A bit about spoons & alchymy from Alice Morse Earle

Customs and Fashions of Old New England was first published in 1893 and written by Alice Morse Earle (1851-1911), who was previously featured on Papergreat 13 years ago, in a post about her book Home Life in Colonial Days.

My copy of Customs and Fashions of Old New England is the 1909 reissue by Charles Scribner's Sons. It was once the property of Laura E. Bayless, per the cursive signature on the first page. That's possibly this Laura E. Bayless, but there's little way to know for sure. 

I've had a bookmark sticking out of this book for years, because I keep meaning to share this passage about spoons. So, without further ado, here it is:

"The greater number number of spoons owned by colonists were of pewter or of alchymy — or alcamyne, ocamy, ocany, orkanie, alcamy, or occonie — a metal composed of pan-brass and arsenicum. The reference in inventories, enrolments, and wills, to spoons of these materials are so frequent, so ever-present, as to make citation superfluous. An evil reputation of poisonous unhealthfulness hung around the vari-spelled alchymy (perhaps it is only a gross libel of succeeding generations); but, harmful of harmless, alchymy, no matter how spelt, disappears from use before Revolutionary times. Wooden spoons also are named. Silver spoons were not very plentiful. John Oxenbridge bequeathed thirteen spoons in 1673, and 'one sweetmeat spoon,' and '1 childs spoon which was mine in my infancy.' Other pap-spoons, and candle-spoons are named in wills; marrow-spoons, also, long and slender of bowl. The value of a dozen silver spoons was given in 1869 as £5 13s. 6d. In succeeding years each genteel family owned silver spoons, frequently in large number; while one Boston physician, Dr. Cutter, had, 1761, half a dozen gold teaspoons."

There’s a surprising amount packed into that little passage for spoon historians, etymologists, early American social historians, food historians and even archaeometallurgists to chew on. And it’s just one paragraph out of a 387-page treasure trove that we can thank Alice Morse Earle for compiling. If you ever come across a copy of Customs and Fashions of Old New England in your favorite used books store, I highly recommend it. (The full text of the book is also available via Project Gutenberg.)

1935 postcard from Angelo Frank Buffone to his brother Dominic

While I try to encourage Big Boi to eat following his surgery yesterday to remove his broken canine teeth (his life as a feral tomcat was a rough one), here's a postcard featuring a different "Big boy."

It's not often that you can positively identify both the sender and recipient on a 90-year-old postcard, but it worked out on this one. 

It was sent by Angelo Frank Buffone (October 9, 1912 — March 5, 2000) to his younger brother Dominic Buffone (1915 or 1916 — June 28, 2009). Coincidentally, the card is postmarked on the night of October 9, 1935, which was Frank's 23rd birthday. That could explain his playfully jabbing tone toward his younger brother.

The cursive message states:

Hay Big boy 

why in the hell didn't you write to us we are all wonder [?] what is the matter with you. I here you and Morella [?] are coming home Saturday. If you are I'll coming out there Friday night about 8 or 9 o'clock to take you in. So wait for me Friday night. 

Be Good Dick.

Frank Buffone. Worc., Mass.

The Buffone family was a big one. According to Dominic's 2009 obituary, there were 13 siblings in all. Both Frank and Dominic served for the United States in World War II, and I have to believe some of their other brothers did, too. Dominic took part in the Battle of Midway and lived in Worcester all of his life. Frank moved to Oceanside, California, (where I was born) around 1980, according to his obituary in the March 8, 2000, edition of the North County Times of Oceanside.

That obituary states that Frank "was a plumber with Plumbers Union Local 4 in Worcester before retiring and served as a supply staff segreant in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He served in the National Guard for 15 years."

Given the size of the Buffone family, I bet there's a fair chance someone out there will stumble upon this post during a Google search and can share some more information. And I'd be happy to get the postcard back into the family's hands if a relative of Frank or Dominic would like to have it.

RIP, Charles Robert Redford Jr.

Robert Redford, an iconic American actor and Oscar-winning director, died in his sleep at age 89 today in Sundance, Utah, the location of the Sundance Institute, which he founded in 1981 to support emerging and aspiring independent filmmakers. 

Ethan Hawke wrote on Instagram: “Robert Redford, our ultimate champion of independent film, relentless advocate for authentic storytelling and fiercely passionate environmentalist. Robert’s legacy remains ingrained in our culture, transformed by his artistry, activism and the founding of Sundance Institute and Film Festival.”

It's hard to pick and choose from among all the incredible films Redford was involved with, but if I had to program a two-week memorial film festival that admittedly involves a lot of my personal favorites, it would look something like this:

WEEK 1

• Festival opener: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
• The Hot Rock (1972)
• The Sting (1973)
• Three Days of the Condor (1975)
• All the President's Men (1976)
• (This is chronological, but it's the viewing order I'd put them in even if it weren't. It takes us from his superstar emergence to a series of 1970s films that transition from fun to serious, while being thrilling all the while.)

WEEK 2

• Ordinary People (1980, director only, for which he won the Oscar)
• The Natural (1984)
• Sneakers (1992)
• The Horse Whisperer (1998, director and star)
• Finale: All Is Lost (2013)
• Coda: "Nothing in the Dark," 1962 episode of "The Twilight Zone" (pictured at top)

I'm sure there will be protests that I should have included The Way We Were, Jeremiah Johnson or his directing efforts Quiz Show and A River Runs Through It. Or perhaps something else. Let me know in the comments!