Fake Violin Scam

Police are describing people pretending to play the violin for money as a "nationwide issue."

More info: The CW7

Posted By: Alex - Tue Aug 02, 2022 - Comments (3)
Category: Frauds, Cons and Scams, Music

The May Queen of the Pennsylvania College for Women

Flanked by her attendants, May Queen Anna Negley '27, sits on her seashell throne. By the mid-1920s, Pennsylvania College for Women held a May Day pageant every other year. The 1927 pageant had an undersea theme and featured a magic throne, pirates, Neptune, Davy Jones, mermaids, and other sea people. Titled, “Deep Sea Caverns,” the festival was written by Helen Gordon ’28 and Ethel Hamilton ’28 (Hamilton passed away before graduating.). Vanda Kerst once again directed the production and designed the costumes.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 02, 2022 - Comments (2)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1920s, Universities, Colleges, Private Schools and Academia

Ambrose (Part 5)

Linda Laurie was a 17-year-old high school student in 1958 when her first recording, "Ambrose (Part 5)", was released by Glory Records. It reached number 52 on the billboard charts.

It's a very odd record. For a start, why is it titled "part 5"? There were no parts 1,2,3, or 4.

Then there's the 'song' itself. Why is Ambrose walking her into a subway tunnel? Does he intend to kill her? We never find out. The song ends in mid-sentence. Incidentally, the voice of Ambrose ("Just keep walking") was done by Laurie herself.



Two years later, Laurie released a sequel, "Forever Ambrose," which showed a nicer side of Ambrose. Evidently he hadn't killed her in the tunnel. But this follow-up never made it onto the charts.



In 1962, Laurie released a final Ambrose song, "Return of Ambrose," which had Ambrose back in more menacing form ("keep digging"). Again, it didn't chart.



Laurie went on to have a fairly successful career as a songwriter. Her biggest hit was "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)," which reached #3 on the charts when it was covered by Helen Reddy.

More info: Wikipedia.

Posted By: Alex - Mon Aug 01, 2022 - Comments (1)
Category: Music, 1950s

Josiah Oldfield, the Fruitarian Hospital and Kissing

Fruitarianism is a kind of vegetarian practice which today seems very strict. But 100 years ago, when Josiah Oldfield practiced it, there was more variety allowed in the diet.

Oldfield advocated for fruitarianism, putting him at odds with the Vegetarian Society.[16] He was a member of the Fruitarian Society, whose members lived on "the produce of harvest field, garden, forest and orchard, with milk, butter, cheese, eggs and honey".[6] His own "fruitarianism" was close to ovo-lacto vegetarianism. He was not a vegan: he recommended a daily diet of dandelion leaves, eggs, grapes, honey, lettuce, milk, salad, and watercress.

In any case, Oldfield founded several hospitals whose healing methods involved this diet. See the video below for more details. I have no idea of their success rate.

However, he found time to theorize about other things besides diet, such as the art of kissing. I apologize for the illegibility of the snapshot. Here's a sample or two of the text.





Newpaper source: Omaha Sunday Bee-News (Omaha, Nebraska) 30 Aug 1931, Sun Page 41

Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 01, 2022 - Comments (0)
Category: Hospitals, Hygiene, Nineteenth Century, Twentieth Century, Love & Romance