We Hammockites love our moviesムso much so that we wrap up our Monday morning staff meetings with reviews of flicks we watched over the weekend. Thatユs why we had fun in the March/April issue of American Spirit, the magazine we publish for the Daughters of the American Revolution, spotlighting a piece of the cinema making a comeback in communities across the countryムthe historic movie theater, one of the National Trust for Historic Preservationユs most endangered places. Our cover story details the saga of the grand, glittering movie palaces and chic neighborhood theaters of the early 20th century and the efforts to transform them into the cultural gems they once were.
With warmer weather on its way, we also delve into the roots of a tasty springtime ritual: tapping maples for sap to be boiled into syrup. Our story takes readers through the centuries-old maple-sugaring processムfrom harvesting the sap to converting it into the mouth-watering confection that sweetens your stack of Saturday morning pancakes.
American Spirit tells stories you wonユt find in most history books. This is particularly true of our メRevolutionary Martyrsモ feature, a dramatic tale about British prison ships docked near present-day Brooklyn, N.Y., where thousands of Patriots died during the Revolution. By preserving a monument honoring these forgotten martyrs, groups like the DAR hope to make their sacrifice known to all Americans.
Those of us at Hammock who attempt to give up sweets for Lent usually cave once the Girl Scout cookie orders come in. Early Americans faced the same temptationsムwithout as many opportunities to cheat, as our Colonial junk food feature illustrates. Our peek into a Colonial cupboard reveals favorite indulgences of sweet-tooth lovers today, including French fries, doughnuts and ice cream.