Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Drunkenness And Swearing In Edwardian Times

These incidents suggest that the Edwardian era really was a much more innocent time!

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A Favourite Belle Epoque Site

La Belle Epoque is one of my favourite websites about this enchanting era which was full of innovations in the arts and architecture. As well as gorgeous photos, there are articles about Art Nouveau artists and the origins of advertising and cinema.

This is one of my favourite photos on the site Morlaix in Brittany .

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Theresa Oelrichs



Theresa Oelrichs once asked the Great White Fleet of the American Navy to bring their ships to her party to add interest to the view from her house, Rosecliff, in Newport. When they refused she used props instead. Her 'Bal Blanc' party was, nevertheless, a great success. She filled her beautiful house, Rosecliff, with white flowers, including lilies and orchids, and bought white swans for the fountain. The women all wore white dresses.

'Tessie' was born Theresa Alice Fair in Virginia City, Nevada. Her family was poor until her Irish father, a prospector became wealthy because of the Cornstock Lode. This was the largest single deposit of silver and gold ever found.

Her parents divorced and her mother gained custody of Tessie, Virginia and Charles. Her father had custody of another son, James. Sadly, James eventually committed suicide.

Tessie's father became a Senator but he was never accepted into 'Society'. Raised in San Francisco, ambitious Tessie soon wanted 'better things'. She met the extremely wealthy Hermann Oelrichs in 1889 at a tennis match in Newport. He was almost 40 and never married. She was much younger. Although his parents probably wanted a better match for their son they gave the couple one million dollars as a wedding present.

Tessie became one of the leaders of New York society, together with Mrs.Astor and Mrs. Ava Vanderbilt. These three were incredibly powerful and decided who would be accepted into the 'Four Hundred'. They also tried to outdo each other and other wealthy families with their wonderful houses and parties.

Theresa and Hermann commissioned the famous architect, Stanford White, to build Rosecliff which was modelled on the Grand Trianon in Versailles. It cost two and a half million dollars to build. Here she held her famous parties. A ballet, an opera and a circus were also held at the 'Gilded Age' mansion.

Sadly, the house with its 22 master-bedrooms and hand-decorated, gilded ballroom was sold for a very low price in 1941.

It is now a museum in Newport, Rhode Island and it has featured in many films, including the stunning The Great Gatsby with Robert Redford. I wonder whether I'll ever see it.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Site of the Week: Fotofacade

Andy Marshall is an architectural historian who takes amazing and unusual photos and writes insightful articles about historical buildings. He is also passionate about preserving historical buildings.

Here is his post about one of my favourites, Charles Rennie Macintosh.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Exhibition of American Impressionism and Realism

I went to see the Exhibition of American Impressionism and Realism from the Met today. It gives a wonderful overview of these styles of painting and it's certainly worth seeing. I especially liked the Childe Hassam paintings and this gorgeous work by Donoho:

windflowers

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A critic wrote in The Australian that he preferred the Australian artist's work because it wasn't as derivative. I thought that this was probably nonsense but after going to the Exhibition I agreed with him in regard to many of the paintings. Some of the artists were too influenced by Monet and Renoir, I thought. The Australian paintings also tended to be brighter and more colourful and outstanding. These include paintings by John Russell, an Impressionist artist and a good friend of Monet. Here is a link to one of his paintings of Belle Isle: Belle Isle

The Sargent portraits were quite amazing. They must have involved so much work and time! I especially liked this portrait of Mrs. Hugh Hammersley, a wealthy banker's wife. It's such a strong portrait but her beautiful dress is so delicately painted.



(NB: This has also been posted at my blog Favourite Things and More.)

Friday, July 17, 2009

The Belle Epoque in France

Abelard has an excellent introduction to this era in France. This includes information on Art Nouveau, fashion, and the historical background. I have only skimmed this so far but I'm going to read it properly soon!

I will also read the pages about French umbrellas. I like pretty umbrellas so I just bought an attractive one which was included as a gift with perfume.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Gold Coins Gain

Recently investors have flocked to gold. This is because gold is the ultimate asset which provides safety and security. Gold will always hold its value and investors realise this, especially when the economy is volatile. Gold Coins Gain is an excellent site where you can buy gold.

You can buy gold coins here, inlcuding the Liberty Quarter Eagle. There are many gold coins available. You can also buy gold bullion at the site.

This is a well-designed and interesting site for investors who want to buy gold.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Belle Epoque Europe on Facebook

Belle Epoque Europe is a pretty site which has information about artists, authors, paintings and events in the 'Gilded Age'.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to explore this site thoroughly yet but I am certainly looking forward to it!

Friday, July 10, 2009

The Ladies Treasury of Costume and Fashion

The Ladies Treasury of Costume and Fashion is my site of the week. This truly is a treasury of enchanting articles about Victorian and Edwardian fashion - I especially liked the one about the rivalry of tea gowns. It also has patterns for those who love to sew.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Course Hero Provides A Great Site For Students

Course Hero is a great website which enables college students and tutors to connect. It is very helpful for students because it enables them to use many different textbooks, such as Computer Science Textbook Answer and form study groups so that they can share problems and ideas. This also helps college students to stay motivated.

There are thousands of textbook solutions at Course Hero. One popular subject is Computer Science. Joining the site will mean that you can easily find a Computer Science Textbook Answer which will enable you to pass your Computer Science Test with flying colors.

The study groups at Course Hero enable students to share resources, help each other with answers and support each other while studying for their exams and assignments. There are study groups for every subject, including Computer Science. Passing a Computer Science Test is much easier with the help and support of a study group.

Signing up for the basic membership of Course Hero is free. It is easy to do this by using their Face Book page. This is a great idea which should help college students to get excellent grades!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

The Scandalous Idina Sackville: A Review of The Bolter by Frances Osborne

This is a little bit out of time because Idina was really a 'flapper', but she was born during the Edwardian age and she certainly shared some Edwardian traits! I greatly enjoyed this excellent biography. Here is my review: The Bolter