Ivory Joe Hunter (October 10, 1914 – November 8, 1974) was an African American R&B singer, songwriter, and pianist, best known for his hit recording, “Since I Met You, Baby” (1956). Billed as The Baron of the Boogie, he was also known as The Happiest Man Alive.
He was christened Ivory Joe as an infant; “Ivory Joe Hunter” is therefore not a nickname or a stage name, but the artist’s real birth name.
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(Thanks for the link, DJ “Action Pat” Griffin!)
Baltimore’s grand old amusement parks were the original pleasure palaces, offering exciting sights and sounds — from the Racer Dip to the Human Laundry Ride to Klatawa the Diving Horse. They also offered a way to, in H.L. Mencken’s words, ‘escape the horrors of reality.’
By Mary K. Zajac
Today’s amusement parks fall into two categories: corporate Disney empires that feature attractions linked to movie blockbusters or trademarked characters— think “Pirates of the Caribbean” or Cinderella’s Castle— or the tantalizingly seedy carnivals that wander through town initiating the start of summer. Not so long ago, however, there was another species of amusement park.
Before Disney World and Space Mountain, Six Flags and steel roller coasters, you could ride the Racer Dip, the Mountain Speedway or the Sea Swing at one of Baltimore’s legendary amusement parks, sprawling entertainment complexes that were as affordable as they were grand.
Baltimore’s amusement park era began in the late 19th century with the opening of places like the racy Hollywood Park, which was located on Back River and Eastern Avenue. It was described in a Sun article as “notorious,” “ribald” and “a wild place” where the “only prohibition there was against smoking opium in the Old Mill.” And the era ended in the early 1970s with the drawn-out closure of Gwynn Oak Park. In between, Baltimoreans— white Baltimoreans, that is— came by streetcar, school bus and on foot, with sweethearts or Sunday school classmates, to swim, ice skate, sashay across ballroom floors, play games of chance and ride dozens of inventive rides. In the early 1920s, Baltimore boasted more than half a dozen amusement parks.
Continue reading “Wild Ride” at Baltimore Style.
Maryland’s Amusement Parks
From Ferris wheels to roller coasters to tunnels of love, everyone has a favorite amusement park memory. For nearly 130 years, many of those memories have been made at Maryland’s amusement parks.
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By Joanne P. Cavanaugh, 4/15/1998
photo by Sam Holden
Kitsch: (kich) n. 1. Pretentious bad taste, especially in the arts. (G. kitschen, to put together sloppily.)–The American Heritage Dictionary
Kitsch: (kich) n. 1. “I don’t believe there really is such a thing as kitsch. It’s a German word for camp. To me, it mean[s] two older gentlemen in an antique shop under Tiffany lamps speaking about Rita Hayworth movies.”–John WatersIf you want to define kitsch for yourself, go see Fat Elvis.On a Friday in March in the commercial heart of Hampden, Joe Leatherman stands in his store, lifting things out of a cardboard box. Maybe there’ll be a popsicle-stick lamp inside. Or a poodle made of shells. Or a plastic wall clock flanked by a lion and a unicorn. It gets even better–or worse.
“Want to see a light-up ‘Last Supper’ I just got?” Leatherman asks. He walks over to the wall and inserts a plug in a socket. The image of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting illuminates, the screw-in bulb glowing over Jesus’ head.
Continue reading “Kitsch and Tell” at Baltimore City Paper.
City Paper’s 2010 Guide to All Things Baltimore
Baltimore is a place of many nicknames and civic slogans, many of which have stuck whether they fit the place or not. Its 19th-century violence earned it the handle “Mobtown.” More recently it was dubbed “Charm City,” which the Visitor’s Bureau probably prefers, and on a good day the place totally lives up to it. “The City That Reads” seems like overkill, even with the rising indie-lit scene, while “The Greatest City in America,” still etched on fading bus benches all over town, is just plain grandiose.
The one we like best came off a beer label (National Bohemian, aka Natty Boh), but it rings true: “The Land of Pleasant Living.” And in a way, that’s what this second annual guide to Baltimore from City Paper, its free alternative weekly, is all about: helping you enjoy the city like a native.
Continue reading “The Land Of Pleasant Living” at Baltimore City Paper.
