It is Christmas Day, December 25, 2012. Tonight, I have for you a piece of the Victorian Christmas Experience. The cane or walking stick in this video was presented to Nicholas Cantwell by the Male Scholars of Saint Philip Neri's Parish School on this day in the year 1853. The Parish was and still is part of the Archdiocese Of Philadelphia. The recipient of this very splendid piece of Victorian History passed away in the year 1899.
If the video above does not embed properly, here is the url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HFijKWl-_g The ornate details make it a wonderful specimen of the Victorian Period. Here are some close-up, high resolution jpegs of the cane/walking stick ...
The inscription: "Presented to the Rev'd Nicholas Cantwell by the Male Scholars of the St Philip Neri's Parrish School Dec.r 25th 1853."
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.
