From the White House
A Special Letter from the White House
A very good customer (and friend) recently received a hand-signed letter from President Barack Obama. It was a very touching letter, discussing equal rights and marriage. The President also included a photograph of the White House.
Wow. Just wow.
Blood chit
A Piece of History: The Blood Chit
This is one of those pieces that come through the shop that really makes you pause and reflect.
"I am a citizen of the United States of America. I do not speak your language. Misfortune forces me to seek your assistance in obtaining food, shelter, and protection. Please take me to someone who will provide for my safety and see that I am returned to my people. My government will reward you.”
This is the first paragraph written in English, and it is repeated in 13 languages. It is called a blood chit, and it is from the Vietnam War (1968).
A blood chit is a prepared message carried by military air crews and other service members deemed to be at what the military calls “high risk of isolation." It is written in local languages that a lost service member can present to most anyone who might help.
It is printed on silk for durability and was distributed immediately before a dangerous mission.
Blood chits originated in England 200 years ago and were introduced to the US military during WWII. They have been used during the Korean conflict, the Vietnam War, and through both Middle East conflicts.
Richard Nixon, the everyman
Richard Nixon's Bowling Alley
In 1969, friends of Richard Nixon paid for and had a two-lane bowling alley installed in the lower level of the Executive Office Building. Nixon was an avid bowler and spent quite a bit of time at this bowling alley over the next five years. He had been known to bowl up to twenty games without a break.
Ollie Atkins, the official White House photographer, snapped this photo in 1970. Later that year, Nixon's White House staff used this photo to demonstrate that Nixon was not out of touch with the average citizen and was, in fact, just like any other citizen.
The photo later achieved iconic status due to a single scene from the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski."
There is a tremendous amount of public domain imagery available from the US Government, some of it noteworthy and historically significant, and some of it kitschy. Since it was paid for with tax dollars, it really is owned by the public.
Penumbra
The Captivating Penumbra: A Photograph of Jake's Strip Club
The definition of penumbra is 'almost shadow' or 'almost dark' (or light). Penumbra is typically used to describe events in astronomy, such as when an eclipse occurs.
In photography, penumbra provides a unique opportunity to capture texture and atmosphere in an almost occult-like light. A strip club has always struck me as kind of sad and desperate. I have been meaning to take this photo for years, but the highway has been re-routed, making it tricky to get to. This isn't exactly the effect I was looking for (drizzle and water puddles would have been ideal), but I liked the emotion the headlights provided.
Jake's strip club is located in Coates, Minnesota. It had a litigious relationship with the community, and for years the town continually passed laws to close it down. In 2002, the Minnesota Supreme Court finally ruled that the town was within its authority to close Jake's. In an unwise effort to vote the local politicians out of office, Jake's owner had 92 patrons (sometimes called rummies) fill out voter registration cards, using the strip club as their home address.
You don't mess with the feds. It is never a good idea to break federal voting fraud laws, especially in such a foolish manner. Several hundred thousand dollars later, the case was finally settled. The bar never reopened, and it has been vacant ever since. No doubt it will be torn down, and the opportunity to capture Jake's in penumbra light will be gone forever.
Upon further review
The Creative and Real Estate Legacy of 312 West Avenue
By going backwards through telephone directories (this is known as 'doing a Jim Rockford') and speaking with Barb Tittle (the previous building owner), it was possible to stitch together a more complete history of this building. It has a very significant creative and real estate lineage.
312 West Avenue Chronology:
1894 - 1902: Lidberg Studio (original location)
1902 - 1920: Lidberg Studio (new location)
1920 - 1936: E. H. Lidberg Real Estate
1937 - 1947: Davison Studio
1948 - 1949: Wood's Studio
1950 - 1952: Hodge Studio
1953 - 1979: Chalet Studio
1980 - 2004: InComm Realty and Maas Realty (later Coldwell-Banker)
2005 - 2007: Gary-Donald Arts, a private art dealer
2008 - Present: Red Wing Framing Gallery
For 73 out of 115 years, this building has been home to six different creative studios. For 40 out of those same 115 years, it has been home to at least three real estate companies.