Occasionally we run across photos that we simply must post even though we have little or no information about them. Such is the case with the shots above, showing Sherry, a half-Japanese, half-Anglo actress who appeared in movies and television in the mid-1970s, and later released at least one album for RCA/Victor. A couple of websites refer to her as Shelly, probably because the two names are not distinctly pronounceable for the Japanese tongue, but Sherry is correct. Actresses in Japan often choose evocative pseudonyms. Sherry is a fortified wine with references to be found in Shakespeare and Poe, and the same term is used as slang for foreign or foreign looking women who work in Japan. So Sherry makes good pseudonym material. Also, she posed for a book of Hideki Nakagawa photos and we’re pretty sure her name was spelled Sherry on the front. Anyway, with all the confusion online, plus a million websites on wine, you can see why it’s tough to get a hit on her. But that’s fine. These shots project an almost palpable vulnerability or reluctance, so perhaps it’s fitting that she’s lost in the mists of time.
1919—Pollard Breaks the Color Barrier
Fritz Pollard becomes the first African-American to play professional football for a major team, the Akron Pros. Though Pollard is forgotten today, famed sportswriter Walter Camp ranked him as “one of the greatest runners these eyes have ever seen.” In another barrier-breaking historical achievement, Pollard later became the co-head coach of the Pros, while still maintaining his roster position as running back.