The St. Louis Arena: Memories [SIGNED]
Jackson, Patti Smith
- Publisher: GHB Publishers, St. Charles, Missouri
- Date published: 2000
- Format: Hardcover
As new condition black oblong boards with bright copper spine lettering contained in a very good condition non price-clipped photographic dust jacket. The upper front jacket edge contains two repaired closed tears, one being 1 1/2 inched and the other a 1/4 inch. The jacket is in otherwise very fine condition. Includes Introduction; Foreword; Photo Credits; Index; and Bibliography. Profusely illustrated with both black-and-white and full color photographs, plus illustrated front and rear endpapers. Signed by the author with thin dark blue pen on the first free front endpaper. "Larger than Madison Square Garden, as old as Chicago Stadium and boasting better sight-lines than Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, the St. Louis Arena never gained the national prominence of these famed entertainment venues. But, to the people of St. Louis who fondly knew the building as the Old Barn, the arena was the place where the memories of over four generations were formed. Oh, what memories they were. Two NHL franchises, three consecutive Stanley Cup finals, two minor league hockey franchises, two NHL All-Star games, Garry Unger's 662 consecutive games streak, Brett Hull's 87-goal season and the famed "Monday Night Miracle." And this was just hockey. Add a Basketball Association of America franchise, an ABA franchise, an NBA franchise, an NBA All-Star game, three professional indoor soccer franchises, and NCAA college hockey program and NCAA basketball championship games; toss in entertainers such as Luciano Pavarotti, Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen; throw in one of the greatest tennis matches in the history of the Davis Cup, and you have one of the premier entertainment venues of all time. Yet, it was not the "big time" events which made this a landmark building for St. Louisans. It was the local events, whether Boy and Girl Scout shows, youth hockey games or ice skating events, which made the building so special to thousands. On any given night, every boy and girl could watch Eddie Olson, Bob Pettit or Brett Hull, and on the next morning play on the same surface on which their heroes had starred. It was amazing that a building built before the advent of rock shows and televised sports could be adapted to handle even the largest events. Fire, tornadoes and financial difficulties could never change its nature. Triumphs and tragedies, the spectacular and the unspectacular all brought the people of St. Louis together to rejoice, to despair and to be amazed. The glazed brick and wooden timbers are history, but the memories of the St. Louis Arena will live in the hearts and minds of the people of St. Louis - forever!" - from the inner front and rear jacket flaps ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Patti Smith Jackson earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, then returned to St. Louis, where she was born and raised, to pursue a career in communications. In 1991, she launched her own company. Publications Plus specializes in public relations, corporate and marketing communications writing. In collaboration with GHB Publishers and Werremeyer Creative, Ms. Jackson wrote this book and compiled th stories within to pay tribute to a 20th century landmark and entertainment center that, for.70 years, added to the unique culture and character of the St. Louis community. Ms. Jackson now works from her home somewhere along the palisades of the Mississippi RIver along the Illinois River Road, where she lives with her husband, Bruce.
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