Thanks, Kevin, for the info on the film. I can always rely on you to put me right! Cheers. Heather. On Tue, Sep 10, 2013 at 02:36 PM, Kevin Mac Donnell wrote: > I'm glad Barb Schmidt sent in her notes. I really think it narrows down to > Horace Hazen (about 20) or Claude Beuchotte (early 30s). There's a > youtube video that's set to 12 frames per second, which is a little > too slow, but more realistic than the usual speed and it's also easier > to pause frames when viewing. If you watch the fellow carefully, his > manner, dress, and body language are clearly those of a well-trained > "butler." > > Just to be certain I double-checked my photos of Ossip from this > period and it's clearly not him, as somebody else has pointed out. > Grumman appears in a group photo taken in the library, and this fellow > is not Grumman. > > I have a group photo of the butlers and other staff in Italy, in > Jean's Italian photo album, with each one named in Jean's hand. I > think it's online at Twainquotes, and perhaps in a book --I can't > recall without consulting my records-- and I've compared those faces > to those in other photos like the one of Twain being off-loaded from > the ship to return home to die, in hopes of figuring out which one > might be Beuchotte, but that did not work. The next step might be to > enlarge some of Sprague's photos of Clara's wedding to see if anybody > appears in the background, but if they are not identified, then what? > > So, if the logical choices are Hazen or Beuchotte does the fellow look > more 20ish or 30ish? > > If you really like a mystery, here are two more-- > > 1. I want to know the who/what/why/how of the Stormfield cook who had > a drunken melt-down that required the local sheriff to haul her away. > Dan Beard headed over to see if he could help and Twain met him by the > pergula wearing a pink kimono. They went back inside and Twain got > dressed and they then strolled off to visit Paine, all the while with > Twain ignoring the cook's "appalling racket" according to Beard in his > autobiography. > > 2. Twain and reefer madness. I have a sealed one pound bundle of > Killickinnick smoking Tobacco, ca. 1860s, the very same brand Twain > took with him on the stage with Orion when they headed to Nevada. That > brand had a reputation for having all kinds of non-tobacco stems, > twigs, and leaves in it, and I have a friend who does drug testing on > hair and fiber samples. Hmmm.... > > Kevin > @ > Mac Donnell Rare Books > 9307 Glenlake Drive > Austin TX 78730 > 512-345-4139 > Member: ABAA, ILAB > ************************* > You may browse our books at > www.macdonnellrarebooks.com > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Susan Durkee" To: Sent: Tuesday, > September 10, 2013 8:20 AM > Subject: Re: The only known MT film footage > > >> The man is the film bringing the hat is not Grumman, I have a >> number of >> photos of him with Ralph Ashcroft fooling around on the Lobster >> Pot Patio. >> Grumman was fairer haired and slight. Grumman was the first >> librarian of >> the Mark Twain Library >> Susan Boone Durkee >> >> The Lobster Pot Studio >> 23 Mark Twain Lane >> Redding Ct. 06896 203-938-2760 >> _www.SusanDurkee.com_ (http://www.susandurkee.com/) >> >> _Click the link here to visit the Studio._ >> (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyUgtMN3Evk&feature=youtu.be) >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FPcV4Qi9_E&feature=youtu.be >> >> >> In a message dated 9/9/2013 10:27:48 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, >> [log in to unmask] writes: >> >> I vaguely recall that Barb Schmidt and I played with this a few >> years >> back, >> but I don't recall the result. >> >> There was a tall thin stenographer on premises (William E. Grumman, >> who >> appears in one group photo taken in the library; he was hired in Feb >> or >> March 1909 by Lyon). The butler was Claude Beuchotte. I don't think >> it was >> Claude. Another butler? >> >> Kevin >> @ >> Mac Donnell Rare Books >> 9307 Glenlake Drive >> Austin TX 78730 >> 512-345-4139 >> Member: ABAA, ILAB >> ************************* >> You may browse our books at >> www.macdonnellrarebooks.com >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Arianne" To: Sent: Monday, September 09, 2013 8:32 PM >> Subject: Re: The only known MT film footage >> >> >>> Just read an account of Twain's butler today and it was said HE >>> was the one in the video. So frustrating. I'm going over to >>> youtube and >>> see if I can see an unflipped video. >>> >>> I guess we should be happy there is any video at all of anybody >>> there >>> then. >>> Arianne Laidlaw >>> Sacramentol >>> >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Sep 9, 2013 at 5:33 PM, Kevin Mac Donnell < >>> [log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> >>>> It's clearly Jean on the far right and Clara in the middle. It's a >>>> handsome >>>> young fellow with a shock of hair, not Ashcroft, who brings Clara >>>> her >>>> hat. >>>> It was filmed aiming the camera east toward the rear slope (toward >>>> Redding)--the profile of a tree top between the columns matches a >>>> tree >>>> seen >>>> in other photos of that spot, besides some smaller details. I >>>> wonder if >>>> the >>>> hat-bringer was Ossip? I'll have to make some comparisons. He was >> around >>>> in >>>> late 1909, at least until he and Clara left after their October >> wedding. >>>> I >>>> have pre-1910 photos of him and he had a shock of hair like that >>>> before >>>> male >>>> pattern baldness set in. But not quite his profile at first >>>> glance. >>>> >>>> I have several versions of the film and at least one is not >>>> flipped. In >>>> at >>>> least one version on youtube, the tea-sipping scene is not >>>> flipped. >>>> Besides >>>> Twain's vest buttons, the window placements give it away as being >>>> flipped. >>>> >>>> Although Jean and Isabel had once been cordial, they were not >>>> sipping >> tea >>>> together in late 1909 --Isabel had been fired in the Spring >>>> (April?) and >>>> later "evicted" from the Lobster Pot. Read the newspaper accounts >>>> and >>>> allegations being made at the time. Lots of high drama but no high >>>> teas. >>>> >>>> I have the original first Stormfield guestbook, and a good copy of >>>> the >>>> second made by Twain's lawyer (the original is at Hartford), and I >>>> don't >>>> recall any Edison crews being in those pages, but not everybody >>>> signed >>>> the >>>> guestbook(s) and they could be recorded merely as names with no >>>> identification. I do think if Thomas Edison himself had shown up >>>> he >> would >>>> have been asked to sign the guestbook and his visit would have >>>> been >>>> otherwise recorded, and he and Twain would likely have been filmed >>>> or at >>>> least photographed together, like others of note who came to visit >>>> (Keller, >>>> Howells, Laura Hawkins Frazer, various angelfish, Paine, Coburn, >>>> Henderson, >>>> Whitmore, Eliz. Wallace). >>>> >>>> Kevin >>>> @ >>>> Mac Donnell Rare Books >>>> 9307 Glenlake Drive >>>> Austin TX 78730 >>>> 512-345-4139 >>>> Member: ABAA, ILAB >>>> ************************* >>>> You may browse our books at >>>> www.macdonnellrarebooks.com >>>> >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: "Arianne" To: Sent: Monday, September 09, 2013 3:33 PM >>>> Subject: Re: The only known MT film footage >>>> >>>> >>>>> I also read somewhere that the ladies at the table weren't Jean >>>>> and >>>>> Clara, >>>>> but Jean and Isabel Lyon. Not sure which caption is correct. >>>>> Please >>>>> advise. >>>>> Have you actually seen the correct movie? I didn't know one >>>>> could be >>>>> "flipped." >>>>> Arianne Laidlaw >>>>> Sacramento >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Mon, Sep 9, 2013 at 6:36 AM, Kevin Mac Donnell < >>>>> [log in to unmask]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Interesting that this video is flipped just like the one on >>>>>> youtube, >> >>>>>> and >>>>>> it >>>>>> makes me wonder who copied from whom, or if they share a common >> flawed >>>>>> source. I'm used to seeing flipped negatives on photos printed >>>>>> from >>>> glass >>>>>> plate negatives or modern repros, but I wonder how often an >>>>>> entire >>>>>> video >>>>>> of >>>>>> that vintage has been flipped. It's no big deal that somebody >>>>>> messed >>>>>> up >>>>>> on >>>>>> youtube, but too bad the Smithsonian got sloppy. They should fix >>>>>> it >>>>>> just >>>>>> to >>>>>> be historically accurate, if they really give a hoot. In truth, >> Twain >>>> was >>>>>> holding the cigar in his left hand not his right, and he was >>>>>> walking >>>>>> around >>>>>> from the "cellar side" of Stormfield rather than the "loggia >>>>>> side." >>>>>> This >>>>>> flipped film makes him appear left-handed since he's holding the >> cigar >>>> in >>>>>> his right hand, and of course misrepresents the architecture of >>>>>> Stormfield. >>>>>> G-r-r-r-r-r... >>>>>> >>>>>> Kevin >>>>>> @ >>>>>> Mac Donnell Rare Books >>>>>> 9307 Glenlake Drive >>>>>> Austin TX 78730 >>>>>> 512-345-4139 >>>>>> Member: ABAA, ILAB >>>>>> ************************* >>>>>> You may browse our books at >>>>>> www.macdonnellrarebooks.com >>>>>> >>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>>>> From: "Tony Verhulst" To: Sent: Sunday, September 08, 2013 6:38 >>>>>> PM >>>>>> Subject: The only known MT film footage >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> I've seen this before - we probably all have. But, I just ran >> across >>>> it >>>>>>> again and thought is was worth posting. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>> >> >> http://www.smithsonianmag.com/video/The-Only-Footage-of-Mark-Twain-in-Existence.html >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Tony >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> ----- >>>>>>> No virus found in this message. >>>>>>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >>>>>>> Version: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3222/6649 - Release >>>>>>> Date: >>>>> _> > 09/09/13 >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Arianne Laidlaw A '58 >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> ----- >>>>> No virus found in this message. >>>>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >>>>> Version: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3222/6649 - Release Date: >>>>> 09/09/13 >>>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Arianne Laidlaw A '58 >>> >>> >>> >>> ----- >>> No virus found in this message. >>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >>> Version: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3222/6649 - Release Date: >>> 09/09/13 >>> >> >> >> _ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FPcV4Qi9_E&feature=youtu.be) >> >> >> >> ----- >> No virus found in this message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >> Version: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3222/6652 - Release Date: >> 09/10/13 >> >