Hero gets monument 81yrs after death

From the Canadian Press: Hero gets monument 81yrs after death

Canadian Lt.-Col. William Barker, Canada's most decorated war hero, is shown in a 1918 file photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ National Archives of Canada/ SwaineEight decades after his death, Canada's most decorated war hero was recognized with the unveiling of a monument at a Toronto cemetery today.

First World War flying ace William Barker downed 50 enemy aircraft and received the Victoria Cross after being shot three times when he found himself alone in a dogfight against 15 German planes.

But few Canadians are likely familiar with his exploits, which were largely overshadowed by legendary flying ace Billy Bishop.

This afternoon, Barker finally got his due as Ontario Lt-Gov. David Onley and members of Barker's family dedicated the monument.

Two vintage First World War planes, including the Sopwith Snipe, a type of plane Barker flew, conducted a flypast during the ceremony at Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

The only evidence of Barker's final resting place had been a small marker inside his wife's family crypt at Mount Pleasant, where his remains have been hidden away since his death.

Ian Mackenzie, Barker's grandson, says it's about time his grandfather was properly recognized.

"He shouldn't have been hidden away in the private crypt of this family," Mackenzie, who attended the ceremony with his brothers Alec and David, said prior to the event. "They should have built a public monument for him. So this is kind of our duty, we felt for a long time and we're finally accomplishing it."

Barker's father-in-law, a member of Toronto's high society at the time, didn't think much of the upstart farmer from Manitoba who married his daughter, and that may have impacted his burial place, said Mackenzie.

The idea of a Barker monument was first raised by Ipsos Reid pollster John Wright, who in 2009 contacted the flying ace's family and Lt.-Gov. David Onley about getting a monument erected after he saw Barker's understated final resting place.

In addition to his bravery as a pilot, there are other reasons Barker deserved proper recognition, said Wright.

"He had 50,000 people at his funeral, was able to start the island airport, had the first commercial airline ... the first president of the Toronto Maple Leafs and he's buried in a crypt that says Smith and no one knows who he is," said Wright.

MPLS, MN: All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 Plays the Pantages 12/15-18

From Broadway.com: All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 Plays the Pantages 12/15-18


All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, the moving production which has become a new holiday classic and an annual tradition for theatregoers, will return for six performances only, Thursday through Sunday, December 15-18, 2011 at the Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. With words and songs drawn from the era, All Is Calm recalls the remarkable, spontaneous World War I truce between Allied and German forces in No Man's Land over Christmas 1914. This compelling ode to peace was created by Theater Latté Da's artistic director Peter Rothstein and features Cantus, one of America's finest vocal ensembles, with musical arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach. All Is Calm is a collaboration among Cantus, Theater Latté Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m., Friday, Sept. 23. To purchase and for more information visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org.

All Is Calm relates an astounding moment in history when Allied and German soldiers laid down their arms to celebrate the holiday together by trading carols, sharing food and drink, playing soccer and burying each others' dead. In some places the truce lasted only a night, in others until New Year's Day. This dramatic re-telling contains quotes and readings from thirty World War I figures brought to life by actors Matt Rein, David Roberts and Alan Sorenson. The tapestry of sound performed by the artists of Cantus ranges from patriotic tunes and trench songs to medieVal Scottish ballads and holiday carols from England, Wales, France and Germany. The production opens with a set of carols arranged by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams for his own battalion.

Rothstein, who worked five years to develop All Is Calm, said "I wanted to tell the story in their words, so I created the drama primarily through found text including letters, official war documents, autobiographies, World War I poetry, grave stone inscriptions and even an old radio broadcast. I was able to spend time along the Western Front and conduct extensive research in Brussels, Ieper, Paris and London. It was incredibly powerful to stand on the very spot where this extraordinary happening took place. For decades, the Christmas truce was considered a romantic fable, however there is no doubt thousands of courageous men took part in this remarkable event."

Said musical arranger Erick Lichte, "All Is Calm allows Cantus to sing Christmas carols that everyone knows and loves, but when set in the context of trench warfare, take on a new poignancy. Music was an important part of life in the trenches and one of the primary factors that instigated the truce."

The world premiere of All Is Calm was broadcast live on Classical Minnesota Public Radio and has since been heard around the globe through American Public Media and the European Broadcast Union. The program won the Gold World Medal at the 2010 New York Festivals and the 2010 Gabriel Award, which honors works of excellence in broadcasting that serve audiences through the positive, creative treatment of concerns to humankind. The original All Is Calm cast recording from this highly acclaimed collaboration between Cantus and Theater Latté Da is available for purchase on CD and as a download at cantussings.org.

Reaction from the Press:
"A dramatic, real-life musing about the power this season has to make us stop, reflect, and decide to operate in a mode of peace."-Lani Willis, Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine
"A work of beauty...not only an outstanding piece of musical theater, but a brilliantly executed production that understands that its power comes from its simplicity."-Rob Hubbard, St. Paul Pioneer Press

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, 2011, are priced at $27.50 and $35 for adults; $25 and $15 for seniors (age 62+), military/veterans and students (ages 6-18). Prices depend on seating preference. Additional fees may apply. Tickets may be purchased in person at the State Theatre Box Office (805 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, 55402), online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org, through Ticketmaster by calling 800.982.2787 or by visiting a Ticketmaster Ticket Center. Groups of 10 are eligible for discounts and should call 612.373.5665 for information and reservations. Performances are held at the Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 55403.

Performance dates and times: Thursday, Dec. 15 through Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011
Thursday, Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 18 at 1 and 6:30 p.m.

For more information on All Is Calm and other work by Cantus and Theater Latté Da please visit cantussings.org and latteda.org.

Kansas CIty's World War I Museum: Liberty Memorial

From Wikipedia

http://www.theworldwar.org/s/110/new/index_community.aspx
The Liberty Memorial, located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, is a memorial to the fallen soldiers of World War I and houses the The National World War I Museum, as designated by the United States Congress in 2004.

Groundbreaking commenced November 1, 1921, and the city held a site dedication. The memorial was completed and dedicated on November 11, 1926.

On September 21, 2006, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne declared Liberty Memorial a National Historic Landmark.

History
The memorial in Penn Valley Park was designed by Harold Van Buren Magonigle who won a design competition. The primary sculptor was Robert Aikten. The approaches were designed by Wight and Wight.

Memorial Association
By the time World War I ended on November 11, 1918, many citizens of Kansas and Missouri had lost their lives and a movement to build a monument for their sacrifices and the surviving veterans arose. A group of 40 prominent citizens formed a Memorial Association and chose lumber baron and philanthropist Robert A. Long, who had personally given a large sum of money, as president.

Others included:
James Madison Kemper was treasurer of the association. For a short time in 1919 he was President of City Center Bank that was founded by his father, William T. Kemper. His brother, Rufus Crosby Kemper Sr., became president when he left to take over as president of Commerce Bancshares, also controlled by his father.

Jesse Clyde Nichols (J.C.), a real estate developer, was a lead proponent of the Liberty Monument.

William Volker, businessman and philanthropist, helped the city acquire the land for the memorial.

George Kessler designed the landscaping at the memorial.

The city council appointed the association to look into the possibility of a monument and funding. In less than a year the association had spearheaded a fund drive that included 83,000 contributors and collected more than 2.5 million dollars. There would not be the monetary problems that plagued the Bunker Hill Monument.

It was dedicated on November 11, 1926, by U.S. President Calvin Coolidge. In attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony on November 1, 1921, were Lieutenant General Baron Jacques of Belgium, Admiral Earl Beatty of Great Britain, General Armando Diaz of Italy, Marshal Ferdinand Foch of France, and General John Pershing of the United States. In 1935, bas reliefs by Walker Hancock of Jacques, Beatty, Diaz, Foch and Pershing were unveiled.

The Memorial and Monument are managed by a non-profit organization in cooperation with the Kansas City Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners.

Design
The design of the building is designed in the classical Egyptian Revival style of architecture with a limestone exterior. The foundation was constructed using sawed granite, and the exterior ground level walls are made of Bedford stone. The main doors at the top of a large set of stairs are made from ornamental bronze, and the walls of the first floor lobby are finished in Kasota stone, which was quarried in Kasota, Minnesota. The first floor corridor and the grand stairway are finished in travertine that was imported from Italy. The floors of the corridors and stairway treads are made from terrazzo and Kasota marble, and the balusters and railing are made from Italian travertine and Italian tavernelle clairemarble.

At night, the top of the memorial tower emits steam illuminated by bright orange lights. This effect creates the illusion of a burning pyre and can be seen for some distance.

In 1981, the building underwent a major renovation which updated existing systems to modern code specifications.

The grounds were designed by George Kessler who had rocketed to fame on the strength of his City Beautiful design for the Kansas City park and boulevard system. The road on the west side of the Memorial is Kessler Road.

Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri houses the official World War I museum of the United States. Designated in 2004 by the United States Congress as America's official museum dedicated to World War I, the new museum opened to the public in December 2006. The new subterranean facility was designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates and greatly expands the original facilities that are still housed on the main deck of the Liberty Memorial: Exhibition Hall and Memory Hall.

The National World War I Museum tells the story of the Great War and related global events from their origins before 1914 through the 1918 Armistice and 1919 Paris Peace Conference. Visitors enter the 32,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) facility across a glass bridge above a field of 9,000 red poppies, each one representing 1,000 WWI combatant deaths.

The museum consists of:
--Two theaters that provide visitors with an educational narrative
--Exhibitions with period artifacts including:
--A Renault FT-17 tank
--Uniforms such as Paul von Hindenburg’s Model 1915 Field Jacket[11]
--Guns
--Maps
--Photographs of major forces
--Propaganda posters
--State-of-the-art interactive displays
--Replica trenches
--A research center and library carrying 60,000 archival documents and three-dimensional objects and nearly 6,000 library titles
--Multi-purpose conference room and classroom
--Museum store
--The Over There Café

The first part of the museum focuses on the beginning of the Great War pre-U.S. involvement, while the last group of museum galleries focuses on the United States' military and civilian involvement in the war and President Woodrow Wilson's efforts for peace.

Throughout the year, the museum hosts special guest lecturers, authors, exhibitions, plays and films related to World War I. Actors Kevin Costner and Louis Gossett Jr. are members of the museum's honorary board.

World War I tour comes to Billings

For folks in Montana, this news is two days late, as it occurred on Friday the 23rd. However - athie exhibit is going on a 75-city tour so it's got to be somewhere in your area soon!

From KTVQ.com: World War I tour comes to Billings

BILLINGS- An exhibit honoring the heroes of World War One will be on display for one day only in downtown Billings.
A piece of the World War One Museum in Kansas City is embarking on a 75 city tour. Billings is one of only two Montana cites

"We feel very lucky to this exhibit here. This is a great opportunity for people to be able to see a piece of the WWI exhibit for Kansas City right here in Billings right here in Montana," said Julie Dial, Executive Director of the Western Heritage Center.

Inside you'll find tools, weapons, equipment, and artifacts which will give you an idea of what it was like to be in the trenches. These pieces of history are arranged in chronological order with little know facts, audio tracts, and videos.

The exhibit is handicapped accessible and is free of charge. Those attending are encouraged to make donations which will go toward the National WWI Museum in Kansas City and the Western Heritage Center in Billings.

The WWI display will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday outside the Western Heritage Center on Montana Avenue.

Is the World War I traveling exhibit coming to your town?

Check out their website at: http://honoringourhistory.com/
September 23rd – Western Heritage Center, Billings, MT

September 27th – Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, Fort Missoula, MT

September 30th – Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science & Technology, Richland, WA

October 6th – Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA

October 8th – Pearson Air Museum, Vancouver, WA

October 15th – The Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA

October 22nd – Idaho Military History Museum, Boise, ID

Germany: Museum of Bavarian Kings opens its doors

From The Local (Germany): Museum of Bavarian Kings opens its doors
The Museum of Bavarian Kings opened in Schwangau on Friday. The new museum traces the history of the Wittelsbach dynasty, which ruled the southern German kingdom until 1918.

The museum is housed in the former Grand Hotel Alpenrose on the shores of the Alpsee, a lake made famous by its proximity to two castles: Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein, the white palace built by Ludwig II and popularized by Walt Disney’s iconic castle.

With 1,000 square metres of exhibition space, the museum will explore the Wittelsbach family, who ruled from 1180 until the 1918 revolution in Bavaria.

Over a million tourists visit the fairy tale castle of Neuschwanstein every year, and the Wittelsbach Equalization Fund, which manages the property and possessions of the former ruling dynasty, hopes to attract around 200,000 of those visitors to the new museum.

“People are fascinated with Neuschwanstein, but they return from their visits with many unanswered questions,” said Elisabeth von Hagenow, the art historian who coordinated planning, construction and conception of the museum over the last three years.

The 800-year family history will be presented in the two-story space. An exhibition highlight includes the “walk in family tree,” which offers visitors an extensive orientation to the Wittelsbach dynasty. Porcelain, jewellery and portraits also illustrate the family’s influence.

One of the most valuable displays, according to Luitgard Löw, the new museum director, is the 90-piece precious carved tableware set – a wedding gift from Ludwig I to his son and heir, Maximilian II.

Visitors, however, may be more impressed with the spectacular dress coat that belonged to Ludwig II. The museum also has an entire section dedicated to the “Swan King” and the legends surrounding his life and death.

The museum is not merely intended for tourists, though, von Hagenow said. “We also want the acceptance of the residents of Schwangau.”

It’s not a coincidence that the museum is located in the Allgäu region, nestled in the shadow of the royal palaces. The Wittelsbach family has always been closely connected with the area and its inhabitants, Löw said. In fact, the current head of the house of Wittelsbach, Duke Franz of Bavaria, was an advisory board member during museum construction.

The natural surroundings were also an important factor in deciding on the museum's location.

“We don’t want to use the museum to turn the Wittelsbach house itself into a memorial,” von Hagenow told newspaper Die Welt. “It was important to us to bring the landscape into the museum, to show how important the extraordinary location in nature and on the lake was for the Wittelsbach family.”

Review: History: A City In Wartime: Dublin 1914-1918 by Padraig Yeates

From the Independent (Ireland): Review: History: A City In Wartime: Dublin 1914-1918 by Padraig Yeates

On July 26, 1914, the Dublin Battalion of the Irish Volunteers smuggled 1,400 guns into Howth. As the volunteers brought the arms back towards the city, British soldiers failed to disarm them and were jeered by crowds. The soldiers opened fire at Bachelor's Walk, killing three people and wounding 85.

The dead were Mary Duffy, a 56-year-old widow who had a son in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers; Patrick Quinn, a coal porter and father of six; and James Brennan, a 17-year-old messenger.

Dubliners mourned their deaths and turned out in great numbers for their funerals the following week.

As was apparent from this tragic incident, Dublin on the eve of World War One was a city divided; it was tense, full of drama and volatile, and over the course of the next four years it was to witness many more violent and emotive events, including the 1916 Rising.

By the end of the war in 1918, it was braced for the beginning of a new war, after Sinn Féin had triumphed in the general election of December that year and began the quest for international, and especially American, recognition and support of the demand for an Irish republic.

The victims of many of the violent events from 1914 to 1918 were ordinary Dubliners and in this absorbing, original and well-researched book, Pádraig Yeates does them a great service in keeping their sacrifices to the fore and reminding the reader of their divided loyalties; many, like the unfortunate Mary Duffy, had close ties with the British war effort and were hugely dependent on it for income.

This book is filled with the struggles of ordinary people living their ordinary lives during extraordinary political and economic upheaval. A powerful social history, it is a book that reminds us that for all the headline-grabbing events, putting bread on the table was still the most important priority for most.

The author's research of contemporary newspapers and private archives has resulted in a book that succeeds in offering a multitude of perspectives on the political, military and administrative concerns of an elite involved in governance, but also the personal, individual preoccupations with light, heat, fuel, food, housing and survival in the trenches of the Western Front.

As the author of the definitive history of the 1913 Lock-out, Yeates is well placed to continue the story after the end of that cruel dispute. There were 26,000 families living in Dublin tenements at the outset of the war, and Yeates emphasises that they were a motley crew with varied occupations, including labourers, charwomen, policemen and street traders. The city produced many soldiers for the British army; by the end of the war, 25,644 Dubliners had served.

This is unsurprising given that a labourer could expect to earn between 16 and 18 shillings for a 48-hour week while the weekly separation allowance rate for the wife of a British army recruit was 12 shillings and six pence.

The serving husband received one shilling a day, along with free board and lodging. If the couple had children the family was much better off, with separation rates rising to £1 a week for a wife and three children.

Economics is central to Yeates's study. His trawl through the archives of the Irish Independent and The Irish Times highlights not only their approach to reporting events on the Western Front -- sometimes they reported on war losses with "brutal clarity", and 19pc of Dublin men who enlisted in the British army were killed between 1914 and 1918 -- but also the tensions and uproar over profiteering, food shortages, the requisition of hay crops and increased taxes and inflation.

Undoubtedly, cost-of-living issues gnawed away at support for the war and a radical but small-circulation nationalist press also stoked anti-war feeling.

Yeates's achievement is to include a rich variety of different narratives and themes; there is much attention devoted to bad-tempered Dublin Corporation meetings and the problems of prostitution and drunkenness as well as a self-appointed Dublin Watch Committee, which was active in censoring what it regarded as morally unsuitable material during the beginning of cinema's great era of expansion.