#January 7 1922

[zumainthyfuture]

Marie Van Brittan Brown, born on January 7, 1922, was an African-American nurse and inventor from Queens, New York City. In 1966, at the age of 44, she came up with the brilliant idea to create a unique home surveillance device with a closed circuit television security system.

She and her husband, Albert L. Brown, applied for the patent and invented a system with a motorized camera that could show images on a monitor. That patent (#3,482,037) was eventually granted, and her invention went on to become a technological precursor to how modern day home security systems would be designed.

Brown's invention had very unique features for the time; The motorized camera at the door could slide up and down to look out of four peepholes. Anything the camera captured would be displayed on a monitor. Her system also included a radio-controlled lock that would allow the front door to remotely unlocked, and an audio-video alarm system that could be used to see and communicate with whoever was at the door.

For her genius invention, which obviously contributed to the future of home security systems, Brown was given a prestigious award by the National Scientists Committee (NSC). But for the most part, her invention has gone unnoticed and undocumented by the mainstream media and literature.

Sadly, Marie Van Brittan Brown died on February 2, 1999 at the age of 77-years old.

[rockpaperscissuhs]

Band of Brothers Birthdays

January

1 John S. Zielinski Jr. (b. 1925)

21 Richard D. “Dick” Winters (b. 1918)

26 Herbert M. Sobel (b. 1912)

30 Clifford Carwood "Lip" Lipton (b. 1920)

31 Warren H. “Skip” Muck (b. 1922) & Robert B. Brewer (b. 1924)

February

8 Clarence R. Hester (b. 1916)

18 Thomas A. Peacock (b. 1920)

23 Lester A. “Les” Hashey (b. 1925)

March

1 Charles E. “Chuck” Grant (b. 1922)

2 Colonel Robert L. “Bob” Strayer (b. 1910)

4 Wayne “Skinny” Sisk (b. 1922)

10 Frank J. Perconte (b. 1917)

13 Darrell C. “Shifty” Powers (b. 1923)

14 Joseph J. “Joe” Toye (b. 1919)

24 John D. “Cowboy” Halls (b. 1922)

26 George Lavenson (b. 1917) & George H. Smith Jr. (1922)

27 Gerald J. Loraine (b. 1913)

April

3 Colonel Robert F. “Bob” Sink (b. 1905) & Patrick S. “Patty” O’Keefe (b. 1926)

5 John T. “Johnny” Julian (b. 1924)

10 Renée B. E. Lemaire (b. 1914)

11 James W. Miller (b. 1924)

15 Walter S. “Smokey” Gordon Jr. (b. 1920)

20 Ronald C. “Sparky” Speirs (b. 1920)

23 Alton M. More (b. 1920)

27 Earl E. “One Lung” McClung (b. 1923) & Henry S. “Hank” Jones Jr. (b. 1924)

28 William J. “Wild Bill” Guarnere (b. 1923)

May

12 John W. “Johnny” Martin (b. 1922)

16 Edward J. “Babe” Heffron (b. 1923)

17 Joseph D. “Joe” Liebgott (b. 1915)

19 Norman S. Dike Jr. (b. 1918) & Cleveland O. Petty (b. 1924)

25 Albert L. "Al" Mampre (b. 1922)

June

2 David K. "Web" Webster (b. 1922)

6 Augusta M. Chiwy ("Anna") (b. 1921)

13 Edward D. Shames (b. 1922)

17 George Luz (b. 1921)

18 Roy W. Cobb (b. 1914)

23 Frederick T. “Moose” Heyliger (b. 1916)

25 Albert Blithe (b. 1923)

28 Donald B. "Hoob" Hoobler (b. 1922)

July

2 Gen. Anthony C. "Nuts" McAuliffe (b. 1898)

7 Francis J. “Frank” Mellet (b. 1920)

8 Thomas Meehan III (b. 1921)

9 John A. Janovec (b. 1925)

10 Robert E. “Popeye” Wynn (b. 1921)

16 William S. Evans (b. 1910)

20 James H. “Moe” Alley Jr. (b. 1922)

23 Burton P. “Pat” Christenson (b. 1922)

29 Eugene E. Jackson (b. 1922)

31 Donald G. "Don" Malarkey (b. 1921)

August

3 Edward J. “Ed” Tipper (b. 1921)

10 Allen E. Vest (b. 1924)

15 Kenneth J. Webb (b. 1920)

18 Jack E. Foley (b. 1922)

26 Floyd M. “Tab” Talbert (b. 1923) & General Maxwell D. Taylor (b. 1901)

29 Joseph A. Lesniewski (b. 1920)

31 Alex M. Penkala Jr. (b. 1924)

September

3 William H. Dukeman Jr. (b. 1921)

11 Harold D. Webb (b. 1925)

12 Major Oliver M. Horton (b. 1912)

27 Harry F. Welsh (b. 1918)

30 Lewis “Nix” Nixon III (b. 1918)

October

5 Joseph “Joe” Ramirez (b. 1921) & Ralph F. “Doc” Spina (b. 1919) & Terrence C. "Salty" Harris (b. 1920)

6 Leo D. Boyle (b. 1913)

10 William F. “Bill” Kiehn (b. 1921)

15 Antonio C. “Tony” Garcia (b. 1924)

17 Eugene G. "Doc" Roe (b. 1922)

21 Lt. Cl. David T. Dobie (b. 1912)

28 Herbert J. Suerth Jr. (b. 1924)

31 Robert "Bob" van Klinken (b. 1919)

November

11 Myron N. “Mike” Ranney (b. 1922)

20 Denver “Bull” Randleman (b. 1920)

December

12 John “Jack” McGrath (b. 1919)

31 Lynn D. “Buck” Compton (b. 1921)

Unknown Date

Joseph P. Domingus

Richard J. Hughes (b. 1925)

Maj. Louis Kent

Father John Mahoney

George C. Rice

SOURCES

Military History Fandom Wiki

Band of Brothers Fandom Wiki

Traces of War

Find a Grave

[oatflatwhite]

BOBSTROLOGY 2: THE PACIFIC BOOGALOO

Another completely serious presentation by @pegasusdrawnchariots and oatflatwhite

written version under the cut!

♈️ Edward “Hillbilly” Jones – 1 April 1917 ♈️ Elmo “Gunny” Haney – ?? April 1898 * ♉️ Clifford "Steve" Evanson – 25 April 1926 ♊️ Bill Leyden – 27 May 1926 ♊️ Robert Oswalt – 13 June 1923 ♊️ J. P. Morgan – 20 June 1919 * ♋️ Lewis “Chesty” Puller – 26 June 1898 ♌️ Chuck Tatum – 23 July 1926 * ♌️ Jay De L’Eau – 29 July 1923 ♌️ R. V. "Burgie" Burgin – 13 August 1922 ♌️ Manny Rodriguez – 17 August 1922 ♍️ Andrew “Ack Ack” Haldane – 22 August 1917 ♍️ Sidney Phillips – 2 September 1924 ♎�� Vera Keller – 13 October 1923 ♎️ Lew “Chuckler” Juergens – 22 October 1918 ♏️ John Basilone – 4 November 1916 ♏️ Eugene Sledge – 4 November 1923 ♏️ Wilbur “Runner” Conley – 6 November 1921 ♐️ Robert Leckie – 18 December 1920 ♑️ Bill “Hoosier” Smith – 14 January 1922 ♒️ Merriel “Snafu” Shelton – 21 January 1922 ♒️ Hugh Corrigan – 19 February 1920 ♓️ Lena Riggi Basilone – 7 March 1913

2 Aries 1 Taurus 3 Gemini 🥈 1 Cancer 4 Leo 🥇 2 Virgo 2 Libra 3 Scorpio 🥈 1 Sagittarius 1 Capricorn 2 Aquarius 1 Pisces

7 🔥 4 🪨 7 💨 5 💧

6 cardinal 10 fixed 7 mutable

14 masculine 9 feminine

* Gunny Haney's day of birth is not known; we went with Aries on vibes * J. P. Morgan's birthday was taken from The Pacific wiki but we couldn't verify it elsewhere (or whether he was actually a real dude?) * Chuck Tatum is a cusp and we assigned him Leo based on his city of birth if he had been born at noon; also on vibes

** Other characters in The Pacific are based on people from Leckie and Sledge's memoirs, but their names are either changed or they are only referred to by surname and quite unidentifiable, based on my (oatflatwhite's) original search (which was not exhaustive!). Ronnie Gibson and Stella Karamanlis, for example, seem to be based off of real people Leckie encountered during the war, but were not their actual names. Others, like minor officers in both K and H companies, and the doctors Leckie sees, I just couldn't track down. We could locate the birthdays of Sledge's family (brother and parents) but since we couldn't do the same for Leckie and Basilone, we left them off this list. They're two more Scorpios and another Virgo, by the way.

*** And if you've read this far, @pegasusdrawnchariots assigned Stella Leo based on vibes :-)

[60s-heartshaped-chevrolet]

January Watchlist: New Year, New Films 🎬✨

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to finally watch the films I’ve been putting off for ages. To keep myself on track, I’m starting a new habit—monthly watchlists!

Here’s what I plan to dive into this January.

First on my list is Black Narcissus (1947), a visually stunning drama about nuns grappling with desire and faith in a remote Himalayan convent. It’s been on my watchlist for years, and I have a feeling it’s going to be exactly my kind of film.

2. Next up is Córki Dancingu (2015), a surreal Polish musical/horror about mermaids and nightlife (perfect combination, i'm already encourage). It’s the chance to dive into cinema from my own country—which always seems to be either absolutely brilliant or a total disaster. English title: The Lure.

3. The third pick is Queen of the Lake (Jezerní královna, 1998). I have such a soft spot for Czech cinema, especially fairy tale adaptations, and the moment I saw stills from this film, it went on my list immediately. Magical vibes incoming! ✨🧚‍♀️

4. Next is Granddaughter of Ice (Ledyanaya vnuchka, 1980), a Soviet fairy tale that feels like the perfect winter watch. The frosty landscapes and enchanting atmosphere make it ideal for this time of year—cozy vibes guaranteed. ❄️✨

5. The Seventh Seal (Det sjunde inseglet, 1957). This Swedish classic by Ingmar Bergman is a profound exploration of life, death, and existential questions. It's been on my list forever, and I’m finally ready to experience its timeless depth. 🕊️

5. Häxan (1922), a silent Swedish-Danish documentary about witches and the occult. Oh god, it's a must-see for me, and I can’t wait to dive into its unsettling, avant-garde atmosphere. 🖤✨

6. Next, another Polish gem: Sanatorium pod Klepsydrą (1973). A surreal, dreamlike journey through Schulz’s world—just the kind of strange and thought-provoking film I’m craving. 🌙⌛English title: The Hourglass Sanatorium

7. Knowing me, I’ll probably watch a giallo as well, though I’m not sure which one yet. I feel like I’ve already seen most of the iconic ones, but there’s always something new to discover in that genre. 👁️‍🗨️🔪

By the end of the month, I’ll do a little recap of how many films I managed to watch. And if any of them end up inspiring me, you’ll definitely notice—expect a flood of favorite frames on both of my tumblrs, as always. 🎥✨

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Citroën B2 Scarabée d'Or (replica), 1922. The Golden Scarab half-track (Autochenille) made the first ever crossing of the Sahara by an automobile between December 19, 1922 and January 7, 1923 (101 years ago today). It was driven by Georges Marie Haadt and Louis Audouin Dubreuil (pictured) who travelled 3,200km on the outward journey. No return journey had been planned but they had such a great time on the way out they turned around and went back the same way.

source

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … February 1

Joe & Lord Tod Wadley

1900 – Marion Barbara 'Joe' Carstairs (d.1993) was a wealthy British power boat racer known for her speed and her eccentric lifestyle. In the 1920s she was known as the ‘fastest woman on water’.

Carstairs was born in 1900 in Mayfair, London, England, the daughter of Fannie Bostwick, an American heiress. Joe Carstairs' legal father was Scottish army officer Captain Albert Carstairs, first of the Royal Irish Rifles and later the Princess of Wales's Own. Captain Carstairs re-enlisted with the Army the week before Joe was born; he and Evelyn divorced soon afterwards.

Carstairs' mother, an alcoholic and drug addict, later married Captain Francis Francis, with whom she had two more children. She divorced Captain Francis to marry French count Roger de Périgny in 1915, but eventually left him because of his infidelity. Her fourth and last husband, whom she married in 1920, was Serge Voronoff, a Russian–French surgeon who become famous in the 1920s and 1930s for his practice of transplanting monkey testicle tissue into male humans for the claimed purpose of rejuvenation.

Carstairs lived a colourful life. She usually dressed as a man; had tattooed arms; and loved machines, adventure and speed. Openly lesbian, she had numerous affairs with women, including Dolly Wilde—Oscar Wilde's niece and a fellow ambulance driver from Dublin with whom she had lived in Paris—and a string of actresses, most notably Greta Garbo, Tallulah Bankhead, and Marlene Dietrich.

During World War I, Carstairs served in France with the American Red Cross, driving ambulances. After the war, she served with Britain’s Royal Army Service Corps in France, re-burying the war-dead; and in Dublin with the Women's Legion Mechanical Transport Section, which acted as transport for British officers during the Irish War of Independence.

Joe Carstairs married a childhood friend, the French aristocrat Count Jacques de Pret, on 7 January 1918 in Paris. The purpose of the marriage was simply to allow Carstairs’ access to her trust fund independently of her mother. The marriage was annulled immediately after her mother's death on the grounds of non-consummation. By means of a deed poll, she renounced her married name and resumed using the name Carstairs in February 1922.

In 1920, with three former colleagues from the Women's Legion Mechanical Transport Section, she started the X Garage, a car-hire and chauffeuring service that featured a women-only staff of drivers and mechanics. Carstairs (and her friends and lovers) lived in a flat above the garage, which was situated near Cromwell Gardens in London's fashionable South Kensington district.

Several of the X-Garage staff had served as drivers during the war and spoke French, German, or Italian. The cars and drivers could be hired for long-distance trips and the business specialised in taking grieving relatives for visits to war-graves and former battlefields in France and Belgium. They were also hired for journeys within London and the garage had an arrangement with the Savoy Hotel to transport guests to the theatre or to shows. During the early 1920s, X-Garage cars were a familiar sight in London's fashionable circles.

In 1925, X-Garage closed and Carstairs inherited a fortune from Standard Oil via her mother and grandmother. The same year, she had her first speedboat built and named it Gwen after one of her former lovers. With it, she won her first trophy, the Southampton Water trophy.

She was also given a Steiff doll by a girlfriend, Ruth Baldwin, naming it Lord Tod Wadley. She became exceptionally attached to this doll, keeping it with her until her death, although—unlike Donald Campbell's mascot 'Mr Whoppit'—she didn't take it into her speedboats for fear of losing it. She had clothes made for it in Savile Row and had its name placed with her own on the name plaque on the door of her London apartment.

Between 1925 and 1930, Carstairs spent considerable time in powerboats and became a very successful racer winning many notable trophies – the Duke of York's Trophy in 1926, the Royal Motor Yacht Club International Race, the Daily Telegraph Cup, the Bestise Cup, and the Lucina cup.

Carstairs was known for her generosity to her friends. She was close to several male racing drivers and land speed record competitors, using her considerable wealth to assist them. She paid $10,000 of her money to fund the building of one of the Blue Bird land speed record cars for Sir Malcolm Campbell, who once described her as "the greatest sportsman I know."

After selling Whale Cay, her lavish island home in the Bahamas in 1975, Carstairs relocated to Miami, Florida.  Carstairs died in Naples, Florida, in 1993 at the age of 93. Lord Tod Wadley was cremated with her.

1901 – Clark Gable (d.1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as The King of Hollywood or just simply as The King. Gable began his career as a stage actor and appeared as an extra in silent films between 1924 and 1926, and progressed to supporting roles with a few films for MGM in 1931. The next year he landed his first leading Hollywood role and became a leading man in more than 60 motion pictures over the next three decades.

Gable was arguably best known for his role as Rhett Butler in the epic Gone with the Wind (1939), for which he received his third nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He was also nominated for leading roles in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), and he won for It Happened One Night (1934).His final screen appearance was The Misfits (1961) with Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift.

When Clark Gable first arrived in Hollywood in 1925, he would do anything or use anyone to advance his career. His first two wives were decidedly unglamorous older women; he was a kept man living the lifestyle of a star. As soon as Gable touched the limelight, he abandoned his second wife and followed wherever his penis led. He tore through Hollywood’s women with the appetite of a starving teenager, with one notable exception.

Gable had one homosexual encounter that is well documented. The young Clarke Gable engaged in oral sex with fellow MGM player Billy Haines in order to establish himself at the studio. Billy Haines, who was the most popular male film star of 1930, was the hub of gay Hollywood. He told all his friends about his sexual hookup with Clark Gable in the late 1920s, which was unusual, since Haines usually never bragged about such things. Haines knew first hand the damage that could be caused by a public knowledge of homosexuality. Joan Crawford confirmed the story, and her testament holds up under scrutiny because she was the lifelong best friend of both men. She had no reason to lie about either star, and she cherished the friendship of both.

More than ten years later Gable avenged his gay encounter. Hollywood was awash with both homosexuals and Jews, and Gable let it be known that he held both in disdain. By 1939 Gable had come to personify the image of a super macho male star. During filming of Gone with the Wind, Gable was uncomfortable by the presence of Billy Haines, who visited the set as a guest of director George Cukor (who was both homosexual and Jewish).The legend goes that actor Andy Lawler was at a Hollywood party later and announced, quite loudly and quite likely high on cocaine, that "George is directing one of Billy's old tricks." The laugh at Gable’s expense got back to him, and he was outraged. He snarled on set, "I won't be directed by a fairy," which so enraged Cukor that he walked off the set.

MGM decided it needed Gable more than Cukor for this project, and Victor Fleming was ushered in as replacement director, even though Cukor had already worked for two years on preproduction and early filming. Although Gone with the Wind became one of the great films of all time, the incident didn’t harm the career of George Cukor, who immediately began working on The Women and continued to make top grossing films.

Gable was crowned “The King of Hollywood”, but Carol Lombard joked: "if his cock was one inch shorter, they'd be calling him "the Queen of Hollywood. God knows I love Clark, but he's the worst lay in town."

And Tallulah Bankhead commented, "if his dick was one inch shorter, his name would be Betty Grable, not Clark Gable."

1935 – Christian Haren, prominent AIDS activist, entrepreneur, and actor, was born (d.1996).

Born and raised in California, Haren served a short stint in the army. After leaving the service, he began working as an actor. In the 1960s Haren received a studio contract from MGM and starred in Vincente Minnelli's Bells Are Ringing, Otto Preminger's In Harm's Way, and Billy Rose's Jumbo. He starred on Broadway in the Bertolt Brecht play The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, produced by Tony Richardson.

He is best remembered for playing the role of the Marlboro Man in print advertisements in the early 1960s.

Haren was openly gay and the proprietor of the popular Palm Springs gay bar CC Construction Co. in later years. In 1985 he was diagnosed with AIDS and became active in AIDS prevention education. He started "The Wedge", a "safe sex" AIDS prevention organization for teens in San Francisco. Haren died on February 27, 1996, in San Francisco, California of complications from AIDS, aged 61. His life was the subject of the 1998 documentary short Castro Cowboy.

1949 – France: The Paris Prefect of Police issues a decree forbidding men from dancing together in public.

1983 – Ronnie Kroell is an American fashion model, actor & singer best known for appearing on the first season of the Bravo reality series Make Me a Supermodel.

Kroell was born in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Niles North High School in Skokie. There, he became interested in theater. After a break, he attended Harper College, earning his associate degree in political science.

Kroell appeared on season one of Bravo's Make Me a Supermodel. In the show, Ronnie entered into a notable bromance with fellow contestant Ben DiChiara, which was dubbed "Bronnie". He became very popular on the show and won the title of "Fan Favorite" despite placing second behind Holly Kiser.

Following his appearance on the series, Kroell continued to work to establish himself as a model. He signed a contract with New York Model Management and has walked the catwalks for designers such as Philip Sparks, Loris Diran, Malan Breton and Richie Rich. He also featured the cover of Next and Instinct magazines. In June 2010, Ronnie graced the cover of Playgirl magazine along with a provocative layout shot by the internationally renowned fashion photographer Lope Navo. Kroell is currently working on developing a fragrance line and filming a new reality show. Ronnie is the founder of the Friend Movement,LLC organization which is supported by celebrity friends Lisa Vanderpump & Adam Lambert. Kroell co starred in the fourth installment of Q. Allan Brocka's popular Eating Out series, "Eating Out 4: Drama Camp". Ronnie made an appearance in the Andrew Christian mini-challenge as a featured underwear model in an episode of RuPaul's Drag Race.

Kroell is openly gay. Ronnie has been the guest of honor and/or the grand marshal at gay pride events all across the United States.

Ronnie is very much involved in charity and awareness campaigns. Kroell has also contributed to the "I talk about HIV/AIDS Because..." campaign. In addition, Ronnie has worked with Equality Maryland, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Human Rights Campaign, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Latino Commission on AIDS (LCOA).

1988 – In February, The Kids in the Hall, a sketch comedy series whose cast includes the openly gay Scott Thompson, debuts on CBC Television. Sketches such as Thompson's character Buddy Cole and the ensemble sketch "The Steps" were among the most visible representations of gay culture on Canadian television during the show's run.

The Kids in the Hall comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States.

The name of the group came from Sid Caesar, who, if a joke didn't go over, or played worse than expected, would attribute it to "the kids in the hall," referring to a group of young writers hanging around the studio.

The show's sketches were reminiscent of Monty Python's Flying Circus: often quirky or surreal, frequently utilizing drag, with very few celebrity impressions or pop culture parodies; the only recurring celebrity impression was of Queen Elizabeth II, played by Thompson. A recurring character was Mr. Tyzik, played by McKinney, who pretended to crush people's heads from a distance with his fingers. McKinney also played Chicken Lady, a shrill-voiced sexually excitable human-chicken hybrid. Many of the sketches featured gay characters and themes; most of these sketches were written by and starred Scott Thompson, who is openly gay. The show was also notable for reflecting and dealing with the youth subculture of its times, and for incisive sketches about big business and family units.

1992 – Darryl Pinckney's first novel High Cotton is published. Pinckney, born in Indianapolis, Indiana (b.1953), is an American novelist, playwright, and essayist.

Pinckney grew up in a middle-class African-American family in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he attended local public schools. He was educated at Columbia University in New York City.

Some of Pinckney's first professional works were theatre texts, plays developed in collaboration with director Robert Wilson. These included the produced works of The Forest (1988) and Orlando (1989). Pinckney returned to theatre with Time Rocker (1995).

His first novel was High Cotton (1992), a semi-autobiographical novel about "growing up black and bourgeois" in 1960s America. His second novel was Black Deutschland (2016), about a young gay black man in Berlin in the late 1980s, just before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Pinckney is also a frequent contributor to the New York Review of Books, Granta, Slate, and The Nation. He frequently explores issues of racial and sexual identities, as expressed in literature.

In the 21st century, Pinckney has published two collections of essays on African-American literature. He has expressed his admiration for the writing of the long-running American CBS soap opera, As the World Turns.

His partner is English poet James Fenton; the couple has been together since 1989. Pinckney lives in New York City and Oxfordshire, England.

2009 – On this date Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir became the world's first openly Gay prime minister, when Iceland elected her to head up a new parliament. In 2002 she joined in a civil union with the Icelandic author and playwright. The couple legally maried in 2010. Jónína Leósdóttir.

2012 – An utterly misnamed group called OneMillionMoms made headlines by calling for a boycott of the Dallas-based department store JC Penney for having hired Ellen DeGeneres as its spokesperson. A "project" of the hate group American Family Association, OneMillionMoms was offended that JC Penney had hired an open homosexual spokesperson when most of its customers are "traditional families."

In response to the organization's threat of a boycott, JC Penney president Michael Francis issued a press release declaring, "We share the same fundamental values as Ellen. We couldn't think of a better partner to help us put the fun back into the retail experience."

[audreyhepburninblackandwhite]

Audrey Hepburn holds a toy while having a cigarette break during the Hollywood Bowl. The Hollywood Bowl is considered as Southern California's premier destination for live musical events since its opening in 1922. January 7, 1954

[oliversrarebooks]

roger, whats it like being fitz's thrall? (aka how does it feel to be living my dream... im not jealous... totally not living vicariously through you...)

Masterlist

January 1922

TW: mind control, conditioning, blood drinking mentions of past abuse, fear of death

"You have to get up, sir." 

Roger gently shook the lump of tangled blankets and sheets that most likely contained a vampire at its core. The only real indication that his master was within was the soft groan from inside, a mumble that sounded a lot like "leave me alone."

"I can't leave you alone, sir. You have a show at 7, remember? If you don't rise and shine soon, you won't have enough time to do your hair and makeup and make it to the theater."

"Uggggggh. Why'd I schedule a show so goddamned early? What is wrong with me?" The pile of blankets huddled in on itself more tightly.

"...I suspect there may be several things, sir," said Roger, unable to resist the obvious opening and knowing that a bit of banter might put his master in a better mood. "Regardless, you did schedule the show, and you do need to leave the house for it."

"Horrible. Torturous. Excruciating." The bedclothes rustled, and Fitz poked his head out just enough to take a look. "It's so early that the sun is leaking around the curtains! The sun could kill me, Roger, you can't expect me to get up in those conditions. I could die."

"I believe that's what the curtains are for, sir. To prevent you from dying when you're unjustly forced to wake up during the day." Roger sat down on the side of the bed. He'd done this often enough to know when he was in for the long haul, and he was quite capable of patience -- a good quality to have when serving Fitz. "You were looking forward to this show, weren't you? It's a large venue, and you have your new rotating box trick."

"Mmm."

"I'm sure it will go over splendidly, sir, and you'll be afforded all the praise and applause you deserve," he said. Cheap flattery rarely failed to soften his master's mood. "Aren't you looking forward to seeing the looks of delight on your audience's faces when you perform your new trick? And besides that, aren't you looking forward to being paid?"

Fitz seemed to be lowering both his blankets and his guard. "I suppose so..."

"Excellent. Then forgive me for this, sir." Roger grabbed the covers and pulled them away, as his master produced a sound not unlike a dying cat.

With lightning fast reflexes, the blankets were wrenched from Roger's grasp, and Fitz was clutching them to himself and huddling in the middle of the bed. "How could you? How could my own thrall do such a thing? Heartless, you're simply heartless." He curled up under the blankets and stubbornly closed his eyes as if to go back to sleep.

"Of the two of us, sir, it's technically you who is heartless." Roger sighed. It was always most difficult to wake Fitz in the dead of winter. The long nights enticed his master to stay out too late sampling the city's nightlife, and the cold made him especially reluctant to leave his chambers, which, thanks to the radiators, were as hot as a furnace.

He reached down to the blankets, intending to tug on them again. This time, despite Fitz pretending to sleep, he was faster than Roger, and grasped his wrist.

Roger felt a delicious, drowsy warmth coming from his master's touch, filling his mind with cotton candy haze. It was blissfully dreamy and intoxicating, and, most dangerously, it was sleep-inducing, enticing him to shut his weary eyes and rest.

"Go back to sleep, Roger," Fitz lulled. "Curl up here. Keep me warm..."

Roger was swaying on the spot, eyelids drooping, rapidly losing himself to enchanted slumber -- but he'd been caught by this trap on plenty of occasions, and each time it ended with Fitz regretful that he'd overslept and missed his obligations. It was that memory that kept Roger just awake enough to wrench his arm away and mostly free himself from his master's dangerous temptation. Fitz was making sad little grabbing motions as Roger moved out of range of his hands.

"I'm afraid that if you wish to use your powers on me, you'll have to leave your bed to do so, sir," said Roger, standing several feet away. "The sooner you get it over with, the sooner you can get to the pleasant business of washing up." They both knew that it was a bluff. Roger had been under Fitz's thrall for many years now, and his master didn't need hypnotic touch to compel him, body and soul. But it was a bluff that usually worked.

"Fine, fine, you win." With one final dramatic groan, Fitz threw off the covers and sat up. "I'll take my shower, then. But I expect you to attend to me when I'm finished."

"Of course, sir." Roger watched as his master stumbled into the bathroom, and in a moment he could hear the sound of running water and upbeat humming. Fitz loved long, warm showers as much as he loved rolling around lazily in bed. He'd spend at least a half-hour relaxing in the steamy waters and performing his elaborate and ever-changing skin care routine, one which involved enough distinct products as to cover most of the vanity table.

This gave Roger plenty of time to make the perpetually disheveled bed, the foot-high pile of blankets, and the mountain of pillows in every shape and size. He made quick work of it, picked up the dirty clothes that had been tossed on the floor yesterday morning. 

Housekeeping was Roger's primary responsibility apart from providing blood and humoring Fitz's varied whims. With only the two of them in a reasonably sized flat, it wasn't especially difficult or time-consuming compared to when he'd lived on his own, before he'd been snatched off the street by a vampire. He'd even come to enjoy the simple chores. He wasn't sure how much of that was due to his own feelings or to Fitz's coercion -- his master grasping his shoulders and softening Roger's mind, whispering to him how much he loved to serve.

Really, it hardly mattered any more.

When he'd finished tidying up, Roger got down to the business of setting out his master's clothes. Serving Fitz was really about anticipating his moods more than anything else. With a large venue, he'd want something particularly flashy -- something on the warmer side for a chill day -- deep blue, perhaps?

The door to the bathroom cracked open, Roger's signal to enter.

The steam was blinding, mixed with the almost overwhelming scent of flowers, as Roger entered. Fitz was fussing with his hair, as usual, despite not being able to see it in the mirror. "You simply must help me out with this," he said.

"Of course, sir," said Roger, taking the comb from him. This was a ritual they performed nearly every night Fitz went out. Even as the years went by and Fitz grew from a young vampire to a seasoned one, he still seemed so irritated at not being able to see himself in the mirror, sometimes requiring excessive reassurance from Roger that he was still handsome.

Tonight, though, his master seemed deep in his own head as Roger ran the comb through his hair, taking some pomade in hand to smooth it back. He pulled the longer hair into a neat tail, the sort of style usually reserved for unsavory sorts, but then, Fitz didn't mind presenting himself as a bit unsavory. Roger's tense shoulders relaxed as faint hypnotic power flowed from his master's proximity, fogging his mind at the same time it increased his desire to help fix Fitz's brooding.

"Is everything all right, sir?"

Fitz seemed startled back into the waking world by the question. "Of course," he said with his fake smile plastered firmly to his face. "Just running through the show in my head. If I'm going to be dragged out of my bed and into the cold this early, it had better be worth it."

"I'm sure it will be, sir. You're looking quite handsome this evening."

"Obviously," he said, lacking the usual cheer that punctuated their banter.

With Fitz's hair squared away, the two then left the bathroom for Roger to assist dressing him. "While the rest of this outfit is acceptable, this bowtie is just not..." Fitz seemed to be fishing around, thinking of what could be wrong with the bowtie, clearly eager to find some minor fault to distract himself from his own worries. "It's blue, isn't it? You can't have blue on a night that's already cold and gloomy, that won't do. It must be red. The color of excitement and passion!"

"I don't know what I was thinking, sir," Roger deadpanned, picking up the blue bowtie that Fitz had tossed aside and fetching one of his half-a-dozen red ones.

Fitz allowed Roger to fit him with the new selection. "That's why you should leave the thinking to me."

"I'm not so sure about that, sir."

That got a genuine smile from his master. "Come now, when has that ever not worked out?" he said. "With this outfit and your expert attention to my hair, I'm sure tonight's show will be an absolute triumph."

"There's not a single doubt in my mind, sir."

As Roger adjusted his master's cummerbund, Fitz leaned in a bit more, in an unsubtle fashion. The undercurrent of tension Roger had felt all night bloomed into something more recognizable: hunger. His master desired his blood, and, as always, Roger felt himself falling into a pleasurable daze, one where all thoughts fled from his mind apart from offering himself to his master.

"I think I'll need to feed from you when I return. You don't mind, do you?" Fitz whispered in his ear.

"No, master," said Roger, shivering involuntarily. "It's my pleasure to serve you."

"And it's my pleasure to feed," he said, grinning with his fangs bared. "Yes, I think that'll be just the thing to lift my spirits. Something to look forward to after the show."

"Yes, sir. I'll also look forward it." He meant that -- he had long since given up being troubled by his desire for vampiric feedings. He'd felt that desire even for his previous master's painful, harsh feedings, and it was far easier to accept Fitz's gentle trance of bliss.

A few minutes later and Roger had wrangled a semi-unwilling vampire into two layers of winter coat and sent him on his way. Sometimes Roger went along with Fitz to the theater, to help with makeup or hair or just for support purposes, but just as often he was left behind to his own devices. 

He didn't mind either way. It was nice to have a few hours to himself. He often spent the bulk of the time painting, something he'd never gotten to do much of even before he was taken by vampires. He wanted to eat breakfast first, though, especially given that his master might be feeding later.

Roger did hope he was. Sometimes he instead chose to feed on his volunteer from the audience, and that was always a bit of a disappointment, denying Roger the opportunity to fulfill his primary purpose in life. But Fitz seemed interested in feeding at home, and if he was going to do that, it would behoove Roger to be well-fed.

Soon enough, a generous portion of ham and eggs was sizzling on the stove. Fitz had made a promise early on that he'd always keep Roger fed, and although he forgot and broke promises all the time, he hadn't broken that one. Unlike his previous master, he never punished Roger with starvation -- a particularly spiteful punishment, since it also seemed to lower the quality of Roger's blood. His previous master did seem to enjoy punishment more than feedings.

When Roger's former master had been destroyed in a duel, Roger had assumed he was going from bad to worse. That feeling had grown stronger when he'd been dragged to a secondhand thrall appraiser and his worth was assessed at far lower than it had been when he'd first been bought. At the time, Roger had been little better than a beaten dog, cringing at every sound, barely daring to speak or think. He'd lost hope for anything better.

And, well, Fitz was far from the savior he'd often imagined during those days. He was still a vampiric master, a dramatic one whose moods changed like the wind. He could still effortlessly control Roger's mind, and he made Roger do all the chores in the house. Roger still wasn't free.

But rather than beatings and torture, Fitz's "punishments" generally amounted to snippy words and extra chores. There was always food, and he was allowed to paint and read and relax. His master might have a terrible habit of tossing out every piece of clothing in his closet when choosing what to wear and then telling Roger to clean it all up, but compared to what life had been like...

He hoped that Fitz came home safe. He'd strongly prefer to not change hands again, even if it meant dragging a protesting vampire out of bed each night for the rest of his life.

Roger had busied himself painting a bird from an illustration in a nature book when he heard the front door creak. "It's goddamn cold out there! Windy, too."

"Welcome home, sir," said Roger, helping his master out of his frigid coats. He was pleased to see Fitz in a better mood than when he'd left. "I take it your show went well?"

"Of course! Didn't you say there wasn't a single doubt in your mind?" he said with a grin as he kicked off his shoes, leaving Roger to line them up neatly in the shoe rack. "The crowd loved it! The spinning box trick is a real winner -- I just need to think of some ways to jazz it up further -- perhaps doing up the box in spangles to really dazzle them..." 

He shook himself out of his train of thought, seeming to remember Roger was there. "All of that applause did have me work up an appetite, though," he said, stepping close and brushing his hand against Roger's. Roger could feel the influence flowing through him, stoking his need for the feeding. "Why don't you go start the fire? That and your blood will provide me with some warmth tonight, I think."

So he was going to feed. Roger tried to keep his face neutral to preserve a scrap of dignity. "Very good, sir."

Roger allowed himself to hum a bit of a jaunty tune as he stacked wood in the fireplace and lit the kindling, using the bellows to raise the fire higher. He could hear his master making a commotion in the bathroom, likely getting out of his fine clothes and washing off the stage makeup. By the time Fitz arrived in the parlor, the fire was crackling merrily.

"Ahhhhh," said Fitz, sprawling out onto the old leather couch and beckoning Roger close. "This is the life, isn't it, Roger?"

"It certainly is, sir."

"Well, I suppose I'm not technically alive. The point still stands."

His master put his hand to Roger's cheek, and Roger sank into the mind-numbing bliss that came from his power, the familiar sense of captivation and contentment. As always, he could feel his master's desire to feed, and as he dropped deeper into a trance, his hands came up to unbutton his shirt and pull his collar away.

"You really are an excellent thrall," said Fitz, and Roger soaked in both the praise and the sense of security that came from pleasing his master. "Now just relax and let me have what I need."

Sharp fangs punctured the old scars that would never heal, and Roger's pliable mind slipped further as his master began to drink. There was nothing but bliss and contentment and hunger and need --

-- and, as always when his master was anxious, the sound of ticking clocks and the undercurrent of a lonely void.

Perhaps the good reception to his show hadn't brightened his mood as much as Roger had thought.

Fitz drank hungrily as if to fill that void with his thrall's blood, and Roger could feel his senses buckling, his vision tunneling and his eyelids growing heavy. His master was overdrinking again. "Sir," Roger managed to say as he fought to stay awake. "Sir -- sir, you're --"

"Oh!" His master mercifully stopped. "Damn it, I'm sorry, Roger. I don't mean to do that, you know I don't."

"I know you don't," Roger parroted in a dazed voice, slumping against his master's shoulder, allowing his eyes to close now that the danger had passed.

Someday, his master was probably going to kill him. He'd drink too much blood, and Roger would fail to stop him in time, collapsing into his master's arms and closing his eyes for the last time.

But tonight was not that night, and Roger was glad of it.

Masterlist

@d-cs @latenightcupsofcoffee @thecyrulik @dismemberment-on-a-tuesday-night @wanderinggoblin @whumpyourdamnpears @only-shadows-dwell-where-we-are @pressedpenn @pigeonwhumps @amusedmuralist @xx-adam-xx @ivycloak @irregular-book @whumpsoda @mj-or-say10 @pokemaniacgemini @sowhumpshaped @whumpsday @morning-star-whump @shinyotachi @silly-scroimblo-skrunkl @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @pirefyrelight @theauthorintraining @whump-me-all-night-long @anonfromcanada @typewrittenfangs @tessellated-sunl1ght @cleverinsidejoke @abirbable @ichorousambrosia @a-formless-entity @gobbo-king @writinggremlin @the-agency-archives @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @enigmawriteswhump @foresttheblep @bottlecapreader @whump-on-a-string @whumpinthepot @cinnamoncandycanes @avvail-whumps @tauntedoctopuses @secret-vampkissers-soiree @whatamidoingherehelpme

[todaysdocument]

Letter from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Dr. Egleston Regarding his Polio Attack

Collection FDR-FDRFBP: Franklin D. Roosevelt Family, Business and Personal PapersSeries: General Correspondence FilesFile Unit: E General

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Hyde Park, Dutchess County

New York

at Warm Springs, Georgia

October 11, 1924

My dear Dr. Egleston:

Please excuse my delay in replying to your letter which has been forwarded to me down here in your neighboring state where I am spending a few weeks swimming and getting sunlight for my legs.

I am very glad to tell you what I can in regard to my case and as I have talked it over with a great many doctors can, I think, give you a history of the case which would be equal to theirs.

First symptoms of the illness appeared in August, 1921, when I was thoroughly tired from overwork. I first had a chill in the evening which lasted practically all night. The following morning the muscles of the right knee appeared weak and by afternoon I was unable to support my weight on my right leg. That evening the left knee began to weaken also and by the following morning I was unable to stand up. This was accompanied by a continuing temperature of about 102 and I felt thoroughly achy all over. By the end of the third day practically all muscles from the chest down were involved. Above the chest the only symptom was a weakening of the two large thumb muscles making it impossible to write. There was no special pain along the spine and no rigidity of the neck.

For the following two weeks I had to be catheterized and there was slight, though not severe, difficult in controlling the bowels. The fever lasted for only 6 or 7 days, but all the muscles from the hips down were extremely sensitive to the touch and I had to have the knees supported by pillows. This condition of extreme discomfort lasted about three weeks. I was then moved to a New York hospital and finally moved home in November, being able by that time to sit up in a wheel chair, but the leg muscles remained extremely sensitive and this sensitiviness [sic] disappeared gradually over a period of 6 months, the last remaining point being the calf muscles.

As to treatment--the mistake was made for the first 10 days of giving my feet and lower legs rather heavy massage. This was stopped by Dr. Lovett of Boston who was, without doubt, the greatest specialist on infantile paralysis. In January, 1922, 5 months after the attack he found that the muscles behind the knees had contracted and that there was a tendency to foot-drop in the right foot. These were corrected by the use of plaster casts during 2 weeks. In February, 1922, braces were fitted on each leg from the hips to the shoes and I was able to stand up and learned gradually to walk with crutches. At the same time gentle exercises were begun, first every other day, then daily, exercising each muscle 10 times and seeking to avoid any undue strain by giving each muscle the correct movement with gravity. These exercises I did on a board placed on the bed.

The recovery of muscle paralysis began at this time, though for many months it seemed to make little progress. In the summer of [complete transcription at link]

[whiskeylover75]

Marilyn Monroe’s family.

Gladys Pearl Monroe was Marilyn’s mother. At age 15, Gladys had married John Newton Baker, an abusive man nine years her senior. They had two children together, Robert and Berniece.

Gladys’ second marriage occurred in 1924 when she married Martin Edward Mortensen. In 1926 she gave birth to Norma Jeane, (Marilyn)

Gladys told Marilyn that her father was one of her co-workers (and her superior) at RKO Studios—a man named Charles Stanley Gifford.

Marilyn sought out Charles Stanley Gifford and told him who she was, only for him to respond: “I’m married, and I have a family. I don’t have anything to say to you. Call my lawyer”

In 2022, a scientists performed a DNA test on a strand of Marilyn’s hair and a cheek swab from one of Charles’ great-grandchildren, which confirmed that Charles was Marilyn’s father.

Marilyn also had two other half-siblings from Gifford’s marriage with his first wife, a sister, Doris Elizabeth (1920–1933), and a brother, Charles Stanley Jr. (1922–2015).

Gladys, who had long suffered from mental illness, lived most of her life from 1934 until 1967 in psychiatric facilities.

She went on to live with her daughter Berniece, and moved into a retirement home in Gainesville, Florida, where she died on March 11, 1984

Marilyn’s father, Charles Stanley Gifford (1898-1965)

Marilyn’s mother, Gladys Pearl Monroe (May 27, 1902 – March 11, 1984)

Marilyn’s half brother, Robert Kermitt Baker (January 16, 1918. August 16, 1933) He died of kidney failure as a result of the tuberculosis

Marilyn’s half sister, Berniece Inez Gladys Miracle (July 30, 1919 – May 25, 2014)

Marilyn’s niece, Mona Rae Miracle, was born on July 18, 1939.

Photo 1- Berniece at 75 years old, 1994

Photo 2- Marilyn as a baby

Photo 3- Gladys and Norma Jeane

Photo 4- Gladys

Photo 5- Marilyn’s half brother Robert.

Photo 6- Berniece, Gladys, Marilyn

Photo 7- Berniece, Marilyn with her niece Mona and Gladys

Photo 8- Stanley, Marilyn’s father

Photo 9- Stanley Jr. Marilyn’s half brother, her father’s son.

Photo 10- Gladys

[fibula-rasa]

Lost, but Not Forgotten: What Price Beauty? (1925)

Direction: Thomas Buckingham

Scenario & Story: Natacha Rambova

Titles: Malcolm Stuart Boylan

Production Manager: S. George Ullman

Camera: J. D. Jennings

Art Direction: Natacha Rambova 

Production Design: William Cameron Menzies

Costume Design: Adrian

Studio: Circle Films (Production) & Pathé Exchange (Distribution)

Performers: Nita Naldi, Pierre Gendron, Virginia Pearson, Dolores Johnson, Myrna Loy, Sally Winters, La Supervia, Marilyn Newkirk, Victor Potel, Spike Rankin, Rosalind Byrne, Templar Saxe, Leo White Maybe: John Steppling, Paulette Duval, Dorothy Dwan, and Sally Long

Premiere: None, general release: January 22, 1928

Status: Presumed entirely lost.

Length: Variously reported as 5000 and 4000 feet (more commonly listed as 4000) or 5 reels

Synopsis (synthesized from magazine summaries of the plot):

Mary, a.k.a. “Miss Simplicity” (Dolores Johnson) is a starry-eyed, country-to-city transplant. She works at a beauty shop operated by a glamorous matron (Virginia Pearson) and owned by the young and handsome Clay (Pierre Gendron). 

Mary is in love with Clay, but doesn’t have the nerve or feminine wiles to woo him. The uber-sophisticated Rita (Nita Naldi), however, is chock full of nerves and wile. Rita’s fancy clothes and perfumes and advanced flirting skills leave Mary feeling destined to fail at winning Clay’s amorous attention. 

These feelings sublimate into an expressionistic dream for Mary, where she finds herself transformed into a sophisticate like Rita. Her boss is seen as a magnificent wizard, converting her clients into archetypes of glamour: exotic types, flappers, and sirens. Her competition, Rita, is seen as a bewitching spider.

In the end, surprising Mary, it turns out that her fresh-faced, unassuming charm is more appealing to Clay than Rita’s more practiced charm.

Additional sequence(s) featured in the film (but I’m not sure where they fit in the continuity):

Scene of the trials and tribulations of a fat woman trying to “reduce”

Points of Interest:

Only one quarter of Nita Naldi’s Hollywood films have survived (7 extant titles/21 lost or mostly lost titles).

——— ——— ———

What Price Beauty? was the first and only film produced under Natacha Rambova’s own company. Coordinating production for the film was the business manager for Rambova and her husband Rudolph Valentino, S. George Ullman. The couple met Ullman when he was working for Mineralava beauty products, the sponsor of their 1922-3 dancing tour. 

When Rudolph Valentino entered into a contract with United Artists, said contract reportedly stipulated that Valentino-Rambova were not a package deal. Therefore, Rambova could not collaborate with Valentino on his productions for United. Possibly as consolation, Ullman funded a production for Rambova while Valentino worked on The Eagle (1925, extant).

For Rambova, What Price Beauty? was meant to be a proving ground for her idea that an artistic film could be made on a modest budget. She also wished to remind people that she was a skilled artist in her own right.

In an interview in Picture Play Magazine from August 1925, Rambova asserts:

“…I do not want the production in any sense to be referred to as high-brow or ‘arty’. My reputation for being ‘arty’ is one of the things that I have to live down, and I hope by this picture, which is a comedy—even to the extent of gags and hokum—to overcome that idea. “A woman who marries a celebrity is bound to find herself in a more or less equivocal position, it seems, and her difficulties are only increased when she happens to have had some artistic ambitions of her own before her marriage. I am afraid that those who have accused me of meddling in my husband’s affairs forget that I enjoyed a certain reputation and a very good remuneration for my work as well before I became Mrs. Valentino.”

“What I desire personally is simply to be known for the work which I have always done, and that has brought me a reputation entirely independent of my marriage.”

There isn’t a vast amount of information on what exactly prevented WPB from gaining release in a timely fashion. If the film was truly nothing more than a ploy to separate Rambova from Valentino, that would be an absurd waste of time, money (~$80,000 in 1925 USD), and talent—Rambova employed soon-to-be famous designer Adrian for costumes and William Cameron Menzies for set decoration. Not to mention that, in front of the camera, Nita Naldi was still a popular star and the Rambova discovery, Myrna Loy, made her quickly hyped debut. 

When Pathé finally purchased WPB for distribution in 1928, they did very little to promote the film. Naldi had moved on from the film industry—as had Rambova. And, while Loy hadn’t become the huge star we know today by January of 1928, Warner Brothers had already given her top billing in a number of films. Pathé barely mentions Loy’s role in the little promotion they did do.

To put WPB’s release in the context of Rambova’s personal/professional biography (which you can read more about here):

June/July 1925 – WPB is completed, Rambova and Valentino separate (in July according to Rambova’s mother as quoted in Rambova’s book Rudy)

August 1925 – Rambova leaves Hollywood for New York City, reportedly to negotiate distribution for WPB. She and Valentino would see each other in person for the last time. Rambova leaves NYC for Europe.

September 1925 – Valentino draws up a new will disinheriting Rambova

November 1925 – Rambova returns to the US to act in a film, When Love Grows Cold (1926, presumed lost), a title which Rambova objected to

December 1925 – Rambova files for divorce

August 1926 – Valentino dies 

January 1928 – WPB is finally released with no fanfare by Pathé

In my research for my Rambova cosplay, the suspicious production/release history for this film stood out to me. I hoped that I might find some reliable evidence of whether WPB was a consolation prize and/or a scheme to keep Rambova and Valentino apart. Honestly and unfortunately, circumstantial evidence does support it!

After poring over what few contemporary sources cover WPB, there seemed to be no plan in place for distribution as the film was in production. United Artists, at whose lot the film was shot, claimed to have nothing to do with its release. Ullman had a news item placed about negotiating the distribution rights in the East. However, in Ullman’s own memoir, he admits that when he travelled to New York with Rambova, it was in a personal, not professional capacity—navigating the couple’s separation. (Ullman’s book contains many disprovable claims and misrepresentations, so anything cited from it should be taken with a grain of salt.) That said, Ullman’s failure to secure even a modest distribution deal for WPB in a reasonable timeframe speaks to how ill-founded Valentino’s and Rambova’s trust in his business acumen was.

WPB cost $80,000 to produce, which converts to $1.4 million in 2023 USD. While that wasn’t an outrageous budget for a Hollywood feature film at the time, especially one with such advanced production value, it’s certainly an absurd cost if the goal was only to separate a bankable star from his wife and collaborator.

A close friend and employee of Valentino and Rambova, Lou Mahoney, recalled in Michael Morris’ Madam Valentino:

“The picture was previewed at a theater on the east side of Pasadena, and Mahoney remembered the audience reaction as positive, but, thereafter, What Price Beauty? was consigned to oblivion. Mahoney knew why: ‘No help came from anyone, no thoughts of trying to get this picture properly released. No help came from Ullman, Schenck, or anybody else. Their whole thought was that if the picture were a success, Mrs. Valentino would be a success. She would then start producing under the Rudolph Valentino Production Company. But this nobody wanted—except herself, and Mr. Valentino.’”

——— ——— ———

The few reviews from 1928 that I was able to find are not very complimentary of WPB. The critics seem thrown by the film’s tone or genre—reading it as a drama. (Part of that is Pathé’s fault as they listed it as one.) But, according to sources contemporary to WPB’s production, it was intended to be a farcical satire of the beauty industry and social expectations of feminine beauty. Given the simple story, the intentional typage of characters (“The Sport,” “The Sissy,” and “Miss Simplicity”), and the over-the-top-but-on-a-budget art design of WPB, all signs point to high camp. In 1925 as well as 1928, the stodgier side of the critical spectrum would likely fail to see its appeal.

It’s a true shame we can’t find out for ourselves how good, bad, or campy WPB was as of yet, but here’s hoping the film resurfaces!

More about Rambova

GIFs of some of her design work on film

☕Appreciate my work? Buy me a coffee! ☕

Transcribed Sources & Annotations over on the WMM Blog!

[gaysindistress]

When Night Comes - Fifteen

Summary: Who would win in a staring contest? New York’s resident mob boss and master of the side eye Bucky Barnes or the daycare teacher who really wants to go home and smoke?

pairing: Mob!Vampire!Bucky Barnes x reader

Warnings: cursing, lowkey smutty times, talks of sex/sexual things, mentions of death/murder/dead body, angst, there's a second rat in the Strigoi gang (sorry not sorry)

Word count: 2.7k

Fourteen | masterlist

A/n: Once again the wonderful @vonalyn came in clutch and helped me with this part💕💕 I'm officially done with my bachelor's so I'll have more time to write 😭

tag list: @cakesandtom @elizacusi-blog @unaxv @hidden-treasures21 @buckybarnessimpp @vonalyn @thebuckybarnesvault

disclaimer: credits to original creator/poster of image/gif. found on Google/Pinterest

March 3, 1922

New York City

Sweat beads on her brow as she shoves her exhausted body behind a brick wall. Her chest constricts when she hears the sick sounds of laughter and inhuman like growls. The group of disgusting feral men that were chasing her are nearing with every passing moment and she is running out of options. They call out to her: “Celeste, come out come out wherever you are. Your Strigoi bastard of a husband can’t protect you now.” 

Another round of sick laughter falls on her ears as she chokes back a sob when their foul smell rips into her nose. Celeste’s fight or flight senses are working themselves into the dirt but nothing is coming up to help her. Having been turned many years before, she gave up any magic that she had been born with and she pleads with her ancestors to save her just this once. 

“Please,” she begs internally as she looks tearfully to the sky. The Lycan gang is closing in on her when the dark night sky opens up and a steak of lightening answers her prayers. 

May 25, 1923

Bucharest, Romania

“What do you mean I can’t go back?” Celeste scoffs at her husband who is refusing to look at her, “Bucky.”

He keeps his calm composure when he issues his final verdict, “It’s too dangerous. Your coven agreed to keep you safe as long as you remain here.”

“You spoke to my coven without me? You could’ve gotten yourself killed, you absolute fool! Any agreement with them will only result in your suffering, you must know that.”

“All that matters is that you’re safe, okay? End of story,” he hisses after turning to face his angry wife.

She shakes her head at his stupid decision, “when?”

When he doesn’t answer, she demands again, “When did you do this?” 

“Yesterday.”

She takes a deep breath and twists the ring he had given her the night before, “What did you agree to?”

Bucky doesn’t speak for a long while and meets her stare. 

He relents but only to give up one piece of information, “As long as you’re on Romanian soil and wearing your ring, you will be safe.”

“I can’t believe you,” she whispers, “You went behind my back, made a century long deal, and hid it from me? I told you that I had this handled but of course, you had to do it yourself and make things worse in the process.”

“I did what I had to do, Celeste. We didn’t have the time to wait around another 10 months for you to negotiate with those con artists” and with that he leaves her to ponder over his words. 

Her anger boils to the surface, unable to keep itself under control. She lets out something akin to a roar and in the process, breaks Bucky’s heart. 

January 7, 1945

Peggy smiles nervously at Celeste as they both jitter and anticipation. Bucky and Steve are awaiting the bride and her maid of honor just on the other side of the doors. Seeing as how Peggy ran away, there’s very few people in attendance at this wedding. Very few meaning quite literally only ten. Various Strigoi from other territories and witches forced there by treaties make up the small crowd. 

A townsperson well trusted by Bucky holds the doors shut. He gives them a brief and tightlipped smile before opening the doors.

Onward goes the wedding, and within moments, the happy couple are married. An elaborate celebration follows all thanks to Bucky and his love for his best friend since birth Steve. A witch that Celeste recognizes as an elder for the coven, Marguerite, beckons her towards the back of the room and away from the prying eyes. When she approaches the woman, she’s led out and that’s when Marguerite lays the worst news Celeste would be given - the full truth behind Romania’s curse.

In his efforts to protect the one he loved most, Bucky made a blood deal with her coven - one that would mean his ruination as well if it breaks. While the coven agreed to protect Celeste by banning Lycans for a century, what they did not tell him was if he didn’t do as he promised to keep her there, Celeste would no longer be protected and a ban on both Lycan and Strigoi would be put in place.

While the coven’s power pulls from Celeste’s line of doppelgängers, she had been the most powerful that was until she was turned. Becoming a Strigoi meant that her connection to her coven and the power they needed ended. If they wanted to ever regain that beacon, Celeste would need to die and soon so that the new doppelgänger could be born.

Seeing as how the Lycan had tried to kill her in the past several times, her death would be inevitable so the coven would get everything they wanted; a thought that made her skin crawl and her stomach to rotten. 

“What else did you lie to him about?” Celeste hissed at the old woman. 

Marguerite shrugged, “We did not lie to him. It is his fault if he did not ask for the full agreement.” 

“I’ll ask then, what else did he agree to?”

“He will bring us our next binecuvântat, blessed one.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

She smiled a devilish smile, “He will. We have made certain of it.”

June 26, 1948

The Wright Lycan family had finally made true on their promise to take all that Bucky loved from him. 

The evidence? 

Celeste’s body floating lifelessly in the foul waters of the Hudson river and a picture of her nailed to the front door of their shared home. 

Steve could do nothing to console Bucky and figured it best to let the feral, grief driven man hold his wife one last time. Peggy collapsed into Steve’s arms as Bucky pulled Celeste from the water, chanting that it had been her fault, that she was supposed to be with her but wasn’t feeling good so she stayed home. 

His screams of agony could be heard for miles. All else had been fallen silent as Bucky mourned the murder of his love. 

Sometime in 2022

The thin silver chain never bothered him but the weight of the ring that it carried was a constant reminder of the hole in his heart. 

The metal of the small band that she had worn for years burned against his neck as Bucky got out of his car to pick up Wyatt. The burn turned into a deep ache that engulfed his entire body to the point of him almost doubling over in pain. He had to grip the door handle to the school as it raked over his body. The smell of jasmine and honey instantly soothed his pain and Wyatt tackled him moments later. 

Picking up the small boy, the ache turned into a pulling sensation that wanted Bucky to follow that sweet smell and his breath left his body once again when he found the source. Before him stood Celeste or what appeared to be a doppelgänger of her. That small sweet smile was what he saw noticed first but he hopes of his love returning to him were dashed when he saw the hallow look in this woman’s eyes. Years of heart ache and misery had dampened the light that he knew used to live in her warm eyes but still the necklace begged to take its rightful place around her neck. 

“Hi, can I see your ID?” she asked. 

Wyatt giggled in his arms and brought Bucky back down to earth as he fumbled for his wallet. 

She handed back his ID, “Thank you Mr. Barnes. I’m the new site director and I’m carding all adults at pick up until I know everyone.”

Her voice nearly shattered him as he hadn’t heard it in years, “Bucky… You can call me Bucky.”

She smiled, “Sunny.”

Present 

Luca paces the kitchen, wearing even more ruts into the ancient stone floor with his anxiety. Thor, Loki, and Ana Cristina ignore him as they hunch over their own books, all searching for something to lead them into the right direction. They had been at it for hours but nothing had been found. Loki makes a show of slamming his book shut and leaning back as he speaks,  “Maybe this isn’t something we fix, Ana. Y/N is the doppelgänger that he’s supposed to bring back and she’s here now so I don’t really see how the Lycan being here has anything to do with us.”

She shoots him an angry look, “They shouldn’t be here so yes this is something that we fix. If they’re here, that means something is wrong.”

“I don’t see it that way,” he counters, “We get to Y/N first and boom, no more problems. We get our magic restored to full strength and then we can deal with those demoni, demons.” 

Luca gasps in horror and looks around to make sure that no one else is around, “those demoni as you so brashly called them are our friends, neighbors, employers. Show them more respect than that and get back to searching for an answers.”

Thor takes his cue to speak up, “I agree with Loki. Why do we have to protect them when we could very easily get Y/N to come with us? She hates Bucky doesn’t she?” “It’s becoming quite the opposite,” another voice pipes in and the group freezes. Peggy steps out from the shadows and all but glides over to them. She lands a hand on Loki’s shoulder as she continues, “they’re starting to develop feelings, dare I say fall in love so she’s not going to just leave. You’ll have to convince her and with how stubborn she is, I doubt any of you’d be successful.”

She looks around the group and narrows her eyes on the elderly woman, “But you. You’re the only other person that she trusts besides Bucky.  It wouldn’t be that hard if you were the one to do it.”

“I would…”

Peggy waves a hand in annoyance, “‘I would never do that.’ Don’t feed me some lie about how he’s been kind to you and you could never betray his trust like that. Bucky turned your beloved doppelgänger and nearly ended your entire coven. He was the one who got her murdered and nearly cursed your people in the process. He would do it to you and you know that because he is not a loyal creature. You are though, Ana Cristina, show that loyalty and do what’s right by your coven.”

Alix’s phone rings and John looks to her. 

“Apparently Loki and Thor are the only ones that are willing to take one for the team,” she sneers, “Peggy is pretty much useless now so looks like we need another plan and quick before Ana and Luca blab to Bucky.”

“Already ahead of you,” John says as he drops his phone into her lap, “Juliette found a way in… well more like she found someone to get us in.”

Alix twists her head back to look at Juliette is curled into a ball, reading a book, “Oh? Finally started pulling your own weight?”

Eyes trained on the book, she says, “no, gaining trust actually takes time but it’s not like you’d know that.”

“Excuse me?”

Brock chokes on his coffee on the other side of the couch and John shots him a stern look. 

“People don’t usually respond well to physical intimidation. Didn’t your mom teach you that violence isn’t always the answer or did you beat her too?”

Alix is on her feet in seconds, her chair sliding backwards from the force of her standing. She rips the book from Juliette’s hands and pushes her further into the cushions. 

“I never beat anyone.”

Juliette can feel the Lycan in her wanting to shrink back but she can’t. She refuses to back down from this, “I saw the bruises, the marks, the handprints. I saw the way Y/N shook when you were next to her or how she’d flinch when you’d touch her. I watched her become more and more afraid of you but still stayed. I saw it all, everyone did.”

“I didn’t beat Y/N.”

“You can lie to yourself all you want but you’re not fooling anyone. Why else would you be chasing after her?”

Alix fights the urge to rip Juliette’s throat out with her teeth, “I love her.”

The former rat of the Lycan gang rolls her eyes, “No you’re abusive and pissed off that your victim got away.”

Alix growls and goes to lung at her but Brock and John are quick to pull her away before any damage is done.

Brock slides over and gently pushes Alix back, “Let it go. We need her to get to Yelena.” 

She freezes, “Yelena? That’s who your fucking contact is?”

John speaks up, “Apparently she didn’t know some things about Bucky and Peggy enlightened her for us.”

“I have a hard time believing that but,” she growls again at Juliette, “we don’t have a choice. After this, though, you’re fucking done and I’ll kill you myself.”

“Okay okay, so what does it feel like?” 

Bucky stares up at the night sky, blue eyes scanning over the stars and the full moon. The grass under his head crunches as he turns it to look at Y/N. 

“What does what feel like?” 

“Drinking, what does it feel like?”

His brows furrow although he knows what she’s referring to. 

“Don’t make me spell it out,” she gives him a bored look but does so anyway, “what does drinking someone’s blood feel like?”

“What does drinking water feel like?”

She rolls her eyes, “I mean does it feel good?”

“It can feel like an orgasm sometimes.” 

Sharply inhaling, she quickly recovers and attempts to pick a new subject, “can you eat human food?”

He turns his head back with a smirk, “it’s like when you can’t stop thinking about someone all day and you’re so turned on that it hurts. Nothing makes it better, your hand doesn’t do the job but there isn’t a toy that compares either. The only thing that makes it even a little bit better is the person that you’ve been thinking of. When you finally do get to fuck them, you almost don’t last but when you do cum, it’s life changing. You forgot your name and how to breathe , all that you can think of is them. That’s what drinking from someone feels like.” 

While he can’t see her, he can feel how her body has gotten hotter and how she’s started to squirm so much that she accidentally brushes against his side. He didn’t need to use any of his heightened senses to tell that his little monologue had the desired effect. 

“I can show you,” he offers. 

“Show me? What are ....” She trails off when she realizes what he’s actually offering and he chuckles, “do it.”

Courage swirls in her chest albeit not for long as he moves from laying beside her to settling between her legs. The muscles of his bicep bulge as he lowers himself to whisper against her ear, “you think I don’t hear your moans at night when you touch yourself or how frustrated you get because it’s your hand and not mine?” 

Y/N’s eyes open wide at his confession and she can feel his smirk grows even bigger as he dips his head to kiss under her ear. 

“I can’t say that I’m much better though. Ever since that night, all I’ve thought about is you. Everything is you, you, you,” he emphasizes his point with wet kisses that trail down her neck and jawline, " I can't tell you how many times I’ve found myself in front of your door at night.”

“Coward,” she mutters and he freezes. 

Bucky pulls back enough to look at her, “what did you just call me?” 

Taking this opportunity, she pushes up onto her elbows and almost causes him to fall to the side. 

“I called you a coward for not doing anything,” she playfully teases him, “if you can hear me saying your name, you can definitely hear everything else I say in between.”

“I’m the coward? No no,” he leans into her, “I think you’re the coward here. My room is only two doors down, Dragă and i’ve never found you outside my door..”

“I only found that out a few days ago.”

“That’s a lie,” he snorts, “I distinctly remember pointing out my room to you when we got here. If you weren’t listening because you’re too hard headed, that’s on you.”

Y/N fully pushes him back and he does fall to the side this time. She springs to her feet and starts to walk backwards. 

“Where are you going?” He asks as he gets to his feet and she starts walking faster away from him. 

“To my room.”

“Why’s that?”

She gives him a wink and says, “to test if you’ll come into my room tonight,” before taking off in a full sprint towards the house. 

He shakes his head and chuckles before chasing after her. 

A twig snaps off to his right and a pair of gold eyes flash beyond the tree line.

Yelena curses under her breathe as she ducks behind the trees so neither Bucky nor Y/N sees her. The owner of the gold eyes comes to her side, shivering and wrapping her coat around her tighter.

“We couldn’t have met during the day?” Juliette muttered, rubbing her arms with her hands.

The blonde nervously looks toward the house before speaking, “no. I’m already doing something stupid, I don’t want to add to it.”

“Fine. Did you bring it?”

The it being a gun, Bucky’s matte black Glock 19 to be exact, that Yelena pulled from her holster.

“You can get rid of the hex, right?”

Juliette takes it from her hands and examines the gun, “I mean not entirely. I can reverse it so that the hex effects Peggy but that’s all. Will that be a problem?”

Shrugging, Yelena glances back at the house, “if you’re not lying to me, then she deserves this. Alix still thinks I’m helping you, right?”

Juliette nods, “only problem is she’s starting to get impatient so the timeline is speeding up and I don’t know how long you have anymore .”

“Don’t worry about me,” Yelena assures her, “just get the hex reversed and bring it back as soon as you can. I’m sure Bucky’s going to find out you’re here soon enough so we’ll be ready for her.”

The other woman gives her a skeptical look but let’s her worries go nonetheless. She tucks the gun into her waist and disappears into the forest behind them.

Stress grows thick in Yelena’s heart but she still knows that what she’s doing is the right thing… for Y/N. Partnering with the enemy would be frowned upon usually but if the enemy is turning against their own, it’s a different story or so she hopes.

[broadcastarchive-umd]

#QSLfriday WNAX is the oldest surviving radio station in the state of South Dakota. It was first licensed to the Dakota Radio Apparatus Company on November 7, 1922. WNAX was the last AM station in the state to receive a call sign starting with a W instead of K; all subsequent AM stations in the state were established after the January 1923 shift that moved the K/W call letter boundary from the western border of South Dakota to the Mississippi River.

WNAX was purchased by Gurney's Seed and Nursery Company in 1926 and became known as "WNAX—-Voice of the House of Gurney in Yankton." The station was used to promote Gurney products and services, making Gurney's a household name.

Committee to Preserve Radio Verifications   |   Tumblr Archive

[oatflatwhite]

BOBSTROLOGY

A completely serious presentation by @pegasusdrawnchariots and oatflatwhite

written version under the cut!

♈️Patrick O’Keefe [April 3 1926] ♈️Robert Sink [April 3 1905] ♈️John Julian [5 April 1924] ♈️Renée Lemaire [10 April 1914] ♈️James Miller [11 April 1924] ♈️Walter “Smokey” Gordon [April 15 1920] ♉️~Ronald Speirs [April 20 1920] ♉️Alton More [April 22 1920] ♉️Henry Jones [27 April 1924] ♉️Edward “Babe” Heffron [May 16 1923] ♉️John Martin [May 12 1922] ♉️Joseph Liebgott [May 17 1915] ♉️Norman Dike [May 19 1918] ♉️William Guarnere [April 28 1923] ♊️David Webster [June 2 1922] ♊️George Luz [June 17 1921] ♊️Roy Cobb [June 18 1914] ♋️Frederick “Moose” Heyliger [June 23 1916] ♋️Albert Blithe [June 25 1923] ♋️Donald Hoobler [28 June 1922] ♋️Thomas Meehan [8 July 1921] ♋️John Janovec [9 July 1925] ♋️Robert “Popeye” Wynn [July 10 1921] ♋️James "Moe" Alley [July 20 1922] ♌️~Burton “Pat” Christenson [July 23 1922] ♌️Eugene Jackson [29 July 1922] ♌️Donald Malarkey [July 31 1921] ♌️Edward Tipper [3 August 1921] ♍️Floyd Talbert [August 26 1923] ♍️Alex Penkala [August 30 1922] ♍️William Dukeman [3 September 1921] ♎️Eugene Roe [October 17 1922] ♎️Harry Welsh [September 27 1918] ♎️Lewis Nixon [September 30 1918] ♎️Ralph Spina [October 5 1919] ♎️Thomas Peacock [October 9 1923] ♏️Denver “Bull” Randleman [November 20 1920] ♑️Lynn “Buck” Compton [December 31 1921] ♑️Antonio Garcia [January 17 1925] ♒️Richard "Dick" Winters [January 21 1918] ♒️Herbert Sobel [January 26 1912] ♒️Carwood Lipton [January 30 1920] ♒️Warren “Skip” Muck [January 31 1922] ♓️Lester Hashey [23 February 1925] ♓️Charles “Chuck” Grant [1 March 1922] ♓️Robert Strayer [March 2 1912] ♓️Wayne “Skinny” Sisk [March 4 1922] ♓️Frank Perconte [March 10 1917] ♓️Darrell “Shifty” Powers [March 13 1923] ♓️Joseph Toye [March 14 1919]

6 Aries 🥉 8 Taurus 🥇 3 Gemini 7 Cancer 🥈 4 Leo 3 Virgo 5 Libra 1 Scorpio 0 Sagittarius 🥄 2 Capricorn 4 Aquarius 7 Pisces 🥈

10 🔥 13 🪨 12 💨 15 💧

20 cardinal 17 fixed 13 mutable

22 masculine 28 feminine

[breezingby]

Notable Deaths in 2023 . . .

Tom Smothers (February 2, 1937-December 26, 2023)

Ryan O'Neal (April 20, 1941-December 8, 2023)

Legendary TV producer Norman Lear (July 27, 1922-December 5, 2023)

Sandra Day O'Connor (March 26, 1930-December 1, 2023)

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter (August 18, 1927-November 19, 2023)

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Del Tredici (March 16, 1937-November 18, 2023)

A U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and instructor at West Point, astronaut Frank Borman (March 14, 1928-November 7, 2023)

College basketball coach Bob Knight (October 25, 1940-November 1, 2023) 

As Chandler Bing, a quick-witted, sarcastic member of the coterie of "Friends," Matthew Perry (August 19, 1969-October 28, 2023)

As the star of the trailblazing 1971 action movie "Shaft," Richard Roundtree (July 9, 1942-October 24, 2023)

Actress Phyllis Coates (January 15, 1927-October 11, 2023) "Adventures of Superman." 

Character actor Burt Young (April 30, 1940-October 8, 2023)

Irish-English actor Sir Michael Gambon (October 19, 1940-September 27, 2023)

Actor David McCallum (September 19, 1933-September 25, 2023)

The songs of Jimmy Buffett (December 25, 1946-September 1, 2023)

Singer Tina Turner (November 26, 1939-May 24, 2023)

Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot (November 17, 1938-May 1, 2023)

. . . And MANY More...I just couldn't post ALL of them.

NOTHING Last Forever...! (Remember That)

[lboogie1906]

On January 1-7, 1923, a massacre was carried out in the small, predominantly African American town of Rosewood. The massacre was instigated by the rumor that a white woman, Fanny Taylor, had been sexually assaulted by an African American man in her home. A group of white men, believing this rapist to be an escaped convict named Jesse Hunter who was hiding in Rosewood, assembled to capture this man.

In the winter of 1922, a white school teacher from Perry had been murdered, and on New Year’s Eve in 1922, there was a Ku Klux Klan rally held in Gainesville.

In response to the allegation by Taylor, white men began to search for Jesse Hunter along with Aaron Carrier and Sam Carter, who were believed to be accomplices. Carrier was captured and incarcerated while Carter was lynched. The white mob suspected Aaron Carrier’s cousin Sylvester, a Rosewood resident, of harboring Jesse Hunter.

On January 4, 1923, a group of twenty-to-thirty white men approached the Carrier home and shot the family dog. When Sylvester’s mother Sarah came to the porch to confront the mob, killed her. Sylvester defended his home, killing two men and wounding four in the ensuing battle before he was killed. The remaining survivors fled to the swamps for refuge.

The next day the white mob burned the Carrier home before joining with a group of 200 men from surrounding towns. The mob attacked the town, slaughtering animals and burning buildings. An official report claims six African Americans and two whites were killed. Other accounts suggest a larger total. Only two buildings remained standing, a house and the town general store.

Many of the African American residents of Rosewood who fled into the swamps were evacuated on January 6 by two local train conductors. Many others were hidden by the owner of the general store. Other African American residents fled to Gainesville and northern cities. Rosewood became deserted.

No one was charged with any of the Rosewood murders. In 1994, as the result of new evidence and renewed interest in the event, the Florida Legislature passed the Rosewood Bill which entitled the nine survivors to $150,000 each in compensation. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence