Chicago Billiard Museum

Mr. Bond · Jun 23, 2010

We are pleased to announce that The Chicago Billiard Museum website is now online and open to the public.

The Museum was founded not only to preserve and share the illustrious history of billiards past, but also to provide an online venue for other collectors and historians to share their information as well.

Do drop by and say hello - the chalk is always free. :grin-square:

www.chicagobilliardmuseum.org

P.S. Because the website is new, it has not been indexed by google's robots yet - so any attempt to do a " google search" for info on the pages will not work just yet.. give it a week or two.

billiardshot · Jun 23, 2010

Mr. Bond, Great site!!! I hope All Will check it out

"CaliRed". · Jun 23, 2010

Thanks alot for the work you've done in bringing this to us, Mr. Bond..... James Bond

It looks like that will keep me busy for awhile reading up on everything you have there.

I notice your forum link indicates that AZB is hosting your own forum, but the URL just brings you to the AZB forums, which I don't see any subforum created for it. Am I missing something?

LAlouie · Jun 23, 2010

So what's the reason for the solicitation for donations?

This is a site done with yahoo site builder, which is free.

mnorwood · Jun 23, 2010

Very interesting!!! Especially the table gallery. Thanks for posting.

Rich93 · Jun 23, 2010

All I can say is Wow! You've really put a lot of effort into this "labor of love". You've got enough here to keep me busy for many many hours. And then more hours. Congratulations!

It is really startling to see how popular billiards once was.

Rich

Tramp Steamer · Jun 23, 2010

Very clever, Mr. Bond. Remind me to buy you a Martini, the next time I'm in Chicago. Shaken, not stirred...of course. :smile:

Blue Hog ridr · Jun 23, 2010

Wow, what a lot of pain staking research you went thru to get this far.
Great effort to preserve the history of billiards.
Thanks.

Mr Hoppe · Jun 23, 2010

Well done sir! How about a section for Chicago cue makers? We have quite a rich history including Rambow, Spain, Peters, Hercek, Schuler, Omega, Bender, Young, Cognocenti, and many others.
Mr H

"CaliRed". · Jun 23, 2010

LAlouie said:
So what's the reason for the solicitation for donations?

This is a site done with yahoo site builder, which is free.

What does the software you use to create a website, got to do with anything? He's not asking for donations to pay for Web design software. You do realize he is paying a company to host his website, right?

How can anyone who actually looked at everything this guy has done, have anything but praise for his work? He had to have spent hundreds of hours gathering all that information and then implementing it all together.

Here is the exact wording he uses on his donation page. The only thing I read is that "his success and expansion depend heavily on supportive billiard-loving patrons"

Don't see anything that says "Please donate money to me, so I can pay for my free web design software that came with my hosting package"

Help us preserve and share the past.
Like most museums, our continued success and expansion depends heavily on
supportive billiard-loving patrons just like yourself. So please take a moment to
consider making a monetary donation. It's quick, easy, secure, and we do not
handle, collect or store any personal or financial information whatsoever.

To leave a donation please use the Paypal button below.
(You are not required to have a Paypal account.)

Majic · Jun 23, 2010

Mr. Bond said:
We are pleased to announce that The Chicago Billiard Museum website is now online and open to the public.

The Museum was founded not only to preserve and share the illustrious history of billiards past, but also to provide an online venue for other collectors and historians to share their information as well.

Do drop by and say hello - the chalk is always free. :grin-square:

www.chicagobilliardmuseum.org

P.S. Because the website is new, it has not been indexed by google's robots yet - so any attempt to do a " google search" for info on the pages will not work just yet.. give it a week or two.

Very nice site !! I read the article from 1920 about the NAABP approaching the Olympic committee for including billiards in the Olympics......almost 100 years later and still no action

junkbond · Jun 23, 2010

Great site, Mr. Bond.
You even have a picture of a couple of tables recovered by a friend of mine.

-Howard (the original Mr. Bond)

Mr. Bond · Jun 23, 2010

"CaliRed". said:
Thanks alot for the work you've done in bringing this to us, Mr. Bond..... James Bond

It looks like that will keep me busy for awhile reading up on everything you have there.

I notice your forum link indicates that AZB is hosting your own forum, but the URL just brings you to the AZB forums, which I don't see any subforum created for it. Am I missing something?

good eye ! yes, very shortly we'll have a history category set up

the current link is just a temp fix

Mr. Bond · Jun 23, 2010

The reason, is to pay the bills. Software not being one of them.

FYI: The CBM is an IL non-profit corporation. So, even if we could make a profit, the law dictates what we can and cant do with money. In other words, nobody is going to Bermuda.

LAlouie said:
So what's the reason for the solicitation for donations?

This is a site done with yahoo site builder, which is free.

You'll also notice that access to the site is free, and its free of ads.

You're welcome.

Mr. Bond · Jun 23, 2010

Mr Hoppe said:
Well done sir! How about a section for Chicago cue makers? We have quite a rich history including Rambow, Spain, Peters, Hercek, Schuler, Omega, Bender, Young, Cognocenti, and many others.
Mr H

I hear ya - I wish I could have included everyone and everything....there's so much still left to cover !!!! You are right though...we could have a whole cuemaker section....NEED MORE INFO!!

Mr. Bond · Jun 23, 2010

Thank You.

"CaliRed". said:
What does the software you use to create a website, got to do with anything? He's not asking for donations to pay for Web design software. You do realize he is paying a company to host his website, right?

How can anyone who actually looked at everything this guy has done, have anything but praise for his work? He had to have spent hundreds of hours gathering all that information and then implementing it all together.

Here is the exact wording he uses on his donation page. The only thing I read is that "his success and expansion depend heavily on supportive billiard-loving patrons"

Don't see anything that says "Please donate money to me, so I can pay for my free web design software that came with my hosting package"

Help us preserve and share the past.
Like most museums, our continued success and expansion depends heavily on
supportive billiard-loving patrons just like yourself. So please take a moment to
consider making a monetary donation. It's quick, easy, secure, and we do not
handle, collect or store any personal or financial information whatsoever.

To leave a donation please use the Paypal button below.
(You are not required to have a Paypal account.)

Scott Lee · Jun 23, 2010

Mr. Bond...Very nice site, with tons of historical information. I hope you plan to include some contemporary info on people who shaped pool in Chicago, like Frank Oliva. He not only taught pool, but was responsible for the Ten-Twenty television programs, that featured Minnesota Fats and a host of other pros from that era. He was my first teacher, and instilled a desire in me that lives on today! :thumbup:

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

catpool9 · Jun 23, 2010

Great Billiards Site

This is a great site, tons of information and historical facts. I just browsed thru some of the tournament sections for the last three hrs, enjoyed it very much.

Way back when, the World Championship was sometimes decided by a challenge match, kinda like a boxing match today, cool to know.

thanks Mr. Bond, for putting this site together!

David Harcrow

Mr. Bond · Jun 24, 2010

Scott Lee said:
Mr. Bond...Very nice site, with tons of historical information. I hope you plan to include some contemporary info on people who shaped pool in Chicago, like Frank Oliva. He not only taught pool, but was responsible for the Ten-Twenty television programs, that featured Minnesota Fats and a host of other pros from that era. He was my first teacher, and instilled a desire in me that lives on today! :thumbup:

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Yes sir, many more great people yet to be included !

In case you haven't seen it already, Jim Parker wrote a nice piece on Frank that can be found here:
http://illinoisbilliardclub.com/content/newsletters/FrankOliva.html

EDIT: Per your request - I added the Frank Oliva article to the museum collection, in the reading room.

Chi2dxa · Jun 24, 2010

Nice work Mr. Bond

I remember as a kid growing up in Chicago in the 50's and 60's there were pool room everywhere. In downtown Chicago if you rode the "L" (elevated train for people not born and raised in ChiTown) at every stop you could see guys playing pool in the loop on the 2nd and 3rd. floor of just about every building. I mean there were pool room all over the place. Nice work!

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