A JAZZ MEMOIR: Through the Lens of Herb Snitzer

NOTE: Extended through Wednesday, March 31, 2021!

Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Count Basie are but are a few of the world-famous American musicians and Jazz legends that you'll see in The Breman Museum's newest exhibition, A JAZZ MEMOIR: Through the Lens of Herb Snitzer. 

Louis Armstrong | The Breman Museum | Photo: Herb Snitzer

A Jazz Memoir, on "view" now through Wednesday, March 31, 2021, features Herb Snitzer’s photography documenting America’s jazz scene. It focuses on an early period, 1957–1964, of his more than sixty-year career. For most of that time, Herb was the photography editor for Metronome Magazine, the primary magazine devoted to jazz, and published until 1961.

As you peruse the exhibit online, you're "walking" through the gallery and can stop and view the photos, each of which has a circle next to the caption. First, hover over the citcle and you'll see a thumbnail of the photo with the caption. Then you can click on that thumbnail to see a larger version of the image. It's very well done, one of the best virtual experiences I've had of a photography exhibit. Be sure the click on the yellow circles in the gallery. Those are videos, including one featuring Herb Snitzer himself!

The above photo of Louis Armstrong was made while on a tour bus. The Star of David that Armstrong is wearing was a gift from the Karnovsky family when he was a child. That family cared for him, fed and clothed him. Herb said that Armstrong, even though not of the Jewish faith, wore that Star of David for his entire life, and that Armstrong was the least prejudiced musician he ever knew.

Nina Simone | The Breman Museum | Photo: Herb Snitzer

One of the things that I love most about this exhibit is that the placards are written in first-person. It's like having Herb standing next to you telling you stories about the people he's photographed and how meeting some of these international stars influenced his career and his life. 

For example, part of the Nina Simone placard reads, "...to photograph the talented, but difficult Nina Simone. Nina and I were the same age and we hit it off. In April 1986, she came to Boston where I was living and we re-connected which led to me photographing her two concerts in Bern, Switzerland in December of that year. ...She introduced me to Hans Zurbrugg, the producer of the Bern International Jazz Festival who hired me to photograph the festival for three years, 1987-89. This allowed me to reconnect with my Jazz friends from all over the world..."

I've loved jazz my whole life, but it's exhibits like this that get me super-excited about it again. A few years ago, the first show that I ever saw at Theatrical Outfit was "Simply Simone", a musical. Four actresses portrayed Nina at different times in her life and it was magnificent! The acting, the singing, the things that I learned about Nina's life were remarkable. 

Count Basie | The Breman Museum | Photo: Herb Snitzer

There's additional programming with the exhibition, including a Zoom Artist Talk with Herb Snitzer and exhibition curator Tony Casadonte on Thursday, October 1, when they'll discuss jazz, photography, and more! I had the pleasure of meeting Tony just as the finishing touches were being put on the exhibition. You're in for a treat! His passion for this exhibition is undeniable! 

"Jazz is more than wonderful music. It's a statement about people's desire and thirst for freedom, and with freedom, the sweetness of individuality and sense of self-worth." 

- Herb Snitzer

Tony is with Lumière, an exhibition partner, here in Atlanta where you can see more of Snitzer's work and that of many other illustrious artists. Lumiere is a photography gallery, founded 15 years ago to enhance the appreciation of the photographic arts and to showcase many of the master photographers of the last century. 

Then on Thursday, October 15 at 7pm, there's "Jews and Jazz: A Discussion of the impact of Jews on the Jazz Scene" when Gary Motley and Dr. Gordon Vernick will discuss the significant roles that Jews have played in the Jazz scene as composers, performers, writers, and entrepreneurs. 

Both events are free but require registration!

Duke Ellington | The Breman Museum | Photo: Herb Snitzer

"Presenting Herb Snitzer's marvelous camera work aligns with The Breman's commitment to the art of photography," says Breman Executive Director Leslie Gordon. "This exhibition is a great example of outstanding works by Jewish documentary photographers. In late 2019 and early 2020, we featured the highly popular Henri Dauman: Looking Up, an overview of the French-born Holocaust survivor's photographs that acknowledged him as one of the preeminent photojournalists of the twentieth century. We are proud to host the current exhibition, A Jazz Memoir, and thrilled to be sharing Snitzer's iconic images with a broad public."

In addition to Snitzer's jazz photography are other works that demonstrate both his desire to use photography to effect social change and his belief that "Injustice for one is injustice for all," acutely relevant given the current social climate. 

Herb has lived in St. Petersburg, Florida, (my birth city) since 1992 where he operates a gallery. HIs newest gallery, Herb Snitzer Fine Art Photography Gallery, opened in 2014.

A Jazz Memoir was initially scheduled to open in April to coincide with the Atlanta Jazz Festival, but those plans were interrupted by COVID-19. But, that didn't deter The Breman from bringing the exhibition to the public. While the museum remains closed due to the pandemic, A Jazz Memoir is now on "display" in an enhanced virtual experience—and they've done a magnificent job of it!

Thelonius Monk | The Breman Museum | Photo: Herb Snitzer

In a 1990s Los Angeles radio interview when asked what was the key takeaway he wanted people to get from his exhibition, he said, "A sense that African Americans have centrally contributed to the culture and spiritual life of the United States. Jazz is…a statement about a people's desire and thirst for freedom, and with freedom, the sweetness of individuality and sense of self-worth. … Jazz musicians have made a very important contribution to the United States. … We must salute Pops, Duke, Sarah, Miles and others as major American artists, not jazz artists—which they were—but American artists. Duke Ellington was the greatest American composer of the twentieth century, but you would never know it from the press. … Duke was the best … Martin Luther King was the best … W.E.B. Du Bois was the best, just as Sarah Vaughn's voice was the best. … I was expressing the injustice of it all."

The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum plans to make private, small-group tours available for members on a reservation basis, as conditions permit. In the meantime, A Jazz Memoir: Through the Lens of Herb Snitzer is free and available to the public online. See it now through Wednesday, March 31, 2021!

Houdini

"What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes," - Harry Houdini

"Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini" at the The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum unveils the inexhaustible layers of the life of the world's most famous magician and escape artist, Harry Houdini.

Harry Houdini entry poster | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Harry Houdini, born Erik Weisz on Tuesday, March 24, 1874, in Budapest, Hungary, to parents Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weisz and Cecelia Steiner, was unequivocally more than the world's greatest and most famous escape artist. He was curious, incredibly intelligent, a proud athlete, a television and cinema actor, as well as a purist, a philanthropist, and a debunker. He was veiled, yet transparent...to say that Harry Houdini was complicated would be an understatement!

Read to the end for some fantastic programming associated with this exhibition!

Houdini in Handcuffs, 1899 | Photo courtesy of the Breman Museum

This exhibition will disappear after Sunday, August 11, so do not delay! If you make it in time, you'll get to see some of the actual handcuffs Houdini used in his performances! There are a limited number of actual artifacts from his life, understandably, but I think you'll love the ones that you get to see! 

And there's so much more! 

Harry Houdini in "The Master Mystery" | Photo courtesy of the Breman Museum

Harry Houdini was also a film star! Using his mastery of escape, he starred in The Master Mystery, also called "The Houdini Serial", a 15-episode murder mystery serial in 1918. He worked on other films and even owned his own movie studio, bearing his name, for a while.

I find it interesting and grandly satisfying that—although not Jewish myself—an industry once trivialized as a fad and not a smart career move, left jobs relegated to those deemed lesser has now become one of the most coveted, most successful of all career paths across the entire globe. None of us would know Hollywood—or the Georgia film industry—were it not for our Jewish friends!

Houdini in Atlanta | Photo courtesy of the Breman Museum

I love exhibitions that tell us of grand celebrities who visited Atlanta. Otherwise we might not have known that they graced our stages, ate in our restaurants, stayed in our hotels, and met our citizens! Houdini visited Atlanta on more than one occasion.

Houdini in the News | Photo courtesy of the Breman Musuem

In this exhibition, you'll learn fascinating facts about Houdini that you might not learn otherwise, including:

• he left home (leaving a note for this mother) at 12 years old;
• he was proud to be such an accomplished athlete; and,
• he became one of, if not the, most famous performers in Russia! 

Those are but a few and you'll learn about those and others in greater detail at the exhibition.

Escape Artist Harry Houdini | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

The path to becoming the world's greatest escape artist included time performing in vaudeville shows, which also helped launch the careers of other greats such as George Burns, the Three Stooges, and Milton Berle!

Harry Houdini performs "Water Torture Cell" | Photo courtesy of the Breman Museum

Look for the "Did You Know?" keys throughout the exhibition...they offer fascinating little known factoids! 

Milk Can Imagination | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

When I first ventured through this exhibition, I thought "What a wonderful reading exhibit,", but then I realized that I had only been caught up in the reading of placards and didn't "see" the full experience of the exhibition, which includes photo-ops, activities, and even an audio recording of Houdini himself!

I think that's to say that you should totally make time to read your way through the exhibition—the story is mesmerizing!—but also be aware of the other aspects of the exhibition and have fun with all of it! 

For example, the above pictured "Milk Can Imagination" photo-op. Well....I for one could not possibly—especially in public--attempt to crouch into the space of a milk can, but you, your kids, and your more flexible friends could! And what a fun photo to share on social media!

Houdini, because of the inordinate number of copycats, stopped performing handcuff escape tricks in 1908 and created the trick of escaping from a milk can filled with water! 

Harry Houdini with wife Beatrice and mother Cecilia Steiner Weiss | Photo courtesy of the Breman Museum

"Not even death could stop Harry Houdini. He continued debunking mediums even after he died on October 31st, 1926, through his wife, Bess Houdini. On the 10th anniversary of his death in 1936, a séance was performed, with its aim being to bring Harry back so Bess could speak to him. Equally skeptical, she remarked: 'The message has never been received.' Bess never attended any more séances." - The Librarians

Spirit Photo Photo-Op | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Well before Houdini's mother died, he made a concerted effort to debunk not only copycats of his "magic tricks" and "illusions", but also of spiritualists...those who falsely claimed a connection to the spiritual world, to the afterlife.

I tried to make a selfie (multiple attempts, actually) at the above "Spirit Photo" station, but that's a skill I've yet to master. I don't imagine I would get myself out of a Water Torture Cell or a milk can either, so I'll leave selfies and magnificent escapes to the pros and the adventurers who visit the exhibition. 

There's lots of fantastic programming associated with this exhibition! Forgive me for not posting earlier for some of the programming, but you still have time to see:

• Atlanta Magic Spectacular (June, 30, 2pm-4pm)
• Luck & Charms: A Curious Afternoon of Magical Mysteries Starring Joe M. Turner (July 7, 2pm-4pm)
• Houdini in Early Cinema (July 14, 2pm-4pm)
• Houdini's Magic Block Party (July 21)
• Harry Houdini: Pulling Back the Veil in Search of Cecelia (July 28, 2pm-4pm)

Also, there's "Magical Mondays".

By the way, I've had the awesome pleasure of seeing magician Joe M. Turner perform before and you would be remiss to not see him for yourself! 

I love this exhibition! I highly recommend that you make time to see ""Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini" at the The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum. You just might find yourself inspired to explore some of the paths that Houdini himself explored...go find out!

Return to Rich's

I used to love shopping at Rich's! And was saddened when it eventually met with its demise through modern day mergers and acquisitions. But I have to admit, I had no idea the store had nearly 138 years of history and that it connected so strongly with the community.

The current exhibition at The William Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum, Return to Rich's: The Story Behind the Store, tells quite a captivating and an amazing tale!

For those who do not know, Rich's was started by Mauritius Reich, a Hungarian Jewish immigrant, in 1867, who had immigrated a number of years before, driven largely by Antisemitism. With only $500 to start the store, which he'd borrowed from his brother, the legacy of Rich's was well on its way.

One of my favorite parts of the exhibition is the fashion on display. Atlantans frequented Rich's for everything from school clothes to haute couture...from wedding dresses to the latest party fashion, including some pretty awesome denim from 1974, also on display. 

I was elated to discover that among the cross-generational couture is the full length velvet evening coat worn by Margaret Mitchell at the premier of Gone With the Wind right here in Atlanta in 1939. How cool is that?!

The wedding dress on display was worn by Shirley Brinkman in 1955 and 26 years later by her daughter Teresa. The wedding dress, and all the other clothes in this display were purchased at various Rich's stores and departments.

Rich's even hosted an annual fashion show—Fashionata—which drew hundreds, primarily mother-daughter outings. 

There's a great section dedicated to shopper feedback and the 1967 book Dear Store by Celestine Sibley, columnist for the Atlanta Constitution 1941-1999. The book was an homage to Rich's and highlighted its dedication to superior customer service.

There are also cards available for visitors who were Rich's customers and/or employees to share their memories.

The GIANT patriotic teddy bear above—it's really big!—is an ornament that adorned the 60-foot tall Rich's Great Tree in 1976. Today, The Great Tree tradition continues as the Macy's Great Tree.

The Rich's Great Tree tradition started in 1948 and the tree was typically 60-feet tall...a tree so massive that it could drink up 10 gallons of water a day!

Rich's legacy is so intertwined in modern day Atlanta. The above sculpture, titled Composition, by world renowned artist Henry Moore, was purchased by Rich's in 1952 for the Atlanta Art Association, known today as the High Museum of Art. It was the first modern sculpture acquired by the Museum. Fascinating, right?

One of the Rich's, Walter Rich, helped establish the Atlanta Dogwood Festival way back in 1936...my grandmother was a young girl when Atlantans were attending their first Dogwood Festival.

The legacy stories go on and on and on...

Rich's keen insight and community involvement, I believe, contributed to many, many successful advertising campaigns, including the above partnership with the Atlanta Braves. This particular photo was made shortly after the announcement that the Milwaukee Braves would be moving to Atlanta...so soon after the announcement that the players were still wearing hats with an "M" for Milwaukee.

The heading reads, "Atlanta has a big league  ball club and a new stadium to match. It also has Rich's."

Another annual tradition began by Rich's was riding the Rich's Pink Pig during the holidays. The one's that belonged to Rich's, Percival and Priscilla, are now with the Atlanta History Center and Macy's has new, remodeled Pink Pigs...the tradition continues.

As it turns out, the creation of the Pink Pigs was quite by accident. In 1956 Rich's debuted a monorail for children. A few years later, in 1959, the "Snowball Express" lost it's headlight. That's when the rail car received a snout, a curly tail and a coat of pink paint...thus the birth of the Rich's Pink Pig.

Percival is on display in the Return to Rich's exhibition.

There's a video near Percival with recordings of people who rode the Rich's Pink Pig as part of their holiday tradition. Some stated that they grew up thinking that the Pink Pig was a typical part of Christmas. 

Return to Rich's: The Story Behind the Store is on exhibit through Tuesday, May 27, 2014. I've barely scratched the surface here, so be sure to make plenty of time to take in the exhibition and to read the placards. You'll be surprised to learn just how much Rich's truly meant to the development of the Atlanta Community.