★ "INDEPENDENCE FIREWORKS" ★ OPENING @ THE PGI PUBLIC DISPLAY 96

A RARE LOST & FOUND "BLAST FROM THE PAST" SHOW WORTH REVIEWING... WITH A BONUS.

IN 1996, THE PGI PUBLIC DISPLAY WAS SPLIT BETWEEN TWO COMPANIES.

INDEPENDENCE FIREWORKS FROM MISSOURI,
AND ATLAS ADVANCED FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE.

BOTH COMPANIES PUT ON VERY PROPER SHOWS.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHO WAS MORE IMPRESSIVE
SINCE THEY EACH SHOT DIFFERENT PRODUCT.

SO WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE YOU ASK?
INDEPENDENCE USED ALL AMERICAN MADE PRODUCT.
100 %
THIS IS THE FIRST PORTION FEATURING INDEPENDENCE.

INDEPENDENCE WAS OWNED BY AN UPSTANDING FELLOW
BY THE NAME OF WILLIAM RICHARDSON.

HE WAS WELL KNOWN IN THE TRADE AT THE TIME,
FOR COMMERCIALLY MANUFACTURING
THE MOST VIVIDLY COLORED STARS AVAILABLE IN THE COUNTRY.

BOB SLAYTON WAS ONE OF THEIR MASTER SHELL BUILDERS.

THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF HISTORY INVOLVED WITH THIS EXTINCT,
YET HIGHLY RESPECTED COMPANY.

AND I BELIEVE YOU'D BE VERY SURPRISED IF YOU KNEW
WHO HAD A HAND IN IT'S DEMISE.

BUT I'LL LET YOU DO THAT RESEARCH ON YOUR OWN.

I HAD THE PLEASURE OF VIEWING AND ADMIRING THIS PARTICULAR SHOW WITH SAM BARTOLOTTA AND HIS FAMILY FROM WISCONSIN.

I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT THERE WAS A MISHAP INVOLVING THE INDEPENDENCE FINALE, WHICH YOU WILL HEAR JOE BARTOLOTTA EXPLAINING AT THE END OF THE VIDEO.

IF YOU KNOW JOE,
YOU KNOW HE CAN RECOUNT A STORY AS GOOD AS ANYONE I'VE EVER MET IN THE GUILD.
SO YOU'LL HEAR ME EGGING HIM ON TO SHARE SOME OF HIS INSIGHT, WHICH I ALWAYS COVETED.

BOTTOM LINE,
IF YOU'RE EVER IN THE COMPANY OF JOE BARTOLOTTA, JUST SIT BACK, PAY ATTENTION, AND ENJOY HIS STORIES.

THIS IS THE INDEPENDENCE SHOW
WITH ATLAS EDITED OUT OF THE MIDDLE.

THE FUNNY THING IS,
NO ONE EVER NOTICED OR COMPLAINED WHEN THE FIRST PORTION OF THIS SHOW ENDED WITH A 12" BLUE TIPPED WILLOW BROCADE.

YOU MAY ALSO RECOGNIZE A FEW VOICES IN THE DARK.
I ALWAYS LEFT MY CAMCORDER ON AFTER PGI DISPLAYS.
AND IT'S TIMES LIKE THIS I'M GLAD I DID.
LOTSA FUN CONVERSATIONS GETTING PICKED UP.

GUYS LIKE KEN MILLER, FRANK RICHARDS, & RON NOJUNAS EXPRESSING THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE DRIVE BACK HOME. YEEEESH!

THIS TOOK PLACE RIGHT AFTER THE PUBLIC DISPLAY HAD CONCLUDED, WHILE WALKING BACK TO THE HOTEL TO CO-HOST A MINI AFTERGLOW
ON THE POOL DECK.

I HAD BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL,
THAT IT WAS IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST WE HAD THAT YEAR.

SO IF YOU WATCH CLOSELY,
YOU'LL CATCH A RARE GLIMPSE OF ROB BERK & KEN NIXON HAMMERED.

FRANK COLUCCIO & DAVE DATRES
REPRESENTING LEGION FIREWORKS FROM NY.

AND A FEW LEFT OVER LUNATICS LIKE MYSELF WHO WERE JUST COMPLETELY SHOT, AS WE HELD OUR FINAL AFTERGLOW OF THE YEAR.
THIS WAS AFTER 6 DAYS OF PYROTECHNIC OVER INDULGENCE & BOOZE.

CAUGHT JUST A TINY LITTLE BIT OF THAT
RIGHT BEFORE THE BATTERY FINALLY DIED ON MY
HITACHI HI-8 CAMCORDER.

AND THAT MY FRIENDS,
IS WHAT TOOK PLACE ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 16TH, 1996
IN MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN.
@ THE "PYROTECHNICS GUILD INTERNATIONAL" CONVENTION

I WAS PRESERVING PYROTECHNIC HISTORY.
WHERE WERE YOU??????????????????????

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