...further proof that I am on the right track...

My friend Bob stopped into the store the other day. He brought me something he found in an old box of books: A reader from the Bronx School District during the 30s and 40s entitled "Shaun O'Day of Ireland".

If you look closely at the bottom of the cover

you will see the name "Bronx" scribbled on it.

I was completely enamored by it and went directly to my bedroom to read it from cover to cover as soon as I got it home. It is 192 pages long, it didn't take long, but here's what happened:

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The book was written Madeline Brandeis, it was part of a series about children of the world; a mixture of History, Geography and in this case Irish-social-faerie-tale-myth and... Superstition (...the reason why the Irish dressed their young boys in petticoats: so the leprechauns wouldn't steel them away and force them into servitude as apprentice cobblers...) etc.

"Chure-an-its-grand-fun!"

The Title Page.

It was published by Grosset & Dunlap by arrangement with A Flanagan Company and the copy I have here was reprinted at the beginning of WWII??? I'm a little confused here because the copy write page says this:

And yet it states that it was produced under War Time Conditions on the title page:

It was published in New York and I am assuming that this is a second printing, but we didn't enter WWII until Dec., 7th, 1941 right?

Maybe it was republished during WWII or it's just my "American naiveté" ...was there another War going on that I missed?

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Madeline Brandeis was also a Producer of Motion Pictures based on this series of books for Pathé Exchange, Inc. Her photographs which illustrate the book are peopled by Child Actors who were famous in movies such as: "The Iron Mask" with Douglas Fairbanks and "The Bridge at San Louis Rey". The only adult Actress is played by "...such a busy Star..." Miss Alice White??? Apparently she was Warner Brothers answer to Clara Bow...

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THIS IS GREAT STUFF! Here is a copy of her preface:

I love that she names her Camera "Ref".

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In her introduction in which she gives credit to all her actor's; she even gives credit to the buildings:

She must have been there in the Fall as I will soon be ;)

Even MORE Rain references....

(..rain fairies...who would believe in them...)

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One of the things that really struck me were these paragraphs:

Awww Mush! Alright, I admit it, I'm a fool for this because my Girlfriend's name is Dawn....

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BUT HERE IS THE BEST PART! The story is your typical fairytale replete with "Evil Step Mother and dieing Father" ...all very romantic and to be expected.

However, check out how the story begins:

Just the way I wrote the beginning of "O'Wasterly Gale" as posted here last February in a blog "O' Slightly more Aisterly Speculation".

The two main characters playing footsie in the sand!!!

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I wonder if me Da read this book when he was in school on Long Island. Maybe I had it in my genetic memory or something...

Whatever it is, I find it to be further proof that I am on the right track.

obeedúid~

20/Aug/08