Dovention
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Dovention aka Dovercon was a one-day relaxacon held August 27, 1944, at Joe Kennedy's house in Dover, New Jersey. Attendees were Russell Wilsey (aka Felix, which was also the title of his fanzine), Don Wollheim, Elsie Balter Wollheim, George Fox, Austin Hamel, Al Weinstein, Sam Moskowitz, Gerry de la Ree (and unnamed girlfriend), George Fox, Paul Miles and Joe Kennedy, himself. Monroe Kuttner was supposed to go, but no-showed.
Conreport by Wilsey from Banshee 6:
Dovention Vol. I, No. I. A "One Shot" Publication August 28, 44 (Being a blow by blow description of the First Expeditionery Force of Queens' venture into the wilds of N.J. in search of rare item known as "fan-vention." Published by Felix.) DOVENTIONS' ESCAPADES HELD: At the sumptuous Kennedy mansion, Baker-on-the-Viaduct................. HOLDER: The renowned fan and intellectual, Mr. Joe Kennedy.......... ATTENDEES: Mr. Kennedy; Mr. and Mrs. Wollheim; Sam Moskowitz; Gerry de la Ree and girl friend; Al Weinstein; Austin Hamel; Paul Miles; George Fox; et Felix......... PREFACE: On the night of August the 25th there gathered at the home of Wollheim sundry fans, all with the singular intention of invading Dover, N.J., the coming Sunday. These fans being Austin Hamel, Al Weinstein, Monroe Kuttner and Felix. It was decided uhat the trio of Hamel, Weinstein and Kuttner would meet the trio of Wollheim, Balter and Wilsey at the Hundson Tube at 11:15 Sunday morning. Unfortunately the latter trio miscalcuted by one hour and so rode to Dover via Lackawanna R.R. alone. DOVENTION!: We departed from the Hoboken station on board the 1:00 train. At first the journey presented dull and gloomy scenery, but presently we arrived in a more picturesque setting, to arrive at last at the Dover Station. Our instructions had been to take any up-going bus. Our immediate mental vision was a helectopter-bus which would whisk us to some mountain retrat. Upon departing from the Lack. RR, we failed to discover a town, much less an up-going bus. After parading up and down a street occupied by a theater and five and ten, we arrived at the fateful conclusion that "this" must be Dover! As to the general emptiness of the place, we laid it to some flood which must have washed a greater part of the twon away recently. The up-going buses not being present, we struck out in a general southwest direction and presently came upon a shady quiet path lebled Baker Ave. Consultation resulted in the opinion that "This" was "the" street. Hiking this winding byway, we came to 84 Baker Ave, from whence floated voices of odd and peculair tones. This, we reasoned, must be our destination. Upon entrance we discovered the Dovention spread about the Kennedy living room. Conversations of various natures proceeded varied with an interval of [Fotography|picture taking]]. A set of five pictures may be obtained from Mr. Kennedy for fifty cents, showing the Dovention in various phases. A buffet supper furnished fuel for further escapades, but as curfew neared, we werw forced to take leave. Everyone, with the exception of Kennedy and Miles hastened to board the 6:58 train. The ride home was a hilarious journey occupied in the main with pulling apart the latest issue of Sun Spots and sending it out the window in the form of paper airplanes. As de la Ree stared with glaze md eyes as his precious work wiffered away he was heard to mutter, "Just wait till I get home, I’m going to cut paper dolls out of Felix." Fox disappeared along the way, it is feared he fell (pushed?) out the window somewhere in the neighborhood of Orange. SaM and Gerry plus girl left us at Newark and the united trios continued alone undaunted. It might be well to metnion at this point that Monroe Kuttner was in a state of invisability all day and so his company was ratheriboring. At Hoboken the trios once more parted, as W, B, and W wished to view this quaint hole in the ground, while A&A departed for The Imperial Dominian of LaGuardia. The sight-seeing tour took a few short minutes, Hoboken is best left to the imagination. However, the ferry ride back to the city so absorbed the interest of Felix that a sever case of deadness due to drowding threatened. Thus passed a hectic day, may another come again.
See QX 15 (September 1, 1944) for an even shorter report on the convention.
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