The NEW BERN
fc llra.A. H. riurphy »WMICLy
3000 Arcndall St. ^ HIART OP
Horchcad Clty^ u c ^ NORTH
OLINA
I 5^ Per Copy
VOLUME 3
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1960
NUMBER 36
Staging a Christmas charity show
annually for 25 eventful years has
given us a wealth of memories to
cling to. Some of these memories
—.happy and sad—^will be very
. much on our mind next Thursday
night when the latest edition of
the Yuletide Revue is presented
at the New Bern High school audi
torium;
Not all of our unforgettable ex
periences involve the show itself.
For example, there was the case
of James White, an 18-year-old/Ne
gro boy who lived in Craven Ter
race with his grandmother. '
So hopelessly crippled from
birth that he squatted on the floor
like an emaciated frog, eating from
a tin plate, he was the most , cheer
ful person we, have ever known.
The radiance of his smile was, we
firmly believe, as bright as the
star that hovered over a Bethle
hem stable on a long ago night.
Although the proceeds from that
year’s Yuletide Revue had already
been earmarked for various under
privileged children, when we be
came acquainted with James, we
couldn’t dismiss frj>m our thoughts
the idea that a radio would mean
a great deal to him.
Technically, because of his age,
the grotesquely deformed youth
In’t as § child.; Besides,
radio WQiildr exceed.
tbe-maiw;
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^ati live,
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Mectric 'Gp. Wheh we told Roy
tUf^, he had i ready ahswer.
u ^lHwwEl^Ai'l^.d^d'hand' ra
old’^f |MP|r|dp;fl:;ahy. P^ee,:^-he
informed iii “ot a hew radio that
I’ll sell you. But i have a new
radio that I want to give you for
this boy you’re talking about.”
Having said that, Fagan selected
one of his best radios from stock,
S ft wrapped it in a box, and sent
s own truck to Craven Terrace tq
make the delivery. That, for James
White, was the most wonderful
Christmas he had ever known. We
can see him now, squatting on the
floor, listening to, carols and laugh-
,ing joyously over ihe hiiracle that
had entered his life.
Little did . any of us know that
this would be his last Christmas on
earth. During the weeks that fol
lowed, he played the radio every
moment of his waking hours. Then,
en a bright day in May—^with birds
singing and flowers blooming—^his
brave heart ceased to beat. The
sweet chariot that the old timers
of his I'ace anticipate had come
for to carry him honie. ^
Now Fagan, a kindly man who
sought no credit for the ^ift he
«ve, is gone from the ranks of the
fiving too. But, if it be God’s will,
we hope the two fo them have al
ready met, for the first time, in
heaven.
We remember too, as if it were
only yesterday, the Rev. J. L.
Hodges and the Rev. R. I. Johnson,
who used to shop with us in the
early days of the Revue, when we
were trying to make the money
available go as far as it possibly
could.
With us, they smugged toys into
hundreds of homes on the wrong
side of the railroad track, so that
Santa Claus could- come in the
proper way. That’s why thousands
of children, now ^own tall, with
children of their own, will never
know the ^rt that the Yuletide
Revue played in their childhood.
That’s the way we wanted it to be.
On 6ne shopping excursion we
were able to strike a bargain on
200 mouth harps. Somehow, 'the
purchase has always lingered in
the mind of this sentimental edi
tor, and it is one of the pleasant,
things he will carry to his grave.
Cl^stmas morning was balmy
(ConHnuMi on Fogo 8)
,,
T’diry Leigh,"?. They’re i^glity^iroud of Mrht0Q,'ah:dy(Mi
and I chdK6d Ip! taineia>. was_a {)h^o^a{pLhat U
a8 a masterpiece throughout the country.
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There’s nothing 1110 Mirror cn
joys more than doing a “local boy
makes good” story. And, at the
moment, we can’t think of a better
subject than handsome, 33-year-old
Van-Moore.
Nephew of Harry Faulkner, lo
cal postal employee, and son 0| the
former Mary Faulkner of this city.
Van lives in Richmond. A Master
of Photography whose work has
received national recognition, he
recently bowed out of office as
president of the Virginia Profes
sional Photographers Association.
Upon his retirement at the State
Convention, the New Bern native
not only carted along the usual
past president’s award, but the VP
PA Campbell Award for outstand
ing portrait of a woman; four court
of honor awards; the grand portrait
award; the Buck Orpin Memorial
Award for the best exhibit in the
yppA show; and two certificates
of 'iberit from the Professional
Photographers of America.
Obviously, Van has come a long
way since his kid days at Central
Elementary School here, when he
was. struggling t6 fathom and con
quer knotty lesson assignments.
Speaking of lessons, he has seiwed
bn the faculty of the Winona
School of Photography for the past
two years, and has been invited to
instruct again in 1961.
He earned the Master of Pho
tography degree in 1957, being one
of the youngest men in the country
to hold the degree, and is listed in
“The National Photographer” mag
azine as one of the nation’s fore
most photographers of brides.'
Actually, the young man is so
versatile that he has 4teea ettineUL'
ly successful with subjects of idl
ages in his portrait. work. A good
example of his talent is shown in
the widely-hailed photograph, of his
two sons, which appears above.
This particular portrait empha
sizes the classic or art approach to
photography.. The painted back
ground was used to give the illu
sion of a ?ky Line Drive scene.
In Moore’s estimation, this type
of setting lends itEjelf gracefully to
the photographing of children, He
w
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NEW BERN’S VAN MOORE
feels tliat a harmony exists be
tween children and. fl»e out-bf-'
doors. As a proud parent, he is -in
a position to speak with seme au
thority. ^
Anyhow, the results proved not
able. The photograph won the
First Aaward at ^e. Southeastern >
Photographers Exhibit in Miami
this year, the ’ Grand Portrait
Award at the Virginia ProfesSionaH
Photographers Exhibit, and was ac--
cepted for the Master’s Loan Col
lection this past summer in Chica
go. It also won the Grand Natinml"
Award for the best photo^aph ex
hibited in the Heirioom i^diihlt of
the Professional Photographers of
America.
Van lectures ffequently, and hia
counsel is sought by photbgnmhera
who are considered experts thmof'
selves. Much of his effectivonohli
as an artist in his field can bb
traced quite simply to his use Of
shadow in subduing that Whi^
photographs less attractively, warn
the use of light to accentuate that
which is more pleasing to the view
er.
His own .lighting equipment fbr
the benefit of you New Bern capp
era enthusiasts) consists of three
basic units. They are a Np. 1 phm
ttrflood used as a main light; a Mb.
2 photoflood, farther back, used as
a fill-in light; and a weaker 18(b.
watt bulb for a back light. >
With such minimiun apparatus.
Van says, it is practicable to maiw
prize-winning portraits, thereby ohi
viating the necessity for the usO
elaborate or expenMve equipmenL
.Although the New Bern native
didn’t say so, his own aehievem^tlfi
are mroof positive that talent,
tience ahd perseveranpe are move .
(Gontinued on Fage I)
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