JFK campaign record 1960

In 1960 there was a vigorous campaign to elect John Fitzgerald Kennedy. He was commonly known as Jack Kennedy. This record helped a lot. It was recorded by Frank Sinatra and pushed JFK over the breach. This recording which was once all over, has become a major rarity now.

The Calvin Coolidge campaign record of August 1924

This unbreakable 5" record was made for the 1924 election. It was recorded by the Arco Company of 96 5th Ave. in New York. It is one of the first of its kind, in the sense of being unbreakable.

Spending a few days in research on the Maya in Guademala

I went on a trip to see and understand the native people of Guatemala. It was an interesting journey, and also one full of fascination and a unique culture of people. It was a trip that will remain with me for the rest of my life.Native women in their Maya style dress ready to sell whatever they can carry on their arms, backs, and heads.
We stayed with a Maya family. They cooked traditional foods on a wood fire.
Pretty much breakfast lunch and dinner. Hygiene is not a high order with them. So one has to be quite careful with everything you ate and drank.
A Maya woman in a Maya temple praying for the dead
A typical street scene
Some very bizarre religious pieces we saw. In this case it says that Jesus came to the rescue of the women who was being attacked by the doctor. But I would think it has more to do with the woman with the broom than Jesus!
Many of the great churches and cathedrals built by the Spanish in the 16th century are being reclaimed by nature. In the days of the Spanish, there was no choice for the natives. Either you were Catholic or they killed you. The church was the state and the state was the church. Fortunately many of these churches are being reclaimed by nature and the horrors of the religious persecutions by the Spanish in the 16th century are part of the past. Never to be revisited.
Volcano's surround the region
Way up in the mountains where we lived with the Maya family

Here is the family with me. 3 generations of them.

One of the major ways to to travel there is by chicken bus. Chicken buses travel at high rates of speed and go up and down the mountains. It is scary as hell to travel on them. One thing I found fascinating was how much they tried to dress up the buses. All of them had their own design. People would hop on and off of them as they were moving and while stopped. I was so impressed with the driving prowess of the native drivers there. I think they should teach others how to drive. As they did things I would not have thought possible, and perhaps were only possible now and then.
Here I am comfortable in a Jesus chair. There is much religious symbolism there and to be honest much of it is a little frightening. Just like this silly Jesus chair. It was funny so I had to take a picture in it.
Here we are climbing the side of a mountain to get to an ancient Maya burial cave.
A Maya ceremony at a local church. It seems that they have mixed the religion and gods of both Christianity and the Maya.
Three little kids I got to know there in the mountains. They are of Maya decent and are part of families that have lived up there for multiple centuries
This is me nervously inside a chicken bus. Just wondering what kind of ride it would be.
Finally down the side of the mountain to a burial cave for the Maya. One side is mountain, the other side is a thousand foot drop.
Were we were staying up in the mountains. The clouds come passing by as the mountains scratch the heavens.
An interesting use of the cross there. In this country they keep Jesus in a glass box. As I mentioned before some of the religious activities there are pretty bizzare. Most religions are a bit bizzare but I thought the Jesus in the glass box pretty creative.
One of the many street sellers there. She was there with a baby on her back.
Two kids I met there and chatted with. They were smart and clever. It was a very fascinating trip. It was a most unique country.

The day I first met Franco Corelli and the book he signed for me

I recall when I first met Franco Corelli. It was through my friend Jerome Hines. I have written about this before, but I never showed the book that Corelli signed for me. We talked for hours and had dinner and then I drove the Corelli's home. I never knew at the the time that we would meet several times and share a number of dinners and talks. So I came to this gathering with a camera and my Corelli book. I thought it would be my only chance. I guess I looked silly, but I wanted to get it signed. Corelli signed it in my car in front of his home at Hemisphere House on 60 West 57th Street.This is us at dinner that first time we met. Corelli, Mrs. Corelli w/dog, me, and Jerry Hines.
This is the book I bought to have Corelli sign. Mrs. Corelli told me that they were working on a book. I am not sure if that ever materialized.
Corelli's autograph in the book. Soon we would meet often, and an autograph became the last thing in my mind. But I am glad I did this the first time we met.

This was a CD in the book. I remember Franco saying "Look mama, we don't get royalties from this recording." We laughed and said good night. Soon we would have dinner a number of times at Jerry Hines House and share many wonderful times.

I was so very lucky to know those wonderful people.

Voting in America in the old days..It was not a very dry affair.

Back in the early days of voting in America. It was often a very intoxicating affair. In fact alcohol was often served at the polling and voting centers to get the crowds to come out. The candidate who provided the best and most alcohol was usually elected.

George Washington learned early on to have lots of alcohol available for all who wanted to vote. He used that ploy from his earliest days in running for various positions in Virginia. He was not alone, it was a common practise. One also has to remember that drinking was not uncommon in the early days of this republic. Most people drank, and many drank quite heavily.

Think of the some of the campaign slogans. Such as the "Hard Cider Candidate".... William Henry Harrison. The hard cider ran like water in that campaign. So in this painting you see the voting going on and drinking going on right with it.

Maybe they had the right idea. With some of the people running for office these days, you have to be drunk to vote for them! Really drunk!

Once I was a cub scout. Long ago in Paramus, New Jersey 1965

This picture was taken on the front step of our house in Paramus, New Jersey. I still remember the address after all these years..... East 80 Colgate Avenue. I loved that house and still have such fond memories of it. My mother was our den leader. She often got the pledge we had to do all wrong. I promise to do my duty on my country, and of course I will yell "mom for my country"....and she would say oh yes for my country.

Now nearly 45 years after this picture was taken I can still very much recall the day it was taken. Just a personal moment in time for me. That I thought I would share with you all.

The first singer to gain an international reputation by their recordings was?

A very early Russian Gramophone and Typewriter recording of Mikhailova. circa 1901

Maria Mikhailova !!

Not too much is known about her. But she was a singer who was readily available to make records.

The record shown above was recorded in St Petersburg Russia in 1901.

This was one year before Caruso made his first recordings and 3 years

before he came to the Metropolitan.

She was the first of a long list of people who gained fame

from their recording career.

Hull #534, the Cunard White Star ship that would be called a name that solved a problem

The proposed White Star vessel Oceanic III
The proposed #534 of the Cunard Line

In 1930 there were two major ocean liner companies in England. One was Cunard, the other was the White Star Line. Both companies were hurting, both needed to do something. What took place over the next few years changed the careers of both companies.

First off the White Star Line had never been in good shape since the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, and then the loss of her sister the Britannic in 1916. It was a rough road to follow in the 1920's as the White Star Line used a batch of ill matched ships as their major carriers. These ships were the Titanic's other sister the Olympic, also joined by Majestic, lastly the Homeric.

By the late 1920's they had built several medium sized liners, however there was a need for a major liner in the company. They ordered a new massive liner to be built. It was announced and stated to being called the Oceanic III.

The Cunard Line was in better shape than White Star, but that did not mean much either as they were hurting too by 1930. They were luckier as they had some really good ships in their collection. Ships like the Mauritania, Aquitania, Berengaria, But by the late 1920's, Cunard had not built a major liner since 1914. Also the Mauritania was over 20 years old. Therefore in 1928 a new vessel was designed and ordered in 1929.

In 1929 there was large economic slowdown. By 1930 it was apparent that White Star could not afford the build the Oceanic III, although her keel had been already laid. It was also very clear that Cunard could afford to build their vessel either.

In fact operations stopped completely on the building of 534 in late 1931. The world started in a terrible economic depression that would not end till the beginnings of World War 2. It lead to a stalemate in which the government had to come to the aid of the shipping industry and decide what to do.

The end result was a massive loan that would allow for the completion of 534 and 552. It also forced the two companies to merge and also forbid the construction of the Oceanic III. The new company was called Cunard White Star.

In 1934 construction began again on the rusty hull of 534. However, there was a big problem that caused a few red faces. The White Star Line always used "ic" on the end of the names of their ships. The Cunard Line always used "ia" on the end of the names of their ships. So now they were together as a new company...What do you do for name that did not offend each side of this new company?

It was solved in a very interesting fashion, if indeed this story is true.

The company Representatives went to King George to ask his permission to name the new Cunard White Star steamship after Brittan's greatest Queen. His response was basically that his wife would be delighted. His wife was named Mary, and she was the Queen.

Now it is said that the name selected had been Victoria, but that flies right in the face of the new partnership. The Queen Mary was the perfect choice. It had not a ic or ia in it.

Therefore 534 became the Queen Mary. It took 6 years for her to go from start to finish and yes 552 was the Queen Elizabeth. As I am sure you were wondering about that number.

The Queen Mary became the greatest ship of her age, and still exists in a form in California.