#bruce foster

[uwmspeccoll]

Christmas Around the World

In celebration of the holiday this week, we present Christmas Around the World: A Pop-Up Book by artist Chuck Fischer, with paper engineering by Bruce Foster and text by Anne Newgarden. The book was published by Little, Brown and Company in 2007. 

The text illuminates unique Christmas traditions, gift legacies, and portraits of mythic figures, such as England's Father Christmas and Italy's Le Befana as well as traditions from France, Germany, Russia, Latin America, Scandinavia, and the United States. Each page spread is filled with delights, including a central pop-up image, removable booklets, pullouts, mini pop-ups, and more! If you like the images above, be sure to check out this short video created by the artist, along with a brass band soundtrack of “Joy to the World,” which definitely captures the holiday magic and book artistry much better than our pictures!

For those of you celebrating today, we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

-- Katie, Special Collections Graduate Student Intern

Within our pop-up book collection, we hold 2 dozen with Christmas themes and another couple dozen with themes related to winter and snow...so, If you’re looking for something fun and unconventional to do over your holiday break, stop by the UWM Special Collections Department this week—we’re open on Thursday, December 26th and Friday, December 27th from 10 am until 5 pm! As always, we’re open to the public so feel free to bring your holidays guests along, too!!

[uwmspeccoll]

Spotlight: Weihnachtsmann vs Krampus

According to our pop-up book Christmas Around the World, Protestant reformers in the 16th century attacked what they saw as a cult of saints in German religious tradition. The result was a decline in the prominence of Saint Nicholas as the traditional bringer of gifts. In his stead, two more forms of gift-giving figures popped up: the Christkindl and the Weihnachtsmann. While the Christkindl is an angelic or sprite-like child figure, the Weihnachtsmann remained closer in image to Saint Nicholas as an older man in a long robe. 

In the contrasting image above, which is activated by a pull-tab, we see  Weihnachtsmann transform into Krampus. Who is Krampus? Krampus is a dark servant of Saint Nicholas, whose job it is to dole out punishment to naughty children. In Germanic folklore, Saint Nicholas not only had Krampus but an entire host of these menacing helpers. Though the Catholic Church condemned the inclusion of these demon-like figures in Christmas celebrations, their popularity persisted. In fact, many towns in alpine Europe still celebrate Krampus Day (December 5th)!

Our copy of Christmas Around the World is a first edition published in New York by Little, Brown in 2007, with illustrations by Chuck Fischer and paper engineering by Bruce Foster.

-- Katie, Special Collections Graduate Intern

[alexmelomane]

Music Diary - 5th February

Music Diary – 5th February

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 5th February!

Duff McKagan

Happy birthday to Mr. Michael Andrew “Duff” McKagan, who was born on the 5th February 1964 in Seattle, USA!

Duff was taught playing the bass by his older brother Bruce and during his teenager years, he was in several bands on various intstruments. In 1979, Duff McKagan formed the Punk group The Vains and one year later, the…

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[alexmelomane]

Music Diary - 19th November

Music Diary – 19th November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 19th November!

Happy birthday to drummer Matt Sorum, who was born on the 19th Novermber 1960 in Mission Viejo, California! Sorum is well known as the drummer of Guns N’ Roses, with whom he recorded three studio albums. Before joining the Hardrock legends he worked with The Cult and Y Kant Tori Read (a project fronted by Tori Amos).

In 1990 Slashwas…

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[alexmelomane]

Music Diary - 7th November

Music Diary – 7th November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 7th November!

On the 7th November 1991, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin announced his leaving from Guns N’ Roses. The founding member of the American Hardrock band was replaced by Gilby Clarke, who filled in for the “Use Your Illusion“-worldtour.

Izzy Stradlin, his real name is Jeffrey Dean Isbell, justified his quitting of a combination of Axl Rose‘s…

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[alexmelomane]

Music Diary - 31st October

Music Diary – 31st October

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 31st October!

On 31st October 1996, guitarist Slash announced that he has left the Hardrock band Guns N’ Roses.

In his book “Slash” (2007) he remebers his historic decision: “After working to make that band all that it could be for the better part of my life, saying good-bye to the institution helped build was as alien as being launched into space. But…

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[richiesamboranews]

Richie’s friend and former Shark Frenzy bandmate Bruce Foster talks about Richie leaving Bon Jovi and the anniversary of Kiss.

The part about Richie starts at about 21 min...

[richiesamboranews]

Richie Sambora merged with my life and career in an East Brunswick, New Jersey nightclub in late 1978. I was there with my trio which was Tom Marolda on bass and on drums was Steve Mosley. Then a miracle happened... Tom got food poisoning and could not come back to perform after our break. I jokingly addressed the audience: "Is there a bass player in the house? Mine is busy retching in the parking lot..." Admidst the laughter, an 18 year old Richie Sambora, sitting close to the stage, said: "I'm a guitar player... I've never even HELD a bass, but I'll give it a try..." There was something immediately likeable about him so I handed him Tom's bass. We played five or six songs and Richie was dreadful on bass, but every time he played a really bad note he looked up and gave the most endearing good natured laugh. When we finally gave up and called it a night, Richie said: "Hey, I know I was terrible on bass, but I can really play the guitar. I'd like to come back next week with my guitar and redeem myself." Something made me say an unprecedented "Okay." By the next week, I had totally forgotten about Richie, but he showed up mid way into the evening and took a beautiful Les Paul Custom guitar out of a case. I called Richie up for "a single song" so he knew he had just one shot to make good. I went into "Kansas City", a popular three chord tune that every musician knew. Richie's rhythm playing was good so I told him to take a solo. A small part of rock history was made at that moment when he confidently hit the toggle switch on his guitar to the solo setting. I expected him to hit a barrage of fast meaningless notes or a series of scales he had practiced at home to impress me. Instead, he hit a solitary note. He bent the string from a C up to a D with a sustained and beautiful vibrato that sounded like a fine violin. Before he even played the second note, I leaned into him and said: "You're in the band!" Well, a week later we were a quartet and Richie instantly became a true brother to all of us. I can probably say for the whole band that the next two years of music and camaraderie was the peak of unfettered roaring good times in our entire musical careers.

Bruce Foster talking about meeting Richie for the first time and forming the band Shark Frenzy with him