GoodReads photos on Flickr

www.goodreads.com/author/show/7816.Fernando_Pessoa

The Book of Disquietude by Kirstie

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Looking across the snowcapped mountains overhead the American SW I thought about how the Earth's cracks looked like magnified dendrites as if it was the brain control center of our deep synaptic secrets.

It is difficult to live on this Earth and it is difficult to be a human being when the mountains know all of our secrets before we even think them and the lakes carry our thoughts from us to strangers.

And yes, this landscape is also how I feel, whether I'm on a way to a holiday or escaping just that.

Pessoa's The Book of Disquietude is perhaps the most brilliant thing I've ever read...and I haven't even read all of it yet. I savor it. I open to random passages. Think of a literary truffle, as deep and as chocolatey and as honest as anything you can imagine. Such is Pessoa and The Book of Disquietude.

**All photos are copyrighted. Please don't use without permission**

#fakemustache #librarylife #librarylove #library #howdoyoulibrary #booklove #booklife #booklover #bookaddict #bibiotecha #bibliophile #reader #reading #bookshelves #roadtoalexandria #R2A #bookworm #goodreads #texas #sanantonio #bookstagram #books #book # by Road to Alexandria

Pocket Books 42 (April, 1940). Fourth Printing. by Leo Boudreau

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Benvenuto Cellini was a celebrated Renaissance sculptor and goldsmith - a passionate craftsman who was admired and resented by the most powerful political and artistic personalities in sixteenth-century Florence, Rome and Paris. He was also a murderer and a braggart, a shameless adventurer who at different times experienced both papal persecution and imprisonment, and the adulation of the royal court. Inn-keepers and prostitutes, kings and cardinals, artists and soldiers rub shoulders in the pages of his notorious autobiography: a vivid portrait of the manners and morals of both the rulers of the day and of their subjects. Written with supreme powers of invective and an irrepressible sense of humour, this is an unrivalled glimpse into the palaces and prisons of the Italy of Michelangelo and the Medici. [Source: Goodreads website at www.goodreads.com/book/show/880378.The_Autobiography_Of_B... ]

Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame is responsible for a recent production of Berlioz's Opera "Benvenuto Cellini."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=puilQzRmkVg

Sunrise, Court of the Patriarchs by Jeff Clay

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Zion National Park

Long hair collage. by NikkiNikNak1 ☾☀

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magic-in-every-book: Read PoC//Historical Fiction I only listed one book per author, usually their most popular or highest rated book/series, so make sure to check out their Goodreads page for more of their hardwork!! Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi by medieval poc

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magic-in-every-book: Read PoC//Historical Fiction I only listed one book per author, usually their most popular or highest rated book/series, so make sure to check out their Goodreads page for more of their hardwork!! Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezevani A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam The Lovers of Algeria by Anouar Benmalek The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel Ancestor Stones by Aminatta Forna When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro The Book of Night Women by Marlon James The Known World by Edward P. Jones Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones In Praise of Hatred by Khaled Khalifa The Moor’s Account by Laila Lalami Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez Empress Orchid by Anchee Min The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See The Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan The Makioka Sisters by Jun’ichiro Tanazaki Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama The Color Purple by Alice Walker The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon More Recommendations Recommended Historical Fiction, Memoirs, and Mysteries by People of Color (Blog) Best Black Historical Fiction (Goodreads) Literary Fiction by People of Color (Goodreads Group) “Historical” Tag @readpoc2016 Read PoC Posts Young Adult//Fantasy and Science Fiction//General Fiction//Autobiographies and Memoirs

good reads : Flow, Book for paper lovers + a giveaway by emma lamb

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blogged

sneek peek : Craft, Show & Sell by emma lamb

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Craft, Show & Sell by Torie Jayne, a beautiful new book I am featured in! I can't wait to have my own copy to show you more... x

blogged

Reading by Anita Vela Photography

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¡Hola! Acabo de publicar la primera reseña del nuevo blog , espero que os guste :)

Ver post AQUÍ

Instagram • Blog • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Youtube

Srah Srang Sunrise: The Water Carrier by Jeff Clay

18 3

Cambodia | Angkor

Astounding Science Fiction Vol. 31, No. 3 (May, 1943). Cover by William Timmins by Leo Boudreau

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This issue contains the first installment of a science fiction classic, "Gather Darkness" by Fritz Leiber, which first appeared in three consecutive issues of Astounding Science Fiction Magazine from May to July, 1943.

It tells the story of Armon Jarles, a man on the edge, living amidst the disputes of two rival powers at large in the world. 360 years after a nuclear holocaust ravaged mankind, throwing society back into the dark ages, the world is fraught with chaos and superstition. The new rulers over the masses of humanity are the techno-priests of the Great God, endowed with scientific knowledge lost to the rest of humanity. Jarles, originally of peasant descent, rises to become a priest of the Great God. He knows the gospel propagated by the priests to be a fraud, based on illusion and trickery. Even more offensive to him is the paucity of true believers among the priesthood. One day he rebels against his priestly training and attempts to incite the peasants to rise up and demand freedom, but they are not ready. Jarles is not the only dissenter trying to sabotage and expose the false theocracy of the priesthood. Although he is unaware, his rebellion against the power of the priests is about to throw him headlong into the middle of the greatest holy war the world has ever seen. [Summary from the Goodreads website at www.goodreads.com/book/show/561311.Gather_Darkness_]

- by ♡ ;أستغفر الله'

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twittet - goodreads

Storm Glyphs by tomraven

10 254

"No one expects the rug to be yanked out from underneath them; life-changing events usually don’t announce themselves. While instinct and intuition can help provide some warning signs, they can do little to prepare you for the feeling of rootlessness that follows when fate flips your world upside down. Anger, confusion, sadness, and frustration are shaken up together inside you like a snow globe. It takes years for the emotional dust to settle as you do your best to see through the storm."

— Slash (Slash)

after the storm...

800–804 Broadway, New York, NY (1847) by Steve Minor

3

Manhattan, NY (settled 1624, pop. 1.6MM) • East Village

• Grace Episcopal Church • French Gothic Revival design by 25 yr. old James Renwick, Jr. (1818-1895), his first major commission • cornerstone laid, 1843 • church consecrated, 1846 • church history

• built of “Sing Sing marble,” actually Tuckahoe Marble quarried from the Sing Sing Quarry [photo] by Sing Sing Correctional Facility prisoners

• spire, 226’ high, was among the tallest points on the early NYC skyline • originally wood, was replaced by a marble spire, 1883

• situated in one of the most visible locations in Manhattan, the corner of East 10th St. where Broadway bends S/SE, aligning w/ the city’s avenues [c. 1900 photo]

• for much of the mid/late 19th C., considered NYC’s most fashionable church & most prestigious site for marriage or burial • like many other churches, charged “pew rents,” an annual fee for the use of its seats • initial pew rents were $3/wk. (= $114 today), thus the congregation in the early years consisted largely of wealthy New Yorkers [1918 video]

“In his 1882 New York by Gaslight, author James, D. McCabe, Jr. would point out, “At the morning service a greater display of wealth and fashion is presented here than at any other city church. Grace Church has been the scene of more fashionable weddings and funerals than any other place of worship.” —Daytonian in Manhattan

• on 10 Feb, 1863, the American Civil War was raging, demonstrations, protesting the country’s first military draft were on the verge of becoming full-blown draft riots, and a widely anticipated event took place in Grace Church; Charles Sherwood Stratton (1838-1883) — a wealthy, international celebrity better known as General Tom Thumb — and Mercy Lavinia Warren (1841-1919) exchanged wedding vows • both were proportionate dwarfs in the employ of P.T. Barnum, performers at his American Museum

• Stratton was a gifted entertainer who sang, danced & performed physical comedy, stage name taken from “The History of Tom Thumbe,” a story first published in 1621, attributed to London romance writer Richard Johnson (1573–c.1659) • Lavinia began her career performing on a river boat, signed w/Barnum, age 21

“The church was comfortably filled by a highly select audience of ladies and gentlemen, none being admitted except those having cards of invitation. Among them were governors of several of the States, to whom I had sent cards, and such of those as could not be present in person were represented by friends, to whom they had given their cards. Members of Congress were present, also generals of the army, and many other prominent public men. Numerous applications were made from wealthy and distinguished persons, for tickets to witness the ceremony, and as high as sixty dollars [= $1,400 today] was offered for a single admission. But not a ticket was sold; and Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren were pronounced ‘man and wife’ before witnesses.” —P.T. Barnum, “Struggles and Triumphs”

• the Brooklyn Eagle editorialized, “We are surprised that the clergy, or representatives of so respectable a body as the Episcopal Church should, for a moment, allow themselves to be used by this Yankee showman to advertise his business”

• amid widespread criticism of the church for it’s complicity in what was widely viewed as another Barnum publicity stunt, Stratton responded, “It is true we are little but we are as God made us, perfect in our littleness. We are simply man and woman of like passions and infirmities with you and other mortals. The arrangements for our marriage are controlled by no showman.”

“The more than 2,000 invited wedding guests [photo] appeared to be a who’s who of American nobility, including a number of congressmen and high-ranking generals, in addition to the thousands of average New Yorkers who showed up hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous tiny couple.” —A General, a Queen and the President

“The wedding party’s arrival outside the church at half past noon touched off a stampede among combatants fighting for a close-up view. The police restrained them only with extreme exertion. Inside, ‘an instantaneous uprising ensued,’ The New York Times reported the following day. ‘All looked, few saw. Many stood upon the seats, others stood upon stools placed on the seats. By many, good breeding was forgotten. By very many the sanctity of the occasion and the sacredness of the ceremonies were entirely ignored. As the little party toddled up the aisle, a sense of the ludicrous seemed to hit many a bump of fun, and irrepressible and unpleasantly audible giggles ran through the church.’” —Boundary Stones

• the couple received wedding presents from wealthy Americans, including a miniature horse-drawn carriage fashioned by Tiffany & Co. • the ceremony, officiated by Stratton’s hometown minister, Junius Willey, was followed by a reception at the Metropolitan Hotel, attended by guests who had purchased tickets from Barnum

• the newlyweds [illustration] then traveled to Washington where Charles’s brother was stationed w/ the Union Army • checked in to Willard’s Hotel

• on 13 Feb, 1863, a well-publicized reception for the couple was held in the East Room of the Lincoln White House, hosted by First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln & America’s tallest president [illustration] —Andrew Martin

Livinia Warren: “[The] President took our hands and led us to the sofa, lifting the General up and placed him at his left hand, while Mrs. Lincoln did the same serve for me, placing me at her right… Tad, the favorite son, stood beside his mother and gazing at me… whispered to his mother, ‘Mother if you were a little woman like Mrs. Stratton you would look just like her.'”

“The marriage of Gen. Tom Thumb cannot be treated as an affair of no moment -- in some respects it is most momentous. Next to LOUIS NAPOLEON, there is no one person better known by reputation to high and low, rich and poor, than he…

“Those who did and those who did not attend the wedding of Gen. Thomas Thumb and Queen composed the population of this great Metropolis yesterday, and thenceforth religious and civil parties sink into comparative insignificance before this one arbitrating query of fate -- Did you or did you not see Tom Thumb married?” —NYT 22 Feb, 1863

• Stratton retired wealthy • couple lived in a Bridgeport, CT mansion, owned a yacht, a summer home in Massachusetts [photo] and a custom-built cottage on Cut in Two Island East in Connecticut’s Thimble Islands • in 1855, when bad investments forced Barnum to file for bankruptcy, Stratton provided financial assistance d& became Barnum’s business partner

• 28 yrs. later, Charles died of a stroke • the couple’s lavish lifestyle had reduced their wealth but enough remained to support Lavinia’s retirement • chose instead to return to the stage, used the stage name “Mrs. Tom Thumb” & assembled a troupe of touring “Liliputians”

• married Italian proportionate dwarf Count primo Magri (1849-1920), who, with his brother, joined the troupe • Count & Countess [photo] lived in Middleborough, MA, • summers, operated a roadside general store for auto tourists called Primo’s Pastime, where they posed for photos w/customers —Atlas Obscura

• the Mrs. Tom Thumb company toured the country [photo], garnering favorable reviews, e.g., “The entertainment given by the Mrs. Tom Thumb Company Saturday was really a fine thing. The little people cannot help being interesting and the tricks of magic were also good, as were the music and trained birds, but the suspension in mid- air of the little countess and change of character was the best thing of the kind ever seen here,” —Newburyport (MA) Herald following a 2 July, 1889 performance at the Exeter (NH) Opera House

• shortly after Stratton’s death, theaters began staging re-enactments of the couple's nuptials • “Tom Thumb weddings,” aka "miniature weddings, became a fad in the 1890s-1900s and continued to be staged by churches, community organizations and charities well into the late 20th C., mainly as fundraisers [photo]

• Grace Church is a National Historic Landmark designated for its architectural significance and place within the history of New York City, and the entire complex is a New York City landmark • one of seven New York City buildings designated by the Municipal Art Society as being of national importance, to be preserved at all costs

designations:

NY Landmarks Preservation Commission:

• church & rectory landmarked, 1966

• Fourth Avenue church houses landmarked, 1977

National Register of Historic Places:

• church & dependencies, # 74001270, 1974

• national historic landmark, 1977

Wake Me In The Morning by tomraven

13 98

"This is rather as if you imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, 'This is an interesting world I find myself in — an interesting hole I find myself in — fits me rather neatly, doesn't it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!' This is such a powerful idea that as the sun rises in the sky and the air heats up and as, gradually, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, frantically hanging on to the notion that everything's going to be alright, because this world was meant to have him in it, was built to have him in it; so the moment he disappears catches him rather by surprise. I think this may be something we need to be on the watch out for."

— Douglas Adams (The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time)

Somewhere in the South Pacific... :-)

King's Day Celebration by Night by Jeff Clay

11 4

Holland | Amsterdam

The Nautilus (Little Finland) by Jeff Clay

4 3

Nevada | Gold Butte National Monument

There's a fire burning within Bronte that she can't put out... Tap into the elements with Hidden - The Hidden Saga Book 1. Photo by Serina Hartwell - Author http://www.serinahartwell.com Goodreads Author- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8146251 Am by Serina Hartwell - Author

For God so loved the world by PKJones

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“Super Science Stories,” July 1950, featuring John D. MacDonald’s sci-fi story “Half-Past Eternity.” Cover art by Lawrence Sterne Stevens by Leo Boudreau

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“A reclusive scientist comes across a way of speeding up the rate at which people move through time. When the discovery comes to the attention of an unscrupulous bookmaker the two develop a scheme whereby the discovery is used to create super athletes who can outperform anyone who does not have the treatment.” -- Goodreads.com

John D. MacDonald (1916-1986) was a prolific American writer, best known for his crime and thriller novels, particularly the Travis McGee series. But before he became a household name in crime fiction, he got his start writing science fiction for pulp magazines in the 1940s.

MacDonald’s journey to becoming a successful writer was unconventional. He earned an MBA from Harvard but found himself dissatisfied with corporate life. After serving in World War II, he began writing short stories, churning out hundreds of thousands of words in just a few months. His early works were published in pulp magazines, including science fiction stories, which helped him refine his craft and gain recognition.

By the 1950s, MacDonald transitioned into full-length novels, publishing “The Brass Cupcake” in 1950. His ability to blend suspense, social commentary, and sharp storytelling made him one of the most successful American novelists of his time, selling an estimated 70 million books. His science fiction novels, such as “Wine of the Dreamers” (1951) and “Ballroom of the Skies” (1952), showcased his versatility before he fully embraced crime fiction.

His legacy endures, with the Travis McGee novels still widely read today. MacDonald’s influence on crime fiction and his ability to weave compelling narratives across genres make him a fascinating figure in literary history.

[Sources: Britannica and Wikipedia]

Tube train reading #spanking #70sporn #vintageporn #dirtybooks #porn #pornös #smut #sparenoblushes #freethenips #goodreads by Chris Low

4

45-47 East Bay St, Charleston, SC, USA by Steve Minor

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Charleston est. 1670, pop. 127,999 (2013)

(R) No. 47, Mrs. Anne Boone's House (c. 1740)

• 3½-story Georgian style house is one of the oldest surviving examples of the Charleston single house, "one room thick and two rooms long, with a staircase in its middle set endwise to the street" • typically, single houses had a ground floor room used as an office or shop with a street-facing entrance which, for this house, was probably where the middle window is now

• thick, brick exterior walls could be those of the house Anne Boone (1677-1751) inherited in 1733 from husband Joseph, serving as a basis for reconstruction after the Great Fire of 1740 —College of Charleston Library

• in 1680, Joseph Boone (1678-1734) came to Carolina from England with a large company of Puritans, led by Anne's father, Landgrave Daniel Axtell (c. 1645-c. 1683) • his father, Daniel Axtell (1622-1660), had been hanged, drawn & quartered for participating in the regicide of King Charles I

• the British Lords Proprietors granted the right of free worship in Carolina & the 1st governor appointed was a Puritan, William Sayle (c. 1590–1671) • other Puritans & persecuted groups followed, e.g., Huguenots, Quakers • some of the ships bearing settlers were underwritten by wealthy Jews, who immigrated later

• when Anglicans gained power, dissent was restricted • Joseph Boone was a leader in opposing this • both of the Boone's are buried at their Mt. Boone Plantation —The WPA Guide to South Carolina: The Palmetto State • Daniel & Rebecca Axtell

• Doric columned piazza replaced earlier porch c. 1840 • gable end with it's 19th c. closed pediment profile rebuilt after collapsing in Hurricane Hugo, 1989 - The Buildings of Charleston, J.H. Poston for the Historic Charleston Foundation, 1997

(L) No. 45, Somersall-deSaussure House (c. 1780-1800)

• in 1757, merchant James Hartley purchased this lot -- part of Lot No. 1 of Charles Town's Grand Modell -- from Adam Daniel • in the will he executed the same year, Hartley directed his executor to take charge of the dwelling house, then under construction on this site, to insure that it would "be Completely finished upon the Plan and present Design thereof" • apparently the house didn't survive • the present 3-story single house seems to have been constructed by Hartley’s son-in-law, merchant & planter William Somersall, an immigrant from St. Kitt's

• Somersall is said to have loaned the South Carolina govt.£23,580 during the American Revolution • served in the SC General Assembly, 1787- 90 • delegate to the 1788 state convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution • married Hartley's daughter Sarah, 1774, the second marriage for each

• after 1807 the house was occupied by the Somersalls' daughter Mary & her husband, attorney John Ward (1767-1816) • Ward was a State Representative & Senator, twice president of the State Senate, 1801-02 lntendant (mayor) of Charleston & a Colonel in the SC Militia

• in 1850 the house was purchased by Wilmot G. de Saussure (1822-1886) [photo] • brigadier gen., SC militia • as a colonel in the Confederate Army, led his regiment in the occupation of Fort Moultrie & the bombardment of Fort Sumter • as brigadier gen. commanded artillery during the Union siege of Charleston, 1863 • led Confederate troops in opposition to Major General William T. Sherman's march through the Carolinas

• served five 2-year terms in the SC General Assembly, 1848–1863 • SC Sec. of the Treasury, 1861-62 • post-war was a prominent lawyer active in civic affairs • wrote several works of SC history • grand master of Freemasons, president of the Huguenot Society, Cincinnati Society, etc. • genealogy

• c. 1850-60 de Saussure remodeled in the taste of the period, adding Greek Revival & Italianate detailing, a wide overhanging eave, heavy window hoods, a bracketed piazza door hood & a triple-tiered piazza with fluted Doric columns • the mansion was converted to condos, 1985 -Roots & Recall

• Charleston Historic District, National Register # 66000964, 1969 • declared National Historic Landmark District, 1973

Mujer Jaguar by tagois

6 4

www.goodreads.com/book/show/37757837-district-13

800–804 Broadway, New York, NY (1847) by Steve Minor

3

Manhattan, NY (settled 1624, pop. 1.6MM) • East Village

• Grace Episcopal Church • French Gothic Revival design by 25 yr. old James Renwick, Jr. (1818-1895), his first major commission • cornerstone laid, 1843 • church consecrated, 1846 • church history

• built of “Sing Sing marble,” actually Tuckahoe Marble quarried from the Sing Sing Quarry [photo] by Sing Sing Correctional Facility prisoners

• spire, 226’ high, was among the tallest points on the early NYC skyline • originally wood, was replaced by a marble spire, 1883

• situated in one of the most visible locations in Manhattan, the corner of East 10th St. where Broadway bends S/SE, aligning w/ the city’s avenues [c. 1900 photo]

• for much of the mid/late 19th C., considered NYC’s most fashionable church & most prestigious site for marriage or burial • like many other churches, charged “pew rents,” an annual fee for the use of its seats • initial pew rents were $3/wk. (= $114 today), thus the congregation in the early years consisted largely of wealthy New Yorkers

“In his 1882 New York by Gaslight, author James, D. McCabe, Jr. would point out, “At the morning service a greater display of wealth and fashion is presented here than at any other city church. Grace Church has been the scene of more fashionable weddings and funerals than any other place of worship.” —Daytonian in Manhattan

• on 10 Feb, 1863, the American Civil War was raging, demonstrations protesting the country’s first military draft were on the verge of becoming full-blown draft riots, and a widely anticipated event took place in Grace Church; Charles Sherwood Stratton (1838-1883) — a wealthy, international celebrity better known as General Tom Thumb — and Mercy Lavinia Warren (1841-1919) exchanged wedding vows • both were proportionate dwarfs in the employ of P.T. Barnum, performers at his American Museum

• Stratton was a gifted entertainer who sang, danced & performed physical comedy, stage name taken from “The History of Tom Thumbe,” a story first published in 1621 • Lavinia began her career performing on a river boat, signed w/Barnum, age 21

“The church was comfortably filled by a highly select audience of ladies and gentlemen, none being admitted except those having cards of invitation. Among them were governors of several of the States, to whom I had sent cards, and such of those as could not be present in person were represented by friends, to whom they had given their cards. Members of Congress were present, also generals of the army, and many other prominent public men. Numerous applications were made from wealthy and distinguished persons, for tickets to witness the ceremony, and as high as sixty dollars [= $1,400 today] was offered for a single admission. But not a ticket was sold; and Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren were pronounced ‘man and wife’ before witnesses.” —P.T. Barnum, “Struggles and Triumphs”

• the Brooklyn Eagle editorialized, “We are surprised that the clergy, or representatives of so respectable a body as the Episcopal Church should, for a moment, allow themselves to be used by this Yankee showman to advertise his business.”

• amid widespread criticism of the church for it’s complicity in what some viewed as another Barnum publicity stunt, Stratton responded, “It is true we are little but we are as God made us, perfect in our littleness. We are simply man and woman of like passions and infirmities with you and other mortals. The arrangements for our marriage are controlled by no showman.”

“The more than 2,000 invited wedding guests [photo] appeared to be a who’s who of American nobility, including a number of congressmen and high-ranking generals, in addition to the thousands of average New Yorkers who showed up hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous tiny couple.” —A General, a Queen and the President

“The wedding party’s arrival outside the church at half past noon touched off a stampede among combatants fighting for a close-up view. The police restrained them only with extreme exertion. Inside, ‘an instantaneous uprising ensued,’ The New York Times reported the following day. ‘All looked, few saw. Many stood upon the seats, others stood upon stools placed on the seats. By many, good breeding was forgotten. By very many the sanctity of the occasion and the sacredness of the ceremonies were entirely ignored. As the little party toddled up the aisle, a sense of the ludicrous seemed to hit many a bump of fun, and irrepressible and unpleasantly audible giggles ran through the church.’” —Boundary Stones

• the couple received wedding presents from wealthy Americans, including a miniature horse-drawn carriage fashioned by Tiffany & Co. • the ceremony, officiated by Stratton’s hometown minister, Junius Willey, was followed by a reception at the Metropolitan Hotel, attended by guests who had purchased tickets from Barnum

• the newlyweds [illustration] then traveled to Washington where Charles’s brother was stationed w/ the Union Army • checked in to Willard’s Hotel

• on 13 Feb, 1863, a well-publicized reception for the couple was held in the East Room of the Lincoln White House, hosted by First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln & America’s tallest president [illustration]

Livinia Warren: “[The] President took our hands and led us to the sofa, lifting the General up and placed him at his left hand, while Mrs. Lincoln did the same serve for me, placing me at her right… Tad, the favorite son, stood beside his mother and gazing at me… whispered to his mother, ‘Mother if you were a little woman like Mrs. Stratton you would look just like her.'”

NYT 22 Feb, 1863: “The marriage of Gen. Tom Thumb cannot be treated as an affair of no moment -- in some respects it is most momentous. Next to LOUIS NAPOLEON, there is no one person better known by reputation to high and low, rich and poor, than he…

“Those who did and those who did not attend the wedding of Gen. Thomas Thumb and Queen composed the population of this great Metropolis yesterday, and thenceforth religious and civil parties sink into comparative insignificance before this one arbitrating query of fate -- Did you or did you not see Tom Thumb married?”

• Stratton retired wealthy • couple lived in a Bridgeport, CT mansion, owned a yacht, a summer home in Massachusetts [photo] and a custom-built cottage on Cut in Two Island East in Connecticut’s Thimble Islands • in 1855, when bad investments forced Barnum to file for bankruptcy, Stratton provided financial assistance & became Barnum’s business partner

• 28 yrs. later, Charles died of a stroke • the couple’s lavish lifestyle had reduced their wealth but enough remained to support Lavinia’s retirement • chose instead to return to the stage as “Mrs. Tom Thumb” & assembled a troupe of touring “Liliputians”

• married Italian proportionate dwarf, Count primo Magri (1849-1920) who, with his brother, joined the troupe • Count & Countess [photo] lived in Middleborough, MA, • summers only, operated Primo’s Pastime, a roadside general store for auto tourists where they posed for photos w/customers —Atlas Obscura

• Lavinia's company toured the country [photo], garnering favorable reviews

“The entertainment given by the Mrs. Tom Thumb Company Saturday was really a fine thing. The little people cannot help being interesting and the tricks of magic were also good, as were the music and trained birds, but the suspension in mid- air of the little countess and change of character was the best thing of the kind ever seen here,” —Newburyport (MA) Herald following a 2 July, 1889 performance at the Exeter (NH) Opera House

• shortly after Stratton’s death, theaters began staging re-enactments of the couple's nuptials • “Tom Thumb weddings,” aka "miniature weddings, became a fad in the 1890s-1900s and continued to be staged by churches, community organizations and charities well into the late 20th C., mainly as fundraisers [photo]

• Grace Church is a National Historic Landmark designated for its architectural significance and place within the history of New York City, and the entire complex is a New York City landmark • one of seven New York City buildings designated by the Municipal Art Society as being of national importance, to be preserved at all costs

designations:

NY Landmarks Preservation Commission:

• church & rectory landmarked, 1966

• Fourth Avenue church houses landmarked, 1977

National Register of Historic Places:

• church & dependencies, # 74001270, 1974

• national historic landmark, 197

Friday.POTW.30August2019 by Elvert Barnes

5

Friday, 30 August 2019 PHOTO OF THE WEEK at exbphotos2019.blogspot.com/2019/09/friday-30-august-2019-...

11 x 17 Poster

Elvert Barnes 2019 FPOTW at elvertbarnes.com/2019fridaysphotos.html

_________________

Waiting for Broad Street Southbound Train at SEPTA 15th Street Station in Philadelphia PA on Saturday afternoon, 24 August 2019 by Elvert Barnes Photography

The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry That Built America’s First Subway book by Doug Most at www.goodreads.com/book/show/17934384-the-race-underground

THE RACE UNDERGROUND / PBS / AMERICAN EXPERIENCE at www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/race-underground/

PEOPLE READING Series

RIDE BY SHOOTING / SEPTA Philly Project

En route to 11th PHILLY NAKED BIKE RIDE 2019 Pre-Ride Festival

Elvert Barnes 11th PHILLY NAKED BIKE RIDE 2019 docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/PNBR2019.html

Turned my phone off for most of the weekend and stayed off social media. Needed a little detox and some time to myself. Finished another book, and I'm one book "ahead of schedule" according to my Goodreads 2019 challenge. Time to head out for a walk with by Aaron Von Hagen

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bit.ly/2S731lT

“Never look back, except it was wonderful.” ―Dodie Smith, 1974 by anokarina

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www.goodreads.com/book/show/2418776.Look_Back_With_Love

Tiffany. by NikkiNikNak1 ☾☀

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#librarylife #librarylove #library #howdoyoulibrary #booklove #booklife #booklover #bookaddict #bibiotecha #bibliophile #reader #reading #bookshelves #read #reading #roadtoalexandria #R2A #bookworm #goodreads #texas #sanantonio #bookstagram #books #book by Road to Alexandria

The Mill Round the Back I Photograph by Serina Hartwell Author of The Hidden Saga - http://www.serinahartwell.com Goodreads Author - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8146251 Amazon - http://viewauthor.at/Serina_Hartwell Flickr - https://flic.kr/s by Serina Hartwell - Author

Good vibes ✌ by NikkiNikNak1 ☾☀

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#captivating #booklovers #bookPaintedFaces on Amazon #huntingknives #bookclub #greatreads #goodreads #paperback #handcuffs #paperbackwriter #whattoread #novel #book #turnthepage #fictionbooks #fictionalbooks by Jordon Papanier

Christmas Coffee by Julia Grace Arts

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Not a creature was stirring, except for my mouse.

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Quick Links

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On the Waterfront by Rand

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Our Daily Challenge:

BOOK TITLE is the topic for Saturday, October 22, 2022

On the Waterfront

From goodreads:

"Schulberg’s acclaimed and bestselling novel, based on a classic of American cinema

In 1955, Budd Schulberg adapted his Academy Award–winning screenplay into an exhilarating novel. Suspenseful and emotional, the novel presents a more complex—and perhaps bleaker—portrait of ex-boxer Terry Malloy’s corrupt and stunted world on the docks of Hoboken. Narrated by Father Pete Barry, the novel shifts focus to the courageous priest who stands up to the Mob, as well as his own church, in order to redeem the souls of his hardscrabble and unloved constituents.

On the Waterfront is a potent retelling of an iconic American story that stands apart as an unforgettable vision of crime, politics, and class in the twentieth century."

Happy Friday! Kick off your weekend with a great read filled with tips on having a great relationship! http://ift.tt/1FiHKHy #friday #fridaynight #fridayreads #goodreads #books #selfhelpbook #selflove #love #dating #datingadvice #datingtips #relationships by Aligned Signs

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via Instagram ift.tt/1j5s1EB

~ good vibes ~ by NikkiNikNak1 ☾☀

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