Out and About

My grandma, Loraine Gunzendorfer, is out and about again!

Loraine Gunzendorfer

The next pages of the scrapbook shows Grandma back to the theater.

 

Greek Theater University of California, Berkeley Photo courtesy of UC Berkeley

“The Heart of Paddy Whack” opened on Broadway on November 23, 1914 and ran for 17 performances.  So my guess is that Grandma saw this in Monterey on May 29, 1915. 

 

Twelve reels?  Can you imagine the person who had to change the reels right at the precise time during the film?

Theatrical poster Wikipedia Commons

The Clansman was the original name of the silent film known as The Birth of a Nation which was released on February 8, 1915.  According to Wikipedia, the film was highly controversial due to the portrayal of African-American men (played by white actors in blackface) as sexually aggressive towards white women.  The movie was used as a recruiting tool for the Ku Klux Klan and under President Woodrow Wilson, was the first motion picture to be shown at the White House.

I sure wish Grandma had made notes about her impression of the film – somehow this doesn’t seem like something she would have enjoyed.

  




I wonder who she knew at Lowell High School.  The names of those graduating are on the back but since it is glued to the scrapbook, I’m hesitant to remove it.  From the portion I can see I don’t see any familiar names - I might just have to get brave one day and remove it.

Lowell High School was originally known as Union Grammar School and by 1915, had moved from Powell Street in San Francisco to Hayes & Masonic Streets.

My grandmother sure loved to be out and about as a young woman and my recollection is that she never changed!