A good friend recently passed, the one who introduced me to the TV show Blue Bloods (among many things, actually), and that brought me to another in that favorite series of mine, Images of America: New York City Police, by Joshua Ruff and Michael Cronin for The New York City Police Museum. When the first men were hired (1845) to police the streets of NY, many refused to wear a uniform. To them, it was a sign of a servant. A compromise was made, and they agreed to wear a copper star on their own clothes. This might have been the origin of the word 'copper' and eventually 'cop'. Women were used on the force as early as 1911, but mostly as matrons in jails (although a few made the Detective Squad). And, something that should bring a chuckle ... early on, bicycles were useful in catching speeding drivers! I would have liked more on the mounted police, but, as I've often said with this series, great pictures, interesting text, worthy reads!

The homeless have always been with us, it seems, but it was a local problem until the Civil War and the advance of railway service. Soldiers returning from the war to no jobs, no homes, and often suffering from is now known as PTSD started hopping the trains and moving around the country. The author, Kenneth L. Kusmer, did an amazing job with Down and Out, On the Road: the Homeless in American History, considering that often times these people would not show up in a City Directory, on a Census, etc. He seems to have covered all the bases: from attitudes towards them (and how that changes), to groups that tried to help (some serious, some not), to just who was homeless (now including families), as well as how they appear in fiction, film, popular songs and poetry. Well researched and detailed, it takes a bit of work to get through this book. It was worth it, though, but I suggest reading a few lighter stories while you do.

Reading Hermit With Dog