Today’s news chum post looks at a number of things from the past (some of which are being brought back):
- It Brings Out Those Nice Bright Colors. Well, almost. We’re talking Ektachrome here, not Kodachrome. Still Kodak is bringing back Ektachrome film, which was known as one of the best films for slide color photography. What’s more interesting is the reason why: Just as there has been a resurgence of analog audio, there’s a resurgence of analog photography. Who knew? Maybe one day my dad’s old cameras will actually be worth something.
- Knotts Berry Farm. Knott’s Berry Farm is bringing back a large number of items from rides and attractions… and you can own them. A Model T Ford, Snoopy’s roadster and two hearses from Knott’s Berry Farm (FB)’s Halloween Haunt are among the memorabilia the more than 75-year-old theme park is auctioning off in March. Besides the vehicles, there will be western paintings by Paul von Klieben once displayed in the Knott’s Steakhouse, and pieces from rides no longer at Knott’s, including animatronics bears from “Knott’s Beary Tales” and figures from the Timber Mountain Log Ride and the Calico Mine Train Ride before they were refurbished a few years ago.
- The Herald Examiner Building. CurbedLA is reporting that renovation of the Julia Morgan-designed HeraldEx building has begun. The renovation is part of an adaptive reuse project that will convert the venerable building into a mixed-use space. As a first step, crews for the Gensler architectural firm last month began removing concrete that was installed in the building facade’s arches, freeing up large windows that were part of the original design. The building will be converted into creative spaces and first-floor restaurants, with completion sometime this year.
- The Meatless Meals of WWI. Atlas Obscura is reporting on the recipes America used when meat, sugar, and wheat were rationed during WWI. The nation got creative with other ingredients, and these recipes could be easily adapted for today.
- Old Operating Systems. Ever get that urge to use TECO on a DEC 20? An old version of Unix on a Vax? Open VMS? NOS? Give in. the Living Computer Museum (FB) in Seattle has a large collection of operating vintage computers (in this way, they are like Orange Empire Railway Museum (FB) in that they are an operating museum, not just static displays (see the P.S. below)). A number of these computers are online, and you can request an account on them. What’s available? Tops-10 v7.04 (DECSYSTEM-2065). TOPS-20 v7.1 (XKL Toad-2). OpenVMS 7.3 (VAX-11/785). UNIX v7 (PDP-11/70). CP-V (Sigma 9). UNIX SVR3 (WE 3B2). BSD 4.3 (VAX-11/730). NOS 1.3 (CDC-6500). Alas, they don’t provide RSTS/E accounts, nor do they appear to support HP-BASIC.
- Hawaii Banknotes. OK, this one isn’t coming back. During WWII, the US government was worried about Hawaii being taken over by the Japanese, and so they made a special version of the dollar bill for use on the islands. This is the story of that banknote. The article also talks about other occupation currency.
P.S.: While working on this post, I was reading my FB Pages feed, and I discovered that Orange Empire Railway Museum (FB) is bringing back my buddy Thomas and his friends in April (April 1-2, 8-9). This was a surprise to me; upon investigation, I discovered that OERM is now your only place to see Thomas in SoCal, and that he’ll be back as usual in November as well. We can’t make it to volunteer in April as our schedule is too booked up (you’ll see why in my theatre post tomorrow), but you should if you’re into the Really Useful Engine. We’ll be there as usual in November.
