Tag Archives: James Gillray

catherine: her and thou

The occasion was Catherine the Great’s triumphal tour of the Crimea, the longest, most lavish, most expensive boating party in world history. The Empress showed off the wonders of her realm, and they were many indeed. But were they real … Continue reading

Posted in Art History/Antiquity/Anthropology, Feature Article, Ideas/Opinion, Madame Pickwick Weekend | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

a fine sight it was

The noble houses and regal living of eighteenth century England… …Lord Egremont celebrated special occasions- victories, coronations, royal birthdays, and, of course, his own- with vast public entertainments that amazed even his own time. Here is a description of the … Continue reading

Posted in Art History/Antiquity/Anthropology, Feature Article, Ideas/Opinion, Madame Pickwick Weekend | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

earthquakes and lots of …bonking

Aftershocks. James Boswell’s infidelities. Henry Fielding. The general social and gaming scene of Georgian England from the royal family down to the masses. It was bawdy, it was bad, and despite the consternations of a William Hogarth it was so … Continue reading

Posted in Feature Article, Ideas/Opinion, Literature/poetry/spoken word | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

eureka moments

The core of Josiah Wedgwood’s circle was completed by the two who had, perhaps, the greatest worldly success- Matthew Boulton and James Watt- and by the one who has been credited with the least, Wedgwood’s partner, Thomas Bentley. The contrast … Continue reading

Posted in Art History/Antiquity/Anthropology, Feature Article, Ideas/Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

it’s backfirin’ now

Josiah Wedgwood and his friends. A diverse lot, both batty, brilliant and eccentric, they are mostly relegated minor figures of eighteenth century English life today, but some of them changed the world… When in 1785, Pitt’s abortive scheme for parliamentary … Continue reading

Posted in Art History/Antiquity/Anthropology, Feature Article, Ideas/Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

billy dimple with a knife

Still, today, long hair and effeminacy seem synonymous: the well-balanced virile man is close-cropped in youth and close-cropped in age. But then in the days of yore, as now, the betting should always be on skimpy clothes and wild hair… … Continue reading

Posted in Feature Article, Ideas/Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

the height report: length anxiety

The long and the short of it. Theoretically, the importance of height is based on evolutionary origins, the ideas of genetic mutation and since animals use height as an index for power and force, humans assume the same traits to … Continue reading

Posted in Feature Article, Ideas/Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

according to hoyle: dicing on the card sharpers

In Las Vegas, the hotel windows are always locked to prevent jumping. Samuel Pepy’s was one of the first to articulate the phenomenon, calling it “deep gaming”, a kind of instinct deep rooted based on the idea, counter to Einstein, … Continue reading

Posted in Art History/Antiquity/Anthropology, Feature Article, Ideas/Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

flirt and skirt: fresh prince

Princes and their friends, after settling on a place like a cloud of butterflies, often gorge themselves on its nectar and then flutter away to stimulate their appetites in fresh pastures. This time, however, fate riveted the Prince to Brighton. … Continue reading

Posted in Feature Article, Ideas/Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

when you can charge it

He was called the scoundrel who invented credit. He was a Scottish libertine named John Law who rescued France from ruin, then ruined France again by applying his theory of prosperity based on credit. Law showed us the future and … Continue reading

Posted in Feature Article, Ideas/Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment