Public Library</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>A reviewer in the Omaha <i>World-Herald</i> wrote of Tanguay's show: <br /> "It was Eva's own particular vaudeville company, and it had a dash of her ginger vim all through it. But even Johnny Ford couldn't turn out the super-abundance of energy—nervous, physical and every other kind—that Eva Tanguay managed to put over the footlights. Age may have made Eva slightly less of a tireless jumping-jack, but the accent is on the "slightly", it isn't enough to be noticed. She dance, she kicks, she sings, she shouts, she waves her arms and her feet and all the rest of her with a riotous abandon that is her own specialty, and, apparently, there is no need of a copyright, for none are able to quite duplicate it. <br /> "'It's all been done before, but not as I'll do it, and before I'm done you'll agree with me." So she sang in her opening number, and so it proved. For instance, she did "Salome." Shades of Mary Garden! It was a "Salome" all right, but it was more Eva Tanguay than anything elece. Also, she tangoed. The steps were the steps of the tango, but the ginger was Eva Tanguay's own, and none other's.<br /> "...Just what makes her funny is an unanswered question; it's too much of a conglomerate combination to enable exact analysis. It is partly her smile, partly the toss of her head, partly the kick of her feet, partly her waving arms, partly her supple twisting body, but somewhere, back of it all, there is a suspicion that the actress really enjoys being foolish. She doesn't take herself too seriously, and therefore it comes natural that other should do likewise." <br /><br /><div>[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Garden" target="_blank">Mary Garden</a> (1874–1967) was a Scottish-American opera singer who performed Richard Strauss's <i>Salome</i> in Paris in its first French translation and sang it again in New York in 1909. During that performance she kissed the severed head of John the Baptist with such lust that it shocked the audience even more than her Dance of the Seven Veils which she performed in a bodystocking.]<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0Hnx52gZ8SaZHSCgt0QX00ASPycwYEuBl4OpoYi_ZFfSJPpmL6FNqQjgHqVCTSirgA-2yGW51okSVQsobIjYDf13ybEzQe3eNS8flkaS6pVZZNtoe8NHQRaRRXbRLgkQZwSZYAAaVCTIwICUHVKRs62aX1hZRLGdT64AEFfz38qoKSQ0366JHt40DzI/s2424/1914-03-13%20Omaha%20Daily_News%20-%20%20Eva%20Tanguay%20REVIEW%20cartoon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2424" data-original-width="1650" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0Hnx52gZ8SaZHSCgt0QX00ASPycwYEuBl4OpoYi_ZFfSJPpmL6FNqQjgHqVCTSirgA-2yGW51okSVQsobIjYDf13ybEzQe3eNS8flkaS6pVZZNtoe8NHQRaRRXbRLgkQZwSZYAAaVCTIwICUHVKRs62aX1hZRLGdT64AEFfz38qoKSQ0366JHt40DzI/w436-h640/1914-03-13%20Omaha%20Daily_News%20-%20%20Eva%20Tanguay%20REVIEW%20cartoon.jpg" width="436" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Omaha NE <i>Daily News</i><br />13 March 1914</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The review in the Omaha Daily News came with a cartoon illustrating Eva Tanguay dancing and singing at the Brandeis Theatre along with her husband Johnny Ford (and another figure I'll get to in a minute.) The reviewer in this paper was a bit more critical.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> "If you don't like the Eva Tanguay brand of entertainment Eva doesn't care, for she has salted down a cool half million American dollars just to keep away the prowling wolf, and people are willing to pay more yearly to see her than they do to the chief executive of the country for holding down his job.<br /> "Miss Tanguay is not afraid of egotism, either. The greater part of her songs consists in assuring you she is not as crazy as she appears to be, that she may have imitators, but they don' count, not to mention modest reference to the half million. Miss Tanguay admits that her singing isn't musical, to which even her ardent admirers must agree.<br /> "But what matters it if she is in danger of rupturing a throat vessel or if she prances about the stage like the victim of the St. Vitus' dance? "there is method in my madness," sings Eva, and it all brings rapturous applause from audiences, Omaha providing its share on Thursday.<br /> "Outside of all idiosyncrasies, Miss Tanguay is plump and pretty, with a childlike and engaging smile. She must also have the courage of her convictions, for she recently left the vaudeville stage because Ethel Barrymore was receiving a salary equal to hers, and the present tour under her own auspices is the result.<br /> "In addition to songs and a tango dance, Miss Tanguay does a "Salome" scene with the head of John the Baptist that is as energetic as the rest of her work." <br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_Barrymore" target="_blank">Ethel Barrymore</a> (1879–1959) was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors. She starred in stage, screen and radio productions in a career that spanned six decades. Ethel Barrymore was regarded as "The First Lady of the American Theatre"]</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In another report of Eva Tanguay's "interpretation" of Salome, the reviewer revealed that there was a surprise, perhaps a direct reference to Mary Garden's performance in the opera, where the severed head of John the Baptist came alive, no doubt terrifying and hilarious at the same time. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Eva tried acting in silent films, appearing in two short films, first in 1916 and then 1917, but without sound the movies could not convey her wild and irrepressible energy. In the Wall Street crash of 1929, she lost a fortune, around $2,000,000 and retired from show business shortly after that. She became ill and lost her sight to cataracts. Eva Tanguay died in Hollywood on January 11, 1947, aged 68. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Eva may not be remembered now a century later, but readers can probably recognize several female entertainers of more recent time whose personal style resembles Eva Tanguay's. We take it for granted that some stage and screen artists are eccentric, wild and crazy people, but Eva was one of the first entertainers who used her natural excitement to became a household name in show business. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And surely Mrs. Phillips came away with a story, if not a postcard too, to tell her family of that time she saw Eva Tanguay at the Brandeis Theatre in Omaha.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">In 1922 Eva Tanguay made the only recording in her career<br />and it was of her hit song,<i> <a href="https://youtu.be/Zte2sDJ0rys?si=HsfEoNCVTnbuWDsv" target="_blank">"I Don't Care."</a> <br /></i>Here is a YouTube video of the recording with pictures of Eva.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier Prime; font-size: x-large;"><b>* * *</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>At the top of the Omaha <i>Daily News</i> cartoon is a sketch of one of the other cast members of Eva Tanguay's show. It shows a man blowing into a long horn with the caption: "M Gouget is certainly not wind broken." This attracted my attention because I have several French postcards of two instrumentalists, a husband and wife duo, that I featured in a story in September 2020 entitled, <a href="https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2020/09/les-gougets-fantastic-horn-duo.html" target="_blank">Les Gougets - The Fantastic Horn Duo</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUewh1mLp7ZDd1LbulFVyC6GJIqubMf7wRb6tGsO3TvaCzLO85MQncxNWhq9d-npblGer2gwO8cpjrQM-_NdUo0WMwGlir-TNwpHU_xZpuw8eZtnDW4tP7lj64eeJlKAz8n7hsE1vaoKvgbMkmTmcckgpQh8JmFqDb6QVWxmlj__uT2jf5Ny39f-QlcB4/s2000/Gouget%20Fantaisistes%203%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1331" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUewh1mLp7ZDd1LbulFVyC6GJIqubMf7wRb6tGsO3TvaCzLO85MQncxNWhq9d-npblGer2gwO8cpjrQM-_NdUo0WMwGlir-TNwpHU_xZpuw8eZtnDW4tP7lj64eeJlKAz8n7hsE1vaoKvgbMkmTmcckgpQh8JmFqDb6QVWxmlj__uT2jf5Ny39f-QlcB4/w426-h640/Gouget%20Fantaisistes%203%20tst%20A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div>After searching for more reports on Eva Tanguay and the Gougets, I found enough references to them as a European act that I'm now convinced these unusual musical performers came to America in 1913-14 and joined Eva on her tour. Monsieur and Madam Gouget played a number of brass instruments, including several stretched out horns like the one in the sketch. M. Gouget was also adept at playing two trumpets or hunting horns simultaneously and could even play a long horn balanced vertically on his lips. This chance discovery now makes me wonder if in August 1914 they stayed in America or returned to France at the onset of the Great War.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/09/sepia-saturday-692-saturday-30.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a></b>
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<b>where the best stories are told after it's dark.</b>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447020772809150478.post-20225873102960041772023-09-23T11:50:00.000-04:002023-09-23T11:50:39.929-04:00The Racket<div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJAstyLfToVnwSINfd4intjOEOe9EmQuN8xGLrG_ezzcmwxFd00m_KgTACtKoJ8YuraxvzRAOMGF1NQevkscNtRvdAIvxnW1KKrre67mhBkvVwXiOaPsk2cF_0Mv8mFwEaGJtpnDL5mcWYC4JpW8oqWvHWtCco2CwhegvQbzVC_T6_JHHqlESpLVr/s1800/Wellsville%20Band%20tst%20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1264" data-original-width="1800" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJAstyLfToVnwSINfd4intjOEOe9EmQuN8xGLrG_ezzcmwxFd00m_KgTACtKoJ8YuraxvzRAOMGF1NQevkscNtRvdAIvxnW1KKrre67mhBkvVwXiOaPsk2cF_0Mv8mFwEaGJtpnDL5mcWYC4JpW8oqWvHWtCco2CwhegvQbzVC_T6_JHHqlESpLVr/w640-h450/Wellsville%20Band%20tst%20C.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Long before the internet,<br />before television, movies, <br />radio, and record players,<br />music required real musicians to play it live.<br />It was an artform intended to be shared with people.<br />So if you heard the sound of a band<br />it attracted your attention <br />because you knew <br />something special was happening</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UrrgdotaCF1omebbcSOF38P6LA-OgpxA-gUwIEPaY3eWJOQXOzw7ghtwCE7NaWzOi5hHnQH5u53dmKFBWaE-bWKYd5U81G7cxmG2O-7eIYBpaZv6oKxElINlCUkKWU6BUzJ7zZXaMjXsN73xy0nHmxd_uGdHGVPAG_R9UPgz3lyvUxT_LnVQDLvQ/s2100/Wellsville%20Band%20tst%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="2100" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UrrgdotaCF1omebbcSOF38P6LA-OgpxA-gUwIEPaY3eWJOQXOzw7ghtwCE7NaWzOi5hHnQH5u53dmKFBWaE-bWKYd5U81G7cxmG2O-7eIYBpaZv6oKxElINlCUkKWU6BUzJ7zZXaMjXsN73xy0nHmxd_uGdHGVPAG_R9UPgz3lyvUxT_LnVQDLvQ/w640-h404/Wellsville%20Band%20tst%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: x-large;"><i>The Wellsville band, Decoration Day.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kkt9GrGneOxuawMLInTdccAtD7f-kqYMdOASyQhZU4Zm_CWnjijVD3EDB39cNKU7ChVNULueaFEm5IP38kzlNv33mCuMnS1AGmKwBdXRcU8sZptSSnDwynMb8hbYxAk-5iITjEbkH34MG-yA9tA3fh_SlTSZOt26hhcEp1cz8DIBGvsHVACIKpu9/s1600/Wellsville%20Band%20tst%20B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1600" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kkt9GrGneOxuawMLInTdccAtD7f-kqYMdOASyQhZU4Zm_CWnjijVD3EDB39cNKU7ChVNULueaFEm5IP38kzlNv33mCuMnS1AGmKwBdXRcU8sZptSSnDwynMb8hbYxAk-5iITjEbkH34MG-yA9tA3fh_SlTSZOt26hhcEp1cz8DIBGvsHVACIKpu9/w640-h412/Wellsville%20Band%20tst%20B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> This postcard was postmarked from Wellsville, Kansas on August 4, 1908</div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">(the stamp imprint was smudged and it looks like 1998)</div></span><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">and addressed to:</div></span><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"> </div></span><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><i>Mr. & Mrs. Ed McGill</i></div><i><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><i>Erie <strike>L.</strike></i></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><i>Pa.</i></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><i>No. 15 Hickory St.</i></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Vacation days are</span></i></div></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gentium Basic; font-size: x-large;"><i>over, back in harness<br />temp. 100° in shade<br />W. L. Upham </i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhsPL9wmtoQsiH7NP3vyfGFAHCifYCT2tC5G29dmtuD4yK47ORXCuW-j1u_CXJ_PixRZ7ZGNEzvjf8zGlIT8818DD3GBAdRxOeWCN62DPKV6IhfbL0t_OC7uJN7YQ8lV4hFMMesfNJGSQjttg9l5VTaZJNNEDaApbVkl3wlDtPzQd5chWS_iVFt44HNE/s2158/1908-05-29%20Wellsville%20KS%20Globe%20-%20Racket%20advert%20CLIP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2158" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhsPL9wmtoQsiH7NP3vyfGFAHCifYCT2tC5G29dmtuD4yK47ORXCuW-j1u_CXJ_PixRZ7ZGNEzvjf8zGlIT8818DD3GBAdRxOeWCN62DPKV6IhfbL0t_OC7uJN7YQ8lV4hFMMesfNJGSQjttg9l5VTaZJNNEDaApbVkl3wlDtPzQd5chWS_iVFt44HNE/w474-h640/1908-05-29%20Wellsville%20KS%20Globe%20-%20Racket%20advert%20CLIP.jpg" width="474" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wellsville KS <i>Globe</i><br />29 May 1908</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The writer with the neat penmanship hand was Mr. W. L. Upham, the manager of <i><b>The Racket</b></i>, a dry goods store on Main St. in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellsville,_Kansas#" target="_blank">Wellsville</a>, Kansas, a small town in Franklin County, Kansas, about 45 miles southwest of Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Upham advertised regularly in the Wellsville <i>Globe</i>, a weekly newspaper, offering stylish clothing for men and boys with custom tailoring too. No doubt it was Mr. Upham who took this cockeyed, slightly fuzzy photo, and understandably he tried to focus his camera more on the name of his store than on the bandsmen. <div><div><br /></div><div>His full name was Wilbur Lincoln Upsham and he was born in Pennsylvania in 1860. His store was one of a small chain of haberdasheries owned by Mr. F. J. Miller that were scattered in towns around the county. Next to it was Mr. W. R. Holman's meat market, and next to it was Mr. A. P. Van Meter's grocery. Wellsville's current population is around 1,953 but in 1910 it only had 648 residents. But since it was on a railway line connecting big cities north, south, east, and west, <i>The Racket</i> catered to a lot of traveling businessmen passing through Wellsville. </div><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In 1908, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day" target="_blank">Decoration Day</a>, also known as Memorial Day, was observed on May 30th. It was a time Americans traditionally honored and remembered those who had died while serving in the U.S. military. In 1908 this meant primarily men who had fought in the terrible Civil War of 1861–1865.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN90oiQ6IrP1fgIrDvUu8ATZHQs0gOPTNpa953Qs_WHhgFU4BQOBAM5y3NwwBEFeLRpkfYoQMVSZUZCTeZ03Jbk7f-nkKC1msPqTmEpE3Tefhuwo62iEP53_mKVZnZjx7LqWG4-55ZYqp7svdfjpQ8zl8XVQuHVHOk_FPpbDjFz_LPZqCaa0T69NuEZY/s1950/1908-05-29%20Wellsville%20KS%20Globe%20-%20Memorial%20Day%20band%20CLIP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1424" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN90oiQ6IrP1fgIrDvUu8ATZHQs0gOPTNpa953Qs_WHhgFU4BQOBAM5y3NwwBEFeLRpkfYoQMVSZUZCTeZ03Jbk7f-nkKC1msPqTmEpE3Tefhuwo62iEP53_mKVZnZjx7LqWG4-55ZYqp7svdfjpQ8zl8XVQuHVHOk_FPpbDjFz_LPZqCaa0T69NuEZY/w469-h640/1908-05-29%20Wellsville%20KS%20Globe%20-%20Memorial%20Day%20band%20CLIP.jpg" width="469" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wellsville KS <i>Globe</i><br />29 May 1908<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The band pictured on the postcard is preparing to lead a procession to Wellsville's cemetery where a ceremony was scheduled for that afternoon. The <i>Globe </i>reported on the participants in the event which included an outpost of the Grand Army of the Republic, the veterans organization for former soldiers and sailors of the Union Army, who would help with decorating the graves of their comrades in arms. A pastor from Ottawa, the seat of Franklin County, would deliver the address and another minister from Baldwin, a nearby town, would speak on behalf of the ladies' circle. It was now 43 years after the end of the war and there were now fewer veterans and more widows than in previous years. </div></div><div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbMqIBgMxAbp2SSECevr_Qr5z_S2Hu_nsDnleXUL9tbHakU30WaQ1ymgrkNdsF1jnFEbHayBSntfhGkvDEMdlO8piydRprvhRHi7Dd6f-5aCBFAdlLFTF9mqMRjkF0-6XzhhKMtdQ_sW9elqKsAmElx_4T_jqnthWQwRStUb23ANCf5mOwsjvvp76ulw/s2168/1908-06-12%20Wellsville%20KS%20Globe%20-%20Decoration%20Day%20review%20CLIP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2168" data-original-width="800" height="808" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbMqIBgMxAbp2SSECevr_Qr5z_S2Hu_nsDnleXUL9tbHakU30WaQ1ymgrkNdsF1jnFEbHayBSntfhGkvDEMdlO8piydRprvhRHi7Dd6f-5aCBFAdlLFTF9mqMRjkF0-6XzhhKMtdQ_sW9elqKsAmElx_4T_jqnthWQwRStUb23ANCf5mOwsjvvp76ulw/w298-h808/1908-06-12%20Wellsville%20KS%20Globe%20-%20Decoration%20Day%20review%20CLIP.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wellsville KS <i>Globe</i><br />12 June 1908</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />The following week the <i>Globe </i>reported on how well the citizens of Wellsville conducted themselves that day. Practically every business was closed until the end of the service. Many stores and residences were decorated with patriotic colors. "The procession to the grounds was the largest that had followed the veterans for years. The boys of the Midcontinent band took part in both the morning and afternoon exercises, a feature that added to the interest of the day's program. The Globe is glad to be able to say thar the day was fittingly observed here and that there were no amusements or desecrations of the day permitted, or even planned."<br /><br /><br /><br />In May 1915, the editor of the Wellsville <i>Globe</i>, Mr. Asa F. Converse, took advantage of his in-house writing talent by publishing a poem that his wife, May Frink Converse wrote for Decoration Day. Though it is written in a sentimental style rarely seen in our century, I think it still conveys the way many people feel about preserving the memory of our ancestors and commemorating their sacrifice for our country.</div><div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHj5IdOmybOy6pgDEwHgYm-M5lxOTMuwtmmfT3mjyDgvZYZ0rjPFEyx6sRJ4OFvJDwp5Zg9lZLR3VSrp0f-Dri4H003Kg8lOdB4S6OByNJJY7G-UtMBVC648wJd_8vzO9frWRngvfXbQhDf46VetXchLVx4juSjNnDVNsAxDQwhkZN9AYTQC8b9Sp5PE/s2294/1915-05-28%20Wellsville%20KS%20Globe%20-%20Memorial%20Day%20poem.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2294" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHj5IdOmybOy6pgDEwHgYm-M5lxOTMuwtmmfT3mjyDgvZYZ0rjPFEyx6sRJ4OFvJDwp5Zg9lZLR3VSrp0f-Dri4H003Kg8lOdB4S6OByNJJY7G-UtMBVC648wJd_8vzO9frWRngvfXbQhDf46VetXchLVx4juSjNnDVNsAxDQwhkZN9AYTQC8b9Sp5PE/w502-h640/1915-05-28%20Wellsville%20KS%20Globe%20-%20Memorial%20Day%20poem.jpg" width="502" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Decoration Day.</b></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>My grandpa came to live with us, right after grandma died;<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>He grew to be so fond of me—called me his pet and pride,<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>While I though more of him than I did anybody else—<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>It seemed to me that no one was as nice as Grandpa Belts.<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>He made all sorts of things for me, a wagon and a sled,<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>And a hobby-horse whose mane and tail he took from our old Ned;<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>A jumping-jack, and whistles that make a funny sound,<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>And the cutest little windmill that goes around and round.<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>He'd tell me lots of stories, 'bout when he was a boy,<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>And how much fun he used to have with his big brother Roy;<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>And how, when he was just sixteen, they went away to war,—<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>To help save their country, was what they fighted for.<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>They had all sorts of 'speriences, and then, one dreadful night,<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>His brother Roy was shot and killed, beside him in a fight,<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>And he was put in prison, 'till at last the war was done'<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>And North and South united, and the nation kept as one.<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>So Grandpa said that I must love my country and its flag,<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>And never, never in the dust to let its colors drag.<br /><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span>But Decoration Day I liked the very best of all;<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>He'd let me march along with him beside the soldiers tall,<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>And we would carry wreathes of flowers to decorate each grave<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Where sleep the soldiers who had helped their country dear to save;<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>The band would play, the flags would wave, and everything be grand;<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>And then, when all was over, we'd come home hand in hand.<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>It's Decoration Day again—I just can't help but cry,<br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>For somehow I had never thought, my own grandpa would die.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span><span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> —May Frink Converse</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaGiyLwfDeuKmKCSLxhROUOYi0qyfC7Hihfi_bvAT1wV9avmmJvWXvw6x_eBdMVPUnRSz3RT3bHqNqDh9muoB0I21PxaRiMWN6O6J2bddlnmzlICvlqtGC9j7yU0xMdFpOeyw6-gNQaVNbDRNeQkYIR_xZrLWSkr3JXxssraOM65J5lQGTyg9dJSYq-o/s828/Smokey's%20BBQ%20Wellsville%20KS,%20Main%20St.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="828" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaGiyLwfDeuKmKCSLxhROUOYi0qyfC7Hihfi_bvAT1wV9avmmJvWXvw6x_eBdMVPUnRSz3RT3bHqNqDh9muoB0I21PxaRiMWN6O6J2bddlnmzlICvlqtGC9j7yU0xMdFpOeyw6-gNQaVNbDRNeQkYIR_xZrLWSkr3JXxssraOM65J5lQGTyg9dJSYq-o/w640-h368/Smokey's%20BBQ%20Wellsville%20KS,%20Main%20St.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wellsville, Kansas, Main Street c.2020<br />Source: The Internet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Today the buildings seen in Mr. Upham's photo are still standing, but the businesses have changed. The A. P. Van Meter grocery is now a wedding and event venue. Mr. Holman's meat market has been, until recently, Smokey's BBQ, but since covid time it has closed and not reopened. And <i>The Racket</i> is now a tax and accounting firm.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">This is my contribution to <a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/09/sepia-saturday-691-23-september-2023.html" target="_blank">Sepia Saturday</a><br />where there's always service with a smile.</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2023/09/sepia-saturday-691-23-september-2023.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSY-8T-KOz0AftKrwjUw1w7bewMhm2HeKrgkICoCHIm0-wiNDqVloS2z3wdFoELndzwLCmaeJ21kvrpU-QaQEfgOTBQrqsjEbUpkCTUr2VK1TiduKt_IUTfwGiH1CPr1WjglOCsYrv4-mc6ylvwWFX0Zu2QpWLS5oPoEWewZPoZFm-UO4S4OeEaTSko8/w400-h400/20230923%20Sepia%20Saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div>Mike Brubakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13065245846262417519noreply@blogger.com3