No Amelia Earhart was not a prisoner of the Japanese

The Magics
This is one of those moments that makes me, as an amateur historian cry inside, because stories like this grow legs and go racing along the digital byways of the 21st century.  The above photograph is being held up as "potential proof" that Amelia Earhart, rather than dying during her round-the-world flight attempt in July 1937 was instead captured by the Japanese and held prisoner/killed/helped by the U.S. government as part of its secret spying mission masquerading as her flight.  The culprit on this is the History Channel with promotional stories like this one and breathless articles like this one run by People Magazine.

I'll summarize for you the gentle reader - the above photograph was found in the National Archives by a retired federal agent named Les Kinney who found it misfiled.  The image was in the collection of the Office of Naval Intelligence and, you can see from the caption on it, was taken in the Marshall Islands, a Japanese possession at the time and within "oopsie" distance of Earhart's flight path.  Purportedly one of the gentlemen in the shot is her navigator, Fred Noonan, and the individual in the white shirt with the short haircut seated on the dock is Earhart.  In the far right, her plane is being towed by a ship into harbor.

People Magazine helpfully blew up the picture so you could see the magic.  The other chunk of proof is a listing of records from the Office of Naval Intelligence that shows a file of 130 pages about Earhart being a prisoner on the Marshall Islands was in the governments records and was "purged":

Why This Is Stupid
Context mainly, to accept this theory requires a misunderstanding of the 1930s, Earhart's life prior to her flight, Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. military and government resources, and American-Japanese relations in 1937.  Lets dig into things piece by piece:

• Earhart's Flight/Aviation in the 1930s was dangerous - there is a reason Earhart's exploits earned her so much press and also so much fame, they were dangerous and being done by a female aviator.  Flying across the Pacific in the 1930s was a risky activity, the Clippers that did the jaunt regularly and were commercial aircraft carried extensive survival gear in case of crashes - and one of them vanished as well without a trace.  Support systems in the Pacific were minimal and Earhart's flight plan centered on landing on a tiny spot of an island to refuel, when her fuel capacity was extremely low.  It was a high-risk/high-reward strategy to hit a timeline and get press.  Speaking off...
• Earhart was a brand as much as a person and her style was wildly popular - that photo hinges, if you read the articles, on that being Earhart's signature haircut.  She did cut her hair short and maintain it cut short, as part of her image.  An image plastered on magazines, newspapers, and newsreels the world over.  A haircut imitated by a huge number of women in the 1930s.  Have a look at some style guide photos from the period below and remember - we are identifying Earhart based on looking at the back of her hair - any of the styles below potentially look like they might be mistaken for her distinctive look from the back?

• Earhart was a good pilot, not a great pilot - for the conspiracy to work you have to imagine that the United States government wanted to spy on the Japanese fortifications in the Marshall Islands (or other Pacific regions), needed a really good cover story to do so, and settled on convincing one of the most popular celebrity flyers of the 1930s to undertake this mission and keep it a secret.  Earhart was a close personal friend of the Roosevelts but she was also a popular lecturer, writer, and professional celebrity, trusting her with such a mission would be risky on those grounds alone.  But she also wasn't a great pilot - good pilot per those who knew her, solid pilot, but not great.  Also prior to her flight she hadn't spent a great deal of time with her plane and made several errors in flight that damaged it.  
• The United States had other pilots and spy aircraft - spying on Japanese military base construction in the Pacific was actually not that hard for the United States, the U.S. Pacific fleet (which was in the area and took part in the expensive search of Earhart post disappearance) had plenty of aircraft capable of long range flight in the late 1930s that could have taken pictures of those bases.  Aircraft piloted by veteran naval pilots familiar with their craft and, if captured, not a public relations nightmare for the U.S. government.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt was into spy stuff but not crazy spy stuff - FDR was down for unusual plans to mess with Japan and he did enjoy dabbling in spy missions/covert operations, but there is no evidence he went for using civilians as spies in this capacity.  Covert military operations, covert financial aid, absolutely.
• FDR was already hiding secret stuff to support Earhart - that airstrip that Earhart was going to land on at Howland Island, built by the U.S. Navy.  At FDR's request, to support this effort, because he, his wife, and Earhart were good friends.  Built at considerable expense during the Great Depression.  Now imagine going to Congress and saying "Yeah I built that base to support a secret spy mission on Japan.  What?  Use it again, nah, no plans for that."  FDR was popular but not that popular.
• Japan had nothing to really hide in the Marshall Islands - I dug around and it took some work but if you look at a solid online listing here the Marshall Islands did have military fortifications beginning in 1936 on them.  Specifically some minor guns and a few troops.  On islands owned by Japan.  Fortified in violation of their League of Nations mandate but as Japan had resigned the League of Nations in 1936, they kind of didn't care.
• The Office of Naval Intelligence file is not a smoking gun - it is a 130 pages of correspondence on Earhart being a prisoner of the Marshall Islands, as in - people wrote the government letters on the subject.  Funny thing about the government, generally it has to file every letter it receives for its archives.  Every one.  Even crazy ones talking about how Earhart's plane was brought down in the Marshall Islands by magical flying squirrels who taught her their secret nut-based code, which led to her being taken prisoner by the Japanese.  Because the squirrels taught her how to get to Atlantis and the Japanese wanted to know.  Goes in the file.  Eventually the file gets thrown out after enough years.  Could there have been a useful letter in there by someone with information?  Possibly, but there were also probably a LOT of squirrel letters.

But since we are in a special spot historically with this, I'm going to go to the broader point, in 1937 Japan could have really used a good public relations boost with the United States.  The image above is of the sinking U.S. gunship Panay, destroyed in December 1937 by Japanese aircraft.  The ship was stationed in China and the Japanese government apologized and paid an indemnity for the action.  1937 overall was a bad year for Japanese-American public relations, with Japan's invasion of China and smashing of large amounts of territory.  Earhart vanished in July 1937 and the U.S. government spent over $4 million in the largest search and rescue effort in history to that point trying to find her.  

Had the Japanese government found her, why in that climate would they have locked her up?  Lets look at the options:

• She is a U.S. spy on a clandestine mission - Japan returns her without saying anything, FDR owes them a favor/is at risk of exposure.  Japan exposes her, FDR looses position in the U.S. and faces some nasty questions from Congress.  
• She saw some Japanese military building while crashing - the U.S. learns about Japanese base building, which isn't actually a secret, and Japan gets credit for finding and saving the most popular female aviator in the world.  Bonus points if done after the U.S. government spent $4 million and failed in its efforts.  Japan is a hero for finding and saving her.
• She didn't see squat and Japan found her - Japan gets hero points and makes a wonderful public relations success with the U.S. public

Had the Japanese government found her in July 1937 alive post crash I can only imagine them announcing it to the world with glee.  Probably offering to help fund repairs to her plane and an offer that she work with them in he next attempt to use Japanese facilities to support her flight in a "hands across the Pacific" PR coup.

Earhart was a brave woman, a brave aviator, and she and her navigator died attempting a dangerous Pacific crossing.  Mistakes were made, it was an ill-fated attempt, but give her credit for flying and dying pursuing it.  Don't turn Earhart's story 80 years after her death into a weird conspiracy mess.

Sources:  Wikipedia on Japanese history in the Marshall Islands, USS Panay incident, and Amelia Earhart; North American Forts listing of Pacific island fortifications, Timelines of History on 1937 events

A Little Bit of History

Before the year slips away completely, I want to show you the back door project. It is what kept me busy this fall. But before we get to the pretty pictures, I want to share a little history with you. 

In the process of installing the back door, all the exterior trim had to be removed and then put back on. And since it was off, I decided it was also a good time to strip off the aluminum wrapping that was hiding all the lovely details; scrape it down and re-painted it. 

I was very intrigued to notice there was a label on the backside of the trim and every piece was stamped with dimensions. This was very interesting as in the 1920's windows, doors and frames were typically custom built on-site by carpenters. 

A bit of research revealed the Anderson Frame Corporation. A lumber company founded in 1913 by Hans Andersen in Hudson, WI. By the 1920's Andersen Frame was selling pre-made window and door frames in standardized sizes. 

Andersen Frames invented the "two-bundle" system, where the vertical and horizontal frames were sold in separate bundles, thus they were able to provide standard sizes. It was nicknamed the 10-Minute Window as it could be assembled quickly and efficiently. 

(The entire Andersen catalog is view-able HERE)

Isn't that fascinating? The first company to sell pre-made building materials!

I love learning the history behind an everyday item!

Andersen Frames Corporation is still around today as Andersen Windows.

A Cheerful Print Frock- The Details

Are you ready to be a detective today? I am back as promised earlier this week with lots of details about this sweet dress. Once I started looking there are quite a few interesting things about it!

So let's start with the silhouette and overall shape of the dress. (This is one of the best ways to determine age of a garment.) This dress is very straight with short straight sleeves. When I tried the dress on (Yes, it fits me!), the sleeves; which look like normal short cap sleeves; suddenly looked like something out of a 1920's fashion illustration! Very straight and almost kimono looking.

There isn't any shaping in the back, it is one straight piece. The front has a waist seam and a drop waist seam. This is a very common detail for the 1928-1932 years as the waist made it's comeback.

The accented drop waist seam is also scalloped in dramatic points ending at inverted pleats. The only extra shaping or fabric is these pleats, no darts or pleats anywhere else. Not even shaped side seams!

I was very excited to see a tag, but alas, several google searches turned up nothing. I wonder if this was a small local factory or cottage industry?

The bodice front is also accent with red bias tape. I find the V ends that don't end in a point rather interesting. Was it shortened? Or intentionally made that way? The waist seam is another mystery. It is sewn with a serger, while all the other seams are french seams.

 Side seam sewn with a french seam. Very tidy! 

My guess is the dress was cut down to fit a smaller size. If the waist seam had been taken in, the side seams would also have to be taken in, so that doesn't make much sense.

A few repairs here and there made with red thread. 

 A tidy hand sewn hem, which was probably taken up (or down!).

All in all this cheery frock has quite the story to tell!

I know this post has a lot of pictures, but the dress captured my imagination and I got a bit carried away!

A Cheerful Print Frock and Emilie Loring

I am so excited to have been asked to do a guest post over at the Emilie Loring blog!

While I read, I love envisioning what it would have been like to live during the time a book was written. I recently finished reading Fair Tomorrow and when I came across a brightly patterned cotton dress in an antique store I thought of Pamela, "The sun brought out curious red-gold glints in Pamela's black hair, roughed the magnolia tints of her face and arms. A green rubber apron protected the front of her gay, sleeveless print frock as she vigorously applied a brush to the lavishly lathered dog who shivered violently in the galvanized iron tub set on a lawn, freshly, velvety, springily green." 
 The complete post is Here. And a more up close, detailed look at the dress later this week!

1920 National Defense Act, Tank Developments, and World War II (Why U.S. WW II tanks kind of sucked)

One of the unusual stories from the interwar period (1919 - 1941 for the United States) is the passing of the National Defense Act of 1920.  Sponsored by Julius Kahn this piece of legislation reorganized the United States Army and modified the rules on procurement and acquisitions, aiming to decentralize the process.  The National Defense Act of 1920, to my eye, has its greatest impact in how it influenced the development of tanks in the United States between World War I and World War II, due to a key technical requirement of the bill, that tanks were to be subordinated to the needs of the Army.  During World War I the United States had played with the idea of a separate Tanks Corps but after the war decided to focus in on tanks serving in an infantry support roll.

This, frankly, annoyed two leading United States military figures, Patton and Eisenhower, because it would strip tanks of their mobility potential and instead put them on the path of being rolling infantry support vehicles.  Congress however was firm on this point and also reduced the available budget for tank development to a bare minimum, forcing the army to pour its development dollars in the 1920s into vehicles like the one pictured above, the M2, a slow, under armed, mobile gun platform with an emphasis on machine guns to cut down advancing infantry over heavy cannons to destroy other tanks.

However Douglas MacArthur was made Chief of Staff of the United States Army and MacArthur wanted the United States Army to focus on being a faster, more mobile, and more nimble force.  He also wanted to develop tanks that focused on mobility and anti-tank capacity over lumbering along behind the infantry with a wad of machine guns.  But Congress had forbidden any development of tanks except by the Army, so what was a newly appointed general to do?

As it turns out, engage in some legal trickery.  The top image, and the one just above, are of respectively the T7 Combat Car and the M1 Combat Car.  Nearly identical to tanks they were developed by the United States Cavalry and use of development dollars was permitted because MacArthur told the Congress, with a straight face, that these weren't tanks.  No, these were "combat cars" - use they had armor, they had treads, and they had guns, but they were "cars" not tanks.  In fact the T7 Combat Car pictured at the top was built so it could be converted from treads to rubber tires, so it could flexibly roll along paved roads and then switch to an off-road tracked configuration.

This focus by Congress on cost-savings, and pinching military development funds during the interwar period, did help reduce the federal budget but it also led to the United States entering World War II with some, speaking frankly, really shitty tanks.  What you see above is the M3 Medium Tank, the Grant, which was obsolete at the start of the war and featured the terrible design flaw of many western tanks of the period, putting the heavy armament in a fixed side turret because fully rotating top turrets were hard to make work well.  The problem with this design is if your enemy happens to have a tank with a moving turret they have a better chance of lining up your non-cannon side for a kill shot.  (Note the awesome side mounted machine guns though.)

The United States did eventually hammer the issues out, with the design of the M4 Sherman, but it was made under pressure of war.  The United States also never really got into the business of real heavy tanks until World War II was nearly over, leading to some very lopsided tank engagements in 1944 through 1945 with the German army.

But I remain convinced it all hinges on the 1920 National Defense Act and how Congress shifted the focus of the United States military towards a fun-sized cost-saving military plan.

Sources:  Wikipedia articles on U.S. Tank Development History, the 1920 National Defense Act, the T7 Combat Car, the M1 Combat Car, and U.S. Army Military history journal entry on the Birth of the Armored Forces

Fashion Service Women's Institute magazine 1931

 I was absolutely thrilled to find this Women's Institute magazine at an antique shop recently. The Women's Institute of Domestic Art and Science was founded by Mary Brooks Picken in 1915. She wrote and published a variety fashion, sewing and millinery books including a magazine. (In this post I shared a sewing course written by Mary.) My sister also reminded me of Vintage Notions by Amy Barickman, which is a compilation of excerpts from her collection of Women's Institute magazines.

The lasted mode in millinery. Love the sketches!

Frocks and Fashion....

Sewing tips and hints.

 Cooking, one of my favorite pages! 

And of course, the ads are just as fascinating as the articles! Could I have two please of the charming afternoon frock?

Vintage Kitchen Inspiration

Here are a few vintage kitchens from Antique Home. I think I have mentioned this website before, they have a fabulous collection of house plans and interiors from the 1900-1960. One of my favorite place to go for inspiration! 

I loved seeing how kitchens changed over the years. From simple and functional in the 20's to colorful, modern and efficient in the 50's.  

These two 1920's kitchens are mostly concerned with a functional and sanitary place to prepare meals. Not a lot of cupboard space, but massive sinks with hot and cold running water!

This 1934 kitchen is a little warmer. Still not much cabinetry and did you notice the ice box by the back entry? Easily accessible for the iceman. I love the breakfast nook, a favorite in the 20's and 30's.

The 1940's brought big changes to kitchens, lots of new materials like Formica and plastics. Color everywhere and modern appliances like the dishwasher!

I love how so many kitchens included places at the counter where you could pull up a stool and work. Something that would be nice in today's kitchens.

For the 1950's it was more of the same, more bright bold colors, efficient features like pull-out cutting boards, drying racks and a more compact work triangle.

This one was one of my favorites! 

I hope you enjoyed this inspiration, visit Antique Home for more!

1930's Inspiration

In between painting the back stairs several weekends ago, I pulled up on Youtube some random 1930's movies to watch. They were so fun! The 1930s seemed to perfect the zany plot comedy. Even though all the movies are B movies and I didn't recognize any of the actors; the sets, costumes, cars, manners and slang all oozed 1930s. I loved it!

(For a bit of color and visual interest I have picked out a few adverts from pinterst. Aren't they fabulous!)

  

"Meet the Boy Friend"  is a classic ingredient romantic comedy with a bit of 1930s glamour thrown in. A radio singer hero, an everyday working girl heroine who isn't impressed by the hero's fame, a nutty plot that hardly makes sense, several lovely songs, a somewhat dumb sidekick, and an insurance swindle. Just my cup of tea! 

Here is a rollicking comedy about jewel thieves, private detectives and policemen "Romance on the Run" rushes along with more chase scene then plot. There are some wonderful cars and the Pullman train scene is one of my favorites!

 "Twin Husbands" is a mystery/comedy. The story line is a bit more stuck together, but you have to pay attention as there are so many "switch on a switch, on a switch" that is leaves one a bit muddled! I love the grand mansion and the butler in the one!

I hope you enjoy! Do you have a favorite 1930 movie?

Apple Upside Down Cake

When I posted about the Spry Shortening cookbook awhile back, this recipe caught my eye. We had also just recently acquired a cast iron skillet. I was surprised how the cake turned out, instead of having the same texture as a traditional upside down cake, it was feather light and melted in your mouth. 

The apples tend to cook down quite a bit so the second time (Yes, it was so good, I made a second cake!) I used more apples. 

 The cake batter is very fluffy and soft. 

Even though the recipe doesn't call for a cast iron pan, it worked out really nice. If you want to be fancy, you could turn the cake out onto a platter. 

With the weather typical gray November, Apple Upside-Down Cake is the perfect comfort food!