Currently browsing: Americana
Americana means different things to different folks. Here at Great American Things, it means cool stuff that doesn’t fit into any other category. I guess we could have called it Miscellaneous, but “Great Miscellaneous Things” doesn’t tell you much, does it?
Kid Stuff: The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew
The front covers will tell you the Hardy Boys books are written by Franklin W. Dixon and Nancy Drew is written by Carolyn Keene. No and no....
Read MoreAmericana: Drive-in Theaters
To me, the extinction of drive-in theaters is one of the saddest changes of my lifetime. Regardless of all the technological advances...
Read MoreHoliday: New Year’s Eve in Times Square
Some one million people squeeze into New York’s Times Square each New Year’s Eve to watch the ball drop, signifying the start...
Read MoreKid Stuff: Classic Toys
It was tempting to begin this post, “Kids today…” But it’s not that kids of this generation are any different than...
Read MoreAmericana: Santa Claus, by Coca-Cola
Throughout history, around the world, people have had vastly different images of “Sintirklass,” “St. Nicholas,” and...
Read MoreThe Arts: The Gift of the Magi
Though it takes a distant back seat to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol as our favorite Christmas literature, The Gift of the Magi has two...
Read MoreAmericana: The Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is about 200 miles long, from the Susquehanna in the north to the Atlantic Ocean. It touches six states and the District...
Read MoreSong: "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
Okay, I have to admit that, as I write this, the first snow of the season is pouring down outside. And “it doesn’t show signs...
Read MoreAmericana: The F.A.O. Schwartz Big Piano
F.A.O. Schwartz on 5th Avenue in New York is a fun place to visit, as much an experience as a store. But the highlight is the huge floor...
Read MoreSong: "Silver Bells"
This reminds me of my childhood more than almost any other Christmas song. Its imagery calls to mind the way Christmas used to be. Before...
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