At the risk of tooting my own horn, included in my work-in-progress - Twain's Geography, is a section on A Tramp Abroad, which contains a fair amount of material on his visit to Heidelberg. Incidentally, I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism and contributions. https://twainsgeography.com/content/tramp-abroad On Wed, 2020-02-19 at 01:54 -0800, DENNIS KELLY wrote: > It is nice to see that Twain’s time in Heidelberg is getting some > attention. > > All it needs now is a commemorative shambling “race” up the > mountainside from his living quarters to his writing aerie. > > Dennis Kelly > > > > > On Feb 18, 2020, at 7:33 AM, Steve Courtney < > > [log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > To follow up on Dennis's post, the new Mark Twain Center for > > Transatlantic Relations in Heidelberg is opening an exhibition on > > Clemens's German connections and travel, "Travel Is Fatal to > > Prejudice," in April. The director of the center, Dr. Uwe Wenzel, > > and the head of the city museum (to which the new center is > > linked), Dr. Frieder Hepp, visited us in Hartford last spring and > > we have collaborated on the project, supplying the center with > > various items, notably a short film (starring Kerry Driscoll and > > me) displaying the German influences in the Clemenses' lives and > > furnishings. > > > > The center's English site is here: > > https://www.heidelberg.de/1220076.html. Here's the exhibition > > writeup: > > > > 'Travel is fatal to prejudice - Mark Twain in Heidelberg' > > > > Special exhibition in the MTC from April 25, 2020 to August 31, > > 2020 > > Opening: April 25, 2020, 4 p.m. > > > > > > > > In the summer of 1878, Samuel L. Clemens - better known by his > > pseudonym Mark Twain - spent more than four months in Heidelberg > > with his family. One result of this stay is an extensive travel > > diary, which was published in the USA in 1880 under the title "A > > Tramp Abroad" and was also translated into German at the beginning > > of the 20th century ("Stroll through Europe"). > > > > > > > > With the special exhibition in the newly founded Mark Twain Center > > for Transatlantic Relations, we will honor the namesake of the > > center and show its importance for the transatlantic partnership. > > In his travelogues he leads us to well-known and lesser-known > > places in Heidelberg and the region. He used his stay to reflect on > > real and supposed properties and peculiarities of Germans and > > Americans. > > > > > > All best, > > Steve > > > > Steve Courtney > > Curatorial Special Projects Coordinator > > The Mark Twain House & Museum > > 351 Farmington Avenue > > Hartford, Connecticut 06105 > > 860-302-8969 > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of DENNIS KELLY > > <[log in to unmask]> > > Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2020 11:46 PM > > To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> > > Subject: Re: BOOK REVIEW: _Mark Twain's America, Then and Now_, > > DeMarco > > > > There are plenty of Twain touchstones in and around Heidelberg. > > > > Dennis Kelly > > > > > > > > > On Feb 11, 2020, at 2:24 AM, Wolfgang Hochbruck < > > > [log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > > > I am currently conducting a class on Anglo-American traces in > > > the Upper Rhine region --- we just visited the Audie Murphy > > > heroic site in Holtzwihr two weeks ago, and we also tracked Twain > > > and Henry James in and around Baden-Baden. If i am not mistaken, > > > this is a picure of the former hotel he lived in during his stay > > > there. > > > best > > > wolf > > > > > > Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hochbruck > > > Department of English / > > > Centre for Security and Society > > > Albert Ludwigs University > > > 15 Rempart St. > > > D- 79098 Freiburg > > > > > > > > Am 08.02.2020 um 04:00 schrieb DENNIS KELLY: > > > > > > > > In San Francisco we have many sites Twain visited and wrote > > > > about. > > > > Right in front of our home the city has preserved his passage. > > > > They may have thought of it as paving the street, but we know > > > > that the wagon wheel imprints of Twain’s rented carriage are > > > > under the asphalt. > > > > > > > > > > > > Dennis Kelly > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Feb 7, 2020, at 4:56 AM, Barbara Schmidt < > > > > > > [log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > The following review was written for the Mark Twain Forum by > > > > > Kevin Mac > > > > > Donnell. > > > > > ~~~~~ > > > > > > > > > > _Mark Twain's America, Then and Now_. By Laura DeMarco. > > > > > Pavilion Books, > > > > > 2019. Pp. 144. Hardcover $22.50. ISBN-13: 978-1-911641-07-0. > > > > > > > > > > Many books reviewed on the Mark Twain Forum are available at > > > > > discounted > > > > > prices from the Twain Web Bookstore. Purchases from this site > > > > > generate > > > > > commissions that benefit the Mark Twain Project. Please visit > > > > > < > > > > > http://www.twainweb.net>; > > > > > > > > > > Reviewed for the Mark Twain Forum by Kevin Mac Donnell. > > > > > > > > > > Copyright (c) 2020 Mark Twain Forum. This review may not be > > > > > published or > > > > > redistributed in any medium without permission. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Can anyone honestly say they have stood for a moment at a > > > > > historic site and > > > > > not imagined the past coming alive? This blending of time and > > > > > place, past > > > > > with the present, may be a uniquely human strength, or > > > > > perhaps a childish > > > > > weakness. But it is human, and few of us could stand below > > > > > the steps of the > > > > > Lincoln Memorial and not hear the echo of Martin Luther > > > > > King's immortal > > > > > aspiration, or walk in the pastoral greenery of Gettysburg > > > > > and not think > > > > > the quietude ironic, or stand in any Nazi death camp and not > > > > > be stricken > > > > > with anger and grief. > > > > > > > > > > Shakespeare said the past is prologue; Faulkner said the past > > > > > is not only > > > > > not dead--that it's not even past; and, Mark Twain wrote in > > > > > one of his > > > > > letters that the one thing we must remember about the past is > > > > > that we can't > > > > > restore it. But none of this wisdom ever discouraged a > > > > > Twainian, and when a > > > > > Twainian finds himself in a place where Twain once breathed > > > > > the air, time > > > > > and place begin to blur and the present recedes as the tidal > > > > > past rolls in. > > > > > > > > > > Twainians are not alone: This has long been true for all > > > > > readers who find > > > > > themselves at literary shrines, as evidenced by the dozens of > > > > > books about > > > > > such shrines that have found eager buyers for more than a > > > > > century, > > > > > beginning with several during Twain's lifetime, including > > > > > Charles F. > > > > > Briggs's _Homes of American Authors_ (1853), J. L. and Joseph > > > > > Gilder's > > > > > _Authors at Home_ (1888), and Theodore Wolfe's _Literary > > > > > Shrines: Some > > > > > Haunts of Famous American Authors_ (1895), _Literary Homes > > > > > and Haunts_ > > > > > (1899), and _Literary Rambles at Home and Abroad_ (1901). > > > > > Twain's homes > > > > > were included in the Gilder and Wolfe volumes, and the > > > > > Langdon family > > > > > library included a copy of the Briggs book that may have > > > > > caught Twain's eye. > > > > > > > > > > The literature about literary shrines grew during the > > > > > twentieth century, > > > > > and a glance through the bibliographies and indices of more > > > > > recent books > > > > > like Ehrlich and Carruth's _The Oxford Illustrated Literary > > > > > Guide to the > > > > > United States_ (1982), John Eastman's _Who Lived Where_ > > > > > (1983), Geri and > > > > > Eben Bass's _U. S. Guide to Literary Landmarks_ (1984), Irvin > > > > > Haas's > > > > > _Historic Homes of American Authors_ (1991), and Francesca > > > > > Premoli-Droulers's _Writers' Houses_ (1995), gives a hint of > > > > > the extensive > > > > > literature on the subject. > > > > > > > > > > Twain is included in virtually every such guide, with the > > > > > focus nearly > > > > > always on his grand Hartford home or his humble boyhood home > > > > > in Hannibal. > > > > > The other places where he lived are sometimes mentioned, but > > > > > the places > > > > > where significant events in his life took place are usually > > > > > ignored or > > > > > overlooked. Hilary Irish Lowe's candid assessment of Twain's > > > > > major homes, > > > > > _Mark Twain's Homes and Literary Tourism_ (2012), was a > > > > > welcome and > > > > > much-needed addition to this literature, focusing on Florida > > > > > and Hannibal, > > > > > Missouri, Hartford, and Quarry Farm. Steve Courtney's _"The > > > > > Loveliest Home > > > > > That Ever Was": The Story of the Mark Twain House in > > > > > Hartford_ (2011) is a > > > > > model for such guides focusing on a single location. > > > > > > > > > > The newest addition to this shelf is Laura DeMarco with _Mark > > > > > Twain's > > > > > America, Then and Now_, a delightful travelogue of Twain's > > > > > American > > > > > meanderings. Sixty-eight places are pictorially documented, > > > > > then and now, > > > > > with nearly 200 old and new images, drawings, and > > > > > photographs, many in > > > > > color. As the title of this book makes clear, this tour of > > > > > Twain's haunts > > > > > and homes is American, and no attempt is made to capture > > > > > every single spot > > > > > of ground where Twain spent his time. There are a few minor > > > > > omissions--the > > > > > home of the Gilders were Twain stayed after his wife's death, > > > > > the home of > > > > > Laurence Hutton where he spent time with some fellow authors, > > > > > or the homes > > > > > of friends like Henry Rogers or William Dean Howells where > > > > > his visits were > > > > > usually brief. Some Twainians might wish that the Hooker home > > > > > where Twain > > > > > and Livy stayed in Hartford while their mansion was being > > > > > built (and where > > > > > their son Langdon died) could have been included; it still > > > > > stands, > > > > > subdivided into apartments, just a short stroll down the > > > > > street from the > > > > > Hartford Memorial. Also not included, but still standing, is > > > > > Orion's home > > > > > in Carson City, Nevada (it's now a law office). Orion's last > > > > > home in > > > > > Keokuk, where Jane Clemens lived out her last years, also > > > > > still stands. > > > > > Other places that were not included have changed completely, > > > > > like the > > > > > grassy street corner in Keokuk where the Ivins House survived > > > > > until the > > > > > 1950s when it was razed to make room for nearby public > > > > > housing; Twain gave > > > > > his first public speech to a group of printers there. Also > > > > > omitted is the > > > > > block where the magnificent Lick House hotel stood in San > > > > > Francisco before > > > > > it was levelled in the 1906 earthquake, where Twain sometimes > > > > > stayed, and > > > > > once hosted a dinner. But the Occidental Hotel, where he also > > > > > stayed, is > > > > > included. It too was destroyed in the San Francisco > > > > > Earthquake, but not > > > > > before its bar was credited with being the place where the > > > > > martini was > > > > > created. > > > > > > > > > > Thinking of this very readable and reliable book as a sort of > > > > > virtual Mark > > > > > Twain vacation, it is important to remember that no vacation > > > > > can include a > > > > > stop at every possible place of interest. Time, space, and > > > > > budget intrude. > > > > > Therefore, calling these absent locations omissions is too > > > > > strong a word; > > > > > they are noted here merely for the benefit of Twainians who > > > > > might have time > > > > > to seek them out if they find themselves in those locales. > > > > > More concerning, > > > > > but still not a major objection, are two colorized images in > > > > > the book that > > > > > might unintentionally mislead. Frederick Waddy's famous 1872 > > > > > cartoon of > > > > > Twain riding a jumping frog has been attractively colorized > > > > > at page 57; the > > > > > original cartoon was not in color. A photograph of Twain at > > > > > page 142 has > > > > > also been colorized and shows him with dark eyes and a clean > > > > > white mustache > > > > > that matches his snowy white hair. A genuine color photograph > > > > > of Twain > > > > > taken in December 1908 shows that his eyes were quite blue, > > > > > and his > > > > > mustache was heavily stained yellow from his habit of smoking > > > > > cigars; these > > > > > details about his appearance have also been confirmed by > > > > > reliable > > > > > eye-witnesses. The colorizing process is easier than ever > > > > > these days, and > > > > > for that reason it is tempting, but it can innocently distort > > > > > the > > > > > historical record. > > > > > > > > > > These quibbles duly noted, they should cause no reader to > > > > > hesitate > > > > > embarking on this beckoning itinerary that traces Twain's > > > > > journey through > > > > > life. The roster of the places included is impressive, and > > > > > DeMarco begins > > > > > at the beginning, in Florida, Missouri with the "birthplace" > > > > > cabin. Next > > > > > comes Hannibal, with an 1869 color birds-eye view lithograph > > > > > that shows > > > > > steamboats steaming along the Mississippi River as the white > > > > > town drowses. > > > > > On the opposite page is a recent aerial color photograph that > > > > > shows a town > > > > > that has not substantially expanded its boundaries. This > > > > > general layout is > > > > > followed throughout the book. Next come scenes, then and now, > > > > > from New York > > > > > (where young Sam Clemens set type in 1852), Philadelphia > > > > > (where he set type > > > > > in 1853), and Washington, D. C. (where he first visited in > > > > > 1854 and would > > > > > return more than once). Locations in Keokuk, Cincinnati, New > > > > > Orleans, and > > > > > Memphis bring the reader up to the Civil War, and then follow > > > > > Sam Clemens's > > > > > journey west to Nevada, stopping at the Pony Express station > > > > > in Hollenberg, > > > > > Kansas along the way, and then Salt Lake City, before > > > > > reaching the stage > > > > > depot in Carson City, Nevada. All are pictured, then and now, > > > > > and DeMarco's > > > > > brisk and informed narrative carries the reader right along. > > > > > > > > > > Twain's pictorial life continues to unfold with haunting > > > > > images of > > > > > ghost-towns in Nevada, striking street scenes in San > > > > > Francisco, and scenes > > > > > from Hawaii and New York City revealing that little evidence > > > > > survives from > > > > > Twain's Hawaiian days, but more survives than one would > > > > > expect in New York > > > > > City, including the Cooper Institute where Twain and Lincoln > > > > > both spoke > > > > > (now the Cooper Union, where President Obama spoke) and the > > > > > Plymouth > > > > > Congregational Church, which still serves local parishioners. > > > > > In Elmira, > > > > > Quarry Farm and the opera house survive, as most Twainians > > > > > know, but the > > > > > lovely grounds of the stately Langdon mansion, where Twain > > > > > and Livy were > > > > > married and where their funeral services were held, are now > > > > > occupied by a > > > > > strip center that carries the Langdon family name. In Boston, > > > > > the famous > > > > > Old Corner Bookstore, where Twain first met Howells, has > > > > > survived, thanks > > > > > to the Boston Globe using it as a subscription office for > > > > > many years; it's > > > > > now a Chipolte Mexican Grill, but retains its original > > > > > appearance. > > > > > > > > > > Twain and Livy's first home in Buffalo was razed in 1963, but > > > > > the carriage > > > > > house survived, for some years as an eatery, now as > > > > > apartments. DeMarco's > > > > > tour, while American, is not strictly American. The Langham > > > > > Hotel in London > > > > > puts in an appearance, reflecting Twain's first visits to > > > > > England in 1872 > > > > > and 1873. Vicksburg, Mississippi and Minneapolis, Minnesota > > > > > are featured, > > > > > documenting Twain's 1882 trip on the Mississippi River to > > > > > gather > > > > > information and evoke memories. New York City appears again, > > > > > this time with > > > > > the building that headquartered Standard Oil, where Twain > > > > > visited Henry > > > > > Rogers at his office, as well as the Players Club at > > > > > Grammercy Park, and > > > > > the building on West 10th Street where Twain and his family > > > > > lived after > > > > > their return to America in 1900--later subdivided into > > > > > apartments where > > > > > Joel Steinberg would gruesomely murder his illegally adopted > > > > > six year old > > > > > daughter Lisa in 1987. On a happier note, Wave Hill (Twain's > > > > > home, known as > > > > > Riverdale) still stands, somewhat expanded in size, but still > > > > > surrounded by > > > > > beautiful grounds. Like other places associated with Twain, > > > > > his home on > > > > > Fifth Avenue survived into the 1950s before being torn down, > > > > > and the block > > > > > is unrecognizable today. The Brevoort Hotel in that same > > > > > block, where Twain > > > > > spent a lot of time, was also razed in the 1950s, and on that > > > > > block now > > > > > stands the Brevoort Apartments, where Buddy Holly once lived. > > > > > The tour > > > > > nears its end about an hour or so by rail out of New York > > > > > City, at Twain's > > > > > last home, Stormfield, in Redding, Connecticut, which burned > > > > > in the 1920s > > > > > and was replaced with a similar home in the 1930s that stands > > > > > today on > > > > > grounds that have shrunken from the original acreage Twain > > > > > enjoyed the last > > > > > two years of his life. > > > > > > > > > > Laura DeMarco's lavishly illustrated travelogue traces the > > > > > entire arc of > > > > > Mark Twain's busy life and constant movements. She tracks > > > > > down every place > > > > > where Twain paused long enough to raise his family in the > > > > > city, write, give > > > > > an after-dinner speech, drink, write some more, deliver a > > > > > lecture, hide out > > > > > from the authorities, write some more, raise his family in > > > > > the country, > > > > > have another drink, try his hand at mining, write some more, > > > > > set type, > > > > > watch a football game, or simply be born, or die. Unlike this > > > > > reviewer, > > > > > DeMarco presents these places in chronological order, and she > > > > > accurately > > > > > describes the relevant details from Twain's life that attach > > > > > to each place, > > > > > and provides unexpected and interesting details about those > > > > > places. The > > > > > journey concludes with a handy index. Although too big to fit > > > > > in a pocket, > > > > > this book will serve vacationing Twainians just as the > > > > > venerable Baedeker > > > > > travel guides served Twain's generation, so get some bigger > > > > > pockets. For > > > > > those who cannot visit every place Twain visited, this book > > > > > is the next > > > > > best thing--a fun and informative way to feel the past and > > > > > present converge. > > > > > > <IMG_20200117_143025.jpg>