CLEVELAND, OHIO June, 2003
After experiencing a fantastic show by The Doors of the 21st Century in Cleveland the night before, my friend Dave and I met up at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. Neither of us had a lot of time to spend there, but we clearly would have liked to spend one or two full days.
We came upon a room called “50 Greatest Album Covers That Weren’t” and found a Doors item displayed. It was inspired by Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers album cover: a finger sticking out of the button-fly front of jeans. The concept was by Gary Burden and Jenice Heo, and photographed by Henry Diltz.
The Jim Morrison exhibit was a series of glass cases, possibly 12 to 15 feet long. There were some Fillmore, etc. posters mounted on the walls over the case. What a thrill it was for us to be able to spend the time we had available, viewing and studying the items listed below from the Morrison family’s collection!! Photos are not allowed inside, so I scribbled notes on the majority of the items of interest:
baby album his mother’s comments included: shape of head on first day: Idaho potato
hospital bill 12/7 – 12/17/43 @ $7.00/day — total $95.00 including cost of circumcision $10
date of baptism January 30, 1944
Cub Scout uniform badge #17 on dark blue, long-sleeve shirt & other badges
family photos Jim and Anne … Jim and mother … grade school
Xmas card made by Jim
report cards 1st grade … 4th grade (1952-53) from Charles Flato Elementary School, Kingsville, Texas … 6th grade from Longfellow School, San Diego … 10th grade from George Washington High School in Alexandria, VA
Pioneer Congregation Church document from February 1955 showing a home address of 2634 Arnott Street, San Diego
6th grade graduation program from Longfellow School, San Diego, CA June 16, 1955 (note: one of Jim’s fellow graduates was named John Dinsmore)
varsity swim letter 1961
high school diploma George Washington High School in Alexandria, VA
Last Will & Testament dated 2/12/69, naming Pam as beneficiary
Florida Probation & Parole Commission letter to Admiral Morrison dated September 24, 1970 regarding Jim. The Admiral’s reply of October 2, 1970 is also on display, showing a home address of 1327 South Glebe Road, Alexandria, VA 22204 read them
telegram press release dated 7/9/71
Report on the Death of an American Citizen tissue carbon copy, dated 7/15/71
letter from Embassy in Paris dated 8/10/71 to Admiral and enclosing two copies of the legal medical report
Jim’s first poem dated 5/21/54 entitled ‘The Pony Express’:
‘The Pony Express’
The Pony Express carried the mail
Over hill, over dale, over rough rugged trails.
And the brave men that carried it didn’t complain,
For they knew they were helping their good countries name.
The rode and rode through strong winds and the rain,
Just to carry the mail and build up our name.
Over Indian country and great sandy plains
They carried the mail and shared our great fame.
by Ida 6/26/03
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