ROSE KENNEDY'S MAGAZINE RACK

Since the world is focusing on all things JFK today, I thought I might as well post about a Kennedy artifact that my grandmother owns.

My grandmother has always been a student of history. Even at 100, she still enjoys reading and learning about history. She especially enjoys Presidential history. Because of this interest, she's proud to own an item that belonged to the Kennedy family.

As long as I can remember she's owned this magazine rack. For years, it has been a holder of newspapers, books and pamphlets put there by my grandmother. At one time, it probably held similar items put there by the hands of the Kennedy family. (I like to think John-John kept his comic books in it!)     

If only this unassuming spindle magazine rack could talk. What stories might it share? This magazine rack once resided in the Kennedy compound in Palm Beach, Florida. My grandmother's cousin worked in a beauty shop in Palm Beach and became acquainted with one of the shop's famous customers, Rose Kennedy. One day, Rose came in the shop and gave the rack to my grandmother's cousin. Rose told her, "This damn thing broke and I don't want it!" Eventually, the cousin gave the magazine rack to my grandmother with broken leg and all. The leg has since been fixed.

One of these days, I need to peruse photographs of the Kennedy Palm Beach estate in hopes that I can spot this magazine rack in the background. Wouldn't that be something?