Tidbits of History. Who Knew?

World War II provided a big impetus for the development of San Francisco's gay community. One and a half million soldiers, 10%+ of which were homosexual, were able to find each other more easily in the marginal districts of San Francisco. Thousands were discharged by the military for homosexuality and were released in San Francisco. Rather than returning to the hinterlands in which they would be stigmatized, many stayed on and after the war they were joined by thousands more who had discovered new identities in the crucible of war.

Born today: Eastman, George (1854-1932), American inventor and philanthropist, who played a leading role in transforming photography from an expensive hobby of a few devotees into a relatively inexpensive and immensely popular pastime. He was born in Waterville, New York, and was self-educated. In 1884 Eastman patented the first film in roll form to prove practicable; in 1888 he perfected the Kodak camera, the first camera designed specifically for roll film. In 1892 he established the Eastman Kodak Company

Duchess of Argyll and headless (or not so headless) men

Admission:
Yesterday I watched Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger: aptly names because the man he is trying to save has been turned into a Baboon (????). Well to say I watched it is an overstatement as I rarely really watch anything fully and completely, so I might have missed where the tiger eye came into play. What I didn't miss in this 1977 movie shot with stop motion and creatures by*Ray Harryhausen (pictured here with his wife) was Sinbad played by Patrick Wayne (That's John Wayne's kid) and Jane Seymour (in tiny cornrow patches of braids)


* In Looking for appropriate pictures for Ray, I found this tribute