Large Headphones and a Funky Mic

Posted on July 24, 2019 by Nancy

In the recording studio, Producer Suzanne Hogan interviews author Nancy Dailey about Jim the Wonder Dog of Marshall, Missouri. Nancy is holding a copy of her book, JIM aka The Wonder Dog. — Suzanne Hogan, left, of KCUR 89.3 interviews Nancy Dailey, right, about Jim the Wonder Dog and his ties to Marshall, Missouri.

It took about three hours to arrive at my destination–the studios of KCUR 89.3 in Kansas City, Missouri, an affiliate of NPR, National Public Radio. Now 11 a.m. Friday, July 19, 2019, I am in a recording studio. It’s kinda cool to sit in front of a funky-looking microphone and listen through headphones to what is being said, what I am saying.

This is an interview for part of an upcoming series of NPR podcasts about lesser known community histories. Producer Suzanne Hogan contacted me for this interview after reading my book JIM aka The Wonder Dog. Jim was an actual dog that lived in Missouri from 1925-1937. He had some very unusual talents which have never been explained, even today. Although Jim lived in three towns in Missouri, Marshall is the community that has taken Jim to heart and is doing what it can to keep the dog’s memory alive. There is a Jim the Wonder Dog park located in the exact spot where the Ruff Hotel was. That also happens to be where Jim lived. There is a museum next to the park.

My interview is scheduled to be aired in November 2019.
Stay tuned.

PS: A note from Suzanne: “The interview sounds good.”

The Little Microscope has Arrived

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Nancy

The whole thing is sooo small and so different from what I’ve known as a microscope. And the lens is so tiny! I don’t know how in the world Leeuwenhoek ever discovered all those things he did using this! (Now to figure out what I can try to look at using it. — Any ideas?)

No Wells in Amsterdam?

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Nancy

Were there really no wells in Amsterdam in the late 1600s? While researching material for my book about Maria Sybilla Merian I realized that not once had I come across any reference to wells. Nothing was mentioned in the books I read. I had not seen any marked on old maps of the city. Oh there was plenty of water with all of those canals, but I suspected that the canal water was salty since they did connect with the sea. So where did the residents of Amsterdam get their drinking water? Who could I ask?

I finally emailed the information desk of the Amsterdam Historical Museum with my question. Frans Oehlen answered. He answered my question and provided even more information.

As I thought, canal water was salty. It was also polluted. But it was used for washing, and for cleaning doorsteps.

Some people used rainwater collected in wooden rain barrels for their drinking water. But there was not always enough.

The best water for drinking was brought into Amsterdam by water barges. These barges brought water from the Amstel River (upstream), the Gein River, and especially from the Vecht River. This water was for sale, though, and not everyone could afford it. Also during the winter it could be a serious problem to keep the rivers navigable when they became frozen over. (Ice cutters probably had a good seasonal business then.)

I had never given a thought to the possibility that people ever might have to buy water back then. In fact I assumed that buying water was a more modern phenomenon. I knew from traveling when I was a child that the taste of local water in various places could be quite different, but nobody ever bought and took water with them anywhere. Only fairly recently has buying bottles and jugs of water become an option…at least in my area of the world.

Chörlein

Posted on May 11, 2009 by Nancy

Chlörlein

This bit of architechture is a famous landmark in Nürnberg, Germany; it is called a chörlein. This one was built in 1513. Looks to me like an elaborate 3-sided bay window held up by an elaborate stone column attached to the side of the house. This house is where the pastor lived.

The other building in the background is the St. Sebaldus church, the one Maria Sybilla Merian Graf attended, and where her second daughter, Dorothea, was baptised.

Before Streets Had Names

Posted on April 1, 2009 by Nancy

In the old city of Nurnberg there are a number of these figures, each one placed on the corner of a building at a street intersection. They are not only lovely sculptures, but sculptures with a purpose. Well, they served a purpose back in history…back when city streets did not have any names. These figure served as reference points for people trying to find a certain shop or house.

It's another indication of how much larger our cities and towns are today. Can you imagine trying to give anyone directions today without using street names? Or numbers?

The Beautiful Fountain

Posted on March 29, 2009 by Nancy

The tall fancy spire you see above the market booths is the Schoenebrunnen, or the Beautiful Fountain, and is very aptly named! It is the most beautiul fountain I’ve ever seen. And probably the tallest. The workmanship that went into making this is absolutely incredible.

Here is a close up of this fountain. The photo was taken through the fancy wrought iron fence which encloses it.

The golden ring is supposed to bring good luck when you turn it. Yes, it does move! Of course, you have to find it first, and that is no easy task! The ornate iron work is such that the ring blends in beautifully, and even the change of color does not stand out immediately.

And, unbeknownst to a lot of tourists, there is an iron ring on the other side of the fountain. Some of the local people asked me if I knew about this one, and when I said no, they beckoned me to this side and said that turning this one ensures that you have children. Apparently especially important after the plague which wiped out so many. Can you find it?

A Walking Tour of the Old Town

Posted on March 27, 2009 by Nancy

The first thing I did was to take a walking tour just to get a basic idea of where things were and what there was. Supposedly a 2 1/2 hour tour, ours lasted another hour because our guide took the time to answer questions as well as adding more information when the group showed more interest. Walking around the town also showed us very quickly just how steep the terrain was going up to the base of the castle. And from the base on up to the castle grounds was even more so!

We started at the Hauptmarkt, or the main market area.

The photo on the left shows the booths set up by the vendors. They filled the entire large otherwise open square. This square is the main market area of ancient Nürnberg where farmers brought their fruits, vegetables, eggs, animals, etc. to sell on market days. As you can see, this still occurs (but without the animals).

The twin spires in the background are part of St. Sebaldus church, the church Maria Sybilla Merian Graf attended and where her second daughter, Dorothea, was baptized. The family lived just a short way up the hill from this church.

The white stuff in the photo on the right is white asparagus. This was the season for fresh asparagus and many of the sellers had it for sale.

Entering the old city of Nürnberg

Posted on March 22, 2009 by Nancy

WallEntrance

Wall

At last I get to see what it is like to be in a city surrounded by its old protective walls. (These walls were completed in 1452.)

The photo on the left is of the entrance I used most of the time when entering and leaving the old original part of the city since I stayed in a small pension outside of these walls not far from the train station.

The photo on the right is a typical view of what the walls look like from inside the old city. The square towers each had a door which provided access to the top of the wall. Here it was easy to imagine men patrolling the covered walkways and keeping a close watch on any activity outside these walls.

From One Place to the Other

Posted on February 1, 2009 by Nancy

Interior of the Dom

Kaisersaal

After a new Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was crowned––in the Dom, shown on the left, he proceeded to the Kaisersaal––shown on the right––for a huge banquet held in his honor.

It's amazing how tall those old churches are, and how beautiful.

It's difficult to even imagine the long process needed to build such an imposing church without the time-saving conveniences of modern technology. But I'm sure the construction of such a building provided good employment for a lot more people, too.

And speaking of construction, there was a lot of that, or maybe it was restoration and repair, going on when I was in Frankfurt. And since all the scaffolding is usually covered, that makes it impossible to get a good view of the buildings in question. Both the Dom and the Romer had such scaffolding when I was there. It wasn't tourist season, yet, so maybe they were trying to have everything done before all the tourists came. (Well, it sounds good, anyway.)

The Kaisersaal, which was used as a banquet hall, was fascinating in a different way. I just couldn't get over the fact that the left side of the room is actually longer than the right side! Looking at the curved beams of the ceiling is about the only way that can be seen in a photograph; there's an extra one on the left side going only to the center. (Looks a bit strange when you walk to the windows!)

Child’s Chair of the 1600’s

Posted on January 31, 2009 by Nancy

Chld chair 1600s

I saw this chair in one of the museums in Frankfurt am Main. Hmmm…looks more comfortable than chairs we have for kids today. It's a nice leather chair. With the tray it's not only good to use for feeding, but could also be a place to set a child with a toy or two for entertainment. Would that have been the option before the days of playpens?

And, of course, I have to wonder…did Maria Sybilla or her daughters ever sit in a chair like this?

Nancy B. Dailey

Author | Artist | Educator

Tag Archives: history