Posted on by Pat Costa

Persian Cultural Report: Sports and Games

Iran is home to a wide variety of professional sports and parlor games. Some sports and games are domestic having originated from inside Iran. Other sports and games are imports, having originated from outside Iran. Several games that Iranians invented at one time or another were an Olympic sport.

The game of Polo (Chogan) has its origins in Iran. Polo was carried by nomads who traveled and settled in Iran. Polo as a sport has been documented in the epic poem Shahnameh. Polo in fact was so popular that it was an olympic sport between 1900-1039. While Polo has been known to the people of Iran, it has mostly a sport reserved for the elite and royalty. This probably explains why following the 1979 revolution Polo declined in popularity. It was expensive and seen as a sign of the Shah. Although, it appears that in recent years interest in the sport has increased. 

Another popular sport in Iran is wrestling.  While Iran probably cannot claim to have invented wrestling it has contributed greatly to the free-style form of wrestling. A primary difference between the Greco-Roman style of wrestling and the free-style form is that the former prohibits the use of the legs while the latter allows it. In this manner, Iran is considered a leader in training wrestlers for the free-form style of wrestling. 

Commitment to be a wrestler in Iran is as much a life-style choice as it is a training regime. In particular, wrestlers are encouraged to adhere to certain Islamic principles like loyalty, faith, and courage and to follow the Varzesh-e-Pahalvani, which is the spot training path. In doing so, wrestlers attend a Zurkhaneh where they are trained in the sport. Wrestlers train with unique objects like wooden clubs and will often recite excerpts from the Shahnameh while they train. Free-form wrestling has been an Olympic Sport since 1904. Iran has won 32 medals in free-form wrestling.

Besides being the originator of several professional sports, Iran can lay claim to inventing backgammon, or Takhteh Nard. The game was supposedly invented in Iran around the 6th century. However, excavations at the “Burnt-City” on the southern border between India and Iran have found a game similar to backgammon that has been dated to around 3000 BC. 

Finally, two modern “import” sports that enjoy immense popularity are football and basketball.  Iran has a national basketball team which placed 11th in the World at the 2008 Bejing Olympics. Iranian basketball is an upcoming sport as several amateur-ranked and professional players from around the world (including from the US) have honed their skills playing basketball in Iran either prior to going professional or during the off-season.

Iran also has a national football team. The national football team is ranked 4th in Asia and 45th overall according to current FIFA rankings. Iran has both female and male national soccer teams. Unfortunately, the national women’s team was recently banned from the London Olympics on account of the FIFA’s regulations against headscarfs. 

Learn more about Persian with some of my Farsi Resources here.

Posted on by Pat Costa

Persian Cultural Report: Pastries and Desserts

Persian desserts can be divided into several categories and sub-categories. There are drinkable and non-drinkable desserts. There are wet and dry desserts. Finally, there are frozen and non-frozen desserts.

The drinkable desserts may be severed with a meal or bought at local kiosks. One popular kind is doogh, which is a combination of carbonated water, yogurt, and mint.  This drink is so popular that in 2007, Iran produced 14,400,000 tons of it. Doogh is not something new as it has been around since ancient Persia. In fact, a newspaper article from 1886 described it as, “a capital thirst quencher in hot weather.”

(Personally, I think it tastes awful)

Other drinks are frozen such as Sharbat (though originally an Arabic word, it is where English gets both “Sherbert” and “Syrup”), Havij Bastani (a carrot ice-cream float), and other fruit-juice drinks. Sharbats are very old and have been described in texts dating from the 12th century. 

Some additional frozen desserts are Bastani-e Za’farani and Faludeh.  Bastani-e Za’farani is ice-cream flavored with rosewater and saffron. Faludeh is a sorbet made with cornstarch, rosewater, and ground pistachios. The Faludeh from Shiraz is especially well-known.  

The non-drinkable and non-frozen desserts can be divided into two categories: wet and dry. Wet desserts are those that draw inspiration from French desserts. For example, some Iranian desserts use heavy whole-milk cream and glazed-fruit toppings. You can also find plenty of Iranian desserts prepared in the French dessert style, such as tarts, éclairs, and cakes. Many desserts use common ingredients found in Iranian cuisine like rosewater, pistachios, and saffron.

The dry desserts are native to Iran, having developed their own preparation techniques without outside-influence. These include cookies, deep-fried dough, and Noghl. Cookies can be made from chickpea flour or rice. Cookies may have raisins, walnuts, figs, saffron as a filling. The final type of dessert may be a variety of nuts. One special kind is called Noghl, or sugar-coated almonds. These are traditionally served at weddings or with tea.

One dessert that seems to straddle the wet and dry categories is deep-fried dough. Deep-fried dough is usually soaked with sugar, honey and cinnamon, though some can be served dry like a plain doughnut. The concept of deep-frying dough was brought to Iran by travelers either from Arabia or India.

Learn more about Persian with some of my Farsi Resources here.

Posted on by Pat Costa

Persian Lemon Dressing for Pasta

چاشنی لیمو Makes a lemon dressing for pasta

¼ cup of lemon juice

یک چهارم فنجان اب لیمو

¼ cup of olive oil

یک چهارم فنجان روغن زیتون

2 tablespoons of garlic powder

دو میز- قاشق ها پودر سیر

2 tablespoons of dry basil

دو میز- قاشق ها برگ ها خشک

Salt and pepper

نمک و فلفل

Dash of nutmeg

یک کم جوز

How to combine with Pasta

  1. Cook pasta

    پاستا می پزد

  2. Combine with Pasta

    چاشنی لیمو با پاستا در کاسه مخلو طکند

Learn more about Persian with some of my Farsi Resources here.

Posted on by Pat Costa

First 400 Words in Any Language to Master

Animals: dog, cat, fish, bird, ‘animal’ (dog/cat/fish/bird = animal), snake, cow, pig, mouse, horse, elephant, tail, wing

Transport: train, plane, car, bicycle, bus, boat, tire, gasoline, (train) ticket

City/Countryside: city, house, street, airport, train station, bridge, hotel, farm, a crowd, court

Clothes: hat, dress, skirt, shirt, T-shirt, pants, shoes, pocket

Colors: red, green, blue (light/dark), yellow, green, brown, pink, orange, black, white, gray

People-related: son, daughter, mother, father, man, woman, brother, sister, family, grandfather, grandmother, husband, wife, king, queen, neighbor, boy, girl, religion, death, money

Beverages: coffee, tea, wine, beer, juice, water, milk

Food/Food Related: eggs, cheese, bread, soup, cake, chicken, pork, beef, apple, banana, orange, lemon, corn, rice, oil, seed, knife, spoon, fork, plate, cup, breakfast, lunch, dinner, sugar

Home: table, chair, clock, bed, lamp, window, door, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, pencil, pen, photograph, soap, cell phone, computer, laptop, camera, television, book, key, paint

Body: head, face, hair, eye, mouth, nose, ear, tongue, back, finger, toe, leg, foot, heart, blood, brain, tooth, knee, sweat, disease, bone, beard, tear (drop)

Nature: sea, river, mountain, rain, snow, tree, sun, moon, forest, plant, wind, soil/earth, flower, valley, root, lake, star, grass, leaf, air, sand, beach, ocean, wave, morning, evening, night

Jobs: doctor, waiter, priest, police, firefighter

Materials, Measurements, Math: glass, metal, wood, stone, clay, meter, centimeter, kilogram, inch, pound, half, circle, square, silver, gold, diamond, copper

Misc: ball, game, price, gun, dream, left, right, straight, bag, box, barrel, map, a dot, poison, needle, consonant, vowel, light, yes, no

Seasons: Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall

Numbers: 1-22, 31, 32, 41, 42, 51, 52, 61, 62, 71, 72, 81, 82, 91, 92, 100, 101, 102, 110, 111, 1000, 1001, 10000, 100000, 1000000

Months: 1-12 (use a calendar and numbers)

Days of the week: 1-7 (use a calendar and numbers) (learning these leads into “Today/Yesterday/Tomorrow”)

Times: year, month, day, hour, minute, second (use a calendar and clock)

Cardinal Numbers: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th

Verbs that are somewhat easy to picture:

to work, to play, to go, to walk, to run, to drive (careful with verbs of motion!), to follow, to think, to speak/say, to eat, to drink, to kill, to die, to smile, to laugh, to cry, to buy, to shoot(a gun), to jump, to smell, to see, to taste, to touch, to hear, to kiss, to burn, to melt, to dig, to explode, to sit, to stand, to love, to drive, to pass, to cut, to fight, to lie down, to dance, to sleep, to wake up, to sing, to count, to marry, to pray, to win, to lose, to mix/stir, to bend, to wash, to cook, to open, to close

Adjectives/Adverbs that are somewhat easy to picture:

long/short, tall/short, wide/narrow, big/small, slow/fast, hot/cold, new/old, good/bad, wet/dry, sick/healthy, loud/quiet, happy/sad, beautiful/ugly, deaf, nice/mean, rich/poor, thick/thin, expensive/cheap, flat/curved, male/female, tight/loose

Links to resources to learn German and Farsi.

Posted on by Pat Costa

Notes on Pre World War One Chinese Restaurants

80th Infantry Division drew men from VA, West VA, PA
Chinese Restaurants 

DC in the 1890s first ones appear: https://ggwash.org/view/32254/then-now-the-only-chinese-restaurant-east-of-the-river 

 https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/asian_american_and_pacific_islander_heritage/Downtown-Historic-District.htm

Pittsburgh, Early 1900s: http://old.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/20031209chinatown1209p1.asp
Philadelphia: http://www.ushistory.org/tour/chinatown.htm Restaurant NAME: Mei-Hsian Lou 
Montana: http://mentalfloss.com/article/88648/delicious-history-nations-oldest-chinese-american-restaurant

Posted on by Pat Costa

Anti-Saloon League Propaganda

Anti-Saloon League Propaganda for World War One Reenacting

 

I had the opportunity to do a little research at the Anti-Saloon League Museum. I pulled out some documents you might be able to use to enhance your World War One Impression.

Lincoln-Lee Pledge Cards:
Both the 1903 and 1917 versions are the same Size: 5.5in. x 3.5in. The back is blank.

lincoln lee pledge card 1903
lincoln lee pledge card 1903

lincoln lee pledge card 1917
lincoln lee pledge card 1917

12 Reasons for War Prohibition
Size: 3.5in. x 5.5in.

12 reasons for war prohibition front
12 reasons for war prohibition front

12 reasons for war prohibition back
12 reasons for war prohibition back

What Are You Doing For WarTime Prohibition?
Size: 3.5in. x 5.5in.

What Are You Doing For WarTime Prohibition – Front?

What Are You Doing For Wartime Prohibition?- Back
What Are You Doing For Wartime Prohibition?- Back

Hit the Mark – Drinking Impairs Skill
Size: 6in by 9in.

Hit The Mark
Hit The Mark

Posted on by Pat Costa

78 Records Collector Notes

78 Records Production

78 Records Collector Notes:

Note on Musicians: Some seemingly “no-name” musicians may actually be well-known musicians in disguise. For example, Fletcher Henderson often went under (with or without his consent) the pseudonym “Sam Hill” or “Dixie Stompers”. This was done by some unscrupulous musicians to avoid payments to their contracted record label thereby earning money on the side. Additionally, some labels would copy a hit record and release it under a different musician’s name, thus avoiding paying the musician more money.

Note on Record Label: Generally speaking, records that have a label (the sticker in the center) that is more ornate, decorative, colorful, etc. may be worth more money.

Note on Size: Almost all record companies experimented with different record sizes: 5inch, 8inch, 7inch, 9inch, 10inch, 12inch, and 14inch.

Notes on Color: Generally speaking records pressed in red or that have a predominantly red label are the classical series while records pressed in green or that have a predominantly green label are the ethnic or foreign series.

Notes on Record Type: Vertical Cut records are where the needle picks-up sound along the bottom of the record. The sound is determined by the depth of the grooves. A Lateral Cut record where the needle picks-up sound in a side-to-side motion across the record.

Notes on Collecting: 1910s/1920s blues music can be highly collectible. You know it is “blues” when the label says: Blues, Stomp, Shuffle, and Foxtrot as part of the song or includes Banjo, Guitar, Harmonica, or Jazz on the label.

Some well-known blues/jazz musicians include:

Robert JohnsonLeadbellyBlind Lemon Jefferson
King OliverJelly Roll MortonBix Beiderbecke
Blind Willie JohnsonBlind Willie McTellBessie Smith
Blind BlakeSon House Skip James
Louis ArmstrongSidney BechetWilly “Lion” Smith
Charley PattonMa RaineyTampa Red
Bessie SmithPapa Charlie JacksonWillie Brown
North Carolina Cooper Boys

Blind Blake, Son House, Skip James, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Charley Patton can all be found on Paramount Records.

See: http://www.jazz-on-line.com/ for a source of downloadable pre-WW2 music that could’ve been heard on the radio.

The New York Times wrote an article about 78 Collectors you may find helpful here: They’ve Got Those Old, Hard-to-Find Blues

Posted on by Pat Costa

Depression and Carnival Glass for the World War Two Reenactor

Cut Glass (1880-mid 1910s)

It is produced by hand-cutting glass. Cut glass used to contain heavy amounts of lead, and to get the right designs, glass-makers would add crystal or “flint” to it. Cut glass is used primarily for tableware and comes in many styles. Most glassware was signed with the name of the producer, etched into the glass. Reproductions of cut glass tend to have signatures embossed.

Carnival Glass (1900s-1930)

Carnival Glass is pressed glassware produced in the 1900s-1930s. The glass came in many colors, including brights (like red, green, blue, purple, etc.) and pastel colors (like clear, white, smoke, lavender, and opalescent). The pastel colors have less of a finish. Red is the most highly collectible color as it requires fair amounts of gold oxides to produce it. Marigold is the most widely available color. When the depression hit and glass styles changed, producers of carnival glass gave it away to…carnivals as prizes.

It was sprayed with a metallic finish that made it look oily in nature. Five companies produced the majority of it in the US.
1. Fenton Art Glass Co. of Williamstown WV
2. Imperial Glass Corporation of Bellaire, OH
3. Millersburg Glass Company of Millersburg, OH
4. Northwood Glass Company of Wheeling, WV
5. Dugan Glass Company of Indiana, PA

Depression Glass (1920s-1930s extending to 1970s):

Cheaply produced colored glassware, as automation and industrialization finally caught up to glassmaking. This glassware was marketed for middle-income and working-class Americans. This glassware came with purchases from stores or mail-order catalogs. Glassware was of any kind, including bowls, shakers, dishes (all kinds), creamers, sugars, vases, jars, pitchers, measuring cups, etc. Pink is the most common glass color, followed by Green and Amber. The rarer Depression glass colors are red, black, cobalt blue, and yellow. The rarest types of Depression Glass are the ones that incorporate glass bases for citrus juices (reamers).

Fiestaware (1936 to 1970)

Fiestaware is brightly colored pottery. It was produced from 1936 to 1973. It was restarted in 1986. Collectors seek the original colors: Red, Yellow, Cobalt, Light-Green, Ivory, Turquoise. Fiesta Red was pulled from the market in 1943 as it used uranium to help create its color, and the uranium was needed for the war effort. Chartreuse(gray and rose-colored) was added as a color scheme in the 1950s, and earthy tones arrived by the 1970s. The rarest color is medium green.

Glass Companies

Cambridge Glass Company of Cambridge, OH:

Produced glass from the early 1900s to the 1950s. Focused mostly on crystal or cut glass. Can find designs of stars, swirls, squares, etc. Produced mostly bowls, plates, tumblers, and cocktail glasses. The most collectible of Cambridge Glass is the Square Series, produced shortly before it went out of business. It would eventually be bought by Imperial Glass.

Imperial Glass: 

This company began reproducing Carnival glass in the 1960s using some of the original molds; however, the difference between period-correct Carnival glass and Imperial Glass Reproductions is that the new glass is marked IG at the bottom.

Fenton Glass:

Produced Carnival and then Depression glass. Before 1970, most Fenton glass had a sticker. If no sticker look for an absence of the pontil mark (typically seen as a dimple, chipped-looking section, or lumpy bump that indicates the punty rod was detached from the glass as it was cooling). Fenton Glass used a different kind of punty rod that left clean breaks. After 1970, Fenton glass will mark the piece of an “F” or “Fenton” somewhere on the item
See: https://web.archive.org/web/20130126045835/http://www.ehow.com/how_7330459_authenticate-fenton-glass.html
http://entertainmentguide.local.com/detect-fake-fenton-glassware-8067.html

Heisey Glass (1860s-1957):

Produced Art Glass, Cut-Glass, and Carnival Glass. The symbol is an “H” inside a diamond.

Libbey Glass:

Produced all kinds of glassware, but not much of Carnival or Depression. Glass marked with the word “Libbey”

Westmoreland Glass (1890-1985):

Produced some carnival and depression, but mainly milk glass. Early Westmoreland marks were a “W” within what appears to be an upside-down lampshade. The intertwined “W” and “G” were not developed until 1949. In 1983, all Westmoreland glass was marked “Westmoreland.”

Others include:

Anchor-Hocking and Fire King:
Jeannette Glass Company
Liberty Works
MacBeth-Evans Glass Company
US Glass Company
Hazel Atlas Company
Indiana Glass Company
Fostoria Glass Company
Federal Glass Company
Paden City Glass Company
McKee Glass Company
New Martinsville
L.E. Smith Company
Lancaster Glass Company
US Company (?)
Belmont Tumbler Company
Dell Glass
Diamond Glassware Company
Homer-Laughlin China Company-Fiesta Ware

Sources:

1. Florence, Gene. 1999. The Pocket Guide to Depression Glass and More: 1920s-1960s. 11th Ed. Collector Books. This is a Good source that puts pictures with the different pattern types.
2. Pickvet, Mark. 1996. Collecting Glassware. Alliance Publishers. This is a general overview of glass history, glass styles, and glass companies.