More Riding Horses

This is a companion piece to yesterday's post.  Awhile back I bought a grab bag of photos, a sealed envelope of at least 100 pictures for a set price.  These two horse riding photos were part of the package, but, they're a different format, in other words, two different cameras, yesterday's post had writing on the back, this one was pulled from a photo album, and it's not the same rider.  Nevertheless, I'm going with the same source explanation until someone can offer something other than coincidence.

Riding Horses

Written on the back, "This is how I spent Thanksgiving Day morning.  1926.  This was taken after a hard run and we're all out of breath."  

1926 was an interesting time to live in the United States.  One world war was over and the next off in the future.  The economy was booming and prosperity was wide spread.  Of course, the economic strength was fueled by speculation, and in just a few years it would all go bust with the great depression.  

What Can I Say, But....

....nice lips, and the feather isn't so bad, either.  No date or name.  From the thirties or forties would be my guess.

Ted Fio-Rito

Two dates. I'm impressed.  It must have been the uniform.

It's been awhile since I've posted one of these souvenir photo folders.  Unlike the others I have, this one is more about the artist, rather than the venue.  Ted Fio-Rito was born in 1900 in Newark, New Jersey as Teodorico Salvatore Fiorito and had his first job as a professional musician in 1919 for the Columbia recording studios in New York City as a keyboardist.  He would work with a number of bands and also began composing.  In 1921 he moved to Chicago and joined the Dan Russo Orchestra.  A year latter, he was the co-leader of  Russo and Fio-Rito's Oriole Orchestra.  In 1924, they became the house band of Chicago's Edgewater Beach Hotel.  Russo left in 1928, and the band would eventually be known as Ted Fio-Rito and his Orchestra.  In the 1930s, Fio-Rito was a major presence on American radio.  In 1934, he had two number one hits.  My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii, and I'll String Along With You.  By the 1940s, the group had lost a lot of it's popularity but still did well enough to stay in business.  Eventually, Fio-Rito would abandon the big band for small combos, and had a second bout of success in Las Vegas.  He died in 1971.  There is a lot more info on Fio-Rito out there, for anyone willing to comb the web, including some YouTube videos.  And if you're like me and own a 78 rpm turntable, with a bit of effort, one can find plenty of recordings.  I own a couple.

The Sacramento Memorial Auditorium opened in 1927 and is still going strong.  It's on the National Registry of Historical Places.

Printed on the back of the folder,  "Additional prints are $1.25 each.  Address: Capital Enterprises,  Photographic Dept., 921 K Street, Sacramento, 14 Calif.

Describe picture thoroughly, mentioning number of people in photo, all points of identification possible and date or name of Band featured."

I'll bet a lot of people had trouble getting their prints without some sort of number.  Dated "DEC 16, 1944"

Click on night clubs or souvenir photo in the labels section to bring up a number of other photos, including one from The Edgewater Beach Hotel.

The Nurses of 1954

Interesting story in last Sunday's Los Angeles Times.  A woman goes into a Long Beach hospital for a CT scan of her abdomen and pelvis.  The bill, $6,707.  Her insurance company pays $4,371, leaving her on the hook for $2,336.  Good deal?  Had she paid cash, and not involved her insurance company, the total bill would have been $1,054.  So, if you're lucky enough to have health insurance, (I don't.) but unlucky enough to have a high deductible, ask about paying cash.  It may be cheaper.

Written on the back of the top photo, "Surgery staff, Feb. 1954."  On the second picture, "Spring 1954 Nursery SJGH, Frances Albee, Norma, Mrs. Juanitas."  Picked these up in California, so best guess, San Jose General Hospital.

Shipping Out

"Well mama I am leaving this camp to day which are Mon. 5 1918.  I am sent to a ship. but mama dont you worry about me.  I will write when ever I can.  I aint got time to write but a few words four I have got to go now so good by mother and all the rest.  W. M. Davis"

Adressed to "Mrs. Fannie Davis, Buffalo Junction Va.  R.F.D. #1"

Two Views of the Point

As anyone from Pittsburgh, PA can tell you, the point is where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers come together to form the Ohio River.  These two views of the point are quiet a few years apart.  The top image shows the original Point Bridge.  It opened in 1877, crossed the Monongahela and connected the south side with downtown.  In 1927, the second Point Bridge was built right beside the original, which was dismantled after it's replacement opened.  In 1959, it happened again, but this time the new bridge was named the Fort Pitt Bridge, which can be seen on the right of the second image.   The first and second bridges ended in an industrial area, but now, the point area is a state park.  The land was taken, using eminent domain, in the fifties, but the park wasn't completed until the point fountain was completed in 1974.

The top card is postmarked, "PITTSBURG, PA SEPT. 25  7:30 P.M. 1908" and addressed to Mrs. W. W. Van Cleve, 289 So-18th-St, Newark, N.J."  And yes, Pittsburg is correct.  For some odd reason, the "H" was dropped for a number of years from the city name.

The second card isn't a very good picture, it's damaged, and looks as if someone stepped on it.  I bought it because I really liked the message on the back.  "Hi Jim!  Arrived here Nov. 23, 1954 and have been enjoying this wonderful metropolis and it's inhabitants ever since. Maybe you'll come see me sometime.  I think I'm going to stay here for awhile.  Latter, Eileen."  It's addressed to "Jimmy Daschbach, 1315 Wood St., Pgh., PA 15221"  So, the Point State Park Fountain can be seen in the photo, so Eileen has been in the city for at least twenty years, and is sending a card to Jimmy, also living in Pittsburgh, like he's some sort of distant friend.  I've always thought that a middle aged Eileen was trying to set something up with Jimmy.  And now that I'm well into my fifties, I like the idea of a tryst between a couple of aging Pittsburghers.  It gives me hope.