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Bernard and Jen Rosenthal
From Bernard Rosenthal, son of Louis Rosenthal talking about a little bit of drama behind the scenes of the unveiling of the plaque for Albert C. Ritchie, Governor of Maryland -
"The Ritchie plaque was cast in New York – shipped to Baltimore – and bolted to the tower near the lake in Druid Hill Park. The metal had a flaw in it, and as the workman bolted it to the tower, it cracked in two. My father almost had a heart attack. The unveiling was in a few days, so a workman filled the crack with putty and painted it brown. It could still be seen, so he continued on with the paint until the entire plaque looked like a big chocolate bar.
My father came home and paced the floor. All night long he paced the floor. At about 3:30am there was a knock on the door. Mr. Mendelson, from downstairs, asked my father to please go to sleep so that he, his wife, and his three children could also get some sleep. My father put a coat over his pajamas and went outside to continue his walking.
After the elaborate dedication ceremonies my father tried to block anyone from getting to close to look at the plaque.
A few weeks later a new plaque arrived from New York, and when no one was around, it was bolted up in place of the flawed one. A few years later the plaque was moved from Druid Hill Park to the new State Office Building on Preston Street where it is today".
- (Reprinted from my father’s original handwritten note which is attached below).
"The Ritchie plaque was cast in New York – shipped to Baltimore – and bolted to the tower near the lake in Druid Hill Park. The metal had a flaw in it, and as the workman bolted it to the tower, it cracked in two. My father almost had a heart attack. The unveiling was in a few days, so a workman filled the crack with putty and painted it brown. It could still be seen, so he continued on with the paint until the entire plaque looked like a big chocolate bar.
My father came home and paced the floor. All night long he paced the floor. At about 3:30am there was a knock on the door. Mr. Mendelson, from downstairs, asked my father to please go to sleep so that he, his wife, and his three children could also get some sleep. My father put a coat over his pajamas and went outside to continue his walking.
After the elaborate dedication ceremonies my father tried to block anyone from getting to close to look at the plaque.
A few weeks later a new plaque arrived from New York, and when no one was around, it was bolted up in place of the flawed one. A few years later the plaque was moved from Druid Hill Park to the new State Office Building on Preston Street where it is today".
- (Reprinted from my father’s original handwritten note which is attached below).
| ritchie_plaque_handwritten_note.pdf |
