"A Complete History of Man's Conquest of the Air from His Earliest Dreams to the Present Jet Age, Dramatically Portrayed in Over 1000 Pictures"

Rummaging through a pile of books in the house today I came across a real treasure, the Pictorial History of America by the Editors of Year Magazine, published in 1954. This is a really great work, and personally important as the managing editor of this book was my wife’s grandfather M. Tugrul Üke, who not only had a funny name but also did a wonderful job putting together this massive volume (and others, including the slightly more specific Pictorial History of Aviation).

This book is a great resource not just for history buffs and those who enjoy period photographs of years past, but also for funny name enthusiasts. Just on page 1, the list of contributors, we find these people :

•         Editor –  Baldwin H. Ward

As we all know, having two last names is a surefire way to be considered for funny name glory. A well-fitting middle initial is also always encouraged. A combination of the two : smashing.

But ol’ Baldwin is just the tip of the iceberg. Among the large staff for the publication we find these doozies:

• Gerardus Leeflang
• Zelda Cini
• Katherine Daubenspeck
• Ann Funk
• William G. Oxx, III
• Eugene Pfrommer
• Josephine Bearcroft
• Phyllis Schmutz
• Arseny Spilewsky
• Erma Tackett

All that and I never left page one. Just wait until I get to the section on touring circuses of the late 1800’s.