400th Anniversary of the Voyage of the Mayflower -- September 19, 2019

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Monday I went to Good Shepherd School in Pacifica and talked to Junior High kids about the "400th Anniversary of the Voyage of the Mayflower." They are participating in a DAR essay contest on the subject. I talked about how the Mayflower and the Pilgrims were not very important in US history but became a major cliché in the 19th and 20th Centuries. I talked about how the kids should think about their senses when they write their essays, especially smell. It was fun, and they asked good questions. After, I was very tired.

Dante Europe's Greatest Magician -- October 23, 2018

Halloween is coming.

Harry Jansen was born in Denmark.  He moved to the United States, but toured the world with his act as Dante the Magician.  Howard Thurston gave him the name and had him operate a second unit.  Dante appeared with Laurel and Hardy in A Haunting We Will Go.

Jean Harlow 100 -- March 3, 2011

Today is Jean Harlow's 100th birthday. She was a wonderful comic actress who died at 26. Here she appears with Laurel and Hardy in their silent short "Double Whoopee." She went on to be a star at MGM.

The image comes from the excellent site AceCovers: http://www.magazine-covers.net/

Laurel and Hardy -- April 29, 2010

Two comedians who were successful in both silent and sound films were Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. They have always been among my favorites.

I took the photo at the San Francisco Wax Museum on 04-August-2007.