"My School Day Autobiography"

Although the cover says this little book is an autobiography, Madeline used it more as an autograph book.  You may recall the previous post I did on her grandmother's school autograph book. 

The first pages are a list of her teachers and classmates.  (Click on pic to enlarge.)

Here are some of the autograph pages:

World's Fair: A Message for Hotel Guests & Billy Rose's Aquacade (with some fun advertising)

It's been a while since I did a post on the 1939 World's Fair.  Here are two more memories that Madeline saved from her visit there.  The first is a card from her hotel which gives guidance on how to navigate the city during the fair:

Actually these rules apply today to travel in New York City, especially #3.  Many times I've almost been run down while trying to cross the street by a taxi wanting to turn.  Good thing we only travel to NYC once a year!

This is the program from Billy Rose's Aquacade, a big show at the 1939 World Fair.  Billy Rose was quite the showman in his day.  To learn more about him, read this.

Aquabelle Number One:  Eleanor Holm, who later married Billy Rose.

The girl who swam the English Channel.

Here is a little piece of the show that I found on "You Tube":

This is the back cover of the program.  There are more great advertisements in the book:

Pepsi, as it was in 1939.

The official watch of Billy Rose's Aquacade. 

An ad for a Broadway show starring Fredric March.

An ad for Noxzema for sunburn.  It's great for your face, too, you know.  Check out the ad underneath it for the "all-purpose" dress with an invisible culotte.  So sensible!

An ad for the New York state exhibit.

I've saved the best for last:

Do you believe it?  Gloves with a pocket for your cigarettes!!  How stylish.  I did a little research on the designer Merry Hull.  I'm not fond of wikipedia, but here is some info on her.  Apparently she redefined the glove for us.  (I'm learning so much here at Madelines Memories!)



The Franklin Square House

After Madeline graduated from the University of New Hampshire she obtained a job at Paine's furniture store in Boston.  She lived at the Franklin Square House where all proper, single young women lived at that time.  Here is a brochure about the rooming house, which was carefully filed away with her memories.

Here is the list of the "rules":

She stayed in Room 546 A.

In 1970 the Franklin Square House was sold to the city of Boston and a high-rise, with 147 apartments, became the new Franklin Square House, providing affordable housing, shelter for battered women, and day care.   An interesting fact about the building is that the front of the building was used in the opening credits of St. Elsewhere (1982-1988) to represent St. Eligius Hospital.  (Loved that show!)

Madeline lived here until she married in December 1946.

Thanksgiving Dinner 1927

I found this brochure in the old green scrapbook.  Check out the tasty menu for this Thanksgiving dinner on November 24, 1927.  I'm sure Madeline's parents attended this dinner and maybe she did as well.  She was a very young girl at that time.

Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November Thanksgiving Day in 1863.  In 1941 Congress declared the fourth Thursday in November to be Thanksgiving Day.  This reversed a decision by President Roosevelt to celebrate the holiday on the third Thursday in November, thus giving more time for the Christmas holiday.  I wouldn't be surprised if today's Congress moved Thanksgiving back to the first Thursday in November so we can stretch out the Christmas shopping season even further!

To learn more about the National Grange, visit here.  And a very happy Thanksgiving to all my friends who read Madeline's Memories.  I'm thankful for all of you.

Little Madeline on the Farm

Do you remember this photo from back in August?  This is little Madeline playing with the chickens at her home.  Another newspaper clipping from the big green scrapbook was an interview with her parents about their chicken farm:

Just a little insight into her early life.



Lindbergh Kidnapping

At the back of the big green scrapbook were several newspaper clippings.  Many were about the kidnapping of the infant son of Charles Lindbergh in 1932.  (Click on photos to enlarge and read.)

You can read all the details on this fascinating subject here, direct from the FBI's files.