Vintage News Articles & Finds

[billycw]

"Suppose the Russians did something now"

JFK moments after smoking his 3rd joint, in the white house...

Smoking in the White house

On the evening of July 16, 1962, sitting president JFK sits in the white house war room with extreme back pain. Only months before he is to host a international Narcotics conference at the white house, he makes a call...

Hours later JFK's admitted lover and family friend Mary Meyer walks into the white house holding a pocket full of sunshine...

Antoinette Pinchot Bradlee, Ruth Pinchot, John F. Kennedy and Mary Pinchot Meyer


"A man does what he must -- in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers -- and this is the basis of all human morality."

- John F. Kennedy


Mary Meyer arrived at the white house late in the evening, walking into the war room where JFK was waiting for her. She hands him 6 prerolled joints and takes a seat...

Lighting the first JFK hotboxes 3 straight joints with Mary joining him, smoking out one of the most powerful rooms in the country...

According to [Washington Post executive] Jim Truitt: (From "John F. Kennedy: A Biography (2006)"

"At first he felt no effects. Then he closed his eyes and refused a fourth joint. ‘Suppose the Russians did something now,’ he said.”

1963 Howell Conant photographs President John F. Kennedy as he smokes a cigarrillo outside his NYC studio


"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility -- I welcome it."

- John F. Kennedy

 

[billycw]

"When ancient opinions and rules of life are taken away, the loss cannot possibly be estimated. From that moment, we have no compass to govern us, nor can we know distinctly to what port to steer."

- Edmund Burke (1729-1797)

The hemp press comes down (c. 1908) Kentucky, photo by C.M.C. Jr.

 

[bombadil.360]

"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility -- I welcome it."

- John F. Kennedy

except for bay of pigs, where you fucked up badly, did not allow air force back up of ground troops... and thus caused Russia to plant their nukes there... You shrank from the responsibility.

 

[billycw]

bombadil.360, I think we can all agree the lesson to learn there is don't trust the CIA...

 

[billycw]

"It’s about trying to frame something. And draw attention to it and say, “Here’s the beauty in this. I’m going to put a frame around it, and I think this is beautiful.” That’s what artists do. It’s really a pointing activity."

- Chris Burden

Artist Chris Burden prepares his homemade paper plane to fly 2 cannabis joints into Mexico 1978

Coals to Newcastle

With a witty title ode to the 14th century, (not unlike the modern "don't bring sand to the beach") artist Chris Burden wanted to do something different with his new artistic piece. He wanted to smuggle cannabis across the international border... Into Mexico...

In the early hours of December 17, 1978, along the border of Calexico, California and Mexicali, Mexico, Chris Burden makes final preparations to his homemade rubberband powered paper plane with 2 joints hung like bombs of the "finest seedless marijuana, ‘sinsemilla’ grown in California". His plan? To fly the joints over the border and into Mexico...

Chris sums up his piece:

“Calexico, California and Mexicali, Mexico are actually the same city separated by a tall steel and barbed wire fence demarcating the international border between the U.S.A. and Mexico. On the morning of December 17, standing on the American side of the border, I flew a small rubber band powered model airplane over the fence into Mexicali, Mexico. From each wing of the plane, like a miniature bomb, hung a cigarette of the finest seedless marijuana, ‘sinsemilla’ grown in California.The plane bore the following inscriptions: Hecho en U.S.A. (‘Made in U.S.A.’), Fumenlos Muchachos (‘Smoke it, kids’) and Topanga Typica (‘typical Topanga’).”

One of Chris Burdens "Coals to Newcastle" planes rigged with 2 joints as bombs 1978

 

[billycw]

“I have spread my dreams under your feet; / Tread softly because you tread on my dreams”

—W. B. Yeats, “Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven”

Peasants - Diego Rivera c.1931

 

[billycw]

"Then everything went dark"

- H.A. Rey - Curious George

French fleeing south to escape the German offensive - 1940


This is George

In 1939 as tensions were rising across France at the empending invasion, German-born Jewish couple Hans and Margret Rey decide to move from their home in Paris to the countryside to escape some of the pressure. Shortly after arriving they were visited by Police pounding at their chateau door...

Investigating German sleeper cells, the Rey's (who had been working on illustrated children's books) convinced the authorities of their innocence... Fearing safety shatter, the Rey's set back off to their home in Paris...

Gathering the little money they had, Hans bought enough spare bicycle parts to make two bike's. The Rey's only pack bread, cheese, water, and five of their priceless manuscripts...

In the early morning rain of Paris on June 12, 1940, as the German's are invading the city, the Reys set off into the unknown fog fleeing Paris on their bicycles...

tandem bicycle carries a whole Belgian family of four with some of their belongings strapped to their backs, as they flee from the advancing Nazis into France, on June 14, 1940. (AP Photo)


The Rey's peddled their bicycles for their life 35 miles that first day, ending up sleeping in a farmhouse in the city of Étampes. On June 14 they peddled into the town of Orléans finally finding a working train out of now occupied France. On the night the Rey's train pulled away from Orléans, German troops heavily bombed and advanced on both Orléans and Étampes...

Crossing into Spain the Rey's fled Europe from Spain to Portugal to Brazil and finally to a new home in New York over the next 4 months.

Shopping around one of the 5 writings that was strapped to their bicycles fleeing France "The Adventures of Fifi", and only weeks after arriving in New York the offer came. As the smoke continued to rise across the ocean, Curious George was Born...

From the original Curious George book

 

[billycw]

“She wasn’t doing a thing that I could see, except standing there leaning on the balcony railing, holding the universe together.”

—J. D. Salinger, “A Girl I Knew”

1924

 

[billycw]

Nigerian anti cannabis PSA poster...

Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health, Health Education Division

 

[billycw]

Fontana di Nettuno (The Fountain of Neptune) by Giambologna, completed about 1567


CANABIS PROTECTIO

In the piazza del nettuno, a city square in Bologna, Italy, history can be literally breathed into the soul. With foundations dating back to at least the Pagans, change has come and gone like the tide...

The Fountain of Neptune by Giambologna, completed about 1567, in the open square becomes the focal point to the much older architecture that surrounds...

Piazza Del Nettuno in Bologna, Italy (note arches in the background)


Modern architecture around the Piazza Del Nettuno date to at least 1200ad with much of the arching roof carried over from the Basilica of San Petronio built around 1390.

Upon closer examination of the surrounding buildings one can see where cannabis made its impact on human history...

Arching roof in the piazza del nettuno in Bologna, Italy


Written in latin, the roof is artistically designed with Medieval style paintings. Cannabis leaves and plants dominate the ornate decoration.

The words:

PANIS VITAE - bread is life
CANABIS PROTECTIO - cannabis protects
VINUM LAETITIA -wine is joy

are inscribed, with scene's of fabric or textile being woven...

The building was most likely a textile and storage area for weaving hemp hundreds of years ago. History forgotten but not erased...

Arching roof in the piazza del nettuno in Bologna, Italy


With history as storied as Italy, its easy for cannabis slide into oblivion as it has. Sometimes a single passage can awaken the history lurking within...

a lactating nereid from The Fountain of Neptune by Giambologna, completed about 1567

 

[billycw]

Ann Arbor Sun,
August 28, 1969
Article: 3 Inch Tall Runaway Sought By Police


Ann Arbor Sun, August 28, 1969

 

[billycw]

“Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets..”

― Napoléon Bonaparte

ca. 1880, a gentleman reading the newspaper

 

[billycw]

“And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers.
There are heroes in the seaweed,
There are children in the morning,
They are leaning out for love,
And they will lean that way forever,
While Suzanne holds the mirror.”

―Leonard Cohen, 1967

 

[Betterhaff]

Ann Arbor Sun,
August 28, 1969
Article: 3 Inch Tall Runaway Sought By Police


Ann Arbor Sun, August 28, 1969
View Image

Don't know where you're from billy but A2 was an old stomping ground.

 

[billycw]

100 Year Old Pure Silver Persian Hookah/Nargile

 

[billycw]

The Kendrick gazette
March 19, 1909
Article: In Self Defence

Stand By Me : 1986 smoking cabbage cigarettes during filming


Many stories of smoking hemp rope pre 1950's...


The Kendrick gazette, March 19, 1909

antique postcard

 

[billycw]

“I accept chaos, I'm not sure whether it accepts me.”
― Bob Dylan

The Connosseur - Norman Rockwell - 1962

 

[billycw]

"During the worst of the bombardment, Piper Laidlaw, seeing that his company was badly shaken from the effects of gas, with absolute coolness and disregard of danger, mounted the parapet, marched up and down and played company out of the trench."

- London Gazette, November 18, 1915

Scottish Piper plays on top of trenches WW1

Pipes of War

With fog hanging over the valley, bone chilling shriek's of the bagpipes begin to echo with the screaming thunder of war cries to soon follow.

April 30th 1689, The battle of the Haughs of Cromdale in Scotland begins as wailing bagpipes encourage the men into battle...

At the height of battle Jacobite Piper named Hamish, plays his bagpipe walking through the carnage of war. With only the bagpipe to protect him he is badly wounded...

Crawling up a hill, Hamish bleeding badly lays on top of a large rock on the top of the hill. Pulling the little life left in him, he played his bagpipe overlooking the bloody battlefield below...

Taking his last breath Hamish died on the rock overlooking The battle of the Haughs in Cromdale playing his bagpipe...

This rock was later named "The Piper's Stone" in Cromdale, Scotland in honor of Hamish...

The Piper's Stone - Cromdale, Scotland

During World War 1 it is estimated that over 1000 pipers died in the line of duty... Piper Daniel Laidlaw exemplifies their bravery...

Spetember 25, 1915,

In the morning hours as sun breaks the horizon, German military releases clouds of toxic chlorine gas that drift through the British lines in a death fog...

With unprepared soldiers succumbing to the toxic gas all around, the Germans begin a wave of heavy shelling, braking the lines in the trenches and moral of the troops covering for life...

Piper Daniel Laidlaw looks over at his commanding officer with a determined look...

“Pipe them together, Laidlaw, for God’s sake, pipe them together,” cried the commanding officer.

Scottish Piper walks on top of trenches during battle in WW1


With the fog of poison thickly hanging in the air, Piper Daniel Laidlaw grabs his bagpipe and climbs the trench wall. With a defiant blow he begins to play “All the Blue Bonnets Over the Border" walking calmly back and forth on top of the trenches...

“Come on, Borderers, who’ll be the first to reach the German trenches?”
-Commanding officers cry after Laidlaw started playing his bagpipes

Inspired by Laidlaw's pure insanity, The troops pour from the trenches charging the German lines...

Piper Laidlaw continued playing, charging the German lines with his troops, after being badly injured he continued to play the troops on...

Sword Beach. Lord Lovat, on the right of the column, wades through the water. The figure in the foreground is Piper Bill Millin.


By WW2, bagpipes had been very limited to use in war and limited to behind safe lines. But Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat didn't give a shit...

“Ah, but that’s the English War Office. You and I are both Scottish, and that doesn’t apply.”
-Simon Fraser talking to his piper Bill Millin

Storming the beaches of Normandy on D-Day there was only one man wearing a kilt, Piper Bill Millin. Armed with only a knife strapped to his leg and his bagpipes Piper Millin faced the German front lines arming the beach...

Landing on Sword Beach in Normandy, Piper Millin waded to the beach with bullets close enough to feel air waves. Wading past fallen friends, he makes it to the blood soaked beach...

With the earth exploding around him pipe in hand, he stands and starts to play his bagpipes... Walking slowly back and forth at waters edge Piper Millin played his pipes as though his last time.

Completing his first song, he hears a familiar sound...

It was Lord Lovat screaming a song request...

Piper Bill Millin continued to play walking the beach until the German lines had broke... Millin later talked to the German troops captured that day on Sword Beach and asked the snipers why they had not shot him, their answer... "because they thought he had gone mad."

Scottish pipes and drums - Blue Bonnets Over the Border
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwKgGTANQQg
[YOUTUBE]uwKgGTANQQg[/YOUTUBE]

Piper James Findlater wounded and playing the charge of the Gordons taking Dargai Ridge, Pakistan. 1897

 

[billycw]

Frontiersmen hunter posed with Pipe, rifle and his faithful canine 1865-70 tintype

 

[billycw]

Turkey Woman with Hookah - c1880's