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as told by David Fiske
Historians Episode #500 this Friday
Monday, November 20, 2023-Story behind the story-The story of the dancing Glorias as told by the late David Fiske.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-The way West
As one of the few natural breaks in America’s eastern mountains, the Mohawk Valley has played an important role in travel east and west for centuries.
Wednesday, November 22, 2023-From the Archives-March 1, 2017-Episode 121, July 22, 2016- Jack Kelly discusses his book “Heaven’s Ditch: God, Gold, and Murder on the Erie Canal.”
Thursday, November 23, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Work clothese in the factory age
Friday, November 24, 2023-Episode 500-Dana Cudmore, author of Farming with Dynamite. Before the introduction of concrete in the early 1900s, cut stones were used to build impressive structures such as churches, public buildings and homes. Cudmore documents more than 30 stone quarries across Schoharie County where dynamite was used to get large stones from the land.
Author Dana Cudmore grew up in the middle of New York State’s “Cave Country”―home to an astonishing 150+ caves including world-famous Howe Caverns and Secret Caverns.
The story of the Glorias as told by David Fiske
By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History
David Fiske, who died late last month at age 69 after a battle with cancer, was very generous with fellow history writers.
A retired New York State librarian, avid outdoorsman and native of Bangor, Maine, Fiske was known for his work on Solomon Northup, a free black man who was abducted from Saratoga Springs and sold into slavery.
Fiske was a consultant to the 2013 Oscar winning film, Twelve Years a Slave. He was co-author of Solomon Northup: The Complete Story of the Author of Twelve Years a Slave and author of Solomon Northup’s Kindred: The Kidnapping of Free Citizens before the Civil War.
Fiske was a guest on my Historians Podcast ten times and provided information for six of my newspaper columns.
Doing research for a book on a flamboyant costume designer, Madame Sherri: The Special Edition, Fiske came across the story of Adelaide Gloria Hollenbeck and her brother Albert Gloria. Madame Sherri designed elaborate costumes worn by the Glorias.
Fiske passed the information about the Glorias on to me, knowing that my history columns deal with Fulton and Montgomery Counties.
This Friday we will debut Episode 500 of The Historians Podcast. Would you be willing to make a contribution to honor that achievement? You could donate $5, $50, $500 or any amount. Make donations online for The Historians Podcast at
https://gofund.me/777777e9 or send a check made out to Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Please and thank you. We need to raise $2245 by December 31 to reach our $7000 goal.
Adelaide Gloria Hollenbeck and her brother Albert Gloria were a brother and sister dancing team born in Europe who spent their later years in Gloversville and Caroga Lake.
The siblings began dancing as toddlers in Europe. Showman Florenz Ziegfeld said Adelaide had “the most beautiful legs in the world.”
Their father died and Adelaide, Albert and their mother came to the United States in 1913 and lived in Bayside, Queens. The Glorias performed in cabarets and restaurant revues in the New York City area and did vaudeville tours. Adelaide and Albert specialized in dancing that imitated ice skating and roller skating.
The Glorias earned as much as $5000 a week. They were acquainted with celebrities including Bing Crosby, W. C. Fields and Vernon and Irene Castle.
In 1933, Fiske said, Adelaide claimed she had been attacked by admirer and Cuban businessman Francis Xiques. Xiques denied the charge. Later that year Adelaide was chloroformed and beaten while walking home. The dispute was resolved with a cash settlement, although Xiques apparently did not pay up.
In 1940 the Glorias retired from show business. Albert got a job with Republic Aircraft Corporation on Long Island. In 1942 Adelaide married Sidney F. Hollenbeck of Gloversville, a native of Mayfield.
Sidney was introduced to Adelaide by a movie actress friend, Marguerite Gale, a native of the town of Glen in Montgomery County.
Adelaide and Sidney lived first at 12 Clinton Street in Gloversville and later in Caroga.
In 1956 Sidney took his own life, shooting himself twice with a shotgun at the couple’s home on the Gloversville-Caroga Lake Road.
The Leader Herald reported Sidney had been despondent for several months. He was working at G. Levor & Company, a leather tanning mill in Gloversville.
In 1960, according to Fiske, Adelaide’s brother Albert retired from the airplane company and came to live with her in Caroga.
Fiske said Adelaide and Albert took numerous trips together. A Leader-Herald article in 1963 described plans to take their trailer to Florida, California and Guatemala for an extended vacation. “When you are not active, you are dead,” Albert told the reporter.
Albert died in 1975 and Adelaide passed away in 1982. Gloversville was listed as their last place of residence.
A celebration of David Fiske’s life is being planned and will be held at the Ballston Spa Village Cemetery. Details when available will be located on David’s page, www.mevecfuneralhome.com
Mohawk Valley Weather for Thanksgiving Week
28 degrees in The City of Amsterdam at 6:01AM
Sunny, with a high near 38. North wind around 6 mph.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 14. East wind 3 to 5 mph.
Tuesday
A slight chance of rain between 4pm and 5pm, then a chance of rain and snow. Increasing clouds, with a high near 39. Southeast wind 5 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Wednesday
Rain likely, mainly before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. East wind 6 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Thanksgiving Day
Mostly sunny, with a high near 45.
High pressure will allow for dry and chilly weather for
today into tonight. A storm system will bring rain and snow to the
region for Tuesday into Wednesday, with some light accumulation for
northern and high terrain areas. Dry and seasonably cool weather
will return for Thanksgiving and Friday.
Mohawk Valley News from The Daily Gazette, The Recorder News, The Leader-Herald and Nippertown.
https://www.dailygazette.com/
Each of the four publications still has a separate and distinct home on the website, but they all reside under The Daily Gazette umbrella, and we’ve ensured that they’ve retained their individual identity and scope of coverage.
View all episodes
By Bob CudmoreHistorians Episode #500 this Friday
Monday, November 20, 2023-Story behind the story-The story of the dancing Glorias as told by the late David Fiske.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-The way West
As one of the few natural breaks in America’s eastern mountains, the Mohawk Valley has played an important role in travel east and west for centuries.
Wednesday, November 22, 2023-From the Archives-March 1, 2017-Episode 121, July 22, 2016- Jack Kelly discusses his book “Heaven’s Ditch: God, Gold, and Murder on the Erie Canal.”
Thursday, November 23, 2023-From the Archives of Focus on History from the Daily Gazette-Work clothese in the factory age
Friday, November 24, 2023-Episode 500-Dana Cudmore, author of Farming with Dynamite. Before the introduction of concrete in the early 1900s, cut stones were used to build impressive structures such as churches, public buildings and homes. Cudmore documents more than 30 stone quarries across Schoharie County where dynamite was used to get large stones from the land.
Author Dana Cudmore grew up in the middle of New York State’s “Cave Country”―home to an astonishing 150+ caves including world-famous Howe Caverns and Secret Caverns.
The story of the Glorias as told by David Fiske
By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History
David Fiske, who died late last month at age 69 after a battle with cancer, was very generous with fellow history writers.
A retired New York State librarian, avid outdoorsman and native of Bangor, Maine, Fiske was known for his work on Solomon Northup, a free black man who was abducted from Saratoga Springs and sold into slavery.
Fiske was a consultant to the 2013 Oscar winning film, Twelve Years a Slave. He was co-author of Solomon Northup: The Complete Story of the Author of Twelve Years a Slave and author of Solomon Northup’s Kindred: The Kidnapping of Free Citizens before the Civil War.
Fiske was a guest on my Historians Podcast ten times and provided information for six of my newspaper columns.
Doing research for a book on a flamboyant costume designer, Madame Sherri: The Special Edition, Fiske came across the story of Adelaide Gloria Hollenbeck and her brother Albert Gloria. Madame Sherri designed elaborate costumes worn by the Glorias.
Fiske passed the information about the Glorias on to me, knowing that my history columns deal with Fulton and Montgomery Counties.
This Friday we will debut Episode 500 of The Historians Podcast. Would you be willing to make a contribution to honor that achievement? You could donate $5, $50, $500 or any amount. Make donations online for The Historians Podcast at
https://gofund.me/777777e9 or send a check made out to Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302. Please and thank you. We need to raise $2245 by December 31 to reach our $7000 goal.
Adelaide Gloria Hollenbeck and her brother Albert Gloria were a brother and sister dancing team born in Europe who spent their later years in Gloversville and Caroga Lake.
The siblings began dancing as toddlers in Europe. Showman Florenz Ziegfeld said Adelaide had “the most beautiful legs in the world.”
Their father died and Adelaide, Albert and their mother came to the United States in 1913 and lived in Bayside, Queens. The Glorias performed in cabarets and restaurant revues in the New York City area and did vaudeville tours. Adelaide and Albert specialized in dancing that imitated ice skating and roller skating.
The Glorias earned as much as $5000 a week. They were acquainted with celebrities including Bing Crosby, W. C. Fields and Vernon and Irene Castle.
In 1933, Fiske said, Adelaide claimed she had been attacked by admirer and Cuban businessman Francis Xiques. Xiques denied the charge. Later that year Adelaide was chloroformed and beaten while walking home. The dispute was resolved with a cash settlement, although Xiques apparently did not pay up.
In 1940 the Glorias retired from show business. Albert got a job with Republic Aircraft Corporation on Long Island. In 1942 Adelaide married Sidney F. Hollenbeck of Gloversville, a native of Mayfield.
Sidney was introduced to Adelaide by a movie actress friend, Marguerite Gale, a native of the town of Glen in Montgomery County.
Adelaide and Sidney lived first at 12 Clinton Street in Gloversville and later in Caroga.
In 1956 Sidney took his own life, shooting himself twice with a shotgun at the couple’s home on the Gloversville-Caroga Lake Road.
The Leader Herald reported Sidney had been despondent for several months. He was working at G. Levor & Company, a leather tanning mill in Gloversville.
In 1960, according to Fiske, Adelaide’s brother Albert retired from the airplane company and came to live with her in Caroga.
Fiske said Adelaide and Albert took numerous trips together. A Leader-Herald article in 1963 described plans to take their trailer to Florida, California and Guatemala for an extended vacation. “When you are not active, you are dead,” Albert told the reporter.
Albert died in 1975 and Adelaide passed away in 1982. Gloversville was listed as their last place of residence.
A celebration of David Fiske’s life is being planned and will be held at the Ballston Spa Village Cemetery. Details when available will be located on David’s page, www.mevecfuneralhome.com
Mohawk Valley Weather for Thanksgiving Week
28 degrees in The City of Amsterdam at 6:01AM
Sunny, with a high near 38. North wind around 6 mph.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 14. East wind 3 to 5 mph.
Tuesday
A slight chance of rain between 4pm and 5pm, then a chance of rain and snow. Increasing clouds, with a high near 39. Southeast wind 5 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Wednesday
Rain likely, mainly before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. East wind 6 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Thanksgiving Day
Mostly sunny, with a high near 45.
High pressure will allow for dry and chilly weather for
today into tonight. A storm system will bring rain and snow to the
region for Tuesday into Wednesday, with some light accumulation for
northern and high terrain areas. Dry and seasonably cool weather
will return for Thanksgiving and Friday.
Mohawk Valley News from The Daily Gazette, The Recorder News, The Leader-Herald and Nippertown.
https://www.dailygazette.com/
Each of the four publications still has a separate and distinct home on the website, but they all reside under The Daily Gazette umbrella, and we’ve ensured that they’ve retained their individual identity and scope of coverage.