Alabama History & Culture News: August 23 edition

 

Here's the latest batch of links to just-published Alabama history and culture articles. Most of these articles are from newspapers, with others from magazines and TV and radio station websites. Enjoy!

See which character Alabama's Michael Rooker plays in DC's 'Suicide Squad'

al.com

Comic book movie fans got some fun news last year when Gunn revealed the cast of his upcoming sequel “The Suicide Squad. Among the large ...

This  barbecue joint has been smoking since 1942Alabama

al.com

She now co-owns the 78-year-old barbecue joint with her father, Larry Bethune Sr.(Photo by Art Meripol, from the  " Barbecue: Delicious ...

Legendary Liberal US Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black was from Alabama

Dothan Eagle

However, during this era of American ,  congressional delegation was one of the most liberal in the nation due to the fact that they totally ..

 Book Store added to National Register of  Places- WBRC

Full Coverage

3  sites added to National Register of  Places

al.com

 architect David O. Whilldin designed it. It is an excellent example of Depression Modern architecture, according to the  Commission.

They were famous—and delivered your mail

National Geographic

“The mailman I saw was Richard Wright, delivering mail before his first  sold,” Obama wrote in his 1995 memoir, Dreams from ... Before Brittany Howard fronted the  Shakes, she was an  rural carrier assistant.

Ernest and Hadley Bookseller stays live, both in-store and online

Tuscaloosa Magazine

At 5:30 p.m., via Zoom, the E&H  Club will feature a visit from recently retired University of  creative writing professor Michael Martone, ...

Steve Flowers:  has six living former governors

Opelika Auburn News

He is the only person in state  to be elected governor as a Democrat and a Republican. Fob is 85 and doing well. He lives primarily in Miami, and ...

 

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE:  six ex-governors continue to thrive- Tuscaloosa Magazine

"Places in Peril" Nominations open

Union Springs Herald

Since 1994, the  Commission and the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation have joined forces to sponsor Places in Peril. The ...

Two Women, Their Lives Connected by American Slavery, Tackle Their Shared History

Smithsonian

His first enslaver was a planter in  named Pickett. Combing through records online, Karen established that Pickett had owned two cotton ...

Here's a fun fact about every  county

al.com

It is run by the Blountsville  Society, which says, “This park has on ...  Department of Archives and  (Chris Pruitt | Wikimedia ...

3 influential Birmingham women and their involvement in women's suffrage

Bham Now

Photo via  Department of Archives and . Nearly 100 years ago, Tennessee became the 36th State to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment to ...

Alabama Photo of the Day: A Newsboy in Mobile in 1914

In a previous post I've looked at a photograph Lewis Hine took in Alabama on one of his several trips through the state documenting child labor. This work is another by Hine, made during his October 1914 visit to Mobile. Hine came to Alabama four times; you can see other photos here.

Unfortunately, the collection of Hine's photographs at the Library of Congress gives no details about the subject of this one beyond declaring this youngster to be one of many such newsboys in the state. I've written here about a 1922 report on newsboys in Birmingham. 

The photo itself does tell us a few things, however. The poster at left is for an event at the Lyric Theatre to open on October 24, 1914. Naturally I assumed "The Midnight Girl" was a silent film, but I was only partially correct. The show was actually a Broadway musical that ran earlier in the year from February 23 until May 23. The show, adapted from a German production, apparently went on the road once it closed in New York after 104 performances. A film version was released in 1919. 

The Lyric Theatre opened at 251 Conti Street as a vaudeville house in October 1906 and seated 1200. By the late 1920's the Lyric had become mostly a movie house and remained so until it closed in 1950 and was later demolished. 

What else do we find in this photo? Well, of course, the unnamed newsboy. I wonder if he could read that newspaper he's holding? There is a man's shadow in the lower right; is that photographer Lewis Hine? Finally, I've played with the image, trying to read the sign on what is apparently a bale of cotton in the upper right. No luck, except that the second darker word seems to be "Bale". 

Lyric Theatre postcard

Source: Alabama Dept. of Archives & History

Alabama History & Culture News: August 17 edition

Here's the latest batch of links to just-published Alabama history and culture articles. Most of these articles are from newspapers, with others from magazines and TV and radio station websites. Enjoy!

The Birmingham Belles celebrate the Old South in hoop skirts. Some former Belles say it's time to ... Washington Post When each 17-year- Belle is presented at the Arlington  House, gliding down the steps of the Greek Revival-style mansion, an announcer ... oldHistoric

Sculpting Alabama's history: Documentary details Tuscaloosa artist's creative process Tuscaloosa News From prehistoric monsters to the moon,  comprises far more than football and flawed politics. Following the series of 16 bronze high-relief ... Alabama

The story behind the sculptures: Works depict key moments in Alabama's history Tuscaloosa News The 16 bronze high-relief sculptures in Montgomery's  Bicentennial Park, designed by Tuscaloosa artist Caleb O' Connor and cast at the ... AlabamaFlag as irrelevant

Miles College to honor Autherine Lucy Foster, the first Black University of Alabama student

al.com

“We recognize and embrace the significant contribution she has made in America's history, and we believe she embodies the true spirit of a Milean.

Josh Lucas on reuniting with Sweet Home  director almost 20 years laterAlabama Belfast Telegraph Lucas has now reunited with Tennant on the film The Secret: Dare To Dream, based on the 2006 self-help  The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, about a ... book

DON NOBLE: Gaines' debut 'Stay Hungry' worth another read

Tuscaloosa News

Don Noble's newest book is “Alabama Noir,” a collection of original stories by Winston Groom, Ace Atkins, Carolyn Haines, Brad Watson, and 11 other ...

History of Birmingham

UAB Campus Calendar

Join us as History instructor Pam King presents the history of Birmingham, from the city's founding through the civil rights era and up to recent history.

Celebrating 100 years of women's suffrage Dothan Eagle This centennial anniversary is a significant milestone in our nation's . ... Additionally, a group called the  Women's Suffrage Centennial ... AWSCC is set to host several events honoring the many  women who ... historyAlabamaAlabama

Watch the trailer for 'The Devil All the Time,' filmed in Alabama

al.com

If you've read the book, you'll recognize some of the major characters and themes -- such as violence, vengeance, religion, sexuality and guilt ...

The story of Miss Electra, Alabama's golden goddess al.com In his , “ Power Company,” James L. Noles Jr. wrote that praise for the skyscraper came from around the world. “In 1925, a London ... bookAlabama

Rosa Parks, Condoleezza Rice, Coretta Scott King among 10 influential women from Alabama USA TODAY Women in  such as Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King were the ... What started as the final straw in a long  of segregation in Alaska ... Alabamahistory

Artist Trés Taylor brings community mural project to Selma this weekend Selma Times-Journal “ Black Belt is rich with , small businesses, artists, eateries, and natural beauty,” Taylor said. “The route of murals invites folks to come ... Alabama'shistory

Film tells the story of monuments for Alabama's Bicentennial Park Times Daily MONTGOMERY — To celebrate its 200th anniversary of statehood, the State of  created the  Bicentennial Park in the heart of  ... AlabamaAlabamahistoric

Look for  native in HBO's 'Lovecraft Country'Alabama al.com Look for  native in HBO's 'Lovecraft Country' ... So when I was reading Matt (Ruff's) , I understood the Lovecraft references, but didn't feel ... Alabamabook

Meet Alabama's First Female Hall of Fame Inductee

StyleBlueprint

Leah Rawls Atkins built a noteworthy career as a teacher and historian. She taught American and Alabama history at the University of Alabama ...
{Alabama Sports Hall of Fame]

Two Actors From Huntsville's Lee High School

I guess most high schools in the U.S. can produce a list of well-known alumni. My own high school, Lee of Huntsville, is no exception. As you would expect, many are athletes but two are film and television actors of some success. And that brings us to our blog post today...

Kim Dickens graduated in 1983, a few years after I did in 1970. Her father Justin finished there before me, in 1964 and her mother Pam in 1966. She did no acting at Lee, opting for several sports and the National Honor Society. Dickens made her stage debut while attending Vanderbilt University, and after graduation she headed to New York City. By 1995 she appeared in her first film, the crime comedy Palookaville. 

For the past 25 years Dickens has stayed busy both on film and television. To quote Wikipedia, "She had several supporting roles in films, such as Hollow Man (2000), House of Sand and Fog (2003), The Blind Side (2009), Gone Girl (2014), and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016). On television, Dickens had regular roles in the drama series Deadwood (2004–2006; 2019), Treme (2010–2013), and House of Cards (2015–2017). She starred as Madison Clark on the AMC horror drama series Fear the Walking Dead (2015–2018)."

That list barely touches Dickens' regular work on television. She has appeared in multiple episodes of many other series, including Briarpatch (2019-20), Sons of Anarchy (2013-14), Friday Night Lights (2009), Lost (2006-9), 12 Miles of Bad Road (2008), Numb3rs (2006), Out of Order (2003), and Big Apple (2001). 

One of my favorites among her movies is Zero Effect, released in 1998. Dickens is the female lead in the film that also stars Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller. It's a pastiche loosely based on Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story "A Scandal in Bohemia." Bill Pullman plays the title character, Daryl Zero, the "world's most private detective" and it's greatest; Ben Stiller is his assistant. Dickens is Gloria Sullivan, who's behind the blackmail of Zero's new client and is, I suppose, the Irene Adler of the case. Daryl and Gloria meet, and he falls for her; things then get crazy. The film is layered with lots of acerbic humor, especially as Zero and his assistant bicker throughout. 

You can find her on Twitter.

Kim Dickens in 2018 about the time of her exit from Fear the Walking Dead.

Source: UPI

Ned Vaughn started acting early; he appeared in a community theater production of the musical Oliver! at the age of ten. He continued acting in high school and then at Birmingham-Southern College. After graduation he headed to New York with $600 hoping to begin a professional acting career. He worked as a hotel doorman while taking acting classes and heading to auditions.

The Internet Movie Database has 83 film and television acting credits listed for Vaughn. The first appearance is a 1984 science fiction film What Waits Below, also known as Secrets of the Phantom Caverns. Timothy Bottoms and Lisa Blount were two of the leads; Vaughn is credited as "American soldier." Interestingly enough, some filming was done at Cathedral Caverns in north Alabama. 

Since then Vaughn has appeared in a number of films and TV shows. The movies include The Hunt for Red October (1990), Apollo 13 (1995) and The Best of Enemies (2019). He has made multiples appearances in such TV programs as China Beach (14 episodes, 1989-91), Murder One (12 episodes, 1995-6), JAG (1996, 2001, 2004), 24 (4 episodes, 2005), Cane (8 episodes, 2007) and The Event (3 episodes, 2011). His single-episode guest roles include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Criminal Minds, Boston Legal, NCIS, Desperate Housewives, Mad Men, Bones, The Mentalist, Grey's Anatomy, Castle, and Hawaii Five-0. 

According to his Wikipedia entry, Vaughn and his wife Adelaide and their five children live in Augusta, Georgia. He has a Facebook page. 

Many Lee High School of Huntsville graduates have succeeded on their chosen paths, and these two are no exceptions.   

Ned Vaughn

Source: IMDb

Alabama History & Culture News: August 9 edition

Here's the latest batch of links to just-published Alabama history and culture articles. Most of these articles are from newspapers, with others from magazines and TV and radio station websites. Enjoy!

DON NOBLE: 'Alabama's Rivers' full of knowledge on state's water systems

Tuscaloosa News

“Alabama Rivers” is one of the many books published in cooperation with the Alabama Bicentennial Commission. This volume is beautifully and ...

Historical landmark returns to Pioneer Park KSNB Local 4 Robinson Iron in Alabama contacted the Historical Society and told them they have the exact caste iron fountain mold from 1907. The original fountain ...

Dallas Co. Election Results Lead to Several Historic Firsts Alabama News Network From the West Alabama newsroom–. Dallas County is the site of the state's first capital — as well as the site of historic civil rights events — that ...

Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Collinsville, celebrated its 150th anniversary on July 12    Alabama Baptist Deacon David Clayton shared about the history of the church. ... and presented a plaque on behalf of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission.

Exhibit honoring North Alabama women opens in Lawrence County this week Moulton Advertiser Mullican said another major contributor, The Moulton Advertiser's Loretta Gillespie, provided much of the background and historical information for ...

'Knock! Knock! Knock! On Wood': Stax Records star Eddie Floyd recounts his soulful journey in new ... The Commercial Appeal The book is a colorful and compelling chronicle of Floyd's 60-plus years in show ... “In Alabama, I used to listen to Hank Williams and Nat King Cole.

Shirley Ann Grau, a 'quiet force' in Southern literature, dies at 91 Washington Post Set against a backdrop of segregationist politics, the book chronicled three generations of the Howland family, whose social status in rural Alabama is ...

Here's why the geographic center of Alabama moved from one county to another al.com At some point in history, a plaque was attached to the top step of Main Hall, the university's main dormitory. Writing on the plaque says, “The small star ...

Historic walking tours for Oct. canceled themadisonrecord.com The free walking tours are part of a statewide initiative by the Alabama Tourism Department to foster the exploration of Alabama's history and culture.

Alabama Historical Commission Moves Forward with Plan to Study Artifacts from Last Known Slave ... Alabama News Network The Alabama Historical Commission released a request Tuesday seeking a contractor to provide divers who can assess and document the remains of ...

Alabama proceeds with plan to remove artifacts from Clotilda Taiwan News FILE - In this May 30, 2019, file photo, traffic passes a mural of the slave ship Clotilda along Africatown Blvd. in Mobile, Ala. The last slave ship .

Alabama-built ship recovers astronauts after first crewed SpaceX mission

Yellowhammer News

“I am so proud of the fact that Master Boat Builders in Coden, AL is playing a key role in history, with the recovery of the Space X mission today.

John Oliver slams 'white supremacist history of America' taught in schools Boston.com “Those passages were in the standard Alabama history textbook into the '70s,” Oliver said. “So people who read them and may have been shaped by ...

Alabama's historic Coffin Shop was once casket showroom al.com Those driving along Alabama Highway 39 in Gainesville likely don't know they are passing what was an important building in the community 140 ...