They kept everything.

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My Grandparents kept everything, and it all ended up in my lap. This collection of stuff ranged from the cool (WWII V-Mail from my Uncle Frank) to the "you've got to be kidding me" (receipts from a trip taken in the 50s). I've weeded out a lot of the nonsense and kept the more interesting (at least what was interesting to me). In turn I decided to create this site to not only post some items, but also as a research exercise. Most items are from Chicago and Detroit, but of course family trips expanded their reach of hoarding. I hope you enjoy this very random collection. Frank Kownacki

theme by Robin Wragg

 
Today is the home opener for the Cubs, and while it is a bit egotistical to re-post your own posts, I still figured this one is worth it.  Something I should have mentioned last time is that the 1945 World Series is the supposed start of the now infamous Cubs goat curse. A goofy thing that I don’t believe in, though should have been mentioned. Also worth mentioning about 1945 is that Hank Greenberg, one of my all time favorites, played in that series (albeit for the Tigers). He had returned mid summer from military service during The War and helped bring the Tigers to his second World Series. Not only had he volunteered for WWII (he was 28 after Pearl Harbor and had already been released from military service), he also served longer than any other major league player. A great documentary about him, The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, came out a few years back and I highly recommend you check it out.  familyephemera: With spring hope springs eternal.  And if you’re a Cubs fan you know that a lot of springs have passed since there has been a World Series at Wrigley Field.  These Cubs World Series tickets most likely belonged to my Grandpa George.  He and his brother in-law, my Uncle Frank, were best pals and would attend sports events together.  So it is a pretty safe assumption that this is how the tickets came into my possession.  I also remember hearing about how my Great Grandparents also enjoyed baseball.  This means my kid is the 5th generation of my family to catch a game at Wrigley.  Worth noting on these tickets is (as I often mention) the lack of corporate logos.  Everything looks nicer when it doesn’t have some cheeseball branding campaign spewed across the front.  The other item worth mentioning is the price.  Now math has never been my strong suit but I think it is fair to say that the cost of a World Series ticket has pretty well outpaced the rate of inflation over the years.  I suppose you can add that fact to the list of why that era is now known as baseball’s Golden Age.  

Today is the home opener for the Cubs, and while it is a bit egotistical to re-post your own posts, I still figured this one is worth it. 

Something I should have mentioned last time is that the 1945 World Series is the supposed start of the now infamous Cubs goat curse. A goofy thing that I don’t believe in, though should have been mentioned. Also worth mentioning about 1945 is that Hank Greenberg, one of my all time favorites, played in that series (albeit for the Tigers). He had returned mid summer from military service during The War and helped bring the Tigers to his second World Series. Not only had he volunteered for WWII (he was 28 after Pearl Harbor and had already been released from military service), he also served longer than any other major league player. A great documentary about him, The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, came out a few years back and I highly recommend you check it out. 

familyephemera:

With spring hope springs eternal.  And if you’re a Cubs fan you know that a lot of springs have passed since there has been a World Series at Wrigley Field.  These Cubs World Series tickets most likely belonged to my Grandpa George.  He and his brother in-law, my Uncle Frank, were best pals and would attend sports events together.  So it is a pretty safe assumption that this is how the tickets came into my possession.  I also remember hearing about how my Great Grandparents also enjoyed baseball.  This means my kid is the 5th generation of my family to catch a game at Wrigley. 

Worth noting on these tickets is (as I often mention) the lack of corporate logos.  Everything looks nicer when it doesn’t have some cheeseball branding campaign spewed across the front.  The other item worth mentioning is the price.  Now math has never been my strong suit but I think it is fair to say that the cost of a World Series ticket has pretty well outpaced the rate of inflation over the years.  I suppose you can add that fact to the list of why that era is now known as baseball’s Golden Age.  

Last week I posted the opposite side of this page from the September 29, 1935 Chicago Tribune. While the Joe Louis fight was interesting, I do believe this was the actual reason my Grandfather kept this sheet.  The 1935 Cubs won the National League Pennant but lost to the Tigers in the World Series (of which I have one of my Grandpa’s tickets). While that would be enough reason to remember that year, there are two other fun facts that made them stand out: This was the last time they ended a season with 100 wins. That alone is a good one, but to reach that record they did so with a 21 game win streak. I’m sure the quote at the top is a reference to that great run, which didn’t begin until near the end of the season on September 4th. Those two facts really made them quite the team.  This photo was taken out along the left field wall. The building that you can see the most of is still there on Waveland Ave, but that area of Wrigley has changed a lot since then. That wall is long gone (and replaced with one that while looking old is clearly not the same) and seats were extended over that area. This means that this view can no longer be seen from the field. Still, that doesn’t stop me from trying to imagine what it was like when my Grandpa saw a World Series at Wrigley. 

Last week I posted the opposite side of this page from the September 29, 1935 Chicago Tribune. While the Joe Louis fight was interesting, I do believe this was the actual reason my Grandfather kept this sheet. 

The 1935 Cubs won the National League Pennant but lost to the Tigers in the World Series (of which I have one of my Grandpa’s tickets). While that would be enough reason to remember that year, there are two other fun facts that made them stand out: This was the last time they ended a season with 100 wins. That alone is a good one, but to reach that record they did so with a 21 game win streak. I’m sure the quote at the top is a reference to that great run, which didn’t begin until near the end of the season on September 4th. Those two facts really made them quite the team. 

This photo was taken out along the left field wall. The building that you can see the most of is still there on Waveland Ave, but that area of Wrigley has changed a lot since then. That wall is long gone (and replaced with one that while looking old is clearly not the same) and seats were extended over that area. This means that this view can no longer be seen from the field. Still, that doesn’t stop me from trying to imagine what it was like when my Grandpa saw a World Series at Wrigley. 

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