BROOKLYN SUNDAY SCHOOL CELEBRATION HARPERS MAGAZINE 1872
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The Schools printing needs were certainly well met with J. F. Knapp around.
The graphic art engravings that went into circulars and handouts must of taken a great deal of time and labor.
The book contains reports, report cards, forms, by laws, constitutions, instructions to the teachers and more on all the activities connected to the school. Many poems (of which Phoebe's friend Fanny Crosby composed a bunch) and passages that relate to each group of scholars of which there were 75 with names like "Little Twigs" and "Friends of the Heathen" all broken down by ages and sex. Also included are stories of past social activities like this very timely one in December of 1868 when J. F. Knapp was rendered nearly speechless and Phoebe too was greatly surprised by.
A MAN OF FEW WORDS WHO IS AT A LOSS FOR THEM TO BOOT.....
Sounds like a splendid time was had by all ,,,,, With all said we had a great party at the Mastic Beach Sunday School too, some 82 years later in 1950. If it wasn't, I would of not remembered so much about it. Like my big brother getting a new gray Studebaker from Santa and my hearing for the first time , this song
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So now I have a second personal piece of Knapp property to add into my tidy and growing collection of Knapp memoribilia..... but what does it all mean? You got me, but I can't help seeing the circular reasons that seem to make some sense of all this adventure. Like the one that seems to connect (at least in my mind) the last inhabitants of the Knapp mansion in Mastic Beach . That would be St. Judes who held many secular activities in the ballroom there like Prof, Pesce's concerts and recitals .......with the last inhabitants of the Knapp Mansion in Brooklyn which would be Izzy Nusdorf's Jewish Catering Hall that held many a Bar Mitzvah and wedding in Phoebe's Music Room where 19th century opera greats like Emma Thursby probably sang Phoebe's Blessed Assurance or Open The Gates Of The Temple a time or two.
All I know is the internet has helped bring the world a little bit closer together and I hope it continues to do so. Who knows what's next ... Finding the original Storm King afloat? finding where Sylvia is buried ? My guess is France .... Or finding Shirley Murdock _____ (Dodi's step daughter )....or someone else who really knew the Knapps from Claire and Dodi on back to J. P. and Margaret or some new writings about Joseph and Phoebe...Perhaps something easier and more modern like someone from St. Judes who will come forth with a photo or two, that I know existed of the activities and concerts they used to host in the Mastic Beach Knapp Ballroom in 1950-52 . Someone say from the Rosary Society, the Girl Scouts, or Prof. Nicola Pesce's family or students ...... who knows what might be next ?... Knapps are like a box of chocolates .... It could even be the year that Gary finds that key to the front door.
