Random Cutting - Death of Ernie Kovaks (1962)

14th January 1962

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I'm not sure today's newspapers would print such a graphic picture of a dead celebrity. Ernie Kovaks an American radio and TV star, comic, scriptwriter, film actor, novelist and during the early 1950's the first TV innovator who, by stretching the existing video technology to its limits, won a posthumous  Emmy in 1962. As shown above he died in car accident in Los Angeles on the 13rh January 1962. 

Random Cutting - The Princesses see Shakespeare (1938)

February 4th 1938

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The Queen, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret having just seen the Old Vic production of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' on February 3rd 1938. It starred Robert Helpmann as Oberon, Vivien Leigh as Titania and the cast included Ralph Richardson and Anthony Quayle.

Random Ad - Wimpey Homes (1960's)

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George Wimpey built their first residential estate in 1928 and by the 1960's and 70s were a household name. They merged with another well known brand, Taylor Woodrow, to become Taylor Wimpey in 2007.

Random Cutting - Consumer Goods (1958)

26th July 1958

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I was not quite a teenager in 1958 and my parents had a car and a washing machine with a ringer on top, but we didn't have a television, telephone or a fridge. There might have been a lawnmower somewhere in the old Anderson shelter we used as a shed. We rented a 2 channel black and white TV from 1960 onwards.

Random Cutting - Future of aviation (1919)

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Published in March 1919 this article in support of aviation as the future in both war and peace is suprisingly perseptive. Boer War and world War I veteran and politician General John Seely had recently been made Under-Secretary of State for Air but he resigned at the end of 1919 after the Government refused to create a Secretary of State for Air.

Random Ads - Royal Wedding stuff (1981)

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Prince Charles and Diana Spenser's wedding in July 1981 spawned a good many pieces of memorobilia. Here we have three examples - stamps, a medallion and coins. All guaranteed to last longer than the marriage?

Random Cutting - New York Skyscraper Fire (1927)

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This dramatic photo is from the Times Weekly Edition dated 28th April 1927. The original Netherlands Hotel on New York's 5th Avenue had been torn down to make way for this new 38 story replacement. During the buildings construction, on the 12th April 1927, the wooden scaffolding around the top 16 stories caught fire and the ensuing flames took 12 hours to put out.

A description of the incident appears in the introduction to Bill Bryson's 2013 book 'One Summer - 1927'