ca.1840, from the Victoria and Albert Museum.
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Tasty tidbits from the past. Mostly images, but hopefully all food for thought. A definite 19th century focus, but I try to keep an open mind.
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Head of a Young Person (also listed as Head of a Negress), Italy, 16th century, artist unknown.
From the Victoria and Albert Museum: “This Italian sculpture probably dates from the sixteenth century. The headband would once have been gilded and there are holes for lost earrings. Because African men were often depicted wearing these items, there is some debate over whether the figure is an adolescent boy or girl.
The Victorians had a great obsession with ferns. Spurred on by discoveries made in the study of paleontology wealthy individuals began to compete to collect rare and exotic varieties of ferns. Fern patterns were included in wallpapers, architecture, clothing and porcelain. The craze became so extensive it received the name pteridomania. Hothouses called ferneries, specifically built to support the growth of ferns, became incredibly fashionable and were even attached to asylums as ferns were thought to have a calming influence on those suffering from mental illness. They also gained a romantic reputation as many couples first met on expeditions to remote countries to gather ferns.
Oh, you wacky Victorians. What will you think of next time?
A thought: many couples first met on expeditions to remote countries to gather ferns?
I tried to look this up because it is an interesting statement but I couldn’t quite find where the OP got it. It seems like UK-based fern-hunting was popular enough to endanger several local species, especially in Scotland (wiki), and in a Daily mail article about the habit mentioned ” fern-hunting parties became popular among society hostesses, providing a perfect opportunity for men and women to mingle. So perfect, in fact, that contemporary commentators wondered whether romance might be the real cause of fern-fever.” Another hint that fern romances were mostly domestic.
But I also found at least one mention of a British couple going on a North American fern-centric honeymoon, the epitome of romance, so if anybody does find any stories about globetrotting fern romance please let me know, it is relevant to my interests. Or jut write a romance novel about it and send it to me, thank you.
(via vicfangirlguide)
Historian Trent Kelly has collected 146 rare vintage photographs of black male couples from the past 150 years.
Although the large majority of the pictures depict gay couples, the collection also includes images of families and friends but they all have one thing in common: they capture images of love.
Below is a snippet of why Kelly started the collection along with a few photos from his archive.
Historically, the Afro American gay male and couple has largely been defined by everyone but themselves. Afro American gay men are ignored into nonexistence in parts of black culture and are basically second class citizens in gay culture. The black church which has historically played a fundamental role in protesting against civil injustices toward its parishioners has been want to deny its gay members their right to live a life free and open without prejudice. Despite public projections of a “rainbow” community living together in harmonious co-habitation, openly active and passive prejudices exist in the larger gay community against gay Afro Americans.
(Source: zoedelaluna)
(via zoedelaluna)
Mary and Thomas Brittingham in Egypt, 1904.
Mary and Thomas Brittingham of Madison, Wisconsin were a jet-setting power couple before there were jets. Between 1897 and 1924, they visited at least 22 states and 32 countries including Egypt, Algeria, Portugal, Japan, Panama, Venezuela and Jamaica. Like any tourists, they photographed their travels extensively.
via: Brittingham Family Lantern Slide Collection, University of Wisconsin Digital Collections
read more: Chris Hartman, The Brittingham Family, UW-Madison Archives
(via wiscohisto)
Gladys Bentley (via Black History Month Spotlight: Queer black women behind the mic | AfterEllen.com)
The famous bulldagger of the Harlem Renaissance, Gladys Bentley was a lively, piano-playing blues and jazz singer. Hailing from Trinidad, Bentley performed at speakeasies (including Clam House, the most notorious gay speakeasy) across the country, clad in her famous tuxedo and top hat, boasting her sexuality, raunchy lyrics, and play on gender identity. Bentley penned a memoir, If This Be Sin, joining the ranks of other queer black intellectuals and performers in Harlem, including Langston Hughes andEthel Waters.
Bentley married a white woman, garnering an uproar of gossip and media attention over miscegenation. However, after recording music for more than 20 years and performing with drag queens, she felt the heat of McCarthyism, being harassed by the police and publicly scorned for her gender presentation and sexuality. Trying to save her career, Bentley published an article in Ebony, claiming that she had been “cured” of lesbianism and was a “woman again.” The singer tragically passed in 1960, but her legacy lives on.
(via gray37)
At first glance this 1905 evening gown designed by Lucile and entitled ‘A Protest’ appears to be just a pretty dress, if not with a slightly unusual name and color combination. The whole truth is far more interesting.
I wrote a while back about the Victorian practice of using different colors or gemstones to spell out messages in jewelry. This dress uses the same practice on a larger scale.
The color combination of (g)reen, (w)hite and (v)iolet would have sent a very specific message to any one in the know.
Specifically: (G)ive (W)omen the (V)ote.
This is a suffragette ball gown!
Lucile was the professional name of Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon.
More secret messages from the past.
(via lilycobalt)
A heart locked with a key, and a secret message: the colored stones have initial letters that spell ‘REGARD’: ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby and diamond. This arrangement of stones was also popular in ‘regard’ rings. The pendant opens to reveal a panel of woven hair under glass.
Joachim Murat (25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815), a charismatic, daring calvary officer whose flamboyant personal style earned him the title “the dandy king.”
Murat came from semi-humble origins, but through his own skills, and his brother-in-law Napoleon, he became Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, Grand Duke of Berg, and finally King of Naples from 1808 to 1815.
Murat was put to death by firing squad after failing to regain his throne from Ferdinand IV of Naples following the 100 Days, but met his death boldly: his last words were supposedly:
« Soldats ! Faites votre devoir ! Droit au cœur mais épargnez le visage. Feu ! »
“Soldiers! Do your duty! Straight to the heart but spare the face. Fire!”
Akram Zaatari, Studio Shehrazade, Saidam Lebanon, 1950s. Courtesy Hashem el Madani and the Arab Image Foundation
(via sisterwolf)
(via Réunion des musées nationaux)
Jeune femme Radé (young Rade woman)
Description :
1935-1937 Lieu de prise de vue : Indochine
