HEROES & BALLYHOO tells the story of the creation of America’s sports entertainment industry during the period of 1919-1930. The star athletes, over-the-top journalists, and cagey PR men had an extraordinary impact on the country, profoundly changing individual sports, establishing the secular religion of sports and sports heroes, and helping bond disparate social and regional sectors of the country. Sports became a cornerstone of modern American life in the Golden Age.

Freed from the agonies of World War I, Americans eagerly bounded into the “era of wonderful nonsense” — the Roaring Twenties. They threw off Victorian traditions and rural ways, and sought everything modern, from bobbed hair, bathtub gin, jazz, Model Ts, movies and radio to fads of all kinds. Moreover, the war-weary public embraced the drama and excitement of sports and its star athletes, in search of heroes not from the fields of Flanders, but from a field of dreams.

HEROES & BALLYHOO salutes the ten most prominent Golden Age heroes and relates their effect on sports and society. Babe Ruth, America’s greatest sports hero, leads the way, followed by boxer Jack Dempsey, college football’s Red Grange and Knute Rockne, tennis players Bill Tilden and Helen Wills, golfers Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones, and swimmers Johnny Weissmuller and Gertrude Ederle.

The book also celebrates the ballyhoo artists—sportswriters, promoters, and press agents—who hyped the stars to a receptive public. Reporters Grantland Rice and Damon Runyon set the pace for the press; promoters C. C. Pyle and Tex Rickard put P. T. Barnum to shame; and Babe Ruth’s press agent, Christy Walsh, founded the sports marketing business.

BALLYHOO (bal-ee-hoo), n.: loud, exaggerated, or sensational advertising or promotion.
BALLYHOOING, v.:to publicize noisily. First seen in the mainstream press around 1910, the
term’s usage peaked in the 1920s. Originally associated with carnival barkers.

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Orthodontic braces are a common fixture in today’s society and it is not rare to see classmates, coworkers, or family members with braces on their teeth. Both children and adults are often seen wearing braces and there are a wide variety of colors available to allow individual customization of them. Although braces are an everyday part of our culture, little is known about their development or origin. In ancient Greece both scholars Hippocrates and Aristotle talked about ways to fix dentals problems including the straightening of crooked teeth. There are a few men who history considers the fathers of orthodontics and they developed their ideas in the late 19^th century. The first individual is Norman Kingsley who was a writer, artist, and sculptor but was primarily a dentist. In 1880 he wrote “Treatise on Oral Deformities” which was a major influence on dentistry.

Another man deserving credit is Doctor J.N. Farrar who developed the idea of using intermittent mild force to correct dental irregularities in the 1880s. He wrote a couple of books that dealt with his ideas on correcting orthodontic problems. His scientific approach to the biological issues of orthodontics was revolutionary.

Edward Angle, an American dentist from Pennsylvania at the turn of the 20^th century is widely considered the creator of modern orthodontics and his system of classifying dental arches is used all over the world. In 1887 he wrote “Treatment of Malocclusion of the Teeth”. This volume was revised and republished several times and is the cornerstone of modern orthodontics. Angle served as a professor at a couple of medical colleges and in 1900 founded The School of Orthodontia in St. Louis, Missouri. He developed different types of fixed orthodontic appliances that have evolved into the braces and retainers that we are familiar with today. The sophisticated orthodontic systems used currently by most doctors are the result of improvements in technology and owe their development to the pioneering efforts of a few men. The smiles of millions are the result of these efforts.

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History Collectors: We offer a wide selection of museum quality replicas and authentic items representing nearly every century of the Common Era and the most significant civilizations of ancient history. Once you browse through our online catalogue, we are certain you’ll find the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one with an interest in history.

Temperance may be defined as: moderation in all things healthful; total abstinence from all things harmful. On November 10, 1891, the first meeting of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was held in Boston, Massachusetts. The meeting signaled a new era of social responsibility and the beginning of public charities. The move signaled the real dawn and consequence of an industrialized nation.

As the number of factories increased so did the single worker going out of the family security net into the world. Cities replaced villages and the social landscape altered forever. Away from home or not making enough money to go home, many people turned to drink. Extra money also meant extra money for entertainment and leisure time. Leisure time in the extreme provoked a social response.

A number of people equated (and rightly so in most cases) a correlation between drinking and domestic violence, homelessness, poverty and crime. It was thought that if alcoholic drink was eliminated or extremely curtailed, the morals of the village may return to the uprooted families of the inner cities. And with enough people on the same page, a movement was born.

The movement of the 1890s was far from the first of its kind. Several temperance groups had made headway in Europe and America. In the United States temperance found a strong ally in the women’s rights movement and was consequently dominant by women with strong opinions and a desire for social change. Not always welcome in the America of the late Victorian era.

The organization was established in the 1870s with a primary goal being the abolition of alcohol in all the states of the union. It was not the first American group but one that received the most notoriety for its strict moral character and ardent desire to clean up America so that God would find favor with the nation’s inhabitants.

The main activities of the WCTU were “crusades.” These crusades involve mass prayer in local churches to petition God for assistance with making alcohol illegal and marching to local bars and saloons to demand the owner shut his or her doors. The women exacted a moral authority and used Christian beliefs as well as good old fashioned guilt and shame to pull people away from drink and into the movement.

All the members of the WCTU were tee totallers and hoped that many would learn from their example.Some did, others found them amusing and an object of scorn. Their beliefs for many were out of sync with the fast paced change of America’s industrialization.

Regardless of personal or public opinion, President Woodrow Wilson passed the 18^th amendment to prohibit the sale and consumption of alcohol in 1919. In this the WCTU saw their success and reward. The WCTU still exists today and continues the historic work of their foremothers.

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Annie Oakley died on November 3, 1924 from pernicious anemia. Her life is a testament to the strength and determination of American frontierswomen. Skilled with weapons and equal to many of her male counterparts, Annie Oakley remains an integral part of western history.

Born in Ohio on August 13, 1860, Annie’s given name was Phoebe Ann Oakley Mozee. She had a total of seven siblings and came from a childhood of economic hardship and parental death. She never received any sort of a formal education. When her mother lost her second husband, Annie was put into care for a while but suffered abuse and was returned to her mother who married for a third time. Oakley’s childhood made her tough and resilient and perhaps a bit of a loner.

Oakley was an expert marksman from a very early age and started practicing her shooting skills at the tender age of 9. At the age of 16, she was already receiving money for her shooting games and entered her first professional competition against her husband to be Frank Butler (1850-1926). They married in 1876.

In the early 1880s, Oakley traveled with her husband on the Vaudeville circuit, performing shooting feats and contests for a paying audience. They went across the country together where Oakley got to meet many famous people of the day, including Sitting Bull who she became friends with. Sitting Bull gave Annie Oakley the nickname of “Little Sure Shot.” Her skills as a marksmen were never questioned by man or woman, rich or poor, townsfolk or royal. Her place in history was quickly secured.

It was in 1885 that the star crossed (or rifle crossed) couple joined the famous Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. Butler stepped aside so that his wife could become the female star of the Wild West show. They traveled all over Europe and even performed for Queen Victoria. Oakley won numerous medals and awards for her skills. They stayed with the show for 16 years. Even in her own time, Oakley was considered a role model for other women from both the States and the rest of the world.

Despite offering to lead a female regimen in World War I, Oakley ended up spending her time with the Red Cross during the war and spending time for her famous show dog, Dave. A comeback was planned for the early 1920s but a car accident put both Butlers out of commission for some time.

Oakley and Butler stayed together until the very end passing away within three weeks of each other in November of 1926. Their story is truly endearing and inspirational and Annie Oakley will forever be remembered as America’s cowgirl. Her role in the perception of women and creating the wild stories of the American west will endure long after the last remnants of western boomtowns crumble and disappear.

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History Collectors: We offer a wide selection of museum quality replicas and authentic items representing nearly every century of the Common Era and the most significant civilizations of ancient history. Once you browse through our online catalogue, we are certain you’ll find the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one with an interest in history.