One Hundred Years Ago

[Rix Gins]

Cool  vid...I dig.  Especially those young lasses walking about.  They look so happy.  Here's another item on Sofie.  She sang the following song at her concert.  Sadly, not her singing.

http://eatonvilletorainier.com/?p=1496

https://youtu.be/wzaKlneKvcA

[K_Dubb]

Cool  vid...I dig.  Especially those young lasses walking about.  They look so happy.  Here's another item on Sofie.  She sang the following song at her concert.  Sadly, not her singing.

http://eatonvilletorainier.com/?p=1496

Oh thanks, Rix!  Wonderful to see the old program, and the picture of her in her bunad -- looks like Hardanger.  She was able to change into it pretty quickly, apparently, as the pianist has only three solo pieces to cover the time.

Here's Solveig's Song from Peer Gynt sung by a young Sissel Kyrkjebø in what looks like Bergensdrakt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMO-E4dSuoE

[Rix Gins]

Wow.  I'm in love with Sissel.  (Of course, nothing new there.  I usually fall in love a good half dozen times a day...past or present.)  Thanks, and glad you liked the item.  I think it's one of the cool things about our thread...how we seem to build on each others posts.  (I'm still chuckling over albrecht's observations on that saloon photo.) 

[Rix Gins]

From the Boston Post

Sorry I'm late, Gabrielle, but here is a photo that goes with your article on women filling men's jobs during WWI. (On page 63.)  It's from my own collection of WWI photos.   

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

Haha good eye!  I'm surprised at the number of respectable-looking women present, as well as a few real beauties.  I'd always thought of saloons as male provinces based on pictures like this one, maybe a decade earlier, appearing in an article about Wyatt Earp's Tonopah venture:

The Tonopah saloon picture is a wonderful find, especially if you enlarge it to see all the detail!  According to the description, it's a picture of "The Gingerbread Man Co.," which suggests that it was an after show theatrical cast party of some sort.  That would explain the abundance of attractive women, and if we ever get our hands on a time machine, I call first dibs on the dark haired beauty with the enchanting eyes, winning smile, and hat with the intriguing spiral brim design who's standing third from the left in the front row. 

I wouldn't be surprised if some of those people are prominent citizens who have been mentioned in the "Tonopah Bonanza" items, and a few probably took part in one of the indoor baseball games. 

Everyone there must have had an interesting story!  The guy in the right corner you mentioned earlier looks like an unsavory character, who I hope isn't "Happy" Bowler.  I'd bet he was there somewhere, though!

[Rix Gins]

I honestly considered purchasing the postcard but $28.00 is a bit steep.  I used to buy certain cards but hardly ever paid over $10.00 for them, but then again, that was years ago.  Myself, I like/love the beauty that's standing just above the 'The Gingerbread Man Co' words.   

[Rix Gins]

Everett True, March 21, 1916.

[Rix Gins]

The Day Book for March 21, 1916.

[Rix Gins]

The Tonopah Daily Bonanza, March 21, 1916.

[K_Dubb]

The Tonopah saloon picture is a wonderful find, especially if you enlarge it to see all the detail!  According to the description, it's a picture of "The Gingerbread Man Co.," which suggests that it was an after show theatrical cast party of some sort.  That would explain the abundance of attractive women, and if we ever get our hands on a time machine, I call first dibs on the dark haired beauty with the enchanting eyes, winning smile, and hat with the intriguing spiral brim design who's standing third from the left in the front row. 

I wouldn't be surprised if some of those people are prominent citizens who have been mentioned in the "Tonopah Bonanza" items, and a few probably took part in one of the indoor baseball games. 

Everyone there must have had an interesting story!  The guy in the right corner you mentioned earlier looks like an unsavory character, who I hope isn't "Happy" Bowler.  I'd bet he was there somewhere, though!

Ha, you are absolutely right!  I assumed it was the name of the saloon or something.  It never occurred to me that Tonopah could attract such a large traveling production.

These are from the 1910 Bonanza:







This site has a list of songs (none of which I've located, unfortunately), and a few photos of costumes:



http://www.hungrytigerpress.com/vintagebwy/vb_gingerbreadman.shtml

I wish we could hear the music!  The Gingerbread Man is compared to Herbert's Babes in Toyland, which, fortunately, is still popular enough to have a few new recordings.  This one does a good job of sounding like a theater pit band:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtF6XKhHMW8

The music could almost be Strauss or Offenbach.  I hear some quick and surprising harmonic changes that might be borrowed from ragtime and make it sound a little American -- maybe it's wishful thinking.

I'm surprised neither of you gentlemen mentioned the stunning girl in the back corner.  She looks almost like a cardboard cutout, like she stepped out of an advertisement.

[gabrielle]

Excellent!!!!

[K_Dubb]

The Tonopah Daily Bonanza, March 21, 1916.

What a timely article on Tonopah's excellent entertainment given our current discussion!  It does sound like a fun town to live in at this time.

The cod recipe is fascinating.  Did people really use teacups as measuring tools?  It reminds me a bit of Portuguese Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo which I've made a couple times for friends from there.  It's delicious:



I wish the men attacked by a coyote could call Art.

[Rix Gins]

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I must once again return to that postcard.  I am struck by the lady that is towering above all others towards the back.  Is she a manikin?  Perhaps a stage prop used in the Gingerbread show?  The reason I bring it up is that the person underneath her appears to be wearing 'her' as a hat.  Notice the white frame crossing over his/her head.  It seems to be supporting the 'lady' on top.  Is it just a matter of perspective or have I been looking at too many Hoagland Mars pics of late?

[K_Dubb]

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I must once again return to that postcard.  I am struck by the lady that is towering above all others towards the back.  Is she a manikin?  Perhaps a stage prop used in the Gingerbread show?  The reason I bring it up is that the person underneath her appears to be wearing 'her' as a hat.  Notice the white frame crossing over his/her head.  It seems to be supporting the 'lady' on top.  Is it just a matter of perspective or have I been looking at too many Hoagland Mars pics of late?

Hahaha that does look funny!  I stared a while at that, too.  I think (since she is in proportion with the rank of men behind) that she's probably standing on something, perhaps a chair, and that her apparent skirt is actually the crown of the lady's enormous hat in front, covered with some gathered shiny material, of which your frame is the brim.

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

I'm surprised neither of you gentlemen mentioned the stunning girl in the back corner.  She looks almost like a cardboard cutout, like she stepped out of an advertisement.

Whoa, I don't know how I missed her! I think I'd still take my chances with the third one from the right first, though!

[gabrielle]

https://prezi.com/kpnc-mxi1peu/dry-measuring-cup/

According to this website, Fanny Farmer invented the measuring cup system in 1896.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Farmer

[gabrielle]

Whoa, I don't know how I missed her! I think I'd still take my chances with the third one from the right first, though!

Is it just me or does that lady look like Lady Di?   It is sort of amazing.

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

Is it just me or does that lady look like Lady Di?   It is sort of amazing.

Now that you mention it, there is a resemblance, and she even has her head slightly ducked in the same way Diana used to affect.  Of course, David Icke claims Queen Elizabeth is a reptilian alien, so maybe she has a family time machine and that really is Di.   

[gabrielle]

Now that you mention it, there is a resemblance, and she even has her head slightly ducked in the same way Diana used to affect.  Of course, David Icke claims Queen Elizabeth is a reptilian alien, so maybe she has a family time machine and that really is Di.   

LOL. 


On a completely different note...here is a pic of the amazing Fanny Farmer.

[K_Dubb]

LOL. 


On a completely different note...here is a pic of the amazing Fanny Farmer.

...and there she is with her measuring cup!  Great photo.

Here's a rare chance to hear some actual music from 1916 in original scoring on a modern recording, without all the pops and scratches.  I'd only heard the Louis Prima version before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWhEeeT88-I

I ain't got nobody, nobody cares for me.
I'm so sad and lonely, won't somebody (Prima sings some sweet mama) take a chance on me.

I wonder if Happy Bowler played something like this.  Would this be modified ragging?

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

On a completely different note...here is a pic of the amazing Fanny Farmer.

I didn't know Fanny Farmer was a real person until a couple of years ago.  I thought she was a marketing concept like Betty Crocker!

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

...and there she is with her measuring cup!  Great photo.

Here's a rare chance to hear some actual music from 1916 in original scoring on a modern recording, without all the pops and scratches.  I'd only heard the Louis Prima version before:

I ain't got nobody, nobody cares for me.
I'm so sad and lonely, won't somebody (Prima sings some sweet mama) take a chance on me.

I wonder if Happy Bowler played something like this.  Would this be modified ragging?

I don't know the proper term for the music, but I suspect "Happy" would have livened it up a bit.  Either way, it probably sounded like an infernal cacophony to Professor Kanouse!   

Speaking of Louis Prima, I saw that Keely Smith turned eighty-four a week or so ago.  I had no idea she was still alive!

[K_Dubb]

I don't know the proper term for the music, but I suspect "Happy" would have livened it up a bit.  Either way, it probably sounded like an infernal cacophony to Professor Kanouse!   

Speaking of Louis Prima, I saw that Keely Smith turned eighty-four a week or so ago.  I had no idea she was still alive!

No kidding!  I would never have guessed.

Haha yeah, I'm sure the professor was scandalized.  I'm going to take it as the closest to the "modified form of ragging" described in the Happy Bowler article until something better comes along.  It's certainly more syncopated than any of the Herbert selections I've been listening to, and considerably livelier than any historic recordings I've come across for this date.

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

No kidding!  I would never have guessed.

Haha yeah, I'm sure the professor was scandalized.  I'm going to take it as the closest to the "modified form of ragging" described in the Happy Bowler article until something better comes along.  It's certainly more syncopated than any of the Herbert selections I've been listening to, and considerably livelier than any historic recordings I've come across for this date.

I'd forgotten about that description of Happy's music. I'd love to know how big his band was, and if they were experienced professionals or a group of local amateurs with varying levels of talent!  And I wonder if the esteemed Professor had a legitimate claim to the title, if it was honorific, or if he just called himself that. It's fun to think about!

[Rix Gins]

Why didn't I think of this sooner?  The Tonopah Daily Bonanza for April 3, & 5, 1910.  (Unfortunately I couldn't get the pages to load on when the company would have rolled into town.)  Might try again later on.

[gabrielle]

Alas, the war over seas continues. 

[K_Dubb]

Why didn't I think of this sooner?  The Tonopah Daily Bonanza for April 3, & 5, 1910.  (Unfortunately I couldn't get the pages to load on when the company would have rolled into town.)  Might try again later on.

Those are great, Rix, thanks -- "unctuous comedy", hahaha.  I think our favorite writer was working in 1910, too.  I fear that too many years have passed for us to grasp the distinctions that writer wants to draw between musical-comedy forms.  I gather, however, that Gingerbread Man was considered highbrow in this upside-down world.  I'd love to read a libretto.

Also, I'm thinking the chorus must have been recruited from the town and was a matter of pride.  Or, on second thought, the article is making a veiled reference to chorus girls.

If Mazie Bon Bon is related to the similarly named character in the Nutcracker, that's frequently portrayed as an over-tall woman with a skirtfull of dancers -- maybe support for your hat theory!

I found some midi files here, if anyone wants a taste: http://www.halhkmusic.com/gingerbread.html  Now I'm hungry for gingerbread!

[Rix Gins]

Everett True, March 22, 1916.

[Rix Gins]

The Day Book, March 22, 1916.

[Rix Gins]

The March 22, 1916 Daily Bonanza.