Book Research with a Side of City Life
One hundred years ago today, J was appearing in a production of the John Philip Sousa operetta El Capitan at Fontaine Ferry Park in Louisville, Kentucky. She performed the role of Estrelda (Cazarro's Daughter). The original debuted in Boston in 1896, before transferring to Broadway for 112 performances. It starred De Wolf Hopper (future father … Continue reading J on This Day: 27 June 1922
My long-time creative collaborator and I have been working on a cool video for my Ko-Fi page! I cannot wait to share it here. Look for it sometime in July. It's definitely going to be an
I love vintage ads. They're hard to ignore, especially when combing through online newspaper archives. Staying focused is key, but reading shoe ads from 1919 remains ever-tempting. Don't get me started on period movie advertisements. Sigh. I recently found these gems during a long research session. They are from the years 1916 to 1920. Enjoy!
Biography research is often serious and intense work. Sometimes it is nice to let loose, as I did here using my favorite photo of J as a starting point.
Here is a blurb from a newspaper review of The Student Prince. The date was 11-17-25. The place: Pennsylvania. "J, as Kathie, was a winsom (sic) miss with her charming manner and her fine soprano voice. Concert stars have often failed to measure up to the standard that she set last night." Without any extant … Continue reading A Winsome Miss
Today is a milestone! This is a bigger deal than my first wedding anniversary because book research is trickier than marriage. I'm using today to appreciate all I've accomplished instead of focusing on all there is left to do. Yay!
Why does having a project-specific business card design add gravitas to my research? I've no idea, but it does. Never mind that I have accumulated a year's worth of weighty, highly detailed information about J. Somehow, having a stack of 3.5" x 2" printed paper at my disposal makes everything feel real-real. I suppose this … Continue reading Business Cards
This eloquently expressed idea is always in the back of my mind as I sift through the ashes of J's career. Her contributions to the cultural fabric of her era deserve to be resurrected, reexamined, and reevaluated. May she be one of many women whose lives are thrust into the light of visible history.
I've already spent almost eleven (!) months researching J's personal and professional background. For someone mostly forgotten to time and changing tastes, there sure is a startling amount of information to be found on this remarkable woman...if you know where to look. In fact, it would be all-to-easy to suffocate under my growing pile of … Continue reading An Avalanche of Resources
Alternative Muses 