“Summits bathed in glory….” “Life is Old There….” This is a view of Middle Island Creek taken from the Rails to Trails trestle near West Union. The Trail continues into the town of about 670. The town and this portion of the Creek are in Doddridge County. Middle Island Creek meanders along slowly, through the jug handle, for 77 … [Read more...] about West Virginia Here We Come Part II
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West Virginia Here We Come!
“Almost Heaven….” Wild & Wonderful Some of our readers live in West Virginia and they have the luxury of exploring the wild and wonderful State at their leisure. Others of us have visited many times, explored the Rails to Trails and other hiking trails, and seen mink in the wetland., We know for certain that black bears … [Read more...] about West Virginia Here We Come!
Playing Marbles As Shown on Dutch Tiles
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. “Tiles with Scenes of Children Playing”; BK-1955-328-A; Netherlands ca. 1680 – 1730; Tin glazed earthenware majolica; height c. 107 cm × width c. 80 cm; Used with Permission Wie wat bewaart, die heeft wat . Who saves, has something. Old Dutch saying. 400 Years of Playing Marbles & Other Children’s … [Read more...] about Playing Marbles As Shown on Dutch Tiles
Once Upon A Time in America
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard Finding Something You’re Not Looking For In August we published two stories, “What a Spectacle!” about marble tournament competition medals. In the stories we explain how we found the online Library of Congress newspaper archive at the … [Read more...] about Once Upon A Time in America
What a Spectacle! The Rest of the Story
“What is history, but a fable agreed upon?”---Napoleon Bonaparte On The Hunt for Marble Competition Medals We had been learning about marble competition medals, as told in the first part of this story, for many years before we ever found one for sale. We had had no luck finding one until we visited an antique shop in Tifton, … [Read more...] about What a Spectacle! The Rest of the Story
What A Spectacle! National Championship and Tournament Marble Medals
“Not so bad – huh” Ray Snow, artist. Harrisburg Telegraph, PA, 1924. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. “Memory itself is an internal rumour.”— George Santayana, Reason in Science, 1906. 1922 Was a Long Time Ago Einstein theorized that both time and space are relative. One … [Read more...] about What A Spectacle! National Championship and Tournament Marble Medals
Meet Me At The Rio: On The Track of Theater Marbles
"I'd horsewhip you, if I had a horse." - Horse Feathers (1932) Five unused tickets to the one-night-only Midnight Burlesque Show La Vie Paree, Saenger Theatre, Mobile, Alabama, 13 January 1934. Balcony seats cost .55¢ with tax. “Say it Ain’t So! A Fantasy?” Note from the Editor: This story was updated on February … [Read more...] about Meet Me At The Rio: On The Track of Theater Marbles
A Conversation with L.E. Alley III
No history of American machine made marbles is complete without the history of Alley Agate Company. Likewise, no collection can be complete without a few specimens of these gorgeous marbles! While we were on the road to Round Top, Texas, we acquired several beautiful Alley marbles to add to our collection. When we got home we … [Read more...] about A Conversation with L.E. Alley III
As Real As A $3.00 Bill!
“Decision making, like coffee, needs a cooling process.” George Washington[1] A $3.00 Bill & Marble Packaging It isn’t illegal to print $3.00 bills. The United States government has never issued one so it can’t be counterfeit. Likewise it isn’t illegal to print headers that look “defeated” ---shop … [Read more...] about As Real As A $3.00 Bill!
Shipwreck Marbles: Found from Wreckage
The Transatlantic Steamship Liverpool. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division 2003679830 “…If this life is a shipwreck, we must rescue as many as we can, and not forget to sing in the lifeboats.” Peter Gay: his viewpoint about the message of Voltaire’s story “Candide” “Down to the Sea in … [Read more...] about Shipwreck Marbles: Found from Wreckage
Shipwreck Marbles: The Rest of the Story
Wall tile, Harlinger, Netherlands, 1650-1700 Tin-glazed eathernware with painted decoration in blue with manganese outline, a ship. Image ID 2007 BN2966. Accession No. C.569:2-1923. Victoria and Albert Museum, London Collectibles, London. [11] An Old Broken Jar When we lived in Kissimmee, … [Read more...] about Shipwreck Marbles: The Rest of the Story
Rock & Roll: How to Store and Show Your Marbles
“If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.” – Michael Crichton How many marbles ya’ got? When we tell people about our marble hobby and collection one or two questions invariably come next. It’s a tie between “How many ya’ got?” and the old chestnut … [Read more...] about Rock & Roll: How to Store and Show Your Marbles
