“And you think you’ve got a tough job?”
The most popular boogey man right now is AI. AI, “Artificial Intelligence” is supposed to be the ruin of our culture. Really? Here’s a concept to keep in mind. “Technology […]
“Yes, there were black combat units in World War I and World War II.”
There are a lot of myths ‘running around’ when it comes to blacks and the military. One is that there were no black soldiers on the front lines in World […]
“Sometimes the obvious is in plain sight.”
Seen this before, right? Well, did you notice the bundles of twigs beneath both his hands? Those are known as fasces, and were the symbol of power in the Roman […]
“It does what?!”
Actually, it doesn’t. Anytime there is a new technology, you can be assured there will be some wily coyotes who will scheme to make a buck. They are the ‘snake […]
“She didn’t take $%^& from idiots!”
In 1951, a snippy newspaper columnist suggested Marilyn Monroe would be better off wearing a potato sack. So, she did! 72 years later, we’re still talking about Marilyn Monroe. And […]
“Let me get this right, Ramses II, the ‘Let My People Go!’ Pharoah used cocaine?!”
Probably. But then again, it could said the archaeologist examining his corpse might have spilled some of their supply. But there was also tobacco in the stomach of the cadaver. […]
“You can’t win ‘em all.”
When hard-core Russian Marxist writer Maxim Gorky came to America, his hosts took him to the beach in Coney Island and then to a massive playground where people were being […]
A barabara?
Nome has no forests so if you need to build a home with local material, you use sod. This home is called a barabara by the Inupiat, the local Natives. […]
“And don’t forget what I told you!”
From 1438 to 1532, the Inca Empire covered what is now Peru and Ecuador along with portions of Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. It had about 20,000 miles of road. Communication […]
“Well, if this is NOT camouflage, what is it?”
During the Second World War, Lt. Norman Wilkinson of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve came up with a stunning idea. As an artist, he knew the Navy could not paint […]
“It’s all about the MONEY!”
In 1919, a hack writer by the name of Johnston McCulley wrote a five-part story titled “The Curse of Capistrano” for the All-Story Weekly. It featured a ‘caped crusader’ in […]
“What’s so dangerous about a couple of guys hanging out?”
If there is any one photograph from Alaska that should send shivers down the spine of every American, this is it. For most Americans, Alaska is that state ‘up there […]
“No body is that stupid!”
Actually, they were. In 1749, the Duke of Portland and the Earl of Chesterfield made a bet to see how stupid people could be. They distributed this promotional which advertised […]
For the record …..l
The term “cowboy” did not originate in the West. It was the term for the men in New York who drove the cattle from the railroad station to the slaughterhouse. […]
“Wait a MINUTE! That’s no LADY!!”
That’s what a patron of P.T. Barnum’s American Museum claimed. And he took Barnum to court. The trial was a spectacle with the woman’s husband appearing to swear the bearded […]
“This is a FISH?”
Actually, it is. Before 1966, Catholics were not allowed to eat meat during Lent. So, they ate fish. Except for the settlers in Africa. Since the hippopotamus spent so much […]
“NO!!! Not really!!!! Actually, YES!!!”
There is an old joke that you never have to outrun an angry bear. All you have to do is outrun your partner. The official advice from the National Park […]
“Yeah? Really? At one time stuffed possums were in?”
While on a hunting trip in Mississippi in 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt ‘came up empty.’ He was so disappointed some of his aides tied a bear to a tree so […]
“How can you make the Suez Canal d-i-s-a-p-p-e-a-r?”
During the Second World War, the Germans were trying to bomb the Suez Canal to stop the flow of arms and food to the Mediterranean and Allied troops in Europe. […]
“It’s a WWHHHAATTT?”
Everyone loves a Fourth of July Parade! One of the nice things about historic photographs is they offer you a ‘snapshot’ of the era. Note the sign on float. In […]
“It must be true, I read it in the newspaper.”
As printed in the Tacoma Evening News on March 3, 1903, C. Payne, an armless man, lost $5 at a faro table in the California Club in Butte, Montana. Infuriated, […]
“You do not want to mess with this woman!”
Buffalo Calf Road Woman of the Northern Cheyenne was one of the few women warriors. During the Battle of Rosebud, June 17, 1876, she saved her brother, Chief Comes in […]
“WIPE that smile off your face!!”
You cannot tell some people to ‘be normal.’ And particularly not a woman in the 1890s. At 23, Mary Anderson moved with her widowed mother and sister to Birmingham, Alabama. […]
“Home Sweet Home?”
If you don’t live in Alaska, this is just a ‘quaint’ picture from the past. If you do live in Alaska, you know July is one of the best months […]
“Why was the Secretary of the Navy 243 miles inland in Alaska in 1920?”
In today’s dollars, the United States government spent $7.5 billion to build the Alaska Railroad – and the railroad would only benefit 3,663 Alaskans. So, why was the railroad built? […]
“How can you destroy something that does not exist?”
During the Alaska Gold Rush there was no liquor in Alaska. According to the United States government, all liquor on its way north was removed from steamships in Port Townsend. […]
“Stop thinking that the women only ‘got the right to vote’ with the 19th Amendment.”
In many parts of the US, women were voting long before August 20, 1920. In 1890, when the Territory of Wyoming applied for statehood, the United States Congress said it […]
“Take that, Your Royal Highness!!!”
On October 25, 1774, in support of the Boston Tea Party, Edenton, North Carolina, held a Tea Party. It passed a statement protesting the Tea Tax and vowed to stop […]
“The money just VANISHED?! All $40,000 of it!”
In Nome during the Alaska Gold Rush, Scurvy Bill, Two Tooth Mike and Half-Kid, stole $40,000 in gold from the Canadian Bank of Commerce. (That’s about $1.5 million today.) A […]
“You’ve come a long way, Baby!”
Why not take a ‘listen’ to the dark side? For free!! mysterious-amm.blubrry.net/ Who was the craziest pilot in the world? https://youtu.be/tBKrJRoDB90 www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi (I autograph all my books from this site.)
What time it is depends on where you are …. except for one place on earth!
Today, what time it is depends on where you are. Prior to the Industrial Age, time was determined by sun dials. Even with the invention of the clock, time was […]
“Do you know your cans?”
Never underestimate the drive to be informed or educated. In the days of the Wild West, particularly among cowboys, books – including the Bible – were few and far between. […]
“Never look a gift deer in the mouth.”
Graciously historically, scientifically, and forensically stated, there was some cannibalism associated with the Donner Party. The ‘cannibalism’ part of the saga is what has made the tale memorable. But what […]
“In America, anything is possible for anyone!”
America has no standards, no royal families, no special people. If you are good and work hard, who knows where you will end up?You make your own luck. Lucille Ball […]
“Sometimes it pays to be BADDDDDD!!!”
While there is always competition for who is best, rarely for who is worst, but then again, the Cherry Sisters are unknown today. How bad were they? I’m glad you […]
“Where did ‘letting the cat out of the bag’ get its start?”
The middle of the 1700s, farmers would put young pigs in a burlap ‘bag’ to carry them to market. Often, they were sold that way. And often, many a buyer […]
“Take that, you old codger!”
Judge George Wythe had a stellar career. In addition to being one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, he had also been a member of the House of […]
“Bang the drum, slowly.”
One of the short comings of the silver screen is it snapshots history. Movies ‘pretend’ what they portray is history ‘the way it really was’ when, in fact, ‘it’ never […]
“Little Sure Shot.”
This is an accurate photograph of Annie Oakley while she was traveling with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Unbelievable but true, one of her close friends on the Show as […]
“Why are railroad rails exactly 4 feet, 8.5 inches apart?”
The US standard railroad gauge is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. Why? Because the first railroads were built in Europe. On roads constructed by the Romans. And the Romans constructed the […]
“The Chattanooga Choo Choo was solid gold?”
Yes, and no. In 1941, the Chattanooga Choo Choo – the song, not the choo choo – sold 1.2 million copies in three months. To enhance the publicity of the […]
“Getting an Alaskan Gold Rush education.”
If you are not an Alaskan, this picture will not mean much. So let’s get you educated with Alaska. First, winter in the Alaskan Interior starts when the surface of […]
“What’s black and white and never right?”
In the early days of football, the referees wore white shirts with bowties. But often, so did the players. (White shirts, not the bowties.) In a game in 1920, a […]
Beware of old adages ….
Adage? What’s an adage? An adage is a proverb expressing a generally accepted truth. Like, “the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.” Actually, that adage is not […]
“How much is a dollar really worth?”
Starting in 1938, Emerich Juettner – also known as Edward Mueller –started counterfeiting one dollar bills. That’s right, one dollar bills! They were not particularly well made but then again, […]
“Some people get NO respect — and a lot of them are women.”
Meet Elizabeth Jane “Jennie” Cloud Winner. She was born in 1822 in Virginia and moved to North Carolina when she was 16. With her second husband and his five children, […]
“She’s a member of the Lunatic Fringe?!”
Hollywood aficionados will immediately recognize Louise Brooks. Her beauty is timeless. She was an icon of the Jazz Age and the embodiment of the Flapper Girl. Of historical note, her […]
“Where’d you go, Mr. President?”
President Calvin Coolidge could be a prankster. He would sometimes page a Secret Service agent. As the agent was on his way into the Oval Office, Coolidge would hide under […]
“Would you pay $77,634 for a copy of the Constitution?”
No? Well, Abraham Lincoln did. In 1864 he was running for re-election against a very popular Democrat, General George Mc Clellan. The election was coming fast – November 8, 1864 […]
“Let’s give credit where credit is due!”
General Wilds P. Richardson arrived in the District of Alaska – Alaska was not a Territory until 1912 – in 1897. At that time there were mobs of starving Klondike […]
“Bite the whatttt?!”
When Coke was introduced in China in 1982, Chinese shopkeepers sold the beverage as kekoukela. The problem? In different Chinese dialects this translated as “bite the wax tadpole” or “female […]
“What’s a Fourth Panel and why should I care?”
A ‘fourth panel’ is a way to transcend an art form. Traditionally, a painting is a square piece of canvas with colored paint. But if you are very clever, like […]
“An Alaska Gold Rush Specialty! Really!!”
Before Alaska was a Territory it was a District. The first Governor of the District of Alaska was John Kinkead. Liquor was illegally in the District but the Governor had […]
“Sacre Bleu! What kind of a man paints a woman like THAT?!!”
Henri Matisse did, as a matter of fact. Of his wife. In 1905. When he was an unknown starving artist. The artwork appeared in the Le Salon des Independents in […]
An Alaska Gold Rush Scam that worked!
Wilson Mizner, the loveable scoundrel of the Alaska Gold Rush, worked as a bartender in Nome. Before every shift he would put syrup in his hair. Throughout the day he […]
An Alaska Gold Rush Millionaire! What?!
When people think of a gold rush, they instantly think the big money is made in gold. Uh, no. The people who make the big bucks are the businesses. Everyone […]
“What do cats have to do with the Alaska Gold Rush?”
When it comes to the Alaska Gold Rush, cats don’t get a lot of credit. But they deserved it! They were as highly prized – and as valuable – as […]
“Hey, that ain’ money!”
Actually, it is. During the Alaska Gold Rush there was not many United States dollars in circulation so workers were paid in script, paper coupons that were good in any […]
“You want to build a bridge in the Alaska Gold Rush of what??!!”
In the teens, someone who was incredibly stupid was known as being “as cunning as a dead pig.” An excellent example is this Alaska Railroad bridge over the Tanana River […]
Connie the Wiggler – from the book Bonfire Saloon by Steve Levi
Connie the Wiggler wasn’t a singer or even a star of the stage but covered with soap she gave clients hope their clothing would be quite the rage. A […]
“It’s a what?!”
Until 1933, there was no standard American currency. Even though there were American coins in the Lower 48, they few and far between during the Alaska Gold Rush. So Alaskans […]
“During the Alaska Gold Rush, what was the SECRETARY OF THE NAVY doing 236 miles inland?”
One of the untold dramas of the Alaska Gold Rush was the building of the Alaska Railroad. In today’s dollars, it cost $7.5 billion but only benefitted 3,663 people. That’s […]
An Alaska Gold Rush Airplane?!
During the Alaska Gold Rush, it was said of Erwin A. “Nimrod” Robertson that he could make anything but a living. He sank his money in an airplane that was […]
The Alaska Gold Rush often only required a tie.”
The Alaska Gold Rush lasted 40 years, from 1880 to the First World War. It was actually three rushes, each different and unique in American history. One rush was to […]
“An Alaska Gold Rush Armored Sled?!”
There is an old saying that making money is easy. What’s hard is saving it. That is only half of the story. In the days when money meant an object […]
“Why are truck drivers called teamsters?”
In the days before the automobile, everything you needed came to your local store in wagons drawn by horses. EVERYTHING! These are teamsters during the Alaska Gold Rush. This is […]
“Drinking! Gambling! What’s the world coming it?!”
When it comes to sexual equality, until 1919 women were not guaranteed the right to vote and it was not until the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 that […]
“When ‘whipped!’ had a whole different meaning.”
During the Alaska Gold Rush, communities were erupting from the earth and then ‘going ghost’ so fast there was no time to elect mayors or get United States Marshals assigned […]
“You think boats are crowded now?”
In Nome, anyone could, in actuality, find gold just lying on the ground. In sand, actually. Stampeders like these men packed the steamships coming north so they could pan the […]
“Plan early or go without.”
Some things in Alaska do not change. From the Alaska Gold Rush until today, the Bering Sea is covered with ice ten feet thick from mid-September to early June. Then […]
“There’s gold in coal!”
Nome, on the western tip of the Seward Peninsula, does not have any nearby forests. Everything you need to survive in Nome, including burnables, had to be shipped in. During […]
George Franklin Wade
George Franklin Wade had an astonishing record of both criminal activity and escapes. He was convicted of selling opium in 1891 but escaped in March of 1892. He was recaptured […]
Always use the best artwork you can get.
This is the interior of a real Alaska Gold Rush saloon. It was in Koyukuk in 1898, a boomtown which boomed until the food ran out. Then it went ghost. […]
“A pet snake and a Voodoo Doll? In the White House?!”
lice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, didn’t give a whit about the ‘proper way’ a young lady was supposed to act, much less the daughter of the President […]
Winter Delivery in the Alaskan Bush
To this day, one-third of Alaska’s population lives in villages that are not connected to the Lower 48 by road. The bulk of their goods come up Yukon and Kuskokwim […]
“When someone says, ‘He lost it all,’ they may be referring to Horace Greeley.”
Today, Horace Greeley is best known for his advice, “Go West, young man, and grow up with the country.” Born into a poor family in New Hampshire, he apprenticed for […]
“Sometimes you just can’t keep your feet on the ground.”
Is it possible to fly the distance of 1 ½ times around the world in a prop engine plane without landing? Actually, yes. On June 11, 1930, four Hunter brothers […]
“He spoke to Jesus Christ?”
This is Quanah Parker, war leader of the Kwahadi (“Antelope”) band of the Comanches. He was the son of a Comanche chief and a kidnapped white woman, Cynthia Ann Parker. […]
“They don’t look like white supremacists to me.”
They’re not. They are Lumbee Indians from North Carolina. On January 18, 1958, James W. “Catfish” Cole, a KKK organizer from South Carolina, decided to hold a cross burning to […]
Meet the Patron Saint of Writers in America!!
If you are a writer, you should pay homage to the figure on the right. (The other one is me.) He’s Sonny Bono, at one time half of Sonny and […]
He was the hardest damn man to kill.”
He was James Brown Miller and he was a hired killer, from 1861 until he was lynched by a mob in Ada, Oklahoma on April 19, 1909. Known by his […]
“He toured the South during slavery days …. and he was black?!”
Hard as it is to believe, America’s first black celebrity was a magician, hypnotist and ventriloquist. AND, he is credited as being America’s first successful stage magician, hypnotist and ventriloquist. […]
America’s first female mayor
In 1887, in Argonia, Kansas, a group of men decided to ‘pull a fast one.’ To make the point that women were not qualified to hold office much less vote, […]
“Who’s that behind you, Mary?”
After the Civil War, the field of photography took a deplorable turn. Many families had lost loved ones and wanted some memento of their existence. The bulk of the two […]
“Where does the word ‘gypsy’ come?”
It depends on the language you speak. In English, the term gypsy was short for Egypt. In Italian, gypsy is zingara, a corruption of Ungheria, for the country of Hungary. […]
“Talk about GREAT ‘Balls of Fire!’”
In 1958, while on tour with Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and The Chantels, the promoter wanted Berry to close the show. Jerry Lee Lewis thought he should close the show. […]
“Women can be successful business people?”
Far too often people have a Hollywood version of history. In Western movies, the streets are clean, the saloons are clean, the clothes on the cowboys are clean, the horses […]
“Where’s Skid Row?”
In many cities, “skid road” or “skid row” is the designation of a very poor part of town. The term originally applied to an area around the docks where cargo […]
Pickett’s Charge
Robert E. Lee and General George Pickett – of Pickett’s Charge – had a testy relationship. Lee thought poorly of Pickett because Pickett had been at a shad bake while […]
“You can’t have it both ways!”
In the famous Lincoln-Douglas Debates, Abraham Lincoln’s position on slavery was clear: “I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.” Douglas’ position was duplicitous – at […]
“Don’t mess with me, your highness.”
Louis XI of France, 3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483, was a master of the intrigue with a rebellious spirit. His ongoing intrigues so infuriated his father, Charles VII, […]
Meet “Lemonade Lucy” Hayes
History is sometimes not kind to one’s reputation. A case in point is that of Lucy Ware Webb Hayes, wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes. Before Hayes became President of […]
“We’ve come a long way, brother.”
There is an old folk song whose chorus goes, “We’ve come a long way, brother.” For most of us, we only see the BIG changes, not the little ones. I […]
“I want my steak RAW!”
Vicious maneaters, right? Actually that’s incorrect. In fact, the piranha got its reputation because of a stunt. When Theodore Roosevelt was in Brazil in 1913, the locals ‘pulled a fast […]
“You’re under arrest!”
One of the first female United States Deputy Marshals was Ada Carnutt. One of her early arrests was in 1893 when she was just 24 years old. She was sent […]
“He fired the last shot in the Civil War!”
Meet Captain James Iredell of the Confederate commercial raider Shenandoah. His assignment was to destroy the commerce of the Union by sinking ships bound for the North. In this case, […]
“Hey! What’s in that bottle?!”
Yes, there’s a good chance the ‘stuff’ in the bottle is whiskey. But then again, when you are digging in the sands of Nome during the Alaska Gold Rush, you […]
“What happens if you cannot assert your rights?”
During the Alaska Gold Rush, George Hinton Henry, the “Father of Alaska Journalism,” kept printing true but scathing articles of the magistrate in Rampart. The magistrate had Henry arrested. But […]
“Why do Christians use the fish as a symbol?”
No, it is not because Christ supposedly fed 5,000 worshipers with two fish and five loaves of bread. Nor is it because Jesus called his disciples “fishers of men.” In […]
“No! Wrong bottle chart!”
In the days before GPS, the maritime industry created nautical charts using bottles. It’s true. Until the 1700s, sailors would record their ship’s location and time on a sheet of […]
“Colorization? Great! What’s next?”
It is so easy to whine about how ‘there’s nothing to watch on cable’ tonight. Or Net Flicks, Hulu, DVDs, CDs, film (What are those, eh?) or even ‘movies’ you […]
“Talk about Pennies from Heaven!”
In 1925, Francis X. Bushman wanted the part of Messala in the upcoming production of BEN HUR. The movie producers were not sure Bushman was popular enough for the part. […]
“How can you save money by giving nothing of value?”
The cleverest people are usually the least credited in history. Take English Sea Captain Woodes Rogers, for instance, the man on the far right. Rogers had been ordered to put […]
They were black but bled red just like the white soldiers
While the Afghanistan War was America’s longest, the shortest was the Spanish American War. It lasted four months with two American invasions on foreign soil, Cuba and the Philippines. The […]
“It’s a photo of Bristol, England taken from Alaska?!”
Yes, this is a photograph of Bristol, England. It was alleged taken from the crest of the Muir Glacier in Alaska in 1889. Alaska is famous for its fata morgana, […]
“How you gonna get that stuff outa here?”
One of the historical tidbits students miss is the importance of the United States Postal Service and the telegraph. They usually just think letters. WRONG! The most important function of […]
“Who is that Inupiat?”
You should have no trouble recognizing the man with his hands in his pockets. It’s Chester Seveck. He’s the face on all of the Alaska Airlines planes. www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi
Alaska Gold Rush
This is probably the most well-known photograph of the Alaska Gold Rush. There is just one problem: it is not a photograph of the Alaska Gold Rush. It’s a photograph […]
“They slid DOWN the ice staircase?!”
One of the best-known images of the Klondike Strike is the line of men lock stepping up the ice staircase. What most people do not know is these men were […]
“This was PORN? Well, in 1915 it was.”
Some things never change. From the moment of the birth of the internet, the first industries to cash in – and still do – were/are gambling and porn. This should […]
“The card of DEATH!!!!!”
It is the card of death. The Ace of Spades, that is. The Death Card. Why? Because after the development of the Gutenberg press, the cost of printing dropped like […]
“It’s a wwwhhhaaatttt?”
Today, the Roman emperor Vespasian, 69-79 CE, is best known for the construction of the Flavian Amphitheatre. (Americans know it as the Colosseum.) But he was a creative thinker. In […]
“HOW CAN A FOUNTAIN CHANGE ITS SHAPE?”
This is the Kay Linton Memorial Ice Fountain outside the Loussac Library in Anchorage, Alaska. And it changes it shape throughout the year. Note the steel frames with wires set […]
You would have to have been…
You would have to have been an Alaskan in the last century to understand the importance of this photo. For those in the Lower 48, take a look at a […]
When ‘Freedom of the Press’ meant the press.
In about 1910, Alaska Gold Rush newspaper editor/printer/investigative reporter George Hinton Henry published scathing but true stories of United States Commissioner in Tanana, Alaska, George Bathurst. Bathurst responded by sending […]
“How high is too high for heels?”
Like many fashions, high heels have come a long way since the 10th Century when the Persian cavalry ‘invented’ them to keep their shoes in stirrups. When high heels found […]
“Were they really Buffalo Soldiers?”
25th Infantry Regiment, 1890 At the end of the Civil War, many black Union veterans chose to remain in the service. They were sent west where they became known as […]
“Take that, you beer swilling German Immigrants!”
In 1854, Levi Boone became Mayor of Chicago on the Know-Nothing Party whose tenets were strongly anti-immigrant and what would later be called ‘America First.’ Boone, a Baptist and Temperance […]
PROGRESS!
Not much of a photo, eh? I agree. But in the early days of Alaska, this was PROGRESS! During the Alaska Gold Rush, there were boomtowns scattered across an area […]
“What’s an ID-10-D-T?”
An ancient Greek joke tells of a master and his slaves who are on a ship being battered by a powerful storm. As the slaves are shrieking in terror, the […]
“You don’t want to mess with this guy!”
The Golden Age of Hollywood glamorized the cowboy and the Wild West. Unfortunately, what appeared on the silver screen ended up in our history books and far too many Americans […]
“Why are there 5,280 feet in a mile?”
All Roman roads had mileage stones, set one thousand paces apart. The term “mile” comes from the Latin mille, one thousand. It was estimated that Roman army units marched at […]
“Who was the first and only person to interview a United States President when he was nude?”
Anne Royall was one of – if not the first – first female journalist. She grew up poor in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. At 16 years of age she and […]
“You’re outa here!”
In 1910, Victor Berger, a founding member of the Socialist Party of America, was elected to the United States House of Representatives representing Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Russian Revolution had not […]
“You dumped WHAT out of the airplane?”
If you are a pilot and are planning on making airdrops, make absolutely certain that you and your partner have the signals straight. If you want to know why, ask […]
“It’s for WHO?!”
OK, history buffs. What’s this? Let me give you a hint. It is the statue of a boot in Saratoga, New York, to honor of one of America’s greatest Revolutionary […]
“Money does not exist.”
If you think money exists, go to your bank and ask to see the actual $500 in your checking account. Expect to be laughed at. That’s because money does not […]
April 1, 1987
On April 1, 1987, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 had a mid-air collision with a fish. That’s right! A fish! According to the Anchorage Daily News, an eagle with a […]
A real ride-em cowboy who was BLACK!
This is a photograph of a real black cowboy. His name was Nat Love – “nat” pronounced “Nat-e” and he was known as “Deadwood Dick.” He got his name from […]
“absurding.”
Alaskans have a unique folk art, it’s called “absurding.” Alaskans get tired of hearing tourists ask the same stupid questions. Alaska does not have six months of darkness called the […]
Hollywood’s Greatest Curse
Hollywood’s greatest curse is that it makes the past appear so clean. Which is why photographs like this are so important. I call it the “Gift of the Split Second.” […]
Sometimes truth is stranger – and funnier—than fiction!!
This was Bishop Rowe in about 1920. No pictures of Billy the Horse exist. During the Alaska Gold Rush, Billy the Horse was well-known for his encounter with Bishop Rowe. […]
What’s this?
OK, baby boomers. What’s this? It’s actually a woman working. In 1931. You want a hint? OK, she works five days a week, only in the very early mornings and […]
Historic Photographs
This is one of those historic photographs that would never make a book – much less an article – but is an on-the-ground important glimpse into the past. What you […]
“Talk about the ‘middle of nowhere!’”
The Aleutian Island chain in Alaska is infamous for its unpredictable weather patterns. This is primarily because the southern shores of the islands are warmed by the Kuroshio, the Japanese current. […]
“Poison?! Really?! Uh-huh. Then why is the emperor drinking it?”
Legend has it the Persian emperor Jamsheed loved grapes so much he stored them in amphora during the winter so he could regrow them the next spring. Because he believed […]
Mata Hari: Spy? Scapegoat? Payback? To this day, no one knows for sure.
In February of 1917, Mata Hari, an exotic dancer and self-confessed harlot, was arrested in her hotel room on the Champs Elysées in Paris. The charge? Spying for the Germans. […]
“What was it really like in Nome during the Alaska Gold Rush?”
So little is known about the Alaska Gold Rush that most Americans think the Klondike Strike in the Yukon Territory of Canada is the Alaska Gold Rush. It is not. […]
John Wesley Hardin and “Wild Bill” Hickok were friends?
John Wesley Hardin stands out as the most ruthless killer in not only the Old West, but in American history as well. By his account he killed 42 men – […]
“When faced with an impossible problem, think in reverse!”
Often a genius is someone who just looks at a problem differently. Between 1905 and 1907, John Frank Stevens was the Chief Engineer on the Panama Canal. The problem? Sections […]
“F. X. O. 7? What ……?”
Before there was a Wild West, bandanas were the rage in England among the wealthy. Why? Because users of snuff blew their noses and ‘such activity’ left ‘residue’ on white […]
“How do you stop a mutiny with just one word? Ask Julius Caesar.”
In 47 BCE, Julius Caesar was faced with a mutiny. The Tenth Legion was demanding unpaid wage for their service and balking at going to the war in Africa. Worse, […]
“You wore what?”
When it comes to “the past,” it is so easy to say, “Well, in those days ….” But there were 365 days a year in every one of “those days,” […]
Why your grandparents never went to the library without a pen.
Quick, millenials, what is this? And why did your grandparents always take a pen to the library? (Library: a big building with lots of free books. Books: things you read […]
“How did you shoot that cue ball!?”
Frank B. Adams, born in 1847, was a professional carom billiards player – in the days when you used your fingers to ‘shoot’ the ball rather than a pool cue. […]
Frederick William I, King of Prussia
As part of his duties as King of Prussia, Frederick William I, King of Prussia, (1688-1740), went to a prison in Potsdam to hear petitions for pardons. One after another […]
How can you remember something you never learned?
This photograph intrigues me. Why? Because these salmon left this stream five years ago when they were fry. They have never seen a grizzly bear. But here they are giving […]
Some ideas have “Bad News” written all over them
One fateful day in the 1870s, the James Robinson Circus traveled to Middleton, Missouri. As was usual in those days, the circus made a parade circuit around town. To drum […]
“Don’t Be Cruel” to my “Great Balls of Fire!”
Two of the best known singers of all time are Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. But not many people know the songs that made them […]
Meet the first President of the United States
Here’s a trick question: Who was the first President of the United States. For most people the answer is obvious: George Washington. It may be obvious but it is in […]
At precisely 12:02 pm…
At precisely 12:02 pm, a century ago this September 16th, a massive bomb exploded on Wall Street in New York. Just before noon, a wagon, driven by person unknown, parked […]
Acronyms, Legends and Heroes
Every historical era has its acronyms, legends and heroes. If you are a millennial, it will take you a while to decipher this license plate holder. If you are over […]
“What does an Indian do if he has not horse?”
The single, most important reason to read history – ANY HISTORY – is because things do not change. The human character is the same today as it was in the […]
François Rabelais
François Rabelais, the great French writer of the 1500s, was a master of creative thinking. He had an unconventional view of the world and was thus able to wring fortunate […]
‘the good old days’
It is easy to talk about ‘the good old days.’ Unfortunately those memories are only about the ‘good’ times. There’s not a lot of romance in ugly memories. During the […]
Portrait of Bass Reeves
This is a portrait of Bass Reeves. He was the first black Deputy United States Marshal west of the Mississippi. During his career – ALONE – he arrested more than […]
Money…
Money. We all want it. But, in fact, it does not exist. Don’t believe me? OK, go down to your bank and ask to see the $850 in your checking […]
United States Postal Service
One of the givens in the United States is the USPS, United States Postal Service. It is not Democrat or Republican, rich or poor, liberal or conservative, city or farm, […]
This Labor Day let’s remember…
This Labor Day let’s remember – and thank – Francis Perkins. She was the longest serving United States Secretary of Labor, 12 years, 1933 to 1945, from the depths of […]
In America…
In America, we solve problems by making them profitable. Here is an excellent example. Used tires being recycled into art. Some artist made money with trash. Glass is crushed and […]
OK, history buffs…
OK, history buffs, tell me. What are the cones on top of the heads of these women? Actually, we now know. Egyptians would shave their heads and wear wigs. At […]
100 years ago…
100 years ago women – last month – women did not have the right to vote, to work if they were pregnant, to inherit property if they were married and […]
This is one of those “Really?!” photographs
This is one of those “Really?!” photographs. This is actually an excellent representation of our brains in an election year. Nothing is organized, everything is chaos and all we know […]
On May 22, 1906
On May 22, 1906, the city of Fairbanks — in the District of Alaska since it was not yet a Territory — appeared doomed. A massive fire was threatening to […]
the Most Spectacular Eruption
From June 6th to 9th, 1912, the most spectacular eruption in recorded history and the Twentieth Century’s largest measured volcanic eruption occurred in Katmai, Alaska. For over 60 hours the […]
Just a pile of rubble
Just a pile of rubble, eh? It’s the aftermath of the LARGEST terrorist attack in American history. TWO MEGATONS. The blast in New York harbor was so great it was […]
There are three kinds of men…
www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi
Not a lot of social distancing here
Not a lot of social distancing here but, then again, this was 1890. Historically, the easiest thing to say is ‘we’ were different ‘then’ and now we have to ‘make […]
History…
History is not the story of the past; it is the study of the future. None of these children in 1950 EVER expected to be wearing masks like these a […]
Yeah, I know. “Photoshop.”
Yeah, I know. “Photoshop.” Actually, no. It is a double-exposure from 100 years ago. During the Spanish Flu influenza, 1918 to 1920. That pandemic came in three waves. One in […]
Not Photoshop
This is not Photoshop; it’s a real home. It’s also a metaphor for the turmoil of today’s political, ethnic, legal, (fake, real, made up and conspiratorial) journalistic climate. When all […]
The great power of art…
The great power of art is to transcend its components. Anyone can splash paint on canvas or collect loose pieces of wire. But it is what the artist DOES with […]
It’s easy to say how BAD things are right now:
It’s easy to say how BAD things are right now: COVID19, race riots, high unemployment, an unpopular president, overseas wars that never end. This is just the cycle of history […]
In these days of the COVID19…
In these days of the COVID19, people are looking back at the Spanish Influenza of a century ago and drawing real world parallels. Good! History is not the story of […]
The true value of education…
The true value of education is keep you from making a fool of yourself . . . . and your proof reader and your boss and the copy editor […]
The basic lesson of history
The basic lesson of history NOT TAUGHT in schools today is events come in cycles. Times of economic stress – like today – come with widespread protest that the lower […]
This is not Photoshop
This is not photoshop. These are actual combat soldier during World War II and many of them do not look 20. The single most important function of a society is […]
History is not the story of the past
History is not the story of the past; it is the study of the future. 102 years ago America went through another pandemic. It was called the Spanish Flu and […]
The real lesson of COVID-19 has yet to learned
The real lesson of COVID-19 has yet to learned. The ongoing reduction of income taxes on large businesses that began with the Reagan Administration and culminated in the Trump tax […]
With the Coronavirus Upon Us
With the coronavirus upon us, it’s tempting to talk about ‘the good ol’ days’ when what was happening TODAY was not NORMAL. The fact of the matter is that there […]
Bush Pilot Adage
There is an old Alaska bush pilot adage I take to heart every day of my life: “There are three things you never have to worry about: 1) the air […]
Money does not exist
Money does not exist. If you have $500 in your checking account and you ask the bank to show you that $500, the teller will think you are crazy. That […]
Brenda-Lee-May
Seward-Gold-Train-Robbery
For all you people in the Lower 48
where the temperature gets all the way down to 65!, in most of Alaska, 65 degrees is a good summer day. More important, even today, one-third of Alaska’s population cannot […]
3,500 Hundred Passengers on a Cruise Liner
As you are reading this, are being quarantined offshore in San Francisco because they might have the coronavirus. But there has not been a single story about the risks faced […]
It’s the study of the future
History is not the story of the past; it is the study of the future. A century ago, the world faced what was now known as the “Spanish Flu.” It […]
Quick! Who is this guy?
Quick! Who is this guy? Let me give you a hint. Born in 1879, he entered the American Army as a private during the Spanish-American War. After the war he […]
It’s a picture of the future
This is not a photograph of the past, it is a picture of the future. The world is running out of water. Did you know the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, […]
Historically Staggering
Just a bunch of Eskimos, right? It’s one of those pictures you’d stumble upon in a collection and say, ‘just a bunch of Natives’ and go on to the next […]
Usual Photograph
This is one of those ‘usual’ photographs of Alaska Gold Rush: a bunch of men waiting for something. In this case it was 1900 in Nome just before the newspapers […]
Politics boring?
Politics boring? Well, you don’t know how lucky you are. In America, you have a choice. No so much in ancient Athens. This is an ancient Greek kleroterion. When it […]
Little things – Big story
Sometimes it is the ‘little things’ that tell the “big story.’ As an example, here, among Confederate prisoners taken in the siege of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, are […]
A Tidbit
A tidbit for those of you who live in the Lower 48 states. Alaskans do not think of distance in terms of miles. Only time. Alaskans do not think of […]
Unless you live in Alaska
Unless you live in Alaska, this photograph will have no meaning at all. To those of you in the Lower 48, the Bering Sea – which lies north of the […]
Authentic “Western” Sound!
Here’s a glimpse of the authentic “Western” sound! Not a guitar or banjo to be seen – but there are a couple of pistols. https://amzn.to/2PQ7JSX; https://youtu.be/xge4pK-MiMQ
Talk about speed!
Talk about speed! A little more than 100 years ago – on October 10, 1913 – President Woodrow Wilson pushed a button in the White House. An electronic pulse raced […]
“those people”
One of the easiest thing to do is talk about how “those people” are so different from “us” that we do not have to be concerned about their rights. Afterall, […]
Good Old Days
Next time someone starts talking about the “good old days” keep in mind there was a lot in ‘those days’ we want to remember only as a benchmark to show […]
“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”
[huge_it_video_player id=”5″] To paraphrase Al Jolson, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” (If you’re a millennial, I have included an explanation at the end of the blog.) Perhaps the greatest blessing […]
Truth is NOT a matter of perspective
Truth is NOT a matter of perspective. What is true remains the same from every angle it is viewed. Time, location, race and age do not adjust the truth. What […]
What is it?
Odd, eh? What is it? Actually, it’s history. In the days before the IPhone – if you are a millennial, those were the Dark Ages – making a phone call […]
Wanna talk?!
Wanna talk?! Here’s a stunning, historical image that most people would flip on by in a collection of pictures. They would just say, ‘hum, a bunch of unknown guys hanging […]
&
& Interestingly, the ampersand— & – was once a letter – the 27th – in the alphabet. The ampersand dates back to the Roman Republic when scribes used the letters […]
s-l-o-w Computer
Next time you complain about how s-l-o-w your computer is, be happy you HAVE an internet connection!! https://www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi
Only in Alaska!
Only in Alaska! https://www.authormasterminds.com/steve-levi
If you are older than 50
If you are older than 50, you will have no problem reading this license plate holder. If you are a millennial, ask your parents for a translation. The point? Every […]
Ugly, eh?
Huh? What’s that? Ugly, eh? Yeah, but it is the start of a new scientific reality. It is so important it will CHANGE what we have always believed to be […]
When you make something illegal
When you make something illegal, all you do is raise its price. Marijuana smokers in states where it is illegal are still smoking marijuana. All those states are doing is […]
Every generation…
Every generation of Americans has a boogeyman. The ‘evil immigrants’ have included the French, English, Irish, Jews, Quakers, Baptists, Chinese, Japanese, Russians and now, the Muslims and anyone from Central […]
Yup, that’s right
Yup, that’s right. Those books are chained to a library shelf. That’s how valuable these books are. These books, still chained, are part of the first public library in England, […]
Creative Thinkin’
[huge_it_video_player id=”4″] The single most important survival ability in any field is creative thinking. Anyone can ‘think normally.’ But the kudos and big bucks go to the people who think […]
What I was thinking
I’ll bet you are thinking what I was thinking when I first saw this children’s slide. Seriously?! Forget the artist! Think of the bureaucrats who approved the idea! One of […]
As both writer and American
This photo encapsulates me as a writer and an American. As both writer and American, I know the future belongs to those who will ‘go out on a limb.’ As […]
Billy the Kid
Yes, you have seen this photograph many times before. It is Billy the Kid, circa 1878. So, What’s the big deal? Well, for a century everyone believed Billy the Kid […]
There is a golden age of innovation, literature and art coming!
There is a golden age of innovation, literature and art coming! How do I know? Because more and more people are USING the Internet as a TOOL rather than entertainment. […]
History is not the story of the past
History is not the story of the past; it is the study of the future. 100 years ago, this month, the United States government began arresting and deporting ‘alien undesirables.’ […]
Ugly, eh?
Ugly, eh? No, not her. The sculpture. As a matter of fact, it was so ugly it was removed from public view. Probably the only publically funded artwork in Alaska […]
Snazzy home, right?
Snazzy home, right? Actually, it’s – or was – a microwave repeater. As late as the 1960s, these were THE front line of defense against Russian ICBM missiles. Remote radar […]
There will be Critics
Whatever you do, there will be critics. And the further forward you think, the more ferocious the opposition. That’s life. But you should use that reality to your advantage. There […]
Banking was NOT in the United States Constitution
Because banking was NOT in the United States Constitution, anyone could open a bank. And a lot of anyones did. Like these men in Nome during the Alaska Gold Rush. […]
Readers do not know how blessed they are.
Readers do not know how blessed they are. In 1951, this WAS interlibrary loan in Alaska. It was such an innovation the GOVERNOR, third from the left, showed up for […]
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
My favorite quote from ALICE IN WONDERLAND has become my motto as an historian and writer: “It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.” Contrary to popular belief, […]
Second World War
At the end of the Second World War, most of Europe was in ruins. This included libraries. If you wanted to read, you had to search for a book. It […]
Barabara
This is a barabara, a sod hut used by the Aleuts before the Second World War. Because the Aleutian Islands in Alaska are devoid of trees, the only wood available […]
Electronic Jigsaw
I like this photoshop so much I turned it into an electronic jigsaw. I love jigsaws because every single piece fits. If you’re a writer NOTHING fits. No matter how […]
New Perspective
The greatest power of writing is offering the reader a new perspective. ANYONE can write the same old/same old. If you do not have something unique to offer, you have […]
No, it is not THE Louvre
No, it is not THE Louvre. It is the ‘Temporary Louvre,’ a saloon in Juneau during the Alaska Gold Rush. Of historical interest, see what the little boy on the […]
One hundred and 13 years ago
One hundred and 13 years ago, my 19-year-old grandfather arrived in San Francisco on his trip to ‘see the world.’ He checked into a cheap hotel and went out to […]
syzygy?
I learned a new word the other day: syzygy. It’s another word in English which has no vowels. It was originally an astronomical term which meant three celestial bodies in […]
History is not the story of the past
History is not the story of the past; it is the study of the future. This photograph was taken in Juneau during the Alaska Gold Rush. About 100 years ago. […]
Yup, it’s a sea horse
Yup, it’s a sea horse. (No Photoshop necessary.) The scientific name for the seahorse is Hippocampus which translates from the Greek as Hippos for “horse” and kampos for “sea monster.” […]
General George S. Patton
Until the movie PATTON, in 1970, General George S. Patton, was largely a forgotten hero. But he was a man who was at the forefront of every military action from […]
Flat Iron Building
If you live in New York you will recognize this as the Flat Iron Building. It was the first steel structure building in the city. In 1903. EVERYONE expected it […]
This is the Culebra Cut
This is the Culebra Cut in what would become the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal fascinates me because of the unique solution applied to its construction. Time after time, as […]
In the Alaska dog racing biz
In the Alaska dog racing biz, there is a prophetic expression: “unless you are the lead dog, the scenery never changes.” But that’s more than just a dog racing adage; […]
OK. This is photoshop
Ok. This is photoshop. It was done in the 1940s to stimulate the Alaska sea food market. (“There are a lot of great steaks on this Copper River Red! Look […]
The value of an education
The greatest shortcoming of American education is the belief that you ‘teach for the job.’ That is, you teach the basics of what most jobs will require and ‘that’s that.’ […]
It is easy to talk about ‘leaping into the future.’
It is easy to talk about ‘leaping into the future.’ The reality is substantially different. You get to ‘the future’ with baby steps and those steps are in the real […]
Video clip of tower coming down
[huge_it_video_player id=”2″] We all makes mistakes, some of the whoppers. Some of those errors in judgement never see the light of day (Whew!). But then again, to quote Albert Einstein, […]
History is not the story of the past; it is the study of the future.
In 1912, so many Americans were furious with both the Democratic and Republican parties that they formed the Progressive Party. (The photo is from their national convention.) Their platform demanded […]
The man who made the Suez Canal disappear
Spooky, eh? He’s Jasper Maskelyne and he made a modest living as a magician until the Second World War. Then he became a magician for the British Army. His greatest […]
Whoa!!
Be frightened! VERY FRIGHTENED! This is the scariest piece of photoshop I have ever encountered. For those without a knowledge of the Renaissance, it is a remake of the hand […]
“Now, don’t get all 1970s on me!”
DO NOT ROLL YOUR EYES when I tell you this is a statue of Sonny Bono in Palm Springs. (If you are a millennial, Sonny was the ‘Sonny’ in the […]
My father, a Holocaust refugee
My father, a Holocaust refugee, spoke four language fluently and read Greek and Latin. But he said American English was the hardest language to master. That’s because American English has […]
I’d like to believe this photoshop
I’d like to believe this photoshop. But then, again ……….. My father – like all fathers – once told me whenever I read about the stupidest thing a person could […]
“Bet you can’t see the river.”
This is not a photoshop. Yes, there is a river down there. This is Tianmen Mountain in China. While I do not suffer from vertigo, just looking at this picture […]
Alaskan humorist Warren Sitka #2
Alaskan humorist Warren Sitka is famous for his admonition that humanity is best served by adhering to a simply rule: DDDD, “Don’t Double-Down on Dumb.” When it comes to history, […]
Alaskan Humorist Warren Sitka #1
Alaskan humorist Warren Sitka notes the problem with ignorance is it breeds faster than common sense. We are in an era where being stupid is an asset. Common sense may […]
Different Mysteries
See my ‘different mysteries’ at https://authormasterminds.com/master-of-the-impossible-crime. See my webinar at http://bit.ly/2zjyiYG.]
“Technology? Who needs it, eh?”
This is not photoshop or artwork. It’s the engine room of a German submarine during the First World War. How anyone knew which wheel to turn and when I cannot […]
Law and Order the old-fashioned way
This is not photoshop. It is ‘law and order’ during the Alaska Gold Rush. There were so many men rushing north over an area 1/5th that of the Lower 48 […]
“Just keep going!”
Anyone can quit. A lot of people do. But if you ask successful people ‘what was your secret?’ the bulk of them would say “I didn’t quit.” We do not […]
Just another old photo, eh?
Just another old photo, eh? Well, old photos hide stunning truths. This is my mother’s mother’s uncle. His name was Cabot Jackson Russel and he was one of the white […]
If you don’t have something unique, you have nothing
This is not photoshop. It is an actual sculpture and it symbolizes my mantra as a writer: “If you do not have something unique, you have nothing.” For the past […]
Really?!
One of the oldest tricks in the book, er, history, is to use the tools at your disposal. A new tool is always nice but, frankly, you don’t get that […]
Failing is easy; I’ve been doing it for years!
Back in the 1970s there was a song by Dr. John – Right Place, Wrong Time” – which was the story of my life. It became my mantra when I […]
History is not all ‘black-and-white’
For most people, ‘yesterdays’ are not believable because the photos are black-and-white. This leads people to believe ‘then’ is different from ‘now.’ But with colorization, the past becomes alive. This […]
Brett Kavanaugh Nomination
There is a stark lesson in the Brett Kavanaugh nomination imbroglio. It is as old as America. You only have the rights you are willing to fight for. Contrary to […]
Anthony “Tony” Dimond
Anthony “Tony” Dimond, Alaska’s lone delegate to the United States Congress from 1933 to 1944, was a master at selecting juries when he was a private practice in Valdez in […]
And you think you’ve got it hard?
Next time you turn on the tap and let the water d-r-a-i-n while you brush your teeth, think of how lucky you are! In 1898, you would have saved every […]
“What could possibly go wrong, eh?”
Nice, eh? Historic but nice. Well, these are fashions from my great grandparents’ women’s fashion design in Torino, Italy. They owned the entire company: lock, stock, barrel and sewing machines. […]
What else is down there, eh?
Of course, it’s the sphinx. Everyone knows that. Everyone. Since the beginning of time. Really? Odd. Did you know that when the Greek historian Herodotus visited Egypt in 450 BCE […]
Sometimes you can have TOO MUCH of a good thing
I’ll bet you think you are looking at flowers. WRONG! These are ‘fields’ of abandoned bicycles in China. Talk about a traffic jam! In 2017, in an effort to make […]
Curse you, Archimedes!
OK, what time is it? But there’s a real problem here – what happens if the instructions are to “put your hands on the steering wheel at 10 and 2?” […]
When truth is stranger than fiction
Just a bunch of camels, right? Yeah, but there is something lurking under those waters. For some background, this is a photo of Guelta d’Archei, an oasis located four-day […]
“It’s all the same, the whole world over/it’s the poor what get the blame”
This is one of my favorite editorial pictures. His name is “Has No Horses,” or, in the parlance of our era, “poor boy.” He was part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild […]
Swear like an Alaskan
Nine miles Southeast of Skwentna and 59 miles north of Tyonek – and, yes, these are actual Alaskan communities – is Bulchitna Lake. And, yes, that is the actual name […]
SWEAT the small stuff
Once upon a time, in a city far away, a tire dealer had a special understanding with a highly-placed person in city-government. Everyone knew of the freebee but no one […]
The death of ‘fake news.’
Sadly, President Trump has killed a time-honored Alaskan institution: fake news. The REAL fake news. In the ‘good old days,’ tourists came to Alaska believing the most outlandish tales. It’s […]
If you don’t do it right the first time, you’ll get to do it again!
On July 22, 1916, San Francisco held a Preparedness Day Parade to show its readiness for World War I. Just as the parade started, a bomb went off and wiped […]
Don’t fear AI, welcome it!
A century ago, this was a good job! Every era has its “good jobs” and those you “just have to take.” Over the next ten years, AI, Artificial Intelligence, will […]
Off the Wall Thinker!
This is the Culebra Cut during construction of the Panama Canal. The United States Army Corps of Engineers was having a terrible time during construction because the ground where the […]
Off the Wall Thinker!
Being an off the wall thinker means you come up with novel solution to everyday situations. It does not matter if the solution is high tech or low tech, only […]
See the future before it arrives
History is not the story of the past; it is the study of the future. Unless you live on the East Coast, you will NOT have any idea what this […]
Words courtesy of the Alaska Gold Rush
Courtesy of the Alaska Gold Rush, we have two Alaskan terms in common usage – and in the dictionary. One is cheechako, generally translated as “tenderfoot.” Except if you’re an […]
Welcome to the Melting Pot
One of my favorite anecdotes, hopefully true, involves a couple from Iowa who were visiting San Francisco. They had never had Chinese so they ate every meal in a Chinese […]
“It’s not what you know, it’s how you think.”
When Elsa Einstein, Albert’s wife, was being shown around the Mount Wilson Observatory, she was told the telescope could reveal how powerful the universe was. She laughed and said, “My […]
“What do you see from up there?”
One of the most iconic images of the Arctic for tourists is the blanket toss. Originally done with walrus hide, today the blanket is of firm but manufactured fabric. Depending […]
… Drink up!
During the Alaska Gold Rush, this was a ‘fake news’ photo. Technically there was no liquor in Alaska because it was all stopped in Seattle. The Revenue Cutter Service could […]
.. and you think the postal service is slow NOW!
Next time you complain about the postal service, look at what it WAS. This photograph is from 1905 and heralds the ‘modern’ mail delivery between Unalahlik – now Unalakleet – […]
History is not the story of the past; it is the study of the future.
This was the solution to the energy crisis in Nome during the Alaska Gold Rush. It is the photograph of 10,000 tons of chunks of coal in burlap sacks. Nome […]
Forward to the Future
Here’s a glimpse of the past and the future together. Can you identify the man on the left in the “cockpit?” It’s Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was a president who focused […]
READ YOUR HISTORY!
Here we go again! This is an editorial cartoon from a century ago when the ‘immigrants’ were Orientals. The era was known as the Yellow Scare and as you can […]
READ YOUR HISTORY!
Next time you hear someone say, “I want my job back!” think of this picture. These are firemen on the TITANIC. Every day they shoveled 600 tons of coal into […]
READ YOUR HISTORY!
I hear a lot of lamenting about how this decade is so turbulent and violent. Really? Those people do not know history. Violent eras in American history predictably come about […]
READ YOUR HISTORY!
This scene, which happened in Anchorage, Alaska, happened all across the country in the 1920s and 1930s. Liquor was federally illegal so, when it was found by federal officers, it […]
READ YOUR HISTORY!
History is not the story of the past; it is the study of the future. If you want to know how far we have come, this advertisement was published in […]
History has cycles; people just ignore them. Then they repeat them.
We hear it every day. America is so violent! Never has there been so much hatred! Actually, the violence is part of a 50-year cycle. Why, we don’t know. We […]
Artificial Intelligence is the new Industrial Revolution
Within the last week a LinkedIn post showed a block building being constructed by a machine. Note the look of surprise on the faces of these men. In 1894. A […]
Truth may be stranger the fiction but sometimes the truth you are peddling is fiction.
This was Otto Skorzney, considered to be “the most dangerous man in Europe” during the Second World War. He was also one of the most recognizable, as you can see […]
Carrying guns and the Wild West
Next time someone talks about ‘everyone having guns in the Wild West,’ remind them that this was not the case. Most communities did not want anyone walking around with firearms […]
“Wanna shot of whiskey?”
Here’s a REAL Alaska Gold Rush saloon! It’s from the Koyukuk, one of the real-life disasters of the Gold Rush. A syndicate chartered five steamboats and packed them with building […]
An historical gift of a split second
In 1838, Louis Daguerre was experimenting with a new technology called photography in Paris. Compared to today, it was cumbersome. For a photograph to be taken, the subject had to […]
GET YOUR FLU SHOT!
You think this flu season is bad? Not a chance! 100 years ago, America suffered the 1918 flu pandemic. In America alone about 28% of the population was infected and […]
The difference between WAS and IS
This WAS. Here, in 1932, my father’s family posed for a portrait in their garden. Rich Italian Jews, the future WAS. They had money. They were in the family business. […]
Taking a bite out of crime!
Eagle, Alaska was one of those communities that could never have been established anywhere else in the world but Alaska. And at no other time in American history than the […]
The end of an era
On July 13, 1865, New York had one of the most disastrous fires in its history. One of the casualties was America’s first museum, P. T. Barnum American Museum. Located […]
Giving Sonny Bono his due
It is easy to write-off Sonny Bono as a second-rate singer, third-rate actor and fourth-rate political minion. And for good reason. Historically it could be said his greatest achievement in […]
Making NOTHING SOMETHING
Nothing pictures. We all have them. Photographs of, well, nothing in particular. Not worth savings because, you know, well, there was nothing of importance in the photograph. Like this one. […]
American English, the hardest language to learn
My father was an Italian Jewish Holocaust refugee. He arrived in New York on the eve of World War II. He spoke three living languages and read two dead ones. […]
Make America great again.
Bitcoins and money. Prior to Alaska statehood, there is a dearth of coins. BIG transactions were on paper but the nickel-and-dime transactions were difficult on stores’ books. So Alaskan businesses […]
You fill in the face!
In the 1870s, America’s foremost – and first – political cartoonist, Thomas Nast, attacked Boss Tweed with pen-and-ink. Tweed and his political cronies were draining New York to an extent […]
Beware of what you believe to be true~
If you live in New York, you will instantly recognize this building. If you don’t live in New York, it is the Flatiron Building. It was the first steel skyscraper […]
Please, Bear with me
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. This is Wojtek. The bear, that is. He was purchased as a cub by Polish troops in Iran during the Second World War. (Polish […]
ONLY A MONKEY IS SMILING
Here’s one for the history books! In 2011, photographer David Slater went to Indonesia to shoot photos of black macaques. (Macaques are birds.) Some curious monkeys gathered so Salter allowed […]
READ YOUR HISTORY!
In 1910, Victor Berger, a founding member of the Socialist Party of America, was elected to the United States House of Representatives representing Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Russian Revolution had not […]
Read your history!
One hundred years ago, a rag-tag army of military officers and civilians like these men overthrew the Czar in Russia and established what was known as the USSR, United Soviets […]
“When truth is stranger than fiction.”
Talk about truth being stranger than fiction! In 1898, during the Klondike Rush, a young man was killed in Dawson. (People did not die of old age then and there.) […]
“Party on!”
Wanna party?! This is a photograph of an ‘entertaining’ evening in Koyukuk in 1900, just at the start of the Alaska Gold Rush. Koyukuk has a troubling history. When gold […]
“Quick! What do you see first?”
Here’s a blast from the past. My past, at least. I was looking for a photo to show how times have changed in America and came across this one which […]
“The gift of a split second.”
One of the great gifts of the internet is what I call “The Gift of the Split-Second.” There have been millions of photographs since the invention of the camera but […]
“Who dat?”
If you watch a lot of television – even if you are a millennial – you will recognize the man on the left as Colonel Harland David Sanders, the founder […]
“How things have changed?”
Here we have a shot of a raid in 1922. But this raid wasn’t on a speakeasy, brothel or illegal gambling joint. It was carried out on a beach. The […]
“You never know what the future will bring.”
William Harvey Carney (February 29, 1840 – December 9, 1908) was an African American soldier during the American Civil War. In 1900, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for […]
“Are you a whippersnapper?”
If it takes you longer than ten seconds to read this license plate holder, you are a whippersnapper, a youngster. For those of us over 40, it is a no-brainer. […]
“If you don’t have something unique you have nothing.”
As a writer, my mantra is “If you don’t have something unique, you have nothing.” If I cannot write something that ‘has never been read done before’ I am just […]
When truth is stranger than fiction.
Let’s see how well you know your actors. Everyone can identify Sean Connery, of course. (If you are under 30, he’s the man right and was the best known James […]
Makes me want to stand up and cheer
Occasionally, I see an upload which makes me want to stand up and cheer. This is one. It also encapsulates what is wrong with our schools and businesses. The prevailing […]
Is this in code?
Is this in code? Really! Take another look. By the time you get to line 3 you should see that, in fact, it is just another way of writing. What’s […]
Hey Women!
Like your job? Like your doctor? Have you thanked your grandmother lately? (Or your great-grandmother if you are a millennial.) You should say a little prayer of thanks to those […]
When truth is stranger than fiction
I’ll bet you didn’t know that Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” was based on a real bird. It was a raven (no surprise there) – flesh and blood – owned […]
History is the study of the future
Contrary to popular belief, history is not the story of the past. It is the study of the future. Also, contrary to general belief, the present does not exist. The […]
“23 Skidoo!”
If you live in New York you will have no problem recognizing the Flat Iron Building. Modest by today’s standards, it was the first modern high rise constructed with a […]
Making a living the hard way
This is one of those historic photographs that would never make a book – much less an article – but is an on-the-ground important glimpse into the past. What you […]
Some immigrants come by plate
Just across the border from Eagle Pass, Texas, a booming metropolis of 26,255 in 2010, is the Mexican city of Piedras Engrams, a town of 163,000. (Piedras Negras translates as […]
“Over the Falls”
Jean Lussier was the ultimate entrepreneur. In 1928, he went over Niagara Falls in rubber ball six feet in diameter, seen here, lined with inner tubes. He survived the falls […]
Why we have the Freedom of Religion in the United States
Mary Dyer was the first woman in American history to be hanged. In 1685, she defied a law in the Massachusetts Bay Colony which made it illegal to be a […]
“Thanks to the women who made America great!”
This was Mary Katherine Goddard, one of the first women publishers in America. She ran a newspaper, bookstore and the Baltimore Post Office and, as printer, actually printed the Declaration […]
When truth is stranger than fiction
These were the remains of “Big Nose George” Parrot in 1950, half a century after he was hanged. Sort of. In fact, he was skinned – after death – and […]
“And you think streets are crowded now?”
Welcome to Nome, Alaska on July 4, 1900! Talk about a tough city! It was only about a dozen blocks deep but stretched along 20 miles of the Bering Sea […]
Inventions come and go
Here’s a blast from the past. This is Joshua Pusey, the inventor of the matchbook. (If you happen to be under 35, that’s how you made fire before the lighter.) […]
“How tall is tall?”
Can you see the difference in height between these two men? No, these are not identical twins. They are the same man, Clarence E. Willard, the Vaudeville attraction known as […]
“What do you do when the boss is an idiot?”
One fateful day in the 1870s, the James Robinson Circus traveled to Middleton, Missouri. As was usual in those days, the Circus made a parade circuit around town. To drum […]
“Yes, Dorothy, there is such a thing as fake news.”
I, as an Alaskan, am outraged some people are giving fake news a bad name. A bad name! Fake news in Alaska is as sacred as smoked salmon, ice worms […]
“So, you think you got it bad?”
One of the easiest things to do is complain. And the people who do it most loudly most often are those who do not read history. “Why,” they say, “in […]
“It can happen here! It has happened here! It might happen here again!”
One of the easiest things to do is believe “it can’t happen here.” Well, it can. It has and it will again. The only rights we all have are the […]
You CAN be in two places at the same time!
On December 31, 1899, Captain John Phillips in command of the SS Warrimoo discovered he could do what no human being had ever done: to be in two places at […]
The Return to Ballyhoo II!
After the death of Harry Reichenbach, the leading ballyhooer of the era was Jim Moran, a Hollywood publicist and prankster. Active from the 1930s to the 1960s, he made a […]
Resurgence of the Ballyhoo
Ballyhoo. Now here’s a word you don’t hear every day. At least not yet. It’s a 1920s term which means extravagent, over-the-top, attention-generating words or action for the purpose of […]
Not Everything is as it Seems
A highly-lauded Wyoming mountain man in his day was John Johnson. In fact, he was such a notable character he was photographed with a pantheon of Western heroes in 1883, […]
Newspapers: a century of no change at all
This is an iconic image of Americana: a newspaper boy. He was the Yahoo of his time. It was the Golden Age of Newspapers, 1918 in this case, a century […]
“Got guts?”
Unless you know your Egyptology, these are just four statues in a box. These are actually canopic jars and they always come in fours. Why? Because they contain the entrails […]
“Who’s your daddy?”
There’s been a lot of talk lately about who the “real” Americans are. The implication is real Americans are whites – though no one has a good definition of what […]
When you make a mistake, admit it. Correct it. Move on.
In less then two years we will be remembering the day liquor was illegal in the United States. Like many things in life, “it seemed like a good idea at […]
Grandma! Was that you?
As an historian of the decade of the teens, this is one of my favorite photos. It shows seven young women, probably no older than 25, on a private beach […]
When rules don’t matter
My father grew up in Italy in the 1930s. In those days it was not uncommon for people to be multilingual. When my father came to the United States in […]
The Power of Perspective
One of the easiest things to say is “I’m smart.” This implies thinking is not necessary to be successful. This is particularly true of rich people. Everyone knows it takes […]
“Step aside or be crushed”
This is a juggernaut, the origin of the term for a huge, powerful, and overwhelming force or institution which crushes everything in its path. You can judge the size of […]
“Count your blessings; we are not like everyone else.”
One of the constants in America is discrimination against some ethnic, religious or cultural group. At one time or another Americans – the only term to use to describe all […]
“Making Great Again.”
The man on the right is my father. This picture was taken in Italy in 1939. A year later, my father was an Italian Jewish Holocaust refugee in New York. […]
“One man’s poison is another man’s porridge.”
Constructed to be the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, the Eiffel Tower was considered a monstrosity. There was even talk of tearing it down after the exposition. […]
“Just because someone says it, it’s not necessarily true.”
Alaska bush pilot Archie Ferguson was famous for inventing “The Arctic Bump.” He convinced passengers flying from Nome to Kotzebue there “was no air” over the Arctic Circle. (Kotzebue […]
Walrus with a Gold Tooth
People ask me why I titled my book WALRUS WITH A GOLD TOOTH. Because there is only one walrus with a gold tooth in history and it is on the […]
Sometimes you do not get what you see.
This is a common sight in most American communities west of the Mississippi. When those cities were laid out, they were in blocks of the same size. Usually the street […]
“Say that again, will you?”
Sometimes it does not pay to advertise.
“You’ve come a long way, Baby!”
This is a shot of New York in 1887. What you see are electrical wires – and just electrical wires. If you are under 40, before you die you may […]
It can happy here – again
This is a photograph of a bank run in 1929. These people are scared their bank will go broke and all of their money evaporate. We have had more a […]
How many Surrealist Painters does it take to change a light-bulb?
Everyone has a different perspective on life. As you can see, Salvadore Dali’s view of Ursula Andress is a bit different from the rest of us. As to how many […]
“Nickels and Dimes”
When Alaska became a state, there was shortage of coins, particularly in the bush. Most people bought on credit and settled their account each payday. But children were a problem […]
Up, Up and Away
Next time you are sitting in an airport terminal and complaining about how tough travel is these days, remember this picture. Nome may be on the Bering Sea and seas […]
Your Vote Counts
It was the summer of 1920 and it was hot! Well, the weather was hot but substantially up the Fahrenheit scale was an issue that had been dividing the United […]
Alaska Bush Pilot Wisdom
Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory. If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. If you pull the stick back, they get smaller. That is, unless […]
“If we don’t all pull together nothing will get done.”
This is as Alaskan as you can get. What you are seeing is a line of everyone in the village working together to pull a whale ashore. Everyone is participating […]
In the days when “horsepower” meant horse power
Today, “horsepower” is a measure of strength of a car. But that has only been for the last century. Before then, horses moved everything everywhere. This is a boiler being […]
“The Disreputable Doctor”
A HUGE THANKS TO Facebook Page Alaska Mystery Pictures, Investigating the Unknown People. One of the great scoundrels of the Alaska Gold Rush was Joseph Weyerhorst. But until this weekend […]
“Whoever said I wasn’t a great artist?”
Long before he became well-known as the inventor of Morse Code, Samuel Morse was a painter. While he was convinced he was great painter, he could not make a living […]
“You can take that to the bank!”
There is an old saying that making money is easy. What’s hard is saving it. That is only half of the story. In the days when money meant an object […]
“Home on the Range, er, Tundra”
My father was an Italian Jewish Holocaust refugee. He arrived in New York on the eve of World War II. He spoke three living languages and read two dead ones. […]
The Lessons of the Preparedness Day Bombing for Today: Repression, Frame-up, Labor and Political Prisoners
One hundred years ago on this date, a terror bombing took place in San Francisco on Market St. that led to the loss of 10 people with many injured. It […]
When Wood was Gold
Technically – and legally – a cord is a pile of wood four feet by four feet by eight feet. In real life terms, a cord of wood is a […]
“What’s the difference between a walrus and a banana?”
This is a sight that, sadly, is more than an historic snapshot of the past. It is a warning sign to remind us what is passing. With global climate change […]
Centennial of 1916 SF bombing that led to infamous convictions
http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Centennial-of-1916-SF-bombing-that-led-to-8381615.php By Carl Nolte July 16, 2016 Updated: July 16, 2016 3:00pm
San Francisco Preparedness Day Parade Bombing
There is an old expression that “all politics is local.” But not that many people realize that the flipside of this adage is true as well: “local issues shape national […]
America in a Snapshot
One of the nice things about historic photographs – please excuse the pun – is that they give a snapshot of an instant in time. This photograph is a particularly […]
Why Fantasies should remain Fantasies
This is called a sport fishing fantasy. But you have to be careful with fantasies. There is a real reason they are called fantasies. You really don’t want them to […]
Food Delivery the “Old Fashioned Way”
Keep this photograph in mind next time you go to your local store and buy food of any kind. If you lived in the Alaska bush before World War II […]
Historical Pictures
The next time you think you have it tough, spend a few minutes looking at historical pictures available on-line courtesy of your local library or historical society. Forget the romance […]