February 23-26, 1948: Over 75,000 Angelenos lined up to tour the Freedom Train parked alongside Exposition Blvd. The train exhibited 120 historical documents from a Christopher Columbus letter to the Iwo Jima flag, and including the manuscript of the “Star Spangled Banner” and the pension application from the first woman to serve in the U.S. armed forces (Deborah Sampson, Continental Army, 1781). The traveling museum visited 300 American cities during its year-long run.
Conceptualized after the Depression and after World War II, the train and its rare contents hoped to ignite the enthusiasm of the American people (and advertisers, which lead to the creation of lots of ephemera including this cutout on the Kellogg’s Pep cereal box).For more about the train: http://www.freedomtrain.org/main.htm. Photo from the Los Angeles Public Library photo archive.
Today is last day of the 45th California International Antiquarian Book Fair. In addition to books and ephemera of all types and topics, there are also many Los Angeles classics, often signed by LA writers, poets, artists, and historians (too many to name). And while there are many classics expensively priced, we found this early copy of Charles Lummis’ Land of Sunshine, 1899, for $30.
Artists David Hammons (left) and Timothy Washington (right) pose as both were featured in LACMA’s first exhibit of contemporary African-American artists, which opened January 26, 1971. From LACMA’s web site, “In 1971, LACMA mounted its first exhibition of the work of contemporary black artists: Three Graphic Artists: Charles White, David Hammons, Timothy Washington (January 26-March 7, 1971), curated by Joseph E. Young.”
“Stagecoach” Mary Fields (c. 1832-1914) was born a slave in Tennessee and following the Civil War, she moved to the pioneer community of Cascade, Montana. In 1895, when she was around 60 years old, Fields became the second woman and first African American carrier for the US Postal Service. Despite her age, she never missed a day of work in the ten years she carried the mail and earned the nickname “Stagecoach” for her reliability. Fields loved the job, despite the many dangers and difficulties such as wolves and thieves (she was an excellent marksman, defending her route with a revolver and a rifle).
The people of Cascade so loved and respected Fields, that each year on her birthday they closed the schools to celebrate the occasion. They even built her a new house when she lost her home in a fire in 1912.
#boss
Heh. Oh, hell…I can’t stop laughing.
gordon parks
