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Not a pet erson, so-called, per se
Russian Avant-Garde Art Leave a comment
Russian Avant-Garde Art Experience
Prior to the 1917 communist revolution in Russia there was a certain genre of art that flourished known as avant-garde ‘futurist’ style. Many of the artists were genuine anarchists, also LGBQ. Kandinsky, Malevich, Goncharova, Lissitzky, Popova, to name only a few! They produced many very unique works that today are considered legendary and highly collectible. However the communist revolution pretty much eliminated those works, only a limited number of their ‘authentic’ works survived.
My Russian wife and I sold a number of pieces purported to be by those artists on behalf of their owner, a relative. Since they lacked ‘provenance’ (documented traceable history) it was not possible to represent them as ‘authentic’ works, nevertheless those oil on canvass; acrylic; and water color works, certainly appeared to be so.
The owner dated his Russian ancestry back to the days, and even the court, of Tsar Nicholas II, which we heavily relied on. But, again, we were unable to state they were genuine authentic works.
Selling them became a rather exciting hobby for us. People from all over the world were buyers; Germany, Spain, Poland, USA, Russia and others.
Although I was a little uneasy about selling those pieces, it was made clear to buyers we did not guarantee authenticity. However, to us they certainly looked authentic, such as very old appearing media; oil on canvass, acrylic, and water colors. But of course we were by no means well qualified to judge.
Most buyers were well pleased with their purchases. But a few hastened to seek authenticity, no doubt hoping for a great financial windfall. However typically in the art world this is very difficult and expensive. In fact its said the majority of famous works in galleries around the world are fake copies of the real ones! There are very few recognized experts world-wide who are considered qualified to certify authenticity. We learned that such trusted ‘experts’ are elderly men in Europe. So you can imagine the voracity of their judgements.
Therefore a few buyers were disappointed. One in particular was a Moscow resident, quite likely a wealthy oligarch. He submitted his purchase to the prestigious Tretyakov Gallery hoping to verify a piece we sold him as authentic. But they said ‘nyet’ (no). However, he cheerfully didn’t want a refund, but simply asked to exchange it for other avant-garde pieces we had for sale, not even questioning their authenticity, so we obliged.
If you would like to learn more about the early Russian avant-garde art, which is highly collectable and valuable today, here is a google website: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=avante+gard+1917+russian+art
Fire Hall #13 2 comments
Fire Hall #13
Among all the other things, great and small, that have changed over past decades, kids were allowed freedoms unimagined today. Security was also of far less a worry and concern.
For example, in my pre-teen youth, Fire Hall #13 just two blocks from my home would routinely leave their large firetruck doors wide open when answering a call. And since every man was on deck, no one was left to man the station!
No doubt this would be unheard of today. But amazingly that was exactly what happened one day when I was only 7-9 years young.
When ear-splitting fire truck sirens sounded, everyone in my East side Vancouver neighborhood knew exactly what was happening.
However as fire trucks rushed to the scene of a fire, they left the fire hall completely open and unoccupied! What greater opportunity could there possibly be for an active curious kid?
On at least one occasion I was drawn to explore fire hall #13 when it was unoccupied, even climbing up many stairs to second+story sleeping quarters. But that wasn’t all…!
Emboldened now I surveyed that upper room with its many unmade bunks, rubber boots, and canvas jackets, But now I was mesmerized by a large brass pole extending through a large hole all the way to the main floor! Of course it was the firefighter’s rapid means to man their engines without the potential chaos of having to run down stairs.
Would I; could I; do it…I immediately began to think..as my heart began to pound.? The distance required just to reach the pole was a man-sized open space. It was nearly the same distance as my total height at that age, but the more I looked the more I couldn’t resist the temptation, even with no one to witness the feat.
Jumping off the edge of the opening I just barely reached the pole, but now unexpectedly could not hold tight onto it!
Owing to my physical limitations, and without even knowing enough to wrap my legs around it, as is intended, but also due to the fact it was a shiny brass pole not designed to do anything but transport full grown men to a very speedy landing, I simply descending like a stone, landing hard on the rubber pad surrounding the base.
Thankfully that pad was just enough to break my fall. It may have prevented broken legs, but the physical shock was significant. Indeed that hard landing was enough to cause serious second thoughts about daredevil risks… temporarily at least!
However, my confidence wasn’t permanently injured, it was just another (secret) early lesson in life.
My Youth experience Leave a comment
As a youth I had a couple of interesting job experiences. For example as a pin-setter in a Kingsway Street bowling alley on weekends, becoming quite proficient setting two alleys at a time for 10 pin league players. It was a dangerous challenge to avoid getting hit by flying pins while curled up between alleys, but it paid quite well!
Next I applied for a job in a downtown Vancouver Motel, it was one of the last, if not the very last Motel in downtown Vancouver appropriately named the ‘Downtowner’. I was able to commute after school from East Van via my first car, a 1937 Plymouth coupe.
The managers were two men, one of whom was gay. I came after school and swept the floor of the parking area, refilled the pop machine, and adjusted tv’s etc. among other chores.
It was an education to say the least, including ‘ladies of the night’. Sometimes I obtained liquor via patrons of the Vancouver Hotels’ ‘gay-friendly’ bar for our motel customers.
Just a few of my youthful experiences..
Royal Canadian Navy 2 comments
During my five years in the RCN, I spent nearly two years on HMCS Athabascan, (besides the Frigate Lauzon, and Minesweeper Quinte).
Recruited as a so-called ‘engineer’ and first drafted to the Frigate Lauzon, soon found that working in the engine room was not my cup of tea. So I applied, along with a buddy, (Joe Hoebeck), for a change of trade to ‘Radar Plotter’ department while still on the Lauzon
After several weeks training course at naval station HMCS Stadacona shorebase in Halifax, I graduated at the head of my class and was then drafted to the destroyer HMCS Athabascan, a WW!! relic. Thereafter I was standing watches in the operations room, monitoring radar, tracking surface ships and aircraft.
The Athabascan was a veteran of the Korean war, or should I say a ‘victim’ of that conflict.? During my time on it in the 1960’s only one of its two steam-powered boilers was operational. Evidently, during its Korean war experience, a mortar had actually scored a direct hit down one of its stacks, completely disabling one of its two boilers, and yet, amazingly, had not succeeded in sinking her!
The Athabascan was unable to reach its designed top speed of something like 38 knots with only one operational steam boiler, and, as a ‘Tribal Class’ destroyer, nor was it ever particularly seaworthy in heavy sea conditions. These war ships were designed for fighting, not high seas.
During one such heavy sea event in the North Atlantic, a wave completely overwhelmed the ship from bow to stern. A Deck Officer on duty on the exposed upper bridge was knocked off his feet and sustained a broken leg.
In winter months it was necessary for crew to chip sea-ice from the upper deck – the consequence of not doing so could eventually result in the ship losing equilibrium, and ‘turning turtle’, which apparently happened to more than a few war ships during the second world war. In fact we lost a ship’s cook crewman during winter operations. He was swept off the upper deck by a wave as he tried to make his way back to his aft living quarters. On Tribal Class destroyers the only way you could go from fore to aft was on the upper deck by hanging onto a sliding rope, attached to a cable. Of course we did a standard search pattern for him, but there was no chance anyone could survive in the freezing Atlantic for more than seconds.
However I do have some fond memories of slinging my hammock on the upper deck in relatively calm Southern waters, only to be awakened in the middle of the night by increasing sea-spray and hastily repairing back to secure lower decks. Hammocks had to be re-slung each day in the lower deck ‘mess’ and stored daily, except for watchkeepers.
May final draft was to the Minesweeper Quinte, a wood and aluminum constructed ship designed to counter various types of coastal mines. It had far more comfortable crews quarters, even actual bunk beds! I crewed on it up to my honorable discharge in the early 60’s.
Such experiences will not be forgotten, just as reading Bible study books at sea. In fact at one point I actually began a Bible study with a Swedish bosun’s mate friend by the name of ‘Oly’. (We were discovered under the cover of a life-boat while doing so 😉
Indeed, those were memorable times for me. While I cannot recommend volunteer RCN membership owing to my beliefs now, it was of some value to my learning discipline as a rebellious teen.