100 years ago, 1915
D. D. Coombs, 137 Whitney St., Auburn, will hold a sale and exhibition of his paintings at the National Shoe and Leather store, Turner Street, Auburn, beginning Tuesday of next week. This will be the largest exhibition ever given by Mr. Coombs, 75 pictures being catalogued. There will be an auction sale on Thursday afternoon.

50 years ago, 1965
A New England Yankee today paid 9,500 guineas, $27,930 for a painting by the late Sir Winston Churchill and declared he got a bargain. He was Richard W. Sampson, 49, a supermarket owner from Auburn, Maine. “I was very much surprised that I got it so cheap,” said Sampson. “I was prepared to pay as high as, let’s see — ah, 28,000 guineas ($84,320) for it. Asked what he would do with the painting — “Mimizan, Landes,” painted by Sir Winston in the south of France in 1925 — the American buyer at the Christie auction rooms replied, “I plan to fly back with it this afternoon, take it up to Maine and hang it in my living room.”

25 years ago, 1990
Negotiators representing the School Department and Community Little Theatre Corp. are trying to iron out a few wrinkles before the theater group begins a second 10-year contract for use of facilities at Great Falls School. While neither side is being too specific about problems while talks are ongoing, they acknowledge that scheduling conflicts are the chief concern. The school would also like the theater to move its costume storage area. While the existing agreement specifies that the contract may be automatically renewed for indefinite 10-year terms, Charles “Chip” Morrison, who is negotiating for the theater group, says there are concerns on both sides that they expect to resolve.

The material in Looking Back is reproduced exactly as it originally appeared, although misspellings and errors made at that time may be edited.