Reading Smut in 14K

Hadn’t intended to move onto my great grandfather, but since I mentioned him in passing a few days back, it seemed appropriate. Benjamin Strong (1872 -1926) had a successful life but not a happy one. He married Margaret LeBoutillier (1874-1903) but unfortunately after 4 children, she died when my grandmother was an infant. His second marriage did not end well either, though not through suicide thankfully.

History knows him as having started the Federal Reserve after WWI and there is a portrait of him hanging in the board room of the NY Fed (at least there was when I visited ages ago). So here is a photo of the portrait at the NY Fed:

I have a ridiculous amount of old family papers, photographs, books, and heirlooms handed down from my father’s mother and father. By default, I became the keeper of the family history, and oddly it was my mom who shared much of the family lore. Oddly because Mom’s history is much more limited – orphan German immigrants which was wildly different from the Mayflower era Puritan family she married into.

 For now, I’ll leave you with a photo of Ben’s 14k reading glasses…because, duh, we all need 14k glasses! Funny enough I’m now at the age where these darn glasses work just perfectly for my reading. Maybe I can add some class to my smutty reading? (My dear friend insists I inform you that I enjoy silly bodice ripping trash and NOT porn! But hey, either way I suspect Ben would be rather befuddled)