A visit to a brutalist structure

After an early morning of soccer action and an Everton win I met my Wife and took her on a surprise field trip to the Ohio History Center. I had not been there for years but have read about budget cuts and other issues that make the place seem like a labor of love to work at and maintain.



The center was holding up well. We particularly enjoyed an exhibit of an actual Lustron house. I thought they were more solid and ceramic, but it was galvanized steel and it seemed flimsy. The structure seems to hold up with no rust though. There were people inside in 1950's outfits who answered questions about the house and stayed in Ozzie and Harriet style character while doing it.

Of course the two headed calf is there. Excuse the flash.



We also ventured outside on a warm day into Ohio Village, a recreation of a pre Civil War Ohio town. There were costumed actors who demonstrated homemaking skills of the time as well as an undertaker. It was a bit more fun than I thought it would be, but a lot of the buildings were empty. It's hard to find volunteers these days.

There were also a few apple trees on the grounds.



Overall it's worth the visit. Ten dollars to get in and I saved a buck with my AAA membership. Very friendly staff, I hope they can get a budget that is worthy of their task to steward and educate Ohio's history.

Rich history brought to life

Very little is known about the life of Thomas Dent Mutter, the founder of the famous Mutter Museum in Philadelphia. With this book, Dr. Mutter's Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz brings Mutter to life in extraordinary context to his times. 

Excellent research shows us the horrors of surgery in the world during the early 19th century and O'Keefe Aptowicz describes the procedures very graphically. We learn of Mutter's education and travels but sadly, very little about his wife, who only gets mentioned on six pages. It is difficult to research and find what has been lost though and O'Keefe Aptowicz fills in the gaps with fine historical details although she can get bogged down in occasional minutia and trivia. This is a wonderful book with an incredible conversational tone.

A gripping history and a fine story told

Finding grave sites of American historical figures, prominent and obscure, are a part of what makes me tick. What happened to Admiral John Paul Jones after he died in Paris is a story that Scott Martelle reveals in his book, The Admiral and the Ambassador: One Man's Obsessive Search for the Body of John Paul Jones. The man who searched for the body is Horace Porter, an American businessman and confidant of many political figures of the day who eventually becomes the U.S Ambassador to France during the Mckinley administration.

Martelle weaves a fascinating mystery the involves the Revolutionary War, Paris during their revolution and advances to the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and the McKinley assassination. All of which had minor and major roles in the burial, disappearance and eventual recovery of the bones of John Paul Jones.

The research is top notch and the story breezes along, like a good mystery should. There's a lot of depth to the main characters involved. You get a real feel for the life Porter had as an Ambassador and the lives diplomats led during that era. The story does not bore, but pulls you in. You know the body is going to be found but how, and when?

Really enjoyed the Hell out of this book. A fine read for history buffs and lovers of a good political mystery.

A country full of old things

I have no idea why, but castles have never really appealed to me. But when you're in Scotland, visiting one is right up there with having a whiskey in a pub or a can of Irn-Bru at a chip shop.

I've been to Edinburgh Castle, but not inside it as the lines were long and those who were waiting were not being sheltered from the rain. My Father-in-Law was willing to drive us a short distance and he recommended Stirling Castle.



It's a fine castle. Well preserved and a great introduction of life in the 16th century. The history of the place is a soap opera and you can read about some of it here.



Yes, there were cannons.



But there were also places for archers to fire out of.



The views were outstanding.

We did not but I think I'd recommended taking a guided tour so you get a bit more detail from the experience. There are also some docents disguised and historical reenactors on site that are fun.



Do not pay attention to that guy though, he don't know shit.



There are a lot of carvings in the museum and on the sides of the castle walls, as it was James IV's way to establish himself as sovereign.



You can spend a long time looking at those.

There's a lot of history in the town, and it's where my wife went to college. I really enjoyed going here and wish there was more time to explore.

I see those fighter planes

Beautiful day for a mini road trip. We headed to Dayton to see the Air Force Museum. I had not been there for about twenty years and was wondering what types of changes had been made. There seemed to be a lot of improvements. A stunning amount of information on the walls and exhibits. What impressed her, and surprised me, was how little flag waving and blatant America F-yeah there was, especially since I have not been there since the end of the Gulf war.



She'd never seen a Wright Flyer up close before. Yes, that thing flew. Both of us were appreciative of the exhibits about the early days of military aviation. Here she is with a Sopwith Camel.



There are a lot of stories about the men and women who flew and did not make it that will rip your heart out. It's an overload of information that is very difficult to absorb in just a few hours. We got through a lot of the exhibits until world war two, and then it became too much.



Approaching the later exhibits up to today I started realizing we really have not learned anything from the lives lost. We're still blowing people up, but with prettier, more technologically advanced machinery. Here's what it's like looking into a bomb drop of a B-52.



There was a very moving exhibit about people from Dayton who had family in the holocaust. They donated a lot of photographs and other personal items, including a death camp uniform that somehow survived the war.

The enemies this country had and defeated were, for the most part, treated with respect. There was a kamikaze plane on display, along with a Japanese fighter and a MIG. The Berlin Airlift was given a good amount of space, with models depicting a Candy Bomber, who dropped parachutes filled with candy and chocolate to the children of Berlin.



You never know when you may come across a Russian checkpoint.



Above all though, the men and women who fought in these wars were all damn brave. You have to respect that. And the astronauts who flew in a Lunar Module the size of a well equipped hot tub get their due as well.



That's Apollo 15.

It's a great place to learn about military aviation, admission is free. Just remember, do not touch anything.



And remember to leave when you have reached your information limit.