Cursed Hopes

As tough times persist, several dangers lie ahead for dreams, fortunes, and more importantly life itself.

May – August 1933, many struggle as Prohibition and the Great Depression continues. Evalyn Walsh McLean attempts to sell the Hope Diamond and buy back the Washington Post. Doris Duke and other heiresses are under threat of kidnapping in Newport. Cobina Wright’s new attempt to rebuild her fortune comes with some shady business connections and other troubles.

Other people and subjects include: Barbara Hutton, Nanaline Duke, William May Wright aka “Bill,” Lil’ Cobina Wright, Jr., James HR Cromwell aka “Jimmy,” James “Henry” Van Alen aka Jimmy, Jenny Renaud, Edward McLean, Countess Gladys Vanderbilt Szechenyi, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, Alice-Leon Moats, No Nice Girl Swears etiquette book, armed bodyguards, armed limousine, Lindbergh baby kidnapping, crime of the century, gold certificates, fraud, hoax, ransom, press, Gaston Means, John F. Condon, Cemetery John, J.J. Faulkner, Florence Nightingale Graham – Mrs. Thomas J. Lewis – Elizabeth Arden, cosmetics pioneer, operation, recovery, Primo Carnera, Jack Sharkey, John Factor, General Pershing, Admiral Cone, Bernard "Barney" Baruch, Jay “Rye” Ryland, Sam Rosoff, Mr. Dimples, amorous English gentlemen, Prince Kadhar, Alice Roosevelt Longfellow, Kermit Roosevelt, President Theodore Roosevelt, President Franklin Roosevelt, Eugene Meyer, William Randolph Hearst, Marion Davies, Rosemary “Rose” Douras Davies, Emily Post, Mahatma Gandhi, Tammany Hall, Hope Diamond, Kohinoor, Star of India, souvenirs, replicas, cursed gem, unlucky charm, bad luck, bankruptcy, pawn, 1933 booklet, multi-level exhibition, diamond mine, huts, shacks, Amsterdam diamond cutters, gold mining, Prohibition, repeals, beer, tax evasion, prison sentence, the Great Depression, monkeys, baboons, cruise lines, ocean liner Leviathan – SS Vaterland, Waldorf-Astoria hotels, Brearley, Fermata, convent in Rome, Rough Point, Maine Chance Farms, Madison Square Gardens, Yankee Stadium, Roosevelt hospital, Chicago’s World Fair, “A Century of Progress” exhibition, Newport, New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, the Rockies, Saratoga, horse races, Cobina Wright’s autobiography I Never Grew Up, Max Baer, Max Schmeling, Murray Humphreys, Chicago underworld, FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation, tapped phone conversations, Al Capone, prison baseball team, prison riot, jail time, making connections, World War I, World War II, refurbishment, scrap, Mahatma Gandhi hunger strike, Jewish writers, concentration camps, struggles, tv series, fashion designers, Hulu’s Becoming Karl Lagerfeld, Netflix’s Halston, Apple TV’s The New Look, Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, Yves St. Laurent, Pierre Balmain, Thierry Mugler, Cristobal Balenciaga, Jean Patou, artistic and creative endeavors, rejection, setbacks, prey, predator, hedonism, chaos, multiple issues at once, Chris Williamson, Modern Wisdom podcast, Jimmy Carr, jealousy quote, blocks, happiness…

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Extra Notes / Call to Action:
New York Adventure Club www.nyadventureclub.com

Friday, November 1st, 2024 5:30pm EST / 2:30pm PST – Waldorf Astoria Hotel Part 1: A New Standard of Luxury (pre-1929), Come learn more about the Astor family dispute behind the famous hotel and its construction as well as the hotel’s influence on luxury travel and fine dining. Connections to the Titanic as well as other events and famous people will also be explored. But all good things come to and end.
https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/the-waldorf-astoria-hotel-part-1-a-new-standard-of-luxury-webinar-registration-1021721385167/

Friday, November 8th, 2024 5:30pm EST / 2:30pm PST – Waldorf Astoria Hotel New York Part 2: Manhattan’s Grandest Hotel (1931-present), The second version of this fine luxury hotel comes during the dawn of new era which will bring new challenges and excitement. A lingering Astor family connection adds to the saga until a new family the Hilton dynasty rises and takes over. More celebrities and events will add to allure of this hotel. Finally, updates reveal the recent renovations, an auction, and the future for the third incarnation.
https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/the-waldorf-astoria-hotel-part-2-manhattans-grandest-hotel-webinar-registration-1021721475437/

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Archival Music provided by Past Perfect Vintage Music, www.pastperfect.com.
Opening Music: My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands
Section 1 Music: Lost In A Fog by