Movies, medical ailments, and corsets are on the agenda for this month’s post.
Amundson Goes Over Pole in 2,000 Mile Flight, The Key West Citizen (Key West, Florida), May 18, 1926
News of Roald Amundson’s flight over the North Pole on May 12, 1926 reaches the Southern most part of Florida. Tragically, Amundson would disappear just over two years later, while flying on a rescue mission in the Arctic.
Lyric Theatre Tonight, The Daily Sentinel Tribune (Bowling Green, Ohio), May 16, 1918
Irene Castle (1893-1969) and her husband Vernon (1887-1918), were ballroom dancers who appeared on Broadway and in some silent films. Irene starred in the film featured in the above ad, Sylvia of The Secret Service. This silent thriller film, is about an American secret agent during World War I, who tries to prevent a German sabotage ring from destroying ammunition storage depots in New York. Also, featured in this film are the acting talents of J.H. Gilmour, Elliott Dexter, Suzanne Willa, J.W. Percival, and Erich von Stroheim.
A Child Is Killed By A Large Rooster, Jackson Daily News (Jackson, Mississippi), May 5, 1908
Thomas Max Crockett Jr. was born January 15, 1907 in Lewisburg, Tennessee to Thomas Max Sr. (1872-1943) and Patience Josephine (Houston) Crockett (1876-1922). He was only 15 months old when he was attacked by the rooster on May 2, 1908 and, contrary to what the newspaper article says above, his death certificate states that he died in Nashville, Tennessee (He also was living there with his parents at the time of his death. They lived at 3011 Belmont, which is now the location of the Christ Is King school.) Max’s death certificate says that he died of septic meningitis with a contributory cause of a penetrating fracture of the skull, which was caused by a rooster. Max was buried in Lewisburg, Tennessee, where is parents were buried years later. It is presumed that the rooster was euthanized.
V.W. Bond Advertisement, The Lima Morning Star and Republican Gazette (Lima, Ohio), May 6, 1931
If I had gifted my mom an oven on Mother’s Day, shall we say she would not have been pleased. At all.
Sleeping Sickness Succumbs at a Bismarck Hospital, Jamestown Weekly Alert (Jamestown, North Dakota), May 8, 1919
Encephalitis lethargica, at that time called the “sleeping sickness”, had just assumed it’s most virulent form when Mr. Booton died. Ralph Waldo Booton was born in 1886 in Wisconsin, the son of Laban (1856-1940) and Adelia (Weed) Booton (1861-1954). He was married in 1907 to Katharine Petra Jensen and they had three children together. Mr. Booton was buried in Hudson, Wisconsin. This outbreak of encephalitis lethargica was a worldwide epidemic between 1915-1926. This illness was also described in the books Awakenings by Oliver Sacks and also the movie based on that book, starring Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams.
Steinway Pianola Piano Advertisement, The Washington Herald (Washington, D.C.), May 31, 1910
Just a block and a half from the US Treasury Department in Washington D.C., this music store was a great place to shop if one was looking for a Steinway, which, at that time, a lot of well-to-do folks were doing just that.
W.B. Reduso Corsets Advertisement, The Washington Herald (Washington, D.C.), May 31, 1910
Corset ad. Not much to say here.
Baby Killed By Talcum, Trenton Evening Times (Trenton, New Jersey), May 16, 1921
PSA: Please keep talcum powder out of reach of 10 month old children. That is all.
Scofield Pharmacy Advertisement, Lincoln Farm and Home News (Lincoln, Nebraska), May 7, 1933
I realize that the economic value of the dollar was much different than present times, but wouldn’t you still like to go shopping and pay these prices?
Will Rogers in Too Busy To Work, The Saginaw Daily News (Saginaw, Michigan), May 7, 1933
Here is Will Rogers making movies a few years before his death. And ladies, get in line early to enter your name for a free dress!
Today We Live Film, The Saginaw Daily News (Saginaw, Michigan), May 7, 1933
Based on the story “Turnabout” by William Faulkner, this film is about two officers during World War I, who compete for the same beautiful young woman. Along with Joan Crawford, the film also featured Gary Cooper and Robert Young. Joan Crawford met her future husband actor and director Franchot Tone on this movie set. It was Tone’s first marriage and Crawford’s second.
During our genealogical research, CMS Research & Genealogy comes across many stories that have nothing to do with our current project. We have tons of them and will be sharing them all with you on this blog. All the more reason to come back and visit us again!
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