It is December 19, 2012, and I traveled to Valley Forge National Historical Park for the 235th Anniversary Commemoration of The March Into Valley Forge. On this day, in the year 1777, George Washington and the Continental Army marched into this location. Tonight, we commemorate this event.
Note: This was more of an observance or a remembrance rather than an actual reenactment.
I snapped a number of photographs as well. Some will be redundant because I switched between the "Auto" and "Night Portrait" features and I liked both styles.
First, a tour guide walked visitors up the hill.
Two passwords were needed to get past the guards and into the area of the Replica Muhlenberg Brigade Huts.
The Choir ...
Here is a replica map of the Continental Army's Camp that I picked up in the gift shop:
Today is December 18, 2012. I am continuing the observance of the War Of 1812 Bicentennial. On this day, two hundred years ago, an ensign of the 16th Regiment Infantry of the United States Army named Thomas J. Martin worked on and completed the document pictured below. It pertains to recruitment. I acquired this document two months ago and I am elated to show it to you right now ... on its 200th Birthday!
Here is the transcription: Philadelphia December 18th 1812 Received from Lieutenant Colonel Richard O Dernig Two hundred Dollars for Bounty Premiums and Contingency in the recruiting service _ Signed duplicates _ Dollars 200 Thomas J. Martin Ensign 16th Regiment Infantry -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is December 17, 2012. On this day in the year 1770, Ludwig Van Beethoven was baptized. The registry of his baptism is the earliest documentation that references the famed composer. The date of his birth is not known. The date of December 16, 1770 is cited as his birthday because it is one day prior to his baptism and his own family acknowledged that day as his birth date. The video below features some Beethoven items ... a tie with his image, a dollar store bust of Beethoven, a cabinet-style photograph dating to roughly the 1880s and an 8-track tape that I will put into a player for you to hear!!! Tonight, we celebrate the man and the music he created ... music that could very well be the most recognizable pieces on planet Earth!
Here is the url if the above video does not embed properly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MmdomfnYro I made this video because I want to create awareness of the one year anniversary of the DRC's disputed election and the entire situation within the Congo. I continue to support the Congolese people during this horrible time. It is indeed a crisis, and much work must be done concerning this matter. I attended the Mega March Demonstration in January of this year. Here is my blog entry for that event: http://michael-the-researcher.blogspot.com/2012/01/mega-march-rally-for-congo-and.html
On December 8, 2012, Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania hosted a reenactment that I have been waiting years to see ... The Christmas Truce Of 1914 during World War I. As a matter of fact, I had never seen any kind of World War I Reenactment so this was very special. It was after 5:00 PM and quite dark out so the photos are not the best. Despite that, it was an amazing event and, most importantly, it covered what I consider to be one of the most extraordinary moments, if not the most extraordinary moment, in human history. The Fort's informational brochure for the reenactment:
Here is a brief clip I filmed featuring the reenactors performing "Adeste Fideles" aka "O Come, All Ye Faithful" aka "O Come, Let Us Adore Him".
I recently acquired two Krampus items that are Czech in origin. I brought them out for Krampusnacht or Krampus Night ... December 5, 2012. The chenille figure likely is from the 1960s and the die cut paper item, which could be a label or scrap piece, is roughly from the same time and possibly even dating to the 1940s.
Very sad news. Besse Cooper, the World's Oldest Person, passed away today. She was 116 and was the last human being still alive who was born in the year 1896. Her life spanned three centuries.
Besse Cooper was already an adult when the United States entered World War I and middle-aged when World War II started. As some of you know, this year marks the Bicentennial of the War Of 1812 and the continued Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War. Besse actually lived during a time when Veterans of both conflicts still walked the Earth. She was the absolute last living link to the era of Grover Cleveland's Presidential Administration and was one of the last living vestiges of the Victorian Era.
My blog entry discussing the Last Survivors of 1895 puts the matter into perspective (there were seven people from 1896 still living on May 4, 2010 so Besse kept the year 1896 alive for two years and seven months after the passing of the last person from 1895): http://michael-the-researcher.blogspot.com/2010/05/last-survivors-born-in-year-1895-have.html Once again, Besse Cooper was the last verified person on Earth who actually lived in the year 1896 ... her passing closes the chapter on that year forever. RIP. Now there are only 17 verified people who were born in the 1800s remaining. 115-year-old Dina Manfredini is now the World's Oldest Person. She was born on April 4, 1897.
As some of you know, this year marks the 200th Anniversary of the War Of 1812. In honor of the Bicentennial, I have been posting various videos pertaining to the conflict. Today, I am showing a button. It is from the British side and is specifically a Royal Artillery button. Close-up shots are included in the video. The button is missing the shank.
Today is November 29, 2012. As some of you will recall, back in April of this year, I posted a video tribute in honor of the final 25 living and verified human beings from the nineteenth century. At the start of this month, there were 20 surviving nineteenth century citizens remaining. While looking at the chart on http://grg.org/Adams/E.HTM, I noticed there were six people from the 1800s who had passed on while the total number of surviving people born in the 1800s was 20. I believe this is due to someone whose age was verified after the final 25 list was established. The names of the six people who had passed away from April until the beginning of November are Ine Atarashiya (from Japan), Marie-Therese Bardet (of France), Emelie Weil (of the United States), Takeno Fujita (of Japan), Kame Takamiyagi (of Japan) and Kame Nakamura (of Japan). The individuals who comprised the top three oldest super-centenarians when I posted my final 25 video in April are still living, and they are Besse Cooper (of the United States), Dina Manfredini (of the United States although she was born in Italy) and Jiroemon Kimura (of Japan). I wish these remaining individuals of this very exclusive club of the 1800s well.
I know that two more people passed away this month (November 2012). I want to keep the tribute videos in blocks of five. I will reference their names in my next video.
I have two very nice items to show you today. I like them so much that I figured I would blog about them. Last year, I went to a German festival. At the event, I picked up a wooden house and wooden tree ... both German made. The house is made by Drechslerei Tilo Kempf, and incense was included. The incense will not only provide a certain aroma, it also allows the effect of smoke leaving the chimney. The house and tree are very well done. The following photos show the two items from various angles ...
Here I am holding the two hand-made souvenirs.
I recorded a video too: Here is the url in case the video does not embed properly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWoxnSZK4YU Note: The photographs and the video are from August 10, 2012. I just got around to posting them now. These kinds of items will be seen at Christkndlmarkts and Weihnachtsmarkts all over the world at this time so it is fitting that I waited this long to post this material. They can be used in a German Christmas display or displayed all year 'round!
