Celebrating November 7th in Red Square

Blog 11-07-11 Celebrating the October Revolution!

Red banners in parade past Lenin’s Tomb on Red Square

          Every year on November 7^th, the Soviets put on a massive celebration honoring the Great October Revolution.  When the Soviets changed their calendars to match that of the western world, the date of the October Revolution in 1917 fell on Nov. 7^th.

            In the two years we lived in Moscow, watching this huge Bolshevik celebration was something to behold.  The Soviets prepared for this for days in advance, because it involved many thousands of Soviet soldiers, sailors, airmen, as well as still more thousands of civilians.  For us military and naval attachés, it was also an opportunity to see whatever the Soviet Union wanted to show off in their latest weaponry. 

            We were invited to come in uniform and sit in reserved seats, right below the tribune where General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev and all the Politburo and all the Soviet generals and admirals stood to review the parade.

            However, in the years I was there, we were directed to show American disapproval with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, so we showed up heavily wrapped in warm civilian clothing, in the crowd of hundreds of thousands of Russians. 

            [Isn’t it strange that twenty years later America would invade Afghanistan!]

            This day was a day to observe Russians celebrating the birth of their Communist State, to watch the marching troops, and hopefully, to discover a new missile or other weapon the Soviets were producing.  It was a tremendous celebration, and millions of Russians would drink quite a lot of vodka before the day was over.

            For American and allied military attachés in the Embassy, after several hours of standing in frigid weather watching the parade, we’d show up at the home of one of us for plates of steaming hot American chili, Danish or Polish beer, and Swedish Glögg (a lethal concoction of akvavit, red wine, port, cinnamon and other spices).

            Watching an event in Red Square is one of life’s exciting experiences, I think, because your mind can take you back to grainy black-and-white images of Marshal Stalin standing atop that tribune, as the Red Army troops, the same ones who had defeated the Nazis at Stalingrad and many other battles, marched in review.  On one end of the square is St. Basil’s Cathedral, and all along another side are the onion domes of churches inside the Kremlin. 

            What a fascinating experience it was last year to see pictures of an American Army unit marching in Red Square, to help the Russians celebrate the Allied victory over Germany May 9^th, 1945. (America, Great Britain and France celebrated on May 8^th, but the actual German surrender happened after midnight Moscow time, hence May 9^th.)

            U.S. Army helps Russians Commemorate Victory over Germany May 9^th, 2010

 (Soldiers of Co. C, 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, part of the 170th Brigade Combat Team)  

           

The Personal Navigator offers these books and papers :

Abdul Buhl: The Chronicles of Abdul Buhl by Leslie F. Deacon, Illustrations by Polly Hill ca. 1948.  These are the timeless adventures of Abdul Buhl the terrible, and Morbhid Dhung, his man, told in verse.  Charmingly illustrated by Polly Hill, Adul and Morbhid cross a desert, go out to sea, meet some Amazons, including Sweet Ahlmad Buhl, from Abdul's clan. They encounter Whirling Dervishes, Attila's Huns, sail back over the sea to Araby the Fair.  [Author believed to be the same L.F. Deacon b. 1913 who served in the RAF in World War II and taught at Tanglin in Singapore after the war, then moved to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and then South Africa.] 23 pp.           13.5 x 23.8 cm. Green suede leather cover, text block loose from binding, poor. (8200)   $39.00. Poetry

Posev Ezhenedelnik Obschestvennoy I Politichestkoi Mysli (Weekly Social and Political Thought), with Zarubezhnoe Prllozhenoye (The Sowing, and anti-Bolshevik Journal,  with foreign supplement), Sunday, 27 December 1953. [In Russian]  1953 Munich, Germany: Posev Izdatyels'stvo Posev (The sowing) was the journal of an anti-Bolshevik organization. "Military Attaché in Moscow-- Richard Hilton" tells story of his work in USSR. Lead article in this issue: "Process of G. Mueller (N. Khorunzhego) is Completed"--On Friday 18 December the Frankfurt American Court completed the process of George Muller (N. Khorunzhego) and his wife Elizabeth Mueller, accused of Soviet Espionage. This report takes up nearly three pages of this issue.  Bureau of KTsAV has asked to publish this letter to the Editor of the Washington Post that underlines the fact that American social opinion wholly approves of the Committee for Freeing from Bolshevism, etc. Letter, from Munich, is signed by S.P. Mel'gunov, President of Bureau. Ads for forthcoming issue of "Mysl'" (Thought) from the Posev Press; Bust of A.S. Pushkin, price 16.50 Marks (20 kron.); ad for gift books for Christmas from Posev Press includes several by N. Gogol, one by N. Nekrasov, one by Tretyakov, one by Chekhov, and one by L. Tolstoi. "Sovietskie Prosoyuzi" (Soviet Tradeunions) by S. Kursanov.  "Za Slovesnoi Shirmoi" (Behind the Masked Words) --- "Besklassove Obschestvo" (Classless Society); "Diktatura Proteliariata"  (Dictatorship of the Proletariat); "Religia--Opium dlya Naroda" (Religion--opium for the people); "Akuli s Uoll-Streeta" (Sharks of Wall Street). 16 pp. 30 x 42 cm. Newspaper, small tear in fold, main section unopened, very good.(8079) $33.00. Cold War

Portsmouth Navy Yard Peace Conference 1905-- Set of five post cards commemorating Russo-Japanese War Peace Conference 1905    Portsmouth, NH: First National Bank. Set of five postal cards commemorate the Russo-Japanese War Peace Conference sponsored by President Theodore Roosevelt. Two cards show participants: Sato, Takahira, Komura, Otchai and Adachi for Japan, and Korostovetz, Navohoff, Witte, DeRosen and Plancon for Russia. Another card shows inset pictures of Czar Nicholas, the Mikado and President Roosevelt.     5 cards 13.7 x 8.7 cm.   Four photographic post cards and one printed post card, all very good. (8202) $45.00. History

Art Metal Steel Office Furnitre and Filing Supplies, 1915 No. 757 1915 Jamestown, NY: Art Metal Construction Co.            All the modern business needs--the best steel office equipment in the world, according to E. St. Elmo Lewis, General Manager.  Photo of Art Metal Engineering Department. Fire resistance of Art Metal. Cast Bronze Hardware. Features of Art Metal Files--why they excel. File Drawers, Upright Units, Vertical file units, Suggestions for voluminous correspondence, vertical file guides, file folders; card record units, tabulating card units, sections for folded documents, depositi slips, checks and vouchers, private lock drawer sections, unit record-card desks, bond boxes, plan files, waste baskets, shelving, desks, tables, typewriter stands, safes, vault equipment.            80 pp.   20 x 27.5 cm.    Paper booklet, cellophane tape repairs to spine, good.            (8199) $28.00. Advertising

Boston Weekly Journal, Boston, Mass., Thursday Morning, February 25, 1869    Boston, MA: Charles O. Rogers, 120 Washington St. Dispatch from St. Louis reports that all of the Kiowas except four or five lodges have come in to make peace, and will at once be assigned reservations. Kiowas have been the most troublesome and hostile of the frontier tribes. Part of the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes have also presented themselves at the Government headquarters for assignment ot reservations. Gen. Cushingmet with success in negotiations with the Government of Colombia for the right to construct an inter-oceanic canal across the Isthmus of Darien. Discussion about the way that the President-elect, General Grant, is going about forming his Cabinet.  Meagre information from Cuba indicates that troubles there are daily becoming more serious, and both the Spanish government and Gen. Dulce have misapprehended the extent and true nature of the outbreak.  Bands of insurgents are making their appearance in every part of the island.        4 pp.     52 x 68 cm. Newspaper, worn, dampstained, good. (8197) $25.00 Newspapers/History

Vermont Journal, Brattleboro, Saturday, April 9, 1881 Brattleboro, VT:  The Journal Company. The sacredness of the Sabbath is not always observed by politicians.  Last Saturday Senators Conkling and Platt, Governor Cornell, Vice President Arthur and Postmaster-General James  did not get through comparing notes until Sunday. Four years ago Conkling engaged in a power struggle with President Hayes.  "The Hero of Gettysburg" was not General Hancock, recently defeated in the national election by Garfield, but General Meade.  There are at least a dozen Senators who may be called millionaires, led by Sen. Fair of Nevada, probably worth as much as all the others put together.  Next is Davis of Illinois who has gathered millions, as well as 375 pounds avoirdupois. Sawyer of Wisconsin, who was a poor Vermont boy, is next.   The Story Teller:  "Poor Miss Brackenthorpe" --what was revealed after she died. Illustrated ads for Perry Davis' Pain Killer, The "Only" Lung Pad, Madame Griswold's Skirt-supporting Corsets. 8 pp.           40 x 58 cm.       Newspapers, numerous tiny tears in creases, paper unopened, fair. (8198) $24.00. Newspapers/History

London: The Canadian's Guide Book to London 1937 1937 London, England: High Commissioner, Canada House. Guide book for the Coronation, May 12 and all other events in 1937. Includes colored folding map of Central London, showing the Coronation Parade route. 65 pp. 12.2 x 15.1 cm. Paper booklet, owner name written on inside front cover. Inside front hinge slightly loose. Good. (8201) $24.00. Travel

Shipmate, The Eyes and Ears of the Navy; Publication of the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association, September 1945         1945 England, Harry W., Managing Editor. Annapolis, MD: U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association. Victory and Industrial Issue: End of World War II came as a surprise to editorial staff, so they rushed to include "The Sinking of the Rising Sun" by Lt. S.L. Freeland. "a concise and vivid report of how U.S. Navy made Japs wish they had never thought of Pearl Harbor." Story of new USNA Superintendent, first Naval Aviator to take post, Vice Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch, '06, by Comdr. Louis J. Gulliver, '07. "Ships from the Texas Plains" story of ships built by newcomers to shipbuilding in Houston. These ships passed the "final examination" when they survived the horrible typhoon off Luzon in December 1944, that caused sinking of three other destroyers. "How the Seabees Transformed Tinian" as base for Superforts bombing Japan. "P.H. to Okinawa"-- "’The Big E’, carrier Enterprise, fought the whole bloody war, and came out asking for more”. "What's the Dope" news of alumni, first entry is from Col. Harry Hawthorne, Class of 1882.  Names of naval officers mentioned in this issue is an honor roll of naval heroes of World War II and afterward. 104 pp. 21.7 x 29.3 cm. Magazine, moderate wear, good. (6229) $35.00. World War II/Naval                                  

Contact me at scoulbourn1@verizon.net

Don’t look down!

  

Our life in Naples, Italy

                When Italian friends heard we were going to Naples to live, they’d say, “Oh, Naples in beautiful (Napoli è bella!) … but don’t look down!!”

I had just graduated from the Naval War College in Newport, RI and my next assignment was to serve on a navy staff ensconced near a race track in Naples, Italy.

            I had served on a ballistic missile submarine operating in the Mediterranean, and on a destroyer, from the Black Sea to Gibraltar, but now I was going to be stationed in Naples, looking after Navy patrol aircraft flying all over this part of the world, keeping an eye on the Soviet Navy, and especially Soviet submarines. It was 1975.

            We had been living in Virginia Beach, VA, and now the kids were uprooted, as we had been three years before in Iran, to live overseas.  John was now 17, Mark 14, and Susan 11.

            Most Americans in the service overseas want to cluster together with their own kind, and as near as possible to an American commissary, where they can buy Wonder Bread and real American lettuce. 

            We had enjoyed living surrounded by Iranians in Tehran, and we looked forward to experiencing the real Italy now in Naples.  We arrived in the summer, and found ourselves in the San Germano Hotel, in a nice part of northwestern Naples, with Roman ruins and sulfur baths all around, on the road to Pozzuoli. 

            And as for Wonder Bread, who would choose that over wonderful, fresh-baked Italian pane?

            Right across the road from our hotel was a permanent station for Neapolitan prostitutes.  They usually sat on a stone wall, and so the most notable of these ladies was one named “Humpty Dumpty”.  Humpty was a generously proportioned lady of about 60. 

Neapolitan prostitutes were famous all over Italy. At night, Humpty and her associates illuminated their presence, and kept warm, by a burning truck tire.  They might also use the fire to cook pots of pasta and sauce. A spaghetti dish, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, was named after them. 

Neapolitan business transaction

           

            We began our search for a place to live just before the month of August.  We soon found out that nothing—absolutely nothing—happens in August, except every Italian goes on vacation, and those who own a car pile their family and all the food they will eat for two weeks in and go somewhere else, usually the seashore. 

            Half of Italy starts on vacation on the first of August, and the autostradas are clogged with long streams of Cinquecentos, as they all start at the same time.  Then, on the 15^th of August, these all return home, and the other half start on their Ferroagosto vacanze. 

Ferragosto—no one gets there fast

            For Americans looking for a place to live, apartment hunting in August is impossible, because Neapolitans are either on vacation or thinking about vacation.

So, for a whole month we lived in Camping Averno, a resort place with little cabins.  We stacked our 14 suitcases and three kids in this little hut, and I went off to work, and Marty, against all odds, went looking for a place for us to live.

            There was a nice swimming pool at the Camping, so our kids enjoyed a whole month of hanging around the pool with vacationing Italian kids.  They all learned a lot of Italian, and the Italian kids learned some English.

            In the meantime, I was learning about my job, which was running an operations control center, sending maritime patrol aircraft (P3Vs) and electronic surveillance aircraft on daily patrols all over the Mediterranean.  We also interacted with staffs aboard the two aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean, as they flew their missions, and I often flew on missions to track Soviet submarines or visit aboard a carrier for a few days during antisubmarine operations.

Our son John on our balcony, with Vesuvius and Bay of Naples in background

  

We finally found a nice, modest apartment on the top of a five-story palazzo, or apartment building, on Via Manzoni in Posillippo, which is an old, elegant part of Naples, with many fine old homes over 200 years old.  Our apartment had balconies on three sides, and a large roof garden behind.  From our various balconies and garden we could look out over all Naples, including the huge soccer stadium at Fuorigrotta, at Mt. Vesuvius, the whole Bay of Naples, on around to Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, Ischia, Procida and the Gulf of Pozzuoli.

Our neighbors were all 100% Italian, and most spoke little English. Across the street was a building that had once been the home of Enrico Caruso, and there were good stores for bread, sausages and vegetables nearby.  

Daughter Susan with Caruso’s Castle in background
Beyond that is Fuorigrotta, and in distance, Gulf of Pozzuoli

            When you move into an apartment in Naples, there is no kitchen sink, stove or refrigerator, and in the bathroom you step back in time, with a tiny water heater, and a small bathtub and lavatory. We also found that, upon moving in, we inherited Vincenzo, a master carpenter, or so he said.  We thought we were hiring him to install a large set of shelves in our kitchen, because there were no closets or other places to store dishes or food, or anything else.  However, Vincenzo felt that he had joined our family for full employment, so he kept thinking up things we needed to have built.  Vincenzo was very nice, he could tell stories all day long in fairly good English, he knew everything about Naples, but after a while he got to be awfully expensive.

We experienced a leak in our bathroom, so we called the local Idraulico, or plumber. He arrived in a nice suit with no tools, and asked if we had a wrench, and then a hammer, and so forth, until he had assembled enough tools to work with.  Before we knew it, he had cut a foot wide hole in the bathroom floor, and we found ourselves looking down at our landlady, Signora Guarino, sitting on her toilet.

It was Christmastime, we had planned a family trip to Florence, so we left our ventilated bathroom for a few days to take the train north for three days of viewing one church or museum after another, with wonderful Florentine food in between.  When we returned, our bathroom was fixed.

Son Mark from our roof terrace with Island of Nisida in distance.

Naples was – and is – bella, or beautiful, but when we lived there, street cleaning was a bit casual, or a strike was underway, and Neapolitans didn’t seem to mind trash all over the streets, because the 360 degree view was so spectacular.  That was why everyone warned us, “Don’t look down!”

Here are some books and papers that The Personal Navigator would like to offer you:

Napoli --Forty Views of Naples, Italy [Photo album] [Captions in Italian] ca. 1890 Naples, Italy: Casa Editrice Libraria Napoli, Dottor Gennaro Giannini, Pza. Dante 62-64 Excellent, delightful collection of photos of Naples, Italy includes panoramas from Villa Patrizi, Tomba di Virgilio, San Martino, Views of the Port, Mergellina, Posillipo, Corso Umberto I, Piazza della Borso, Piazza Municipio, Palazzo Reale, Via Caracciolo, Piazza Plebiscito, photos of fishermen at work, men making maccheroni. people in Galleria Umberto I, man delivering milk with the cow, man selling vegetables from his donkey, scugnizzi eating maccheroni, more. 40 pp. 18 x 13.3 cm. Paper booklet bound with cord, very good. (8029) $60.00. Travel

Care and Feeding of Children, The; A Catechism for the Use of Mothers and Children's Nurses by L. Emmett Holt, M.D., LL.D., Professor of Diseases of Children at Columbia University, Third Edition, Revised and Enlarged. 1905 New York, NY: D. Appleton & Co. After eight years of constant use, Author's aim is to give much fuller treatment to infant feeding. Section on infant feeding has been entirely rewritten for the Third Edition (1903).  Care of children: bathing, eyes, mouth; skin, clothing, napkins, nursery, airing, weight and growth development, dentition. Feeding, including nursing, weaning, artificial feeding, selection and care of milk used, refrigerators, modification of cow's milk, food for early, middle, later months.  Preparation of cow's milk at home, sterilized milk, pasteurized milk, food formulas. When to take a baby out for an airing.  Infant feeding. Mothers who have had tuberculosis should not nurse their babies. Weaning children from the breast; from the bottle. Modification of cow's milk.  Common mistakes in milk modification. Kissing infants  -- tuberculosis, diphtheria,  and many other grave diseases may be communicated in this way.  Colic, Earache. Croup. Convulsions. Rubella. Scarlet fever. Chicken-pox. Scurvy. Constipation. Diarrhœa. Bad habits include sucking, nail-biting, dirt-eating, bed-wetting and masturbation. 149 pp. + adv. 12 x 17 cm. Olive green cloth on board with gilt lettering, minor rubbing, edge wear, good. (5248) $18.00. Women's/Child care     

                                                                                                                                   

Zeppelin-Weltfahrten Vom ersten Luftschiff 1899 bis zu den Fahrten des L Z 127 "Graf Zeppelin" 1932. Cigarette-picture album with 264 silver-bromide photos and one metallic Weltflug-Gedenkmünze seal. [In German]  1933 Dresden, Germany: Bilderstelle-Lohse. Marvelous book tells the story of German Zeppelins, including their history, construction and operation. Small (6 x 4 cm.) photos from cigarette packages are pasted on heavy album-style pages toe help tell the story.  Includes maps of Zeppelin trips all over the world.  Some photos show happy passengers using restaurant, wash room and staterooms aboard  zeppelin, also aerial photos of cities and locations around the world, including U.S. Capitol, London Bridge, Kremlin.  [Interesting that only seven years later, German bombers were dropping bombs on some of these sites!]  Frontispiece photo of Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin with tissue guard. Vorwort: Zeppelin-Weltfahrten-Bilder  liegen  nur den Packungen der Zigaretten-Marken: Club und Liga.  Photos and information on 25 Luftschiffen. . 54 sheets          34 x 24 cm. Paperback book with photo of Graf Zeppelin airship on cover, minor edgewear to cover, text and photos clean and complete. Album pages printed on heavy card stock. Very good.  (7971) $224.00. Travel/History

 Rome, Italy: Ricordo di Roma, 30 Vedute (in Italian, English, German and French) ca. 1900 Rome, Italy: Edf. Ris. A, Scrocchi. Photos mounted accordion style, include Colloseo Restaurato; Circo Massimo, Ultima Preghiera; Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II; Piazza Esedra o Termini; Piazza e Basilica di S. Pietro; Ingresso del Palazzo Vaticano; La Pieta; Museo Vaticano; Biblioteca Vaticano; Colosseo con L'Arco di Tito; Panorama del Foro Romano; Foro Traiano; Tomba di Cecilia Metella in Via Appia; Ponte e Castel S. Angelo; Tempio di Vesta; Monumento a Giuseppe Garibaldi; ecc. Cover shows color image of Ponte e Castel S. Angelo.  On back cover is map showing Palazzi Principali. 30 views. 16 x 21 cm. Decorated cloth on board, edges worn, very good. (7320) $30.00. Travel/Italy

Prague, Czechoslovakia: Circular Tours around Prague by Cedok Motor Car ca. 1925 Prague, Cz.: The Czechoslovak Tourist and Transport Office Ltd. Leaflet advertises sightseeing tours by Cedok Motor Car of Prague. Daily twice circular tours (Sunday excepted). Starts from main entrance of the Obecni Dum Na Prikopech. Sightseeing lasting three hours. Authentic and complete explanations in all world-languages given to sightseers by expert local guides. Price Kc 35.00. Tour includes Vaclavske namesti, Rytirska ulice, Uhelny trh, Havelska ulice, Krizovnicke namesti, Hradcanske namesti, Karlovo namesti, Kralovske Vinohrady, Prasna brana, more. 2 pp. 16 x 30 cm. Paper leaflet, printed on both sides, good. (6859) $17.00. Travel

Contact me at scoulbourn1@verizon.net

Building a Sewer System for Boston

Oh, the Smell!!!

Phewwwww….

 

        In 1870 Boston the City had a quarter of a million citizens, ten times the size of Boston the Town in 1800.

          It was a nice city, but the smell--- some days, especially in the southern and western parts—the smell was overpowering.  The smell in parts of the city was terrible for weeks at a time.  

            In 1878 Boston had been a city for over 50 years, and a town since 1630. It was time to put in a modern sewer system.

            In the  late 1600s residents built the first sewer drains, and it was pretty much whoever could pay for digging and building a drain to the nearest water put it in.  In those days, people disposed of human waste separately, in cesspools.

            Even up to the 1880s people dumped their chamber pots in tanks on their property.

            The industrial revolution expanded Boston tremendously, and all the additional people, and all the chemicals that poured from the textile mills and other manufacturing plants turned Boston’s rivers and harbor into murky, stinking waterways. 

            In 1866, just after the Civil War, a cholera epidemic hit Boston and hundreds died. 

            So a decade later, it was time for action, and Elliot C. Clarke was one of the men who led the effort to build a new system that would move the effluent beneath the city and out to Boston harbor, at Moon Island.

 

Map of Boston sewer system, 1885, by Elliot C. Clarke

 

I recently found three small handwritten diaries that Clarke had written during the years when he was building the new Boston sewer.  I found it fascinating to follow along as he records his daily work in building the sewer from Sep. 7, 1878 to Dec. 19, 1881. 

Clarke was a member of a fine old Boston family, and became a Boston hero for his work in building a sewer system for the City.

 

Clarke was a prominent figure in Public Health and Civil Engineering in those days, and his work was interconnected not only with building, maintaining and expanding Boston's storm drain and sewer system, but the many railroads and horse railways criss-crossing the city, as well as streets and the system of collecting slops, house trash and ashes from residences and businesses all over the city, and collecting and disposing of dead animals daily. 

Clarke gave papers at national Public Health forums, and wrote a mountain of documentation on Boston's sewer system, covering sewer design, interconnections, manholes, pumps, and sewage through pipes that could backflood during high tides, causing noxious gases to back up in cellars across the city. He found a solution in intercepting sewer systems, and described this in a presentation at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1879, and later in a book published in 1885. His diaries record daily encounters with his fellow administrators and engineers, foremen, developers, builders, politicians and the public.  His writing is organized, literate and complete.

 In his diary, Clark writes (Oct. 2, 1878) about efforts 

to get residents to deed property for sewer

Three diaries

Three personal handwritten diaries (1879-1881)  in the life of Eliot C. Clarke, Principal Assistant Engineer for Improved Sewerage, the man who built the Boston Sewer System 1878-1881 Boston, MA: City of Boston.  The man responsible for building and maintaining Boston's sewer system in the years after the Civil War kept these handwritten diaries of his work from Sep. 7, 1878 to Dec. 19, 1881.  Clarke was a prominent figure in Public Health and Civil Engineering in those days, and his work was interconnected not only with building, maintaining and expanding Boston's storm drain and sewer system, but the many railroads and horse railways criss-crossing the city, as well as streets and the system of collecting slops, house trash and ashes from residences and businesses all over the city, and collecting and disposing of dead animals daily.  Clarke gave papers at national Public Health forums, and wrote a mountain of documentation on Boston's sewer system, covering sewer design, interconnections, manholes, pumps, and sewage through pipes that could backflood during high tides, causing noxious gases to back up in cellars across the city. He found a solution in intercepting sewer systems, and described this in a presentation at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1879, and later in a book published in 1885. His diaries record daily encounters with his fellow administrators and engineers, foremen, developers, builders, politicians and the public.  His writing is organized, literate and complete. 7.3 x 12 cm. Three small booklets one 9.7 x 15 cm, pages nearly all filled; two 7.5 x 12 Standard 19th c. diaries, gilt edged pages, very good. In 1880 one-third of pages are filled out, in 1881, one-half are filled out. All very good. (8111) $480.00. American Originals/Engineering

SOLD

In the event that Boston’s sewers are not your cup of tea, The Personal Navigator offers these books and papers:

Mary Norton's Autograph Book, Maynard, Mass., 1879 Norton, Mary A. 1879 Maynard, MA: ephemera. Mary started this autograph book in 1879.  It contains sentimental inscriptions from friends and relatives, mostly from Maynard, MA and Halifax, Nova Scotia."Remember me till death shall close these eyelids…" from Katie Snee, Maynard. Includes small embroidery of a Bible with a cross, with flowers on it. 17 x 10 cm. Leather autograph book, spine leather torn off, some damp stain on first few pages, fair. (7688) $28.00. American Originals

Joyeaux Trio from Ruth's Post Cards, 1928

Ruth's Post Card Travelogue, 1928 by Bradford, Ruth  Boston, MA: Ruth Bradford, 18 Cedarlane Way. Ruth is on the "grand tour" of Europe, and sends home this detailed, colorful report of her adventures, carefully described on the backs of 22 post cards. She watches the fireworks for Bastille Day at Biarritz and warns her friend Lucia to stay clear of Nice. She tells about the violent hailstorm as her group drives through the Pyrenees. Luncheon in Quimper, visit to the potteries.  22 cards 9 x 14 cm. Twenty-two photographic post cards with a detailed travel journal written on backs. Very good. (6337) $65.00. American Originals/Travel

Cannon and Camera

Rough Riders at Camp Wikoff

Cannons and Camera: Sea and Land Battles of the Spanish-American War in Cuba, Camp Life, and the Return of the Soldiers; First Edition Photographs and Narrative by Hemment, John C.1898. New York, NY: D. Appleton & Co. 282 pp. 13.5 x 20 cm. This book has been widely reproduced. In this book War Artist John C. Hemment has captured the War in Cuba in excellent, sharp photographs and accompanying text.   Introduction by W.I. Lincoln Adams. Hemment had earlier photographed the Battleship Maine extensively, and when he arrived in Cuba he found she had just been blown up. His description of the Spaniards and the Cubans is colorful and portrays the sharp enmity between Americans and Spaniards. Interesting and detailed photos of recovery of parts of Maine, life in American soldiers' camp, off to the seat of war in Santiago by seagoing transport...  Life with General Shafter and his staff.  Description of photography and developing of film, etc. under combat conditions.  Firing on Morro Castle. Among the Cuban pickets.  About mules in the campaign. Siege of Santiago. The Charge at El Caney.  Our Bold Rough Riders.and Colonel Roosevelt. Return of the Rough Riders. With appendix and index.  Red cloth on board with decoration on cover showing a sailor cleaning a naval gun; gilt lettering. Edges worn, binding weak, spine faded. Inscription dated 1898 on ffep. Fair. (5261) $42.00. History/Spanish-American War

Dresden Postcards and Theatre Handbills

Dresden: Album von Dresden, 10 der schönsten Ansichten, Auch als Postkarten verwendbar ca. 1925 Dresden, Germany: J. Bettenhausen, Buchhdlg. 11 cards   9.5 x 14.5 cm. Accordion-style set of ten photographic post cards of Dresden sights, including Friedrich August-Brücke mit Hofkirche, Elbpanorama, Opernhaus, Zwinger, Brühl'sche Terrasse und Ständehaus, Kath Hofkirche und Schloß. Also included is loose postcard of Opernhaus and two folded  advertisements (27 x 26 cm) for "Ernani" and "Wilhelm Tell" in Oper im Albert-Theater 25 and 26 Juli, 1925. Souvenir packet of photo post cards and two playbills, one playbill has small holes in fold, good. (7216) $26.00. Travel

                                                                                   

Modern Sanitation, March 1907 published by Standard Sanitary Mfg. Co., New York, London, Chicago  1907 Pittsburgh, PA: Standard Sanitary Mfg. Co. Magazine features cover photo of London's Piccadilly Circus, where public toilet is now located. Editorial by Horace Barnes notes that Europe is far ahead of U.S. in providing public toilets. "Sewage Purification and Disposal" by J.J. Cosgrove, Principles of Sewage Purification, Part III. "History of Sanitation" Part III. Ads for Porcelain Enameled Closet, Porcelain Enameled Bath and Lavatory all feature details and illustrations. 32 pp. 17.5 x 24.7 cm. Periodical, moderate wear, good. (8160) $35.00. Advertising

New York Almanac, The, 1880         Hudnut, James M., Editor. 1879 New York, NY: Francis Hart & Company, 63-65 Murray St. Almanac features engravings and brief biographies of leading political figures in U.S., including John Sherman and A.G. Thurman of Ohio, Samuel J, Tilden and William A. Wheeler of New York, Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana, James G. Blaine of Maine, George B. McClellan of New Jersey, George F. Edmunds of Vermont, Thomas F. Bayard of Delaware, and U.S. Grant of Illinois. Almanac includes industrial statistics, value of imports, hints for Healthful Homes, Life Insurance Topics (several pages), ads for newspapers, magazines, life insurance, fire insurance. 64 pp. 16 x 22.5 cm. Paper booklet, slight staining on back cover, very good. (8180) $19.00. Biography

Rhode Island, A Study in Separatism: American Commonwealths series, second edition by Richman, Irvirng Berdine 1918 Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin & Co. Frontispiece is fold-out map of Rhode Island as of 1905. Author notes several changes in the Rhode Island Constitution made in 1909 which affect this 1905 edition. Author notes existence of much prejudice between Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and states that since he is not connected to New England, his work may be found to be impartial. Narragansett Bay and the beginnings of separatism. Age of Roger Williams. Paper Money. Rhode Island and the Sea. Golden Age of Newport. Growth of Providence, Stephen Hopkins and Moses Brown. Revolution and Rhode Island. American forces, British seizure of Newport, Laafayette riding a-gallop to Boston to appeal to D'Estaing to return the fleet. American army escapes without loss to Tiverton. Enlistment of negroes, mulattoes and Indian man slaves 1778-1780. John Brown, forced to run his privateers past British batteries; his letter to General Greene; Greene's disdainful reply. The Dorr Rebellion. The Civil War and After. Bibliography. Three maps. 395 pp. + adv. 12 x 18 cm. Red cloth on board, with gilt lettering and design, spine sunfaded, very good.  (5327) $19.00. History

30 Norwood St., Rockport, by Walter Kendall, Architect

Walter Kendall Architect--Architecture sketches and drawings collection and Detailed Photo History of Property at Rockport, MA 1957-58 1958 Rockport, MA: Kendall & Young, Architects.  Loose-leaf notebook filled with drawings, sketches and notes, "Architecture collected by W.J. Kendall". Includes photos by famous architects, Church of St. Vincent Ferrer by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, Architect; Choir Screen, Reredos of St. Thomas Church, New York, by B.G. Goodhue, Architect; many more. Sixteen page album of color photographs of project moving two homes together near ocean in Rockport, Massachusetts by Kendall and Young, 1957-58. 24 x 28 cm. Cloth covered loose-leaf notebook, lightly soiled, good; Photo album of 16 heavy card pages with photos pasted on. Good. (8034) $90.00. American Originals/Ephemera

Cartoons from WWII Sailor's Photo Album; WWII Sailor

World War II Sailor's Photo Album, ca. 1945 ~23 pp. 25 x 29 cm. World War II sailor collected photos of girls, Navy blimps, his ship USS Zircon (PY-16), more girls, other sailors. Includes three small handmade sailor cartoons, two large photos of girls, charcoal sketch of young man, group photo of 1945 class at Naval Academy Preparatory School, Camp Peary, VA.  Leatherette photo album with photos inserted in plastic sheets, good. (5686) $50.00. American Originals/World War II/Navy/Ephemera

Contact me at scoulbourn1@verizon.net

Looking for fresh fish in Murmansk

Our Trip to the Soviet Arctic

Murmansk Harbor, a vital ice-free port for Russia

                I had wanted to go to Murmansk  since I was a 14-year old, working on my Aunt’s Mink Ranch in Virginia.  Her son-in-law, Francis Grigsby ”Gig” Farinholt, had been a sailor aboard the cargo ships making the run past German U-Boats up to the North Sea and around into the Arctic to Murmansk during World War II.  The United States gave the Soviets many millions of dollars worth of military equipment, as well as food and supplies for their very survival. 

            At the start of World War II the Germans, allied with the Finns, had used Finnish bases to bomb Murmansk.

            Gig told me about the warm welcome the Soviets gave the convoy crews each time they landed in Murmansk.   They held big dinners, with plenty of black bread and sausage and, of course, gallons of vodka.

            Marty and I flew up there in June, 1983, just a couple of months before we were due to depart the USSR, and we went on the longest day of the year, which, in the Arctic, is pretty long.  There was no night time. 

Murmansk: “Alyosha” Memorial to Soviet Soldiers in Arctic War 1941

            An Intourist guide met us shortly after we had checked in to our hotel, and took us on a tour of the city.  Murmansk was a city built right about the time of the October Revolution, so it has none of the beautiful buildings and churches the Czars  built across Russia.  With a population of about 300,000, it is the largest city above the Arctic Circle.  We had often seen that in northern latitudes there was often a severe alcoholism problem.  Not just in the USSR, but in Scandinavian countries.  Marty asked the guide about this.  This young lady, whose father happened to be the mayor, told us that, no, they had no such problem in Murmansk.  As she was saying this, we happened to be stopped at a traffic light, and next to the car was a lamppost, with a really drunk Russian hanging on to it.  As if on cue, the poor guy then lost his grip and collapsed on the pavement, just as our guide was declaring no problem with alcohol.

            A little while later, we encountered a whole busload of Finns.  They had flown from Helsinki to Murmansk, to see the sights, and had just come from visiting the fishing fleet.  We met them at a “Beryozka” which was one of thousands of such state stores across the USSR, that sold goods for foreign currency only.  Here the specialty was little birchbark canoes and other craft items, and of course vodka.  That was what the Finns were looking for. From the looks of them, they had found vodka before, because they were already pretty drunk, but this gave them a chance to stock up on some more.

Shopping at the market

            We had lived in the USSR nearly two years, and had never had a nice meal of fresh fish.  Fish you could buy in the Moscow Rynok (Market) was always frozen, usually in large chunks of ice and fish together, so the fishmongers just hacked off a couple of kilos of salty ice and fish and sold you that.  Customer service was not a big thing in the USSR.

            At any rate, Marty suggested that, since we were here in the largest fishing port in the whole USSR, we ought to be able to find a nice fresh fish, so we went looking for a restaurant that would serve fresh fish. 

            We didn’t find such a restaurant, so we entered a nice-looking establishment that our Intourist guide had recommended, and were shown to our table and given large, heavy menus.  Many Soviet restaurants used these large menus with many pages, and then it became a ritual for the customer and the waitress to find out what, in all those pages, was actually available.  As you ordered a dish, the waitress would solemnly answer “Nyetu”, which means “that’s not available!”

            We started with a  little plate of caviar, with toast points, chopped onions, and glasses of vodka.  This is a popular, and delicious appetizer in Russia.  After that, we had Kotlyeti, or cutlets of veal.  Across the dance floor in this restaurant was a wedding party.  A long table of very plain, solid-looking Russians was celebrating a wedding.  We went over and congratulated the bride and groom, and told them that where we came from, it was good luck for the bride to put a penny in her shoe.  I didn’t have a penny, so I gave her a U.S. dime, and the whole party was delighted, because Russians really turn on for anything which might give them “good luck”. 

            We chatted briefly with some of the older members of the party, who recalled the days when the Americans brought all those shiploads of cargo to help the Russians survive the terrible war with Hitler’s Germany.  Soviet propaganda was quick to dismiss the American Lend-lease contribution of World War II, but every Russian who lived through those days remembers and always expressed gratitude to us for all Americans. 

The Personal Navigator offers these books, papers and other periodicals:

Shipmate, The Eyes and Ears of the Navy; Publication of the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association, September 1945         1945 England, Harry W., Managing Editor        Annapolis, MD: U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association. Victory and Industrial Issue: End of World War II came as a surprise to editorial staff, so they rushed to include "The Sinking of the Rising Sun" by Lt. S.L. Freeland. "a concise and vivid report of how U.S. Navy made Japs wish they had never thought of Pearl Harbor." Story of new USNA Superintendent, first Naval Aviator to take post, Vice Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch, '06, by Comdr. Louis J. Gulliver, '07. "Ships from the Texas Plains" story of ships built by newcomers to shipbuilding in Houston. These ships passed the "final examination" when they survived the horrible typhoon off Luzon in December 1944, that caused sinking of three other destroyers. "How the Seabees Transformed Tinian" as base for Superforts bombing Japan. "P.H. to Okinawa"-- "’The Big E’, carrier Enterprise, fought the whole bloody war, and came out asking for more”. "What's the Dope" news of alumni, first entry is from Col. Harry Hawthorne, Class of 1882.  Names of naval officers mentioned in this issue is an honor roll of naval heroes of World War II and afterward. 104 pp. 21.7 x 29.3 cm. Magazine, moderate wear, good. (6229) $35.00. World War II/Naval                                               

U.S. Rivers and Harbors: Letter from the President of the United States Transmitting to the House of Representatives a statement from the Secretary of War concerning appropriations for improvement of rivers and harbors, dated Jan. 12, 1877 Washington, DC: United States House of Representatives. Letter from President U.S. Grant of Jan. 12, 1877 transmits letter from Secretary of War J.D. Cameron of Jan. 11, 1877 with the whole package of indorsements and statements for the Chief of Engineers for the improvement of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Arkansas Rivers; the Ohio River; the Columbia River; the harbor at Racine, WI; Kennebunk River; the Channel between Staten Island and New Jersey; the improvement of Sabine Pass, Blue Buck Bar and Sabine Bay; the Harbor at Fall River, MA; for gauging the waters of the Lower Mississippi and its tributaries; work on the Galveston, TX ship channel; and much more.  56 pp. 15 x 23 cm. Paper booklet, some pages loose, fair. (7004) $17.00. Scientific/Engineering   

 

Wild Flowers: Plates 212 and 213

Wild Flowers; Three hundred and sixty-four full-color illustrations with complete descriptive text; popular edition in one volume, Second printing, September 1935 by Homer D. House. 1935 New York, NY: The MacMillan Co This edition is based on a work of similar title originally issued by the State of New York. This work is reproduced by permission of the Board of Regents of the State of New York. Marvelous introductory description, 24 pp. Descriptions and color plates include Families: Cat-tail, Water Plantain, Arum, Spiderwort, Bunchflower, Lily, Orchid, Buckwheat, Poppy, Fumewort, Mustard, Pitcher Plant, Virginia Stonecrop, Saxifrage, Rose, Apple, Pea, Geranium, Wood Sorrel, Jewelweed, Milkwort, Mallow, Violet, Loosestrife, Wintergreen, Heath, many more.. 362 pp. 23.5 x 29.7 cm. Light green buckram cloth on board, spine lightly sunfaded; gilt lettering. Half-title page shows diagonal crease, no dj, very good. (7987) $58.00. Scientific/Nature

Bartlett's Foreign Tours, for the Season of 1895 Chester, PA: Professor F.W. Bartlett Description of tours to Europe, the Mediterranean and The Holy Land. Includes three fold-out maps of Switzerland, the Mediterranean, and Europe. 44 pp. 11 x 17 cm. Paper booklet, cover lightly soiled. Fold-out maps good. Good. (3361) $25.00. Travel/Maps

Congo Crosses: A Study of Congo Womanhood by Kellersberger, Julia Lake 1936 Boston, MA: The Central Committee of the United Study of Foreign Missions. 222 pp. 12.7 x 18.6 cm. A missionary to the Congo, under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. has prepared this fascinating book about Women in the Belgian Congo, with drawing and excellent photographs. Author says her own life was saved by the care of a faithful southern mammy, so she writes this book to white women on behalf of black women of Africa. Author uses imagery of the cross throughout book. She asks if "proverbial stupidity" of African women might be caused by the very heavy loads they carry on their heads. Fold-out color map of Africa. Paper wraps on book, slight wear to cover. Owner's inscription in pencil on half title page. Some pencil underlining in text. Thus, fair. (2705) $14.00. Travel/Religion.

Cuba: National Capital, Havana, Cuba (Capitolio Nacional, Habana, Cuba) picture book of the Capitol of Cuba pre-Castro  ca. 1935 Havana, Cuba:  Collection of photos of Havana's Capitol, with descriptions in Spanish and English. Capitolio Nacional de Cuba; Salon Para Recepciones Oficiales; Estatua de la Republica (modeled by Sr. Angelo Zanelli); El Brillante-- 24 carat diamond from Kimberly Mines; Despachoi Orivado Del Presidente de la Camera; Salon Martí; Despacho de la Presidencia del Senado; Cupula; Hemiciclo de la Camara de Representantes; Biblioteca Martí; Hemiciclo del Senado. 24 pp. 24 x 16 cm. Paper booklet, slight chip in edge of cover, very good. (7460)  $16.00. Travel

Hints on Etiquette and The Usages of Society with a Glance at Bad Habits by Agogos (Charles William Day), Illustrated by Brian Robb          Agogos (Charles William Day)  1946    London, England: Turnstile Press Limited. First published in 1836, this little book was first published by Turnstile Press in 1946; this reprint was in 1952. This book is not written for those who do but for those who do not know what is proper.  Examples of "Hints": Whilst walking with a friend, should you meet an acquaintance, never introduce them. Never make acquaintances in coffee houses. It is considered vulgar to take fish or soup twice. If either a lady or a gentleman be invited to take wine at table, they must never refuse; it is very gauche so to do. Do not practise the filthy custom of gargling your mouth at table. As snuff-taking is merely an idle, dirty habit, practised by stupid people in the unavailing endeavour to clear their stolid intellect... it may be left to each individual taste as to whether it be continued or not. 68 pp. 10 x 14.7 cm. Decorated cover with same design on dust jacket. Very good. (8171) $14.00. Educational

Contact me at scoulbourn1@verizon.net