Sad Cowboy Story

Today I was armed with the glamorous task of sorting, pricing and packaging a box of photos that I accumulated over the summer.  A picture of a geographically malapropos statue for a tiny Texas oil boom town in the 1920s incited a little history lesson....Apparently in 1917, 21 year old Charles H. Noyes fell from his horse trying to rope a calf and died.  His parents, completely grief stricken, commissioned the famous Pompeo Coppini to sculpt a statue in memory of their only child. When Coppini traveled to the modest Noyes ranch in 1919 to discuss the statue, he had his doubts about Noyes' ability to pay what amounts to a quarter of a million dollars today, but Noyes assured Coppini that he was prepared to pay twice that.  His bridle, boots, and saddle were sent to Chicago to help the sculptor, but since the boy had had only three pictures taken in his life, his parents had to travel to Coppini's Chicago studio when it was time to sculpt the face.  After a few adjustments to the sculpture, Mr. Noyes told Coppini "Please do not touch his face again, for that is our dear Charlie."   Mr. and Mrs Noyes sold the ranch and did not return for the unveiling, stating that they could not bear to see their son again.

Coppini's statue of Chas H. Noyes watchin over Ballinger Texas. Coppini's work can be found in Italy, Mexico but closer to home, he is known for the Cenotaph honoring the Alamo defenders, sculptures around the Texas state capitol and the Littlefield Fountain in front of the University of Texas tower.

 

REALLY?

1970s Virgina Slims ad via teenangster.net

So I am sorting through this box of the most fabulous photos of two African American families from the late 1800s through the 70s from two estates that we bought this summer and I come across this little 1976 booklet of LOVE COUPONS. The cover reassuringly says ... For a Very Special Guy, a very special gift... Oh goody I think to myself, I'll throw a few of these my husband's way... just to keep it fresh. And then I start reading them...

COUPON NUMBER UN

Yech! Yech! Double Yech!

I may hate it, but for you I'll cook it. One ethnic meal of your choice.

Really? Is there a marital disconnect that I am unaware of - men all over the world disgusted at their wife's refusal to cook an ethnic meal? I want to give this to my husband just so I can see the look on his face when he realizes the coupon is not good for a BJ and then hear the pusillanimous "thank you?"

COUPON NUMBER DEUX 

This coupon good for instant forgiveness, one time only,

for wearing any one of the following:

One strange female hair, one mighty peculiar lipstick smudge, one perfume scent I never wear.

REALLY? Because this problem...ADULTERY.... is actually an issue for most marriages and the last time I checked no f***ing coupon was a magic fix. 

COUPON NUMBER TROIS

This coupon good for 60 seconds of penalty-free ogling of the opposite sex. Caution: Penalty goes into effect at 61st second. (Double caution: Ogling member of the same sex may invalidate entire coupon book.)

REALLY? Pay close attention to the last part there because at this point I start to feel a little guilty. It becomes apparent that this poor girl who wrote the LOVE COUPONS is still unsure whether or not her Very Special Guy is straight or gay.

Needless to say- "We've come a long way baby ."

Dead People's Photos

Children still alive - Norma Lynn's first dance troupe - No gold to be found -That's right

It may be my twisted Catholic upbringing but I feel a "responsibility" to purchase photos of other people's dead family members. All it takes is some hand tinted pink cheeked Shirley Temple look alike or some square black and white glossy of a street urchin and I am throwing away money.

The way I see it, there are two scenarios. The first is that there is no more family, that everyone who had a vested interest in that particular pink cheeked cutie or ragamuffin is dead and they are forgotten - (unless I buy the photo of course). The second and in my opinion, the most disappointing, is that the children in those photos somehow managed to raise a bunch of thankless degenerates who drove away the Mercedes loaded with every every gram of gold they could sniff out but didn't give a damn about their parents baby pictures or their own for that matter. 

That is where I come in - never fear poor deceased cherubs, red, yellow, black and white, because I have your photos and you will become my instant ancestors -  my adopted grandparents from dubious geography - my cousins many times removed with foreign features - I am here and in generations to come, my grandchildren will proudly display your photos in their books and on their walls as they share the stories of their very large, very diverse family.