I think I probably posted these before in the distant past, but here are two photos of a Philco radio cabinet that I converted into a bookcase.
Update Among the books in the top section behind the little door is a prayer book, or possibly the equivalent of a missal, that one of Mrs. Paco's grandmothers brought over from Palestine when she immigrated to South America around the time the First World War broke out. Mrs. Paco's family, on both sides, were Christian Palestinians who were members of the Orthodox Church (of Antioch, to be precise); all of them settled in various South American countries (Bolivia, Peru, Chile), having fled the oppressive government of the Turks (it is fascinating to reflect that, when Mrs. Paco's grandparents traveled to South America, there was an Ottoman sultan residing in what was still formally known as Constantinople).
Here is a photo of the book, bound in leather, and a photo of a couple of its pages, printed in Arabic.
Nice repurposing.
ReplyDeleteVery nice indeed, Paco!
ReplyDeleteAnd even considering how vinyl is becoming popular again (can you imagine!??!?!?!), I think the bookcase is a better use for it.
Wow, fascinating family history, Paco. There's a Maronite Catholic Church ( St. Ignatius of Antioch) located near where I live (probably not the same as the Orthodox, but close, maybe?). They bought the building from the Lutherans, who seem to be diminishing yearly.
ReplyDeleteWow. $130 in 1947 adjusted for inflation is approximately $1700 today.
ReplyDeleteI hope that Philco did justice to Mr. Crosby's exceptional singing!
The Maronites are under the "umbrella" of the Roman Catholic Church, because it accepts the pope as its spiritual head. The liturgy is different, though (the liturgy of St. John Chrysostum). There are quite a few churches in the Middle East, and also in Europe, that are in union with the Roman church, but maintain their own rites - which, I believe, are similar to the Orthodox churches. These are sometimes referred to as "Uniate" churches.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Paco's grandparents were of the Orthodox faith, but their children (and subsequent generations) have been raised as Roman Catholics. I attended an Orthodox mass one time, in Miami, and it was very impressive. I also attended a mass at a Ukrainian Catholic Church (a Uniate church) - this, too, in Miami. The church building even had the traditional onion domes that one sees on churches in some of the Slavic countries.
What's really fascinating about Mrs. Paco's immigrant grandparents is that they were all still in their teens when they immigrated. Talk about being adventurous! They were originally from families of artisans based in Bethlehem and came to South America with practically nothing. Much later, they mostly wound up as bankers and industrialists.
Thanks, Paco. I love this kind of history, and I love finding out what the descendants did in subsequent decades and centuries. Human history is fascinating. I've made a lifelong study since seeing the cliffside dwellings at Mesa Verde as a child of ten, and it all makes me think the human species has a future, even when all the PeopleWhoKnow tell us there is no future for us.
ReplyDeleteAlso, kudos to Mrs. P for being descended from such intrepid people. I like to think I'm descended from the same, although of a different culture.
I stayed with Eastern Orthodox 'Uniate' Catholics on that visit to India ten years ago, as well as Indo-Portuguese ones such as the Santa Cruz cathedral.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I found with the Orthodox liturgy was it's very long, and you're supposed to stand up for most of it - near 2 hours. I got swollen legs from standing in one place so long holding a heavy book reading the responses - there weren't any pews and I started with enthusiasm thinking I'd be ok.