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There is a reliability to history...that time moves on but is not forgotten.
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Gold has been discovered in Ohio, Vermont, Indiana, West Virginia, and every state of the Union!
So says author Michael R. Hurwitz in his new book; There’s Gold In Your Attic, a Collector’s Memoirs. As an avid collector, Hurwitz maintains that “gold” in the form of antiques and collectibles are hidden treasures lurking in basements and attics throughout the United States. Tracing his discoveries and ‘finds’ from his childhood in the 1950s to today, Hurwitz reflects on the passion and the excitement that comes from finding rare and unusual treasures in the least likely places. As a boy of ten, his first discovery was a parcel of letters from a Civil War soldier to his family in Ohio. That began a journey that has been filled with exciting and valuable finds covering the past fifty years. The original battle plans of West Point, written by Alexander Hamilton and signed by General Washington during the Revolutionary War, were tucked away in an attic for eight decades waiting for Hurwitz to discover them. Now they rest on display at the Military Academy. The “clown” art of Red Skelton from its inception to the worldwide acclaim they have received is lovingly written about. The heroes of the Baby Boom generation are fondly remembered; Buffalo Bob Smith and his sidekick Howdy Doody, as well as Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. From weathervanes to yo-yos, this nostalgic journey will conjure memories of days past and treasures found. The essays that comprise Hurwitz’ new book have appeared in each issue of The American Antiquities Journal for the preceding ten years and have found an audience both in the United States and Canada. As Art Wilson, the magazine’s founder, editor and publisher puts it, “Through the sections of There’s Gold in Your Attic, a Collector’s Memoirs you will gain some understanding as to how differently a budding young entrepreneur looks at life and conducts himself. Michael’s observations and conclusions may affect how you view events and draw conclusions of the future. Michael’s writing style puts the reader right in the action, experiencing all the emotions and excitement of each situation. All his stories will entertain you as you read at breakneck speed to see what will happen next. There’s Gold in Your Attic, a Collector’s Memoirs is a great read on many levels, and its offering is a classic example of the American spirit.” Collectors, nostalgia buffs, as well as people who love and appreciate antiques will find the book filled with not only information but humor and pathos as well. When asked about the book, Hurwitz responded, “I have enjoyed writing about my odyssey and memory of all things old and wonderful. Having become an antique now myself, I find I’m in good company.”
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A Cultural Explosion Ninety Years In The Making... In 1915 D.W. Griffith released his landmark motion picture, The Birth of a Nation, and ignited a controversy that has lasted nine decades. From defining the motion picture as an art form to inflaming the race issues in America, this single film was the catalyst for the growth of the NAACP and the modern day Ku Klux Klan. It was considered one of the most technically innovative motion pictures of all time and created the feature film as we have come to accept it today. It also infused the genre with the first taste of art as propaganda which reverberates today in the controversy associated with the release of The Da Vinci Code and The Passion of the Christ.
The most definitive book on this film and its impact on the cultural landscape of America has been released, The Birth of a Nation, The Film That Transformed America, written by the film historian and lecturer, Michael R. Hurwitz. Hurwitz traces the life and career of the pioneer filmmaker from his childhood to the rise of the movie industry in Hollywood, a town that D.W. Griffith helped create. Hurwitz examines the complexities of the man, the media and the message contained in the epoch production of 1915 and the resulting societal impact. Richly illustrated throughout, the book examines the nature of the responsibility of an artist and his message, the development and impact of a newly created art form and the aftermath that has been propelled into the twenty-first century. This book examines D.W. Griffith's 1915 landmark film as one of the most important cultural events of the twentieth century. As the US stood on the precipice of extraordinary change, history was viewed through the lens of the camera and it was this motion picture that created what we now identify as the feature film, giving rise to the debate that resonates today...How is art used as propaganda? This is one of the most definitive works offered on the subject and is responsible for raising the specter of...What is an artist's responsibility? "This book digs into a complex and often Byzantine relationship between the work of a creative artist, his creation, and the impact of that creation on the collective psyche of its public."
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At home with D.W. Griffith.
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Thousands of books have been written on the subject of the tragic events that occurred on the night of April 14, 1865, when the United States lost its first President by assassination. For the first time in over one hundred and forty years, this book approaches the subject from a totally fresh perspective. Michael's third book, BACKSTAGE WITH BOOTH; Behind the Scenes of the Lincoln Assassination with the Innocent 'Conspirator,' places the reader on-stage and traces the events of that rainy April evening from the viewpoint of the stagehand, Edmund Spangler, the only theatrical employee to be charged and found guilty of aiding John Wilkes Booth. Hurwitz examines Spangler's life and career, from the time he met Booth as a youngster, yet again as a 'scene shifter' at Ford's Theater through the war years, to the assassination and his imprisonment with Dr. Mudd, and finally his death on Mudd's Maryland farm. Hurwitz also takes the reader on a fascinating journey behind the scenes of theatre life in mid-nineteenth century America. Every aspect of theatre life and lore is explored. Who was Edmund Spangler, and what was his role in this historic event? Who ws Laura Keene, the actress starring in the performance of Our American Cousin as Lincoln watched, and what was her role in the aftermath of the assassination? What was Ned Spangler's role as he was caught up in the swirl of finger pointing? This 394-page book, with over 75 photographs, includes rare court testimony and never-before-seen letters while tracing this monumental event from the perspective of both theatre and history. When asked about the book, Michael has said, "The assassination of Abraham Lincoln is simply where history and theatre collided, and neither has ever been the same. To fully understand what happened on the night of April 14, 1864, it is necessary to understand the nature of theatre during the Civil War and how it worked. To stand in Edmund Spangler's shoes allows the reader to experience this turning point of history from a totally new perspective." Michael's books are available on www.amazon.com or through Target Stores and Borders Books online. Signed copies are available fro the author.
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A Personal Reflection by the author…
Silent film has been an integral part of my life since childhood when, in one corner of the basement of my family’s home, my father constructed a theater, complete with stage, curtains, lighting, and, most importantly, a movie projector and screen. I saved my allowance each week, a mere $.50, until I had accumulated enough to purchase the silent films that not only made up my world but also filled my weekends with wonder and excitement. I ran and re-ran the films over and over until I was able to identify each frame and each shot that went into the creation of the various motion pictures. As my fortunes rose, on the weekly allowance front, I was able to purchase my first motion picture camera and began filming my own movies, replete with titles and graphics. Throughout my teenage years the motion picture fascinated me and held me captive to it’s amazing power to ignite the imagination and to transport the viewer to exotic lands and into the fascinating pages of history.
My passion for this subject was further ignited after crossing the threshold of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1965. I had been accepted as a beginning student at the most prestigious institute in the United States dedicated to the art of the theater and film. The likes of Edward G. Robinson, Kirk Douglas, Grace Kelley and Lillian Gish had attended the school and now it would be my turn.
As a kid of eighteen, growing up in the heartland of the United States, walking into the halls of the Academy was, needless to say, an overwhelming experience. Lining the walls of one of the stateliest structures in mid-town Manhattan were countless photos of the myriad of stars that had previously attended the school. Built by noted architect Stanford White, the building itself was renowned, for it was on the top floor that he kept the infamous red velvet swing.
For a student of theater, film and history, every day was exciting. On a regular basis various alumni would conduct master classes and hold special sessions with the students. One day it was Hume Cronan, another day it would be Kirk Douglas. There were also adjunct instructors made up from the ranks of the illustrious former students, the most notable for me was Miss Lillian Gish. She was one of the women that I most admired from my childhood theater days and one of the most stellar actors of film, especially the films of D.W. Griffith. Upon the conclusion of the first session with Miss Gish I summoned the courage to approach her with a series of questions that I had pondered for years. She graciously responded to my obvious enthusiasm.
Thus began a genuine personal relationship that lasted to her death, clearly enriching my life. I would meet her at the coffee shop directly across the street form the Academy and we would have afternoon tea – very proper – at the conclusion of which I would escort her to her brownstone. In later years, on one of her visits to Columbus, Ohio, I had the opportunity to introduce her to my wife and together the three of us reminisced and pondered world issues.
I learned first-hand from Miss Gish the tenor and undercurrent that existed in early Hollywood and the insight from her was of the most personal nature about D.W. Griffith and his philosophy with the respect to making motion pictures, his attitudes toward actors, and his subsequent decline, both professionally and personally. These conversations provided a very insightful glimpse into his character and I came to feel that I knew him as well.
My passion for history, as well as my love for silent films matured during the two years I attended the Academy and enjoyed a relationship with one of the screen’s most important actors. Ms. Gish instilled in me not only a deep and abiding love for the history of motion pictures; she also rekindled my appreciation of antiques and collectibles. The Mid-1960’s were a turbulent time within the context of our cultural history, however, it was a time that didn’t allow or give credence to the disposable lifestyle that surrounds us today.
I began my exploration of the world of antiques by visiting the shops that lined Third Avenue in NYC, carrying collectors into Greenwich Village. I couldn’t afford much in those days; however, I began to recognize the nature of the “hidden treasure” and acquired a keen eye for a true bargain. Naturally I was attracted to anything connected with the theatre or motion pictures; books, posters, old magazines and, of course, the photographs of the legends, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Chaplin and Miss Gish. As a kid, my father had regaled me with stories of his days in early Hollywood and the cast of characters he had become acquainted with. So now, as a young man on the hunt, I was bolstered by his accounts and by my newfound relationship with Miss Gish.
I would come to gather a respectable collection of memorabilia relating to the early days of the theatre and film with a special focus on the one event that continued to haunt my memory, the creation and production of The Birth of a Nation. For the preceding ninety years it has been hailed as both the single most important film ever made and the most racist. Its creator, D.W. Griffith has been called the “Father of Motion Pictures” as well as a virulent racist. The truth has always seemed to be somewhere between the two. I began a reading frenzy on the subject that has lasted for almost forty years now. Every book on Griffith, every article on the movie and the people associated with it captured my attention and I continued to study and make some attempt to rationalize the various aspects of the film and its creator.
I amassed a personal collection of original material relating to the film, the souvenir program from 1915, letters and photographs and most importantly the privately printed booklet that Griffith distributed in defense of his right to free speech in the wake of a national outcry to the racist content of Birth. The little pamphlet was sent out by Griffith to editors of newspapers, civic organizations and to magazine editors in an attempt to explain away the criticism that he was experiencing and to try to allay the charges of racism that were being leveled against him.
I remember asking Miss Gish about the overt racial content clearly contained in the film and having her recount both her and Mr. Griffith’s feelings about fellow black actors and about race in general. To her, no one connected with the film had any malicious feelings or hatred for the black community in any way, shape or form. It has dawned on me throughout my study of the subject that indeed she felt this to be true and that clarity on the subject must be viewed by the historical perspective of their time and not by ours.
Does this diminish the objectionable content of the film? Not at all. Does it diminish the blatant racism portrayed in the film? Not in the least. It does, however, frame the issue within the proper historical context and allows us today to glimpse a period in our cultural history that was a catalyst for change and improvement.
As I concluded my graduate studies at the California State University and explored the options for the text of my Master’s thesis, the subject of The Birth of a Nation leaped form my collective memory and I began the journey that has concluded in this book. Originally written for the purpose of fulfilling the degree requirements, it is now being offered in book form for the student of film or the individual that is interested in what was one of the most important cultural events of the 20th century. It is offered not in defense of anyone, or any position, rather, it is offered as a study of an event, an event that transformed American society. Perhaps by looking back, carefully, with precision, we may be able to understand ourselves a little better and to take care that in the 21st century, history may be portrayed in a clearer and more accurate manner.
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