Trick Cyclists - Sepia Saturday.

I've always regarded cycling as savage amusement so I have some sympathy with the young Western Union messenger with no shoes this week.

There is a trick to cycling that I can't claim to master. How these fellows in a Norwegian cycling club got on their bikes I can't imagine,

Stavanger Cycling Club 1900

Only a few years later two men were to set out on a race across America.

Fred Scherer & Walt Wiley - May 3, 1913

(Library of Congress)

This was the start of a race from New York to San Francisco, rather them than me. Before the turn of the century a Hartlepool cycle dealer had been proud to show off his cycle.

Robert Brown, cycle dealer, Straton - 1890

The young boy is at least wearing shoes but is in the wrong country and too well dressed to be Western Union messengers like these:

New Orleans Telegraph Boy - 1913

(Library of Congress - by Lewis Wickes Hine)

William Bold, Western Union Messenger No.14 -1911

(Library of Congress - by Lewis Wickes Hine)

Apparently William was 12 years old and usually worked until 11 pm in Tampa, Florida; but all night if they were busy. Would the boy, holding his dog in the picture of Robert Brown, have survived hours like that?

As you probably know I like to work dogs into my posts. You have had one so far but now I am pleased to present the Trick Cyclist of the Year.

Dog riding a tricycle

 (Image from National Media Collection)

Perhaps I should also mention that Its Sepia Saturday - Get-on-your-bike  has been viewed by nearly 850 people making it my most visited post.

Don't let that stop you however from visiting others this week at Sepia-Saturday-162. 

Love Your Library - Sepia Saturday

When I was at primary school the village library was held there. In those days (1940s) books were available once a week, stacked in a series of boxes. The library was run by the headmaster and his wife with villagers available as volunteers one night a week. I'm pleased to say that the head allowed me to volunteer at the age of 10.

So when I saw this week's prompt I thought that it would be just the theme for me. However it proved more difficult than I thought,

The picture comes from the collection of the New York Public Library and features a group of children avidly reading their books following a talk about books by the staff of the Library. The picture dates back to the 1920s.

Apart from  coats being worn this might have been a scene from the library at Stamford School where I was to go from aged 11 - 18. But  these days  cuts by governments in more countries than just the UK have led to closures and "Save Our Libraries" campaigns. Encouraging children to read is more important than ever  as I hope these old pictures will show:

Children Reading - 1916

Artist - Halonen, Pekka (1865-1933) - Google Art Project

A little later a US congress woman got involved:

US Congress woman Ruth Hanna McCormick - 1928

The photo from the Library of Congress shows her with a group of children reading at a table covered in books.

Children reading - 1911

(Credit: Chicago Daily News negatives collection, DN-0003451. Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society.)

View of children reading at desks in a classroom at the Robert Emmet School located at 5500 West Madison Street in the Austin community area of Chicago, Illinois. 

Children's Reading Room - New Orleans Main library at Lee Circle - 1913

 (New Orleans Public Library photo)

I have no photos of the library at Stamford School or the library at the University of St Andrews (600 years old this year) in which I spent more hours than I can remember in the 1950s. So I'll end with this rather impressive picture from another place of higher education instead.

Norman Foster Staircase - London School of Economics - 2010

 (By John Picton - http://www.flickr.com/photos/arthurjohnpicton)

Now all you need to do is love your local library even if it is loaning e-books these days. Don't forget to pop across to check out other bookish types at Sepia Saturday 152

 

Unknown Yellow - Sunday Stamps

The yellow theme this week proved more difficult than I expected. However, as you will see, it allows me to appeal for help.

There is no problem with my first stamp as it tells me what it is.

USA

This stamp was issued in 1966 to publicise the largely undivided highway following the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Ontario, Canada.

My second stamp is the one I know nothing about. I don't remember when I acquired it but it has obvious been soaked off an envelope. It has no distinguishing features that I can see which allow me to identify where it is from.

I don't even know whether I have presented this the right way up. 

I hope you will be able to help me identify which country issued it.

Meanwhile for less mysterious stamps please pop over to Viridian's sunday-stamps-78

I've just realised that this is my 400th post so help me celebrate by solving my query.

Muted Thematic Photography

When I saw this week's theme was muted I was stuck for ideas untl I remembered these pictures from Norway.

Mute Swans on Stokkavatnet, Stavanger

Mute swans have orange bills with a black base and knob (less prominent in the female). They are not as slient as their name suggests as they will snort and hiss when annoyed, some even produce a weak trumpeting. But the swan song, the music said to be produced by a dying swan, is a myth with no foundation in fact.

Mute Swan on the River Tees at Preston Park

I was quite pleased to find these photos in my files. So it's time for me to blow my own trumpet - muted of course just like this.

Eddie Byard plays muted trumpet

Trombonist Tom Ebert, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 1990.

(by I,Infrogmation - CC-A 2.5 generic license)

OK, I cheated as I'm no musician. For other muted contributions check out Carmi's thematic photographic 172