I've been working steadily for the past few weeks to prepare a guide to our Brooklyn yearbook collection, which, as faithful readers will recall, has been mentioned before in the pages of this blog. Knowing that Brooklyn has been home to so many famous people throughout the years, I couldn't help but wonder if we were perhaps sitting on a goldmine of before-they-were-famous photographs of Brooklyn-bred geniuses. Could Woody Allen's (that is, Allen Konigsberg's) senior picture from Midwood High be tucked away in our stacks? How about candid shots of Neils Diamond and Sedaka humming through the halls of Abraham Lincoln High School? Or heroic images of Vincent Lombardi dominating the football field during his time at St. Francis Prepatory School?
After a fair bit of research and cross-checking, I was able to find in the pages of our yearbooks a few former Brooklynites who went on to great fame in their respective endeavors. Without further ado, I present you with a Brooklyn Collection puzzler! Below are the fuzzed-out yearbook photographs of four Brooklyn high school alumni. I'll give the year they graduated and the high school they attendend, along with a clue to the reason for their fame. The rest, I leave to you! Anyone who can guess any of their true identities wins my deep respect. I'll post the answers, along with the senior photographs, this coming Thursday. Let the guessing begin!
Alumna # 1
This petite, plucky actress was a singer at Lafayette High School, and after graduating in 1964 went on to gain fame not for singing sweet melodies, but for cracking wise on a popular TV sitcom.
Who is she?
Alumnus #2
This graduate of Sheepshead Bay High School, class of 1965, may lack the long roster of achievements enjoyed by many of his classmates, but he more than made up for it in his professional life, as an Emmy-winning writer for one of TV's most popular sitcoms.
Who is he?
Alumna #3
This ambitious student served as both Class Treasurer and Class President during her time at James Madison High School, from which she graduated in 1960. Knowing the path her professional life would follow, it comes as no surprise that she readily took on the mantle of authority at so young an age.
Who is she?
Alumnus #4
This graduate from Lafayette High School's class of 1951 had big dreams of becoming a radio announcer after finishing college, and would indeed become famous for his gift of gab.
Who is he?
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
This is a challenging puzzle!
Alumna #1 Carol Burnet Alumna
Hm, I don't know the others,
1 -- Irene Cara 2 -- Ron
I don't know, but I have a
3. Most likely, this is
I have no idea what the
What a stumper you've
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