Large photo from 1898 with bigwigs

When I was referring to the guy in my avatar, I was looking for a book that has the genealogy of that branch of the family. I never did find my copy (I may have donated it with some other stuff), but the Newberry Library here in Chicago has a copy in their stacks - I just have to get the gumption to go over there........

The papers I am referring to in this thread are from the same (large) branch, but not directly related to the guy in the photo. They are actually some letters and other documents that also contain some dark family secrets, which is why I have them and did not include them in the donation to the NY History museum. I hope....................


and Pat, speaking of my experiences in NYC, the documentary on American Experience this evening is all about the 1977 blackout in NYC........I have to watch that to see if my wife, my friends and I show up...we were, shall we say, rather prominent that evening????? Thank goodness that the only television stations that I receive well enough to watch are the three PBS stations and ABC - though there is a lag between sound and action. A bit annoying during dialogue, but watchable all the same...............

 

Ah. I remember the part about the library having a copy now.

"dark family secrets" - those are the best kind!

Remember the whole state being out in 1965? Creepy when the lights in my dorm started to dim and then went out completely. Come to think of it - wasn't it most of New England?

 

In '65 it was most of the Eastern Seaboard and parts of Canada if I remember correctly. I happened to be with my family at the house on the Island that night and we had a great time.........no better way to weather a lack of electricity than in a Pre-Revolutionary War house................we even loaded into the kitchen, kicked Cook out, built a fire in the fireplace and made wonderful messes for supper, for us and the rest of the staff. I think fried beef was the entree - charred black on the outside, nearly raw on the inside...........we even made quick bread - hard as a rock it was............

 

Sounds like fun! Probably more fun than I had being locked up in the dorm.

 

Mansons, you sure have piqued my curiosity about your experiences during the '77 blackout. Can you share anything?

I left NY in '68, so missed the '77 blackout. In '65, I was home so it was no biggie for me, but my parents were at work in the city and my mom had to walk from near 40th and 6th Ave to my dad's office on E 50th near 2nd Ave to get a ride home in his car. If I remember correctly, it took many hours to get home.

 

I was in northeastern Massachusetts in '77, but a lot of my family still lived on the island. I'd forgotten about the blackout, but I've got the TiVo set to record Am. Experience tonight so I hope Mansons can clue us in if he's in the footage.

 

We were in MA in '77, too, living in the Fenway in Boston.

 

I was in Newburyport, Pat.

 

Bakers, I think we compared notes last year? We lived in Amesbury in the mid-70s, and would go over to Newburyport. I've always loved both the town and the beaches... we used to go to the state park at the end of Plum Island.

 

Yup. I remember that now!

 

Hi,
I remember the blackout of 77. I was living on the 13th floor. I thought about staying but then the thought of climbing 13 floors to get water was overwhelming.
I climbed down with a small overnight bag and walked over to the heliport on 14th street. A friend was a pilot and he said they were taking people over to Fire Island.
I went, stayed a few days. When I got back I was told my apartment was flooded since the stupid person on the 14th floor opened all of the faucets trying to get water and left them open. When the water came back on his faucets were left open. The water cascaded down and flooded the 13th, 12th and 11th floor. I went up the elevator and expected the worse since my apartment was underneath his.
Went in NOT a drop of water. It seems my ceiling was separated from his floor by a concrete floor. The water went down on either side of my apartment. The worst thought I had was to go window shopping with a brick. I was living down in the financial district and it was a ghost town after 5 PM. All of the jewelry stores were there. I figured a brick through the windows, no alarms I could make a great deal of money. I did not follow that plan, darn it. Nothing was touched downtown. People were too lazy to walk down there.
greg

 

And the lights all went out in Massachusetts....

 

I was on the Cape by 77 so the blackout wasn't a big deal for us. Lots of candles and oil lamps.

 

I put this in not long ago, but it's funny, so I repeat: 1965, late afternoon, pilot to passengers, "If you look out the windows folks, you'll see the lights of Boston...(pause)...Where's Boston?"

Pilots so seldom loose their cool. A 6000 foot dive, and that casual voice from the cockpit announces, "A little turbulence today, my friends. Fasten your seat belts." Said with all the urgency of the doctor telling an expectant mother, "It's just Braxton Hicks, m'dear. Go on home now."

 

Incidentally, I saw that American Experience thing about the '77 blackout. I was not living in the city anymore, so the impact on me and my family was slight. But good heavens! What an awful mess in Manhattan! I had forgotten all about the news coverage then.

By contrast, '65 was FUN! We had a friend who was opening his restaurant in the east 60's that night, and we went to commiserate. But lo! He had candles all over, free champagne and cooked food. How he did the latter, I don't know, the food was excellent, and so was the whole evening.

(Besides which, one of my bete noirs had been caught in the subway. I did not laugh out loud; a smirk makes no noise.)

 

they WERE a bunch of thugs.................I grew up with the like............which I must certainly DID NOT...................self righteous, self serving, and self involved..........

 

With Barnum's name and residence on the back, I would guess that he had the enlargement(s) made to give to the others?

 

captains of industry .......although somewhat smug...