1950: Communisum, Color TV and Cinderella!!!!

1950

Communism, Color TV and Cinderella!

January

·         January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed.

·         January 17 – Great Brinks Robbery: Eleven thieves steal more than $2 million from an armored car in Boston, Massachusetts.

·         January 23 – The Knesset passes a resolution that states Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.

·         January 31-- President Harry S. Truman orders the development of the hydrogen bomb, in response to the detonation of the Soviet Union's first atomic bomb in 1949.^[1]

 February

·         February 8 – Payment first made by Diners Club card, in New York, first use of a charge card.

·         February 12

o    Pro-communist riots erupt in Paris.

o    Albert Einstein warns that nuclear war could lead to mutual destruction.

·         February 14 – Cold War:

o    The Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China sign a mutual defense treaty.

·         February 15- Walt Disney releases his 12th animated film, Cinderella in Hollywood.

 March

·         March 8

o    The Soviet Union claims to have an atomic bomb.

o    The first Volkswagen Type 2 (also known as the Microbus) rolls off the assembly line in Wolfsburg, Germany.

April

·         April 24 – Jordan formally annexes the West Bank.

·         April 27-- Apartheid: In South Africa, the Group Areas Act is passed, formally segregating the races.

 May

·         May 25 – The Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel is formally opened to traffic.

·         May 29 – St. Roch, the first ship to circumnavigate North America, arrives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

June

·         June 1–June 23 – Mauna Loa in Hawaii starts erupting.

·         June 27 – Korean War: U.S. President Harry S. Truman orders American military forces to aid in the defense of South Korea.

August

·         August 5

o    Florence Chadwick swims across the English Channel in 13 hours, 22 minutes.

 September

·         September 4

o    Darlington Raceway is the site of the inaugural Southern 500, the first 500-mile NASCAR race.

·         September 9 – The U.S. state of California celebrates its centennial anniversary.

·         September 12 – Communist riots erupt in Berlin.

·         September 19 – West Germany decides to purge communist officials.

·         September 26 – Indonesia is admitted to the United Nations.

 October

·         October 2 – The comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz is first published in seven U.S. newspapers.

·         October 11 – The Federal Communications Commission issues the first license to broadcast television in color, to CBS (RCA will successfully dispute and block the license from taking effect, however).

·         October 15

o    The second Tacoma Narrows Bridge opens.

 November

·         November 8 – Korean War: While in an F-80, United States Air Force Lt. Russell J. Brown intercepts 2 North Korean MiG-15s near the Yalu River and shoots them down in the first jet-to-jet dogfight in history.

·         November 20 – T. S. Eliot speaks against television in the UK.

·         November 22

o    Shirley Temple announces her retirement from show business.

·         November 29 – The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is founded.

Date unknown

·         The first pagers are developed.

·         The first TV remote control, Zenith Radio's Lazy Bones, is marketed.

France institutes a government-guaranteed minimum wage.

Little Golden Books!!!

Oh how I LOVE little Golden Books!  The remind me of being a child.  I have a good sized collection of Golden Books, mostly Disney, that I am starting to read to my own children.  I remember having them all lined up on my bookshelf, shiny and exciting spines all lined up together.  I also remember one night when I left a stack of them in the back yard only to discover the next morning that they had been destroyed by the morning dew.  I was crushed! 

Do you have a favorite Golden Book?  Do you purchse them today for your family?

Tonight I read Walt Disney's Donald Duck and the One Bear: A Turn-About Tale.  Copyright 1978

I really liked this tale, it was the classic goldielocks story but with a bear trying things out inside of Donald Ducks house!  Very cute!  I was also impressed by the vocabulary I got to read to my son.
Here are two words we ran across, chorused and culprit.  You just never know when you can find new learning!

Once I was done reading to Christopher tonight I went online to do a quick search.  I found this really fun website!
http://www.antiquebooks.net/library.html

It has copies of Golden Books that you can read and enjoy online!  Can't wait to share it with my kids!

Animal Lovers here is a book for you!

1949 Caldecott Honor: Juanita

By Leo Politi

I have written about Mr. Politi before, he won the Caldecott Honor for Pedro, the Angel of Olvera Street in 1947.  For today’s post I found a great blog post about Leo Politi.  Please check it out!

http://bigorangelandmarks.blogspot.com/2009/03/no-218-politi-residence.html

The next web site I found is by the Politi Family!  Another great find!

http://leopolitifamily.com

Book Summary

Juanita and her family live on Olvera Street in California!  They are busy preparing for a special spring celebration, the Blessing of the Animals!

Illustrations

These are standard Leo Politi style pictures.  Heavy Mexican Influence.  The book I had the colors were bright yet faded.  Not sure if that is the intended look or just time taking it’s toll.  I enjoy watching little Juanita playfully move thru the city as preparations and celebrations take place.  Not much more to say right now, I found the book to be enjoyable and the art work to enhance the story!

Final Thoughts:

1. Would this be a book I would pick up again? Not sure

2. Would I recommend it to others to search out and take a look at? Yes, at least once.

3. Would I spend my hard earned money on the book? If it was a good deal yes!
4. Where did I get the book? Milton Memorial Library (Part of Pierce County)

Video to Watch!

Previously I read a few books by the very famous lady, Virginia Lee Burton!  I found a video I wanted to watch.  Pierce County Library System was kind enough to order a copy so I could watch it and then share it with others.  I found it very interesting.  It does focus on Virginia Lee Burton as well as her community as an adult!  I have now learned that I really LOVE her style of art.  Block Printing.  Sketch Board.

Upon reflection it also made me think of another author/illustrator Wanda Gag.  Both of these ladies are in my favorite group now.  I now have visions of a place in my new home that I can frame work from both of these ladies!  They have given me inspiration for design!

My dream: a room that gets lots of light, walls painted soft white.  Sit in round window with a soft cozy sea blue pad on the bench, Pillows made from fabric with bright colored block prints!  Oh to dream!  OR a fun "retro" kitchen with towels and curtains from block prints.  Wow the ideas are just coming!  Now to get that new house!

The books that provided me with inspiration:
1939 Caldecott Honor Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Wanda Gag
1942 Caldecott Honor Nothing at All by Wanda Gag
1943 Caldecott Winner: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
1948 Caldecott Honor: Song of Robin Hood written by Anne Malcolmson Illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton

Please reserve the video from Pierce County Library and enjoy it as I did!
Virgina Lee Burton: A Sense of Place
A film by Christine Lundberg and rawn Fulton

Here is a fun little taste of the film!

It's cold outside!

1949 Caldecott Winner: The Big Snow

By Berta and Elmer Hader

This is the third time we are seeing this couples name!

1940 Honor: Cock-A-Doodle Doo

1944 Honor: The Mighty Hunter

On the two previous posts I gave bio’s for them each before they were married and then once they were married.  If you would like to relook at those posts please do so.

There is a great website that will provide you with more info as well, please take a look at it!  I am soooo tempted to purchase some of the paper dolls!

http://haderconnection.com/

Book Summary

A delightful story of how various woodland animals prepare for the cold winter months.

Illustrations

This book is such a delight!  I love it!  Berta and Elmer Hader have perfected the art of drawing nature for children!  Simple and sweet as well as detailed and honest!  How do they do it?  There are illustrations with full color sprinkled around the book, but the majority of the illustrations are black and white!  There are two key elements, the flying geese and the snow! Once again I am so impressed when an illustrator can give the appearance of snow using a white page and a black pen!  Amazing to me!  Take the above picture for an example.  Immediately we all know that there are two people standing in a very large pile of snow!  All it takes is a soft black line and a few shading elements.  Just beautiful!  I am in love with this book!  I love the animals!  I love the snow!  I love the message about seasons changing!  I just really like this book!

Final Thoughts:

1. Would this be a book I would pick up again? Yes

2. Would I recommend it to others to search out and take a look at? Yes

3. Would I spend my hard earned money on the book? Yes

4. Where did I get the book? Pierce County Library, WA

ABC.....All Around the Town!

1949 Caldecott Honor: All Around the Town

By Phyllis McGinley         Illustrated by Helen Stone

I was unable to find a lot of information on Helen Stone.  I did find her year of birth, 1903 (Englewood, New Jersey) and her year of death, 1978 (Camden, New Jersey).  I also found that she attended the New York School of Art, Chase School-Student.  While I was looking I noticed that the above partnership between Phyllis and Helen is long lived!  They created many books together.  We will see this pair again in a year or so.

Book Summary

A charming ABC rhyming book.  The poetry in this book is really well done!  I really enjoyed seeing what Ms. McGinley would come up with for the next letter.

Illustrations

The only detail I could find about the type of art work Ms. Stone did was “Easel Painting.”  I don’t really think this pertains to what type of paint she used, when I looked in the book to me I thought of watercolor, soft edges with colors blurred together at times.  Bright Green, Yellow and Red paints are used in conjunction with black.  The illustrations are cheerful and entertaining.  There is no one main character, rather each page is a scene from the city.  I enjoyed these illustrations, my favorite was page I. 

I’s for Ice on skating rinks

That glimmers cold and pearly

Where people’s skates

Cut figure-eights

And people’s skirts are twirl-ey

It must be nice

Around the Ice

To glide so smooth and clean-

Not flying and not dancing

But just something in-between.

The illustration shows New York City!  How do I know?  You tell me, what is the one icon in New York City that has to do with Ice Skating?  Gosh I can’t wait until someday when I can see New York in Person!

Final Thoughts:

1. Would this be a book I would pick up again? Maybe

2. Would I recommend it to others to search out and take a look at? yup

3. Would I spend my hard earned money on the book? Perhaps

4. Where did I get the book? Pacific Lutheran University

A young boy with an odd name!

1949 Caldecott Honor: Fish in the Air

By Kurt Wiese

This is the second time we are looking at work by Kurt Wiese.  He previously won a Caldecott Honor for his book You Can Write Chinese in 1946.  If you would like to see his bio please refer to this post.

Book Summary

A young boy, whose name is Fish, enjoys collecting items that are fish related.  Young Fish ends up setting his sights on a large kite in the shape of a fish.  Once he acquires his kite his adventure (and lesson) begins!   In the end Fish learns that bigger is not always better!

Illustrations

Bright colorful images fill each page.  I have no clue as to what medium Mr. Wiese used, I would love to know what it is called.  Here is how I would describe it.  There are moments of solid color, no shading, just simple color!  Then there are images in the background that are “spotted”.  For example the sky is not solid color rather it is like a crayon rubbing.  Do you know what I mean?   There are spots of color and spots that remain white.  Then there are times when the floor is yellow with red “spots” thru it.  I really like the effect just don’t know what to call it officially.  If you do please let me know!

The images portray realistic life, yet in a cartoon manner.  Not the funny cartoons just the bright color way.  I like the simple manner of color used.  No stress on shading, no worry about getting the light and shadows just right!  This is my type of art!

Final Thoughts:

1. Would this be a book I would pick up again? perhaps

2. Would I recommend it to others to search out and take a look at? yup

3. Would I spend my hard earned money on the book? Perhaps

4. Where did I get the book? Southern Oregon State College

More Info:

 http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/birthbios/brthpage/04apr/4-21wiese.html

Blueberries For Sal!!!! CLASSIC!!!!!

1949 Caldecott Honor: Blueberries for Sal

Robert McCloskey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svx0CFeBwlw

Rather then repost the same bio information I wrote for the Make Way for Ducklings post I thought this video would be fun!  It showcases some of Mr. McCloskey’s art outside of books as well as other books that I have yet to read.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Book Summary

A mother and daughter go to a hillside to pick Blueberries.  Sal, the daughter, quickly picks a few blueberries and then eats them!  Classic!  Mother is busy working on filling her bucket.  Meanwhile on the other side of the hill we are introduced to a mother bear and her cub who are also enjoying the blueberries.  Both mothers are busy at work while the young ones are busy doing what young ones do, wander.  Eventually the young one end up switching mothers without notice.  No worries by the end of the story everyone is back in the correct location!

Illustrations

I LOVE THIS ILLUSTRATION!!!!!!!!!!!

This is found on the front inside cover as well as the inside back cover.  This is only half of the image the other half is just as beautiful, it contains the stove, pantry and other kitchen elements.  Some of the interesting pieces in the illustration are the classic look of a kitchen stocked with canning supplies, sugar, mixers, measuring cups, nothing was left out!  I also like how the calendar with August on it is displayed!  How thoughtful!

I love the classic feel of this image.  I have always had a fascination with classic/retro items.  The curtains in the windows, the mother with apron and perfect hair!  Simple times?  Right?  Probably not.  Anyway I like the illusion of it!  When I think of this and the time when it was published 1949 I am sure it was a different impression.  This book would have seemed modern and with the times.  Funny how that works.

Okay now let’s talk about how Mr. McCloskey created the illustrations.  This book is done with dark navy blue ink, not black!  The images do not have color. (If you watch the youtube video I post it will be in color)  The are simple but include details where needed.  Shading is used extensively in the book!  Shadows are a key element.  On page 27 we see young Sal looking around a large rock to see what is on the other side of the hill.  The hillside is solid dark with the unknown.   With the very little drawing I have done I have found shading to be quite difficult for me to grasp!  I can never seem to understand where the light is hitting and what would be darker.  There are times when I can do it on a single item but them put to items in the same drawing and they are not the same.  So I appreciate the shading in the book!

Final Thoughts:

1. Would this be a book I would pick up again? Yes

2. Would I recommend it to others to search out and take a look at? Yes

3. Would I spend my hard earned money on the book? Yes

4. Where did I get the book? Pierce County Library, WA

More Info:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81C6BoQmD-Q


http://www.hamiltonheritagehall.org/McCloskey_Museum/Home.html

1949 History: VW Bugs, Flying Chimps, Big Bang and Murder

1949

Facts taken from Wikipedia.

January

·         January 4–February 22 – Series of winter storms in Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, Colorado and Nevada – winds of up to 72 mph – tens of thousands of cattle and sheep perish.

·         January 5 – U.S. President Harry S. Truman unveils his Fair Deal program.

·         January 11

o    Los Angeles, California receives its first recorded snowfall.

o    KDKA-TV becomes the first local, on-air television station in the US.

·         January 17 – The first VW Type 1 to arrive in the United States, a 1948 model, is brought to New York by Dutch businessman Ben Pon. Unable to interest dealers or importers in the Volkswagen, Pon sells the sample car to pay his travel expenses. Only two 1949 models will be sold in America that year, convincing Volkswagen chairman Heinrich Nordhoff the car has no future in the U.S. (The Type 1 goes on to become an automotive phenomenon.)

·         January 20 – U.S. President Harry S. Truman begins his full term.

·         January 25- The first Emmy Awards are presented at the Hollywood Athletic Club.

 February

·         February 22 – Grady the Cow, a 1,200-pound cow, gets stuck inside a silo on a farm in Yukon, Oklahoma and garners national media attention in the United States.

March

·         March 2 – The B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II under Captain James Gallagher lands in Fort Worth, Texas, after completing the first non-stop around-the-world airplane flight (it was refueled in flight 4 times).

·         March 20 – The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, Denver & Rio Grande Western, and Western Pacific railroads inaugurate the California Zephyr passenger train between Chicago and Oakland, California, as the first long distance train to feature Vista Dome cars as regular equipment.

·         March 28

o    English astronomer Fred Hoyle coins the term Big Bang during a BBC Third Programme radio broadcast.^[1][2][3]

 April

·         April 4 – The North Atlantic Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., creating the NATO defense alliance.

·         April 7 – Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, starring Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, opens on Broadway and goes on to become R&H's second longest-running musical. It becomes an instant classic of the musical theatre. The score's biggest hit is the song "Some Enchanted Evening".

 May

·         May 1 – Nereid, a moon of Neptune, is discovered by Gerard P. Kuiper.

·         May 6 – EDSAC, the first practicable stored-program computer, runs its first program at Cambridge University.^[4]

·         May 11- Israel is admitted to the United Nations as its 59th member.

·         May 12 – Cold War: The Soviet Union lifts its Blockade of Berlin.

·         May 23 – The Federal Republic of Germany is established.

June

·         June 8

o    Red Scare: Celebrities including Helen Keller, Dorothy Parker, Danny Kaye, Fredric March, John Garfield, Paul Muni and Edward G. Robinson are named in an FBI report as Communist Party members.

·         June 14 – Albert II, a rhesus monkey, becomes the first primate to enter space, on U.S. Hermes project V-2 rocket Blossom IVB, but is killed on impact at return.

·         June 24 – The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, airs on NBC.

 July

·         July 11 – Pamir is the last commercial sailing ship to round Cape Horn under sail alone.

·         July 27 – The de Havilland Comet, the Worlds First Jet-Powered Airliner, makes its first flight.

 August

·         August 28 – The last 6 surviving veterans of the American Civil War meet in Indianapolis.

·         August 29- The Soviet Union tests its first atomic bomb, code named "Joe 1". Its design imitates the American plutonium bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan in 1945.

 September

·         September 6- Howard Unruh, a World War II veteran, kills thirteen neighbors in Camden, New Jersey with a souvenir Luger to become America's first single-episode mass murderer.

·         September 23 – U.S. Harry S. Truman announced that the USSR had the atomic bomb

 October

·         October 1 – The People's Republic of China is officially proclaimed.

Date unknown

·         The Vatican announces that bones uncovered in its subterranean catacombs could be the apostle Peter; 19 years later, Pope Paul VI announces confirmation that the bones belong to this first pope.^[6]

·         1949 was the first year in which no African-American was reported lynched in the USA.^[7]