tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76537572551750135202024-02-19T07:49:57.758-08:00Funeral CakesC.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-59608012114913710502009-10-20T04:33:00.000-07:002009-10-21T14:28:11.633-07:00Tumshie Lantern<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjnfiaR1_Resa-O7hWJKeji7BYCCFwS8ktQe2xbqCSPgj9CIitAm3TKqKD2zJjJkGGQXvaE4xtufFVJDklo3nfc8yBy1jU78CDxDIM-yTB2SVZuoREbWxl6bWd7ajuX1CF4zuFBYENcdK/s1600-h/turnip.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjnfiaR1_Resa-O7hWJKeji7BYCCFwS8ktQe2xbqCSPgj9CIitAm3TKqKD2zJjJkGGQXvaE4xtufFVJDklo3nfc8yBy1jU78CDxDIM-yTB2SVZuoREbWxl6bWd7ajuX1CF4zuFBYENcdK/s320/turnip.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394760576071760210" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Add_Image" title="Add Image" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="addImage();" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);;ButtonMouseDown(this);"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span><br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Add_Image" title="Add Image" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="addImage();" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);;ButtonMouseDown(this);"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span><br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Add_Image" title="Add Image" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="addImage();" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);;ButtonMouseDown(this);"><br /></span></span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Add_Image" title="Add Image" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="addImage();" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);;ButtonMouseDown(this);"><br /><br />The first Jack-O'-Lantern's were, in fact, not pumpkins, but turnips. In Scotland these carved turnips (or 'neeps' as they're regionally known) were called 'Tumshie Lanterns'. Scottish children would carry these lanterns out while 'guising'.<br /><br /></span></span>In Scotland children traditionally go guising on Hallowe'en. "Going around the houses guising, they are given money (not sweets) and to earn the money they either sing, tell jokes, or have a really good costume. (The scarier the better for making money.) My son, one Halloween made £20 worth of pennies." explains Scottish author and artist <a href="http://www.pumpkinpress.co.uk/">Sharon McPherson</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o-lantern"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 258px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Traditional_Irish_halloween_Jack-o%27-lantern.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Add_Image" title="Add Image" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="addImage();" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);;ButtonMouseDown(this);"><br />The turnips that were used for carving are in fact Swedish Turnips (Swedes) or Rutabaga as it's known in the U.S. Irish immigrants brought this tradition to America, however the turnip was traded in for the much more easily carved pumpkin (which they did not have in their native country). You can read more about the history of the Jack-O'-Lantern <a href="http://www.history.com/content/halloween/the-jack-o-lantern">here on the History Channel website</a>.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Add_Image" title="Add Image" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="addImage();" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);;ButtonMouseDown(this);"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Add_Image" title="Add Image" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="addImage();" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);;ButtonMouseDown(this);">This year I decided to carve a turnip (swede) in honor of tradition. I now know first hand why the pumpkin was so much more appealing to hollow </span></span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Add_Image" title="Add Image" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="addImage();" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);;ButtonMouseDown(this);">out and carve for the immigrants. It took me about 2 hours to hollow out and carve the little turnip and I got a nasty blister on my finger due to the force that was needed to gouge </span></span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Add_Image" title="Add Image" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="addImage();" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);;ButtonMouseDown(this);">out the flesh. We decided to go with a gentler, more pumpkin-like expression instead of the ghoulish face that would have been more traditionally carved into it. All in all I'm very pleased with </span></span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Add_Image" title="Add Image" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="addImage();" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);;ButtonMouseDown(this);">myself since I think it turned out quite nicely.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljprfQFQEg-fKx4qiSGQ4gFcEOwzvWLjsoBuQcWj81aeL3XUFgJC0QkXl2J5ZPxMdv-uHy1COpxTeZPqojUBN2fzAH8_WXVG0lH0arH_3fnBmzW7NjVAqeu0xU4CwtHdkzryndED1Fbm2/s1600-h/tumshielantern.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljprfQFQEg-fKx4qiSGQ4gFcEOwzvWLjsoBuQcWj81aeL3XUFgJC0QkXl2J5ZPxMdv-uHy1COpxTeZPqojUBN2fzAH8_WXVG0lH0arH_3fnBmzW7NjVAqeu0xU4CwtHdkzryndED1Fbm2/s320/tumshielantern.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394760778512148690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Add_Image" title="Add Image" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="addImage();" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);;ButtonMouseDown(this);"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Pictures: My Tumshie Lantern and a traditional Jack-O'-Lantern (carved neep) on display in the Museum of Country Life, Ireland<br /></span></span>C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-13564087551534358882009-09-02T10:06:00.000-07:002009-09-02T11:33:53.121-07:00Ghostly Ruins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Ghostly-Ruins-Americas-Forgotten-Architecture/dp/1568986157/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251911238&sr=8-1"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 336px;" src="http://www.abandonedasylum.com/books/ghostlyruins.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I got this book a few months ago because I have always been fascinated by abandoned architecture. The thought that once they were so full of life and now they're a hollow reminder of what once was. To me there's just something so eerie and intriguing about that. The book is great in showing what these structures looked like 'as they were' and as they now look- derelict and decaying. I especially love these words of caution from the author to people who are less than respectful of the structures:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"4. Vandalism </span><span style="font-style: italic;">is for adolescents. If the only way you can feel important is by spray painting "Vinnie" on limestone ashlar wall laid by men with ten times your value to society, then wait until you grow up to visit." </span><br /><br />If you get the chance definitely have a look through the book. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ghostly-Ruins-Americas-Forgotten-Architecture/dp/1568986157">Ghostly Ruins by Harry Skrdla</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oboylephoto.com/buffalo"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 389px;" src="http://oboylephoto.com/buffalo/CRW_4656.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />One building in particular has always struck a chord with me and that is the abandoned <a href="http://www.opacity.us/site35_buffalo_state_hospital.htm">H.H. Richardson Complex or The Buffalo Psychiatric Center</a>. I used to drive past this all the time, back in the Queen City. My grandmother, in fact, worked there as a nurse during the 1970's. She said there was some kind of tunnel for the staff to walk through to get from one building to the next and she said <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> was creepy. It's such a foreboding structure. When I think of an old insane asylum in a horror movie, this is one totally fits the bill. Having opened in 1880 I'm sure it's treatment methods weren't exactly pleasant, so I'm guessing there's probably some uncomfortable feelings inside.<br /><br />While looking up the Buffalo Insane Asylum awhile back I came across photography by <a href="http://oboylephoto.com/">Shaun O'Boyle</a>. He has taken some beautifully melancholy pictures in his project <a href="http://oboylephoto.com/ruins/index.htm">Modern Ruins - Portraits of Place</a>. On his website it says he is currently publishing two books on <a href="http://northamptonstatehospital.com/">Northampton State Hosipital</a> and here are some of those pictures from Northampton...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oboylephoto.com/state_hospital/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 417px;" src="http://oboylephoto.com/state_hospital/bedroom4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oboylephoto.com/state_hospital/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 301px;" src="http://oboylephoto.com/state_hospital/tub_room2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oboylephoto.com/state_hospital/sh57.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 305px;" src="http://oboylephoto.com/state_hospital/sh57.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oboylephoto.com/state_hospital/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 393px;" src="http://oboylephoto.com/state_hospital/sh9_polaroid6_8bit.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >From too much love of living,</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" > From hope and fear set free,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" > We thank with brief thanksgiving</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" > Whatever gods may be</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" > That no man lives for ever;</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" > That dead men rise up never;</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" > That even the weariest river</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" > Winds somewhere safe to sea.</span><br /><br /><br /></div><p align="center"><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >From <span style="font-style: italic;">The Garden of Proserpine </span><br /></span></p><p align="center"><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >Algernon Charles Swinburne</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >Here are some other really neat websites I came across:</span></p><a href="http://www.opacity.us/">http://www.opacity.us</a><br /><a href="http://www.abandonedasylum.com/">http://www.abandonedasylum.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.abandoned-places.com/">http://www.abandoned-places.com</a>C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-15709064390129059362009-08-23T06:44:00.000-07:002009-08-23T06:58:51.074-07:00Lily Dale Continued<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePgQTWiSzY3M61A7v4fHzvf-efZtgqdEhBSwEzRick3KzY3CTcnHXU65uKCPjC7-pYrztPC85Cl7xfCmHhGpQF3M4vThRrIdY9ErHMzGc2bDke06yGWZZ-KjVOFf57_oYkNV75b0XUQ1-/s1600-h/lilydale.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePgQTWiSzY3M61A7v4fHzvf-efZtgqdEhBSwEzRick3KzY3CTcnHXU65uKCPjC7-pYrztPC85Cl7xfCmHhGpQF3M4vThRrIdY9ErHMzGc2bDke06yGWZZ-KjVOFf57_oYkNV75b0XUQ1-/s400/lilydale.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373156066661366338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />My friend Bridget just recently went to <a href="http://funeralcakes.blogspot.com/2009/07/lily-dale.html">Lily Dale</a> on a visit home and she took some pictures for me. I've done a couple blog entries that have mentioned the village, so I thought I would post her current pictures of Lily Dale as it looks today.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3b7p_PLbceoHzzCRxxs7LjFTl2Pt5V5yV1HTMMFDkevOgiJz-e3EaCB30y25QvoeC1EbEoitV6nkwwTJ3BTa4CxIO0E12n6YmLsofiU_18cQQ4g4lHR3nQ3eWo0kSf_ynG9rnGI_DCytw/s1600-h/lilydale2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3b7p_PLbceoHzzCRxxs7LjFTl2Pt5V5yV1HTMMFDkevOgiJz-e3EaCB30y25QvoeC1EbEoitV6nkwwTJ3BTa4CxIO0E12n6YmLsofiU_18cQQ4g4lHR3nQ3eWo0kSf_ynG9rnGI_DCytw/s400/lilydale2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373156286656216914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOq-peLFXOahoK20a3bUcauyFjNrJxjTleZwRUj2yVUJrATzLDlcKPePMgerRGBJbboiKRf7UmB8xJoz1fW1dalpAl1cn04Wc-r_uoSJwBG0gQ-R8R44EfEjzkh8eqms4z8RYpBB1xcAoU/s1600-h/lilydale3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOq-peLFXOahoK20a3bUcauyFjNrJxjTleZwRUj2yVUJrATzLDlcKPePMgerRGBJbboiKRf7UmB8xJoz1fW1dalpAl1cn04Wc-r_uoSJwBG0gQ-R8R44EfEjzkh8eqms4z8RYpBB1xcAoU/s400/lilydale3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373156514981118514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEOiaR-AVhVms_tcnhlUNlbovcxnOCJIWci9MUpjNV6FHxcGPsYHBCb99HkDcBaDC5unexL1KubyA_Vnvx1P1jbaUMVak_5sIW_0LQGEMWHcqvfT2BrwR3H4WLD_mNrNQFofluARfiCIo/s1600-h/lilydale4.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEOiaR-AVhVms_tcnhlUNlbovcxnOCJIWci9MUpjNV6FHxcGPsYHBCb99HkDcBaDC5unexL1KubyA_Vnvx1P1jbaUMVak_5sIW_0LQGEMWHcqvfT2BrwR3H4WLD_mNrNQFofluARfiCIo/s400/lilydale4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373156767690478562" border="0" /></a>C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-72610608960874998882009-08-20T09:22:00.000-07:002009-08-20T09:57:47.985-07:00All Souls' Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.iarelative.com/all_souls/cemetery.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 458px; height: 343px;" src="http://www.iarelative.com/all_souls/cemetery.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />All Souls' Day, also known as Day of the Dead and Feast of All Souls, commemorates the departed. This holiday is primarily observed within the Catholic church.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Roman Catholic celebration is based on the doctrine that the souls of the faithful which at death have not been cleansed from the temporal punishment due to venial</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> sins, or have not fully been purged from attachment to mortal sins</span><span style="font-style: italic;">, cannot attain the beatific vision</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> in heaven</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> yet, and that they may be helped to do so by prayer</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> and by the sacrifice of the Mass</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. In other words, when they died, they had not yet attained full sanctification and moral perfection, a requirement for entrance into Heaven. This sanctification is carried out posthumously in Purgatory</span><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://careforpolishorphans.org/All%20Souls%20Day%20sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 190px;" src="http://careforpolishorphans.org/All%20Souls%20Day%20sm.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>In Slovakia it is custom for friends and relatives to go at night to the cemetery and place flowers and candles on the graves of deceased loved ones.<br /><br />While reading <a href="http://www.fgslovakia.com/2007/10/23/all-saints-day-in-slovakia">this</a> article I learned that cemeteries in Slovakia are often "active, colorful and vibrant places". Year round there are always many people in the cemeteries maintaining graves and visiting lost loved ones. It's fascinating to think just how uncomfortable our culture is with death, if you mention an interest in cemeteries many pass it off simply as 'morbid'. I urge anyone to read <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Victorian-Celebration-Death-James-Stevens/dp/0750938730/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250786399&sr=8-1">The Victorian Celebration of Death</a>.. the author James Stevens Curl touches on some interesting subjects about our view of death today.<br /><br />I found <a href="http://pumpkinrot.blogspot.com/2009/08/halloween-in-slovakia.html">this</a> awesome entry at <a href="http://pumpkinrot.blogspot.com/">Pumpkin Rot</a>, which prompted me to do my own entry.C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-72924520148681555032009-08-15T01:00:00.000-07:002009-08-15T06:16:44.927-07:00Madeleine Smith & the poisoned cocoa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Madeleine_Smith"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 168px;" src="http://images.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encyclopediaimages/m/ms/msmith.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Madeleine Smith (abt 1835-1920) was a Glasgow socialite involved in a sensational murder case in Scotland during the summer of 1857. The notoriety of the case was such that it was known not only in Great Britain, but also in Europe and America.<br /><br />Madeleine came from a wealthy, upper class family. Her father was well known architect James Smith. Madeleine went to boarding school in London and returned to Glasgow when she was 18. Not long after this she met Pierre Emile L'Angelier.<br /><br />Emile L'Angelier was a French nurseryman and warehouse clerk who had moved to Glasgow in 1852. Glasgow is where Emile first took notice of the beautiful Madeleine Smith. Emile then began to search for a mutual acquaintance who could introduce them, as was the custom of the time in polite society. In the spring of 1855 the two finally met.<br /><br />It was not appropriate for a lady of the upper class and a warehouse clerk to be seen together, but Madeleine found him exciting and exotic so she commenced correspondence with him. Meetings between the two were arranged and when Madeleine's father found out he demanded an immediate end to the friendship. Despite her father's forbiddance, Madeleine continued to secretly meet with Emile.<br /><br />The correspondence continued, and they would refer to each other as <span style="font-style: italic;">husband</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">wife. </span>Their romance intensified and they began planning their wedding and in the summer of 1856, the unthinkable taboo of Victorian times was broken - they became lovers.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.theglasgowstory.com/images/TGSD00273_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="http://www.theglasgowstory.com/images/TGSD00273_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />All the while Madeleine's parents, unaware of their daughter's affair, were searching for a suitable husband for their daughter. They finally settled on William Minnoch. In September of 1856 he stayed with the Smiths at their summer home in Helensburgh where he and Madeleine spent some time together. Madeleine accepted William's marriage proposal in January 1857.<br /><br />Madeleine wrote Emile in February to sever all ties with him. Emile, however, refused to comply and instead he threatened to show all the letters he had kept to Madeleine's father (they had wrote some 250 love letters between them). Madeleine wrote more letters begging Emile not to expose their actions to anyone and requested that he meet her in secret.<br /><br />Emile L'Angelier is what they called an "<a href="http://funeralcakes.blogspot.com/2009/07/strange-medicine.html">arsenic eater</a>", meaning he would take arsenic for various 'health benefits'. Around this time (February 1857) he began to complain of stomach pains and nausea. He told a friend <span style="font-style: italic;">he</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> did not know why he felt so sick after taking coffee and hot chocolate with Madeleine. </span>He also claimed that <span style="font-style: italic;">if she were trying to poison him he would forgive her.</span> During this time Madeleine had gone to a few local apothecaries and bought arsenic which she claimed to be for killing rats (this is known because she had to sign the poison book as was required).<br /><br />Emile died the 23rd of March 1857 of arsenic poisoning. Madeleine, at 22 years old, was arrested on the 31st of March (based on the stack of letters found). When questioned about the arsenic she purchased (3 separate occasions) Madeleine claimed she bought it to mix with water and use on her face and arms for her complexion.<br /><br />The case of Madeleine Smith was moved from Glasgow to Edinburgh due to such strong, popular interest. The news of the case was in papers in both America and Europe. The evidence in the case was this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.theglasgowstory.com/images/TGSD00273_m.jpg"></a><p><b>Evidence against Madeleine</b><br /></p><insert1><li>Her letters obviously threatened her with scandal</li><li>Her insistence that Emile meet with her</li></insert1><insert1><li>She bought three doses of morphine shortly before Emile died</li><li>On the morning of Emile's death, she left her home and travelled alone to the family summerhouse in Rhu</li><li>She had carried out a clandestine love affair and was clearly capable of deceit</li></insert1><insert1><li>When her fiancé Minnoch caught up with her, she said she was ashamed of something she had done.</li><br /></insert1><br /><insert1><br /><b><br />Evidence against Emile</b><br /><br /><li>Killing Emile would not have averted the scandal, as he still had possession of the letters</li><li>There is only Emile's notebook to prove that they did actually meet – no one witnessed any meetings</li><li>She bought the first dose of arsenic after Emile first records feeling unwell</li></insert1><insert1><li>The morphine she bought was coloured with soot; the morphine found in Emile's stomach was white. (Arsenic sold in chemists was routinely coloured to differentiate it from other household products like flour.)<br /></li><li>Emile's friends testified to his use and knowledge of arsenic. Indeed Chambers Journal (July 1856), which he had read, suggests that people who dabbled with arsenic write a letter exonerating friends lest they become implicated in murderOn July 9th 1857 the jury reached a verdict of 'Not Proven' which in Scottish law means there was not enough evidence to prove she was guilty.<br /></li><li>He told his friends that he wanted revenge on Madeline<br /></li><li>Emile "coached" Miss Perry, suggesting the notion of poison to her. On the night he took ill, he asked for her – in the expectation that she would alert doctors to the possibility of arsenic poisoning. Fatefully she was delayed in arriving, and by then it was too late.</li><br /><br /></insert1><insert1>After this Madeleine disappeared from society. It is believed that she had moved to America where she lived in New York City and died there under the name Lena Wardle Sheehy in 1928, but this is highly unlikely since according to the death certificate Madeleine would have been born 30 years before this woman. There are other theories that she went to Australia or New Zealand, but no one knows for sure whatever happened to Madeleine Smith.<br /><br />William Minnoch's grave can be found in the Glasgow Necropolis: you can see a picture of his monument <a href="http://blackbombazine.blogspot.com/2009/08/william-minnoch.html">here</a>.<br /><br />*Pictures: Madeleine Smith at her trial and 7 Blythswood Square, Glasgow, where the Smiths lived.<br /><br />*Sources: <a href="http://www.amostcuriousmurder.com/">A Most Curious Murder</a>, <a href="http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/women/madeleine/1.html">Crime Library</a> and <a href="http://heritage.scotsman.com/notoriouscriminalsfeatureseries/Madeleine-Smith-and-her-poisonous.2603759.jp">The Scotsman</a><br /></insert1>C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-39464464093447273232009-08-10T07:10:00.001-07:002009-08-10T07:52:36.355-07:00Encyclopedia of The End & Bees<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Encyclopedia-End-Mysterious-Death-Folklore/dp/061882362X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249913472&sr=8-1"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 245px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PstAKUZpL._SS500_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I recently bought this neat little book (only 160 pages). I finally got a chance to really skim through it last night. I was pleased to see they had entries on both <a href="http://www.prairieghosts.com/foxsisters.html">The Fox Sisters</a> and <a href="http://funeralcakes.blogspot.com/search/label/lily%20dale">Lily Dale</a> in the book and it also covers everything from the term Goth to food for mourners to bees...<br /><br />The entry I found on bees was new to me. I was unaware that in British folklore the bond between humans and bees lasts unto death. Bees were so important to people they were referred to as "the little servants of God" and it was believed they could see the future, thus making it unlucky to kill them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.lucygardens.com/bee-hive-coloring-pages.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 157px;" src="http://www.lucygardens.com/images/bee-hive-coloring-pages-1.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Most churches kept beehives and would use the wax to make candles used at funeral masses. It was thought the relationship between humans and bees was so strong that bees could be led away by a human death, so survivors would "tell" the bees when a relative died.<br /><br />In the 18th c. in rural England when a person died a relative would tie a crepe band around a resident beehive as failure to do so might risk the bees abandoning the hive.<br /><br />In learning this I immediately thought of how millions of honey bees are mysteriously dying all over the US right now, in a phenomena which is called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder">Colony collapse disorder</a>.C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-39398678562959028492009-08-07T13:43:00.000-07:002009-08-10T03:46:23.855-07:00Ye Olde Coffin House<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/articles/2006/10/27/jg_halloween_feature.shtml"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 152px;" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/images/2006/11/02/coffin_house_lead_203x152.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Located in the small fishing town of Brixham in Devon, England, this house holds the distinction of being "the only coffin shaped house in the world".<br /><br />This fascinating building dates back to 1640 and it's story is just as interesting: there was a dispute between a father and his daughter's sweetheart. The Father proclaimed that he would rather see his daughter in a coffin than allow them to wed. Well the sweetheart took this to heart, and constructed a house in the shape of a coffin. The father was so impressed with this that he finally allowed his daughter to wed the man and that they lived happily ever after, or so the story goes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://casacara.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/p1020028.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 207px;" src="http://casacara.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/p1020028.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Also, as I was looking up The Coffin House I came across something called 'a coffin corner', which was prevalent in Victorian homes.<br />This is an architectural myth which states that back in the 19th century when most people died in their homes, which is the same location the wake would have been, getting a coffin down the narrow stair case became an issue. The solution to this problem was to create a niche in the wall where the coffin could be turned.C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-8039667390755577762009-08-04T14:11:00.000-07:002009-08-11T08:26:14.459-07:00Taphephobia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/churchyard/skellie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 256px;" src="http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/churchyard/skellie.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><i>Taphephobia </i>is the fear of being buried alive, which was a widespread concern in the 19th century. Irish patriot Daniel O'Connell left instructions not to be buried until they were absolutely certain he was dead. I'm guessing there was no more certain a way than waiting for decomposition to set in.<br /><br />There were many accounts of 'revival after death', as well as evidence of premature burials. One example is of the incredible naturalist Frank Buckland's 16 day venture into the vaults of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, searching for <a href="http://funeralcakes.blogspot.com/2009/07/hunter-house-museum-hunter-brothers.html">John Hunter</a>'s coffin so the anatomist could be re-interred in Westminster Abbey. While down there, Buckland found evidence from at least 3 coffins that premature burial took place.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Premature_Burial_Vault.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 329px; height: 235px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Premature_Burial_Vault.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This prompted people to come up with precautionary measures to ensure their loved ones were adequately expired before interment. Cemeteries in Germany were often provided with a 'corpse house'. This was essentially a waiting room for the bodies to begin showing signs of decay so that they were able to be buried. Other efforts included contraptions where a rope was tied to the corpse's hand so if it were to move it would ring a bell above ground. There were also vaults where a body was kept inside for a number of days until they were absolutely ready for burial.<br /><br />The German poet Gottfried Keller (1819-1890) wrote verses entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Lebendig begraben</span> or Buried Alive.<br /><br />The top picture is of a body buried in the 1840's... however, the skeleton was found posed in a very distressed position suggesting this person was most likely buried prematurely. You can read more about it <a href="http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/churchyard/churchyard.htm">here</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://historiccamdencounty.com/ccnews43.shtml"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 164px;" src="http://historiccamdencounty.com/ccnews43_06.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-74315482781397355822009-08-02T06:16:00.000-07:002009-08-02T08:20:37.763-07:00Hamilton Mausoleum<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2574/3781233510_b33af34d27_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 358px; height: 268px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2574/3781233510_b33af34d27_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Hamilton Mausoleum is located in Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The Mausoleum was built for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton,_10th_Duke_of_Hamilton">Alexander the 10th Duke of Hamilton</a> (1767-1852), and took 15 years to complete from it's commencement in 1842.<br /><br />-It was built with out using any mortar, just brick stacked on brick.<br /><br />-The Mausoleum has actually sunk 18 feet since it was first built, thus leaving it prone to flooding.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.scran.ac.uk/RB/images/thumb/0825/08250063.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 112px;" src="http://images.scran.ac.uk/RB/images/thumb/0825/08250063.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>-The 10th Duke of Hamilton's body was to occupy not a coffin, but an Egyptian sarcophagus. However, when the sarcophagus arrived it measured 6' tall and the Duke measured 6'2"-6'4" tall. Various accounts have his legs being cut off, folded over or smashed with a sledgehammer. Any road, it was a tight squeeze.<br /><br />- Alexander was a Master Mason. The mausoleum is still used by the Freemasons for Masonic ceremonies.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3420/3780420709_9d25d4888b_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 325px; height: 243px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3420/3780420709_9d25d4888b_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The lower level of the Mausoleum is the crypt where the corpses were kept, until the building was deemed too structurely unstable to house them any longer. All the bodies have been interred elsewhere.<br /><br />As you can see by this picture there are three gates leading into the crypt. The gate on the left signifies 'life', the middle is 'death' and the last one is 'immortality'. At the time of a interment the mourners would walk through 'the gate of life' the coffin would be carried through 'the gate of death' and the entire party would leave through 'the gate of immortality'.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/3780420947_3458c8b062_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 115px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/3780420947_3458c8b062_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3593/3780421041_766d7c9666_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 117px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3593/3780421041_766d7c9666_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2497/3780421145_599206fba9_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 153px; height: 115px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2497/3780421145_599206fba9_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here is a close up of the faces life, death and immortality (respectively). Note the rate of decay on each of them...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3780421253_70d2ecbfcc_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 186px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3780421253_70d2ecbfcc_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The upper level is the chapel, where the 10th Duke of Hamilton's sarcophagus was kept. The pedestal is still there on which it sat and you can still see an eerie outline of the sarcophagus on the black marble. In the chapel there is an reverberation time of 15 seconds (when the old brass doors were still there it was 30 seconds). The chapel is also noted for it's 'whispering walls'. These are alcoves where two people can stand either side, whisper into the wall and are able to hold a conversation this way. We tested this out and it worked perfectly, even with all the noisy echo's going on!<br /><br /><br />With in the past month the South Lanarkshire council has erected a locked fence around the premises of the mausoleum to deter vandalism, which was becoming a serious issue. We were told they plan on washing off the unsightly graffiti in the upcoming months.<br /><br />Please take a look at the other photos I took (of the crypt, ect.) <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39330882@N02/sets/72157621796687707/">here on flickr</a>.C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-50607450718334439122009-07-31T07:27:00.000-07:002009-07-31T13:22:52.132-07:00Hunterian Museum Glasgow<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYCH-xhy5p3DdcrJos16euehI0TMjnh3WQRwWj1fRtxGbas5fJtDRHqnS9R7pC0b2d7H2MlHyR-_hxGNQDqHH0lPyvyHZs4QnCTT0-Ns5HNuACYmKOR0d2QoZ1HlyQShaUJXTvhaR18k1/s1600-h/14.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYCH-xhy5p3DdcrJos16euehI0TMjnh3WQRwWj1fRtxGbas5fJtDRHqnS9R7pC0b2d7H2MlHyR-_hxGNQDqHH0lPyvyHZs4QnCTT0-Ns5HNuACYmKOR0d2QoZ1HlyQShaUJXTvhaR18k1/s400/14.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364702177912263986" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We finally made the trip to the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow University (after recently visiting <a href="http://funeralcakes.blogspot.com/2009/07/hunter-house-museum-hunter-brothers.html">The Hunter House Museum</a> in East Kilbride) and it was fantastic! The Hunterian is the oldest public museum in Scotland. In 1783 William Hunter (1718-1783) donated an extensive and varied collection to the University of Glasgow. The Museum first opened in 1807 in a building off High Street, it moved to it's present location in 1870.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmvJ6Gv47bx0Q4CTM0qMb-nPs8FG1NbmTv780f5kyDnoG9579UVnH-tNzqKAZDKWPa8HtSnCdXVbEGfkpB1bnFhP0_uHXpzyennxngJ34me24J8CK8nTqO6s6ZhXK4OcXTyGbXFqLz6Nz/s1600-h/13.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmvJ6Gv47bx0Q4CTM0qMb-nPs8FG1NbmTv780f5kyDnoG9579UVnH-tNzqKAZDKWPa8HtSnCdXVbEGfkpB1bnFhP0_uHXpzyennxngJ34me24J8CK8nTqO6s6ZhXK4OcXTyGbXFqLz6Nz/s400/13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364707614320224994" border="0" /></a>William's brother John (also a surgeon) founded his own museum in London, also known as 'The Hunterian Museum'. John's collection is most notable for his obtaining the skeleton of Charles Byrne's known as "The Irish Giant".<br /><br /><br />View the Flickr set <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39330882@N02/sets/72157621902994774/">here</a>... Lot's of interesting specimens!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk/">Hunterian Museum Glasgow </a><br /><br />Pictures: the Museum and William Hunter's death mask.C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-59558779343014024192009-07-29T03:37:00.000-07:002009-07-29T14:56:06.133-07:00Silhouettes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://antiquesandfineart.com/articles/media/images/00101-00200/00189/fig12.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 403px; height: 247px;" src="http://antiquesandfineart.com/articles/media/images/00101-00200/00189/fig12.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I first took note of the silhouette after visiting Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, where the walls are lined with gorgeous silhouettes of him and his family.<br /><br />Silhouettes became extremely popular in the late 18th/early 19th century. It was an accessible portrait to the average person of the time. They were inexpensive and quickly produced.<br /><br /><br />The word 'silhouette' is derived from <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nationalgalleries.org/media_collection/6/PG%20567.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 179px;" src="http://www.nationalgalleries.org/media_collection/6/PG%20567.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Etienne de Silhouette, who was the French Controller-General of Finances during the reign of Louis XV. He was considered particularly cheap, so the nickname given to these inexpensive paper cuttings was effectively meant to mock the man.<br /><br />Silhouettes can be cut out of paper, hollow cut (cutting into the paper) or painted. Silhouettes were a fun past time for the rich and an affordable portrait for the working classes. Most cut silhouettes were cut in doubles: one for a frame (that would come with the picture) and one for the album. This is why you may find two of the same silhouette today in different locations. Painted silhouettes were usually achieved by mixing beer with pine soot and then painting it on ivory or plaster. One silhouette artist in particular, Mrs. Isabella Beetham, would use her finger to smudge the soot mixture onto the ivory. If you look at one of her paintings closely, thumb prints can be easily spotted in the images.<br />One of the most common silhouette artists to be found is John Miers, who had a studio on the Strand in London.<br /><br />When the photograph came along the silhouette was all but obselete. It did see a revival in popularity in the early 20th century, but most of these were done by machine. There are still some silhouette artists today: you can book them for parties and weddings, and they can even be found at Disneyland. I find that there is just something so tasteful and intimate about a silhouette that a regular painted portrait just doesn't convey.<br /><br />Top silhouettes are of Martha and George Washington and the bottom is an example of a Miers portrait.C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-54449681448619716152009-07-26T13:37:00.000-07:002009-07-26T17:32:23.887-07:00Uddingston<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CQP3TZ4_S5zWVsUgalg1JVaHataCOxcEawG5zsPwS700fJbYazibuWZiWYIPaMWB6kuY0K2nowzbb0TBjrGHXYI6YeELZ8z-8wIyBfGVeGefuo4CsEz_lR5aMAP8Uz2H2AOV3XDetPv5/s1600-h/mainstuddingstonwm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CQP3TZ4_S5zWVsUgalg1JVaHataCOxcEawG5zsPwS700fJbYazibuWZiWYIPaMWB6kuY0K2nowzbb0TBjrGHXYI6YeELZ8z-8wIyBfGVeGefuo4CsEz_lR5aMAP8Uz2H2AOV3XDetPv5/s400/mainstuddingstonwm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362882821614552754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dETL3JNAp9vbl6HKBbflBTdjt29OUWUpfOoXUpYFWRAcrfMe9DLT85XwD7ih381ZCKpMnBpPAfNyoGCVEN_EHAKngMPhAG89gjNPg_q-CX4zSts2VmpvjIOqHVxqinH1WhyphenhyphenZ8142To0Y/s1600-h/mainstreet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dETL3JNAp9vbl6HKBbflBTdjt29OUWUpfOoXUpYFWRAcrfMe9DLT85XwD7ih381ZCKpMnBpPAfNyoGCVEN_EHAKngMPhAG89gjNPg_q-CX4zSts2VmpvjIOqHVxqinH1WhyphenhyphenZ8142To0Y/s400/mainstreet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362882558140034306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2p-YpD7lvDWxWbJZfXIsaD1yzSOFrBK_pcoqq4i7ZXGDvqq_jYLDbux2c1SbAZYNmnwN1J2zbd5WdjkEQtUOlOmEqoFWX3XMTMhZGJNhYr31MUBEBaDnCBTLynbQoJEgUU0tz0s2HW0Z/s1600-h/uddingstonwm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2p-YpD7lvDWxWbJZfXIsaD1yzSOFrBK_pcoqq4i7ZXGDvqq_jYLDbux2c1SbAZYNmnwN1J2zbd5WdjkEQtUOlOmEqoFWX3XMTMhZGJNhYr31MUBEBaDnCBTLynbQoJEgUU0tz0s2HW0Z/s400/uddingstonwm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362873587056890642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5i6mli8iPleLTwIGMem9oxnCITTqI7W2C2jAZF0zA7gtuQAC8FdCMYGU6VsccJFVxuBpTOCE9S969GdD3929JhcWuFGh7-NFAu-FkTroChFEWwfGmVNeB37o_Gz-FTTagNNFYAV0naa6L/s1600-h/olduddingston.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5i6mli8iPleLTwIGMem9oxnCITTqI7W2C2jAZF0zA7gtuQAC8FdCMYGU6VsccJFVxuBpTOCE9S969GdD3929JhcWuFGh7-NFAu-FkTroChFEWwfGmVNeB37o_Gz-FTTagNNFYAV0naa6L/s400/olduddingston.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362873814491741074" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The above pictures are 'then and now' pictures of Uddingston, South Lanarkshire.<br /><br />Recently my husband has come across <a href="http://www.hiddenglasgow.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=681&sid=2a2ef06da3df10a4764fb42f923c753a">this website</a> and has been fascinated by it. It's so interesting to see how much or how little things have changed in an area as the years have gone by. It prompted me to take a couple pictures of the little Victorian coal mining town we live in.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36lny1krPCw5Ra4OkLrXOhPI8bCBfbczTximMIOE4MlGfaAA042SlI0H5dHHIIP0H5BRLAxgEqp5w0mZZHo3QcnoxTwovnbYW2HGDfo-RqDt4Fsf7jxTEdiaf3W5fddWfheDB00gsTYIk/s1600-h/tunnock_teacake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 147px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36lny1krPCw5Ra4OkLrXOhPI8bCBfbczTximMIOE4MlGfaAA042SlI0H5dHHIIP0H5BRLAxgEqp5w0mZZHo3QcnoxTwovnbYW2HGDfo-RqDt4Fsf7jxTEdiaf3W5fddWfheDB00gsTYIk/s400/tunnock_teacake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362879101231003298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Uddingston is mainly famous for two things: Bothwell Castle and <a href="http://www.tunnock.co.uk/">Tunnocks</a>. Tunnocks are notable for their <span style="font-style: italic;">incredible </span>teacakes and the fact it has been a family-run business since it's humble beginnings in 1890. It boasts "more than 5,000,000 of these biscuits made and sold every week". Also, St. Andrews University has a Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Appreciation Society, which is one of the oldest student societies at the university.<br /><br />I will cover Bothwell Castle in an upcoming post.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VUS3brFxXdaGCeeA4H5ch579uwY9lTU3ZhYBu9b2fOEYdi6mlUdKecubB9HcxuQcOZDYVpANpbe4qDVx1wbN9XXx08k03VdJ4-qlpsprr75u5UQhRT1jspKFEI1JEk6YasumVudTLmQ2/s1600-h/uddingstonwm.jpg"><br /></a>C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-29192599600044920762009-07-23T08:40:00.000-07:002009-07-23T09:19:09.761-07:00Greyfriars Kirkyard<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7R8M3hhBv9-Il-BDxV-NbAP4Y5t_xOMf6KPk31zTdgP1ihG1LspAIpqQV7UHQc3U3jGJrzD52n_nWXE4CLDHiU28FXBUaURqMQC67ngGLD3FLEnCdq0gLEuHWkfg2C10W22dCjn9WonXI/s1600-h/SL371407.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7R8M3hhBv9-Il-BDxV-NbAP4Y5t_xOMf6KPk31zTdgP1ihG1LspAIpqQV7UHQc3U3jGJrzD52n_nWXE4CLDHiU28FXBUaURqMQC67ngGLD3FLEnCdq0gLEuHWkfg2C10W22dCjn9WonXI/s320/SL371407.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361688258447136018" border="0" /></a>I mentioned Greyfriars in my last post on the Covenanters, and how it was used in the 17th c. as a prison for the men captured at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge. I decided that I would do a post on the rich history of Greyfriars Kirkyard itself.<br /><br />Greyfriars is located in Edinburgh, Scotland. The kirk (church) opened in 1620. Greyfriars was witness to the Resurrectionsists (see entry on <a href="http://funeralcakes.blogspot.com/2009/07/mortsafes.html">Mortsafes</a>) that were roaming Scotland in the 18th and early 19th centuries. It resembles a zoo in some places, due to the tombs being barred up from precautions taken by the deceased's relatives in securing their graves from <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAL-PDft0ItJF17CjSjoOn00UYm9C-wQ_hR_6R5RBErp6hFzygfrVIMF2I8U1EnJEwjQgmJExa-0ibQo2MYQc6pNw2CafQoMeVk36m30EKkldubt-0RdZNAhvpm0uF4Beqe-75AqU8N9P/s1600-h/SL371423.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAL-PDft0ItJF17CjSjoOn00UYm9C-wQ_hR_6R5RBErp6hFzygfrVIMF2I8U1EnJEwjQgmJExa-0ibQo2MYQc6pNw2CafQoMeVk36m30EKkldubt-0RdZNAhvpm0uF4Beqe-75AqU8N9P/s320/SL371423.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361688652530101106" border="0" /></a>disturbance. Greyfriars was seen on a 2008 episode of the Sci-Fi Channel's 'Scariest Places on Earth'. There have been a number of deaths that have occured in the kirkyard, and it is reported to be extremely haunted. I found the yard to be serene and beautiful, but I suppose if you go looking for a scare, you'll find one.<br /><br />Of course, Greyfriars is most famous for a little Skye terrier named 'Bobby':<br /><br />"In 1858, a man named John Gray was buried in old Greyfriars Churchyard. His grave levelled by the hand of time, and unmarked by any stone, became scarcely discernible; but, although no human interest seemed to attach to it.<br /><br />The sacred spot was not wholly disregarded or forgotten. For fourteen years the dead man's faithful dog kept constant watch and guard over the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8plbf00O5gC3IYk0f_5U-xsQaApL2gDxCvkog5qPQMZs_Z3Qi1gnOOkLrne5PsFYtS1jZWpJDg3XALcLvF13ELpeRQJdzKrahxzQlMTa2k0v-MNvBQ-jq0ff6AYeKma7xGICUhPfHUltU/s1600-h/SL371436.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8plbf00O5gC3IYk0f_5U-xsQaApL2gDxCvkog5qPQMZs_Z3Qi1gnOOkLrne5PsFYtS1jZWpJDg3XALcLvF13ELpeRQJdzKrahxzQlMTa2k0v-MNvBQ-jq0ff6AYeKma7xGICUhPfHUltU/s320/SL371436.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361689159053377986" border="0" /></a>grave until his own death in 1872.<br /><br />The famous Skye Terrier, Greyfriars Bobby was so devoted to his master John Gray, even in death, for fourteen years Bobby lay on the grave only leaving for food.<br /><br />It is reported that a daily occurance of people from all walks of life would stand at the entrance of the Kirkyard waiting for the one o'clock gun and the appearance of Bobby leaving the grave for his midday meal." - <a href="http://www.greyfriarsbobby.co.uk/">GreyfriarsBobby.co.uk</a><br /><br />Bobby is buried just inside the gates of Greyfriars.<br /><br />All pictures taken by myself on my last visit to Greyfriars in May.C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-7055102067215071942009-07-22T05:22:00.000-07:002009-07-31T13:30:14.561-07:00Buried heads & the Covenanters<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcLoGcGCJLVVhb01vsJvjqQWZiH4uMINLd50Pq7Prr053yS8xCW8OBKnxWqU8S-nJWg6Elmz3tx28wd9ZEMk1Z1ivP6QdhM7R0rAoWrPIIvwGfM49M1HOCbDYFf3uVWfl8n8CPW-Col-H/s1600-h/SL371993.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcLoGcGCJLVVhb01vsJvjqQWZiH4uMINLd50Pq7Prr053yS8xCW8OBKnxWqU8S-nJWg6Elmz3tx28wd9ZEMk1Z1ivP6QdhM7R0rAoWrPIIvwGfM49M1HOCbDYFf3uVWfl8n8CPW-Col-H/s320/SL371993.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361259323298239042" border="0" /></a>A few weeks ago we were walking around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Old_Parish_Church">Hamilton Old Parish Church</a> and checking out the graveyard that surrounds the church, when we stumbled across a monument to The Covenanters. What made this monument particularly interesting was the fact that only the heads of these men are buried in the yard.<br /><br />Covenanters were a group of Scottish civilians in the 17th century who wanted Presbyterianism recognised as the official form of church and not Episcopacy, which was favored by the crown. These people signed the National Covenant in 1638, hence the name 'Covenanters'. These people would not accept the King as the head of the church. Practicing Presbyterianism was an offence punishable by death. Many Covenanters were imprisoned in Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh. After the Battle of Bothwell bridge over 1200 prisoners were brought to Greyfriars and held in the chruch yard, where many of them died and were buried right in the cemetary where they parished.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gFFP130ySOt4viP01w5GNkHzGQgvH75M5VFLTo6l_zRK4F3CQqtxu-RBIO8UrPB0S3O9jnTICUpg5gAcf5dWZmuu46QLMCNTWCSrjXWgoSI5mDa1ohyqVSQENcZbYpsop51MbzwPMEwF/s1600-h/SL371405.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gFFP130ySOt4viP01w5GNkHzGQgvH75M5VFLTo6l_zRK4F3CQqtxu-RBIO8UrPB0S3O9jnTICUpg5gAcf5dWZmuu46QLMCNTWCSrjXWgoSI5mDa1ohyqVSQENcZbYpsop51MbzwPMEwF/s320/SL371405.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361285886753194466" border="0" /></a>Both of the pictures above were taken by myself the above is the Covenanter's marker in the church yard of Hamilton Old Parish Chruch and below is a close up of the Covenanter's memorial in Greyfriars Kirkyard.C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-17108857945307415872009-07-20T11:25:00.001-07:002009-07-21T10:10:01.060-07:00Hunter House Museum & the Hunter brothers.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5BcvSjjnXTqV7sqYk5AR6wHhDoFRfuYhMImlx-e9HrCbBgUu7slrzZKaVl74Jog5GeGo1SAROGLXdUFZ1CROhK6I6zvRt9m0ECRUYH1VBxjQ1OPFoIrs0lCnpsjSyYYy1HRFA6SUs1Ew/s1600-h/SL371977.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5BcvSjjnXTqV7sqYk5AR6wHhDoFRfuYhMImlx-e9HrCbBgUu7slrzZKaVl74Jog5GeGo1SAROGLXdUFZ1CROhK6I6zvRt9m0ECRUYH1VBxjQ1OPFoIrs0lCnpsjSyYYy1HRFA6SUs1Ew/s320/SL371977.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360611155634453394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I finally managed to make it to the Hunter House Museum in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire (about a 15 minute drive from where I live). A few months ago I had read the book '<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knife-Man-Snatching-Modern-Surgery/dp/0767916530/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248195971&sr=8-1">The Knife Man</a>' by Wendy Moore. It was all about John Hunter and his incredible forward thinking in medicine, during a time when they were still practising Medieval procedures.<br /><br />John hunter is famous for obtaining the corpse of the Irish giant Charles Byrne. Like most people in the 18th century, Byrne did not want his body going to an anatomist. So as to avoid this fate (which would have been a certainty given his proportions), his friends agreed to bury him in a lead coffin and dump it in the river Thames. John Hunter, however, managed to keep Byrne from his watery grave, and added his skeleton to his anatomical collection, which is now The Huntarian Museum in London. There is also a Huntarian Museum here in Glasgow at the University, but that collection was donated by John's elder brother William upon his death.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/John_Hunter_by_John_Jackson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 241px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/John_Hunter_by_John_Jackson.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I would recommend reading the fantastic story of John Hunter: the man infected himself with syphilis in the name of science! He is truly the father of medicine as we know it today.C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-62297849957080291022009-07-17T14:53:00.000-07:002009-07-17T15:43:01.211-07:00Spirit Photography & William H. Mumler<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/90/Mumler_%28Conant%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 307px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/90/Mumler_%28Conant%29.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>To expand upon my previous post about <a href="http://funeralcakes.blogspot.com/2009/07/lily-dale.html">Lily Dale</a>, I had mentioned something fascinating called "Spirit Photography".<br /><br />Spirit photography is a form of physical mediumship and became popular in the later half of the 19th century. It was a photograph taken of a living person where the spirit of a deceased family member or friend would also be captured in the image.<br /><br />William H. Mumler was the first spirit photographer, having taken a self portrait around 1860 that depicted the hazy apparition of his dead cousin in the background. There after, Mumler became a full time spirit photographer, which became a lucrative business as grieving families of causalities of the Civil War wanted reassurance that their family members would live on.<br /><br />One of Mumler's most famous photographs was that of Mary Lincoln. The picture appears to show a foggy image of Abraham behind his widow, clad in black mourning attire.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a0/Mumler_%28Lincoln%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 282px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a0/Mumler_%28Lincoln%29.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Mumler, as you may have guessed by now, turned out to be a fraud. The method he used to achieve these photos was double exposure. It was discovered that some of the 'ghosts' in Mumler's photographs were in fact living people. Mumler was brought to trial in 1869 and died a pauper in 1884, his career being ruined.<br /><br />The above photographs are of Fannie Conant, a well known Boston medium, pictured with her deceased brother Chas.<br />The next is of Mary Lincoln and her husband.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fb/Mumler_%28Mumler%29.jpg"><br /></a>C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-59446301775027786362009-07-12T12:21:00.000-07:002009-07-12T13:07:57.114-07:00Strange Medicine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1133/1290412037_542c2ace8d.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 394px; height: 171px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1133/1290412037_542c2ace8d.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As you can see from the above picture, there used to be some strange medicine taken in the name of health and/or beauty.<br /><br />Arsenic complexion wafers were very popular during Victorian times. Women would take these wafers and in some instances raw grains of Arsenic from apothecaries, in the hope of achieving the beautiful, soft and pale skin that was all the rage. Men would also take Arsenic as a way to improve health, avoid infection and improve body-tone. These people were called 'Arsenic Eaters'.. while it does nothing for a person in terms of achieving a 'high', it is in fact highly addictive (not to mention lethal). There is speculation that Napoleon Bonaparte was an Arsenic Eater.<br /><br />Other odd remedies include:<br /><br />Chocolate covered Strychnine.<br />Chloroform cough medicine.<br />Hemlock.<br />Belladonna (Deadly Nightshade).<br /><br />In addition, my husband came across this interesting remedy- "<a href="http://scribalterror.blogs.com/scribal_terror/2009/07/the-everlasting-pill.html">The Everlasting Pill</a>": a reusable metal capsule that would pass through the system (in the belief that it purified the body) to be reused again...sometimes amongst a whole family.C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-9398198451097475002009-07-11T06:33:00.000-07:002009-07-11T17:07:14.477-07:00Mortsafes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFH0xHrlgisfuc2hWDyB_Q8nnMhYNVULoRnu99Q4-WzLvj1IP15gghvYuPHZvT4TO5Aak3Id5qsinoa1NfA2OrDGrtKafEkOJT0sgK_uP-DeKl904O9AZJblkvvhmejw9jBHPRlzcevtOK/s1600-h/SL371856.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFH0xHrlgisfuc2hWDyB_Q8nnMhYNVULoRnu99Q4-WzLvj1IP15gghvYuPHZvT4TO5Aak3Id5qsinoa1NfA2OrDGrtKafEkOJT0sgK_uP-DeKl904O9AZJblkvvhmejw9jBHPRlzcevtOK/s320/SL371856.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357198094517472690" border="0" /></a>Mortsafes were a uniquely Scottish invention. They were invented to deter the rampant bodysnatching or graverobbing that was going on in the early 18th and 19th centuries.<br /><br />The bodysnatching started as a means of procuring corpses for medical students to use in their studies of anatomy and physiology. This was a particularly heinous crime during a time of deep religious sentiment, when death was a common thing and people believed they absolutely needed their physical <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JhvphGNPJ7ZzdWvSawm1Bjjc6w8xbeTRSjqA8XRv1XmnIK9pJ8qQYmimj-qG1TTfm4y1oKt8peGZLOuxSgiq3I1-RdWBqwBEGSrPAoKJ4D5frnSez_PUl3elbjsj364zQk_-HaXDN59D/s1600-h/SL371433.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JhvphGNPJ7ZzdWvSawm1Bjjc6w8xbeTRSjqA8XRv1XmnIK9pJ8qQYmimj-qG1TTfm4y1oKt8peGZLOuxSgiq3I1-RdWBqwBEGSrPAoKJ4D5frnSez_PUl3elbjsj364zQk_-HaXDN59D/s320/SL371433.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357196181777192594" border="0" /></a>body intact in order to gain entrance to heaven.<br /><br />The Mortsafe was invented in 1816. These huge, expensive iron cages were placed over the graves of individuals by family and friends intent on protecting their loved one's body from the horrible 'resurrectionists'.<br /><br />Many of these graveyards were also equipped with watch towers, where members of the church would take turns <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0V2yHqTf2RtejpVYKhKqZC5rnzOXIVdDiTBcZZW2M3cZBnGjR6JXXnQZtOcaRVrU6yljH7u6uxUDSj40Q24OASKIwr64PYxOEWqKweqgrFT5n25DsNtwxjcTD2jZjTeY-WxeqEMx43We/s1600-h/SL371841.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0V2yHqTf2RtejpVYKhKqZC5rnzOXIVdDiTBcZZW2M3cZBnGjR6JXXnQZtOcaRVrU6yljH7u6uxUDSj40Q24OASKIwr64PYxOEWqKweqgrFT5n25DsNtwxjcTD2jZjTeY-WxeqEMx43We/s320/SL371841.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357201625427250114" border="0" /></a>keeping watch at night for any suspicious figures lurking in the dark near a freshly buried corpse.<br /><br />Unfortunately during World War I many of these Mortsafes were destroyed by town members salvaging any scrap metal they could to assist in the war efforts. I have had the luck of coming across several wonderful examples of Mortsafes, some of which resemble bird cages, the doors now rotted off the hinges and laying in the tomb itself.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRBDSyohjQDSJsVZ1QJG3Dm8_1L3PJ2R7nk-GjXGqsgthqszTHB2aDfjU0h2gDhd_M5_V0ysCw7CBApc1u-jFAnrZcUohJlTqUxHoZrMBKktbqbwvEw-3A7ew4VTB57pvHXFYlgiAVuGZ/s1600-h/SL371818.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRBDSyohjQDSJsVZ1QJG3Dm8_1L3PJ2R7nk-GjXGqsgthqszTHB2aDfjU0h2gDhd_M5_V0ysCw7CBApc1u-jFAnrZcUohJlTqUxHoZrMBKktbqbwvEw-3A7ew4VTB57pvHXFYlgiAVuGZ/s320/SL371818.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357196999554154130" border="0" /></a><br />All four pictures were taken by myself on visits to various old graveyards around the country.C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-56468234262979104052009-07-10T16:25:00.000-07:002009-07-12T15:56:07.394-07:00Lily Dale<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Enychauta/Postcard/Lilydale1910.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 366px; height: 228px;" src="http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Enychauta/Postcard/Lilydale1910.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I've just finished reading the book "Lily Dale: the true story of the town that talks to the dead". The reason I had decided to read it was because Lily Dale is a familiar name to me.<br /><br />My Great-Grandmothers, Grandmother, Mother and Aunts have all been to Lily Dale multiple times. I had heard stories of what spiritualists have told them and which were the preferred and trusted mediums of the town; a reading with one of the best can cost up to $200 per hour. I myself have never been inclined to have a reading and I don't ever foresee myself wanting one, but I do find it all intensely interesting.<br /><br />The town is located approximately 1 hour south of Buffalo, New York off of the Interstate 90. Founded in 1879, Lily Dale is the oldest spiritualist community in the United States.<br /><br />In the early 20th century spiritualism became very popular, almost fashionable in America. Many famous people made their way to Lily Dale, including Harry Houdini and Mae West- who was a regular client of a renowned medium of the time named Jack Kelly. Kelly once drove from Buffalo to Lily Dale blind folded, or so it is said. Also, many modern mediums including John Edward and James Van Praagh have visited.<br /><br />Lily Dale is still going today, however it is mostly a summer community (you <span style="font-style: italic;">must </span>be a spiritualist in order to own a home in the village). In 1949 the town outlawed physical mediumship, which is defined by the use of: raps, loud noises, material objects, spirit photographs (see above), levitation, dimly lit rooms, spirit cabnets and spirit trumpets.<br /><br />You can visit the official Lily Dale website at <a href="http://www.lilydaleassembly.com/">http://www.lilydaleassembly.com/</a>C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-78035048005994868832009-07-08T15:07:00.000-07:002009-07-24T06:59:48.718-07:00Theodore Roosevelt.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Theodore_Roosevelt_laughing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 305px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Theodore_Roosevelt_laughing.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Theodore Roosevelt is my personal hero. I think he is one of the greatest Americans for all time. A lot of times when I'm in certain situations I like to think "What would T.R. do?" I would like to share some interesting facts about President Tiddy (he disliked being called "Teddy").<br /><br /><br />- He was shot in the chest during an assassination attempt in Milwaukee, WI. The bullet became lodged in his chest wall. He continued to go ahead and give his speech, while blood poured out of his chest.<br />- He was the first American as well as President to win the Nobel Peace Prize.<br />- He coined the Maxwell House slogan "Good to the last drop" when he sampled their coffee in Nashville, Tennessee.<br />- His favorite breakfast was hard boiled eggs with waffles.<br />- On his presidential inauguration in 1905 he wore a gold mourning ring with a lock of Abraham Lincoln's hair that John Hay had given him.<br />- He was the first president to ride in an airplane, own a car and have a telephone.<br />- He was the first to officially call the Presidential residence 'The White House' before T.R. it was known as 'The Executive Mansion'.<br />- He is the youngest President of the United States, he took the oath at 42.<br />- He had a tattoo of his family crest.<br />- And of course, the "Teddy Bear" was named after him.<br /><br /><br />He was larger than life and a truly inspirational figure. When he died the Vice President to Woodrow Wilson, Thomas R. Marshall, said- "Death had to take Roosevelt sleeping, for if he had been awake, there would have been a fight".<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/">http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org</a>C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-23315700326950092392009-07-06T00:00:00.000-07:002009-07-06T10:55:42.192-07:00Victorian Name Brooch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiajwFtLbZ7y4_4hWbu7OuTFMvsmPMCLsi2eIahHWHfqAqFGDzbzjP7fMT2UfZ_8pgLuJCbVzzWigF6eS3t8VZFEO9ckCPmE-uS0FE7lNHac15-rKrvNOjEiHlUKBz0DpMNVoxp_jrdxv/s1600-h/namebrooch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiajwFtLbZ7y4_4hWbu7OuTFMvsmPMCLsi2eIahHWHfqAqFGDzbzjP7fMT2UfZ_8pgLuJCbVzzWigF6eS3t8VZFEO9ckCPmE-uS0FE7lNHac15-rKrvNOjEiHlUKBz0DpMNVoxp_jrdxv/s320/namebrooch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354393906010556850" border="0" /></a>I just bought an old Victorian name brooch! I've had my eye out for one for a while now, lo and behold, I found one with my name on it.<br /><br />The Victorians and Edwardians loved these brooches. It's original use was to label the staff of large estates. These pins went on to become popularly used as sweetheart brooches and tokens of love. They became machine manufactured, thus making them affordable and rather common.<br /><br />The sentiment and personalization is what makes them so charming. Most of the name brooches I have seen have been made in silver or Whitby jet, always adorned with beautiful flourishing engravings, flowers, hearts, clovers and so on.<br /><br />The names on the brooches are very 'of the time', lucky for me 'Carrie' was a rather popular name in <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeUzWEikgFLx-UF1zg-NeNXuPeHn8xGL99wv0s6gkVghne9Ar7zX_tOdcXe9-7Kiln3jMMbcGWVoq2WLmZouGuMkjOvdmm0L3Bvb0Zgd-tFLqP0ukbe-x5Q5K7IEyw5w6i9qUJMsZ7UM/s1600-h/GarageSale_1243542209_50462.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 84px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeUzWEikgFLx-UF1zg-NeNXuPeHn8xGL99wv0s6gkVghne9Ar7zX_tOdcXe9-7Kiln3jMMbcGWVoq2WLmZouGuMkjOvdmm0L3Bvb0Zgd-tFLqP0ukbe-x5Q5K7IEyw5w6i9qUJMsZ7UM/s200/GarageSale_1243542209_50462.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347562983041685970" border="0" /></a>the last half of the 19th century. Most of the names I have come across are 'Agnes', 'Nellie', 'Polly', 'Minnie', 'Flora' ect.<br /><br />The picture above I used from <a href="http://www.weebirdy.com/2008/09/what-to-take-home-victorian-name-brooches.html">Wee Birdy London</a>. The other picture is of my own recently purchased find.C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-42320213679706447062009-07-05T13:24:00.000-07:002009-07-05T06:08:41.975-07:00Motorcycle Hearses<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.motorcyclefunerals.com/images/triumph_motorcycle_hearse.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 287px; height: 178px;" src="http://www.motorcyclefunerals.com/images/triumph_motorcycle_hearse.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>The other day my husband and I were walking past the Funeral parlor right by our apartment building when we noticed in the window they have a small model of a 'motorcycle sidecar hearse'. I had never seen anything like this before, but it didn't seem unbelievable to me. When we got home I had a look at the website that was advertised along side the model.<br /><br />It seems the sidecar hearse is by no means a new concept. It actually dates back to 1967, when a Londoner who was a motorcyclist drowned, and his friends and family wanted to give him an 'appropriate' funeral. It has been done on a few other occasions since 1967.<br /><br />The man who is now popularizing the purpose built side car hearse is Rev. Paul Sinclair a.k.a. the 'Faster Pastor'. Sinclair believes that "people's life styles should be reflected in in their funerals". Sinclair released the first literal motorcycle hearse in 2002. Since then his fleet has grown and he's working on expanding even further. Rev. Sinclair also reassures us that with casket the motorcycle hearse will not exceed speeds of 70 mph.<br /><br />If you would like to take a look at the official website it is here at <a href="http://www.motorcyclefunerals.com/">www.motorcyclefunerals.com</a>C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-91170502426378834122009-07-05T12:16:00.000-07:002009-07-05T06:06:02.527-07:00St. Andrew's Cathedral<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfSaDG9EQVP28Tbm2-8GtE7dwmIegaBTvLeCGfqo_GeEGH4X2KOsYUIUaQHFdDGk5s7bqgGBFmsQypxdwoWzLgnSTSEtRqp1ps9EOvtEulnKYUAYyNKpuLuJySkTePBYIiyOLtJ1ABOuE/s1600-h/SL371575.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfSaDG9EQVP28Tbm2-8GtE7dwmIegaBTvLeCGfqo_GeEGH4X2KOsYUIUaQHFdDGk5s7bqgGBFmsQypxdwoWzLgnSTSEtRqp1ps9EOvtEulnKYUAYyNKpuLuJySkTePBYIiyOLtJ1ABOuE/s320/SL371575.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354392735025395170" border="0" /></a>St. Andrew's was founded in 1158, when the previous church St. Rule's became too small to accommodate the bishops there. The work on the church took close to 150 years to complete. It was consecrated in 1318 in the presence of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_bruce">Robert the Bruce</a>.<br /><br />The Scottish Reformation (1559-1560) ultimately brought an end to the cathedral. In June of 1559 John Knox (who is now buried under a parking meter in Edinburgh) preached a sermon at St. Andrew's parish church that worked the congregation into such a frenzy, that they went to the cathedral and destroyed anything they thought associated with the "popery". The friars in turn were all expelled from the priory.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDM7V6Mqj-rBYxqBy8WB8xsFfmp1vTbMKAkwry5W_XOa78uyrBSDW7uAxfUqWeqZYNylqYaANBWME6GURWpdXXiBj3ZAIKvMVZFYStm-ZpfZGIEQuwRcxNFfyXUXxkjQ9hSE4jIymfYaLK/s1600-h/SL371607.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDM7V6Mqj-rBYxqBy8WB8xsFfmp1vTbMKAkwry5W_XOa78uyrBSDW7uAxfUqWeqZYNylqYaANBWME6GURWpdXXiBj3ZAIKvMVZFYStm-ZpfZGIEQuwRcxNFfyXUXxkjQ9hSE4jIymfYaLK/s320/SL371607.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354393067836366258" border="0" /></a><br />Stone coffins, now exposed, in which the most important officers of the priory might have been buried.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39330882@N02/3628784256/in/set-72157619771247492/">St. Andrew's Flickr Album</a>C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-20922869984666529142009-07-04T17:09:00.000-07:002009-07-04T03:18:53.935-07:00Bothwell Parish Church (St. Bride's Collegiate Church)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17DE8uDRo5KC4b7mbpxZu5xKEtC99ToAd3srWd69XnGU_-alA6hcLqBvsS5gMlrAQhuf_FHpyvONbciFrVpcAV6erbRwOEG6nwENP_-29BPo3PNjnHhuYRwGDpq-mfufzaE3OzhSEaoR7/s1600-h/SL371891.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17DE8uDRo5KC4b7mbpxZu5xKEtC99ToAd3srWd69XnGU_-alA6hcLqBvsS5gMlrAQhuf_FHpyvONbciFrVpcAV6erbRwOEG6nwENP_-29BPo3PNjnHhuYRwGDpq-mfufzaE3OzhSEaoR7/s320/SL371891.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354391695515789138" border="0" /></a>Bothwell Parish Church is located in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is touted as "The Oldest Collegiate Church in Scotland". Archibald Douglas (also known as 'Black Archibald') the third Earl of Douglas originally founded the church in 1398. However, during reconstruction in the 1930's, stone fragments dating from the 13th c. were found.<br /><br />St. Bride's in fact occupies the site of a church that stood there in the 6th c. Archibald's body was laid to rest in St. Bride's: unfortunately, his tomb no longer exists.<br /><br />It is an absolutely beautiful church. The interior is incredible and the stained glass work is absolutely stunning. The back of the church where the choir sits is the oldest part. The graveyard is equally noteworthy, with unique enclosures that almost resemble bird cages to save the interred from the feared body-snatchers that terrorized Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries. See more pictures <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39330882@N02/sets/72157619610428918/">here</a>.C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653757255175013520.post-17720094924674700752009-07-04T11:19:00.000-07:002009-07-04T03:21:03.485-07:00The Green Man<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Rosslyn_chapel_green_men.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 296px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Rosslyn_chapel_green_men.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>The Green Man is a recurring figure in many old churches and buildings throughout Europe. He is recognizable as a face in foliage, usually with vines growing into the mouth and sometimes eyes or nostrils. There are many who have adopted the Green Man as a Pagan symbol, but his true meaning was lost sometime during the Middle Ages. The Green Man is a very mysterious figure, a fact that is quite startling given his ubiquitous nature.<br /><br />The Green Man pictured is from Rosslyn Chapel. He also shows up at the Glasgow Cathedral, which I hope to visit soon. I'll be sure to post pictures whenever he crops up on my travels!C.H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14124614388266235326noreply@blogger.com0