1929 Thanksgiving Handicap

[LC Martin]

Hello Everyone,

This is my first posting:

Maybe you can help me. I am looking for photos of the winner of the 1929 Thanksgiving Handicap at Jefferson Park. The winner was Paul Bunyan with jockey L Martin (my father). We lost the only photo we had of my father in the winner's circle. I know a copy of it was in some tavern in New Orleans hanging on the wall, but cannot track it down. Do you know where in the archives the picture can be found. I know there was a fire at the old track that destroyed a lot of records, but I am still looking. Any help you can give will be appreciated. Lester Martin jlcmartin@msn.com

[dutchboy]

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F3061EFD355A147A93CBAB178AD95F4D 8285F9

Try this link. Appears you can buy a reprint of the article. I assume it would have a photo.

[LC Martin]

Thanks for your suggestion.

I tried that. I have the article, but not photo. Still looking.

[Steve 'StatMan']

I wonder if some of the Libraries in Louisiana would have archives of the old newspapers from that era. Racing was big back then, more stuff plus photos might have been in the paper.

[sandpit]

The Keeneland library also might have it; they have a tremendous amount of articles, artifacts, etc. If you call the main number, I'm sure they can connect you.

[kenwoodallpromos]

Run by the current track, which according to the fairgrounds website history, was associated with Jefferson Park.
I would also contact all taverns near the Fairgrounds or the locationof the old Jefferson Park. (Jefferson Parrish).
PAUL BUNYAN TAKES A.B. DADE MEMORIAL; Severson's Star Records Sixth Victory in Last 9 Starts in Fair Grounds Feature. WHITNEY'S TANTIVY NEXT High Score Finishes Last in Field of 12--Winner Returns $15.10 for $2 in Mutuels. Timed in 1:39 for Mile. Winner Returns $11.50.
E-MAIL
Special to The New York Times.
January 12, 1930, Sunday
Section: Sports, Page 145, 651 words
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 11.--Paul Bunyan further confirmed the opinion that he is the best handicap horse in training at the Fair Grounds when he galloped off with the purse of $2,410 in the A.B. Dade Memorial Handicap today. [ END OF FIRST PARAGRAPH ]

PAUL BUNYAN (USA) br. H, 1926 DP = 0-0-0-0-0 (0) DI = Inf CD = Inf - 93 Starts, 18 Wins, Places, Shows Career Earnings: $64,354

Owner: L. M. Severson
Breeder: A. L. Ferguson
Winnings: 93 Starts: 18 - - , $64,354

Christmas Handicap, Thanksgiving Handicap, A. B. Dade Memorial Handicap, Edgewater Gulf Hotel Handicap, Francis S. Peabody Memorial Handicap, Dixie Handicap

Other:
4yo: 2nd New Year's Cap
5yo:
2nd Mardi Gras Cap, Philadelphia Cap
3rd Hawthorne Cap

[wilderness]

Newspapers and even most old periodicals from 1929 will not provide anything close to the quality of a photo from that same period.

Your best chance would be in locating a glass negate from one of the digital archives, which is a very slow process.
I did a couple of searches and went through some pages at the Louisiana Digital Archives (http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/index.php?media=Photograph), my experiences with these archives is that they generally hold negates that are neither of their locale and/or relative to their focus or collections.

Here's a very broad search; digital+archives+state (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=digital%2Barchives%2Bstate&btnG=Google+Search&fp=Q9hKAq0-8-0) on archives

Most microfilm that would locate from 1929 would likely be in very rough and worn out shape, with the focus being on text, rather than photo's.