Ed. Note: In a small, intricately handcrafted wooden box our Trask Avenue archival staff discovered the following letter. Its wax seal was already compromised allowing convenient access to the contents. The letter was written to French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte by one of his most trusted military advisors, Jean Lannes. Among other achievements Lannes was part of the initial group of 18 officers anointed “Marshal of the Empire” by Napoleon in 1804. He commanded French troops with distinction during the early years of the Napoleonic Wars and (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘in the attic’
letter: jean lannes to napoleon bonaparte (1809)
Posted: January 8, 2013 in UncategorizedTags: 1809, history, in the attic, Jean Lannes, letter, military, Napoleon, Napoleonic Wars, random
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speech: Lou Gehrig, “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day” (early draft – June 1939)
Posted: October 22, 2012 in UncategorizedTags: baseball, humor, humour, in the attic, Lou Gehrig, luckiest man on the face of the earth, old, speech, Yankees
Ed. Note: Perhaps the most famous speech given in American sports history was delivered on July 4, 1939 at Yankee Stadium by baseball player Lou Gehrig. For 17 years Gehrig was a star for the New York Yankees. His skills fell into sharp decline in 1938 and by May 1939 he was no longer able to play due to extreme physical weakness. On June 19, 1939 he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and given less than three years to live. (The disease is now often referred to as “Lou Gehrig Disease.”) The news of his condition spread quickly and on June 21 (more…)
speech: ringo starr’s announcement of his candidacy for british prime minister (1970)
Posted: January 3, 2012 in UncategorizedTags: 1970, Beatles, England, humor, in the attic, Prime Minister, Ringo Starr, speech
Ed. Note: Sifting through the boxes and boxes of artifacts discovered in the attic of Trask Avenue we continue to be surprised. While a lot of the material is admittedly trivial (set of 3 stained Rheingold cardboard coasters; vinyl copy The Archies fourth LP, “Sunshine”; child’s rusted sled from a company named Rose something; 1988 Chris Speier baseball card) occasionally we stumble across something of enduring interest.
The Beatles officially announced their break-up in the spring of 1970. Although many people considered John Lennon the political and social voice of the band, apparently Ringo Starr was the one who wanted to affect real change. He seriously considered running for Prime Minister in the June 1970 election. This despite the fact he (more…)
letter: john ringling to harry houdini (1893)
Posted: August 15, 2011 in UncategorizedTags: 1893, circus, Houdini, in the attic, letter, Ringling Brothers, tiger
Ed. Note: Recently a large collection of mysterious artifacts was discovered in the attic of Trask Avenue. Periodically we will share what we find. This first entry is a letter from John Ringling (of Ringling Brothers Circus) to a young Harry Houdini regarding Houdini’s audition for the circus in 1893.
My dear Mr. Houdini,
During our recent stop to Coney Island you auditioned for my brothers Otto and Charles. They spoke of your desire to join our traveling circus. You performed for them an exhibition involving an assortment of escape techniques. Otto was especially keen on your exploits. He was mesmerized with your ability to slip out of handcuffs as if they were (more…)
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