So for me to make this story work, I have to explain something. During summers, my Grandma Betty would come to Albany, pick me up, and let me spend the summer at her home in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. She lived in a little cape-style house on the corner of Willowdean Avenue and Courtney Road, just…
Read MoreAll articles filed in history
So Philip Schuyler’s statue is leaving … what’s replacing it?
There’s been plenty of discussion regarding what’s going to happen with the statue of Philip Schuyler in downtown Albany. His history as part of the founding of the city is counterbalanced by his reputation as being one of the largest slaveowners in the area. So a few days ago, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan announced that…
Read MoreThe Warner Bros. cartoons that should stay out of circulation
I had thought about this blog post for a while, and I wasn’t really sure how to approach it. In fact, I shelved this blog for a while. Until I heard that HBO Max was bringing back the Warner Bros. cartoon characters in a new iteration of Looney Tunes cartoons. See, in bringing back the…
Read MoreThe truths and myths of impeachment
Donald Trump was impeached last night. He is the third President to be impeached. He is the first President to be impeached in his inaugural term. Now what happens? First off, just because he was impeached doesn’t mean he’s out of office. He can still show up in the Oval Office today. Once a President…
Read MoreNot just a whistleblower – the story of The Whistler
Imagine, if you will, a radio drama in which the criminal thinks he gets away with it – everybody involved thinks that he got away with it – heck, even the narrator sorta thinks he got away with it – only to have something trip him up in the final moments. Add some dramatic music,…
Read MoreThe RCA Victor Record Brushes of New Scotland Avenue
I spent yesterday cleaning up and tossing out things. And in my “cleaning up and tossing out” endeavors, I came across some local Albany artifacts. Wanna see? These are record brushes. They were used by electronics stores and audio stores to sweep dust and dirt from phonograph records. They were branded for various companies, and…
Read MoreThe Evolution of a Fractured Coin of the Rebellion
I’ve been fascinated by Albany’s Civil War coinage – the scrip and exonumia produced by Albany’s merchants in 1863, when U.S. currency proved scarce. In the past, I’ve blogged about these coins and transactional storefronts – merchants like D.L. Wing and Straight’s Elephantine Shoes and Benjamin & Herrick Fruits, Here’s a blog post from February…
Read MoreA return to the “Ladies Entrance” sign
Last year, my model friend Muse posed in front of a distressed sign on North Lake Avenue in Albany. The picture, Ladies Make Their Own Entrances, later found its way to the Historic Albany Foundation’s BUILT charitable auction. The other day, as I’m testing out some redscale film in my Leica M3 camera (“Leica Green”),…
Read MoreThe dollhouse
I want to tell you a story. It’s a good one from my childhood. Trust me on this. If you’ve read my blog over any extended period of time, you know that I will get involved in arts and crafts projects. Turning soda crates into tables and chests. Taking old burlap sacks and embroidering them. …
Read MoreThe #blackhistorymonthchallenge
If you follow my Facebook feed, you might have seen some recent videos and clips on my page that honor the celebration of Black History Month. For this year, I am posting – once a day – a video or a photo or a remembrance of those leaders and innovators and creators and legends who…
Read More