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1917. "J. Reynolds, performing acrobatic and balancing acts on high cornice above 9th Street N.W." Our second look at this aerial act. View full size.
Mr. Reynolds seems to be going by "Jug" at this time -- I can't imagine that there would be two "J. Reynolds" crazy enough to do this stuff. (Click on image for larger version)
Does anyone know how the fellow eventually met his maker?
How many Shorpians does it take to change a light bulb?
One to prepare and operate the camera, one to stack the chairs, another to respond to press inquiries....
But he has a tie on. See it fluttering in the breeze?
Of course it was worth the danger. Mr. Reynolds probably made a good living at this daredevil stuff, and we get to see a great photograph.
I don't even like standing on a chair to change a light bulb.
Photos like these make me feel ill. So much can go wrong in a split second that the gamble Mr. Reynolds has taken isn't worth it. I'd guess that getting up there was the easy part; its the getting down that's the trick. I'd have felt better seeing a rope tied around his waist and held by one of his assistants. Also, who holds liability if something goes wrong? Reynolds may well have gotten down safely but one of those chairs could have fallen to the sidewalk and impaled someone. All in all, I like it here on the ground - at sea level. Life is full of random, unfortunate events so why tempt fate?
The truly astounding thing about this picture is that he's scandalously removed his hat and suit jacket!
That's the Smithsonian Natural History Building in the background, finished in 1909.
http://siarchives.si.edu/history/exhibits/historic/natural.htm
I looked for an obituary where Mr. Reynolds ("it's not the fall, it's the sudden deceleration") was transformed into road pizza, but was unable to find it.
just looking at that photo. Crazier than anything I've seen Harold Lloyd do.
Federal Reserve Chairman Reynolds talking to ranking members of the Congressional Banking Subcommittee in his 9th Street office. "The national economy is rock-solid and quite safe; we are forecasting at least 100 years of prosperity to come."
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