Wanderlust & Pixie Dust

"She was a pretty child, good natured, inclined to be quiet, but possessed of a curious mind." Vincent Cronin

Sis gave me a vintage book awhile back entitled THE ROMANTIC WAY An illuminating study of four women in pursuit of love and high adventure.  "Here. You can add this to your ETSY SHOP."  Sure, I'll take it.  Far be it for me to turn down a free book.  I opened it and started to read.

Caroline- Duchesse de Berry, Marie d'Agoult, Eve Hanska and Marie Bashkirtseff.  But which to read first? I began with the second Marie. 

Long ago during my F.C. (First Marriage) I had unearthed a translation of her passionate diary from French.  A nice old copy published in 1913 no less.  My first attempt at reading the diary of this talented painter, I was a bit taken aback.  I was much younger and newly married.  Her diary was so frank and honest. It was overflowing with more melodrama than I had ever known.  Now that I am older and have experienced more of life, the good times and the bad, her intensity of life is a strange comfort to me.  I lift her words up time and time again.  And choose a page at random. Anywhere will do.

"I am the most interesting book of all."

"I dream of the gallantries of past centuries and all unaware, I am the most romantic of women-how unhealthy it is!" 

Such intensity.  It's hard to read her words and not consider the time in which they were written.  To try and imagine what it would have been like to see the world through her eyes.  I could ramble on about the poor woman all night but I started out with the intention of blogging about Eve & Balzac. Was she indeed a "poor woman."  Some live to be 100 and do not love and live as she did.

"There are moments when I do not know what I detest, what I love, what I desire, nor what I fear."

Tragically, Marie only lived long enough to see her mid 20's.

Okay now I've gone and done it.  I've lost my mojo for Balzac and Hanska.  And I forgot that the title and quote for this post was in reference to Eve.  It certainly does not describe Bashkirtseff. Oh well.  Another night perhaps...

The Day Is Done

Yesterday evening I spent a little time catching up on the blog The Earthly Paradise.   Margaret had written a post the other day about Tennyson.  Reading the post led me to remember Longfellow.  One of my all time favorite poems is Longefellow's The Day is Done.  

The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.

I see the lights of the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me
That my soul cannot resist:

A feeling of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain.

Come, read to me some poem,
Some simple and heartfelt lay,
That shall soothe this restless feeling,
And banish the thoughts of day.

Not from the grand old masters,
Not from the bards sublime,
Whose distant footsteps echo
Through the corridors of Time.

For, like strains of martial music,
Their mighty thoughts suggest
Life's endless toil and endeavor;
And to-night I long for rest.

Read from some humbler poet,
Whose songs gushed from his heart,
As showers from the clouds of summer,
Or tears from the eyelids start;

Who, through long days of labor,
And nights devoid of ease,
Still heard in his soul the music
Of wonderful melodies.

Such songs have power to quiet
The restless pulse of care,
And come like the benediction
That follows after prayer.

Then read from the treasured volume
The poem of thy choice,
And lend to the rhyme of the poet
The beauty of thy voice.

And the night shall be filled with music
And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away.

Reading about Tennyson and Longfellow then had me thinking about Julia Margaret Cameron.

I chose the Cameron photo above to go with the poem.  Entitled "Sadness" this one is thought to have been made circa 1864.  It amazes me when a photo taken over 100 years ago appears entirely recent.  Timeless...

Sisters

Recently I was trolling around my favorite local flea market.  I had headed over there late. Late, meaning that I arrived well after all the good stuff had been picked over.  Or at least I hoped. This way there would be less to tempt me from money I shouldn't be spending any which way.  Before I left I made sure to pick up a 20 pack of Scott toilet paper for $11.  This was also to help myself from feeling guilty about wandering the flea market.  I had to go in order to save money right?

As I meandered about I heard a dealer shouting "Everything $1 or less!"  Peeking and poking through dusty boxes I got the feeling that damn it, I should have been there earlier.  Y'know, when the stuff left behind looks kind of good and you wonder what the heck you missed by not being there early like you really have been. 

I reached down and pulled out a large hardback book and quickly glanced through it's pages. Yay.  It was choc full of black and white photos of Dorothy & Lillian Gish.  I remember paying $1 for the book and a small handful of other things.  Funny, but now I can't even recall what those other things were. 

Although the paper jacket on the book was in dire shape I was still excited and looking forward to sitting down that evening and curling up with it.   Several chores later I finally had a chance to spread myself out and carefully crack it open.  Lo and behold!  Look what I found: 

Holy moly.  I never get lucky like this!  It's autographed by Lillian Gish!!!! If you are a big old movie movie buff like I am you can imagine my glee.   Written by Lillian Gish, it tells the marvelous tale of her and her sister Dorothy in early movie pictures.  This book is so full of delicious photos that I would have been thrilled to have it in my collection without the autograph.  

 

With this book in my hands I can easily conjure up visions of early movie sets, Mary Pickford and Rudolph Valentino.  My typing is limited these days so I shan't ramble on any longer today.  Instead I'll share a few pictures picked at random.  Lillian and her sister Dorothy were equally beautiful and it is hard to tell them apart.  Enjoy these few wonderful snapshots of their lives...

This delightful picture below is of their mother.  

This next scene from a movie especially tickles my fancy because of the wonderful textile covering the table. I just love stuff like this.  

Next is a photo of something similar that I have available on my website Wanderlust & Pixie Dust

This next one is a Victorian era chenille table topper that I have in my collection.  Can't pry my fingers from this one though.  Similar fringe to the one in the movie photo.  It does have a small hole in it and it's a wee bit faded but I don't mind.  Love it.  Here is a link to a previous post I did showing two others in red.  Click on Red Portieres

 to see.  I had a huge one once that acutally had the image of a child riding a St.  Bernard.  Sold it. What a big dummy I am.

Oops.  I digressed.

 

Ha.  Must of had the vapors.  Love the drama...

Oh my.  Took me two days to post these.  My fingers are done for awhile.  I'm not bothering to check for mistakes.

Frances Benjamin Johnston

This photo of Frances Benjamin Johnston mesmerized me as a young girl. Who are those people on the fireplace? If only I could get a better look at that piece of pottery hanging from the wall.

Even now I can recall how fascinated I was by the fact that so much in this picture, flew in the face of everything I thought I knew about women in the Victorian age. How did she have the guts to be so scandalous? Exactly what possessed her to photograph herself in this manner? Was it spontaneous or did she plan these scene carefully as she lay awake at night?

My mind is spinning and now I'm wondering who I would consider to be her contemporary in the here and now.

I like to think that had I lived during the same time period that I would have been blazing my own unique path in life. Easy to say.

But would I have?

Books Discovered This Morning

I tried soooo hard to be good today and NOT go to one yard sale. Or the flea market. Or an estate sale. I'm weak. On the way to breakfast, I opted to brake and take a quick run through a church rummage sale just around the corner.

Immediately to my left I spy several tables covered and buried in books. I glanced quickly and saw what appeared to be mostly 70's-80's covers and what looked to be a few from the 40's.

I went down on my knees to get a better look. I reached down and picked up this:
A truly wondrous book on the actress SARAH BERNHARDT.

And while I was looking for a great link to post on Ms. Bernhardt I discovered this incredible bit on actress who have portrayed Cleopatra throughout the years, on YOUTUBE. Thanks zieggeldgrrl for sharing this. You picked the perfect music to go with it.

I daresay that I have always thought that she had some of the most mesmerizing eyes. Like Ben Kingsley. I find his eyes to be very intriguing as well.

This handsome creature, a Mr. Leo Tellegen, is listed as her very last leading man.

As I know I've mentioned somewhere before, I do love old interior shots. How I wish I could see this photo in blooming color.

This photo was taking as she posed in her very own private train car.

And right after I discovered the book on Sarah Bernhardt I unearthed a book from the 1920's on the life and times of Cleopatra.

By this time I'm already figuring that I had better pay very close attention to the rest of the books because someone out there had similar interests. Hopefully many of the books had come from the same place right?

Then this caught my attention:

"All Passion Spent" by Vita Sackville-West. I've added a link about Vita off to the left of my blog under INTERESTING SITES TO CHECK OUT. I thought that I had posted a link for more information about Virginia Woolf but I guess not. I'll try to do that soon.

If I hadn't already been on my knees pawing through a dust covered cardboard box, my knees would have buckled.

And then, would you believe:

"Flush" A Biography by Virginia Woolf? Discoverd together even in death.

Another first edition?

By the time I got myself up from my hands and knees I found myself to be in the midst of a book lovers frenzy. There had to be at least 10 others digging about the tables and boxes and it was getting difficult to continue the hunt.

I also had completely forgotten my poor husband who hadn't slept in 24 hours. I'm so bad. And selfish. The poor thing was napping by the time I figured out where he had parked the car. I was so excited and rambling on like a babbling brook about my treasures that my hubby just busted out laughing in my face. But what a great unexpected treat!

Don't know about anyone else but each and every one of these books are just the thing to get me giddy. there are several others that I want to share but sorry! I want to curl up with one of em even more.

Actually book reading my have to wait as well. Hyacinth of Keeping up Appearances is on my telly and beckoning!

Long Gone*Part Two

Ok I'm back for a little bit. Wasted nearly the whole day getting papers together, making copies, writing letters. I'm wrestling two companies that I paid services for over a year ago and of course now they are automatically charging me for the coming year. Sometimes it is very difficult to get "automatic" withdrawals to STOP. Be very careful!!

Boy am I irked.

In my previous post you'll see these precious photos of this sweet little old lady peering into the camera. Tucked behind one of the photo's I found this newspaper clipping. Here is the front and back:

Wow. Those came out big.

20 cents? Can you imagine. Certainly before my time. No, really.

And while I'm on a melancholy note, I want to share something that I found in a turn of the century copy of poems by James Whitcomb Riley, discovered many years ago. You can't actually read what is says from this dreadful scan. Well I'll be. I can't seem to locate my dreadful scan. It's too late to get out the camera. I'll add a photo tomorrow. I will type out what it says for you tonight though.

Get out your hanky. Vintage collectors, I know that you have them. It reads:

Ruth H. 1931 June 21st

Sunday and all alone
and blue with my thoughts and
thinking of my loving mother
have been looking at my
my old pictures and books and
my little baby's clothes and
shirts and things and of course
I weep through it all.
Andy is not home yet.
and no one has been up to (undecipherable)
see poor old dear old Pa yet
oh the lonely days no one knows
how my heart aches tonight
for those three that are not here
with me.
Jack is not here yet it's
9:30 good night Ruth

Just breaks your heart doesn't it?

I found the dreadful scan.

Long Gone...

Today as I was desperately tearing up my craft room hunting for something, I came across this photo above. Along with my many obsessions is an obsession for interior shots. Mother and I have been known to sit with a magnifying glass in hand and analyze every little nook and cranny. This photo is especially dear to me because of what was pencilled in on the back:

It says "The house I love so much. My darling dogs. All is past. I wish I could pass soon too." Of course this really struck a cord with me. I then came across these photos of this dear elderly lady. I had to bring them home with me because I felt so sorry for the poor thing. I guess that some of us are destined to wind up lost in a pile of photo's at the flea market.

Note her cute "do" and her hat:

Darn. Gotta keep this short today. I'll finish this 2morrow night. Have a great weekend!

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