#francis alleyne

[ourstaturestouchtheskies]

taylor swift lyrics x colors x textiles in art – white

Love Story – Fearless // Portrait of Apolonia Poniatowska and her Son – Marcello Bacciarelli 🤍 White Horse – Fearless // Lady Chambers – Arthur William Devis 🤍 The Other Side of the Door – Fearless // Lady Sunderlin – Joshua Reynolds 🤍 Speak Now – Speak Now // Portrait of a Woman in White – John Vanderbank 🤍 Style – 1989 // Portrait of Lucy Parry – John Wollaston the Younger 🤍 Getaway Car – Reputation // Portrait of Birgitte Rosenkrantz – Peder Als 🤍 Dress – Reputation // Portrait of Teofila Działyńska – workshop of Antoine Pesne 🤍 right where you left me – evermore // Margot Wheatley – Francis Alleyne 🤍 Vigilante Shit – Midnights // Portrait of Marie Joséphine of Savoy – Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

[ghw-archive]

(L-R) Benjamin West by John Downman; Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex by Guy Head; Mrs John Montresor by John Singleton Copley; Bertrand Barere de Vieuzac by Jean-Louis Laneuville; Jacques Louis David Self Portrait; Man attributed to Francis Alleyne; Marie-Jean Herault by Jean-Louis Laneuville; Gulian Verplanck by John Singleton Copley; General Jozef Kossakowski by Kazimierz Wojniakowski

[my-deer-history]

Francis Kinloch in Müller's letters to his family

These extracts are from Johannes von Müller: Sämmtliche Werke, volume 7 (1810).

My translations here, original German and French transcriptions below the cut. I have added some paragraph breaks for legibility.

From the introductory Lebensgeschichte, von ihm selbst beschrieben (Biography, as described by himself)

Meanwhile, at the home of Charles Bonnet, for whom and whose wife he [Müller] developed the tender attachment of a son and who was treated as such by them, he met a young man from South Carolina, Francis Kinloch. He had an extraordinary thirst for knowledge, a great fire, many fine qualities and very pleasant morals. 

They determined a plan to live together; every day, for several hours in the morning, they would study Tacitus and Montesquieu, or any other authors found worthy enough to stand beside them, and in the rest of the time, the one friend would read Blackstone and other English or American books, and the other would study Swiss documents, and on top of that, between spending time in the company of Bonnet and others, they would alternate between Roman, French and English classics. 

Tronchin was too much Müller’s friend to keep him from this plan, and even more pleased was Kinloch’s guardian, Thomas Boone - the former governor of South Carolina, and at the time the director of the large London Custom-house, a man in whom, in thirty years of acquaintance, Müller never found fault, though he always found exemplary reason, firmness and generosity. 

The friends lived for a year and a half in a modest country house on the hill of Chambeisy, surrounded by the highest mountains in the old world, the majesty of Lac Leman*, the incomparable culture of the shore, enjoying the masterworks of the human spirit, in daily association with Bonnet, but also with Voltaire, and brought together for a while with Mr Alleyne Fitzherbert, who was already developing the talents with which he later shone as Lord St Helens. After that, the storms of the North American revolution tore them apart.

*Also known as Lake Geneva.

Undated, 1775, Müller to his sister

After this little introduction, I ask you to take a map of the Geneva region to hand. Here, on the Swiss side of the lake on the border of Geneva on French land, lies the town of Chambesis – on a hill that overlooks the lake, all of the estates, the entire republic and the glaciers. Now take the map of America. Here is Charlestown, the capital of Carolina. And here on the third map is Scotland; in the middle of which lives an ancient family called Kinloch; one of these left Europe at the time of the civil war of the Stuart kings, and found with many others there a beautiful country and freedom. One of these Kinlochs now commands 1200 negroes, and is a gentleman of great standing and much greater spirit and character; he is twenty years old. 

He came to Geneva; in the last 5 to 6 months, we have seen each other for 23 hours each day and read the most profound writers together. Through this, we got to know and love each other’s characters. 

Mr Kinloch has rented a small country house with six rooms in Chambesis, and is paying 12 new Louis d’or a month for this and table, breakfast and supper, for the next five summer months. In this solitude, he wants to study. He has such a noble character that he is highly estimated by everyone. Lord North, the prime minister of the king of England, is very fond of him; K risked his life for his son and saved him from mortal danger. 

He has invited me to move in with him, and to spend this summer in the lap of scholarship and friendship. We would read and study together, occasionally go into the mountains, occasionally to Pays de Vaud. [...] And [Tronchin*], who loves me, and wants to see and promote my happiness, gave his permission, and his two children will spend this half of the year in a boarding house in the city and learn there. Thus, Mr Tronchin and they and I and Nassau and Bonnet and Kinloch are all content, and I will still see Mr Tronchin at Bessinge once every eight days.

*Müller was employed as a tutor to Tronchin’s two young children at the time.

Undated, 1775, Tronchin to Müller’s father

Have no concern, sir, about your son; everybody loves him, he is lively and good, his conduct has always been very wise, and all of our men of letters would vouch for him. The choice that he makes, to go and live with Mr Kinlock [sic] shall not, I hope, be without utility for him. He is a young man who has lived here for a long time, and who is generally and singularly esteemed both by his compatriots and by the Genevese, whether for his morals or for his character. The desire that he has to benefit from your son’s knowledge must be a guarantee of what I have told you.

From the introductory Lebensgeschichte, von ihm selbst beschrieben (biography, as described by himself)

Indeß lernte Müller bei Karl Bonnet, für den und dessen Gemahlin er die zärtliche Anhänglichkeit eines Sohnes faßte, und von welchen er ganz wie ein solcher behandelt wurde, einen Jüngling aus Süd - Carolina, Francis Kinloch, kennen. Dieser hatte eine ungemeine Wißbegier, viel Feuer, viele Güte und sehr angenehme Sitten. Es entstand ein Plan des Beisammenlebens; täglich sollten in ein paar Morgenstunden Tacitus und Montesquieu, und wenn etwa noch einer würdig erfunden würde neben diesen zu stehen, in den übrigen von dem einen Freunde Blackstone und andere englische oder amerikanische Bücher, von dem andern die schweizerischen Urkunden studiert, und hierauf zwischen Bonnets und anderer Gesellschaft, und Durchlesung römischer, französischer und englischer Klassiker abgewechselt werden. Zu sehr war Tronchin Müller's Freund, um ihn hievon abzuhalten, und noch mehr freute sich Kinloch's Vormund, Thomas Boone, gewesener Gouverneur von Süd- Carolina, noch jetzt Director des großen Londner Custom-house's, ein Mann, an welchem in dreißigjährigem Verhältniß Müller nie einen Fehler, wohl aber vortreflichen Verstand, Festigkeit und Edelmuth immer gleich gefunden hat. Auf dem Hügel von Chambeisy in einem bescheidenen Landhause, dem aber die höchsten Gebürge der alten Welt, die Pracht des lemanischen Sees, die unvergleichliche Cultur der Ufer entgegenlagen, im Genuß der Meisterstücke des menschlichen Geistes, im tåglichen Umgange Bonnets, auch mit Voltaire, und eine Zeitlang vereiniget mit Herrn Alleyne Fitzherbert, welcher die Talente schon entwickelte, durch welche er nach diesem als Lord St. Helens in den größten Geschäften geglänzt, so lebten die Freunde bei anderthalb Jahre. Hierauf rissen die Stürme der nordamerikanischen Revolution sie auseinander.

Undated, 1775, Müller to his sister

Nach dieser kleinen Einleitung bitte ich dich, eine Karte vom Genfergebiet zur Hand zu nehmen. Hier auf der Schweizerseite des Sees an den Genfergränzen auf französischem Boden liegt das Dorf Chambesis, auf einer H��he, welche den See, alle Landgüter, die ganze Republik und die Eisberge übersieht. Nun nimm die Karte von Amerika. Hier ist Charlestown, die Hauptstadt von Karolina. Und hier auf der dritten Karte ist Scotland; in der Mitte desselben wohnt ein altes Geschlecht, genannt Kinloch; einer aus demselben verließ Europa zur Zeit der innerlichen Kriege der Könige Stuart, und fand mit vielen andern daselbst ein schönes Land und die Freiheit. Einer von diesen Kinlochs gebeut nun 1200 Négern, und ist ein Herr von Stand und noch weit größerm Geist und Charakter; er ist zwanzig Jahre alt. Er kam nach Genf; letzte 5—6 Monate haben wir uns alle Tage 23 Stunden gesehen und mit einander die tiefsinnigsten Schriftsteller gelesen. Hiedurch haben wir einer des andern Charakter kennen gelernt und lieb gewonnen. Herr Kinloch hat in Chambesis ein kleines Landhaus mit sechs Zimmern gemiethet, und zahlt hiefür und Tafel, Morgens und Abendessen, künftige fünf Sommermonate hindurch monatlich 12 neue Louis d'ors. In dieser Einsamkeit will er studieren. Er hat einen so edlen Charakter, daß er von jedermann hochgeschätzt wird. Er ist sehr beliebt bei Lord North, erstem Staatsminister des Königs von England; dessen Sohn hat K. einst aus Todesgefahr gerettet und sein eignes Leben für ihn gewagt. Er hat mich eingeladen zu ihm zu ziehen, und diesen Sommer im Schooß der Wissenschaften und der Freundschaft zuzubringen. Wir würden mit einander lesen und studieren, bisweilen in die Berge gehen, bisweilen ins Pays de Vaud. [...] Und [Tronchin], welcher mich liebt und mein Glück gern sieht und befördert, gab seinen Willen, und seine zwei Kinder werden dies halbe Jahr in einer Pension in der Stadt bleiben und daselbst lernen. So daß also Herr Tronchin und sie und ich und Nassau und Bonnet und Kinloch, wir alle zusammen zufrieden sind, und ich Herrn Tronchin dennoch alle acht Tage einmal zu Bessinge sehe.

Undated, 1775, Tronchin to Müller’s father

Ne soyez, Monsieur, d'ailleurs point en peine de Mr. Votre fils; tout le monde l'aime, il est vif et bon, sa conduite a toujours été très sage, et tous nos gens de lettres en font le plus grand cas. Le parti qu'il prend, d'aller vivre avec Mr. Kinlock ne sera pas, j'espère, sans utilité pour lui. C'est un jeune homme qui demeure ici depuis long tems, et qui y est généralement et singulièrement estimé tant par ses compatriotes que par les Genevois, soit pour ses moeurs, soit pour son caractère. Le désir qu'il a de profiter des lumières de Mr. Votre fils, Vous doit être un garant de ce que je Vous dis.

[pop-culture-diary]

Czy Londyn ma tę moc?

“Frozen” Royal Drury Lane Theatre 

Muzyka i słowa: Kristen Anderson-Lopez i Robert Lopez 

Libretto: Jennifer Lee 

Reżyseria: Michael Grandage 

Choreografia: Rob Ashford 

Scenografia: Christopher Oram 

Kostiumy: Christopher Oram 

Występują: Samantha Barks, Laura Dawkes, Oliver Ormson, Jammy Kasongo, Ashley Birchall, Mikayla Jade, Craig Gallivan, Richard Frame, India Moon, Phoebe Penfold, Ben Irish, Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly, Jak Skelly, Jacqui Sanchez, Ashley J Daniels, Rhianne Alleyne, Gabrielle Cocca, Molly Francis, Isabella Glanznig Santos, Aoife Kenny, Jemma Revell, Caitlin Tipping, Jemal Felix, Jordan Fox, Dominic Adam Griffin, George Hinson, Jonathan Milton, Rodney Vubya, Marianne Bardgett, Rebecca Botterill, Oliver Brenin, Laura Emmitt, Matt Gillett, Justin-Lee Jones, Jordan Livesey, Harriet Samuels, Ed Wade, Anna Woodside 

Tekst pisany na podstawie spektaklu z 5 września 2024. 

Gdy w 2013 roku "Kraina Lodu" odniosła porażający sukces finansowy, stało się jasne, że sceniczna adaptacja to tylko kwestia czasu. Musical zadebiutował na Broadwayu w 2018 roku, ale zniknął z afisza z powodu pandemii. Na szczęście w 2021 roku odbyła się londyńska premiera musicalu i tytuł pozostał na afiszu do września 2024. W porównaniu z "Królem Lwem" to dość krótko, ale "Kraina Lodu" ma niedługo zawitać do wszystkich domów dzięki platformie Disney+. 

Księżniczka Anna z Arendell (Laura Dawkes) nie może się doczekać koronacji swojej siostry, Elsy (Samantha Barks), która zakończy wieloletnią izolację królewskiego dworu. Elsa nie podziela jej ekscytacji, obawia się stanięcia przed poddanymi i konieczności ukrycia lodowych mocy, z którymi zmaga się od dzieciństwa. Niestety, pośpieszne zaręczyny siostry z księciem Hansem (Oliver Ormson) sprawiają, że traci kontrolę, zamraża królestwo i przerażona ucieka w góry. Poczuwając się do odpowiedzialności, Anna wyrusza za nią. Z pomocą sprzedawcy lodu Kristoffa (Jammy Kasongo), jego wiernego renifera Svena (Ashley Birchall) i magicznego bałwanka Olafa (Craig Gallivan) chce znaleźć siostrę, przywrócić lato i uratować Arendell. 

Gwiazdą spektaklu była bez wątpienia fenomenalna Samantha Barks. Odpowiednio królewska i majestatyczna, pokazywała dwa oblicza Elsy: idealną królową i zagubioną dziewczynę, rozpaczliwie potrzebującą miłości i pomocy. Przepiękny, mocny głos Barks sprawia, że jej wykonanie ikonicznego “Let it go” nie ustępowało wersji filmowej. A pamiętajmy, że śpiewając musiała też zgrać się z efektami specjalnymi. Warto też wspomnieć o perfekcyjnym odwzorowaniu zachowania animowanej postaci, łącznie z pamiętnym szelmowskim uśmiechem. 

Laura Dawkes wniosła w rolę Anny wiele charyzmy i chaotycznej energii, kreując tym samym postać realistycznej dziewczyny, której daleko do perfekcyjnej księżniczki. Jej optymizm i pozytywne zakręcenie ujmowały za serce i stanowiły ciekawy kontrast do pozornie oschłej Elsy. Uroczo wypadała zarówno w duetach z Barks jak i grającym Kristoffa Jammym Kasongo. 

Oliver Ormson świetnie prezentował się jako kłamliwy książę Hans. Łatwo uwierzyć, że z jego charyzmą i mocnym głosem da radę porwać tłumy i podbić serc mieszkańców Arandell. Niestety, od pierwszego pojawienia się na scenie wydawał się nieco zbyt złowieszczy, co zmniejszyło zaskoczenie, gdy w końcu pokazał prawdziwą twarz.  

Jammy Kasongo był za to wspaniałym Kristoffem. Musical sprawnie rozszerza tę postać, pozwalając aktorowi pobawić się rolą (chociażby dodając trochę pazura w scenie poznania Anny i Hansa na targu) i mocniej zarysować relację z Anną. Kasongo świetnie pokazuje zażyłość między Kristoffem i Svenem i błyszczy szczególnie w drugim akcie, gdy w dopisanej na rzecz musicalu piosence “Kristoff Lullaby” niepokoi się o Annę. 

Craig Gallivan miał przed sobą zadanie trudne zadanie, bo rola Olafa nie ogranicza się do zadania wokalnego i aktorskiego, trzeba też operować skomplikowaną kukiełką bałwanka. Co więcej, przez cały spektakl trzeba balansować na cienkiej linii pomiędzy byciem uroczym, a irytującym. W wykonaniu Gallivana Olaf wypadł idealnie, nieprzesadnie słodko, niczym rozczulające, małe dziecko. 

Ogromny szacunek należy się też aktorkom wcielającym się w role małej Anny i Elsy: India Moon (Anna) to wulkan energii, którym wprost nie dało się nie zachwycić, a Phoebe Penfold (Elsa) perfekcyjnie opanowała choreografię magii. Ibie dziewczynki świetnie oddają siostrzaną więź swoich postaci. 

Nie można też nie wspomnieć o Ashley Birchall, która w “Krainie Lodu” mierzyła się z najtrudniejszą chyba rolą na West Endzie. Spędzenie całego spektaklu ciężkim kostiumie Svena, poruszając się w wiecznie zgiętej pozycji wygląda mi na zadanie wprost z koszmaru. 

Sam kostium był wprost przepiękny, bardzo realistyczny i genialnie zaprojektowany, tak by pozwalać animatorce poruszać się jak renifer, a nawet mrugać oczami. Równie dobrze wypadała misternie wykonana kukiełka Olafa przyczepiona do kostiumu grającego go aktora, która nawet z wysokości balkonu wyglądała miękką w dotyku i pozwalała rozróżnić wyraz twarzy bałwanka. 

Zaprojektowane przez Christophera Orama kostiumy stanowiły perfekcyjne odwzorowanie filmu animowanego. Można było zobaczyć zarówno stroje koronacyjne jak i ikoniczną lodową suknię. Pojawiło się też kilka nowych pomysłów, jak na przykład wspaniale realistyczny śnieżny strój Anny czy bitewny kombinezon Elsy z drugiego aktu. 

Tworząc scenografię Oram zdecydował się na połączenie jej klasycznych elementów z ekranami do wizualizacji, stanowiącymi tło. Efekt końcowy zapierał dech w piersiach. Na scenie zbudowano zarówno zamek w Arendell jak i lodowy pałac Elsy, a dzięki ekranom, za oknem można było dojrzeć poruszającą się zorzę polarną. Nie zabrakło też letniej krainy Olafa, która wyrastała z podłogi, by zniknąć, gdy tylko piosenka dobiegła końca. Nie zapomniano też o detalach, wykorzystując nawiązania do kultury skandynawskiej zarówno w kostiumach, jak i wnętrzach. 

Świetnie prezentowały się też efekty specjalne, a przecież przeniesienie na scenę animacji, wymagało ogromnej kreatywności i zasobów. “Kraina Lodu” wykorzystywała mieszankę wspomnianych już ekranów, oświetlenia i zachwycających efektów praktycznych, by pokazać ikoniczne momenty z filmu, włączając w to odlatującą na wietrze pelerynę, tworzoną na oczach widza suknię czy zamarzanie Arendell. Szkoda tylko, że lodowy pałac powstaje za kurtyną. 

Rob Ashford stworzył choreografię bardzo nierówną, która świetnie sprawdzała się w jednej scenie, a w innej całkiem zawodziła. Wspaniale wypadały sceny używania magii, każdy ruch jest przemyślany i perfekcyjnie zgrany z efektami specjalnymi. Cudownie zaaranżowano każde wejście istot magicznych. Zachwycało też przedstawienie zamieci, którą tworzą przebrani na biało tancerze, ale już goniące się przez nią postaci wypadają dość groteskowo. Zawiodła mnie też piosenka “Miłość stanęła w drzwiach”, która w porównaniu z animacją, czy innymi scenami z musicalu wypadła jednocześnie nudno i dziwacznie. Co gorsza, brakowało w niej też energii. 

Jeśli chodzi o libretto, wprowadzono subtelne zmiany względem filmu, pojawiły się też wątki poruszone dopiero w drugiej części animacji. Użyto wszystkich piosenek, które znamy i kochamy z filmu, ale też dopisano nowe, dodające głębi postaciom (“Dangerous to dream” czy “Monster”) i trzymające wysoki poziom, do którego przyzwyczaili nas Kristen Anderson-Lopez i Robert Lopez. 

Szczerze powiedziawszy sceniczna “Kraina Lodu” nie zachwyciła mnie tak jak się spodziewałam. Mimo świetnej muzyki, fenomenalnych artystek i pięknej oprawy wizualnej, w wielu scenach po prostu coś mi nie pasowało. Może zawiodła choreografia, może zabrakło czegoś więcej, a może po prostu ja miałam zbyt wysokie wymagania. Dość, że choć płyta z nowojorskiej “Krainy Lodu” pozostanie jednym z moich ulubionych musicalowych soundtracków, nie wybrałabym się ponownie do teatru, nawet gdyby spektakl nie zniknął z afisza. To powiedziawszy, warto było zobaczyć to na scenie, cieszyć się tą niepowtarzalną atmosferą i na żywo podziwiać Samanthę Barks w roli Elsy. 

Ale to tylko moja opinia, a ja nie jestem obiektywna.

[detournementsmineurs]

"Portrait of the Hon, Anne St John Trefusis (Mrs Thomas Maxwell Adams)" by Francis Alleyne, 18th Century.

[history-of-fashion]

1770s-1790s Francis Alleyne - Portrait of a gentleman traditionally identified as Mr. Lodington, three-quarter-length, in a grey coat and white waistcoat and Portrait of a gentleman traditionally identified as John Lodington, three-quarter-length, in a brown coat and white waistcoat

(Private collection via Christie’s)

[gogmstuff]

1780s styles -

Top:  Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily by ? (location ?). From tumblr.com/blog/view/tiny-librarian; erased some flaws & spots w Photoshop & enlarged to fit screen 1056X1400 @72 385kj.

Second row left:  1781 Elizabeth Taylor, Mrs. Charles Chaplin by George Romney (Museum of the Shenandoah Valley - Winchester, Virginia, USA). From tumblr.com/blog/view/history-of-fashion 1416X1800 @72 395kj.

Second row right:  1785 Lady Almeria Carpenter by Richard Cosway (Sphinx Fine Art). From their Web site 5310X6895 @300 8.6Mj.

Third row:  1785 Elisabeth Wilhelmine von Württemberg by Johann Baptist von Lampi the Elder (Schloss Eggenberg - Graz, Styria, Austria). From Wikimedia 817X111 @72 1.5Mp.

Fourth row left:  1786 Sir Christopher and Lady Sykes strolling in the garden at Sledmere by George Romney (location ?). From tumblr.com/blog/view/silverfoxstole 568X940 @72 167kj.

Fourth row right:  Mary Chichester by Francis Alleyne (Burton Constable Hall - Skirlaugh, East Yorkshire, UK). From bbc.co (now artuk.org) 771X994 @72 117kj.

[jeannepompadour]

Portrait of Harry Croft by Francis Alleyne, c. 1787

[galleryofunknowns]

Attributed to Francis Alleyne (fl.1774 - 1790), 'Portrait of a Gentleman, traditional identified as Admiral James Dundas', oil on canvas laid on board, no date (late 1700s), English, unsold for est. 2,000 - 3,000 GBP in Bonham's Old Master Pictures sale, October 2012; London, England.

Bears the inscription [Admiral James Dundas/Died May 1811 at Forge/Canonbie].

[cameron1954]

[revolutionary-demosthenes]

So to start off, here are some mini-bios of people who I’ll be talking about! This is going to be a long post, but it will make it easier to understand my future posts if you don’t know some of these people. I’m covering: Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens, Francis Kinloch, Lois Manoël de Vègobre, Johannes Von Müller, Charles Victor de Bonstetten, Alleyne Fitzherbert 1st Baron, St. Helens, and Thomas Gray.

John Laurens: You might’ve heard of him if you listen to Hamilton. John Laurens was born in Charleston, South Carolina. His father was Henry Laurens, a prominent South Carolinian who co-owned the largest slave trading house in North America, “Austin and Laurens.” Yeah. He pretty much was a terrible father and a terrible person. He would later become president of the congressional congress. His mother was named Eleanor Laurens. Her death when John was 16 marked a significantly traumatic event in his life, however in general, John Laurens was very well acquainted with death. He was the fourth child born in his family, but he was the oldest by the time he was four years old, his older siblings all dying at young ages. One can only speculate how these early losses affected young John, or Jack, as his family called him.

John was most likely tutored at a young age. He grew up in very privileged circumstances certainly, as his father was one of the most well-known and rich South Carolinians of the time. 

As John grew up, he became very studious and serious. His father viewed him as the most promising child of the Laurens children, and prayed he would not fall prey to gambling or women. At nearly thirteen, we find our first piece of evidence suggesting John Laurens might be gay. His father Henry Laurens writes, “Master Jack is too closely wedded to his studies to think about any of the Miss Nannies I would not have such a sound in his Ear for a Crown…” In other words, Henry Laurens noticed his son’s unusual lack of interest in girls. Of course, one could read it as a passing comment on how studious his son was, or just thankfulness that Henry’s ‘best’ son didn’t seem to be ‘tempted’ in any way, but this does still confirm that as a young teenager, (and some point out that this is the time when many boys go through puberty, and therefore discover their sexual interests,) John was NOT interested in ladies. 

As John grew even older, his father decided the time was ripe for some education in Europe. Some speculation has occurred that right before John left for Europe he painted a collection known as Pope Brown Collection of South Carolina Natural History. It contains 32 paintings of natural organisms, including many types of birds and plants. This is not confirmed, but it is of interest to many that John Laurens was a very good artist, and probably quite interested in art. Many have heard of the (in)famous turtle drawings John did. In truth, though John did draw the soft-shelled turtle for naturalist Alexander Garden, he most likely did not have an uncommon affection for that particular animal.

So, John soon found himself on a boat to Europe with his younger brothers, Henry jr. and James, known as Jemmy. They eventually settled in Geneva, staying with a family friend. 

But before we even get to Geneva, it is worth noting a passage from a letter by Henry Laurens. This was written while John was briefly enrolled in a school in London. While complaining about the many crimes and indulgences of the city, he mentions “…and every black and execrable Crime had gain’d in the City is equally astonishing and shocking.” Now this simply could be another thrown in crime in the long list that precedes this, but in those those days ‘black crime’ was sometimes a code for homosexuality. So was John exposed to homosexuality in London the way Hamilton was at Nevis? This could provide some context for his later relationship with Francis Kinloch.

In 1772, the Laurens boys arrived in Geneva. John studied a multitude of subjects, and polished up his French. While he fretted about finding his brothers proper schools, his Uncle James Laurens was concerned about a different aspect of his time. Geneva, which had been a theocracy at one point, was now very open to new, more secular ways of thinking. John assured his Uncle that he was not influenced by any of his teachers not being ‘classically’ Christian. But it may not be a coincidence that the place where John most likely had his first homosexual relationship was a place more open to new types of thinking and concepts, especially in terms of religion.

What exactly was this first relationship? To establish some context, we must return briefly to Charlestown, South Carolina. The Kinloch family lived there and did know the Laurens’s. The name ‘Kinloch’ appears in some of Henry Laurens’s papers, and apparently Francis Kinloch’s sister made John ruffles for his travels to Europe. But in 1774, as John was dutifully studying in Geneva, his father wrote to him “From a hint which Waag dropped at Bath tis expected by the freinds of the young Eatonian that he will find a freind in you at Genevé, tho none of ‘em have Said a word to me on the Subject.” This “freind” is in fact Francis Kinloch, so it may be that he and John had met before. 

John and Francis became very good friends along with one of Laurens’s tutors, Luis de Manoel de Vegobre. There is little documentation of the Kinloch-Laurens relationship whilst the latter was in Geneva, but once they were separated many letters were exchanged, several quite romantic sounding. What is quite possibly the most passionate line Laurens ever wrote to a lover is contained at the end of a letter to Francis. “We may differ in our political sentiments my dear Kinloch but I shall always love you for the knowledge I have of your Heart.” Kinloch was a loyalist, influenced by his guardian Thomas Boone, while John Laurens was obviously a patriot and the two debated hotly via letters. 

Another aspect that must be looked at when considering the Laurens-Kinloch relationship is the amount of trust in the relationship. The level of trust is apparent when we see John first express his abolitionist views in a letter to Kinloch,  “I could talk much with you my Dear Friend upon this Subject,” says John, referring to slavery. “and I know your generous Soul would despise and sacrifice Interest to establish the Happiness of so large a Part of the inhabitants of our Soil_  if as some pretend, but I am persuaded more thro’ interest, than from Conviction, the Culture of the Ground with us cannot be carried on without African Slaves, Let us fly it as a hateful Country_ and say ubi Libertas ibi Patria…” Kinloch responded that he supported the ideas, but did not see how fellow Southerners would adopt them. This only illustrates more clearly that though there were serious conflicts, theirs was a loving and trusting relationship. 

When John was forced to leave Geneva, (and he did want to stay… one wonders if Kinloch had something to do with this. It may have been other reasons, like that John felt freer from his father or enjoyed his rich social life.) he wrote a plaintive letter to Kinloch, telling him, “If my Letter is a little confused, dont be surprised at it, for I am quite like a creature in [a] new world…” 

  However, as if John hadn’t lost enough family in his mere nineteen years, his brother Jemmy lost his life that summer. The boy had apparently tried to jump to John’s window and had fractured his skull. John was with his brother through the horrible night. He wrote to his uncle James, “At some Intervals he had his Senses, so far as to be able to answer singe Questions, to beckon me, to form his Lips to kiss me, but for the most part he was delirious and frequently unable to articulate. Puking, Convulsions near very violent, and latterly so gentle as to be scarcely perceived, or deserve the Name, ensued, and Nature yielded.” It is notable that soon after this, John Laurens sent a letter to Francis Kinloch, whom he hadn’t corresponded with since late the year before, 1774. This again illustrates that though the relationship was not flawless or without conflict, Laurens trusted and confided in his friend/lover.

Now studying law at Middle Temple, John received an extremely upsetting letter from Francis Kinloch. Apparently Kinloch was ready to move on from their romance. He starts the letter with an almost deceptively affectionate opening, “Whatever may be your idea of my manner of thinking in political affairs, don’t let that hinder you from telling me yours, and I promise to be as free with you: we hold too fast by one anothers hearts, my dear Laurens, to be afraid of exposing our several opinions to each other.” But Kinloch signs the letter “be certain I shall never forget you.” Apparently John  saw this as Kinloch being done with him, and as a result did something that would change his life forever.

One of Henry Laurens’s business partners, William Manning, was in London the same time as John, and apparently young Laurens came to call occasionally and enjoyed the company of Manning’s children. This is where he met Martha Manning. There is one piece of evidence to suggest that they were courting for a time, however all we know for sure is that Martha became pregnant around the time the last Kinloch letter reached John, and John Laurens was forced to marry the woman, certainly not because he loved her. “Pity has obliged me to marry.” John  wrote to his uncle. It could be that if they were courting prior to the pregnancy, the relationship was one-sided, or was an attempt for John be seen as straight. 

Though John was now married, he was yearning to leave his unhappy marriage and fight for America. An ardent patriot and abolitionist, he longed to go overseas and join the army. Henry Laurens tried his best to hinder his son’s want, but found that John was no longer a child he could bend to his will. So, John boarded a ship to America, not knowing, and possibly not caring, that he was leaving his wife behind. 

Henry Laurens, being a very prominent Carolinian and future president of the Continental Congress, managed to get his son an excellent position as Aide-de-Camp to general George Washington, though John was not officially appointed the position until October 6th or 7th. He joined the staff in August 1777, and met Alexander Hamilton, a man who would change his life forever.

Alexander Hamilton:

In quite a contrast to John Laurens’s privileged, if morbid childhood, future Founding Father Alexander Hamilton was born out of wedlock on the tiny island of St Croix to Rachel Facuette and James Hamilton in either the year 1755 or 1757. (There is great debate over his birth year. Hamilton himself used 1757, but a large amount of evidence from his childhood points to 1755. For time’s sake, we will use 1755.) Hamilton adored books and writing, but was hindered in his intellectual dreams by the grim circumstances he was brought up in. 

Hamilton had a single brother, James, also born out of wedlock. When Hamilton was 12 his mother died of smallpox, quite common at the time. Alexander was also sick, however he recovered, albeit he always had health problems most likely connected to the early brush with mortality.

Where Alexander grew up, blacks outnumbered whites by a ratio of nearly 8:1, so there was existential tension in the air, a constant fear of sugar plantation owners that the slaves would revolt. Indeed, the slave owners were so cruel to their slaves that things Hamilton witnessed as a child appear to have given him a permanent pessimism about human nature. In addition to the rich white landowners and enslaved blacks, there was a population of poor whites and criminals. St. Croix was a place where outcasts in society at the time were sent as well. This included people accused of sodomy (homosexuality). Ron Chernow writes in his biography of Alexander Hamilton, “Hamilton had certainly been exposed to homosexuality as a boy, since many ‘sodomites’ were transported to the Caribbean along with thieves, pickpockets, and others deemed undesirable.” This may explain why Hamilton seemed more at ease with his sexuality than Laurens, who grew up in a more strict, to say the least, household.

After his mother’s untimely death, Alexander and his brother lived with their cousin Peter Lytton. Unfortunately, very soon after the arrangement began, Peter took his own life, leaving the boys with practically no place to go. 

Alexander managed to get a job clerking for a prominent businessman. It is no stretch to assume that this is where Hamilton began his economic studies. While Alexander managed to get a good job, his brother was stuck being a carpenter and competing with others for work. Ron Chernow points out that this is again an example of Hamilton’s superior intellect pulling him out of ditches.

When Alexander was seventeen, a horrible storm shook the island of St. Croix. Hamilton wrote a beautiful and moving account of the hurricane, and this led to people raising enough money for him to enroll in King’s College in New York City. 

Louis Manoël de Vegobre:

A Swiss lawyer who met Francis Kinloch and John Laurens while in Geneva. His early life is pretty elusive, as he does not even have a wikipedia page. He was a math teacher, and John Laurens’s math tutor. John Laurens taught him English, and both Kinloch and Laurens seem to have taught Vegobre to love America, as he grew despairing when he heard about the challenges of the war in America. The book, Evolution of a Federalist: William Loughton Smith of Charleston (1758-1812) says of Vegobre, “When the first rumblings reached Europe, de Vegobre wrote Laurens: ‘Poor America!—you cannot believe how much me heart is moved on its account; you, and after you Kinloch have raised in my mind such a concern for your native country! I am as much affected for what happens to it, as if I were an American…. English friends, I will, I will see you in your country, before I die!’”

Vegobre was likely in a romantic relationship with Kinloch. He wrote to John Laurens in December 1774: “Let me tell you what are these pleasures whose you are the first cause.  I began to understand speaken; I read Spectator, Clarissa, Milton and Shakespear, besides some philophical books.  Never, never in my life I have been so well entertained as I am when I read Milton; and why?  First, for Poet’s excellency, and secondly and chiefly because I read it with Kinloch.  My beloved, my dearest friend is Kinloch; how happy am I, when I teach him some part of natural Philosophy, when I read with him both English and French Poets, when I talk with him about various matters plainly and heartily as with a friend!  Let me say again: Kinloch is my beloved, my dearest friend.”

Charles Victor de Bonstetten (Karl Victor von Bonstetten in German):

A writer from Switzerland, he was educated partly in Geneva, where he would develop the liberal beliefs that alarmed his father enough to make him return to Bern, where Bonstetten was born. He introduced the people of the Ticino Valley to potatoes.

He appears to have had a romance with Johannes Von Müller and Thomas Gray (I will be posting about the Gray- Bonstetten relationship very soon)

Johannes Von Müller:

A historian who’s life goal was to compile a giant master history book on Switzerland. He was a teacher of Greek, and later appointed office by Napoleon himself. He wrote many history books, and traveled throughout Europe throughout his life. 

Letter from Müller to Bonstetten: “Any mistakes I may make in the future will be your fault; that is only if you neglect your letter-writing – your friendship can never grow cold – might I let myself be surprised by a passion. Tell me why I love you more as time passes. You are now incessantly in me and around me. My dearest friend, how much better it is to think of you than to live with the others! How is it possible to desecrate a heart that is consecrated to you? I need you more than ever; over and above these immutable, laudable plans for a useful life and an immortal name I have forsworn everything that is considered to be pleasant and delightful – not only pleasure but love, not only revels, but good living, not only greed, but ambition. B. is everything to me, you make all my battles easy and all abstinence sweet. Thus you live in my mind and especially in my heart. You write to me often, but it does not seem enough to me; you often address only the historian, and do not embrace your friend often enough.” 

Thomas Gray:

I stumbled upon this man while researching Bonstetten and Müller. I came upon the book My Dear Boy: Gay Love Letters Through the Centuries. I saw that one of the essays in the book was entitled Thomas Gray & Charles- Victor de Bonstetten. Intrigued, I clicked on the essay, and then from there I somehow managed to find the archive of a full biography of Gray. Thomas Gray was an English poet. He was/is pretty famous, but not super well-known, partially because he did not publish much in his lifetime. Thomas Gray’s childhood was marred with sadness. He had nearly a dozen siblings, but none except him lived past babyhood. He stayed with his mother once he had left his father, who was abusive. He was born in 1716 and died in 1771.

Francis Kinloch: 

John Laurens’s first boyfriend. He was also born in Charleston (then Charles Town) and educated at Eton College. After this he went to Geneva, where he met John Laurens. He later hosted what I call Kinloch’s Gay Retreat, in which he had Johannes Von Müller, Charles Victor de Bonstetten, and Alleyne Fitzherbert, 1st Baron, St. Helens stay with him.

Alleyne Fitzherbert, 1st Baron, St. Helens:

I haven’t been able to find anything gay about him except he was apparently lord of the bedchamber for George III, and find words.info says this about lord of the bedchamber: “A Lord of the Bedchamber's duties consisted of assisting the King with his dressing, waiting on him when he ate in private, guarding access to him in his bedchamber and closet and providing companionship.” So… possible? Maybe, but King George III also had like 20 other Lords of the Bedchamber. Also fun fact: Mt. St. Helens is named after him!

Hope this was informative!

[feartube2000]

White Lines

Quasi 20 anni dopo la scomparsa di Axel Collins, il suo corpo viene ritrovato nel Deserto di Tabernas vicino ad Almeria. La sorella Zoe si reca sul posto per riconoscere il corpo e, quando scopre che la polizia non aprirà un’indagine sulla morte del fratello, decide di recarsi a Ibiza dove il fratello lavorava come disc jockey. Titolo originale White Lines Creatore Álex Pina Cast Laura…

[simena]

FRANCIS ALLEYNE (detail)

[john-laurens]

I’ve been doing a bit of research on Francis Kinloch lately (he’s probably my favorite guy to study after Laurens - sorry Hamilton), so I have some interesting facts to share with you all.  Most of this information has come from an article simply titled “Francis Kinloch” in the April 17, 1948 publication of Notes & Queries.

1) He did theater!

It would seem that Francis Kinloch himself must have taken part in the theatrical performances at Ferney, for in a letter to [Charles Victor de] Bonstetten, 8 August, 1776, [Johannes von] Müller expressed his dislike of the part of Zamore (Alzire’s lover) as played by Le Kain, and said, “I do not want to see Zamore played by anyone but you or Kinloch.” - Notes & Queries

2) He apparently wanted to join the British troops that were marching on Charleston (I assume Charleston, SC - geeze Kinloch that’s your hometown).

[Johannes von] Müller wrote to [Charles Victor de] Bonstetten in 1776 that “Kinloch envies Colonel Cunningham who has occupied Charlestown with 2000 troops under his Majesty’s colours.”  Shorty after this Francis Kinloch left Switzerland and went to Gilmerton, in Scotland, to stay with his grandfather’s nephew, and described to Müller the preparations which were being made at Glasgow and elsewhere to support the loyalists. - Notes & Queries

3) While in Geneva (but after Laurens had left for England), Kinloch rented a house and invited three friends to stay with him - all of whom appear to have been queer.  I think it’s pretty cool that they had a place where they likely felt free to be themselves.  Here’s my breakdown of the residents:

Francis Kinloch - probably a polyamorous bisexual man.  He appears to have been romantically involved with John Laurens, Louis de Manoël de Végobre, and Johannes von Müller during his time in Geneva.  He later married twice.  I plan to post more about his relationships in a separate post.

Johannes von Müller - probably a gay man.  He exchanged many letters with Kinloch (I’m trying to acquire them), and he may have been romantically involved with Kinloch.  Here is a short but sweet description of their relationship:

Here also [Müller] was introduced to the celebrated Charles Bonnet and his lady; and to a young native of South Carolina, named Francis Kinloch, with whom he is said to have passed some of the happiest hours of his life. They took a house in the country near Chambeisy; and although their habitation was not very splendid, it commanded a view of the Alps, of the lake of Geneva, and of the richly cultivated tract of land on its lovely borders.  In this sweet residence they passed nearly a year and a half; enjoying the noblest compositions of human genius.  Their mornings were dedicated to the social perusal of Tacitus and of Montesquieu; and when, in the afternoon, Kinloch employed himself in the study of Blackstone, or any other English writer, Müller augmented his stores of knowledge concerning the history of his country: their leisure hours were divided between the pleasures of society, and the perusal of Latin, French, and English classics. - “Müller's Letters to his Friends,” The Monthly Review or Literary Journal, Vol. 71

Müller also spoke very fondly of Kinloch in his letters:

Not so very long after this, the two friends were reunited again in Geneva, when Müller wrote to his family (18 June 1804): “And Kinloch’s embrace!  He is just as he was, somewhat fatter, his heart generous as ever.” - Notes & Queries

Charles Victor de Bonstetten also referred to Francis Kinloch as “Müller’s Kinloch.”

Müller also seems to have had a relationship with Charles Victor de Bonstetten, another resident of Kinloch’s home in Geneva.  The two exchanged letters that, in my opinion, rival the Hamilton-Laurens letters in terms of affection.  Here are some excerpts:

Any mistakes I may make in the future will be your fault; that is only if you neglect your letter-writing – your friendship can never grow cold – might I let myself be surprised by a passion. Tell me why I love you more as time passes. You are now incessantly in me and around me. My dearest friend, how much better it is to think of you than to live with the others! How is it possible to desecrate a heart that is consecrated to you? I need you more than ever; over and above these immutable, laudable plans for a useful life and an immortal name I have forsworn everything that is considered to be pleasant and delightful – not only pleasure but love, not only revels, but good living, not only greed, but ambition. B. is everything to me, you make all my battles easy and all abstinence sweet. Thus you live in my mind and especially in my heart. You write to me often, but it does not seem enough to me; you often address only the historian, and do not embrace your friend often enough. - Müller to Bonstetten, August 8, 1776

Ah! Mully, Allow me still to call you by that sweet name. I wish to see you, I sigh for your friendship. Is it still alive, do you wish to keep our long-standing vow? Ah! you and my love are my consolation, my life. Do you still love me? Oh! what would I not give to embrace you! . . . I read your letters with a transport which I cannot describe to you. All my youth appears before my eyes, but with the bitter sentiment of my eternal uncertainty. I realise too late, alas, the route that I ought to have taken, the road along which your eloquence wished to lead me. -  Bonstetten to Müller, May 20, 1802

Apparently Müller was also the victim "of an elaborate scheme to defraud him by exploiting his homosexuality”:

One of [Müller’s] former pupils (and perhaps lovers) invented a Hungarian Count Louis von Batthyani and penned letters to Müller in which the Count expressed his love and inclination.  Müller responded with letters of unfettered passion and an awareness that this friendship and its depiction in letters far exceeded his earlier relationship with Bonstetten, possibly the purest expression of eighteenth-century homosocial desire that exists.  After a year and more than a hundred letters, when the fiction could no longer be sustained, Müller was financially and psychologically destroyed. Goethe was one of several friends who helped him recover. - The Gay & Lesbian Literary Heritage, edited by Claude J. Summers

Charles Victor de Bonstetten (also written as Karl Viktor von Bonstetten) - probably a bisexual man.  He was very likely in a romantic relationship with Müller (see above) and later was romantically involved with Friederike Brun.

Alleyne Fitzherbert, 1st Baron St. Helens - probably a gay man.  I know little of his life and relationships, but he lived for 85 years and never married.

[kwebtv]

White Lines  -  Netflix  -  May 15, 2020

Mystery / Thriller (10 episodes)

Running Time:  60 minutes

Stars:

Laura Haddock as Zoe Collins

Nuno Lopes as Duarte "Boxer" Silva

Marta Milans as Kika Calafat

Daniel Mays as Marcus Ward

Laurence Fox as David

Angela Griffin as Anna Connor

Juan Diego Botto as Oriol Calafat

Pedro Casablanc as Andreu Calafat

Belén López as Conchita Calafat

Francis Magee as Clint Collins

Tom Rhys Harries as Axel Collins

India Fowler as young Zoe

Rafael Morais as Young Boxer

Zoe Mulheims as Young Kika 

Cel Spellman as young Marcus

Jonny Green as young David

Kassius Nelson as young Anna

Recurring

Jade Alleyne as Tanny Ward

Ava Naylor as Matilda Ward

Barry Ward as Mike Walker

Fernando Albizu as Pepe Martínez

Agus Ruiz as Cristobal

Javi Coll as Juan Miguel Fonseca

Paulo Pires as George

Tallulah Evans as Jenny Walker

Geena Román as Sissy

Mariano Garmendia as Bruno

Maggie O'Neill as Yoana

[oosteven-universe]

The All-Nighter #3

The  All-Nighter #3 ComiXology Originals 2021 Written by Chip Zdarsky Illustrated by Jason Loo Coloured by Paris Alleyne Lettered by Aditya Bidikar    Going up against genuine super villains wasn't what Alex had in mind when he put on the costume, but he finds himself up against a foe much bigger than local thieves and muggers. Even with Joy by his side, is Alex ready to be a hero when villains are putting more and more people in danger?    I am so thoroughly enjoying this book.  The idea that vampires don colourful costumes and fight crime at night is just so much fun!  Chip’s idea is brilliant and I have to wonder why we haven’t really seen it before, I mean sure vampires fighting crime in the shadows we’ve seen but to be this colourfully clad well it’s fresh, new and exciting.  As are the events we see in this issue as we begin to learn more and more of Nighshock and his true intentions.  So many different ways this could branch out into side arcs but what we see here never entered my mind and I love that I'm being kept on my toes and surprised in such a manner.  So kudos to Chip for surprising me, keeping me on my toes and showing that this kind of fun can still be had at the same time is utterly delightful.    I’m a huge fan of the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information are presented extremely well.  The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter really does a magnificent job in continuing to flesh out the personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns along the way we get caught up in this like getting swept up in the undercurrent at the beach.    I am hugely impressed with the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I am also very much liking the way that the layers continue to open up new avenues to be explored.  With Francis and her excursion or with whom the two face on the bridge these add some great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled.    I’m very much enjoying the interiors here.  The linework is clean, crisp and strong and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail within the work we see is extraordinarily well rendered.  The creativity and imagination we see is fantastic and I love the outfits and the species that we see plus more shall we call them traditional vampires really expand how we see this world.  The use of backgrounds to enhance and expand the moments as well as how we see them work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a great understanding of how colour works.  More so since this is night and the colours are still so beautifully shaded and rendered. ​    With a fabulous double cliffhanger ending it looks like the next issue is going to heat up considerably.  This is brilliantly told and it blends fun and seriousness in a way we haven’t seen done in a while.  It feels exciting, fresh, new not to mention bold and daring in all the ways that excite us as comic book aficionados.  It’s flawlessly written with some stellar characterisation and wrapped up in these interesting and entertaining interiors showcasing again why digital comics are on the rise.