View allAll Photos Tagged Immigrate_to_Canada
I had fun playing with these little treasures,,,,the lace and old spools belonged to my husband's grandmother,,,the books came from his family too,,, the beautiful old cup is one of a few given to us by the first pastor we had when we immigrated to Canada,,,special memories,,love them all,,,,
Wishing you all a good weekend.... thanks so much for your visits,,,
Thanks to Jai Johnson for the texture,
I composed this photograph of Le Chateau Montebello while visiting there during a lengthy road trip through Eastern Canada.
It claims to be the largest log building in the world. Construction for the hotel building was overseen by Finnish immigrant Victor Nymark, a master log builder who immigrated to Canada in 1924. As work on the building began before the hotel's final design plans were completed, Nymark's construction crew occasionally proceeded without blueprints to guide them.
The three resort buildings erected in 1930 were built using 10,000 western red cedar logs shipped from British Columbia. The log walls are painted black on the outside, although its interiors maintain natural wood colouring. The building also features 500,000 hand-slit cedar roof shakes and 166 kilometres of wooden moulding.
(Adapted from Wikipedia)
I love Marta Elena. I am probably not alone, as she wins many hearts wherever she performs. Born in Havana in a musical family, where she started performig at young age, later with 'Anacaona' and 'Caribbe' bands. She immigrated to Canada in 2011. I seen her first probably around 2015, and was quite impressed. She is now one of the top Latin singers in the city and she makes a wild dance party, anywhere she performs. This year I've seen her not only at Kensington Jazz, but also at Toronto Jazz, Dundas West Festival and on here 'home' turf at Lula Lounge club. At Kensington outdoor stage she was with Danae Olano- keyboard, Jonathan Amador bass, unknown to me trombone player and a drummer. There are few who have stage presence anywhere close to Marta Elena. Probably her 9(?) year old daughter comes closest, but she is not performing yet.
269. Kensington. P1720058; Taken 2023-Sep 30. Upload 2023-Nov 28.
Cathedral of Transfiguration in Markham Ontario, for three decades, is a future unanswered!
The Cathedral cornerstone was the first one in North America
consecrated by late Pope John Paul II. ( We had been there when that happen!)
Three of the Onion domes are plated in 22-karat gold!
The three bell carillon is the largest in the World!
The Church is a Brainchild of Stephen B Roman, who immigrated to Canada in 1937 from Slovakia!!
Posted this for Remembrance Day. An old photo of my Grandfather in World War I, taken in England. My grandfather immigrated to Canada from England prior to the war and returned home for the war. That was the last time he saw his home as never returned again. He never did obtain a Canadian citizenship but still fought for Canada in the Canadian Forces. I restored the photo using AI from an old faded and blurry image.
Between 1947-1950 ,40,000 Jewish displaced persons immigrated to Canada Many of them settled in Montreal. making the city one of the largest communities of Holocaust Survivors in the world! In 2001 , 6,795 Holocaust Survivors were still living in Montreal.
The survivors sought each other out, building a community bound by their experiences. For many, this included a responsibility & commitment to memorialize the Holocaust. They initiated remembrances ,published commemorative books, Holocaust memoirs, and often worked directly within the schools to educate the next generation. The lobbied the Jewish community for support in the creation of the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Center in 1979, the first of it's kind in Canada. The survivors have been active politically, fighting racism, and antisemitism and opposing those who would deny the Holocaust.
The work accomplished by the Surviving Remnant, will live after them, honouring and protecting the memory of those who perished and serving as a warning to the world: Never Again.
Montreal, QC
Canada
Excerpt from heritagemississauga.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Erinda...:
15. Taylor-Froebel House
(c. 1878) 1584 Dundas Street W.
Emerson Taylor, who immigrated to Canada in 1837 from Pennsylvania, built this house between 1875 and 1878. Emerson owned the Royal Exchange Hotel, was a local Magistrate and Justice-of-Peace, and he donated land for the building of the nearby Methodist Church in 1877. Emerson also owned a sawmill, knitting mill, and a fanning mill that produced wood furniture and grandfather clocks. A later owner was Vin Robbinson who ran a blacksmith shop and hardware store.
what a time we're living in. Hope that there will be no more bloodshed of innocent people. This photo I shot quite a while ago around the St.Albert, Canada area, to NOW show solidarity with the poor Ukrainians
Ukrainian Canadians (Українські канадці) are Canadian citizens of Ukrainian descent or Ukrainian-born people who immigrated to Canada. In 2016, there were an estimated 1,359,655 persons of full or partial Ukrainian origin residing in Canada
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The current Ukrainian flag consists of two horizontal bands of yellow and blue, the colors represent the wide blue skies and the yellow represents the wheat fields that characterize the country. From a psychological point of view, blue symbolizes calm, whilst yellow symbolizes joy.
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в який час ми живемо. Сподіваюся, що більше не буде кровопролиття невинних людей. Це фото я зробив досить давно в районі Сент-Альберт, Канада, щоб ЗАРАЗ продемонструвати солідарність з бідними українцями
Українські канадці (Українські канадці) — громадяни Канади українського походження або особи, які народилися в Україні, які іммігрували до Канади. У 2016 році в Канаді проживало 1 359 655 осіб повністю або частково українського походження.
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Нинішній український прапор складається з двох горизонтальних смуг жовтого та синього кольорів, кольори яких символізують широке блакитне небо, а жовтий – пшеничні поля, які характеризують країну. З психологічної точки зору синій колір символізує спокій, а жовтий символізує радість.
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Натисніть клавішу L для кращого огляду. Дякую за вподобання та коментарі. Цінується!
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Усі мої фотографії захищені авторським правом ©. Жодна з цих фотографій не може бути відтворена та/або використана будь-яким способом без мого дозволу.
© VanveenJF Photography
His trumpet has been silenced 9 years ago. Glasgowian Malcolm Higgins called Toronto his home for big part of his life. First he toured Europe with military band and later with Clyde Valley Stompers until he immigrated to Canada. Here he played trumpet and sung in several bands like Bourbon Street Buskers (gone), and the Hot Five Jazzmakers (very much alive). Here he is with Downtown Dixieland at Beaches Jazz with vocalist Myrna Van Weerdenburg. Their duets were not very romantic, as Myrna husband Nick plays clarinet in the band, but always funny, as they played of each other. I just came across this photo and decided to remember him as I am missing the Beaches Jazz (cancelled) and all the fun. Malcolm died in July 25, 2011. Harris Mark Lusher is on guitar.
48. Beaches TO 2009- July -24, P7240609; Uploaded 26. July 2020, Olympus -FE20)
Excerpt from www.visitniagaracanada.com/blog/patio-andaluz/:
Alejandra Lopez and Antonio Bueno decided to take matters into their own hands when they couldn’t find a suitable restaurant representation of paella or tacos. Lopez, who hails from Guadalajara in western Mexico, and Bueno, who grew up in the Andalusia region of Spain, decided to open Patio Andaluz, a Mexican-Spanish dining room in Port Dalhousie, specializing in the quintessential dishes of their homeland.
But it came after years of eating others’ spins on those recipes in and around Toronto where the couple lived for 13 years after immigrating to Canada, and leaving the table wanting.
“Tacos as a concept are tortillas with filling. You’ll find ours are traditional,” Lopez said. “People will make tacos with different ingredients and that’s OK. But sometimes you want a taste of home. I could never find a place where I could say ‘This is a taste of home; this is just like Mexico.’ I was always disappointed that our heritage wasn’t being represented in a culinary aspect.”
It is now, however, at Patio Andaluz. The couple, who have extensive restaurant experience, opened their cosy Lock Street eatery last year in a quest to provide proper tacos and shine a light on paella, the rice dish that’s one of Spain’s best-known culinary exports.
Isham, born in Palestine, spent most of his life in Morocco, recently immigrated to Canada (Montreal).
Excerpt from www.visitniagaracanada.com/blog/patio-andaluz/:
Alejandra Lopez and Antonio Bueno decided to take matters into their own hands when they couldn’t find a suitable restaurant representation of paella or tacos. Lopez, who hails from Guadalajara in western Mexico, and Bueno, who grew up in the Andalusia region of Spain, decided to open Patio Andaluz, a Mexican-Spanish dining room in Port Dalhousie, specializing in the quintessential dishes of their homeland.
But it came after years of eating others’ spins on those recipes in and around Toronto where the couple lived for 13 years after immigrating to Canada, and leaving the table wanting.
“Tacos as a concept are tortillas with filling. You’ll find ours are traditional,” Lopez said. “People will make tacos with different ingredients and that’s OK. But sometimes you want a taste of home. I could never find a place where I could say ‘This is a taste of home; this is just like Mexico.’ I was always disappointed that our heritage wasn’t being represented in a culinary aspect.”
It is now, however, at Patio Andaluz. The couple, who have extensive restaurant experience, opened their cosy Lock Street eatery last year in a quest to provide proper tacos and shine a light on paella, the rice dish that’s one of Spain’s best-known culinary exports.
This bust of Yousuf Karsh can be found on the street in Ottawa near the Chateau Laurier Hotel. Karsh has been said to be one of the greatest portrait photographers of the twentieth century. He was born in the then Ottoman Empire (Turkey) in 1908 and immigrated to Canada in 1923. He became a photographer and specialized in portrait photography. His works make use of dramatic lighting. One of his most famous was a portrait of Sir Winston Churchill that he took in 1841 which became known as "The Roaring Lion".
Excerpt from www.visitniagaracanada.com/blog/patio-andaluz/:
Alejandra Lopez and Antonio Bueno decided to take matters into their own hands when they couldn’t find a suitable restaurant representation of paella or tacos. Lopez, who hails from Guadalajara in western Mexico, and Bueno, who grew up in the Andalusia region of Spain, decided to open Patio Andaluz, a Mexican-Spanish dining room in Port Dalhousie, specializing in the quintessential dishes of their homeland.
But it came after years of eating others’ spins on those recipes in and around Toronto where the couple lived for 13 years after immigrating to Canada, and leaving the table wanting.
“Tacos as a concept are tortillas with filling. You’ll find ours are traditional,” Lopez said. “People will make tacos with different ingredients and that’s OK. But sometimes you want a taste of home. I could never find a place where I could say ‘This is a taste of home; this is just like Mexico.’ I was always disappointed that our heritage wasn’t being represented in a culinary aspect.”
It is now, however, at Patio Andaluz. The couple, who have extensive restaurant experience, opened their cosy Lock Street eatery last year in a quest to provide proper tacos and shine a light on paella, the rice dish that’s one of Spain’s best-known culinary exports.
Portrait is of my husband's great-uncle. He was born Irish and immigrated to Canada. He joined the Royal Canadian Army in WWI.
Before and after photo: FACEBOOK
Excerpt from doppleronline.ca/huntsville/saturday-streetscapes-paget-l...:
George Paget, a native of Bristol England who was born in 1839, immigrated to Canada and arrived in Huntsville in 1879.
George’s foray into the Muskoka business landscape began as a grain merchant; however, he eventually earned his living as a government timber inspector – probably a prudent job switch considering Huntsville’s limited grain production and its preponderance of rich timber forests.
George also tried his hand at local politics when he became a councillor in 1901 on Huntsville’s inaugural Town Council.
In 1903, he commissioned local builder William Proudfoot to construct one of Huntsville’s most beautiful homes at 75 Main Street West. Known as Paget House, the Victorian-style abode retains its majestic appearance right up to the present as a local office building.
George fathered two sons who seemed to inherit their dad’s entrepreneurial spirit.
Arthur and Charles Paget owned and operated Huntsville’s Paget Car Cooperage Company, Paget Grain Door Company, and Huntsville Syndicate. Harkening back to Dad George’s original roots in the grain business, the two Paget brothers manufactured grain doors. Indeed, their claim to fame appears to be a unique grain door invention for which, in 1923, they were issued a patent by the Canadian Patent Office.
Arthur again followed his father’s footsteps when he threw his hat into the Huntsville political ring and served as the town’s mayor in 1919–20. By the time of Arthur’s death on July 5, 1948 at the age of 81 years, Huntsville’s streets included another of the “mayor streets” – Paget Lane.
For several years I've walked by this Jaguar off in the distance in a neighbours carport, not paying much attention to it thinking it's just another old Jaguar 4 door sedan. The other day I stopped and looked a little closer and wondered what the XJ6C badge indicated on the right. After looking it up and looking closer at the car I realized the 6C meant it was a 6 cylinder Coupe, one of only 6,505 produced in it's production run from 1974 to 1975 (there were a few early '73's and late '78's but were all part of the original total. They also came with a 12 cylinder engine and only 1,873 were produced. The licence plate on the car is from 1995, the neighbour no doubt has plans to restore it one day but I think like so many dreams it may never come to fruition. Life in the slow lane, I guess. Photographed in Victoria BC Canada, a hotbed of English cars dating back to the early years of our city when a large influx of English people immigrated to Canada and eventually Victoria, sometimes referred to as Little Bit of Olde England.
After years of having a cat, or four, for pets, my friends decided, after they lost their last one, that was it. No more. They didn't count on finding this little lady though. Still, they probably wouldn't have had her if it wasn't for her name. You see she is called Midge, the same name as the first cat they owned as a newly married couple way back in the '50's. That Midge was a beautiful back and white tuxedo that even immigrated to Canada with them. So last year when their daughter emailed them a picture of this Midge, who was looking for a forever home, they couldn't help but welcome her. As June said to me, "Our first cat was called Midge and now our last cat will be called Midge. It was meant to be."
Forgot to post this pic from the Abbotsford International Airshow. This flight of a B-17 bomber and a Messerschmitt 109 commemorates an incident from WWII. On December 20, 1943 a B-17 Flying Fortress piloted by 2nd Lt. Charles "Charlie" Brown was participating in a bomb run over Bremen, Germany. It was hit by anti-aircraft fire and then attacked by German fighters. The tail gunner was killed and one of the other crew severely wounded. The aircraft sustained significant damage including one engine lost and one damaged. It was trying to maintain flight back to England when spotted by Franz Stigler a fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe flying a Messerschmitt Bf 109. When he saw the damage to the bomber and saw the wounded crew member, he remembered being instructed to never shoot at someone in a parachute. To him, the crippled bomber was in the same category. He attempted to signal the bomber to fly to Sweden which was closer than England, but the signal was not understood. Stigler then flew close to the bomber so that antiaircraft guns would not target it and escorted it to open water of the North Sea and saving the lives of the remaining crew. Brown was able to successfully land the bomber in England. Brown was able to track down Stigler in 1990, Stigler having immigrated to Canada in the early 1950's. The two became friends until their deaths in 2008. Stigler has a connection to Abbotsford as he was a member of the Abbotsford Flying Club that started the Abbotsford Airshow. Abbotsford International Airshow, Abbotsford International Airport (YXX), Abbotsford, B.C.
A few roses from last year's garden and a few words from my heart. When I was 5, we immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands and this was one of the first hymns that I learned in English. In this world where there is so much strife and suffering, this old hymn pops into my mind and comforts me. Thanks so much for your visits and have a good day/evening
Inglis Falls
Known as “the best waterfalls in the area” is the most visited, anytime of year! One of three waterfalls that surround the City of Owen Sound, Inglis Falls is the best known and most visited. Situated in the heart of the 200-hectare Inglis Falls Conservation Area, Inglis Falls is an 18 metre high cascade, created by the Sydenham River meeting the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. The erosive power of the water has carved a deep gorge at the base of the falls. On a clear day you can see down the valley into the City of Owen Sound and out to the Owen Sound harbour.
There is something for everybody; a viewing platform for those unable to see over the stone wall, 7.42 km of trails of various difficulty, access to the Bruce Trail, more than 20 species of ferns, bird watching opportunities, a series of geological potholes, historical remains of a grist mill, washrooms, picnic facilities and visitor information centre.
Historical Information
Inglis Falls is rich in history – starting in 1843 when Peter Inglis immigrated to Canada and settled in this area. In 1845 Inglis purchased a small existing grist mill built two years previously by a Mr. Boyd, and 300 acres of deeded Crown land. It was in 1862 that Inglis replaced the old gristmill with a new four-storey mill that produced flour, bran and shorts (feed for animals).
Other ventures of Inglis’ included building a sawmill a quarter of a mile downstream of the falls. Peter Inglis also built a woollen mill on the eastside of the river on the brink of the falls. Here were manufactured tweeds, flannels and “rainbow” blankets, so called because of the three coloured stripes at each end. The woollen mill was destroyed by fire around 1885 and rebuilt only to burn down again in 1901.
Management of the mill was passed on to Inglis’ oldest son, William A., in 1886. William’s son, Victor, managed the mill until 1932. Eighty-seven years of steady operation under the Inglis family name is an amazing record which very few industries in this area of the province can surpass or equal.
In 1932, the property was obtained by the City of Owen Sound for water rights. The mill was idle for two years, until purchased by Emil Henkel. He ran the mill until 1945 when a fire completely destroyed it.
In 1960 the former North Grey Region Conservation Authority (now the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority) acquired what is presently the Inglis Falls Conservation Area. Today all that remains of that earlier industrial scene are the family home, a stone building, the silent millstones and the enduring beauty of Inglis Falls.
St-Viateur Bagel is a bagel bakery producing Montreal style bagels. It is located on the edge of the Jewish quarter of Montreal. It was opened in 1957 by a holocaust survivor who had immigrated to Canada in 1953. In addition to this original location, the company now has a second bakery and two other bagel cafes and a food truck. And yes, the bagels are delicious.
Its finally done! I was mostly waiting on the vests to arrive but now that its finished I think it looks good.
I made this because my family comes form Switzerland. my grandparents immigrated to Canada when they were around 20. later this month I will be finalizing my Swiss citizenship ;)
the webbing gear the military uses is more of a solid olive green colour but an entirely olive vest would look a bit weird to me ;)
weapons are:
-SIG 550 Service Rifle
- SIG P220
The next exhibition space we visited at Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) was the 4th floor roof top sculpture garden.
The garden features 13 sculpture by various artists.
Generation, 2013, from the Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery is aWinnipeg artist Eva Stubbs. bronze Commissioned from the artist in 2014.
Eva said the sculpture expressed the optimism she felt about family and the invisible ties between a mother and a child.
Stubbs was born 1925 inBudapest, Hungary and
immigrated to Canada in 1944. Stubbs died inWinnipeg, 1976.
In this monumental new work, Deanna Bowen expands her family history into a broader examination of discrimination in North America over the centuries.
Rooted in a chronology that begins with the artist’s great-great-great grandfather and ends with the birth of her mother in 1943, The Black Canadians (after Cooke) also maps the United Kingdom’s abolition of slavery in 1833 and the trade’s colonial legacy.
The title references a Maclean’s magazine article written in 1911 by Britton B. Cooke, which presented his argument against Black immigration to Canada from the United States. Bowen’s forebears were such immigrants, and were fleeing deadly violence on Muscogee territory in today’s Oklahoma. The family’s journey was further complicated by discriminatory Canadian policies affecting Indigenous land rights and Black immigration.
This major work – among the largest the Gallery has ever installed – has been developed upon lines of research and archival documentation presented in Bowen’s critically acclaimed travelling exhibition Black Drones in the Hive (2020), organized by the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery; The God of Gods: A Canadian Play (2019), at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto; and The God of Gods: Berlin, Berlin (2020), presented at the Gropius Bau as part of the 11th Berlin Biennale.
In each of these exhibitions, Bowen created visual narratives drawn from publicly available archival sources to assess the different implications for European, Black, Indigenous and other racialized Canadians from the 19th to the mid-20th century. This era included Confederation, the South African War and two World Wars. It also comprised the founding of the National Gallery of Canada, in 1880, a formative moment during which a young country was striving to secure its place on the world stage, and sharing its vision through politics, arts and culture.
Exploring the complex history of colonialism, the trade of enslaved peoples, and Black migration through the lens of the artist’s own family’s experiences, The Black Canadians (after Cooke) restores generations of voices in a thought-provoking commentary on the enduring impact of prevailing cultural norms.
The We're Here! gang is facing the world with bags on our heads today.
In this case, it's a bag from Murchie's Fine Tea, established in 1894 – one of Canada's oldest brands.
John Murchie, as a young boy working for Melrose's of Scotland, delivered tea to Queen Victoria while she was in residence at Balmoral. Over time, John became familiar with the types of teas the Queen preferred, and as his knowledge of tea grew, he started experimenting with blending teas on his own. After he immigrated to Canada and settled on the West Coast, he established Murchie's Tea.
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Collective Memory, by a Spanish and Italian team, is composed of bottle-lined walls. Visitors are encouraged to take and leave messages about their experiences immigrating to Canada, using the bottles as the means of exchange. The concept was inspired by the statistic that by 2031 nearly half of Canadians over 15 will be foreign born or born to foreign parents, and through public interaction it should tell a compelling, complex and dynamic narrative about what it’s like to land on new shores.
Source:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/architecture/toronto-public-878/
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Collective Memory, by a Spanish and Italian team, is composed of bottle-lined walls. Visitors are encouraged to take and leave messages about their experiences immigrating to Canada, using the bottles as the means of exchange. The concept was inspired by the statistic that by 2031 nearly half of Canadians over 15 will be foreign born or born to foreign parents, and through public interaction it should tell a compelling, complex and dynamic narrative about what it’s like to land on new shores.
Source:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/architecture/toronto-public-878/
1836 - 1929
The origin of the house that became the Senator Restaurant – the oldest restaurant in Toronto in continuous operation at the same location – can be traced back to the very first property survey that was prepared by the Town of York in 1836. A copy is mounted across from the bar and the property - #67 – is outlined in orange. In this era, the City of Toronto – named for the Mohawk word “meeting place” – was a residential and commercial melting pot for the diverse nationalities that were immigrating to Canada. Yonge and Dundas (nee Crookshank and later Wilton St.) was yet to become the primary intersection in the City and the property - originally a home built in the 1850’s - was owned by the General Council of the Salvation Army.
1929 - 1948
In the 1920’s, after the war and prior to the Great Depression, Toronto was the cultural centre of Canada. The restored ELGIN/WINTERGARDEN (1913) and PANTAGES/ED MIRVISH (1920) Theatres are the last vestiges of the vaudeville houses built in that golden era and along with MASSY HALL (1894) formed the city’s Theatre District. Toronto -nicknamed “HOGTOWN” for the commercial meat packing industry – now had a thriving downtown where the community lived, worked and entertained, so in 1929 Robert Angeloff, a Macedonian entrepreneur, converted the home to the BUSY BEE DINER. The “B”as it was known consisted of an open kitchen and dining counter and started a tradition for serving comfort food and coffee to go. In 1938 – the year is still visible on the bottom of the large Coca-Cola sign hanging in the middle of the restaurant – brothers Luke and Vangel Eftimoff purchased the Busy Bee, which they later sold to George Nicolau; a cook with a vision.
1948 - 1984
In 1948, George Nicolau renovated and enlarged the BUSY BEE and renamed his two story building the SENATOR. Designed and built by the renowned Toronto Refrigeration Company - whose trademark can still be seen on our back bar – the RESTAURANT has all of the original fixtures from 1948 while the WINEBAR on the second floor displays the 1850’s construction and a vintage Prohibition Period Bar. The post war 1950’s building boom saw the unprecedented creation of new restaurants and nightclubs in downtown Toronto – “THE STRIP” - but regrettably these legendary establishments; TOPS, BASSEL’S, STEELE’S, THE BROWN DERBY, CHILD’S, TIMES SQUARE, SILVER RAIL, COLONIAL, TOWN TAVERN, DIANA SWEETS and LE COQ D’OR have all been demolished. George retired in 1962 but the Senator continued to be operated by his family; with Nick, his son, working the stoves and nephew Cecil Djambazis and their wives Merlyn and Triada taking care of the customers, the Senator earned recognition for having the “best egg salad sandwich and coffee” in town.
1984 - Present
Saved and renovated in 1984 by Bobby Sniderman, the Senator has evolved to become a dining landmark synonymous with the City of Toronto. The success and reputation of the restaurant has been a result of our commitment to the finest quality ingredients and making many products in-house from scratch. We produce ROYAL CANADIAN HONEY on our organic farm in Caledon and are supplied by over 30 of the finest purveyors who provide the products for the preparation of hearty, delicious meals that are rooted in the classics. This beloved restaurant has served generations of Torontonians and visitors alike and now in our 89th year of continuous operation, we take pride in the tradition and longevity of this family business which will be operated by the SNIDERMAN family for many generations to come. The Senator began as a home and will forever remain one to our many valued suppliers, staff and customers.
Website: thesenator.com/history/
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Known as “the best waterfalls in the area” is the most visited, anytime of year! One of three waterfalls that surround the City of Owen Sound, Inglis Falls is the best known and most visited. Situated in the heart of the 200-hectare Inglis Falls Conservation Area, Inglis Falls is an 18 metre high cascade, created by the Sydenham River meeting the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. The erosive power of the water has carved a deep gorge at the base of the falls. On a clear day you can see down the valley into the City of Owen Sound and out to the Owen Sound harbour.
There is something for everybody; a viewing platform for those unable to see over the stone wall, 7.42 km of trails of various difficulty, access to the Bruce Trail, more than 20 species of ferns, bird watching opportunities, a series of geological potholes, historical remains of a grist mill, washrooms, picnic facilities and visitor information centre.
Historical Information
Inglis Falls is rich in history – starting in 1843 when Peter Inglis immigrated to Canada and settled in this area. In 1845 Inglis purchased a small existing grist mill built two years previously by a Mr. Boyd, and 300 acres of deeded Crown land. It was in 1862 that Inglis replaced the old gristmill with a new four-storey mill that produced flour, bran and shorts (feed for animals).
Other ventures of Inglis’ included building a sawmill a quarter of a mile downstream of the falls. Peter Inglis also built a woollen mill on the eastside of the river on the brink of the falls. Here were manufactured tweeds, flannels and “rainbow” blankets, so called because of the three coloured stripes at each end. The woollen mill was destroyed by fire around 1885 and rebuilt only to burn down again in 1901.
Management of the mill was passed on to Inglis’ oldest son, William A., in 1886. William’s son, Victor, managed the mill until 1932. Eighty-seven years of steady operation under the Inglis family name is an amazing record which very few industries in this area of the province can surpass or equal.
In 1932, the property was obtained by the City of Owen Sound for water rights. The mill was idle for two years, until purchased by Emil Henkel. He ran the mill until 1945 when a fire completely destroyed it.
In 1960 the former North Grey Region Conservation Authority (now the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority) acquired what is presently the Inglis Falls Conservation Area. Today all that remains of that earlier industrial scene are the family home, a stone building, the silent millstones and the enduring beauty of Inglis Falls.
St-Viateur Bagel is a bagel bakery producing Montreal style bagels. It is located on the edge of the Jewish quarter of Montreal. It was opened in 1957 by a holocaust survivor who had immigrated to Canada in 1953. In addition to this original location, the company now has a second bakery and two other bagel cafes and a food truck. And yes, the bagels are delicious.
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Collective Memory, by a Spanish and Italian team, is composed of bottle-lined walls. Visitors are encouraged to take and leave messages about their experiences immigrating to Canada, using the bottles as the means of exchange. The concept was inspired by the statistic that by 2031 nearly half of Canadians over 15 will be foreign born or born to foreign parents, and through public interaction it should tell a compelling, complex and dynamic narrative about what it’s like to land on new shores.
Source:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/architecture/toronto-public-art-event-winter-stations-pushs-viewers-to-become-agents-ofchange/article34017Facebook ♦ Twitter ♦ Pinterest ♦ Instagram ♦ 500px ♦ Website
Collective Memory, by a Spanish and Italian team, is composed of bottle-lined walls. Visitors are encouraged to take and leave messages about their experiences immigrating to Canada, using the bottles as the means of exchange. The concept was inspired by the statistic that by 2031 nearly half of Canadians over 15 will be foreign born or born to foreign parents, and through public interaction it should tell a compelling, complex and dynamic narrative about what it’s like to land on new shores.
Source:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/architecture/toronto-public-878/
Beautiful tulip fields at the Tulips of the Valley Festival in Chilliwack near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
I have had a little break from photos as I didn't have much inspiration or time to taken photos. I recently had some more time to go out and about and hope to share some of my photos again.
Larger version: live.staticflickr.com/7896/47611154141_e53a77fdab_o.jpg
About this photo: After a February with many snow fall warnings and winter weather we enjoyed a lovely dry and warmer month of March with quite some sunshine. The blossoms started to bloom as well as daffodils, hyacinths and tulips. Every year there are a couple of tulips fields near Vancouver that are opened to the public for about a month (although you have to pay to get in). The Chilliwack Tulip Festival opened on April 10, 2019 The Abbotsford Tulip Festival opened on April 13, 2019.
My friend and I decided to go to the Chilliwack Tulips Festival last Friday as they also feature fields of hyacinths and daffodils in case there weren't too many tulips blooming yet. Once we arrived the came across the fields of hyacinths with their incredible wonderful smell. We spotted some daffodil fields as well and once we passed by those we ended up by the tulips...Wow, there was a sea of red tulips almost as far as the eye could see! The tulips are definitely out and blooming, what a gorgeous sight! This photo was taken at the area with the red tulips.
~Camera Settings:
*Camera Model: Sony ILCA-77M2
*Focal Length: 16mm
*F-Number: F/10
*Exposure Time: 1/320 sec
*ISO Speed: ISO-100
*Exposure Program: Manual (M)
Thank you for stopping by and I hope you like this photo!
Ann :-)
Some information about the Chilliwack Tulip Festival: Onos Greenhouses has grown tulips since 1990, when the family immigrated to Canada. It started out as a cut flower operation, but then they thought, the beauty of the fields should be shared with more than just our family. So, began "The Tulips of the Valley Festival", an agritourism highlight of the Fraser Valley and Chilliwack. Celebrating Tulips, Hyacinths and Double Daffodils. They were also part of the Agassiz Circle Farm Tour for those first 10 years. Now, they’ve moved to Chilliwack where they have 20 acres of amazing tulips for you to see, in a mix of astounding colours! Chilliwack is about an hour drive from Vancouver, BC, Canada
From the Ashes…
“Though a fire destroyed Centre Block just over 100 years ago, its replacement—designed by an enigmatic architect—gave us the Peace Tower and its mysterious treasures. Sir Robert Borden was prime minister at the time of the 1916 fire, and launched the work of designing and building the new Centre Block. When William Lyon Mackenzie King became Liberal leader in 1919, he took special interest in the project.
John Andrew Pearson was born in England in 1867 and immigrated to Canada in 1888. He joined the firm of Frank Darling, an influential Toronto architect, and they went on to design important banks, houses and institutional buildings, though none as significant as Pearson’s Centre Block.
By today’s standards, the design and building went quickly. Immediately after the fire, Pearson was hired, along with Montreal architect Jean-Omer Marchand, to survey the ruins. They quickly ruled out merely rebuilding a replica of the old two-storey building. Instead, they proposed a modern concept, using steel-frame construction and load-bearing concrete, and adding a floor to expand the office space. The new Centre Block opened in 1922, with the Peace Tower finished in 1927.
Decorative elements were designed to inspire those elected to serve, and Pearson intentionally left blank spaces in the Tyndall limestone, quarried in Manitoba, for future stone carvers to fill with images from Canada in the decades to come, a tradition that still continues.
The Peace Tower stands apart, though, quite literally, having been completed last and positioned a few steps in front of the main building. It is Pearson’s expression of gratitude for peace after the horror of the First World War. Its heart is an interior memorial chamber, a shrine to the war dead.” [1]
This year, for the 34th year in a row, Centre Block is illuminated during the holiday season. “Combining bold digital technology with the architectural splendour of the Centre Block of Parliament, the Winter Lightscapes multimedia show plays on a 14-minute loop every night from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., from December 6 to January 7, 2019.” [2]
Sources: [1] www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/how-a-new-centre-block-ro...
[2] www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/christmas-li...
My great grandmother was born in a Russian Mennonite village. Her name was Susan Fehr. She immigrated to Canada in the 1880's. I'm thinking that all women are like matryoshka dolls with the many different roles we play - mother, daughter, wife, friend, lover, caregiver... but its important to always retain our essential youness, to protect and nurture it, as this inner seed is what sustains us through all the roles we must play.
seen on 41st in Kerrisdale on this day last year.
Excerpt from historicplaces.ca:
Description of Historic Place
22-26 Oxford Street, Guelph, Ontario.
Built circa 1872, it is one of four municipally designated buildings in close proximity to each other, each with its own distinctive details, resulting in a pleasing streetscape of preserved buildings representative of Guelph's early residential development.
Designated by the City of Guelph under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, March 18, 199, By -Law No. 91-13769.
Heritage Value
The heritage value of 22-26 Oxford Street is captured socially, historically, aesthetically/architecturally, and contextually.
22-26 Oxford Street is one of four residences that housed the merchants, medical doctors, factory owners, civic leaders, a senator and notable artists of early Guelph.
Historically this residence was the home of Hugh Walker, a local grocer, fruit merchant and alderman who was born 1836 in Aberdeen, Scotland, and immigrated to Canada at the age of 19. Working as a clerk and subsequent partner of George Warren, a grocery merchant in Guelph, Mr. Walker by 1861 established his own business. At that time, no one in Guelph handled imported goods so Mr. Walker developed that avenue, expanding into a fruit trade business as well.
By 1906, he was concentrating on the wholesale partnership with his son, having disposed of the grocery aspect. He retired in 1913. His civic duties included membership in the St. Andrew's Society from 1857, becoming its president in 1878. At the time of his death, he had been the oldest living member of the Masonic Lodge and Odd Fellows in Guelph. Possessed of a fine singing voice, he acted as precentor/choirmaster for a number of Presbyterian churches over a 33 year period from 1855. He was keenly interested in civic administration, representing St. Andrew's Ward for 5 years as alderman and in 1901 was a candidate for the Guelph mayoralty.
The historic value of this property is magnified by its association with Matthew Bell (1820-1883), a local builder, architect and sculptor. Matthew Bell is recognized for a number of richly ornamented stone houses in Guelph including 40 Albert Street, 49 Albert Street, and 96-98 Water Street (a nationally recognized building for its distinctive series of eight carved stone heads adorning the north-east gable). The architectural details of these houses closely resemble those of 22-26 Oxford, and are the basis for the association.
In 1877, the trustees of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church purchased the Oxford Street home of Hugh Walker, their precentor, to be the residence of the Rev. James Cowie Smith. At this time it became known as "The Manse". It was sold in 1900 to Edmund P. Hawkins, general manager of the Bell Organ & Piano Company. Manufacturer John Mitchell and Dr. Thomas J. McNally, the Medical Officer of Health, were some of the subsequent owners.
This well proportioned two-storey limestone house is characteristic of Italianate architectural style with its rich carved stone ornamentation. The carved stone details are attributed to Matthew Bell, known for the fine sculptural decoration in his buildings. The central projecting entrance bay extending the full two storeys topped by a front facing gable typifies the Italianate style. The large moulded cornice brackets, carved segmented arched hood mouldings over the windows and the segmented transom all contribute to the architectural and aesthetic value of this property.
On the interior the twelve-foot ceilings display intact cove mouldings, an original fireplace and hard wood flooring in the principal rooms. Hand hewn beams were used in the construction and remain visible in the basement.
22-26 Oxford St. is in close proximity with three other municipally designated buildings, each with its own distinctive architectural details, resulting in a historically cohesive streetscape representing early Guelph residential development.
Character-Defining Elements
The key character-defining elements attributed to the social value of 22 Oxford street:
-limestone building material
-two-storey residence
-projecting frontispiece
The architectural elements and ornamentation contributing to the aesthetic/architectural values include:
Exterior:
-projecting entrance bay with gable roof and bracketed eaves
-central double door with transom, topped by a large segmental pediment of carved limestone
-windows embellished with arched lintels and carved stone trim
-facade and projecting frontispiece highlighted with raised quoins of matching stone
-the large pediments have been carved from a single block of limestone Interior:
-twelve-foot ceilings with decorative intact cove mouldings
-oak floors in principal rooms
-original panelling in window wells
-original double sash windows
-one original fireplace surround is in place on an east exterior wall
-evidence of another fireplace remains on the westerly exterior wall
-hand-hewn beams/floor joists in basement
-hot water system featuring radiators
The character-defining elements reflecting the contextual value are:
-its close proximity with three other municipally designated buildings, each with its own distinctive architectural details
Pacific Mall is an Asian shopping mall in Markham, Ontario, Canada. Opened in the mid-1990s amid a period of significant Chinese immigration to Canada, Pacific Mall is the largest indoor Asian shopping mall in North America.
Coming 2021: B&W Night Photography.
Coming 2022: 80s&90s Television.
This is a portrait of my lovely fiancé and tomorrow I will be traveling to Holguin, Cuba to marry her on December 12th.
To all my friends on flickr I apologize for being absent but with work and wedding plans I have been extremely busy!
The hope for mine & Melissa's future is that she will be able to immigrate to Canada where we will have a wonderful life together!
Please view (L)
Beautiful tulip fields at the Tulips of the Valley Festival in Chilliwack near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
I would like to wish all of you a very Happy Easter!!
I had a little break from photos as I didn't have much inspiration or time to taken photos. I recently had some more time to go out and about and hope to share some of my photos again.
Larger version: live.staticflickr.com/65535/40672483813_7892f776eb_o.jpg
About this photo: After a February with many snow fall warnings and winter weather we enjoyed a lovely dry and warmer month of March with quite some sunshine. The blossoms started to bloom as well as daffodils, hyacinths and tulips. Every year there are a couple of tulips fields near Vancouver that are opened to the public for about a month (although you have to pay to get in). The Chilliwack Tulip Festival opened on April 10, 2019 The Abbotsford Tulip Festival opened on April 13, 2019.
My friend and I decided to go to the Chilliwack Tulips Festival last Friday as they also feature fields of hyacinths and daffodils in case there weren't too many tulips blooming yet. Once we arrived the came across the fields of hyacinths with their incredible wonderful smell. We spotted some daffodil fields as well and once we passed by those we ended up by the tulips...Wow, there was a sea of red tulips almost as far as the eye could see! The pink ones were starting to bloom as well. The tulips are definitely out and blooming, what a gorgeous sight! This photo was taken at the area with the pink tulips.
~Camera Settings:
*Camera Model: Sony ILCA-77M2
*Focal Length: 18mm
*F-Number: F/10
*Exposure Time: 1/320 sec
*ISO Speed: ISO-100
*Exposure Program: Manual (M)
Thank you for stopping by and I hope you like this photo!
Ann :-)
Some information about the Chilliwack Tulip Festival: Onos Greenhouses has grown tulips since 1990, when the family immigrated to Canada. It started out as a cut flower operation, but then they thought, the beauty of the fields should be shared with more than just our family. So, began "The Tulips of the Valley Festival", an agritourism highlight of the Fraser Valley and Chilliwack. Celebrating Tulips, Hyacinths and Double Daffodils. They were also part of the Agassiz Circle Farm Tour for those first 10 years. Now, they’ve moved to Chilliwack where they have 20 acres of amazing tulips for you to see, in a mix of astounding colours! Chilliwack is about an hour drive from Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Collective Memory, by a Spanish and Italian team, is composed of bottle-lined walls. Visitors are encouraged to take and leave messages about their experiences immigrating to Canada, using the bottles as the means of exchange. The concept was inspired by the statistic that by 2031 nearly half of Canadians over 15 will be foreign born or born to foreign parents, and through public interaction it should tell a compelling, complex and dynamic narrative about what it’s like to land on new shores.
Source:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/architecture/toronto-public-878/
William E deGrath (1907-1983) was born in Finland but immigrated to Canada in 1926.He was interested in sculpture, and in the 1970s embarked upon a ten-year project of carving a lasting monument to Canadian fishermen, their wives and children, using as his canvas a 100-foot-long granite outcropping on his Peggy's Cove property. Unfortunately, he had reached only the halfway point at the time of his death.
Our wander on Kingsway took us past The Duke apartment building.
This piece of public art by Khan Lee “Rain” was installed in 2018 at The Duke apartment building in Mount Pleasant.
The piece consists of an 6 foot wide, 4 foot deep and approximately 60 foot tall translucent sculpture suspended above the 11th Avenue entrance to the building.
The sculpture consists of 150 layers of 1/4” thick translucent fuchsia-coloured acrylic sheets.
The sculpture was envisioned by the artist as a dramatic rain drop, but unlike a dreary, wet Vancouver day, the piece reflects bright, fuchsia-coloured light into the building’s atrium.
A vertical slot on the south elevation brings natural light into the atrium, while the sculpture shields the interior from rain - it rains a lot in Vancouver.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
A few seconds of movements is stretched into two hundred images, which will then be stacked to represent a sense of this duration in 3 dimensional form.
With this abstraction of time, Rain offers viewers a new perspective to engage with the experience of the everyday. Time is suspended within a series of static moments to symbolize the invisible force of the real that persists beneath our conscious awareness.
Rain not only formalizes a sense of duration, but also signifies the invisible efforts that each of us contributes to our current urban landscape.
Got that?
Khan Lee:
Khan Lee was born 1972 in Seoul, Korea. He studied architecture at Hong-Ik University, before immigrating to Canada to study fine art at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver.
Lee works in performance, media, sculpture and drawing. His practice involves experimentation with form and process to express inherent relationships between material and immaterial content.
Lee is a founding member of the Vancouver-based artist collective ‘Intermission’ and is presently a member of ‘Instant Coffee’ artist collective. His work has been exhibited nationally, and internationally.
Excerpt from the plaque:
Black Grass. The Dominant Column by Dmitry Gretsky and Eugenia Kats: Dmitry Gretsky and Eugenia Kats are inter-disciplinary artists who have developed their practice around large-scale paintings to site-specific installations. By immigrating to Canada and changing their artistic environment, they tore away from the inertia of the medium and the unconsciousness of plastic movements in graphic art, moving towards complex shapes.
Gretsky and Kats have numerous awards, and successful solo shows in galleries and museums. They have participated in various Art Fairs – notably; Vienna Contemporary, Cosmoscow and Art Miami.
The Horaceville manor house at Pinhey's Point Historic Site in Dunrobin (Ottawa), Ontario, Canada.
The Honourable Hamnett Kirkes Pinhey (1784-1857) immigrated to Canada from England in 1820 to develop his estate, Horaceville, Pinhey's Point. That same year, 1820, he built the first Pinhey house to which additions were made over the next 28 years.
This property remained in the Pinhey family until 1971 when March Township purchased it. In 1990 the City of Kanata (now part of the City of Ottawa) acquired Pinhey's Point.
Acolyte
The Prologue:
Julie had come alone. Having missed her ride with a friend to deal with some pressing servant related issues, she had taken her father’s roadster out and had driven the curving, often bumpy road into the city by herself. Parking it, she had made her way to where the festivities were already in full swing.
She now stood at upstairs entrance, allowing herself a minute to unwind from her driving to breathlessly take it all in. As she stood to one side, allowing the swarming mass of guests to pass uninhibited by her as they headed downstairs to the party chambers below, her eyes grew wide with the splendor below.
Julie still possessed some of the awkwardness of youth, and it showed by the way she carried herself. From her constantly gawking eyes, to her nervously moving hands, down to the high heels on her feet that occasionally still tripped her up as she walked. But despite all that, she still managed to present a total picture of elegance and grace, the result of years of etiquette being forced down her pretty throat.
Now, anyone down below who happened looked up at the entrance, would have given Julie a second look, and they did.
With that second look the following would have been taken in; long brown hair hung down in silken masses past her shoulders. The hair framed an oval face, with large, innocently wide, eyes, heavy with the mascara that always gave her face a perpetually surprised look. Resplendent in a long soft gown that seemed to pour down forever over her quite perky youthful figure, a purple satin sheet of flowing liquid, broken only by the black bolero jacket with its shimmering ornament. The hem of her gown almost covered the pointed toes of her coal black high heeled shoes.
A diamond necklace blazed in rippling fire hung from Julie’s throat, its brilliance matched by the long diamond earrings that peeked in and out as they swayed vibrantly, like a twin beacons. A sparkling diamond brooch with swinging sapphire’s that matched the colour of Julies eyes , had been placed high on one side of her black satin bolero styled jacket. She wore no gloves, and her bare fingers were home to a rather lively assortment of gem encrusted rings.
Soon two ladies also broke away from the crowd and joined Julie in her observation, as they commented to one another about the scene below. They then asking Julie if she agreed, as if the strangers and she were old acquaintances, Julie gave them both the once over as she reluctantly agreed with them.
Both Ladies were red heads, although the younger one, with pretty hazel eyes, was more of a ginger ( like Julies maid), Julie finished giving both a swift appraisal before turning her attention back to the crowd, looking for an opening to make her escape. The ginger, a young miss stunning in a gown of deep green brocaded satin with silken emerald frills, apologized for the intrusion, then let out a small squeal, commenting on how adorable Julie’s jacket was, as she lifted it up, of Jules of Paris( Pariee is how she pronounced it), and your gown, it’s of the house of Yevonne, is it not, the young lady asked? No Julie said, starting to shake her head, which made her earrings sparkle even more erratically, as the other lady continued admiring Julie’s satin jacket, momentarily covering the bright brooch from view. At the same time the other lady, a bit older ,becomingly clad in a fine gown of red wine colured Taffeta, placed a hand on Julies other shoulder, asking the now disconcerted girl if she knew how late the orchestra was playing, Julie continued shaking her head, as she looked into the older lady’s deep green eyes, mesmerized as they just oozed kindness , No, sorry ma’am she answered obediently . The younger one finished her admiration of Julie’s s attire by patted Julie’s shoulder, well nice meeting you, and with a cheerful tootles, both women left, melting ahead into the crowd.
Julie watched them for a few seconds as the pair swished downstairs, straightening her jacket as she did. Suddenly all thoughts of the two ladies were pulled from her mind as she realized something was amiss. It took her but a second to realize the brooch her maid had pinned onto her jacket was now absent. Bother she said under her breath as she looked around her on the empty floor, it must have fallen off in the roadster! Under her breath she chastised both the roadster, and the road, remembering the way the vehicle had lurched to and fro on the bumpy roadway in her haste to reach the city. She must have words with that maid of hers for not fastening it properly, that brooch was simply too valuable for her to be so careless... Julie then puts the brooch out of her mind; she decides she will have the maid search the roadster for it in the morning.
And she makes her way out into the stream of guests and begins her descent, carefully as her high heeled feet negotiate the stairs…..
***
The Tale
Dazzling!
This was the word that best described the vision enclosed within the massive chamber that evening. Filled wall to wall with a seemingly endless swarm of guests, presenting an endless sea of colourfully be gowned, be gloved, and bejeweled ladies, escorted by a small army of tuxedoed and top hatted male chaperones. The crème del a crème of the huge cities finest citizens were there, displaying a good portion of what their all the hard cold pounds and guineas could buy.
The guests had entered via a large double stair case that led down into the sub street level chamber. On the east end was a mammoth stage, which stood about 4 feet above the dance floor, easily holding the 30 piece orchestra with room to spare. The music that was played was as diverse as the guests in attendance, appealing to every age group present.
Couples and singles milled about talking merrily, just a low murmur heard just below the music. A jazz number was being played and a number of the “young bright ones” were on the floor dancing earnestly with various random moves.
A stream of fresh guests had entered, making their way downstairs, gaining the attention of a few of those already in attendance. Jewels sparkled radiantly as many a satin gloved hand was raised in greeting, many a female head was turned to point out someone they could spread gossip about, and in the process exposing a multitude of jeweles in various sparkling colours.
One of those newcomers, a raven haired, black eyed woman with a dark features, possessing an almost feline like beauty, came onto the upstairs landing. She was probably aged in her mid-twenties, surprisingly alone and unescorted. She was waved to by no one, pointed out to by many. Looking around she suddenly spied something down below that made her smile, a wide Cheshire cat like grin that quickly spread across her wickedly pretty face. She scurried down the stairs, pushing, not gently, a young miss in in a purple satin gown and black jacket, who had been moving slowly ahead of her, wobbling in her high heels, the poor girl fell against the wall, clutching it for support with well ringed fingers.
The raven haired beauty parted several more pairs of guests as she made her way down, moving too slow for her, without a word of apology. At the middle landing, she shoved her way past a pair of ladies, moving slowly as they regarded the pretty scene being played out below in the well lite chamber. One was red head wearing a tailored wine coloured taffeta gown that made a swishing noise as the lady passed, and her companion, about the same age as the intruder, (a kid sister, or cousin of taffeta gown?) was dressed in gown of deep green brocaded satin with silken emerald frills, her long hair done up in a high bun, held by dangling rows of rhinestone ropes. She looked at the lady who was unexpectedly cutting between them, but said nothing; as the lady paid neither one no never mind. The raven haired lady continues down, and still never uttering a word or wearing even the slightest look of apology, trips up yet another lady, clad in a long pure white satin gown, with emerald bracelets dangling from her white gloved wrists, who actually had started to fall, and would have if the pair of red headed ladies in wine and emerald gowns had not caught and steadied her, and in the process an emerald bracelet is lost to sight.
The raven haired, dark beauty finally landed onto the chamber floor and began snaking through the crowd, licking her vibrant red lips as her eyes darted about searching for any distractions to avoid keeping her from her selected designation, (and prey)! Her long thin figure was sleekly covered by a lengthy body-hugging black satin sheath, her heavy mascara, and long flowing hair matching the dress. She wore opera length satin gloves, red as her lips. Her jewels were all white diamonds, earrings, necklaces bracelets, and a large brooch hanging from the low cut of her gowns neckline. She wore a number of fancy rings, one of which was a large diamond cocktail ring on her left hand, while her right, gripping a red satin clutch purse, was home to 3 smaller versions of the same ring. She slowed down suddenly, and opening the purse pulled out a long telescoping holder, and opening a gold (14k) case extracted a long white cigarette and inserted it.
She than bee lined and circled around, flanking a young miss wearing(limply) a long pretty satin dress of pink coral, white pearls hanging expensively down from her ears and neckline. She wore white wrist length satin gloves, with a diamond merrily glittering from a long slender finger on her left hand. She was talking to a rather handsome youth her own age, dapper in his tails and top hat, a precision trimmed Saxon style beard, and a face with solid Welsh features, and hazel coloured twinkling eyes. A long gold chain and fob held a solid gold engraved pocket watch to his chest (all 14 k) and he wore a ruby pin in his black ascot.
As she stole behind the back of the poor princess in coral, she gave her a venomous gaze, which quickly changed as she touched the young man on the shoulder, as he turned to her, the raven haired beauty, whose name was Lilith, eyes were now brimming with contrived admiration.
Hello darlings Lilith said, in a syrupy low voice, addressing them both, although she did not even glance at the girl. Both hoarsely said hello back, and the boy took the offered hand and kissed it, her large ring shinning, blindingly in his eyes. Would you be a dear then? She asked, waving the cigarette holder in front of his face. He obligingly lit it, and she let out a puff of smoke, aimed directly in the girls face, who started coughing Lilith smirked, panting her on the back, sorry dearie, mind if I borrow him for a bit, and she led the young gentleman away, before the pretty girl in coral and pearls could regain whatever composure she had left. Charles! Be a dear and buy me a drink please Lilith asked him, and he (with proper breeding of the titled) led her off without question, abandoning the young miss who watched them trot off with tears brimming in her blue eyes.
The drinks came, and Lilith sat her cigarette holder down next to them, dance with me Charles, and she took his arm and led him off to the dance floor, just as his fiancé in the coral gown and borrowed pearls had managed to catch up.
Charles held Lilith in his arms, as one might hold a cold blooded serpent. She moved close, appropriately hissing in his ear. Why are you wasting time with that silly Ginny creature, don’t you know her parents are about to lose all their money, and that Ginny’s only interest was in his title, and his parents fortune, silly bean. Charles looked warily at Lilith, than over at the forlorn Ginny, just standing there. He genuinely liked , maybe even loved, Ginny, even had given her a friendship ring, signifying his desire to become closer , But there were the rumors of her father being swindled of his fortune, and if his parents ever found out!. He looked back into his dance partners beady black eyes, they held a seductive fire which played immensely to his vanity. She was smiling winningly at him, she had made her selection, and although it would never show in her eyes, in the back of her devious mind, she was starting to think how the letter would go that his parents would anonymously be soon receiving concerning Ginny, the little pipsqueak, Lilith called her silently in her mind.
***
Meanwhile the pair of red haired ladies who had had the cheekiness to stop on the middle landing of the grand staircase, impeding Lilith’s progress, were now walking the perimeter of the mammoth chamber, meandering, taking in all of the sparkling and shininess of the surroundings, their eyes missing very little as they talked. The young, ginger haired one, pretty in her gown of deep green brocaded satin with silken emerald frills, seemed a little peeved about something, and her companion noticed that her grey eyes had turned a certain shade of green, always a sign of something amiss. She stopped her and asked her to please spill it out.
Oooh how I despise that witch, a seething Lydia said to her companion in the wine coloured taffeta gown, spitting out each word like a hissing cat, even Lydia’s back was arched a little like a feline. Her friend, whose longish flaming red hair was lying over her left shoulder, hanging down in a picturesque manner over her full bosom, was surprised at Lydia’s reaction. Who dear? Asked her friend, Angie. The lady in white satin Angie asked? No, spit out the usually collected Lydia, not her, she was really fuming. Angie continued, I was going to say, if it was, than taking her emerald bracelet should have been revenge enough, Angie stated, then continued. So just who are we talking about Lydia?
That one!, Lydia snarled, nodding her head, the witch in black who rushed through us on the stairs and went that way! Angie stopped, looking off in the direction Lydia had nodded. Oh her, she said, the one in black satin. Lydia just glared, and Angie knew she had gotten it right. She asked Lydia, does this witch have a name? Lilith! Lydia spat it out like a swear word, followed by a gushing tirade. She is a backstabbing creature who can charm any man into submission while making a girl cringe and wince with the merest of glances. She is a gold digger extraordinaire with two ex-grooms who couldn’t see her for her true colours until they had been gutted by her gilded claws!!
Really exclaimed Angie, her green eyes becoming brighter! Two of them? Yes, Lydia went on, both wealthy, both became available when their parents received anonymous poison letters about their then betrothed.
I’d give anything to knock her down a few pegs, Lydia continued through clenched teeth.
Angie mulled it over; realizing anything more she said would just add fuel to Lydia’s fire. She decided to let her simmer down on her own, and then perhaps they could get on to their business. She suggested a drink, and they moved off, passing a forlorn young lady in a limp coral coloured gown, wearing a nice display of pearls, who seemed to be staring off in the distance at something with tear filled eyes.
Skirting the dance floor, they soon attained the lounge and settled in……..
***************************************************
It had now been four years since Angie had taken the charmingly talented young Lydia under her wing.
She had encouraged her blossoming skills, abilities that Lydia herself had self-taught by playing games with her siblings, until she encountered a professional she could learn from. That professional had been Angie. Lydia now possessed the little dog eared ancient pamphlet that had been the secret to Angie’s success as a light fingered lady pickpocket, focusing mainly on the fine jewels worn out and about by rich girls and women in society.
(Please visit our albums section and peruse the various Angie Albums for more background stories on Angie and her “light fingers” the Eds.)
It had cost Angie a necklace to acquire the pamphlet, and it had been worth it. It had cost the younger, ginger haired Lydia her brooch and ring for a chance to do the same. Lydia caught on quickly, mastering certain moves in half the time it had taken Angie, and for which Angie gave her high praise.
But sadly it was now less frequently that they worked as a team, each after a time branching off on their own paths.
Lydia was a different creature than Angie in the respect that coming from a wealthy family she was supported, even though most of the family lands, money and titles would go to the heir, Lydia’s twin brother. For her lifting items from her wealthy friends and relations had started out as an edgy game. Now it had evolved into a challenging pastime, a trophy hunt of sorts where she collected jewels like her father collected animal relics. Some of her lesser trophies were passed onto Angie, who had the connections to dispose of them, turning them into ready pound notes.
Whereas Angie had been born to impoverished English parents who had immigrated to Canada. They made her, their only child, an orphan at age 6 upon their untimely deaths in an epidemic. At the crowded orphanage the nuns taught her a little about manners, how to act properly for a lady, and the rest she had learned on her own, what she needed to say to please them and avoid the “floggings” that they administered to those who refused to “fit” in. She fled the orphanage when she was 14 and forged her own, often lonely path in the years that followed. For her lifting a ladies valuables was a means of lively hood as much as it brought her thrills. And she had accomplished it all without Lydia’s advantages, which had been a pair of a willing accomplices, AKA a sister and brother, to practice on!
But the pair remained in constant touch and it had been at Lydia’s beckoning that Angie had met her in London a few days prior. From London they had travelled by rail to attend this once a year function, and to attend the various balls and other affairs that were the natural outgrowths of the Gala.
It had been an eventful journey, the train ride had proven to be even more profitable than usual for the two light fingered ladies.
Lydia had written Angie a letter (to Angie’s solicitor who she saw at least one a month) telling her about the upcoming gala, and how would she would like Angie to join her in for the hunt. Their plans were to attend the gala and its outgrowths, then spend a few months of the upcoming party season continuing Lydia’s education. They had met at the London station, and after checking their bags found themselves with a little time to kill before boarding. Now outside the station there was a sprawling green where several vendors had set up their wares, a haven for those possess a light fingered touch. The two ladies meandered, catching up on what had been happening in their lives since they last time they had been together.
Now as they walked the green, they also kept their eyes open, and it was the second time they had passed a group of small benches, across a path from where an organ grinder was performing with a pet monkey, which they stopped, giving some serious attention to something they had both glanced at the first time in passing.
There was a trio of young ladies by one of the benches. Later they learned the trio were three sisters awaiting for the arrival of their parents and older brother. All three wore eye catching outfits, the younger 2 siblings in silk dresses of canary yellow and butterscotch, the elder sister was in a long flowing black skirt with a glistening silver coloured ruffled satin blouse. The jewels the three were innocently wearing in public were also worth a second look. The youngest (12) wore a pretty selection of silver, the middle (14) wore gleaming pearls, their older sister and chaperone (19) was wearing gold bracelets, a fine collection of rings and (probably unwisely) an expensive sapphire brooch at her throat.
Now the first time they had passed the oldest was seated at a bench reading a magazine, while her siblings played on the lawn. They had stopped to watch the sisters, under the pretense of watching the crowd around the organ grinder and his monkey. They watched both groups with some interest, but were distracted when Lydia pointed out a pickpocket working the crowd across the way. Angie spotted him immediately, he was chatting to a pair of ladies wearing fashionable day gowns of shiny damask. It looked to be a wealthy mother and her younger sister. As the grey top hated gentleman thief engaged the mother in conversation, he was reaching around and gingerly lifting the silver watch of the younger sister, her attention being paid out to her two young nephews. They watched until he had pocketed the watch, his skill level about average for the type, before Lydia and Angie headed off for the far side of the green.
The second time around they saw that the oldest had fallen asleep, sitting on the bench and the younger two were sitting on the grass, watching the monkey from across the way. The grey top hated man who had relieved the lady of her watch, was now lurking on the scene, eyeing the two sisters sitting on the grass, their dresses splayed out, making the small glistening pools that had probably been what first caught his attention, before noticing their jewels, which were ripe for the picking now that their chaperone eyes were closed.
Lydia and Angie, without a word between them, moved in for the kill. Lydia went straight to the younger sisters, while Angie made a wide circle, cutting in front of the top hatted gentleman, who nodded to the pretty, clever faced, red head. Angie than seated herself on the far end of the bench, primarily to keep the grey top hated man and any other opportunist who may also have designs on the sound asleep older sister’s jewelry, at bay.
Lydia meanwhile had come up behind the younger pair of sisters, laying a hand on the older ones shoulder as she chirped a happy hello to them. Asking them if they would give some coins to the monkey for her, they got up and allowed Lydia to lead them across the path.
The girls called to the little monkey and handed him their coins, while they all laughed at the tricks he performed for them. The younger one was looking up at Lydia who handed her another coin; she scrunched down, and gave it to him, as they waited for him to perform again. Lydia placed her hand on thy older sister’s silken covered shoulder, than her fingers quickly slid up to the necklace of pearl, and with two fingers, flicked open the hook and eye clasp, and pulled away the pearls in one motion. She then moved back, leaving the younger siblings to play with the monkey and melted back into the crowd,
Watching all this, Angie made a noise after Lydia had vanished from sight, waking the sleeping lass, who immediately looked around for her wayward sisters. Spying the pretty red head sitting at the end of the bench, she smiled (girls always felt more at ease around other women), Angie smiled back, and looked towards the monkey, and the sister also looks, and spies her siblings. She calls out to them, and as they come back Angie sees with satisfaction that Lydia had been busy. The sister also notices something amiss; the middle one is missing her pearls.
They begin to look, with the concerned red head kindly offering her” a hand” in their search. After a fruitless 15 minutes spent searching through the crowd of huddled people watching the organ grinder and his monkey, the nice red headed lady gave her apologies’, saying she must leave to make her train. The pretty lady takes her leave, holding the girls hand as she earnestly expresses her hopes that the pearls are found. She holds out her arms, and is given a hug for helping by the grateful older sister. Angie places a hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eyes, as her other hand reaches up and unhooks the sapphire brooch from the sisters satin blouse, palming it effortlessly.
As Angie disappears in the crowd the search goes on in earnest, It is not much after the red headed lady had swished her way through her crowd towards the train, that the older sister discovers she is wearing on less ring! As she in bewilderment places a hand to her silk covered chest, her fingers feel nothing, and start to feel around fruitlessly for her brooch, her sapphire brooch, its gone, not even so much as a tear on her satin blouse where it had been pinned by her maid that morning. The older sister feels a hand placed on her shoulder, she looks up into the smiling eyes of a dapper gentleman in a grey top hat, I something wrong my dear? He asks her, showing genuine concern in his smiling eyes.
As the gentleman in the grey top hat was giving his upmost attention to the young lady Angie had been “helping”, Angie entered the train, and walking to the end of the last passenger car, settled into the seat next to Lydia.
Lydia Turned towards Angie, and speaking in French, Commented:
La levée de suite les bijoux d'une jeune femme est comme une plume prise !
Dear, Angie said in an almost motherly tone of voice, I really wish you would not go about quoting that Arsène Lupin wretch, as a pickpocket the man is a butcher.
Angelica, Lydia teasingly chided, you say that about all men with light fingers, like our gray hatted friend back there.
Honey, Angie smiled, most men like that are serpents, and Lupin is still a butcher.
Lydia watched Angie settle back in her seat with a secret smile. She did not know too much about Angie’s past, but there was something there about Monsieur Lupin, (whose exploits had been made into print, tickling her young girls fancy, as she poured over them), that seemed to get at Angie’s goat. A lot about Angie’s past life was a secret to Lydia, but she knew well enough when to let sleeping dogs lie..
Lydia than settled in as the train lurched forward, taking them safely away from the London park, along with the sister’s “trinkets “the pair had obtained.
A little later, it became Lydia’s turn to show her mettle.
An hour after leaving London Station, the train stopped at a fashionable suburb. Lydia watched with half opened eyes, the disembarking passengers, and the new arrivals now walking to and fro along the wooden platform. Suddenly her eyes opened wide, and she made a small noise. Angie looked up from her book with interest, immediately spotting it too.
A young couple was walking past their window. He was wearing a 3 piece suit, walking stick, a silver timepiece, and a small brown derby. It was his wife, though, upon which the ladies interest lay. She was sporting a slinking satin frock, pretty in itself as it lay along her voluptuous figure, but it was her necklace that stole the show, and as she walked it was noticed by more than a few of the people she passed. It was a buoyantly bright gold drop necklace that encircled her neck, with a large stone ruby in the center of the drop that lay along her bare throat. The necklace really vexed Lydia’s interest and she watched it, and the lady who wore it for as long as she could before finally losing sight and settling back in the seat with a long sigh.
Only a few short minutes later she her heart leapt in her throat. The couple had entered their car, probably heading for one of the private cars at the end of the train she reasoned, as her eyes took in every detail. But no, the couple stopped at the empty seat just before the one Angie and Fiona occupied.
Now Lydia and Angie had the end seats in the car, their back was to the cars wall, and directly across from them was a small storage room, , so the seating across the aisle started up about three rows, which meant that basically no one could see them unless they were walking past. Lydia continues to watch with interest as the couple settled in, the wife taking the window seat, in front of Lydia a. Angie just kept her nose buried in the book she was holding; this was all Lydia’s show. Lydia watched the lady as she sat back, her and her necklace reflected in the windows, The ladies shoulders were just above the seat, and after she had settled in, she made a show of doing up her long hair in a bun, giving Lydia ample time to study the valuable necklaces gold box clasp, and plan her way to it.
After listening to the few sharp words the lady gave her husband, Lydia decides this elegantly coiffured lady was somewhat a prima donna. Her husband tries to place his arm around her, but is chased off. They both finally fall off to sleep, and as the twilight outside takes over, Lydia sees her chance and seizes it. Lydia reaches over, and after licking her fingers, plays with the man’s ears. He groggily wakens, still aroused now that he thinks his wife is also now amorous, he reaches over and pets her affectionately. She wakens, angry and pushes the husband away. But Lydia is prepared, as the wife leans towards her husband, and away from the window, Lydia’s fingers have already flicked open the box clasp and whisked of the gold necklace from the opposite direction, towards the window, where she catches its reflection as slips over the back of the ladies seat and curls up in Lydia’s open palm.
Lydia and Angie now had private, “front” row seats for when the wife’s loss was discovered. It was always a performance that Angie never tired of watching when she could chance it. And Lydia? Sticking around and watching her victim’s reaction at being pickpocketed was one of the reasons she started lifting jewelry in the first place. Neither of them was disappointed on this occasion.
Now wide awake, the wife settled back down to read her book, playing with a strand of her hair that had fallen while she was chastising her husband. As she did her fingers brushed her neck, she stopped reading, and carefully felt around her throat, before letting out a yelp that woke her husband, and several of the other passengers ahead of her. She cried out (in a heavy Italian accent) my jewels, La mia collana , è svanito, it is gone? In panic she rose and started to look around, her hand to her throat, giving everyone watching a nice display of her pretty figure in its shiny dress and of her remaining jewelry. Angie, Lydia, a Stewart and the couple two seats ahead got up and helped in the fruitless search. Her necklace had somehow mysteriously vanished.
After things finally settled down Angie and Lydia made friends with the husband, but his wife remained angry and distant….
The rest of the trip had been uneventful, mainly because Angie and Lydia had had their fill of their appealingly pretty little games for the time being.
*******************************************************************
Angie suddenly perked up, letting go of her thoughts. She looked over at Lydia who was nursing her drink, her eyes looking a little less peeved. Did you see her, she asked? Who? Answered Lydia, Lilith? No answered Angie patiently. Not the Girl in the coral gown and pretty pearls, that one looked miserable enough without our help, stated Lydia? No, not her, but Angie reflected, Her pearls were nice, I almost suggested a go at them, but glad we didn’t, your right she did seem sad enough as it is. No, I mean that one over there, and she threw her eyes over to the entrance of the lounge.
Oh, Lydia exclaimed, I see what you mean. In the corner just outside the enclosed lounge area stood a lady in teal velvet, carrying a purse, her silver satin gloved wrist and fingers, home to a rather nice set of blazing emeralds and diamonds, matching those around her throat and hanging from her ears. Lydia looked over the situation.
The new mark wearing the teal velvet, was idling looking around, obviously trying to spot someone. Lydia looked at Angie, her Hazel eyes turning green with anticipation. Who gets her, she asked sweetly. Angie nodded,( wanting something to take Lydia mind off …..) she is all yours princess ( a nickname that Angie sometimes used on Lydia, and about the only person in the world Lydia could tolerate calling her that).
And watch her movements, added Angie in an instructing tone, See how she jumps up to peer over the crowd? Try and use it to your advantage. Lydia smiled and watched, licking her lips in anticipation.
Now Lydia’s forte was lifting necklaces, so that whenever it was Angie’s turn to be the spotter, she would always be on the lookout for Ladies wearing necklaces that would be within easy reach of Lydia’s talented fingers. Likewise Lydia, when spotting for Angie, kept an eye out for brooches. So, when Angie told Lydia the mark was hers, it was her emerald necklace that received close study first.
Lydia waited until the lady had her back to them, and she rose and carefully threaded herself through the maze of tables to the entrance of the lounge, her gown rustling against any object it touched. She came up on the lady in teal. Violet she cried out, as she raised one arm, wrapping around it around the girl’s back, while the other gripped the girl’s arm as Lydia drew the lady up against her figure in an embrace..
The girl tried to turn, squirming in Lydia s clasp, and as she did so, Lydia’s hand had already snaked up to the studied necklaces clasp, popping it open. I’m not Vio…. the startled girl tried to say, but as she turned around, Lydia exclaimed, you’re not Violet, oh I ‘m so sorry she said, asking for forgiveness sweetly,( undoing the clasp of the necklace and lifting up one end) I thought you were my cousin violet, Lydia apologized profusely, while her one hand squeezed the girls arm, finger bails digging in, as the other one holding the end of the necklace on her shoulder, moved down behind teal velvets back, slipping away the fiery necklace with it.. As Lydia balled up the necklace in her hand, she begged her leave, expressing regrets that she did not have time to chat with her new friend, have to find where Violet wandered off to she explained, squeezing the girl’s arm.
The mark was only too glad to accept the pretty stranger’s apology at not being able to stay and chat. The lady watched Lydia swish off into the swarming crowds. Her eyes slightly puzzled, before she remembered that she was also looking for someone, and went off, soon forgetting the entire incident ( and later, when the loss of her necklace was discovered, her brief encounter with Violet’s confused cousin was not even thought of)!
As Lydia sauntered off she stowed away the emerald necklace, and then meandered about the chamber, taking her turn to spot fresh victims, whose jewels were doomed to disappear under Angie’s talented fingers.
Meanwhile across the Ballroom another scene was being played out…..
********
Lilith was now holding court at the edge of the dance floor; her second straight dance had ended with the young gentleman she was leading to believe fascinated her. She was busy continuing chatting him up, expressing her utter delight at the wonderful dancer he was, when Ginny timidly approached. She drew near her erstwhile boyfriend, asking him for their dance, as she desperately tried to keep her lips from trembling. Lilith’s eyes lit up in false apology (Ginny could see that all too well), darling! Lilith exclaimed, could I borrow your young man for a bit more, he promised me a drink. She placed her arm around him, isn’t that right darling? The overly polite boy, choked up a bit, unsure of what to do, his breeding not letting him wanting to hurt either Ginny, or Lilith, despite what his true desires actually were, and that was to be alone with Ginny! Although the seeds of doubt that had been planted in his mind by Lilith were beginning to take root and he was starting to have worries about what if future with Ginny would become an actuality.
Ginny, Charles started, faltered, than tried again, Ginny, the band is going to play The Charleston, you know how you like to dance to it, why don’t you go and I’ll catch up with you soon, promise. Yes darling, Lilith chirped maternally at poor Ginny, It will be just a quick one darling, and taking Charles by the arm, led him off, leaving Ginny standing there, wilting away as the Lilith’s words and actions burned through to her very soul. The music stared, and she reluctantly, if not a little obediently, did as Charles wished. Three dances later, he still had not shown up as promised, and Ginny danced on, a burning hole opening ever wider in her heart.
**********
Meanwhile, as poor Ginny started dancing to her second of three solo dances, we visit another end of the chamber, where Lydia is found talking merrily with three girls around her own age that she had collected around her. She had lured them into her web by engaging the considerable charm, elegance and sophistication that had been bred into her by her parents pretty much since birth.
Three pretty maids all in a row, overloaded with a multitude of dripping jewels, and Lydia was waiting for Angie to make an appearance and lighten their load! A blond haired lady in shiny red satin, a brown haired maiden in bright blue, and a tow headed damsel in silky gold. As Lydia was chatting up the three girls, her eyes, discreetly and unobtrusively, take an account of their jewels, their placement and their value.
Amongst the jewels the lady in red is wearing the most valuable is a necklace of small diamonds and a ring around her right hand’s pinky that is a large diamond cluster that shimmers spectacularly as she plays with a locket of her lion’s mane like blond hair.
The pretty maiden in blue was displaying a nice collection of gold jewelry, braided chains with small flecks of silver woven in. But above her left breast, was her only jeweled piece, pinned with a simple c-clasp, a gold brooch with a center stone of blue topaz surrounded by dazzling ½ caret diamonds.
Then there was the damsel in the pretty gold coloured gown, woven of some type of exotic, overly expensive, material that just shimmered in the massive chandelier’s light. She was also wearing opera length gold satin gloves, from which were dangling a pair impressive jeweled bracelets, their stones a multitude of rainbow coloured gems. She also wore a long pair of dangling diamond earrings, held loosely by rather ancient hinge clasps. Although her many other jeweled pieces were pretty valuable, these two twin sets were by far the most valuable pieces that anyone in the group was wearing.
Lydia feasted on the show her three marks jewels were displaying as she won them all over, soon bringing them into fits of giggling and laughter as they started to talk about the things most groups of women by themselves talk about, men! Out of the corner of her eye Lydia spied Angie coming up and around to see what’s up. She circled past each of the girls, slowly, nonchalantly, attracting no notice from the others in Lydia’s little group.
As Angie passed behind the blond in red satin, Lydia adjusted one of her rings, like it was bothering her, the motion caught Angie’s eye. Then Angie passed behind the gold gowned miss, and her eyes darted to Lydia, who lifted up her hair, exposing her ears, than absentmindedly started playing with a bracelet. Then Angie went behind the little blue gowned miss, and saw Lydia suppressing a cough, patting her chest to stifle it, her fingers splayed just above her left breast. Nodding, as much to herself as Lydia, Angie melted back into the crowd, and made a wide circle before approaching Lydia’s side.
Angie touched Lydia on her shoulder and she swirled, delighted that her “new friend” had shown up. (for whatever the reason, it always makes the mark(s) more comfortable when a pair of newcomers are related or are friends, Gaston Monescu, page 15 paragraph 2), Lydia excitedly introduced Angie to her three new chums, explaining to them how Angie and her had met on the train and had bonded, and how nice Angie was, and how very interesting a life she had led, along with other bits of flummery.
Angie’s first formal introduction was to red satin, Jessica. Whom Angie took by the hand, then reached around and hugged her, receiving a warm embrace in return. After the embrace, Angie clasped Jessica’s right hand in both of hers, praising Jessica on her pretty gown. As Jessica looked down, lifting a portion of the gown’s skirt with her left hand to show it off better, all eyes looked down. As everyone’s attention was diverted for that fraction of a second, Angie released Jessica’s right hand, slipping off from Jessica’s satin clad pinky, the large diamond clustered ring. Angie discreetly passed off the ring to Lydia, who was standing close to one side.
Then Lydia introduced Angie to the elegantly gold gowned young lady, Abby. Angie raised one arm, wrapping it around Abby’s back, while the other gripped her wrist, flicking open the jeweled bracelet‘s safety chain, as she drew the gold gown wearing Abbey up against her figure. The girl tried to turn, squirming in Angie’s embraces. Angie’s hand patted the girl on the back as the girl halfheartedly did the same, feeling Angie’s face bury itself in her shoulder. Effectively blocking from view the hand the held her wrist, which was picking open the bracelets clasp. Angie pulled away, looking the young miss in the eyes, everyone else eyes were also on Angie, which is what she was aiming for. And as she told the sweet young thing that it was her pleasure, she patted the ladies wrist, squeezing open the bracelet, slipping it off and into the slightly open purse at her side. As she does, her other hand goes up to the lady in gold’s dangling earring,( all eyes follow this movement) admiring the earring openly, taking its clasp into consideration for possibly an attempt later if they meet somewhere outside after hours. One never knows.
The last one to be introduced was the pretty Miss wearing the blue gown, Meria. Lydia, laughingly teasing her about being last, led her by the elbow and pulled the Meria towards Angie, and while she was turning, Angie took a small step forward and made sure her left side would bump against her. As Angie drew her in for an embrace, her right hand right hand was on the brooch while Angie’s left was grasping Meria’s left shoulder. Performing a move so familiar and well-practiced it was almost second nature, her middle finger pushed the c clasp out of its hook releasing the brooch into Angie’s palm. Pulling her hand down, she deposited the brooch into her purse, as she enveloped the girl in a hug. Then she stepped back, and began chatting with all three, soon winning them over like Lydia had done, keeping them distracted from themselves and their missing fine trinkets. Angie told them a quick, funny story about a man she had met on the train recently, which soon had them all giggling.
Angie took her leave after about 5 minutes, making an excuse that she needed to freshen up, she again took each ladies hand in goodbye, including Lydia’s, whom Angie slipped off a ring from her finger, so if things got sticky, she would be one of the victims also.
Lydia stayed behind to keep the three darling ladies occupied. She noticed one by one the missing jewels of each girl. The three shimmering silken lambs had been most professionally sheared, the most expensive of their jewels disappearing in such a manner that requires a ladies touch, no mere male, not even the talented Arsène Lupin, could have done better in the same scenario. As she looked them over, Lydia mused that with the mass quantities of jewelry each of the three were wearing, it would be some time before any of them realized some were missing.
********
Meanwhile across the ballroom, as Angie had been introduced to her last of the three ladies and their jewels that Lydia had lined up; another scene had started being played out…..
Lilith had just finished her second drink with Charles, while the third song of a five song set had just started, fast and one meant for singles (favored mainly by the ladies, one of who was the wretched Ginny). Lilith looked at Charles, and suggested he should join the gentlemen up in the smoke room (she had seen him watching them mass exodus of gentlemen heading that way when the current set of songs had started). Charles hesitated, I should really see about Ginny, he cautiously stated, not sure of Lilith’s reaction. Lilith smiled, licking her re lips, don’t you worry yourself over the poor dear, I will go and keep her company until you return, she promised happily.
Defeated, Charles wearily accepts her suggestion, and Lilith watches him depart, then smugly looks in the direction of the dance floor, and exultantly plucking the fag from the gold holder, squashes it down quite hard in an ash container. She snaps closed the telescoping holder, and with a positively wicked grin, leaves her seat with a pounce and heads onto the dance floor, her hips swinging her black satin gown with a fluid motion, not unlike like a black cat making a move against a frightened mouse, or perhaps a snake slithering towards its victim.
It is a known fact that in the wild herding animals will avoid any member who is ill or dying. This may explain that, with Ginny’s 3rd dance of the 5 song set, she was still alone. It was like her wretchedness was felt by others and so kept their distance, leaving poor Ginny alone in her own empty circle, dancing at a far end of the chamber. This is also why she was not hard to spot by one who was now specifically seeking her out.
Ginny jumped as a hand grasped, not softly, her shoulder, and a voice said her name, with an evil hiss into her ear…
Ginny turned to face Lilith, whose look of utter hatred made that she gave the poor girl, made Ginny cringe as she backed away, dancing was now the last thing on the poor girls mind.
Darling, Lilith said spitting out the word as she looked around to make sure no one else was listening in, I have some very bad news….
Lilith launched into a tirade filled litany of reasons of why “Her” dear Charles would simply never be able to have anything more to do with her. Starting with her jewelry( really dear, you had to borrow them?) jumping to her moneyless parents( penniless in-laws, really darling it just isn’t done ), her now lowered position in society, (not to worry though , after she(Lilith) and Charles were marred she would find Ginny a maids position somewhere). And finally, that Charles was leaving because he was angry with the jealous way the sniveling Ginny had been acting.
With each sentence that was thrown in poor Ginny’s face she stepped back, the hateful words (some of which she knew had truth in them) slicing like a knife into the already tormented girls soul.
Finally she could take it no longer, and openly weeping she turned and tried to flee, looking fruitlessly around for Charles, but Lilith was quick, and grasped the poor girl before she could make good her escape..
Oh, you poor darling, I haven’t hurt your feelings have I spat Lilith in mocking tones, her , and she drew Ginny to her in a tight embrace, feeling the girl squirming in her arms, much like a mouse would squirm under a cat’s clawed paw, or perhaps wrapped in a serpents coils( both scenarios fit Lilith). Lilith finally released the poor thing, who fled recklessly away.
Lilith stayed and watched Ginny bolt, an indulgent smile creeping upon her face. She started to move in rhythm with the music, extremely pleased with herself, her sleek, slinky black gown and gloves flowing down along her devastatingly pretty figure making her appear like some slithering serpent rising up from the bowels of some glittering hell….
It was no more than 2 minutes later that a hand was placed from behind on Lilith’s shoulder.
********
As Charles headed off to relish his cigar, and Lilith headed off to relish tormenting Ginny; Lydia was continuing to entertain the three young ladies, while biding her time until the next conquest of the evening.
Suddenly Angie appeared from the crowd, again behind the three unsuspecting girls still under Lydia’s spell. Angie gave her a subtle signal, indicating that she has spotted fresh prey in dire need of being shed of her jewels, and needed Lydia’s help with the shearing. Lydia encourages the three ladies to meet her a little later, she sees a gentlemen (winking) whom she had promised a dance. They let their friend go, thinking she should wait for a slow dance, the music being played now was no way to dance close and personal, but they unknowingly were quite wrong.
After leaving the 3 young ladies, Lydia soon reached Angie’s side by the edge of the dance floor. Angie turned and nodded her head indicated one side of the floor, is that Lilith? She asked Lydia’s eyes followed Angie’s nod, soon eyeing the solitary lady in black standing at one end talking with the girl in coral and pearls.
Yes it is she answered, why? Attend, said Angie, and Lydia listened as Angie laid out her plans before her, as Lydia watched her witch, and the diamonds she wore that flickered around her black encased figure like so many evil tongued serpents. Suddenly she saw the girl in coral whose pearls the ladies had admired earlier, suddenly turn and flee, crying. Still up to your dirty tricks, are you Lilith!, Lydia thought spitefully.
Ready, the pair of scheming red heads than made their move.
*********
Lilith turned to see whose hand it was, half expecting to see Ginny, she checked herself quite nicely when turning, when she saw Lydia’s beaming face.
The two ladies dance in step for a few seconds, than Lilith gushes, why Lydia dearest, I hadn’t noticed you were here. Perfectly lovely darling, then Lilith added, but who brought you this evening? She asked, appearing very casual.
Lydia stayed silent on the subject; she wouldn’t give Lilith the satisfaction of knowing that she had not found anyone since Lilith had stolen Lord St. Claire, her longtime Beau, from under her nose.
Instead, Lydia praised Lilith, her lovely figure and gown, false praise, and Lilith knew it. They both continue dancing, almost sparing like a pair of fencers, with sharp eyes, and tongues rather the swords.
***********
Having been pre-warned by Lydia that the situation would become volatile very fast, Angie had come up behind Lilith very quickly, and started to dance behind her, coming ever closer, unnoticed by Lilith whose guard was totally centered on Lydia.
Angie saw her chance and tripped on Lilith’s Gown, sending her into Lydia’s waiting arms. Angie’s hands at the same moment had flew up to clasp of Lilith’s diamond necklace, unsnapping it, and sending the necklace falling into Lydia’s hands as she pushed away Lilith, who was in the process of turning and rounding on the person who dared ruin her expensive gown. As she spat at Angie, reprimanding her for her careless ness, Lydia moved in between, flicking the clasp of Lilith’s diamond broach in the process. Pushing the pair apart, Lydia apologies, as her right hand neatly slipped of the opened broach from Lilith’s satin gown, saying it was her fault for dancing so close to Lilith that she had backed poor Lilith into the lady.
Lydia took Angie’s hand, apologizing, slipping her the necklace and broach into Angie’s half open purse in the process. And with that, Angie turned and went on her way, never looking back, Hearing Lilith saying something to Lydia about the clumsy bitch, as she left.
************
Later that evening found Angie walking through the lounge of an upscale hotel, having joined in with the spillover from the fancy dress ball that had gathered there. She had stashed in her hotel room the shimmering collection of purloined jewels that Lydia and her had lifted while attending the Ball proper.
For the past half an hour she had been having an enjoyable conversation with the sparkling (both in personality, and attire) tow headed lady in silky gold that Lydia had introduced her to at the ball, and who still had not noticed she was shorn of a one of her bracelets from her gloved wrist,. Angie had come across the damsel sitting alone by the bar, her friend (The pretty maiden in blue who had been displaying the nice collection of gold jewelry- less one brooch) had left her to party on with a male friend of hers.
Angie had just left the pretty ladies side, also leaving her without the bother of placing her earrings and one of her twin bracelet in the hotel safe that evening. She as of yet failed noticed that now her dangling diamond earrings that had been loosely held by their ancient old fashioned clasps, had gone the same route as her Bracelet. Angie had slipped off the earrings while giving her a generous hug of greeting after watching and waiting for her to be alone.
*******************************
Lighting a cigarette Angie left through the lobby and headed into a late night pub. As she nursed her first scotch, neat over ice, a familiar figure approached and slid onto the empty stool next to her. Thought I’d find you here, chirped a much happier Lydia. Just wanted to pop to give you an update, She waited and made small talk until after the bartender had taken and served her drink (a whiskey Soda) then began to fill in Angie.
So what was her reaction when you pointed out her jewels were missing, Angie asked Lydia with great expectations of what had happened? Well when I pointed them out, instead of thinking you (Angie) had been the culprit, Lilith assumed they had been taken by” Ginny” (the sad one wearing the coral gown and pearls) when Lilith had been hugging her. That little toad, Lilith had spat out to Lydia, and turned to hunt Ginny down.
Poor dear, said Angie, felling a small pang of sorrow for the little Ginny creature. No, answered Lydia, not really, and she continued…
Lydia had followed, realizing that Lilith was out of control, worried that someone innocent may be hurt.
And she was correct, because Lilith approached Ginny and lit into her something fearsome.
Lilith literally grabbed Ginny and started shaking her, demanding that she give them back. The girl was petrified, and Lilith started calling her some pretty nasty names.
A crowd started gathering.
Then all of a sudden this bloke wearing a gold pocket watch, cuts through the crowd and rescues the poor girl from Lilith’s clutches. Like a white knight Angie commented. Well he was in black tails, and boy was he angry with Lilith, he held the girl in coral tight as he looked at Lilith lividly, his face the reddest I have ever seen on an angry young man.
Lilith finally, collected herself, and I saw all fire drain from her face, and she turned around and stormed out of the chamber. I don’ know, nor care what became of her, stated Lydia.
Feel better now, princess? Angie asked Lydia.
Lydia smiled perking up, actually for the small bit of solace it may have been worth, it had made her feel better now that she had thought about it.
She smiled at Angie, producing a necklace of pearls, it seemed easier to do when she was so happy, Lydia confessed. So you do feel better Princess, Angie stated happily.
Lydia smiled, and the pair finished their drinks in thoughtful silence.
Lydia was the first to leave, smiling she bade Angie a good night, and began walking away.
Lydia had only gone a few feet, when she turned, and looked at Angie who had been watching her.
Lydia, a sly smile brightening her face and eyes, happily quoted “Assistez à un oeil de demoiselles dans vos s , chatouiller les dames de fantaisie avec une main”
Angie finished Lupin’s quote quote with a faraway look in her eyes
“tout en soulevant ses bijoux avec l'autre”
Till the morrow, Princess, Angie said in parting.
Till Tomorrow answers Lydia, turning with a skip, her gown flowing out behind her as she, now in very good humor, leaves into the smoke swirled darkness of the city to walk the few blocks to her hotel.
*****
The Epilogue:
Late afternoon of the next day, after attending an early afternoon Garden Soiree, Lydia and Angie are strolling through a park, both still dressed in their party dresses, both still wearing their fancy day jewels, (worn so they would fit in with the well to do female attendees), and both with secret pockets holding jewels lifted from some of said female attendees.
Lydia looks back at Angie, Lifting that silver dragon brooch with the ruby eyes and diamond scales was a nice move on your part Angie, she praises.
It was a lot easier with your help Lydia, Angie responded.
Lydia turned her head back onto the path, her pony tail whipping around, the pearls she had woven into it shining a bright white.
Angie said to Lydia’s back, that girl in the crème satin dress, you know I was going to go for her gold braided necklace, then you came out of nowhere and beat me to it.
Lydia just smiled satisfied to herself, I know she responded,, I wanted it to be my coup, she did not turn back to look at Angie’s reaction., but continued.. you laid down the gauntlet ,(or in this case satin glove) Angie when, as you commented on how pretty the necklace looked as it slithered along the front of her crème satin dress, you said it would take extremely deft fingers to slip it off her throat. Although I though her sisters pearls were a better score.
Angie, still walking behind her now had a secret smile on her face, and her eyes had glazed over as if her mind was drifting a million miles away from that quite park in the English countryside where the pair were now walking.
The two pretty red heads continue to walk on a bit, both in the silence of their thoughts.
Angie, Lydia asks, plopping down on a bench.
Yes dear, Angie says, her train of thought broken.
Lydia pulled out a long her gold braided necklace and was admiring it. The lady in the Crème satin dress who wore this lovely thing,; her sister, the one wearing the emerald silk gown and the pearls I fancied, you said she reminded you of a story you promised would tell me sometime? Could you tell me it now?
Angie smiled, Princess, you certainly are an inquisitive one! Let me think a minute…
Angie settled down next to her, and after mulling it over a bit, finally began…
It was during my first time in Monte Carlo, I had left the states soon after I had scored a major haul, and decided to ply my trade in new waters. It was during the fall of…
Lydia interjected, It was because of your haul at that politicians daughter’s wedding, (see album Angie being receptive)
Yes princess, that and a few other functions helped fund that trip. Angie confirmed, then went on…
I had met this pretty young like in an emerald silk gown, positively dripping in gold jewellery with rubies and emeralds…
Lydia cut in again, please start at the beginning; we have the rest of the day all to ourselves.
Angie smile, very well, I will start at the beginning: …….
( We will post in the album’ Angie “holidays” in Monte Carlo’ the rest of the tale stated in the epilogue. Once the story we recently unearthed in previously unknown chronicles of Angie’s life have been modified …The eds)
The lifting away a young lady’s jewelry is as a feather taken
La levée de suite les bijoux d'une jeune femme est comme une plume prise
Editor’s Notes:
Our Thanks to Mr. J. Gardner for pointing out the existence of Mr. Monescu’s 1826 guide
If you enjoyed our little story, please like and leave a comment.
And if you wish, describe what intrigued you the most about it…
Thank You
And last, but not least,
Kudos to the Light Fingered Lady who planted the seed of the flower that became Lydia
Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives