AE Vol.3 Issue 9- Preview

What Drives Tim Tebow?

Don’t tell Tim Tebow to slow down. After years on the athletic field, he’s on a new and urgent mission: helping the world’s most vulnerable people

‘‘ The only true test of values, either of men or of things, is that of their ability to make the world a better place in which to live.’’

—HENRY FORD

A spacecraft takes off at the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Fla.

Contents

26 | A Life of Theater

Actor David Bean, from the iconic “West Side Story,” offers wisdom from a colorful life on and off stage.

32 | Turn Up the Volume

How a humble company in Springfield, Missouri, found itself at the center of the audio cassette tape comeback.

36 | Cotton’s Gold Standard

Why America’s pima cotton is the world’s most premium cotton.

42 | Reviving Made-in-America

Our country’s latest manufacturing boom, at a glance.

44 | Proudly Made in USA

Looking for 100 percent Americanmade products? Here’s a directory to get you started.

46 | Radiating Joy

Former sportscaster Rachel Baribeau, who overcame her darkest moments, shares how anyone can do the same.

History

50 | A Key to American Education

The first public library proposed by Benjamin Franklin was instrumental in improving the intellectual lives of many Americans.

54 | Helping Wounded Soldiers

Crippled from the Civil War, veteran James Hanger designed a prosthetic leg that gave injured veterans their livelihoods back.

58 | Welch’s Grape Juice

Dr. Thomas Welch founded a non-alcoholic wine substitute before America’s Prohibition that has since become an American favorite.

62 | The Little Fleet Washington’s victorious attack on Trenton was achievable with Maj. Gen. John Glover and the seamen of Marblehead.

66 | America’s First Photographer

Credited with moving Congress to designate Yellowstone a national park, William Henry Jackson’s astounding photographs earned him national fame.

Lifestyle

74 | All-American Cheese

The most exciting wheels and wedges for a stunning DIY cheeseboard.

76 | Know Your Butcher

Secret recipes and expert tips from storied shops around the country.

82 | A Hemingway Goes Her Own Way

Actress Mariel Hemingway’s mental health journey began with a search within.

86 | Family Strings

Meet the de la Mottes: 10 kids, 9 instruments, 1 family orchestra.

90 | Dresses for a Modern-Day March Sister

Little Women Atelier weaves together sisterhood, slow fashion, and the joys of a simple life.

96 | Parting Thoughts

The founders of popular wellness platform mindbodygreen on following the right health advice that works for you.

Editor’s Note

Dear Readers,

We Americans are great at invention—and reinvention! Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow might be best known for football, but today he keeps plenty busy with entrepreneurial ventures and philanthropic endeavors. Ask him his favorite night, and he’ll tell you it’s his foundation’s Night to Shine, a worldwide prom-style party for people with special needs. It’s a night full of smiles, laughter, and exuberant joy (page 16). In helping society’s most vulnerable, whether it’s survivors of human trafficking or people with serious, long-term medical needs, Mr. Tebow is living out his calling.

Read about actress Mariel Hemingway, granddaughter of the famous author, who made her own path grounded in gratitude and intention despite growing up in a family that struggled with mental health crises (page 82).

Here’s someone else who knows about reinvention: David Bean. He’s a man who’s had about a million careers, but boy, does he have fun stories about his days playing a Jet in the original “West Side Story.” Read about his adventures on page 26.

Our history section highlights inventive spirits whose legacy thrives today: Benjamin Franklin and his library experiment (page 50), the Welch family and their grape juice (page 58), and Civil War veteran James Hanger and his prosthetic limb (page 54)

We also take a bird’s-eye view of American boom towns where manufacturing is making a comeback (page 42). It’s accompanied by a shopping directory, featuring everyday items that are 100 percent made in America (page 44).

Happy reading!

Suit Your Fancy

WRITTEN BY Sandy Lindsey

From the understated Humphrey Bogart to the dashing Clark Gable, Old Hollywood’s leading men understood the debonair appeal of the three-piece suit. The look is timeless, with rules that can be tweaked depending on the situation.

Dressed to Impress

Nothing says, “I mean business” like a three-piece suit. Perfect for formal occasions, such as weddings and important business meetings, it works for any time a man wants to look his best. It can be dressed up for heading out on the town, from more formal blacks and dark blues all the way up to tuxedo level; or made more casual with a non-matching

suit vest, jacket (consider a sports blazer!), or trousers. But always keep things fitted, never baggy.

It Starts With the Fit

If you can’t get a custom-made suit, find a good tailor to assure properly flat-lying lapels and shoulders, the correct sleeve length on the jacket (shirt cuffs slightly showing), a handsome trouser break (cuffs just resting on the top of the shoe), and so on. The suit vest—worn buttoned-up except for the bottom button— should be slim-fitting, without pulling, and long enough to just cover the waist, with no dress shirt peeking through. Opt for high-quality fabrics—tweed, linen, and even gabardine, because these materials move with the body, instead of against it.

Color Coded

The jacket, pants, and vest should match for formal events, even “daytime formal.” Darker colors are more elegant, while lighter colors are more relaxed. Contrasting shades within a color family, such as a charcoal suit with a gray vest, can add a subtle yet dignified pop.

Finish With Flair

Cuff links add another level of elegance. An interesting necktie with a coordinating pocket square adds a splash of personality. Keep the shirts to neutral colors—white or pale blue—with black oxfords or loafers to finish the ensemble. While there were no cell phones in his day, we know that Clark Gable would never have allowed the lines of his suit to be ruined by a mobile phone bulge. •

LEFT Humphrey Bogart in “The Maltese Falcon,” 1941.

The Art of Mingling

WRITTEN BY Annie Holmquist

Whether it’s a high school reunion, a networking event, or a family wedding, mingling with others we don’t know well is an art. To put both yourself and others at ease, Michigan-based etiquette instructor Bethany Friske advises us to practice kindness in the following ways.

Tactful Topics

Gracious conversation keeps some topics off-limits, including health issues and food. Unless others ask specifically, don’t talk about your diet or how much something costs, as this can make others feel guilty. Do, however, inform the hostess about dietary restrictions.

Your Belly or Your Manners

Friske suggests eating a bit before attending a mingling event. Doing so enables you to “take small bites,” thus avoiding awkward and embarrassing moments for both you and your conversation partners.

Eyes and Ears Wide Open

Pre-Event Prep

To avoid awkward silences, research some current national or local events beforehand to bring into your conversations. Friske also suggests having several get-toknow-you questions in your back pocket. Doing so helps you “focus on the other person and less on yourself.”

Tennis Talk

When mingling, view conversations as a tennis match. “You don’t want to hog the ball,” but you also don’t want to “give a one-word response,” Friske says. Carrying your conversation weight and asking follow-up questions will put your conversation partner at ease.

A hallmark of an expert conversationalist is good listening. But Friske advises keeping eyes open as well as ears, especially when considering joining a conversation in progress. Look for body language that signals a private conversation, and avoid barging in.

Consider the Host

A good guest makes sure to connect with the host sometime during the event. “Verbally signing in, signing out” will make you stand out, Friske says, while also helping the host remember your appreciation after the whirl of the event •

American Essence

FOR EVERYONE WHO LOVES THIS COUNTRY

PUBLISHER

Dana Cheng

EDITORIAL

Editor-In-Chief

Managing Editor

Lifestyle Editor

History & Literature Editor

Arts Editor

Editor-At-Large

Production Manager

Channaly Philipp

Annie Wu

Crystal Shi

Sharon Kilarski

Jennifer Schneider

Tynan Beatty

Astrid Wang

CREATIVE

Lead Designer

Photo Editor & Designer

Photographer

Illustrator

Sunny Lo

Tatsiana Moon

Samira Bouaou

Biba Kayewich

MARKETING & SALES

Marketing Manager

Marketing Assistant Sales Director Sales Assistant

Brett Chudá

Jennifer Tseng

Ellen Wang

Onon Otgonbayar

CONTRIBUTORS

Sandy Lindsey, Annie Holmquist, David Coulson, Patricia Dobbs Carman, Darrell Woodall, Kenneth LaFave, Catherine Yang, Eric Lucas, Andrew Moran, Andria Pressel, Hazel Atkins, Rachel Pfeiffer, Bob Kirchman, Dean George, Sally Humphries, Andrew Benson Brown, Kevin Revolinski

American Essence (USPS 24810) is published monthly by Bright Magazine Group at 5 Penn Plz. Fl.8, New York, NY 10001.

Periodicals postage is paid at New York, NY.

Postmaster: Send address changes to American Essence, 5 Penn Plz. Fl.8, New York, NY 10001.

General Inquiries: AmericanEssence.net/help

Advertisement Inquiries: ad@AmericanEssence.com

Submissions: Editor@AmericanEssence.net

www.AmericanEssence.com

Social Calendar

Woolly Wonders

Trailing of the Sheep Festival

Oct. 4–8, Ketchum, Idaho

The sight of 1,500 sheep hoofing it down Main Street—headed south to winter pastures—is the most famous part of this five-day festival celebrating Idaho’s sheep ranching heritage, but there are also folk arts, lamb culinary offerings, a wool festival, music and dancing, and championship Sheepdog Trials to enjoy.

TrailingOfTheSheep.org

Elegant Gastronomy

Newport Mansions

Wine and Food Festival

Sept. 22–24, Newport, R.I.

UP IN THE AIR

Albuquerque International Balloon Festival

Oct. 7–15, Albuquerque, N.M.

Few things are as stunningly beautiful as the sight of 500 colorful balloons from all over the world rising into the sky against the morning light. In the evening, flowers, bumblebees, dinosaurs,

and more compete in the Special Shape Rodeo; past balloons have included a cow jumping over the moon. Walk amongst the balloons as they inflate, and turn your eyes skyward to enjoy precision flying events and the America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race, whose balloons go higher and farther than traditional hot air balloons. BalloonFiesta.com

The Gilded Age mansion Rosecliff sets the scene for a series of intimate, educational tasting experiences featuring artisanal foods and wines. High notes include the Rosecliff Seminar Series, a variety of 50-person wine and spirits seminars; a Friday night Vintner Dinner; and an elegant Sunday brunch. NewportMansions.org

REV UP FALL

Telluride Autumn Classic

Sept. 21–24, Telluride, Colo.

This mountain town comes alive with vintage and exotic cars, high-end restorations,

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motorcycles, aircraft, and much more set against the breathtaking fall foliage of the San Juan Mountains. It’s four days of art, food, VIP events, and row after row of automotive splendor. TellurideAutumnClassic.com

A Star-Studded Food Fest

New York City Wine and Food Festival

Oct. 12–15, New York, N.Y.

New York’s largest food fest boasts everything from walk-around tastings to intimate dinners, cocktail parties, master classes, and the epic Grand Tasting, which stars top Food Network talent. The event supports God’s Love We Deliver, provider of life-sustaining meals for those chronically or seriously ill.

NYCWFF.org

Raise Your Beer Stein

Oktoberfest U.S.A.

Sept. 28–30, La Crosse, Wis.

Brews and bratwurst, carnival rides and contests, and a parade with more than 75 floats, marching bands, and rousing entertainment highlight the longest-running Oktoberfest in the Midwest.

Lovingly nicknamed “Das Beste,” it also names a Festmaster and Frau, a tribute to the original Oktoberfest celebrating the marriage of a Bavarian prince. OktoberfestUSA.com

Culture Shortlist

Portrayals of American War Heroes

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Transferring his one-man stageshow “Beyond Glory” to the screen, Stephen Lang portrays eight Congressional Medal of Honor recipients from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The only supplemental voice heard is of Gary Sinise, briefly reading the recipients’ citations. The most recognizable name might be Adm. James Stockdale (Ross Perot’s first running-mate), who was continually tortured while a prisoner at the Hanoi

from

Los Angeles’s The J. Paul Getty Museum has reunited two surviving sets of vases owned by King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette of France. Each vase of Sèvres porcelain, decorated with scenes of East Asia, represents the highest achievement of the manufactory and was a personal treasure of the royal family before the French Revolution.

Hilton. Others include Pfc. Hector Cafferata Jr., who held back waves of attacking PLA and North Korean troops at Chosin Reservoir, and Chief Petty Officer John William Finn, who manned an anti-aircraft gun throughout the attack on Pearl Harbor. (Rated TV-MA, 1h 18m).

Director: Larry Brand

Starring: Stephen Lang, Gary Sinise (voice)

Released: 2015

Streaming: Prime, Tubi

‘Baseball: An Illustrated History’ Besides photography that conveys the stories of why baseball is deemed America’s favorite pastime, this collection by Geoffrey Ward and Ken Burns is packed with first-hand accounts, poetry, commentary, and more. In fact, due to the broad perspectives that show how baseball has impacted so much of American life, this book will appeal to history and sports buffs alike.

Publisher: Knopf, 1994

Hardcover: 483 pages

1200

Running: Through March 3, 2024

‘A World War Two Secret: Glenn P. Larson and the U-505’ Glenn Larson, a North Dakota farm boy, volunteered for the U.S. Navy in December 1942. He was aboard USS Guadalcanal when it captured the German submarine U-505. Beverly Larson Christensen’s book tells his story. While the capture was remarkable, Larson is noteworthy for representing all those who served in the Navy during World War II.

Publisher: L&R Publishing, LLC, 2022

Paperback: 164 pages

‘Porcelain

Versailles’

The J. Paul Getty Museum

Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, Calif.

Lighting the Way

Post-football, Tim Tebow has found great meaning in brightening the lives of children with special needs

WRITTEN BY Channaly Philipp

For Tim Tebow, “MVP” has a whole different meaning. Far from the limelight of the sports field, the 36-yearold Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback has long set his sights on helping the world’s “Most Vulnerable People.” The Tim Tebow Foundation, founded in 2010, works in 86 countries to transform the lives of orphans, people with special needs or significant medical needs, and those caught in the snare of human traffickers.

His favorite night of the year, Night to Shine, celebrates people with special needs, offering them a prom night experience, and takes place simultaneously around the world—in over 1,000 cities and 56 countries. (Next year, it will be held on February 9, 2024.)

The timing, the Friday before Valentine’s Day, is no accident.

“We wanted this to be a night where every person with special needs ‘Shines,’ and we wanted our love and God’s love for them to shine through,” Tebow said.

American Essence had the chance to ask Tebow about Night to Shine, what drives him in life, and the best advice he’s ever been given.

American Essence: Please tell us about an inspiring moment or person at Night to Shine that will stay with you forever.

Tim Tebow: I could tell you thousands and thousands of stories just from our first Night to Shine! One that really stands out to me is a mom coming up to me and telling me that her daughter will never get married. She will never have kids. But tonight, at Night to Shine, she felt like she was a princess. Another is the first time we ever hosted a Night to Shine, one sweet girl came down the red carpet in a wheelchair with everyone cheering her on. She had so much fun and loved the experience so much that she came back down again, this time walking with assistance! It was such an inspiring moment.

Another impactful moment was when I got to meet an incredible young boy at a Night to Shine in Haiti. Frantzky had the biggest, sweetest smile, and he danced with so many friends and family that night. Unfortunately, not long after that, he got very sick. Hospitals in Haiti had turned him away before due to him having special needs or simply perceiving him as too complicated to care for. At the third hospital he ended up at, he did not receive the level of care he needed and unfortunately passed away. It was such a shocking reality that it’s our job to love people no matter their circumstances, and that it’s up to us to help other people see the God-given worth and value of every life. I have a painting of Frantzky in a room in my house where I watch movies and football games. That room is somewhat of a break where I can relax for a moment or get caught up in sports, but Frantzky’s picture is displayed as you exit the room as an instant reminder to keep the perspective that there is so much more significance in life than just games and movies.

AE: How has the idea of prom—a quintessentially American tradition—translated to the many different countries where Night to Shine is held?

Mr. Tebow: That’s a great question. One of the ways we’ve described Night to Shine is as a worldwide prom for people with special needs. A lot of countries aren’t familiar with the term “prom,” so we also call it a worldwide celebration for people with special needs. Even though other countries might not be familiar with the idea of a prom, walking down a red carpet, or being crowned as kings and queens, what’s really cool is that once they see it in action, they totally get it—regardless of where they are. A lot of that has to do with our awesome Night to Shine team that walks alongside churches every step of the way. It’s also really neat to see different countries and cultures embrace Night to Shine by bringing in traditions and experiences that are culturally relevant to them, too.

AE: You have a great sense of urgency about the causes that your foundation supports. What drives you in life? What gets you up in the morning, ready to take on the world?

Mr. Tebow: I love using the word urgency. I want to be someone that lives with a sense of urgency because we don’t know how many days we have. But, while we have time on this Earth, it’s our only chance to affect eternity. For that reason, we need to be truly focused on what really matters, and that’s God and impacting people. I want to live with a sense of urgency by running hard toward what God is calling me to do because who knows when I’ll lose the chance to? That’s what gets me up every morning.

AE: You and your wife Demi partner on many endeavors. Please tell us what it’s like to work with your spouse, and what you value most about her.

Mr. Tebow: One of the most special things about Demi and I’s relationship is that we get to travel all over the world and serve together. It’s amazing to see her love on survivors of human trafficking, love on babies that have been thrown away, and fight with such fierceness

At Home With TIM TEBOW

1. Favorite routine: I’m on the road consistently, but when I am home, one of my favorite routines is sharing a late-night snack with Demi (and sometimes with our dog Chunk), catching up, and praying together before bed.

2. Favorite way to relax and unwind: Working out. I’ve recently been picking up more golf when I have a little bit of time. And spending time with friends playing games.

3. Favorite film: “Braveheart.”

ABOVE Tebow’s beloved dogs, from left to right: Chunk, Kobe, and Paris.

RIGHT Tebow and his wife, Demi-Leigh, work together closely on the foundation’s charity work.

4. Please describe your three adorable pooches. Chunk loves food, cold floors, and bringing joy to people. Love language is gift-giving.

Paris is sweet, cuddly, and spunky. Love language is quality time. Kobe is playful, bold, and independent. Love language is physical touch (lots of pets from me and Demi!).

for some of the world’s most vulnerable people. As I’m answering these questions right now, she’s getting ready to launch her Tim Tebow Foundation birthday campaign, which will directly impact children and families in her home country of South Africa, specifically babies that have been abandoned because their parents don’t have the means or resources to care for them. Something else I really value about Demi is her drive and competitiveness. She was Miss Universe 2017, she’s an entrepreneur, a motivational speaker—all of that amazes me about her, but it’s not nearly as special as watching her heart for others in action.

AE: Considering the intense fame that you have experienced, how have you overcome any struggles that have come with the scrutiny, and how do you think that experience has served you in your life?

Mr. Tebow: Growing up, I was definitely a people pleaser and wanted people to like me. When I started playing sports and getting recognized by the public and the media, of course there were people who didn’t like me. I struggled with that at first, and I remember telling my dad, “Dad, if people just got to know me, I think they would like me!” And I remember him telling me, “Timmy, you’re

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right. But some people aren’t going to want to get to know you or like you.” That was a harsh reality to make terms with, but he was right. To this day, whenever I face scrutiny, I reflect on a quote from Winston Churchill that says, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” I’ve come to realize that I’d rather be respected than liked. And I think that’s a good lesson for other young people to remember as they go through life, too. You can get a lot of “likes” on social media, but being respected by people— even if they aren’t your biggest fan—means so much more.

AE: What life advice do you have for young people who may be reading this?

Mr. Tebow: My advice for young people reading this is to really believe that God loves you, to really believe that what He did on the cross counted for you, and to really believe that He has a plan and purpose for your life. Because when you believe all of that, you’re going to know that every day is created by God on purpose for a purpose. And when you live that way, not just taking in life as happenstance, but actually believing that this is the day the Lord has made for you, you’ll begin to see life and yourself a whole lot differently.

ABOVE “Night to Shine,” Tebow’s annual prom event for children with special needs, is held in over 1,000 cities in 56 countries.

When You’re a Jet

David Bean, who played a Jet in the original ‘West Side Story,’ shares his life lessons and adventures

WRITTEN BY Kenneth LaFave

David Bean has been a teenage gangster, a lost boy, a farmer, and an author—the first two on stage and screen, the latter two in real life. Real life and the actor’s life flow together in his 2021 memoir, the subtitle of which is apt: “The Story of a Dancer’s Extraordinary, Ordinary Life.”

The title of his book, “When You’re a Jet,” gives away the gangster identity. Bean played Tiger, one of the Jets in the 1961 film of “West Side Story,” as well as other Jet roles in the London and British touring productions of the celebrated musical. As his biggest claim to fame, the movie role occupies the biggest chunk of the book. In an interview, Bean explained why he believes “West Side Story” was one of the most important musicals of the 20th century: “The genius of the men who created ‘West Side Story’ will never be equaled. The passion of Leonard Bernstein’s music, the passion that [choreographer] Jerry Robbins instilled in each of us to tell the story in dance, and the lyrics of Stephen Sondheim that were real and effortless to perform.”

Bean spoke from his home in Clifton Corners in upstate New York, where, at 83, he lives the placid life of a farmer, doubling as an assistant at his daughter’s place of business, the Jeanie Bean & Family Deli & Café. After the 1970’s and leaving show business, Bean and his wife explored a number of post-dance

businesses, including real estate sales, art restoration, construction, picture framing, and, most prominently, farming and the restaurant business.

It’s an amazing contrast to the visceral, dynamic, peripatetic life of a Broadway and Hollywood dancer-actor that he led in his younger years. In those halcyon days, he met and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, and Richard Nixon. Today, he supervises the frozen food selections at his daughter’s deli. The ordinary indeed meets the extraordinary in the life of David Bean.

Starting Out

“When You’re a Jet” is a time capsule of what it was like to work as a dancer in theater and film during the 1950s and ’60s. Bean entered that world as a 14-year-old when he won an audition to play one of the “Lost Boys” in the 1954 Broadway musical adaptation of “Peter Pan.” Its star was Broadway legend Mary Martin, but it was two men associated with “Peter Pan” who became important figures in Bean’s life. One was the choreographer Jerome “Jerry” Robbins, the other was actor Cyril Ritchard.

Robbins was one of the most important dance creators in Broadway history. As of 1954, his biggest credit was the choreography for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “The King

PHOTOGRAPHED BY Samira Bouaou

David Bean at his home in Clinton Corners, N.Y.

and I.” He had also choreographed ballets, including “Fancy Free,” to music by Leonard Bernstein. With “Peter Pan,” he entered the challenging arena of creating dances for characters who flew and whose numbers included seven young teenage boys. Bean came to admire Robbins as an exemplar of what he calls “the 180 rule”—an attitude that demands 180 percent from oneself. Bean explains in the book: “As a young boy, whenever Dad would offer me an important job, I would eagerly accept. … Before he would tell me what the job was, Dad would typically remind me, ‘Now this job is really important, and I know you’ll give me 100 percent.’”

Bean offered to give 125 percent, and his dad, nicknamed “Beanie,” would come back with 150 percent. Bean came back with “I’ll give you 180 percent!” and the number stuck. The “180 percent rule” became a lifelong motto for the younger Bean. “To this day, my wife Jean and I credit our ‘extraordinary, ordinary life’ in good measure to living out the 180 percent rule.”

Robbins demanded the same extreme dedication from his dancers. The choreographer was known throughout his life as a difficult taskmaster who could, when the occasion called for it, grow red with anger at incompetent performers. Bean saw only the positive side of Robbins, whose laugh he recalls was a “delightful giggle,” save one memorable incident. Bean had messed up a line in a dress rehearsal for an invited audience, and instead of letting it go had grimaced in self-deprecation in full view of the crowd. Bean recalled: “Jerry came backstage and I thought he was going to freakin’ kill me. He said, ‘If you ever do that again, I’m going to throw you in the pit.’” Needless to say, Bean never did that again.

Theater Adventures

Cyril Ritchard played Captain Hook in “Peter Pan” alongside Bean’s “Lost Boy” role, shaping that part into an iconic portrayal that captured the imagination of millions on stage and in two television broadcasts. Ritchard became a “theater father” to young Bean during the run of “Peter Pan,” establishing a lifelong friendship both with Bean and his family. While “Peter Pan” was on Broadway, 1954 and 1955, Ritchard hired the elder Bean as his backstage dresser—the man responsible before each show for making Captain Hook look lovably scary.

“Cyril became my theater father,” Bean said. An Australian actor born to wealth, Ritchard projected a breezily aristocratic air, contrasted with Bean’s all-American brashness. But they had something deeper in common, albeit expressed differently: Ritchard boasted the Latin motto, “Optimum Semper,” translated as “Only the Best,” an echo of Bean’s “180 percent.”

When Ritchard’s wife died in August 1955, the actor decided to leave New York for Los Angeles. By that time, “Peter Pan” had closed, and Bean had relocated back to California. Ritchard opted to drive from New York to LA in his 1941 Chrysler but didn’t wish to do so alone. So Bean, now 16, flew to New York to join his theatrical father in the coast-to-coast drive. Therein lies one of the funniest stories in Bean’s book.

Most of the drive was uneventful. Somehow, they found a Catholic church every morning in order that Ritchard, a daily communicant in the Catholic faith, could attend mass. Then, somewhere west of Phoenix, a tire blew. No big deal at first. Ritchard had had the spare checked out before hitting the road and Bean was, like his (non-theatrical) dad, a natural mechanic.

“Mechanically I’m pretty good, so when that tire blew, I had the car jacked up and the tire off in

about 10 minutes,” Bean recalls. But when he pulled the spare from the trunk, Bean found that one of the lug nuts securing the spare had been tightened with a pneumatic wrench.

“I tried and tried with the tire iron, but it was clear that lug nut wasn’t coming off manually.” Bean left Ritchard in the car and hitched to the nearest town to hire a mechanic to drive him back with what should have been a truck full of tools—except that the mechanic forgot to bring his tool box. Quoting from Bean’s book:

“In the front seat of his truck, he found a hammer and chisel. ‘I can knock those nuts off with the chisel and you’ll be off and running.’ He climbed into the trunk with his hammer

and chisel. Placing the chisel behind the base of the lug nut, he swung his hammer as hard as he could. The hammer hit the tire and bounced back like a shot, hitting our rescuer in the forehead, knocking him out cold! There we were, in the middle of the desert with a disabled vehicle on the side of the road and a disabled mechanic out cold in our trunk.”

After a tense interval, the mechanic came to. Ritchard had until now sat gallantly in the car, sweating in the 105-degree heat but with his iconic cravat still around his neck. In an act of genuine image-sacrifice, Ritchard removed the cravat to help staunch the mechanic’s bleeding. At length, the plan was launched to pile into the mechanic’s truck and drive

ABOVE Bean’s collection of stills from the 1961 “West Side Story,” alongside a snapshot of himself and director Steven Spielberg (bottom right) at the world premiere of the 2021 remake of the film.

RIGHT Bean and his wife, Jean, got married in London. Years later, they welcomed a baby girl, Jennifer. At top right, Jean and renowned stage actor Cyril Ritchard are holding baby Jennifer.

BELOW Bean and his wife, Jean, at their daughter’s cafe.

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back to his garage, spend the night at a motel, and then head back to the Chrysler with a completely new spare. Such were the ordinary trials of an extraordinary life.

While Bean was finishing high school in California, his old boss Jerry Robbins was creating a masterpiece in New York. “West Side Story,” conceived and choreographed by Robbins as a contemporary take on “Romeo and Juliet,” opened in 1957 and sent shock waves through the theater world. Here was a musical that addressed gang violence and ethnic division while radiating hope through athletic dance and a soaring score of songs such as “Somewhere” and “Maria.” When a London production was announced, Bean auditioned and was cast as one of the “Jets,” the Anglo rival gang to the Puerto Rican “Sharks.” Thus began several years of being a Jet, as Bean was cast as “Big Deal” in the London production in 1958, as “Tiger” in the Oscar-winning 1961 film, and as “Action” in the British tour of the early ’60s. In the film, Bean can be seen threatening the Bernardo character with his fist in the Prologue and pretending to be Officer Krupke while the other Jets sing to him in “Gee, Officer Krupke.”

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Loving Life

During the London production, Bean met his match: a slender young English dancer named Jean. They enjoyed what Hollywood calls “a cute meet.”

“We danced opposite each other in the ‘Dance at the Gym,’ and she made a wrong move, causing me to twist my ankle. I didn’t talk to her for six weeks.”

When six weeks were up, the romance began. Almost as soon as it started, Bean was called back to America to perform in the film. Their love survived a year of long-distance, and they went on to become a married couple and the parents of a daughter, Jennifer.

During the London run, Bean also made a lifelong friend in George Chakiris, who would go on to win an Oscar for his portrayal of Bernardo in the movie. In London, however, Chakiris played one of the Jets. This had made it possible for him and Bean to become friends.

If one of them had been a Shark, it wouldn’t have happened, for Robbins imposed a strict rule that kept Jets and Sharks from seeing each other socially. He was serious about it and promised that any Jet who palled around with a Shark (or vice-versa) would be fined. It was part of Robbins’s method-acting approach to creating emotional tension between the gangs. That didn’t affect Chakiris and Bean in London, but when Chakiris was cast as head Shark Bernardo in the movie, it meant that these two good friends had to stay apart.

One day Chakiris phoned Bean and said, “You have to come over and have spaghetti with me and Rita Moreno (who was playing Bernardo’s girl Anita) and her boyfriend.” After weighing the odds of getting caught fraternizing with “the enemy,” Bean showed up for the spaghetti, and he met Moreno’s boyfriend, an actor by the name of Marlon Brando. (He wasn’t caught.)

Bean’s association with “West Side Story” didn’t stop with the British tour. In 2019, Steven Spielberg invited him to make a cameo appearance in Spielberg’s remake. Bean can be seen in one of the storefronts during the “America” number.

Bean wrote his book to savor the past and speak to the future. “The values we were brought up with by our parents were gold. It was a golden time,” he said. And to today’s young, he advised: “If you have a passion for something and you put 180 percent into that passion, I guarantee your success.” •

“The values we were brought up with by our parents were gold. It was a golden time.”

DAVID BEAN, ACTOR

Boom Towns

A glance at the cities that are part of America’s current manufacturing resurgence U.S.

WRITTEN BY Andrew Moran

Some Manufacturing Statistics:

All of the U.S. manufacturing jobs that were lost during the pandemic have been recovered. In fact, manufacturing employment is up 2 percent from before COVID-19, totaling close to 13 million job positions.

Real (inflation-adjusted) manufacturing construction spending has doubled since the end of 2021. In the first quarter of 2023, real manufacturing spending averaged $166 billion. By comparison, this figure was $85 billion between 2005 and 2022. The growth has been broadbased, too, with the largest gains situated in computer, electrical, electronics, chemical, transportation, and food, beverage, and tobacco.

Consulting firm Kearney’s 10th Annual Reshoring Index Report found that 96 percent of U.S. CEOs are evaluating the potential to reshore their operations, up from 78 percent in 2022.

Reno has highly benefited from the U.S. and global push to green energy, attracting some of the largest brands in the world, including Tesla. The company announced a $3.6 billion expansion into its battery and truck manufacturing there, hiring about 3,000 workers

manufacturing is experiencing a revitalization. After years of anemic growth due to companies outsourcing their operations and exporting employment opportunities to foreign markets, manufacturing across different sectors is entering a boom period. Since the coronavirus pandemic, when the global public health crisis resulted in a worldwide supply chain disaster, many developments have supported this resuscitation within the United States. Companies have adopted reshoring initiatives and started

waving goodbye to China, buoyed by public policy encouraging this trend, and the Chinese market no longer serving as an advantage amid geopolitical tensions and rising labor costs.

But is this a short-term boost or a long-term push?

“This boom is real,” said Scott Paul, president of the advocacy group Alliance for American Manufacturing, in an interview with American Essence. “The trend is clear. The data shows that manufacturing is definitely for the U.S. market and is definitely headed out of China.”

In addition to the current administration’s massive investments to

attract domestic manufacturing in critical sectors like chipmaking, state governments are aggressively employing their own incentives, from workforce training and community college partners to tax incentives and infrastructure investment for companies that set up manufacturing locally, Paul noted.

Rosemary Coates, executive director at the Reshoring Institute, which conducts research and advises companies looking to reshore, told American Essence that the country’s manufacturing sector could be creating as many as 200,000 jobs annually in the coming years. She also alluded to an analysis

Reno, Nev.

Tulsa is home to many solar energy firms. After Enel’s $1 billion investment and Tesla Energy’s massive presence, industry experts anticipate more growth in the coming years. Enel said it hopes to bring “Oklahoma to the forefront of renewables manufacturing.”

Elkhart, Ind.

Elkhart is home to several manufacturing sectors, especially strong in electronics and robotics. Employment in manufacturing has swelled 8 percent since the pandemic.

Lexington, Ky.

Tulsa, Okla.

Houston, Texas

Houston maintains a robust manufacturing base—it ranks second in U.S. metro areas for manufacturing GDP—with an especially notable expansion of energy-related manufacturing. RS Technologies announced in May a new manufacturing facility for electric grid technology that will employ 400 workers.

of S&P 500 companies’ earnings call transcripts that found mentions of “reshoring” went up 128 percent in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period a year ago. “It’s a very popular idea and an awful lot of [companies are] attempting to reevaluate their global strategy,” said Coates.

While this is a national push, experts say some markets are witnessing concentrated manufacturing growth.

A recent study found that Elkhart, Indiana, is a popular jurisdiction for manufacturing because the

Lexington maintains a diverse manufacturing sector in a wide array of areas, from automobiles to industrial metals. It possesses a vast defense manufacturing industry, led by Lockheed Martin, which maintains a workforce of more than 1,000 employees. Overall, the state’s manufacturing sector employs nearly 32,000 employees, up 7 percent from before the pandemic.

metro area is ranked eighth in the entire country for semiconductor workforce readiness. The northern Indiana region maintains a substantial inventory of assemblers, fabricators, setters, operators, production supervisors, and operating workers. Meanwhile, Enel North America, a global green energy firm, announced a $1 billion investment in constructing a new solar panel manufacturing facility at the Tulsa Port of Inola in Oklahoma because of “the state’s commitment to workforce development and an attractive investment climate.”•

Made in the Good Ol’ USA

We’ve compiled a directory—by no means exhaustive—of 100-percent made-in-America products, starting with those commonly used in everyday life

WRITTEN BY Andria Pressel

Sporting Goods Bedding Clothing and Apparel

American Giant

Based in: San Francisco, Calif.

Product highlight: The brand is well-liked for its hoodies, which are made from cotton grown at Latros Farms, N.C., and spun at Parkdale Mills, S.C. Yarn products are woven at Clover Knits, S.C., and dyed at Ashby’s Carolina Cotton Works, N.C.

Website: American-Giant.com

Merrow Manufacturing

Based in: Fall River, Mass.

Product highlight: Merrow clothing comes from an entirely U.S.-based supply chain, and everything from concept design to production takes place in America.

Website: MerrowKnits.com

L.C. King

Based in: Bristol, Tenn.

Product highlight: L.C. King is known for its workwear, streetwear, and men’s styles, and its clothing is 100 percent handmade in Tennessee.

Website: LCKing.com

Stetson Hats

Based in: Garland, Texas

Product highlight: The iconic Stetson cowboy hat is the only cowboy hat still entirely made in the United States.

Website: Stetson.com

Red Land Cotton

Based in: Moulton, Ala.

Product highlight: Linens and bedding are made completely from cotton grown on Red Land Cotton’s farm in northern Alabama, then hand-cut and hand-sewn in the southern United States.

Website: RedLandCotton.com

American Blossom Linens

Based in: Thomaston, Ga.

Product highlight: These linens are made from fiber sourced from an Organic Growers Co-op and then spun and woven in mills located in North and South Carolina.

Rawlings

Based in: Town and Country, Mo.

Product highlight: Rawlings baseball gloves are made from the hides of Missouri steers. The hides are sent to leather companies in Chicago and Tullahoma, Tenn., for tanning before being sent to the manufacturing plant in Ava, Mo.

Website: Rawlings.com

Wyatt Bicycles

Based in: Bangor, Wis.

Product highlight: These highend mountain bikes and fat bikes are 100 percent U.S.manufactured and assembled.

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Website: AmericanBlossomLinens.com

American Blanket Company

Based in: Fall River, Mass.

Product highlight: The company founder—whose father ran a garment factory that later closed up shop when manufacturing went overseas— created an ultra-soft fleece blanket that led to the launch of this made-in-America brand.

Website: AmericanBlanket Company.com

Website: WyattBikes.com

Wilson Football

Based in: Ada, Ohio

Product highlight: Product highlight: As the official supplier of footballs to the National Football League since 1941, Wilson makes its footballs with cowhides sourced from farms in Kansas, Nebraska, and Ohio.

Website: Wilson.com/en-us/ Explore/Football/

Kitchenware

All-Clad

Based in: Canonsburg, Pa.

Product highlight: The metal for this cookware is sourced from American suppliers and then bonded, engineered, and assembled in the United States by skilled craftsmen.

Website: All-Clad.com

Stoneware & Co.

Based in: Louisville, Ky.

Product highlight: Despite changing hands many times since its inception as Lewis Pottery, this company has been making stoneware pottery since 1815.

Tech and Tools

Grado

Based in: Brooklyn, N.Y.

Product highlight: The wired headphones and phone cartridges are hand-built in New York.

Website: GradoLabs.com

Maglite

Based in: Ontario, Calif.

Product highlight: These classic flashlights revolutionized the

How to Decipher

personal flashlight industry and remain a top-selling product today.

Website: Maglite.com

Blumenstein Audio

Based in: Tacoma, Wash.

Product highlight: These audio speakers are handmade in the United States, using top-quality U.S.-made blades and premium grade plywoods.

Website: BlumensteinAudio.com

American-Made Product Labels

It can be tricky to navigate all of the different labels that you may find on products that claim to be made in America or assembled in America. What do the labels mean? Here’s a breakdown.

Assembled in the USA

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Website: StonewareAndCo.com

Cutco

Based in: Olean, N.Y.

Product highlight: As the largest manufacturer of kitchen cutlery in North America, Cutco uses high-quality materials and handcrafts its knives in the United States.

Website: Cutco.com

Lodge

Based in: South Pittsburg, Tenn

Product highlight: Lodge’s cast iron cookware is made in two foundries in Tennessee, and it recently launched USA Enamel: a line of all-American-made enameled cast iron dutch ovens.

Website: LodgeCastIron.com

Made in USA

In 1997, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) confirmed an “all or virtually all” standard for a “Made in USA” claim. This means that all the significant parts of a product and its assemblage must be of U.S. origin. There can’t be any significant foreign content in the finished product. Manufacturers must provide evidence in order to get this label approved, making this the most official American-made product label on the market.

Made in America

Ever since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) established a free trade zone in North America in 1992, the label “Made in America” can be used for goods made in the United States, Canada, or Mexico.

Note that this label, and ones similar to it, only claim that the processing and assemblage of a product took place on U.S. soil. More often than not, a product with this label will have some or most parts sourced from overseas.

Made in the USA With Global Materials

Some companies or marketers with a product that doesn’t quite meet FTC regulations will try to get around the Made in USA’s “all or virtually all” standard by adding disclaimers, such as this one, to their label.

Online Retailers

If you’re shopping online, it can be harder to verify if a product has U.S. origins or not. Some retailers, such as Amazon, will include a “Country of Origin” and “Product Information” box to give you an idea. Product pages in general often include the country of origin. •

The Invention of an American Classic

Dr. Welch and his son created and marketed a non-alcoholic beverage that became an American staple

WRITTEN BY Dean George

Prohibition was a well-intentioned government plan intended to deal with several issues in the early 20th century. It aimed to reduce crime and corruption, address strained family relations, and ease the tax burden of prisons and poorhouses.

Unfortunately, the “great social and economic experiment” President Herbert Hoover referred to had unintended consequences like bootlegging, gang wars, and the shuttering of taverns and restaurants, causing a loss in tax revenue. Though the banning of the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors included in the 18th Amendment didn’t have the desired effect, that likely would not have made a difference to a strict teetotaler like Thomas Welch.

Man on a Mission

Creative, innovative, and passionate about his faith, the English-born American Thomas Bramwell Welch joined the Wesleyan Methodist Church at age 17 in 1843 and quickly adopted that denomination’s stance on two controversial cultural issues of the day: slavery and Prohibition. Like many Northern-state Methodists of the time, Welch was actively involved in hiding and transporting slaves through the Underground Railroad prior to the Civil War. But, as fervent as he was about abolitionism, he was equally passionate in his opposition to alcohol.

The devout Methodist strongly opposed alcohol consumption and even refused to touch containers holding fermented wine used in communion. This put him in an awkward position since he was a communion steward at his Methodist Church in Vineland, New Jersey. Yet in the mid-1800s there were few alternatives for churches wanting to serve non-fermented wine during communion. Raw grape juice stored at room temperature would naturally ferment over time, and squeezing grapes the week of

• Welch’s headquarters is located in Concord, Massachusetts

• In 1956, the 87-year-old company was sold for $28.6 million to the National Grape Cooperative Association

• Each grape is pressed into juice within eight hours of picking

• Although most famous for its grape juice, Welch’s offers 11 kinds of 100 percent fruit juices

• Today, 700 family farms provide the fruit for Welch’s products, which are sold throughout the United States and in approximately 40 countries around the world

• In 1994, child actor Travis Tedford, best known for playing Spanky in the 1994 feature film “The Little Rascals,” became the first Welch’s spokeskid

An advertisement for Welch’s Grape Juice Company from the August 1916 edition of “Good Housekeeping.”

Charles Welch’s marketing efforts triumphed in

1893 at the Chicago World’s Fair, where the company offered samples of the sweet concoction to thousands of attendees.

a communion service wasn’t convenient for many churches, especially when grapes were out of season.

Welch worked to find a solution. He spent 20 years—alongside his work as a minister, doctor, publisher, inventor, and dentist— attempting to create a non-fermenting wine.

Welch’s Non-Alcoholic Wine

In 1869, Welch experimented with Louis Pasteur’s inventive new technique of “pasteurization.” Boiling bottles of grape juice in his kitchen, Welch managed to preserve the juice and prevent the yeast in the bottles from fermenting. Jubilant, he served his new non-wine wine to his church congregation and offered it to surrounding churches. The response was underwhelming at best, enough so that after four years, Welch turned his attention back to running

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his dental supply company, marketing a cough syrup, and publishing Dental Items of Interest, a professional journal with the second-largest circulation of its kind in America.

Of Dr. Welch’s seven children, three sons and one daughter followed in their father’s footsteps in dentistry, including his second son, Charles. But Charles Welch had a flair for marketing that his father lacked. With Thomas’s blessing, Charles offered free samples of the sacramental wine substitute to area churches and began promoting his father’s juice in temperance magazines he published.

Timing Is Everything

Charles’s timing was impeccable as the temperance movement was spreading out across America. In 1876, the Woman’s Christian

ABOVE Thomas Bramwell Welch, founder of Welch’s Grape Juice, late 19th century.

ABOVE RIGHT

Early 20th-century postcard of the original Welch Factory in Westfield, N.Y.

Temperance Union was encouraging its members to refuse sacramental communion wine that contained alcohol. In 1880, the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church strongly encouraged member churches to offer alcohol-free wine “whenever practicable,” and thanks to Thomas and Charles Welch, churches now had a practical alternative. Charles shrewdly made sure churches knew about that alternative by including ads for Welch’s grape juice in Methodist-published journals.

The juice became increasingly popular for its pleasing taste and non-alcoholic properties, and Charles further expanded the family beverage business outside of church circles in the 1890s. He changed the name from Dr. Welch’s Unfermented Wine to Dr. Welch’s Grape Juice and began promoting his father’s beverage for its health benefits.

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Charles Welch’s marketing efforts triumphed in 1893 at the Chicago World’s Fair, where the company offered samples of the sweet concoction to thousands of attendees. Not long after that event, his father’s beverage quickly became known as the national drink, and Charles left his dentistry practice to focus on the beverage business full time. In 1897, he incorporated the family business, moving it from New Jersey to Westfield, New York, processing 300 tons of grapes the first year in their new facility.

Woodrow Wilson’s secretary of state, William Jennings Bryan, in 1913 proved that the federal government could enjoy wine on a beer budget when he served Welch’s Grape Juice instead of traditional wine for the visiting British ambassador at a State Department supper. Later that year, alcohol was banned on Navy ships in favor of Welch’s Grape Juice.

The Prohibition experiment may have been unsuccessful, but thanks to Thomas Welch’s persistence toward creating a non-fermenting drink made from grapes, millions today enjoy the fruits of his efforts. •

ABOVE Welch’s Grape Jelly advertisement from the February 1948 edition of “Ladies Home Journal.”

Pioneer Photographer of the West

William Henry Jackson’s photographs of America’s natural wonders convinced President Ulysses S. Grant to designate Yellowstone America’s first national park

WRITTEN BY Dean George

When New York businessman George Jackson gave his son William Henry Jackson (1843–1942) a camera in the mid1800s, photography was in its infancy. Neither father nor son knew how that gift would set the younger Jackson on a path to fame and fortune as one of America’s favorite landscape artists of the American West.

George provided the camera, but it was William’s mother Harriet, a talented painter, who taught William composition and style, instilling in him an appreciation of art.

Early Promise

At age 15, Jackson was hired as a retouching artist for a local photographer. It wasn’t until Jackson moved to Rutland, Vermont, to take a job with photographer Frank Mowry retouching photos and learning color tinting that the gifted young man was fully exposed to the photographic process.

Jackson voluntarily interrupted his own career in 1862 when he enlisted to fight in the Civil War. He spent most of the war sketching camp life and mapping the countryside, though he was present at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. After his enlistment expired and he returned to studio work, Jackson’s professional reputation grew rapidly.

He was briefly

engaged to Caroline “Caddie” Eastman, but when Jackson took a job 60 miles away in Burlington for $25 a week, the pair soon parted ways. Humiliated by his broken engagement, Jackson decided to leave Vermont and seek his fortunes out West.

Western Adventures

In 1867, Jackson got work at a photography gallery in Omaha, Nebraska. He later bought it and, along with his brother, turned it into the leading portrait studio in the city. Jackson was more drawn to landscapes and outdoors photography however, and he began working outside the studio photographing the Union Pacific Railroad and the first-ever images of several local Native American tribes.

The completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 29, 1869 proved fortuitous. It allowed Jackson to travel further west and capture scenic images of many frontier outposts. He took hundreds of 8x10 negatives and stereoviews, the predecessor of today’s 3D images. Later that year, he was commissioned by E. & H.T. Anthony and Company, a photographic supplier, to provide 10,000 stereoviews of the American West.

About that same time, Jackson met Ferdinand V. Hayden, head of the U.S. Geological Survey. That acquaintance led to Jackson becoming the agency’s official photographer and resulted in the two assignments that made him famous.

LEFT Photographer William Henry Jackson, circa 1880.

Two Famous Works

During Jackson’s first summer as part of the U.S. Geological survey team in 1871, he made over 370 negatives, including photographs of Yellowstone’s geysers and waterfalls. His photos and paintings were credited with convincing President Ulysses S. Grant to designate Yellowstone as America’s first

national park on March 1, 1872.

In 1873, Jackson enjoyed another brush with fame when he became the first to photograph the famed Mount of the Holy Cross in Colorado. For years, the stories of an image of a holy cross embedded near the top of the rugged Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains was legendary among explorers.

LEFT Jackson captured Old Faithful geyser with a mammoth-plate camera during his travels to Yellowstone Valley in 1870.

RIGHT Albumen silver print of “Great Falls of The Yellowstone” by Jackson, 1875.

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LEFT Jackson is credited with capturing the first photographs of several Native American tribes.

“Charge on the Hauk - (Brulé Dakota)” by Jackson, between 1870 and 1879.

ABOVE After two days of strenuous hiking, Jackson captured the first photograph of the legendary Mount of the Holy Cross in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. “View of Mount of the Holy Cross in the Rocky Mountains” by Jackson, circa 1880–1900.

To access the landmark, Jackson trudged along with a mule toting nearly 100 pounds of photographic equipment. It took two days of exhaustive climbing before he staggered across the shoulder of Notch Mountain. When the mist cleared, he saw the miracle made by nature.

“I emerged above the timberline and the clouds, and suddenly, as I clambered over a vast mass of jagged rocks, I discovered the great shining cross dead before me, tilted against the mountain side,” Jackson later recalled in his autobiography, “Time Exposure.” The image of a cross “glistened like polished silver in the mid-morning light” created by snow buried deep in the fissures against the surrounding gray rock.

Jackson’s photos of that landmark became a national sensation. His photo was formally presented to Congress and to President Grant, was commemorated as a U.S. postage stamp, and reproductions were prominently displayed in thousands of American parlors.

One Busy Bee

Jackson still had the shutterbug after leaving the U.S. Geological Survey in 1878. He opened a commercial photography studio in Denver and also helped promote rail travel by producing over 30,000 negatives for the railroad industry.

In 1897 and for the next 27 years, he made mass-market postcards and stereoviews before resuming his painting career at age 81. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt hired the 92-year-old to paint four murals for the Department of Interior depicting “Great Surveys” of the American West.

The venerable photographer, painter, and explorer wrote and published more than 50 books, articles, and manuscripts over a career spanning 77 years. At age 99, he was laid to rest as one of the last Civil War veterans and in 2002 he was posthumously inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame. •

Stuffed Pork Chops

From the DeLuca family, Vincent’s Meat Market, New York, N.Y.

An in-house specialty at Vincent’s Meat Market, nearly 20 meat cutters are ready at any time to take your order to custom specifications. A few years back, Jimmy Mechaca, a longtime employee credited with saving Peter when he had a heart attack in the store, whipped up this daily special to become a bestseller throughout the neighborhood and beyond. The process is fairly simple: take a thick-cut, bone-in, and frenched chop and butterfly it to create a pocket for the house-made stuffing of cheeses, spinach, and breadcrumbs. After that, sear it in some butter and finish it in a high-heat oven and you have yourself a maincourse all-star that can be served up alongside some whipped potatoes and roasted vegetables.

ABOVE Peter DeLuca Jr., with his father, Peter Sr., on the phone screen. They continue the legacy of Peter Sr.’s father, Vincent, who opened Vincent’s Meat Market in 1954.

RECIPES ADAPTED BY Matt Moore

Hands on: 45 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Serves 4

Four 8- to 10-ounce bone-in pork chops, frenched

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated fontina cheese

1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

• 1 1/2 cups spinach, torn by hand into small pieces

• 1/4 cup chicken stock

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Meanwhile, butterfly the pork chops. Insert a sharp knife on the side of a chop opposite from the bone, and cut along the length of the side to open up the chop, being careful to maintain an even cut to ensure the thickness remains even on both sides. Open up the chop to reveal a small pocket for the stuffing. Repeat with the remaining chops. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs with the fontina, Gorgonzola, mozzarella, spinach, and chicken stock. Using your hands, work the mixture together, squeezing and tearing the spinach with your hands to combine with the other ingredients. Carefully divide and stuff the mixture equally among the pockets of the butterflied

Using butcher’s twine, start from

the backside of the bone of the chop and secure the twine around the bone at approximately a 45-degree angle. Wrap the twine back against the bone, and going in a triangle style, tie another 45 degrees in the opposite direction to secure the stuffing inside the chop. If necessary, use enough twine to ensure the stuffing is contained within the chop for cooking. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs on both sides of the chops. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches of 2 chops, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the pan, then add the chops. Sear for 3 minutes, undisturbed. Flip the chops, sear an additional 2 minutes, and transfer the seared chops to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining 2 chops and 2 tablespoons of butter. Place the pork chops into the oven and cook for 10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches approximately 145°F. Remove the chops from the oven and, using kitchen shears, carefully cut and remove the butcher’s twine. Transfer the chops to a serving platter or plate. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

Hands on: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour

Serves 4

For the Cauliflower

• 1 head cauliflower, destemmed and cut into bite-sized florets

• 2 cups whole milk

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh-cracked black pepper, plus more as needed

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound lamb merguez sausage, casings removed

• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

• 1 large egg

• 1/4 cup whole milk

For the Relish

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 cup sliced almonds

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• 1 cup golden raisins

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

• 1 pinch kosher salt

• 1/4 cup preserved lemons, sliced

• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Lamb Merguez Meatballs

With Puréed Cauliflower and Raisin-Almond Relish

From Karen Bell, Bavette La Boucherie, Milwaukee, Wis.

When Karen Bell first started Bavette La Boucherie, her time spent with lifetime butcher Bill Kreitmeir in the shop allowed her to meld his old-school knowledge of classic Midwest and German sausage specialties with the warm, bright flavors she craved from her time spent in Spain.

I particularly loved her idea of making sausage, removed from its casing, into something different—a meatball. You can pick up preserved lemons at most specialty grocers or online—you should use them for that sweet-and-sour punch in this dish, as well as with seafood and grilled vegetables.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large pot, combine the cauliflower, milk, butter, salt, and pepper and place over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, or after carefully transferring to a traditional blender, purée the cauliflower until smooth. Taste the mixture, adding salt and pepper as desired. Keep warm. Meanwhile, make the meatballs. In a medium bowl, add the sausage, breadcrumbs, egg, and milk and mix by hand. Form into small meatballs, about 2 ounces each. Place the meatballs on an oiled, rimmed baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, or until evenly browned.

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In a skillet, melt the butter for the relish over medium heat and add the almonds. As the butter browns, toast the almonds, stirring occasionally, until they produce a nutty aroma and brown specks form, 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the curry powder and raisins. Place the pan back over the heat until the butter begins to bubble again and add the white wine. Reduce the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and salt and cook for 1 minute.

Divide the puréed cauliflower among shallow bowls. Divide the meatballs and relish and place on each serving of cauliflower. Top with the preserved lemons and garnish with the mint. Serve.

From “Butcher on the Block” by Matt Moore. Copyright © 2023 by Matt Moore. Reprinted with permission from Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

ABOVE When chef Karen Bell opened her restaurant and butcher shop, 72-year-old German native and lifetime butcher Bill Kreitmeir applied for a job there—and taught her the trade.

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Little Women, Big Dreams

Inspired by the characters of Louisa May Alcott’s enduring novel, two sisters brought their dream of a handmade clothing company to life

WRITTEN BY Hazel Atkins

Sisters Luisa Sadykova and Julia Saidova (far right), with their mother, grandmother, and daughters.

Luiza Sadykova was 6 years old when she cross-stitched her first piece of embroidery. It was also around then that she first listened to her mother read “Little Women” to her and her sister, Julia Saidova, at their home in Uzbekistan. Even worlds away, they felt a deep affinity with the March sisters of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel.

Growing up in Uzbekistan, the family lived modestly. The girls watched their mother hand-sew their dresses and hand-knit their cardigans, while their grandmother sewed their nightgowns and taught them to bake. These influences guided them as they grew up and started their own families. As Sadykova sewed clothes for her own daughters, she dreamed of one day selling her handiwork.

In 2018, the sisters began making their dream a reality, starting a handmade clothing company using patterns designed by their mother. Little Women Atelier opened in 2019. Based in Kazakhstan, where most of the family now lives, their business has since sold more than 9,000 articles of custom-made clothing worldwide.

In “Little Women,” the March sisters find creative ways to reuse their possessions, taking what they have and turning them into new treasures. Meg remakes her dresses to breathe new life into them, and Jo reuses props in the attic to stage the plays born from her fertile mind.

Little Women Atelier embodies these values in their slow fashion philosophy,

“a desire to reduce consumption and not to follow trends,” Sadykova explained. Rather than setting a strict seasonal schedule for releasing new collections, they wait to design pieces “that truly connect with our vision,” and each piece is made to order—and to be reworn again and again.

Today, they have five lines of linen dresses, made with linen sourced from European flax-growing areas and named for each of the March sisters and their mother: Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy, and Marmee. Saidova designs all

ABOVE LEFT Julia Saidova designs the dresses, using historical references and the “Little Women” characters’ unique traits.

ABOVE RIGHT A seamstress sews the lattice-work sleeve detail for a Meg Dress.

BELOW RIGHT The Beth Pinafore, styled over the Beth Dress.

the dresses, gathering inspiration from their namesakes’ character traits, film versions of the novel, historical fashion magazines, and movies set in Victorian and Edwardian times. “Julia takes notes on the details she likes,” explained Sadykova. “Over time, all the accumulated materials form a picture.”

Sadykova’s favorites are the Meg and Beth dresses. “Meg embodies a feminine and romantic nature, so we incorporated a latticework detail on her sleeves that resembles a lattice pie crust.” For Beth, a true homebody and domestic angel, “we needed something cozy,” so they devised a waffle-like stitch pattern. “Such delicious names!” Sadykova laughed.

The sleeve details are the most complicated and are sewn separately by hand first by their team of seamstresses. After the sleeves have been made, the rest of the dress comes together, and the finished dress is left to hang overnight to give the linen time to settle. Then they can adjust and sew the hem. Their mother heads production, and the covered linen buttons are made “using a special

machine operated by our dad,” Sadykova said. “He cuts each circle himself from linen leftovers.” From start to finish, the process involves six pairs of hands and four machines. “In a day, we can sew three to four dresses. However, we have a long list of orders, and our customers patiently wait for up to eight weeks,” Sadykova said.

The dresses are intended to be worn in everyday life: “Even me, I wear my dresses wherever I need to go, like a doctor’s appointment or to the park with my girls. I get so many compliments.”

Pinafores, blouses, coats, and nightgowns round out their offerings, and recently, their brother designed a collection for men. Most of their clients come from the United States, Canada, and Europe.

For the last year and a half, Sadykova has lived with her young family near Seattle, Washington, while the rest of the family lives in Kazakhstan. “We are far apart but we share a deep bond,” Sadykova said. “Through this little miracle that we’ve created, I feel near them.” •

The Little Women ’23 collection.

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