Samuel Pepys & the Debt

Under the category of some things never really change, a quote from Samuel Pepys' Diary of February 26, 1666. At this time England was at war with the Dutch and the a French. Pepys was responsible for "victualing" the Navy, and Parliament was not very agreeable to actually appropriating funds to do this. So here was the situation:

went into the Parke, and meeting Sir Ph. Warwick took a turne with him in the Pell Mall, talking of the melancholy posture of affairs, where every body is snarling one at another, and all things put together looke ominously. This new Act too putting us out of a power of raising money. So that he fears as I do, but is fearfull of enlarging in that discourse of an ill condition in every thing, and the State and all.

The good news is that England survived this, and almost 350 years later still survives. So there may be hope yet.

The Old Stone House

I have added a couple photographs to my Georgetown photo set, including this one of the Old Stone House. Normally there is a set of stairs up to the door on the second floor. They have recently been torn down, so I guess they are being replaced.

Georgetown 2011

The Origins of Pleasure

A TED video of Paul Bloom discussing The Origins of Pleasure.

Royal Faberge Collection

The Royal Faberge collection is exhibited at Buckingham Palace. Curator Caroline De Guitaut talks about the items in the collection and how it was put together.

Rowing on the River

A photograph of rowing on the Potomac, off Georgetown, earlier this evening.

Canal/River - 2011

Sisters of Fortune

A video of Jehanne Wake discussing her recent book, Sisters of Fortune: America's Caton Sisters at Home and Abroad. An interesting account of the granddaughters of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and once the wealthiest man in Maryland. Initially raised in Maryland, three of the four sisters spent most of their adult lives in England. Despite the fact that they were from primitive America, they soon integrated into the upper reaches of British society. On a more parochial note, Catonsville is located on the estate that Charles Carroll bought for their parents.

National Archives Sculpture

I have added two photographs of sculpture from the National Archives Building to my Sculpture photo set, including Adolph Alexander Weinman's pediment sculpture "Destiny. Below is a detail of the central section of the pediment.

Sculpture - 2011

Alex Steinweiss

Alex Steinweiss, the originator of record cover art, has died at 94 years old. (New York Times Obituary) In addition to having created the first art work done for a record cover, he also designed, and held the patent on, the standard record cover used for LPs, as the covers used for 78 r.p.m. records did not work for newfangled 33 1/3 r.p.m. LPs when they came along.

You can see a selection of his cover art on his website, linked to below.

Alex Steinweiss: Covers

Rybczynski on Memorials

From Slate, Witold Rybczynski's musings on the proposed Eisenhower Memorial, and memorials in general.

A Memorial for Ike

Gordon Parks' Photographs

The Lens blog, from The New York Times, has a selection of Gordon Parks' photographs from the new book, "Fields of Vision: The Photographs of Gordon Parks".

Empathetic Portraits of a Segregated Nation

Buildings

I have added several photographs to a photo set of DC building, including this one of the north facade of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, next to the White House.

DC Buildings - 2011

Dumbarton Rock

A video of Dumbarton Rock in Scotland.

In the 1703 Ninian Beall was granted 795 acres on the hill over looking Rock Creek, and the Potomac River. He named this estate the Rock of Dumbarton, presumably because the view of river from this hill reminded him of the view of the Clyde River from Dumbarton Rock, in his native Scotland.

Beall had an adventurous journey from his homeland to what was then Maryland. In Scotland he fought for the Royalist forces against Oliver Cromwell. He fell prisoner to Cromwell's Army in 1650, was sentenced to five years servitude, and shipped to Barbadoes. In 1652 he was then shipped on to Maryland, to finish his sentence. From here he went on to acquire 1,000's of acres, including a large chunk of what is now Washington, DC. Much of the land was granted to him in return for his services fighting the Indians. More Information here

My apartment building stands on ground that was once part of the Rock of Dumbarton Estate. So here is where it all started.

The Problem We All Live With

Norman Rockwell's painting, "The Problem We All Live With", is currently hanging in the White House. Here is a video of the President talking with Ruby Bridges, the young girl, depicted in the painting, being escorted into a newly desegregated school.

The St Cuthbert Gospel

A video on the British Library's purchase of the St. Cuthbert Gospel of St. John. Dating from the 7th century, it is the oldest known European book still totally intact with the original binding. I doubt that anyone will ever pay millions of dollars for a 1,000 year old ebook, in fact I doubt that any ebooks last 1,000 years.

Temperance Fountain

This is the latest photograph added to my Monuments photo set, the Temperance Fountain. Erected by dentist, Henry D. Cogswell, in hopes that providing cool water to drink would divert people from drinking more enjoyable beverages. The fountain no longer dispenses water, and so now the fountain is dry, even if the rest of the country isn't.

Monuments - 2011

Khipu

A very interesting article from Slate about Khipu, the ancient Peruvian system of "writing" with knotted strings.

Questioning the Inca Paradox

Happy Birthday St. Basil's

Today is the 450th anniversary of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, having withstood Napoleon's onslaught, and the Communist Party. Named for St. Basil, an eccentric religious fanatic, who was one of the very few Muscovites who dared criticize Czar Ivan the Terrible. To mark the occasion here is a video with exterior and interior shots of the Cathedral.

Pre-Digital Technology

This is a campanion post to go with my Just Music post of songs off Gillian Welch's new album, The Harrow & The Harvest. It is nice to see that pre-digital technology still gets used once in a while. This video is about the printing of the jacket for the new CD. I normally buy all my music on line these days, but I may have to go out and buy this one just so I have the jacket.



How to coffee stain your CD cover.

GAR Memorial

I have added some photographs of the Stephenson Grand Army of the Republic Monument to my Monuments photo set. Located at Indiana Plaza, on 7th & C Streets, NW. Washington, DC, the monument is dedicated to the Grand Army of the Republic, and it's founder, Benjamin Franklin Stephenson. In addition to a bust of Stephenson, the monument contains three base relief sculptures by John Massey Rhind, representing Fraternity, Loyalty and Charity.

Monuments - 2011

Rabbit & Tree

I have created a new photo set for sculpture, and have added photographs of these two sculptures to it.

Graft (2009) by Roxy Paine



Thinker on a Rock (1997) by Barry Flanagan

The Great Silence

I recently read The Great Silence: Britain from the Shadow of the First World War to the Dawn of the Jazz Age by Juliet Nicolson. The book covers the impact that WWI had on British culture and society, through the stories of individuals from many different walks of life. A lot of the stories deal with changes in the status of women and the servant class, as well as threats to the Monarchy, and the importation of Jazz music from America.

Of course the overriding theme is the tremendous amount of grief that everyone had to deal with after the death or disfigurement of 100,000's of men.

The book concludes on November 11 ,1920—two years after the armistice—with the burial of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey. Below is a film of that actual event.

Films About Gospel Music

From Ebert Presents, reviews of two great films about Gospel Music.

[Note: These videos may not play with Firefox, the do seem to play in IE.]

"Rejoice and Shout" - the clip of Clara Ward from this film is in this post.



"Say Amen, Somebody" - a clip from this film of the O'Neal Twins in this post

The Olson House

A story from boston.com. The Interior Department announced that the Olson House has been named a National Historic Landmark. The house is known from one of the most recognizable paintings of the 20th Century, Andrew Wyeth's work Christina's World.

Wyeth touch puts site in pantheon

150 Years Ago in Baltimore

Today marks 150 years since four Baltimore Police Commissioners were arrested, and the city put under Federal Control, in order to suppress seditious activity by the always unruly citizens of Mobtown.

From Abraham Lincoln's papers:

Balto July 1st 1861.

Major Gen'l Banks this morning caused to be arrested Howard Gatchell Hinks and Davis four of the Police Commissioners and they are now confined in Fort McHenry-- The cause of their arrest as stated in proclamation just issued is that the Head Quarters under the charge of the Board when abandoned by the officers resembled in some respects a concealed arsenal. They continued their sessions daily after public recognition and protest against the suspension of their functions. After a forced and unwarrantable construction of former proclamation they declared the Police law suspended and the Police officers put off duty intending to leave the City without any police protection. Refused to recognize the officers appointed by the Provost Marshal and held subject to their orders the old police armed for same some purpose not known to the Government and in consistinconsistent with its peace and security. The military were ordered into the City and now occupy some of the most prominent points. The ordinary municipal affairs are not to be interfered with. The news from Fortress Monroe is unimportant four secession pickets were arrested and are detained at the Fort.

Marriot Boswell

This eventually resulted in the federal occupation of Federal Hill with cannons trained on the city, as shown in this photograph.