WHEN FAILLACE BROTHERS BROKE GROUND
FOR THE NEW VILLAGE HALL
by L. F. Van Zelm
Published in the Larchmonter-Times, 1922
By Ned Benton
During 1922, the Larchmonter-Times published a series of cartoons by L. F. Van Zelm. The cartoons featured local merchants, advertising their stores, and lampooning local residents. Larchmonters today may recognize the names of relatives. The first cartoon focused on Larchmont's new Village Hall, for which construction had just begun. The problem, as subsequent generations of Larchmont Trustees have come to understand all too well, is that the site selected for Village Hall is an outcropping of rock. This makes for a solid foundation, but construction frequently begins with a bang!
Behind Jim Mullins, you can see what may be Chief Towle, the Fire Chief, with a Captain in the car with him. The blast affected some other people involved in the construction project. Has Van Zelm cast the residents of Larchmont as both the construction workers and the local residents? For example, in the next detail, three construction workers respond to the blast in "Three Stooges" fashion. Does anyone know John Hanan, Mr. Cruikshank, and John Peterson?
Horses pulling a cart of lumber are surprised, and begin to run.
In another scene, local pets get into the dynamite, Bill Collins, one of the original "Collins Brothers" doesn't look too pleased by the blast.
In an adjacent scene, Ed Diamond gets a head full of dishwater.
Louis Miller tries to retrieve Clyde Kay from a pile of lumber.
At Robinson's Hardware, there is more construction chaos, as Bill Carey and a local dog contemplate what to do about his bleeding finger.
To see the entire cartoon at once, click below:
WHEN FAILLACE BROTHERS BROKE GROUND
FOR THE NEW VILLAGE HALL
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