Marlene Wagman-Geller

Chapter # 2: Minerva    D

The Betsy Ross House (opened 1937 )

 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“I am not certain if I can. At least I’ll gladly try.” Betsy Ross

       Within the stripes of the American flag lies a treasure trove of history, mystery, and controversy. “Old Glory” appears in fifty states and on the moon; thousands have died fighting for or against it. The Marines raised the Stars and Stripes to commemorate the victory in the Pacific; the draft-dodgers burned it in protest of the military in Southeast Asia. As the Twin Towers crumbled, three New York City firefighters rigged a makeshift flagpole and hoisted the symbol of resilience. Millions visit the Betsy Ross Home to pay homage to the universal icon.

“Slow down? Rest? With all eternity before me?”

     Used a letter holder named Sophie made from a human skull? Check. Accessorized with a stuffed bat? Check. Slept in a coffin? Check. And the woman who could answer in the affirmative to these questions was also the possessor of the honorific “Divine.”

    The poet, A. E. Housman wrote, “In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” In the world of football, a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of the Heisman Trophy, the most prestigious in college sports. But what even the most fanatic of fans may not know is the namesake of the award: Coach John Heisman, (nicknamed Doc.)
 

    As Susan B. Anthony lay dying, she spoke to her fellow suffragettes, “With women such as you, failure is impossible.” A year after her passing, in 1920, women were allowed into the polling station, an act that had oncce led to Anthony’s arrest. However, in the Deep South, despite the 15^th Amendment, Jim Crow prevented the disenfranchised from voting, determined to keep poor blacks in their place-the bottom of the social hierarchy.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did my back hurt your knife?”

      The 18^th century Tivoli Fountain in Rome is forever associated with the image of Anita Ekberg frolicking in its water in a scene from Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. A far different, but equally iconic fountain appears in the opening credits of the television series Friends in which six Manhattan Musketeers sport in the water to the backdrop of the lyric, “I’ll be there for you.”

The Story Bank (opened in 2019 )

 Maryborough, Queensland, Australia

“Sorrow lies like a heartbeat behind everything I have written.” P. Travers

     If the east wind blows you into the town of Maryborough, visit The Story Bank to partake of heaping spoonfuls of sugar. The museum was the birthplace of P. L. Travers, the Australian-born author of British nanny, Mary Poppins.

Susan B. Anthony House (opened 1971)

Rochester, New York

“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women their rights, and nothing less.” Susan B. Anthony

   The unwavering friendship between Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Antony formed the foundation of the American suffrage movement. Elizabeth supplied the speeches that Susan delivered, “I forged the thunderbolts and Susan fired them!” For those desperately seeking Susan, one should make a pilgrimage to the Susan B. Anthony House.

“The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.” 
 

“I want to go on living after my death.” – Anne Frank

The Anne Frank House (opened in 1960)

 Prinsenghracht 263, Amsterdam, Holland

            As Romeo walked the streets of Verona, he observed, “Here is much to do with hate but more with love.” The self-same words apply to an Amsterdam building that receives over a million annual visits. The hate emanated from the mustached madman of Berlin; the love stemmed from the shared devotion of the Frank family.

“You can never tell who your enemies are, or who to trust. Maybe that’s why I love animals so much.”

   The modern zoo originated in 1907 when a German animal whisperer opened the eponymous Carl Hagenbeck Animal Park. Hans Augusto Rey, a frequent visitor, spent hours drawing monkeys he later immortalized in his literary creation, Curious George. A Polish zoo was also a curious place whose owner understood that those who emulate the three proverbial monkeys-see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil- are complicit in inhumanity.