29SEVEN20

Hold Please

2010-07-01T16:58:00.015-04:00

We appreciate your patience, our readers (who continue to arrive here through various search engines), and our contributors.

Mad Mad World Comics: Clown Deposit

2010-02-21T15:35:00.002-05:00

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ⓒ The All-Knowing Head

Random Lancaster Video: L&C Railway Company

2010-02-02T19:08:00.003-05:00

Random Lancaster YouTube Video:
ETV presents the Lancaster & Chester Railway Company

Mad Mad World Comics: Cookie Hit Men

2010-01-31T15:33:00.000-05:00

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ⓒ The All-Knowing Head

Mad Mad World Comics: Snail Daredevil

2010-01-24T18:07:00.001-05:00

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ⓒ The All-Knowing Head

Random Lancaster Photo: Spirit of Lancaster

2010-01-24T17:44:00.007-05:00

A mural by Columbia, SC artist Ralph Waldrop provides a backdrop to a small park on the corner of South Main and East Arch streets in downtown Lancaster, SC. The park was established in 1976 as a U. S. Bicentennial project. Local volunteers helped with the mural, which features actual Lancaster residents walking forward together.

Civil War Significance: In February of 1865, Union General Judson Kilpatrick made his headquarters on this site while occupying Lancaster during the War Between the States.

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ⓒ Joe Hinson

Mad Mad World Comics: Sumo Horseback

2009-11-29T17:39:00.003-05:00

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ⓒ The All-Knowing Head

Elliott White Springs (1896-1959)

2009-11-23T00:42:00.017-05:00

Elliott White Springs was a gifted writer, pilot, advertiser, and business man— he inherited the Springs Mills textile empire from his father, Colonel Leroy Springs.

Much to his father's bemusement, Elliott harbored a rebellious streak. He served in World War I as an ace fighter pilot (amassing 11 confirmed kills). He possessed a liberal sense of humor and was the author of many short stories—several of which served as the basis for movies released in the late 1920's and early 30's. He flew under a bridge on the Catawba River and buzzed his father's office with his plane on multiple occasions.

In 1928, Leroy prompted Elliott to leave his position in New York (where he was one of the country's best magazine writers) and come back to Lancaster to serve as company treasurer-secretary. He learned everything about the textile business, experimented on looms in the basement and expanded the company. Under Elliott's leadership, Springs Mills survived the Great Depression and emerged as an industrial giant. He fought off attempts at unionization by providing generous benefits and living conditions to his workers.

Elliott anticipated the post-WWII demand for finished goods and knew that Springs Mills would have to change its marketing approach if it was to appeal to a residential audience. With a combination of wit and business sense, he was able to establish a strong brand name and continue the high levels of production that the mills had enjoyed through the war effort... he did this—as with other things—his own way:

"Expert on Tease"
In the 1940's after a fruitless search for an ad agency that would produce the kind of ad campaign he wanted, Elliott contracted artists to draw pin-up girls and began to write his own humorous sales copy. He was the first to employ the tactic of sex in advertising and his unique approach to advertising turned Springmaid into a household name. Elliott's racy print ads ruffled the feathers of conservative mid-century America, turning sensibilities and the advertising world upside down. His 1948 "A Buck Well Spent" ad raised many eyebrows, securing its place in history as number 69 of the Top 100 Advertising Campaigns. The series is used in advertising courses in dozens of universities as the most successful ad program ever launched.

FURTHER READING:
Personalities And Products

The Indian Head Connection
Detailed History of Springs Mills
SC Aviation Hall of Fame
Anne Springs Close Talks Ancestry with The Boss
Elliott White Springs Prize For Fiction Contest

Elliott White Springs was born July 31, 1896, the son of Leroy and Grace Allison White Springs. His mother died when he was 10 years old, and at 12, he was sent to the Asheville School, an academy in North Carolina. He later graduated from Princeton University and Oxford University

Married Massachusetts heiress Frances Hubbard Ley in 1922 and had two children; Leroy '"Sonny" Springs (died in plane crash in 1946 at age 22) and Anne Kingsley Springs. After Elliott's death in 1959, leadership of the company was left to son-in-law Hugh Close.

In 1934 the United Textile Workers of America attempted to organize workers at the Springs mills. Elliott Springs allowed the union to address the workers at a company-owned baseball field in Chester. After the organizers had spoken, Springs mounted the platform and told the workers that if they went on strike, he would close the plants and take his family to Europe. The workers later voted unanimously against union representation, with some even chasing the unionizers out of town.

Random Lancaster Photo: Nice Shirt

2009-11-22T15:25:00.011-05:00

Textile magnate and ad maven Elliott White Springs sports a racy Springmaid pin-up polo shirt during a LIFE Magazine photo shoot on September 9, 1949. Elliott's tongue-in-cheek ad campaigns simultaneously offended conservative sensibilities, delighted husbands and turned the advertising world upside down.

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ⓒ Time, Inc.

Mad Mad World Comics: Doggy Driving Dilemma

2009-11-15T13:07:00.002-05:00

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ⓒ The All-Knowing Head

Mad Mad World Comics: Tooth Fairy Fraud

2009-11-08T12:40:00.004-05:00

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ⓒ The All-Knowing Head

Mad Mad World Comics: Paws of Pugilism

2009-11-01T14:05:00.000-05:00

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ⓒ The All-Knowing Head

Mad Mad World Comics: Night School Dropouts

2009-10-25T18:49:00.001-04:00

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ⓒ The All-Knowing Head

Murder and Mayhem In Old Kershaw

2009-10-25T17:18:00.038-04:00

Recently we perused a copy of Murder and Mayhem in Old Kershaw by Miles Gardner (2004). This non-fiction book is a collection of true stories gleaned from historical records and popular accounts in Kershaw, Lancaster and Chesterfield Counties (circa 1750-1950).

The book and its sequel are popular reads with waiting lists at the Lancaster and Kershaw libraries (article photo of book from private collection).

Murder and Mayhem in Old Kershaw And in Nearby Sections of Lancaster Kershaw and Chesterfield Counties (Miles Gardner, 2004)

Further Tales of Murder and Mayhem In Lancaster Kershaw and Chesterfield Counties (Miles Gardner, 2006)

• This book is included in the Bibliography of Lancaster County, SC
• Hardcover copies of Further Tales are available from the Camden Archives

Random Lancaster Photo: Beach Music

2009-10-25T16:44:00.007-04:00

Lancaster native Maurice Williams performing with The Zodiacs at Market Common in Myrtle Beach, SC (Sept.'09).

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ⓒ 29seven20

Mad Mad World Comics: The Man Flu

2009-10-11T20:44:00.001-04:00

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ⓒ The All-Knowing Head

Artist Spotlight: Jonathan Hudson

2009-09-21T16:11:00.048-04:00

Meet Jonathan Hudson, a visual artist from Lancaster, SC. His quirky, graphic style and harmonious use of color combine to create pure eye candy, and his work often has elements of the unexpected. Our human relationship with the environment is also a recurring theme in his work. You can view more of Jonathan's drawings, paintings, and metalwork by visiting his art website: mesart.com/jdavidhud
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What's your artistic style? I’m not sure... folk art, maybe outsider art.

When did you first realize that you were an artist? I’ve been in love with drawing and coloring for as long as I can remember. I guess in high school I realized that art can be much more than painting and drawing. Working with metal has opened many doors for me.

Do you believe artistic creativity is innate? Yes… my Father and I are the two black sheep of the family. He plays music and I like visual art. No one else in the entire family enjoys creative expression.

What supplies in your toolbox are indispensable? Spray paint. House paint. Paint pens…..

What has influenced you, and how? I have many influences: people that work with metal like David Smith, Mimmo Paladino, Edward Higgins, Jean Mcwhorter, and Bob Doster just to name a few. I am most turned on by the outsider artists—the people without the art degrees, that make things for themselves and not just for money.

Where can people see your work? No work on exhibit at this time, but you can check out the website: www.mesart.com/jdavidhud

What else keeps you busy (besides art)? Music, outdoors, skateboarding, yard work.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out? Have fun! Try not to get stressed.

Artist Insight:
"My goal is to explore different techniques and styles of visual expression. I try not to think about it as art but as something humorous and fun, that people may find interesting. I take a closer look at our daily contact with plants, animals and people and how they effect us emotionally and physically. I am fascinated with the relationship that we share with our environment, therefore color, material and subject matter play a huge role in my work. I believe we all have a permanent bond with our surroundings."

– Jonathan Hudson

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>> CLICK TO VISIT ARTIST'S WEBSITE <<

Mad Mad World Comics: Peacepipe Prohibition

2009-08-02T14:05:00.002-04:00

Random Lancaster Photo: T-Ray's Front Side Slide

2009-07-26T15:28:00.029-04:00

Todd Ray performs a front side slide at the 1987 grand opening of "Wise Guys," a popular skateboard/ clothing store in the Lancaster Square shopping center. Todd (aka T-Ray) went on to become a Grammy Award-winning music producer and now resides on the West Coast.
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"If you know about T-Ray, then you know about Hip Hop"– Cut Chemist, Jurassic 5

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Photos Courtesy of ⓒ Erin Adams Tindal

Mad Mad World Comics: Fishnet Fiasco

2009-07-26T14:14:00.002-04:00

Musician Spotlight: Yellow Matter

2009-07-19T12:09:00.042-04:00

Meet Lancaster, SC band Yellow Matter. They play the music they want to hear – and they play it very loudly! Three members of the band were kind enough to sit down for an interview....

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Band members:
JR SNIPES Drums
MAX JORDAN Guitar/Vocals
CHRIS HORTON Bass Guitar
MIKE FRANK Lead Guitar

What's the band's history?
MAX: Started when we got tired of searching the airwaves for decent music.
JR: It started last summer as a session band where Max and I were doing double duties sharing bass guitar, drums, and guitar- we had another studio project with Chris called "Static Change" and decided to recruit him on bass after one of our friends (Jeremy Catledge) suffered a hand injury (he was filling in on bass guitar for a show we performed in 2008).

What exactly is "Yellow Matter"?
CHRIS: The name originates from a line in the Beatles song "I am the Walrus" in which John Lennon writes, "Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye." Pretty sick, ehh?
MAX: Its an homage to one of the greatest song writers of all time. Google it.

Describe your sound:
MUSIC GENRE LISTED AS: Rock / Garage / Surf
JR: Loud, heavy, foot stomping, melodic mesh.
MAX: Loud.

Any influences (musical or otherwise)?
JR: For me: Flotsam & Jetsam, Metallica, IRON MAIDEN, PANTERA, Dave Grohl, ZZ-Top.... for the other guys: JIMI HENDRIX, Nirvana, ALICE in CHAINS, PINK FLOYD, The Doors, THE BEATLES, Stevie Ray Vaughn.
MAX: Any group or artist that is authentic and not trying to be another clone of Nickelback or Seether.

Is there a certain song your band is known for?
MAX: Not a lot of people have heard our stuff yet. But the few that have seem to be partial to "Meat Scissor".

Are you working on any new material?
CHRIS: Yes– we're currently working on phase 2 of a new EP with the working title "Full Throttle Super Crash Meltdown"

Merch for sale / where?
CHRIS: We have T-shirts for sale for $10 each (in Black or White).
MAX: Once we get this record done, we're planning on hitting the stage with CD's, T-Shirts, Hats, and whatever else we can stamp our logo on. If you can't wait until then, we have a few T-Shirts printed up. Hit us up on MySpace if you'd like one!

Any crazy band stories?
JR: I've got too many horror stories to write -- but most involve straight jackets, the police, people unplugging power cords, starting songs out of tune, playing wrong songs, falling off stage, busting drum heads in the middle of the song, drum sticks getting caught in hair, or breaking strings during the song with no guitar back up.
CHRIS: I once played a show with JR and Max in Columbia while battling a case of the flu. Crazily enough, it turned out to be one of the best shows I ever played (and no one ended up with any vomit on them!)
MAX: We haven't been abducted yet but we've had a few close calls with both aliens and ghosts (really)... We think they're trying to steal our songs.

Anything else we should know?
CHRIS: We play the music that we want to hear without worrying about certain trends that may come and go. As long as we're happy with the sound, we feel the music will spill over and others will come to like it just as much as we do.
JR: I believe our music is a breath of fresh air - new music right now is stale & I'm ready for something that's gonna get you out of your seat and make you move.
CHRIS: There's nothing worse than playing to an audience of zombies... unless they're real zombies... that might be cool.
MAX: If you play our songs backwards and sync it up to The Wizard of Oz, it makes no sense, but it's better than hearing the original soundtrack. Those singing midgets freak me out.

Mad Mad World Comics: Freedom

2009-07-19T11:38:00.002-04:00

Notable Folk: Dooley Silverspoon (b. 1946)

2009-07-18T15:20:00.029-04:00

Dooley Silverspoon is a disco soul artist born in Lancaster, South Carolina on October 31, 1946, one of four children.

He started his professional career at the age of 6 in gospel music, taking inspiration from such artists as The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, The Gospelaires and Clarence Fountain.

By the time Dooley was 13 he had traveled to New York on tour, which then became his home. In 1972 Dooley made his first record for the Philadelphia-based R&B label North Bay Records. At that time he was recording under the artist name "Little Dooley." The single was called "(It's Got To Be) Now Or Never" and was produced by the legendary Bobby Martin.

Shortly afterward, Dooley met up with his manager, writer and producer, Sonny Casella (aka S.O.N.N.Y.) and they released a follow up single. In Dooley's own words, "It made a little noise, opened the door. You really need that."

It's Got To Be, North Bay Records (1972)
As Long As You Know, Decap Sound (1975)
Bump Me Baby, Seville Records (1975)
Dooley Silverspoon LP, Seville Records (1975)
Am I Losing You?, Cotton Records (1976)
Let Me By The No. 1, Seville Records (1976)
Closer To Loving You, Seville Records (1977)
Mr. Deluxe, Seville Records (1978)

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NOTE: There is a possibility that Dooley Silverspoon's original surname may have been "Witherspoon," as the song 'Mr. Deluxe' is sometimes credited to "Dooley Witherspoon." Witherspoon is a common surname in the Lancaster, SC area.

Random Lancaster Video: Let Me Be....

2009-07-12T19:39:00.005-04:00

Random Lancaster YouTube Video:
Dooley Silverspoon is a disco soul artist born in 1946 in Lancaster, SC. Song in video is Let Me Be the Number One Love of Your Life.

Mad Mad World Comics: Amplified Almonds

2009-07-12T18:54:00.003-04:00