The Egyptian Hall, also known as Bullock’s Museum, while much smaller than the British Museum was extraordinarily unique. When Lord Admiral Nelson triumphed at the Battle of the Nile in 1798, English interest in the “East” began to soar. Although obelisks and other monumental pieces had been leaking out of Egypt for a century, Napoleon’s… CONTINUE READING…
The final and full text of the Declaration of Independence was adopted in Congress on July 4, 1776. In the words of Thomas Jefferson, the intention of the Declaration was not to say something new, but– to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command… CONTINUE READING…
“I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit.” ~President Theodore Roosevelt “Duty, honor, country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you… CONTINUE READING…
Finally at the end of my ten-part series covering all of the fifty States of the Union comprising the United States of America. What a fun journey it has been! I learned a ton, and hope all my readers, whether from the US or abroad, have enjoyed the education about this great country. I am… CONTINUE READING…
On Tuesday I posted a blog giving a brief history on the HERMITAGE, a Georgian Era type of garden folly. As I noted, few known hermitages from the 18th century still exist. Of those, most have been reconstructed or renovated to some degree. Drawings and documentation of hermitages long reclaimed by nature or purposefully destroyed provide… CONTINUE READING…
My ten-part series covering all of the fifty States of the Union comprising the United States of America is almost complete! Here we are at #9, and there is only one more to go! I am a proud American, particularly regarding our remarkable history, so for ten consecutive weeks each blog post will spotlight FIVE… CONTINUE READING…
Two days ago I gave a brief history on the HERMITAGE, a Georgian Era type of garden folly. As I noted, few known hermitages from the 18th century still exist. Of those, most have been reconstructed or renovated to some degree. Drawings and documentation of hermitages long reclaimed by nature or purposefully destroyed provide a broad… CONTINUE READING…
I am forever fascinated by the unusual structures designed and erected to add atmosphere to a Georgian Era landscape garden. I’ve written several blogs on the subject —which are listed with links in the Pemberley Library under “Landscape & Garden”— and will be writing more in the future. For this week, I am turning the… CONTINUE READING…
Continuing the ten-part series covering all of the fifty States of the Union comprising the United States of America, here we are at #8. I am a proud American, particularly regarding our remarkable history, so for ten consecutive Wednesdays each blog post will spotlight FIVE States (chosen at random). There will be some trivia, facts… CONTINUE READING…
The pillory was an ancient punishment and as early as the 13th century it was used for traders who had swindled the public. After 1637 it became the recognized punishment for those who published books without a license or libeled the government. Once locked into the mechanism, the prisoner would be pelted with rotten eggs, vegetables,… CONTINUE READING…
Continuing the ten-part series covering all of the fifty States of the Union comprising the United States of America, here we are at #7. I am a proud American, particularly regarding our remarkable history, so for ten consecutive Wednesdays each blog post will spotlight FIVE States (chosen at random). There will be some trivia, facts… CONTINUE READING…
Continuing the quest to cover the alphabet! That may prove impossible due to the vast number of words in the English language, but I can try to find a few fascinating examples. For a list of all my archived posts covering the topic: VOCABULARY Niggardly Contrary to the similarity in spelling and pronunciation, the word… CONTINUE READING…
In this day and age I suspect most of us are numb to the concept of pornographic or highly erotic written material. Some may clutch their pearls and reach for the smelling salts, but I’d wager that is 99% theatrics! For good or ill, such material is so commonplace that we tend to presume it… CONTINUE READING…
Surely you didn’t think a butler or diner would brush fallen bread crumbs off the bleached white tablecloth onto the floor? Perish the thought! Instead, some clever person invented the table crumber, or simply, the crumber. The crumber came in many forms: a small brush and pan, a tiny brush on its own (which sweeps crumbs… CONTINUE READING…
Today I am continuing what will be a ten-part series covering all of the fifty States of the Union comprising the United States of America. I am a proud American, particularly regarding our remarkable history, so for ten consecutive Wednesdays each blog post will spotlight FIVE States (chosen at random). There will be some trivia,… CONTINUE READING…
