Not A Flapper

 

Dated "AUG 62" so a costume or someone who really, really likes vintage fashion. 

Pat Brown For Governor

I, of course, knew who Pat Brown was when I bought these photos.  Even though I was still living in Pennsylvania during his two terms as Governor of California,  he was famous enough that even a school boy from a coal mining town on the edge of Appalachia would know his name.  I didn't know what he looked like when I purchased these,  perhaps forgotten or perhaps I never knew, so I had to look it up before starting this post.  I kind of assumed that Brown was the bald guy who's in every picture, but I was wrong.  It's possible that Brown is the glasses wearing man on the center couch in the bottom picture, but it's only a resemblance, and I can't really be sure. As far as the year these pictures were taken, Brown ran for governor three times.  1958, which he won, 1962, also a victory, but he lost a third term bid in 1966 to Ronald Reagan.  So these are either from 1962 or 66.

So about Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown Sr.  There's a lot on the net about the man, easy to research for anyone wanting detail, so I'm going to limit myself to an overview.  Brown was born in 1905 in San Francisco.  He graduated college and went to law school at San Francisco State.   His first foray into politics was a failed 1928 run for the state assembly as a Republican.   By 1934, at the height of the great depression, having lost faith in the Republican party he re-registered as a Democrat and became active in New Deal politics.  There was another electoral failure when he ran for San Francisco D.A. in 1939 and finally won the office in 1943.  From the beginning Brown was in the liberal camp, breaking with FDR by opposing the internment of Japanese Americans as well as the attempt to deport Harry Bridges.  In 1950, Brown ran for state attorney general, a win made him the only Democrat holding statewide office.  serving from 1950-1958.  In '57 he ran for governor, serving from 1958-1966.  In many ways, Brown invented modern California.  As governor he championed massive infrastructure projects, including massive water projects that made the central valley the most important agricultural region of the United States as well as providing the water needed to fuel the growth of southern California.  Also major highway projects and a major expansion of the UC system and the state college system. In 1960, Brown was the favorite son candidate for president, running  only in  California.  Because of the state's size, technically Brown finished second to Kennedy, but the plan had always been to pledge his delegates to JFK. Brown died in 1996.  Too, his son was Jerry Brown who ended up serving four non consecutive terms as governor as well as making several far more serious runs for the presidency. 

There's a photographers stamp on the back of these photos, "PHOTO BY Bob Crabtree, 8733 E. HOVEY ST., ROSEMEAD, CALIF.,  ATlantic 7-0317."  I couldn't find a thing about Crabtree.  Rosemead is a suburb of Los Angeles.

Croquet and the Olympics

Here's a fun fact.  Croquet was once an official Olympic Sport.   Croquet made it's Olympic debut at the 1900 Paris Olympics.  It's final appearance was at the 1900 Paris Olympics.  It was also the first sport that allowed women to compete.  They played against the men, and they lost.  Alas, women's croquet was, in 1900, not up to the male game.  Ten competitors fought for medals in three different classifications.  All of them French.  Croquet drew exactly one spectator.

And the medal winners:  In singles, one ball, Gold, Gaston Aumoitte, Silver, Georges John, Bronze, Chretien Weydelich.   In singles, two ball, Gold, Chretien Weydelich, Silver, Maurice Vignerot, Bronze, Jacques Sautereau.  And finally, in doubles, Gold, Gaston Aumoitte and Georges John.  There were no silver and bronze medals awarded, since Aumoitte and John were the only entrants.

Okay, I know this all sounds pretty silly, but don't forget, skateboarding is set to make its Olympics debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

All photos dated "1962."