I asked Mr. Bartlow if he could please tell us more and he sent this email today:

I was born in Kansas City in 1942 and have lived here since birth with only a 5 year break for military service in the late 1960s. Three generations of Bartlows preceded me in Kansas City on my father's side. As I mentioned in another message, my grandfather, Howard Bartlow, operated his florist business at 31st and Troost Ave beginning in the early 1920s. His son, my father, went into business with him in 1932 and their business remained at that location until the early 1970s. I worked in the business at the 31st and Troost Ave location from the 1950s to 1966. The Lido Club information was passed to me by my father, Charles Sr., and I am fairly certain of its accuracy. He and my grandfather were personal acquaintances of Johnny Murray, the bookie whose chair I now have. Murray, as I mentioned earlier, was a bookmaker at the Lido Club. The rest of the chair story is interesting too. When Murray died, the Lido Club employees came to my grandfather and asked him to cover Murray's chair in white carnations and deliver it to the funeral which my grandfather did. The tradition in those days was to take all flowers to the cemetery and place them on top of the grave after the grave was filled and frequently there was a graveside service. Flowers remained on the grave for a day or so and then were taken to the cemetery dump. My grandfather, a friend of Murrays, was not about to let Murray's chair go to the dump; so, he went to the cemetery and got it before the grave was cleared. For several decades that chair was used at the order desk in my grandfather's shop at 31st and Troost and remained there as did the memory of his bookie, Johnny Murray.

My Dad was not one to embellish stories and really wasn't a storyteller. In his last 10 years I was retired and would take him fishing. I used this time in our lives to talk to him about his earlier life and his WWII years. He wasn't always interested in telling the stories; but, I had him in a boat out on a lake. He was a captive story teller for a few hours and I could usually get him to talk some. There was also a "red headed girl" who worked at the Lido Club...I never did get to the bottom of that story. He took it to the grave with him. Hope this helps.
Charles Bartlow

Here is a picture on John Murray's chair the Mr. Bartlow was kind enough to send with this last email

The attached photo is of Johnny Murray's chair which was used at the Lido Club in Kansas City during the 1930s. It has been re-finished and re-caned. It has part of a label of a Safe Company located in Kansas City on the back of the chair. Another bookie who worked there was a Mr. Porter and the "red headed girl" I mentioned earlier who, for me, is the mystery woman my Dad wouldn't talk about. I've asked my Mom, who lived near 31st & Troost, about her and she's a mystery to her also. It may be a story better taken to the grave.

I've also attached a poor photo of the Isis Theater which I can't enlarge. The Lido Club was in the basement of this theater.

Charles Bartlow

Thanks you for your willingness to share this great information with us Mr. Bartlow!