Annie Leong (China): Interviews on April 15 and 16, 1990, released signed, April 16, 1990 (2 tapes). Leong was born in St. Louis’s Chinatown, lived there until 1966, when it was demolished to build Busch stadium. She describes youth, school, The Asia Restaurant owned by her family, growth of Chinese community, church, customs, religion, American and Chinese holidays and the blending of cultures. Tape Information Sheet only.

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The Missouri Historical Society initiated an oral history project in conjunction with a photograph exhibition entitled, Golden Gateway: Asian Americans in St Louis. The exhibition opened on 31 May 1990 and closed on 3 September 1990. It utilized photographs borrowed from those individuals interviewed for the project along with photographs from the Society’s own collections. It focused on six nations: China, Japan, Korea, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Vida “Sister” Prince volunteered her time to interview 32 people during 23 interviews for the project. Katharine Corbett, a Missouri Historical Society employee, joined Prince during the John and Nikki Hara interview.

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

The collection is arranged alphabetically by topic and personal names. It dates from 1979 to 1995, however, the interviews took place from March to June 1990. The collection consists primarily of a single Tape Information Sheet completed by Vida Sister Prince following each interview. There are transcripts for four of the 23 interviews conducted for the project. There are five additional items in the collection: exhibition labels, a brief biography of Sherwin Liou (March 1979), Paul Maruyama's obituary (1995), Joseph Tanaks' obituary (1991), and a letter to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editor written by Takuri Tei (1990).
The four transcripts in the collection reveal details of interviews with Japanese Americans, three of whom were relocated from the west coast and interred during World War II (John Hara, Paul Maruyama, and Sam M. Nakano). They explained their war time experiences and how they came to St. Louis after the war. Joseph Tanaka was the only Japanese American interviewed who was born in St. Louis. He served with the 442nd Combat Team, a unit comprised entirely of Japanese Americans.

See the finding aid: mohistory.org/collections/item/A3073

M3355 - Interview with Annie Leong PART ONE, Vida "Sister" Prince Oral History Collection

Jack Yarbrough and Mike Bay (Oral History #1125)

As you step into the “Chamber of Treasures”, a collection of framed images is displayed on left hand wall.  At the bottom in the centre above the red-painted dado rail is a black and white photograph showing a hearthside in Barnsley.  

 

The label tells us this photo was taken in the early 20th century. A dog, a cat and a kitten are curled up on a rag rug in front of a range, in a room that contains a table, a bed and, in the corner to the right of the stove, a wooden rocking chair.  

 

The chair is draped with a tartan rug and bits of paperwork lie on the seat. Built into the fireplace is the leaded range. It has an oven on each side connected by a fire basket - an open grate - in the middle. A brass fireguard sits in front of the grate, and the coals are glowing faintly. A sooty kettle perches on the smaller oven to the left and a tea pot warms on the taller oven to the right.  

 

Raised letters on this oven spell out the words Queen’s Foundry and the oven door has an ornate wrought-iron latch. Between the fireguard and the animals is a long low metal box containing fire irons – a pair of tongs and a couple of pokers. To the left of this box is a wooden stool with a fake-fur cushion on top. But it’s the animals that occupy prime position, curled up and snoozing gently in front of the hearth.

A Barnsley Hearthside with pets

Set within an area called the “Chamber of Treasures” and standing proud on the top shelf of a glass-fronted display case 1.5 metres tall, is a pair of fabulous knee-high platform boots from 2020.  

 

They’re made of a wet-look material in the colours of the American flag. The toes of the boots are red, as are their 10cm heels and the platforms which are about 2.5cms high. A band of white, called the vamp, joins the toes to the boot uppers which are blue & emblazoned with white stars. 

 

The boots fasten up the front with white laces. The long laces are criss-crossed, knotted at the top and dangle halfway down the boots which can also be opened or closed by a blue zip, concealed up the inside. The white vamp of the boot on the right is scuffed.  

 

The label tells us that Mikki Kenworthy wore these boots to celebrate the first Barnsley Pride event since the coronavirus pandemic. Mikki is a local treasure, founding Trans Barnsley to support the local transgender and non-binary community.

Stars and stripes knee high boots

This is a silver sweetheart brooch and buckle that dates from the 19th century. It’s displayed within an area called the “Chamber of Treasures” in the left-hand side of a glass-fronted display case, on the third shelf up.  

 Two hearts have been pressed out leaving the underside of each one with a raised rim all the way round. The edge of the rim is decorated with tiny balls. The hearts are joined at their widest point by a smaller, solid heart, and a flat row of irregular angled shapes links the points of the larger hearts at the bottom.  

The brooch can be fastened by a simple pin that hinges open on the right-hand side. The larger hearts are hallmarked and the label that tells us the brooch is inscribed with the Hebrew word ‘mizpah’ meaning 'watchtower' to express a powerful bond of protective love. It belonged to Susannah Hartley who was married to the carpenter James Senior of Wentworth Castle.

Silver ‘Sweetheart’ Brooch and Buckle

On the bottom shelf of a glass-fronted display case, that’s set within an area marked “Chamber of Treasures”, sits a collection of vintage Christmas lights and hand painted decorations. Amongst them is this colourful Christmas scene.  

 

Printed on thin card 32cm square, it’s an advent calendar dating from the 1970s or 80s. It shows 6 little angels outside a stable in a snowy night-time garden. The angels have bobbed blonde hair, blue eyes, red cupid’s bow lips and little tiny wings. They wear full-length dresses, or romper suits in bright colours, pink, yellow or green. The front wall of the stable and part of its snow-covered roof have been cut away to reveal the Christ child, sitting on a red blanket spread over a straw-stuffed wooden bed frame. The doll-like Christ wears a white robe and his blonde bob is surrounded by a yellow halo. A bluebird perches on the end of the bed and a lamb, a donkey and a cow push forwards to look at him. A red squirrel and a cat paw at the foot of the bed. Another squirrel peers down from the roof.  

 

Angels either side of this rooftop squirrel, one in pink and one in yellow, play a violin and a recorder. The violinist is bathed in the light of a bright yellow multi-pointed star in the top centre of the image in a midnight blue sky sparkling with little stars. The recorder-player sits in the upper branches of a tree that leans over the stable, close to a couple of little birds with their beaks open. At the base of this leafless, snow-dusted tree kneels an angel in a yellow romper suit who’s feeding a little faun. There are more woodland creatures in the garden - a rabbit and two bigger deer wait between small, snow-drenched fir trees. Two taller angels, holding candles, have their backs to a wishing well. A couple more bluebirds perch on the well’s snowy roof. A cat peers around its circular stone base. An owl and a robin sit in a tree bending over it from the right.  The well backs onto a green picket fence which divides the garden from a wintry forest in the background. The seventh angel leans over the fence between the well and the stable. The number 23 is prominent on one of the struts of the fence. Other numbers, dotted around the scene, identify rectangles in the calendar that can be opened. A few have been opened already revealing little Christmassy pictures – baubles on a tree, a woman on a donkey. What little surprises hide behind the remaining numbers? They will be opened each day in anticipation of Christmas. The label tells us this calendar was made in Germany, where the tradition originated.

Advent Calendar

Recorded in 2004, Brian speaks with Ernest Kaye about his lifetime down the mines, including his striking memories

#Strike40 Brian Elliott in conversation with Ernest Kaye about his mining memories

STL's confluence for historical perspectives and contemporary issues. Free to the public. Every day.

M3355 - Interview with Annie Leong PART ONE, Vida "Sister" Prince Oral History Collection

Missouri Historical Society

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