FeedIt’s Big, Battered, Beaten, Bruised, And Beautiful
July 15, 2010 in Dickie Moore, Henri Richard, Jean Beliveau, Lovely Habs Wives, Maurice Richard, Montreal Canadiens, THE OLD SCRAPBOOK Tags: Dickie Moore, Henri Richard, Jean Beliveau, Maurice Richard, Orillia, THE OLD SCRAPBOOK
My friend Christopher whom I’ve never met but would like to some day, suggested I show pages of my scrapbook from time to time on quiet Habs news days. Just recently I had posted some of the pages but I’ve decided if I’m going to do it right, I should start over and work through it.
My dad and I started the scrapbook together when I was little and he gradually bowed out and let me carry on. It’s old now, many of the pages are loose, and it’s battered and beat up. But it’s my treasure. I used to invite friends from the old neighbourhood over – “hey, you wanna come over and see my scrapbook?” And they would and then we’d play road hockey and pose like the players we had just seen in the book.
Over the next few months I’ll post various pages from this old book. I hope you enjoy it as much as the neighbourhood kids did.
A Christmas card Maurice Richard sent me when I was seven sits on the inside cover at the beginning.
Inside the Christmas card
The action photo at the top shows the Rocket just seconds before his Achilles tendon was sliced, which kept him out for months. And on the right, a nice family photo of the Richard clan. Also on this page, Rocket shows sons Normand and Andre his massive scrapbook.
- An autographed picture sent to me from the Rocket, plus some ticket stubs and a photo of Rocket looking at his goals tally are part of this page.
Henri and Lise Richard do the dishes. And the gang has a team meal.
Rocket teaches his kids the finer points of hockey, which made me envious, and a sexy photo of a figure skater adorns his wall.
On the bottom right, an injured Jean Beliveau in street clothes sits and talks with Dickie Moore.
July 15th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
Most definitely very beautiful pictures. I’m feeling a bit guilty since any handling of such a precious book diminishes its value to private collectors. Then again, such an exquisite treasure needs to be appreciated by all your Internet friends now just as it needed to be shared with your neighbourhood friends years ago.
Dennis whenever you’re in Ottawa again, visiting friends, family, advising parliament, send me a note and we can go have a beer. A road trip to a Habs game would also be a good plan.
July 16th, 2010 at 8:54 am
Christopher, would I ever love to do something like that – beer and/or road trip. Maybe we can get Danno and a few others to join us!
July 16th, 2010 at 11:13 am
Dennis, sharing your wonderful scrapbook with your internet friends is fantastic. You should be very proud of this this book. Christmas card from The Rocket when you were 7, wow!
July 17th, 2010 at 7:30 am
Your card from the Rocket was sponsored by Dow Breweries.
Remember the old commercial with that line, “Wouldn’t a Dow go good now?”
Priceless memories Dennis. Thanks for sharing.
July 17th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Danno, I do remember the “wouldn’t a Dow go good now!” Can you still buy Dow?
August 24th, 2011 at 9:09 am
I’m going to check all of the parts out, but right off the bat I just love that cover. Was it self-made or did you get it that way? I think this thing is a beauty. It’s a treasure.
August 24th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
Darth, about the scrapbbok cover. My dad was a sign painter and he painted it free-hand.