The Four Jessup Brothers, Jimmy, Charity, Darrel and Byron, the oldest only 23, are putting on a religious healing show. The boys are literally "laying them in the aisles" as shown in the above photo of a woman patient swooning into the arms of Jimmy, the "catcher" after Charley finished his "cure."Original 1939 Press Photo, collection Jim Linderman
TO SEE MY BLOG OF SIMILAR MATERIAL click OLD TIME RELIGION
Group of tin Japanese badges, c. 1960 Collection Jim Linderman
The demise of Jacko has had me thinking about music, authenticity, value and how they intertwine. It is increasingly difficult for me to write about music without sounding bitter or elitist, so the best approach is virtually no approach. The incredible Joe Bussard probably has a greater effect on my ears than Entertainment Tonight or TMZ...so i'll just refer you to his website and leave it at that. I was born the same year Hank Williams died with his boots on, the year Elvis recorded his first tune, a year after Harry Smith released the Anthology, ten years before Dylan signed with Columbia and 20 years before Willie went outlaw. I was in the first row to see Muddy Waters, James Brown, RL Burnside, Dr. John, Bill Monroe, Ike and Tina and an 18 year old Alison Krauss...so I can hardly complain about anything musical anyway. But you know what? There just seems to be something wrong with someone taking "Thriller" money and outbidding Sir Paul for his own lifeblood (and later refusing to sell it back to him) I'll just post my two favorite publicity photos of all time and leave it at that. It's ALL good.Two Press Photos. The Undisputed Truth 1971 and Take Me to your Leader 1958 Collection Jim Linderman
Grab your ape hangers and hit the big slab! We don't need no skid lid brain bucket, just jack the jiffy, mount, blip, crack and catwalk. These sleds are pure NBD and they show it...just check the skin! Any one of the would blow any pasta or rice rocket, and if the pussies even TRY to SQUID, they'll sparkle the pavement and surf. Thrash it, but avoid static, and above all stay vertical, Angel. Keep the dirty side down.Five Street Chopper Cards (from a set of 60) TRM publications, circa 1977 Collection Jim Linderman
Pair of Real Photo Postcards c. 1910 Collection Jim Linderman
Bottle Farms are traditionally understood as an African-American phenom imbued with spiritual baggage from Africa. Could be...however, they are also a documented Caucasian practice. This is also my nomination for the oddest official historical marker in the country. See if you agree. Text of Roadside Marker follows:
A direct descendant of original settlers in Jackson Township, Winter Zellar (Zero) Swartsel was born in 1876. Throughout his life he was a natural born showman, teacher, eccentric, anarchist, and “possibly the grandfather of American Pop Culture.” At a young age and tired of the routines of Farmersville, he declared that, “He would live by his wits while his brothers lived by the sweat of their brows.” He and a friend bicycled first to New York City and then turned around to head west and eventually the world. Later his home would overflow with items collected while traveling the world. Outside was a similar story. While chiding the American people for their wastefulness and abusing their environment, his 22 acres of farmland became his artist's canvas filled with the thousands of items he collected from the “wasteful.” Winter Zellar (Zero) Swartsel's farm property became a field of glass as he adorned it with sculptures and “art” using glassware of all kinds, bells, bed frames, wood, and other discarded items. His finest works, fashioned from bottles titled “Kindly Light” and “Full Measure” created the popular Farmersville Bottle Farm. The farm also provided interesting listening experiences. In addition to the bells and twinkling glass that rang out in the wind, residents in town could count on hearing “The Old Rugged Cross” played on loud speakers on Sundays. Bells on grazing sheep added to the “noises” he described as restful. The farm attracted visitors from every state in the nation except Delaware. Dying in 1953, Swartsel bequeathed his land to the community to become the Farmersville-Jackson Township Joint Recreation Park to be used for the pleasure of children.
Snapshot of Swartsel bottle farm, c. 1955? Collection Jim Linderman
Note on Reverse:
"When the preacher wishes to stop the dancing he has a big bell which he rings. But sometimes it fails; the spirit has too much of a hold upon them and all the ringing in the world wouldn't stop --- so it just winds up in the bell being rung in a rhytmatic (sic) manner and the spirit emotions overcome the preachers who too begin dancing"
Pair of Original 8" x 10" Photographs, Dated 1937 Unknown Photographer. Collection Jim Linderman
TO SEE MY BLOG OF SIMILAR MATERIAL click OLD TIME RELIGION
A revolution in photography...except that I can't quite figure out what it does. I don't think Mr. Jacobus knows either. Original Glossy Press Photograph 1936 Collection Jim Linderman
Two Real Photo Postcards, date unknown. Collection Jim Linderman
John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen" is a raw, unvarnished ramped up electric rave and though he hailed from the Delta, Detroit proudly claims him as their own. He moved to the Motor City in the late 1940's and recreated the sound of the pounding auto plants with a dash of Mississipi wired up with electric watts. For 50 years his earliest recordings were thought to be the jazzed up sides cut by Elmer Barbee in Detroit. A year later, Joe Bessman recorded "Boogie Chillen" which was yesterday named as a historic recording worthy of the nation's highest sound honor. Hooker went on to ignore contracts and record under a dozen names for every label which would pay him fifty bucks, including Texas Slim, Delta Sam, Birmingham Sam, John Lee Booker, Johnny Hooker, John Cooker, Johnny Williams and Little Pork Chop. Clever, that young John Lee. However, the story takes a curious twist. Gene Deitch, a Czech Academy-Award winning illustrator and under appreciated cartoonist, creator of Krazy Kat, Tom Terrific, Crabby Appleton, Mr. Instant, Captain Kidney Bean, Sweet Tooth Sam, The Candy Bandit and Isotope Feaney...(and if that isn't enough, the father of renowed cartoonist Kim Deitch) remembered having young Hooker over FOR DINNER and recording him performing 19 songs with an acoustic guitar in 1949. He lugged them around and stored them for fifty years. These precious sounds show John Lee playing the blues standards he started with and fit more at home down south than on Hastings Avenue. They are available on "Jack "0" Diamonds: 1949 Recordings. Boogie Chillen is available wherever you have ears, including virtually every ZZ Top tune. As a further amazing aside, Mr. Deitch also had the foresight to record the mysterous Connie Converse, who has become the latest flame for Doofus Hipsters chasing rare recorded thrills.Belated congratulations to Mr. Hooker for having his proto-rock-boogie selected into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. Just plain congratulations to Mr. Deitch, who continues to live in Prague at age 84.
NOTE: MIke Baehr at Fantagraphics books points out that Gene Deitch isn't Czech, he merely lives in Prague...and that Mr. Deitch didn't create Krazy Kat, but he did illustrate it.
