Before introducing the topic of my post, I'm excited to tell you my new book, BEGUILING DELILAH, is now available on Amazon. At last!
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| US Amazon UK Amazon CA: Amazon AU: Amazon |
FREE on Kindle Unlimited
Now, about Lucius
Morris Beebe: (December
9, 1902 – February 4, 1966) Beebe was an American author, gourmet, photographer, railroad historian,
journalist, and syndicated columnist.
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| Lucius Beebe (R) and partner Charles Clegg; back jacket photo - Steamcars To The Comstock |
Born in
Wakefield, Massachusetts to a prominent Boston family, Beebe attended both
Harvard and Yale, where he contributed to the humorous magazine
The Yale Record. He was known
for pulling pranks, including an attempt to decorate J. P. Morgan’s yacht with
toilet paper dropped from a chartered airplane. Consequently, he proudly had the sole distinction of being expelled from both Harvard and Yale. Eventually,
he did earn his undergraduate degree from Harvard in 1926, only to be expelled
during graduate school.
As a young man,
Beebe published several books of poetry, but soon turned to journalism. He worked as a journalist for well-known newspapers in New
York, Boston and San Francisco, and was a contributing writer to many magazines.
Beebe wrote a
syndicated column for the New York Herald
Tribune from the 1930s through 1944 called This New York. The
column chronicled the doings of fashionable society, of which he was a notable part, at famous restaurants and
nightclubs. He came up with the term “café society” to describe the people in his column.
Beebe in the West
In 1950, Beebe
and his long-time life partner, photographer Charles Clegg, moved to Virginia
City, Nevada, somewhat of a mecca at that time for writers. Beebe and Clegg purchased and restored the Piper family home.
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| Piper-Beebe House; Creative Commons; Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported |
Later, the pair purchased the dormant Territorial
Enterprise newspaper, relaunching it in 1952. By 1954 the paper had the highest
circulation in the West for a weekly newspaper. Beebe and Clegg co-wrote the
"That Was the West" series of historical essays for the newspaper.
In 1960, Beebe
began writing a syndicated column titled This
Wild West for the San Francisco
Chronicle. In addition to being a journalist, Beebe wrote over 35
books. His books dealt primarily with railroading and café society. Charles
Clegg helped write many of his railroad books.
The pair also authored The American
West: The Pictorial Epic of a Continent, first published in 1955 by
Dutton Publishing. I own a 1989 hardcover
edition published by Bonanza Books. I love it mainly for the plethora of
wonderful illustrations. I wish I could share a few of them with you but
don’t want to infringe on copyrights. The book is available used on Amazon. I
highly recommend it.
Amazon description:
“This truly
magnificent book recreates with a wealth of rare pictures and vivid
authoritative text the tremendous epic of the American West. As sweeping,
spirited and many-sided as its subject, the book portrays the Old West in all
its variety, from the days of the first pioneers to the final passing of the
frontier. Includes more than 1000 illustrations.”
Reviews:
There are only 2, but one is by our own Caroline Clemmons. Both give 5 stars.
“. . .This
is an absolute essential piece for your bookshelf if you are an aficionado of
US History, particularly the classic era of the Western Frontier. What's most
notable about this large volume, with over 500 pages, is the numerous illustrations
(over 1000!) that will guarantee hours of your enjoyment. . .
“Worth the visual enjoyment alone, The American West: The Pictorial Epic of a Continent is written in an engaging style of colorful narration not seen in today's academic tomes. Much like the newspapers of the day, the authors Beebe & Clegg make fine use of the English language and deliver humor and excitement in their accounts.
“From
the mountain men to the closing of the frontier, the whole story is presented
as an illustrated summary that is always fun to pick up and refer to over and
over again. A definite keeper!”
By Caroline Clemmons on November 11, 2014
“I bought this book after
a friend mentioned it. It's a large book filled with illustrations and old
photos to illustrate the text. Very useful for research.”
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