Gus the Horseshoer: 1936

From the Milwaukee Journal of October 1, 1939:

I'm always impressed by Dave and the rest of the Shorpy community. "Free Thaelmann!" seems accurate.

During the Cold War, Ernst Thaelmann became a hero to the USSR, which might be why I hadn't heard of him until today. It's an interesting story, though, as the movement to support him seems to have been supported by a counterculture, complete with controversial demonstrations. To wit, as the Hindenburg prepared to set an endurance record in 1936, "a red biplane flew over the hangar trailing a pennant which read: 'Fight Fascism--Help Free Thaelmann.'" (NYT). NYT also had a 1934 headline, "ANTI-NAZIS BREAK INTO HARVARD YARD" about Thaelmann supporters.

In 1925, Thaelmann had come in a distant third in the German presidential elections (as reported by the Lake Region Times, 4/30/1925).

How dare you paint over a priceless and historic photograph. Have you no shame?

Coloreado por Paco.
Colage y acuarela.

I imagine the folks living between the tannery and horseshoer had very few visitors.

Free Ernst Thaelmann?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Th%C3%A4lmann

He was an anti-fascist, anti-Nazi Marxist. He ran against Hitler in '32 for German president. When Ernst lost to Adolph, he tried to organize a general strike and coup against Hitler the next year and when that failed he was jailed by the Gestapo. He died at Buchenwald in August, 1944.

Thaelmann had his 50th birthday in April of '36 and it apparently drew worldwide attention. Milwaukee's large German/Polish immigrant population (except for the Swede, Peterson the Horseshoer) should have made Thaelmann's Nazi imprisonment a local big deal.

First!!!??

This is essentially where the Blues Brothers "ran off the road" and flipped their old Police Interceptor Dodge. I was in the neighborhood, in college, the day of the filming.

"Free Mumia"? Very cutting edge for 1936!

On a more serious note, Detroit Street has been renamed St. Paul Street, and there's not a lotta tanning or shoeing going on there these days.

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Would it be possible to get a close up of the water tower on the tannery? I can't make out what it says. The exclamation point indicates that it's very important.

[Well isn't that interesting. "FREE XXXELMANN!" Maybe starting with a T. Who will be the first to solve this Shorpy mystery? - Dave]