Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same. That saying sounds prophetic when it comes to politics, especially if you look back to 1924. The 1924 Democratic National Convention, held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, ran from June 24 to July 9, […]
It always shocks me when I see a book about the 1950s listed under "historical fiction." That's my childhood they're talking about! That's also the definition: a fictional story occurring at least 50 years before the time of writing. That made me think about what books were actually written 100 years ago—and how many I'd […]
Last night marked the 117th time the ball has dropped in New York's Times Square. The tradition started in 1097 and has been repeated except for 1942 and 1943 during World War II. Revelers began celebrating New Year's Eve in Times Square as early as 1904, but it was in 1907 that the New Year's […]
It's 1924 on Mulberry Street, so it's time to reflect on what happened that year and what to expect for the upcoming holidays. First of all, life expectancy was around 54 years old, versus today's 80. This is largely due to modern-day medicine. Even over-the-counter medicine you reach for when you have a headache like […]
I recently traveling around the British Isles, so I thought I'd take a look at my favorite time period from an Irish perspective. In the U.S., the Jazz Age is generally defined as the period from 1920 to the early 1930s in which jazz music and dance styles gained worldwide popularity. The "Jazz Age" in […]
Despite Prohibition, New Yorkers still enjoyed their cocktails, whether in a speakeasy, from a teapot of "special" tea in Chinatown, or in their own homes from private supplies. The Old Fashioned, Sidecar, French 75, Highball, Ward Eight, and Gin Rickey are all Prohibition era drinks. Another is the Aviation Cocktail. The Aviation Cocktail, is said […]
Book readers and moviegoers are never hesitant to point out typos, misspellings, and (eek!) if the stepsister is called Sally in Chapter 1 and Eliza in Chapter 24. They are even happier to catch anachronisms. Some are obvious, others are less so. Showing a character wearing a wristwatch in an Elizabethan era movie is a […]
I gave up driving into New York City many years ago. Between the kamikaze bike riders and the gridlock, public transportation or "hoofing it" seems easier. But the problem is nothing new. Somewhere around 1912, automobiles outnumbered horses and buggies in New York. In 1913, The New York Times reported that from 1910 to 1912, […]
Accessories were all the rage in the 1920s, not only for flappers, but the population in general. The most famous (or perhaps, infamous) were decorative headbands, waist-length strings of pearls, long cigarette holders, and feathered boas. Feathers and boas were nothing new. Feathers are generally thought to signal that your guardian angel is nearby. White […]
Today we celebrate Labor Day. But what are the origins of the day? If you answered people wanted another day to barbecue, you're wrong. If you answered the official end of summer, you're also wrong. The roots of Labor Day grew out of violent clashes between labor and police during the Haymarket Riot in 1886, […]
