Submarine Life
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The Real Great Gatsby
February 10, 2015 – An Ohio lawyer from Cincinnati who turned bootlegger during the Prohibition Era is believed to be the inspiration for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s protagonist, the Great Gatsby. The novelist was said to be fascinated by the larger-than-life personality of George Remus, whom he met by chance in a Louisville hotel. Remus grew rich by making and […]
Rare “Shoeless Joe” Autographed Photo Worth $100,000
February 10, 2015 – Call it the Holy Grail of baseball signatures. A one-of-a-kind autographed photo of Shoeless Joe Jackson, remembered for throwing the 1919 World Series, is expected to bring at least $100,000 at auction. Experts believe there are fewer than 100 autographs of the disgraced player in existence and no other autographed photos. […]
Real Estate Deal of the Century
February 7, 2015 – New York City realtors are calling it one of the greatest returns on investment in the city’s history. A graffiti-covered building in the Bowery has been sold for $55 million by a photographer who bought it for just $102,000 in 1966 and turned into his home. Jay Maisel sold the six-story former bank building to […]
Life After Slavery
February 6, 2015 – Recorded interviews and portraits of former slaves have been put online by the Library of Congress. The research, originally published in 1941, was conducted under the auspices of the Federal Writers’ Project, a government program in the 1930s. Link: theGrio Additional Photos (click thumbnails to enlarge) [divider]
Mussolini Car Neglected in NY Barn Sells for $2.1 Million
February 5, 2015 – An historic 1939 Alfa Romeo once purchased by Benito Mussolini has been sold at a Paris auction for $2.1 million after a complete restoration. The fascist dictator bought the car for his girlfriend. The pair were captured trying to flee to Switzerland in the car in 1945. An American army officer bought the car […]
Laura Ingalls Wilder Autobiography a Hit
February 5, 2015 – A never-before-released autobiography of children’s author Laura Ingalls Wilder has become a surprise hit for a small South Dakota publisher. Pioneer Girl, written in 1930, is the first draft of her reminiscences before her story was “edited and romanticized,” according to the South Dakota Historical Society Press. The book is a candid picture […]
Vintage Vending Machines
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1920s Movie Palace Restored
February 4, 2015 – Following a two-year, $95-million renovation, a celebrated 1920s movie palace reopened Tuesday in the Flatbush neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Diana Ross’ opening night performance in the 3,200-seat Kings Theatre was sold out. With gilded décor inspired by the Palace of Versailles and the Paris Opera House, the theater first opened just weeks before the Wall Street crash of 1929. It was […]
World War II “Devil’s Brigade” Honored
February 4, 2015 – More than 40 surviving veterans of a unique American-Canadian prototype Special Forces unit from World War II received the Congressional Gold Medal Tuesday. The medal is the U.S. government’s highest civilian award. The elite outfit trained at a U.S. Army base in Montana to conduct nighttime raids requiring skills in mountain climbing, amphibious […]