I’m reposting this four-year old blog from May of 2014, because Trumpism has made it necessary to get all important art and history items out of the area and into safe zones, away from the anti-history and anti-intellectualism of Trump World.

My entire plan is to find a good home for the Donner collection, which now includes a first edition of the book, which was in its time a best-seller.

The two most vital and memorable incidents in early California history are the Donner Party and the ’49er Gold Rush. I don’t even have to tell you what those are about. If you’re like most Americans, especially Californians, you’ll know.

I happen to be a member of the family known in California as “The Donner Party” and I have a number of Donner Party memorabilia that could well be instrumental in discovering what actually happened at Donner Pass. Was there cannibalism? Maybe these documents will tell the story; they’re waiting for historians to get hold of them, and maybe YOU could be the one to make that happen! Continue reading

California Jazz Foundation Silks & More!!!

silk scarf san francisco California Jazz Foundation fundraiser — $450.

This is the original CJF silk scarf design, but it’s now on a giant silk scarf that’s bigger than YOU are! I’m not entirely sure it’s a good idea to have a scarf that’s bigger than the average Volkswagen, but hey, a LOT of folks wanted them, so much so that we sold out the original printing within a few days of issue.

These are new, and they are printed in infusion technology, so the ink is in the fibers, not resting photographically on top of the fabric. This would not have been possible just a few years ago.

You have a choice of California Jazz Foundation — a portion of the sale goes to them.  It’s an absolute collectible and a bargain at only $450 and it’s for charity! On top of that, you get a collectible that’s part of the great history of jazz. There are some less expensive silk scarves and other items below, so read on! Continue reading

The Gun That Killed Lincoln

 

This is an exact museum-grade replica of the pistol that was used by John Wilkes Booth to assassinate Abraham Lincoln on the night of April 14, 1865, the end of the Civil War. I had the idea that this, and other famous and infamous weapons, could be sold out of a small shop somewhere. I have civil war, revolutionary war, modern and wild western replicas, all of which are exact weight, size and balance of the original. They are the remainder of a quick-draw school I ran back in the ’60s. I’d like to train someone to take the business over. The entire shop is available, or I can make ten times as much by selling the items one at a time on eBay — or YOU could!!! My plan is to offer a demo of the exact use of each of the weapons. I was a Trainfire cadre at Ford Ord and I have the photos somewhere to prove it…

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