October 2011
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10/24/11Rest in Peace, Betty Vee — The Famous Dancer at Memphis' Whirlaway ClubToday's edition of The Commercial Appeal (October 24) carried the obituary for Betty Vansickle McGough, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 72. The death notice certainly gives the impression of a life well-lived: a 23-year marriage, longtime employment at the Memphis Lamp Plant, Ellendale Baptist Church member, and more. She leaves behind a large number of children, followed by 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. But what the obit doesn't say is that this woman — better known at the time as Betty Vee — had a considerable measure of fame back in the mid-1960s, when she was arrested and charged with public indecency because of the "scandalous" outfits (like the one shown here) she wore as one of the city's first g0-go dancers,... Posted at 06:42 PM | Permalink | Comments: 2 |
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10/21/11Fixing Typos in Tombstones — Here's One Way To Do It (Found at Elmwood)As a Lauderdale, I so rarely make mistakes that it's hard for me to relate to the incompetent boobs who do. But on those occasions — oh, maybe every 12 years or so — when I somehow publish the wrong information in one of my columns, it's really not that hard to fix the error. Just delete, retype the correct information, and then blame the mistake on somebody else. Repairing a mistake once it's been carved into stone is a different matter, as you might imagine. And during my many trips to various cemeteries around the city and county, I have sometimes stumbled on tombstones with misspelled words, obviously wrong dates, and other issues. Often these are just left alone, because how would you "erase" the mistake and start over? Well,... |
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10/19/11Here's a Great Aerial View of the Old Memphis Steam LaundryI just turned up a great old aerial photo of the Memphis Steam Laundry, one of our city's architectural marvels, so I thought I'd share it with you. And look — at the top of the image is Russwood Park, so this is kind of a two-for-one special. Begun by Jules Rozier way back in 1882, the Memphis Steam Laundry Company operated downtown for many years before moving to 941 Jefferson in 1927. Except for Dryve Cleaners, laundries aren’t usually noted for their architecture, but for some reason, Memphis architect Nowland Van Powell — at the time the principal designer for architect E.L. Harrison — decided that this normally humdrum industrial building should be modeled after the Doges’ Palace in Venice — much like the north wing of the... Posted at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments: 3 |
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10/16/11Update: Memphis Health Guru Roy Noe Was Sued for Fraud by the U.S. Government for his "Graduated Exercisor"Last week, I told you the compelling story of Memphian Roy H. Noe, who invented an exercise device that he claimed would not only build muscles but would improve your body in many ways. Well, it seems the federal government purchased one of "Roy Noe's Graduated Exercisors" and didn't agree that stretching a giant rubber band — because that's essentially what it was — would do everything Noe claimed. In fact, as reader Lowell Templeton pointed out, back in the early 1940s the government actually charged him with fraud. Among other things, in their official report summarizd here, they said, "The article was alleged to be misbranded." That's because Noe claimed that "it was the fastest waistline-reducing exercise known, would... |
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10/14/11Roy Noe: Memphis' Health Guru, Inventor, and EntrepreneurRoy H. Noe was an enterprising fellow. He first appears in Memphis city directories in 1923, working as a salesman for Swift & Company, the meatpackers. Then, it seems, he found his true calling in life. The Lauderdale Library contains an illustrated booklet called "Noe's Graduated Exercisers," where he tells us his life's mission. "At the age of five," he writes, "a severe attack of spinal meningitis left me in a delicate physical condition. In my early youth, a siege of double pneumonia developed into chronic lung trouble. For years I was sickly and weak, spending all I could earn for medicine and doctor bills." Sad, sad. While pining away, Noe says he read about a 45-year-old man who regained his health by regular exercise, so he set... Posted at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments: 2 |
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10/10/11Lost Memphis: Klyce Motors — Memphis' Studebaker DealershipBrothers Arnold and Walter Klyce opened Klyce Motors, Memphis’ only Studebaker dealership, on South Cleveland in 1945. Newspapers praised the building’s clean design, created by Memphis architect Zeno Yeates, and proclaimed it “one of the most modern and attractive dealerships in the South.” This photo, taken in 1950, shows a pair of what appear to be 1949 Studebaker Commander models parked at the curb (the gentlemen in the photo were not identified). These two cars probably weren’t sold to customers, since each one has the company name and address painted rather prominently on the doors, along with the catchy slogan, “They’re Nice at Klyce.” The Klyce brothers also operated the White Rose Laundry Company, with branches located... Posted at 03:13 PM | Permalink | Comments: 4 |
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10/07/11"Ask Vance - Book Two" Is Now Available in a Kindle Edition. Just Visit Amazon and Download Yours TodayI know just how you feel: It's so tiresome to have your chauffeur drive you to an actual bookstore to purchase a book. You have to walk through the store, stand in line at the register with "regular" folks, and even speak with a common clerk. Then there's that awkward exchange of money or credit cards — it's just not done in polite society. And ordering one online means you have to drag that heavy mouse around on your desk, maybe click a few keys or swipe a greasy finger across your iPad, and then wait for days for the book to arrive in the mail. The whole process just seems ... archaic And THEN, when the actual book arrives, oh it's such a chore to turn those heavy pages. There's really no telling how many carpal-tunnel sufferers would be... Posted at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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10/04/11A Mystery Photo. Is It a French Fire Engine? A French Locomotive? And What Is It Doing in Memphis?This intriguing photo was circulating on eBay for a long time, so I finally bought it because it puzzled me. The seller's description claimed it was a vintage photograph of a "French fire engine in Memphis, Tennessee." But — well, I just don't know what it is. For starters, if it's a fire engine at all, it's a very unusual one — lacking ladders, hoses, axes, and other gear that is normally used to battle fires. It does have a driver, but he's in the shadows, so I can't tell if he's wearing any sort of fireman's gear, or a uniform of any kind. And what manner of vehicle is this, anyway? The bulbous front end looks vaguely like that of an old-timey steam-powered locomotive, while the back end looks like — well, I... Posted at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments: 8 |
