40 years ago this weekend, just minutes after the Inauguration of Ronald Reagan, the Iranian government released the 52 hostages it had seized at the U.S. Embassy in November of 1979. The Iranian Hostage Crisis, as it was called, cast a pall over the final year of the administration of Jimmy Carter, who did everything he could to win their release before he left office. There is lingering suspicion, never proved or fully disproved, that Reagan secretly entered into some kind of deal with the Iranians before his Inauguration - a deal in which the Iranians would delay the hostage release until Reagan was president, in return for an arms sale from the U.S.
The release of the hostages took place on January 20, 1981, but their actual return to the U.S. was a few days later. It was celebrated locally in a way that left behind a special artifact: a photograph. Here is the story: a local man, 85-year-old John A. Bullock of Guilford, decided that it would be appropriate to ring the bell at the Meetinghouse in Guilford Center to mark the return of the hostages. He notified some other Guilford folk in town government and the Guilford Historical Society, and they gathered at noon on Sunday, Jan. 25th. Present was photographer, and Guilford resident, Irene Kirchheimer, who made a portrait of John Bullock pulling on the bell rope. The photograph, with a little story, was published in the Brattleboro Reformer on Monday, Jan. 26, 1981.
Irene and her husband, Arnold, were both deeply involved in photography. Arnold had been a filmmaker in Germany, but since he was Jewish, he fled and eventually found a home in Vermont, first in Dummerston, then Guilford. His first wife, Elfriede, had cancer, and Arnold needed work he could do in the home so he could care for his wife. He decided on negative retouching - a highly skilled work but one that could be done in a small space. He did work for famous photographers, especially Lotte Jacobi. When Elfriede died, Arnold met Irene, who shared his love for photography. I met Arnold first when I was the minister in Dummerston and needed advice on how to conduct a Seder meal which I wanted to put on for the Youth Group. We became good friends. I was privileged to be asked to conduct Elfriede's graveside service when she died. Later, our family would share a meal with Arnold and Irene when they settled in Guilford and Arnold would sometimes show his reels of silent movies of Charlie Chaplain and other silent film comedians. When Shirley and I retired in 1997, Irene presented to us her portrait of John Bullock ringing the bell as a retirement gift during our last Sunday service. I've had it all these years since and share it now. It's interesting that no one on TV or radio (that I have heard) has referred to this anniversary.
This evening we are having a Zoom "supper" with Mary Cay and Manny - they'll be eating at their house, and we at ours, but we'll be connected by Zoom. They've done this many times; it will be our first supper in this way.
Obviously this has been a big week! I haven't posted about the Inauguration - we are much relieved and applauding what President Biden has done thus far. We liked his simple, straight-forward address, the Memorial of COVID victims the evening before, Lady Gaga's rendition of the National Anthem, and of course Amanda Gorman's moving poem and her expressive hands. Much to be glad about, but I'm sure there is a rough road ahead. I'll share a couple of images that have gone viral:
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