September 2011
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09/27/11Highly Recommended: The New Book "Memphis Belle: Dispelling the Myths"Everybody knows by now the story of the Memphis Belle — the famed B-17 Flying Fortress that was the first bomber to complete 25 missions over Europe during World War II. The plane piloted by Captain Robert Morgan and named after his Memphis sweetheart, Margaret Polk. The plane that returned to the states, took part in war bond drives, was put on display in Memphis, and eventually became one of the most famous airplanes in history. But how do you really know the story? Did you learn it from the 1940s documentary produced by acclaimed Hollywood director William Wyler? Did you hear about the plane by reading newspaper reporter Menno Duerksen's 1987 book, Memphis Belle: Home at Last? Did you learn about the Morgan/Polk love story by reading the pilot's own... |
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09/22/11Another Estate Sale at a Historic Location — the Lakeland BandstandDon't worry; I don't intend to use my valuable blog space promoting estate sales every few weeks. But this weekend, there will be an estate sale at a rather unusual location — a sprawling Adirondack-style house built on the site of the old Lakeland Bandstand. And, as you can see, they even have a historic marker to prove it. The house, built on a half-acre site overlooking Garner Lake in 1996, is a definitely unusual design, with handmade tiles and rough beams and polished tree trunks inside. It has a Native American theme, with impressive mosaic-tile floors that depict ancient symbols and "native" designs. But what puzzles me is the plaque. I've written about Lakeland quite a lot, on this blog and in the pages of Memphis magazine. Heavily... |
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09/20/11Meet Estelle Eggleston — Better Known as the Movie and TV Actress Stella StevensThe beaches of Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida have been drawing Memphians to their gleaming white sands and clear blue waters for decades, and the Lauderdale Library contains an album of photos that capture quiet scenes from young Estelle Eggleston's vacation at a tranquil little Florida motel called the Palmetto Court. If you don't recognize the girl, or the beach, it's because both have changed rather dramatically since this grainy photograph was taken in the early 1950s. Young Estelle grew up, and today she's better known as movie and TV actress Stella Stevens. The snapshots came from a photo album purchased from her mother's estate sale in Memphis back in the late 1990s. Built in the early 1920s, Palmetto Court remained one of the few family-owned... Posted at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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09/19/11Lost Memphis: The Krack Drug CompanyI don't care if it's the owner's last name. It's the wrong thing to call your drugstore. From a 1924 Christian Brothers College variety show program. Posted at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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09/15/11Don't Miss the Estate Sale This Weekend at Jim's Place EastIf you're like the Lauderdales, you have wonderful memories of the many fine meals you had at Jim's Place East — the old restaurant, I mean — before they moved to the Poplar-Perkins area. But if you are like this particular Lauderdale, some of those memory cells may be fading away, even as we speak, so perhaps you should obtain a more physical — and lasting — memento of the good times you had there. Well, now's your chance. They are holding an estate sale this weekend at the old Jim's Place, located at 5560 Shelby Oaks Drive, just off Summer. Items for sale will include tables, chairs, artwork, lamps, planters, patio furniture, and more. A special offering will be the pair of wrought-iron gates that served as the entrance to the... Posted at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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09/13/11Last-Minute Reminder: "Ask Vance" Book-Signing Tonight at The Booksellers at LaurelwoodMaybe you already know about this, or maybe you don't.But tonight will be the first official book-signing of my brand-new book Ask Vance: MORE Questions and Answers from Memphis Magazine's History Expert.That so-called "expert" would be me, of course.Don't dawdle. It takes place TONIGHT (Tuesday, September 13th) at The Booksellers at Laurelwood — formerly Davis Kidd. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. and will last until I run out of books or until the store closes, whichever comes first.I hope to see you there!But if you can't make it, remember that you can still order the book online: http://www.memphismagazine.com/Memphis-Magazine/Ask-Vance-Book/ |
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09/08/11Lost Memphis: Remembering When the "Big Shoe" Got the BootEveryone called it "The Big Shoe" but I don't think that was ever its official name. It doesn't matter. What does matter is how many people were dismayed when this very bizarre building on Lamar was demolished in 1995, and how many people still remember it fondly to this day.The eye-catching structure at 2995 Lamar, with it sloping roof, crooked chimney, and concrete shoelaces, opened in 1965 as High Fashions in the Shoe, a shoe store for children. There was even a little door built into the side, just for the toddlers. The original building was gleaming white with blue trim, and it was going to serve as the prototype for an identical chain of shoe stores in other locations — even other cities. For some reason, that never happened.Instead, the Shoe went through various... Posted at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments: 8 |
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09/06/11"Ask Vance" Book Signing — Tuesday, Sept. 13 at The Booksellers at LaurelwoodIt's the event you've been waiting for. Mark your calendars. Reschedule your vacations. And tell your parole officer where you'll be.Because the First International Ask Vance Book Signing will take place on Tuesday, September 13th, at The Booksellers at Laurelwood (formerly known as Davis-Kidd). The event starts at 6 p.m.My first book (humbly called Ask Vance: The Best Questions and Answers from Memphis Magazine's History and Trivia Expert) included more than 50 columns culled from the magazine between 1995 and 2003. The second volume — with the equally catchy title of Ask Vance: MORE Questions and Answers from Memphis Magazine's History Expert — picks up where that one left off, with 60 double-page columns published between 2003 and the present day.Do you know everything... |
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09/04/11Lost Memphis: H. Scott's Sons Liquor Distributors — A Lauderdale Family FavoriteIn the September issue of Memphis magazine, which is on newsstands NOW, you can read the story of a rather curiously named liquor business: H. Scott's Sons.Judging by the name, H. Scott — whoever he was — wasn't involved with the company, which was apparently run by his three sons. These enterprising gentlemen offered an astonishing variety of liquid refreshments — ale, gin, beer, whiskey, you name it — and as you might imagine hardly a day passed when an H. Scott's Sons truck didn't pull into the Lauderdale driveway, bringing us fresh supplies.We didn't feel too bad, guzzling all this booze, because the company went out of its way to promote the health benefits of alcohol. Among other things, they claimed, "It will add years to your life because it has... Posted at 09:40 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
