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skgway · 3 years ago

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1823 Aug., Wed. 20

11 1/2

Soon began on the erotics last night. Her warm, then [e]ncouraging. I said this was not like keeping our promise. She answered, ‘no’ and reached a towel to put under us to keep the bed clean on account of her cousin. I had retired too early for her. ‘Am I too soon for you?’ ‘Yes, rather,’ said she, and I resumed, determined she should have a sufficiently good kiss before I had had one. She said she had and we fell asleep.

Both awoke at five in the morning and talked till seven. Asked if this was not better than my sleeping in Micklegate. ‘Yes,’ but it was prudence # on her part. She had a feeling she could not describe. Would make any sacrifice rather than have our connection suspected. She seemed very affectionate and fond of me. Said I was her only comfort, she should be miserable without me.

Lou has got rather out of ∂ [Charles]’s good books she – Lou never got up to breakfast living with her uncle has given her very independent notions – He waited for her – Consulted her in everything – She told C– [Charles] one morning, she got up at the hour that suited her convenience – ∂ [Charles Lawton] has therefore been sadly out of his best humour this summer and π [Mariana] sadly fidgetted –

Told M– [Mariana] that she did not understand one 1/2 my letters, and misunderstood the other – That my aunt said (speaking of the regard between us), it was “much more on one side than the other”, – On my side then hers – Miss Pattison had blushed up to the sears, and told her at Manchester that ∂ [Charles Lawton] complained of her being cold and she wished she would try to be warmer when she returned. π [Mariana] said she and ∂ [Charles Lawton] very well knew the reason of that that she could not seem warm if she did not feel so.

π [Mariana] once sat next Miss Pattison’s uncle at dinner there and he said of her she looked like one who could love. I agreed, then reverting to ourselves, ‘this is adultery to all intents and purposes.’ ‘No, no,’ said she. ‘Oh yes, π [Mariana]. No casuistry can disguise it.’ ‘Not this then, but the other.’ ‘Well,’ said I, choosing to let the thing turn her own way. ‘I always considered your marriage legal prostitution. We were both wrong. You to do and I to consent to it. And when I think of blaming others, I always remember nothing can at all excuse us but our prior connection.’

I did not pursue the subject, nor did π [Mariana] seem to think much of it. The fear of discovery is strong. It rather increases I think. But her conscience seems seared, so long as concealment is secure. She said yesterday of Harriet, if she had never liked Milne I could have made more excuse for her. Thought I to myself, if none but those who were without sin threw the first stone.

Harriet, like the woman taken in adultery, might escape – Told her she needed not fear my conduct letting out our secret. I could deceive anyone. Then told her how completely I had duped Miss Pickford # and that the success of such deep deceit almost smote me, but I had done it all for her, π [Mariana]’s, sake. ‘Why should it smite you? ‘It is deceit that does no one any harm.’

I made no reply, but mused how sophistry might reign within the breast where none suspected it. How might not this argument best retched from one deceit to another. Mary, you have passion like the rest, but your caution cheats the world out of it. Scandal and your courage is weak, rather than your principal strong. Yet is it I who write this.

She’s true to me, yes, but she has not that magnanimity of truth that satisfies a haughty spirit like mine. She is too tamely, worldly, and worldliness is her strength and weakness her foible and her virtue. She loves me, I do believe her, as well as she is capable of loving. Yet her marriage was worldly, her whole conduct is worldly to the farthest verge that craven love can bear.

How often has it struck me that years ago when once talking to Lou about this marriage and the powerful circumstances that almost compelled it. ‘Well,’ said she, ‘you do not know π [Mariana]. She is worldly and the match was worldly altogether.’ This did indeed strike me at the time but it never struck me as it does at this moment – (Thursday 21 August 3 55/60 p.m. 1823) –

It now opens upon me as the key of all that all I have never yet been able to comprehend in her character. I have doubted her love, I have doubted her sincerity. How often with an almost bursting heart have I laid aside my papers and my musings because I dared not pursue inconsistencies I could not unravel. I could not deem the dial true, I would not deem it false. The time the manner of her marriage to sink January 1815 in oblivion. Oh how it broke the magic of my faith forever. How, spite of love, it burst the spell that bound my very reason suppliant at her feet. I loathed consent but loathed the easing more. I would have given the yes she sought, tho it had rent my heart into a hundred thousand shivers. It was enough to ask –

It was a coward love that dared not brave the storm; and, in desperate despair, my proud, indignant spirit watched it sculk away – How few the higher feelings we then could have in common! The chivalry of heart was gone – Hope’s brightest hues were brushed away – Yet still one melancholy point of union remained – She was unhappy. So was I –

Love scorned to leave the ruin desolate; and time she has shaded it so sweetly, my heart still lingers in its old abiding place, thoughtless of its broken bowers, save when some sudden guest blows thro’, and scrunching memory is disturbed – But oh! no more “the heart knoweth its own bitterness,” and it is enough – “Je sens mon coeur, et je connais les hommes. Je ne suis fait comme aucun de ceux que j’ai vus; j’ose croire n'être fait comme aucun de ceux qui existent.” Rousseau's Confessions volume and page first.

She loves me. Tho it is neither exactly as I wished, nor as I too fondly persuaded myself. ‘Ere years had taught me to weigh human nature in the balance or unlock the loveliest of bosoms with the key of worldliness. Yes, she loves me. My own feelings shall descend to hers. They have done so in part. How I could have adored her had she been more of that angelic being my fancy formed her. No thought, no word, no look, had wandered then. Surely my every sentiment towards her had had less of earth in it than heaven –

How like “the visions of romantic youth”! I know she might have realized then – Je sens mon coeur – But no more – No more – I seem unable to return to the dry detail of a journal –

At seven an hour before getting up asked her to get out of bed and wash. We both did so. Then got into bed again and had a long quiet good kiss and then a comfortable nap. Got up at eight. I laughed and said we must really both of us get well as soon as we could. We owned she thought I was worse than she was, and said jokingly ‘do you forgive me for it?’ ‘Of course.’ I set her at ease on this point, but yet the characteristic difference between us always strikes me. I am sure I should even shew twice as much as she really feels –

Went downstairs at 8 1/2 – Breakfasted etc. etc. Sat next Mrs Milne. Had been very properly attentive to her. Asked π [Mariana] if she was satisfied etc. etc. Said I would act as she liked but I could not decidedly change my manners to Mrs. M[ilne] unless my real acquaintance with her conduct might be acknowledged. She has been foolish again in corresponding with her cousin, Mr. Dannett. This was the thing Eli [Eliza Belcombe] alluded to when I was last in York –

Took leave, and off from the B– [Belcombe]’s (Dr. B– [Belcombe] had had rather a restless night but was nevertheless no worse). As the minster clock struck 10 found the horses to the mail at the Tavern door, to start at 10 1/4 instead of 10 3/f as I supposed – Asked the coachman to wait a minute or 2, and hurried into Micklegate – Only just time to wish then good by, and say I should be passing thro’ again in a fortnight or 3 weeks to spend a fortnight with M– [Mariana] at Scarbro’ –

Did not see Mrs. Duffin this morning – Miss M– [Marsh] whispered last night, she had had a paralytic affectation about a fortnight ago, and had been almost gone – I perceived no difference in her as I saw her sitting round the table last night – She did not attempt to move, but this being unnecessary, did not strike me –

Got into the new mail, and drove off from the D– [Duffin]’s door at 10 1/2 – Only 1 gentleman besides myself – Beyond Tadcaster took up a nice decent elderly woman – I never uttered all the way – Wrapt in musing – Thought of π [Mariana] and the three steps business, then about my manners and appearance. Building castles about their improvement, elegance, engagingness, etc. etc. The good society I hope to get into, etc., etc.

Thought of consulting Mr. Simmons, the surgeon. George Streetman, Chester. π [Mariana] consulted him. He feared some uterary of or belonging to the womb. Determine yet might judge from the effect of Scarbro whether Steph was right in supposing it merely weakness. He had treated her judiciously. She ought to be examined, but would not submit –

At Leeds at 1 – Got out for 1/4 hour and off again (from the Rose & Crown) at 1 20/60 – Beautiful day till we got to the New Dolphin Clayton heights, and from there to the Pine-apple

H–x [Halifax], a smartish, sunshiny shower – Got out at the Pine apple at 3 40/60 – Fair and fine immediately –

Got home at 4 – Went into the stable for a moment – Caradoc had gone on well – Then went into the house, and sat talking to my uncle and aunt till 5 40/60 – Then dressed for dinner – My father and Marian called in the evening, and staid till after 8 – I was absolutely asleep almost all the time –

Came up to bed at 9, at which hour Barometer 1 1/2 degree below changeable Fahrenheit 60º – Put by my things – Read the 1st 13 pages volume 1 Rousseau Confessions –

A bowel complaint. Dawdling to stick the pot up the chimney to prevent smell. Could not manage it. All this hindered and kept me up. E [three dots, times treating venereal complaint] O [three dots, signifying much discharge] A great deal on my linen. Saw it when I washed thoroughly before dinner, first with water then alum lotion –

[in margin]

#Tuesday morning 26 August 1823 This is very well in its way, but she has more of it than love –

# Did not give the slightest hint of P[ickford]’s real character, nor does π [Mariana] at all suspect the truth. I merely said she was the most learned woman I knew and had therefore more penetration than the world in general – π [Mariana] thought she should feel under restraint before her –

#anne lister #anne lister code breaker #shibden hall 1823 #mariana lawton #frances pickford

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getaroomyouheck · 5 years ago

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Album Analysis #15: Linkin Park, The Hunting Party (2014)

(ayyy sorry for taking so long, we’re finally back with the album analysis’! thank you all for being patient with me, i hope this meets your expectations)

Linkin Park was a band that had always been a piece of my childhood. Yet for the longest time, I only knew of Hybrid Theory (2002), Meteora (2003), and Minutes to Midnight (2007). Despite the memes and such regarding the group, I held them up in high regard, with Minutes to Midnight standing as one of my favorite albums ever made.

It wasn’t until the passing of frontman Chester Bennington that I really begun giving attention back to this band, and began to survey releases I hadn’t listened to, like A Thousand Suns (2010). And while that album is fine for what it is, what drew me to The Hunting Party was its heavy rock sound, reminiscent of their earliest works.

So going into this album, I want to hear that heaviness really come to life. I wanna hear Chester’s screams and those chugging guitars and that aggressive beauty. Let’s begin, shall we?

Keys to the Kingdom: Instant attention grabber of an intro, a really great way to begin the record. Chester’s pained screams diluted with an audio effect over them, sounding glitched out and demolished. Only for the roaring guitars and heavy drums to kickstart and fire off into the song. Just hyper aggression and energy, throttling drums and soaring vocals and guitars atop it. Hell, even this structure feels like classic Linkin Park, Mike rapping or singing over the verses, with Chester coming in and screaming his way through the chorus. What changes it is that instead of the nu-metal sound of Hybrid Theory or Meteora, this is full heavy hardcore rock and metal, and I adore it. It’s aggressive, it’s punchy, and above all else it sounds wonderful. I especially love the instrumental bridge, the sound cuts out abruptly and begins to build back into itself, with a buildup of layering guitars and drum patterns. Eventually it just builds into this absolute explosion of grimy guitars and crashing cymbals and snare hits, an overwhelming cacophony of sound, which leads us right back to the refrain of the chorus to end it off.

Lyrics are not as huge a highlight here, which might be my only criticism to it. What stands out, stands out very much, like the chorus where Chester screams out “No control. No surprise. Throw the keys to the kingdom down that hole in my eyes.” and the verses are rich with shit talking and imagery paralleling war. Linkin Park is, in a sense, committing war and fighting back against all their naysayers. With the 2nd verse from Mike being a direct callout, with the line “Careful what you shoot because you might hit what you aim for”. Some bars from Mike do get kinda swarmed in the sound of the instruments, which while sounding good does take away from his words. Other than that, this is an amazing song which kicks off THP near perfectly. Fantastic, a favorite for sure. 9.5/10

All for Nothing (ft. Page Hamilton): A slower more methodical track after the punchy opening Keys to the Kingdom was, and a little bit worse in my opinion. Definitely not bad, I think the verses from Mike are some of the best on the project, and the instrumentation and production is crisp and fantastic. I especially love the grimy fuzzy guitars on this one, they really underscore the verses incredibly well. Mike’s bars themselves are charged and full of anger. It’s egotistical, but in an entertaining way, like how he states “And no, I'm not your soldier, I'm not taking any orders. I'm a five-star general infantry controller”. It shows that even years on down as an MC he still has that anger and energy that made his bars work. What holds the rest of the song back is I think the pre-chorus and chorus kinda kill the momentum and anger of Mike’s verses. It doesn’t link together well, and instead of feeling like a nice natural link between verse to pre-chorus, it feels like the song hesitates and stutters a bit. It’s a shame, because everything else is still great. I just wish the chorus and how it linked to the verses was better. 8/10

Guilty All the Same (ft. Rakim): In sharp contrast to the last track, this one is bursting with energy and passion. I ADORE the minute long instrumental opening. Beginning with lo-fi crashing cymbals and guitars to loop into a super crisp version of it. Then cutting off to an instrumental buildup from guitar into the main riff utilized in the chorus. Just in general the instrumentation and production of this song is perfect. They know when to make the guitars sharp or fuzzy, exactly how to make the cymbals crash and smash in the right way, how to make each hit of the snare sound like a gun going off. It sounds wonderful, especially underneath the vocals. Unlike most of the songs on THP, this is mostly just a song with Chester. He handles most of the songs vocals besides the guest verse by Rakim, and as always his vocals are infectious and commanding. His utter power as a vocalist in both singing and screaming was always what drew me and others to Linkin Park, and that’s in full effect here. The guest verse from Rakim is also incredibly good, he finds an interesting way to find all these pockets and flows overtop these fuzzy guitars and bass-filled drums, it’s like rap-metal almost. This then breaks back into one more repeat of the chorus and the final explosion that breaks into silence.

Both Chester and Rakim’s lyrics stand out wonderfully and match the angry aggressive sound of the song. Calling out the industry as a whole, caught in their guilt whilst trying to set blame, attaching that grander message and applying it to record labels and their ever present lust for money over genuine talent or strong music. Where Chester’s verse is more basic and has larger more broader strokes in its narrative, Rakim’s verse is clearcut, and the message is sharpened and jagged in its bladed diatribes. Mentioning “corporate hands is filthy” and “All they think about is bank accounts, assets, and realty.” as direct stabs at the grander corporations iron grip on the media we consume. Passion is snuffed out in favor of what sells. It’s a message stated wonderfully through both vocalists, mixed with the crisp instrumentation and energetic fervor, this is definitely one of the favorites. 10/10

The Summoning: Probably the weakest piece here, there isn’t especially much to say. It’s just a 70 second interlude piece between Guilty All the Same and the next song, War. While the sonic landscape it builds is nice, it’s cut far too short to really build up to anything worthwhile or impactful. In the grand scheme of the album and with so many other far more impactful cuts, including a far more atmospheric instrumental piece later in the record, this one just falls to the side. Inoffensive and nice on the ears for the time being, but not anything close to standout or memorable in a way most other songs here are. The one song that being cut from the record would not detriment it in any real way. 6.5/10

War: Easily the track with the most blistering punk energy here, at just over 2 minutes it’s an incredibly scorching speeding track filled with fast energetic guitar riffs and a frenetic blood pumping drum performance layered in with Chester’s screams and strong vocal performance. There’s barely any breaks, from the opening lo-fi guitar scratches and riffs to the looped audience laughter at the end, it’s a pummeling track that has you headbanging and screaming the whole way through. Like most of the albums songs, the lyrics feature a heavy war motif, this time speaking of the general chaos found in war. As Chester states, “It needs to sides to justify, laying down your life”. War does not care about the sides you fight on, if it’s right or not. It will render you null and slaughter you all the same, no matter whom is ostensibly correct. Really the only issues I have with the piece is that like The Summoning, I feel it doesn’t have enough time to really flesh out to be a super standout track. It’s incredibly fun and powerful for the time it’s active, but it doesn’t have too long to be something I can truly say wowed me. Still awesome though. 8.5/10

Wastelands: A nice cooldown from the blistering heat of the last track. It feels more in the Linkin Park wheelhouse, Mike rapping the verses and Chester handling the chorus. It has a very nice production crunch to it, amplifying the drums during Mike’s verses only to have the guitars explode out with energy in the chorus. There’s a nice push and pull dynamic in the song that’s created by this choice, creating a nice duo between the poetry being rapped and the poetry being sung. It once again features pieces of war imagery, but it’s more direct in its commentary. Rather than being a conceptual musing on war or some metaphorical drive, it’s a very angry critique at the direction of rock, or rather it’s misdirection. Referring to the grand landscape as a metaphorical wasteland, where all true musiciosos who once made rock have abandoned. Mike’s verses are lined with braggadocio, stating his verses rise above all and that what he’s spitting is far above the drivel his contemporaries spit. For the most part, it works, but there are a couple issues I have with the piece. Some of Mike’s rapping can feel stilted and a fair amount of the lines don’t seem to particularly connect to the topic of the song, and feel more like the people he is supposedly stating are trash. It’s still a very well done song, and one I would easily return too, but it feels kind of weak in that department. 8/10

Until It’s Gone: This piece is one of the more emotionally resonant and impactful tracks on the entire record, taking a more lamenting and heartfelt passionate performance in both instrumentals and vocal performance from Chester. There’s a definite boom in each smash of the snare, a bassy overwhelming crunch in the guitar, the instruments layer and unite with the vocals to create this almost marching feeling. It strangely reminds me of the booming repetition found in a couple songs on Swans LP To Be Kind (2014), particularly the cut Nathalie Neal. It creates a feeling of marching to war, that you and the insurmountable masses are all marching towards another goal, a brighter future perhaps. It’s one of the more triumphant songs Linkin park have crafted in terms on the progression and feel from the piece. In that strength I feel it resonates and booms with impact as one of the strongest cuts here. The only real weakness is that the ending with the small beat with skittering hi-hats and explosive snare hits feels a bit tacked on; but it doesn’t take away from the core song and experience found here.

Speaking of which, the lyrics and poetry Cjester sings here are what make the song whole and piece everything together. Rather than building on the anger and prevalent war imagery found all over the record, it stands out with a muse and waxing poetic on the concept of what you have and what you lose. Specifically, the famous saying of “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone”. It’s that exactly mantra Chester passionately sings in the chorus of this song, verses taking on a similar tone and message. Lines like “I can finally see your light when you let go” refer to this idea, that sometimes you can only recognize the true benefit and reason for why you have something or someone only when they’re gone. It’s a message to cherish the things you have and never let them go. Which, given what’s happened to Chester, is simply heart wrenching. One of my favorite cuts here, amazing in most every way. 9.5/10

Rebellion (ft. Daron Malakian): In a very sharp contrast to the prior cut here, Rebellion is one of the most blistering and energetic throttling cuts here on the entire record. In no short part to the guest guitarist Daron Malakian, of System of a Down fame. This feature immediately excited me, as SOAD was one of the most creative and very incredible metal acts to sprout up in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. Blending alt-metal with elements of polka, Russian folk music, Armenian hymns, and much more. The instrumental performance here is nothing short of excellent, fast and powerful guitar riffs and chugs connect wondrously with the tumultuously churning drum beat. Overwhelming with it’s instrumental power, barely any breaks to be held here. Akin to a cut like War, but even more filled out and more standout in the way the piece progresses and the vocal cuts found from both Chester and Mike. It almost feels like a SOAD track, just featuring vocals from Linkin Park. With how creative the chord progression is and the multi-faceted structure and switching tempo’s found all over the cut, very reminiscent of a piece like B.Y.O.B or Radio/Video in that sense.

Lyrically I feel it stands out prominently as well. It’s a piece focused on the political instability found all across the world, more specifically calling out the whinging and whining from those in first-class worlds. The message is best exemplified by the chorus’ repeating of the line “We are the fortunate ones, who never faced oppressions gun”. In comparison to places where people's rights are violated almost every singular moment, us in First World countries have no right to complain. While I feel that it’s a bit too broadly painted, the core message of “There are people who suffer far worse than us, so sit down and shut the fuck up” I agree with. And even discounting that, it’s still a wondrously put together piece. Arguably my favorite song on the entire record, def one of the best songs Linkin Park ever put together. 10/10

Mark the Graves: Much like the prior track, Mark the Graves is a very instrumentally-oriented track, driven most heavily by the ever present guitarwork lining the record. An incredibly creatively structured and segmented piece, not following the standard song structure found in other pieces here. Alongside this chopped abstract structure, there are constantly changing rhythms and tempos, cutouts of silence that lead into explosive colossuses of sound, smashing drums and overblown bass layer in alongside the guitars. Buildups and blistering walls of flame give way to a repetitious marching drumbeat, echoing and bridging towards another beast of sound. Chester’s screamed delivery following a softly delivered refrain into the outro. The entire piece oozes creativity and uniquity in structure and delivery, sound and presentation, and it hits aces in essentially every aspect. Even lyrics, while not the prominent quality, still fuse and work with the soundscape quite well.

This is a song about memory and mistakes, more so the mistakes of your past and trying to reconcile and atone or make peace with what you have wrongly done. Each line in the verse makes references to the past and seeking to atone, specifically within the line “If we can’t let go, we’ll never say goodbye”. Chester is telling us that to truly say goodbye and forget the past, you have to let go and make do with your mistakes. All you do by holding on is chasing yesterday’s ghosts, and ignoring tomorrow’s premonition. You have to live and let go, otherwise you’ll forever be trapped in the sin of your own failures. A sin of your own machinations, manifest by the mistakes never once rectified or forgiven. It’s a beautiful piece, firing on each cylinder and making no mistakes in idea, or execution. An absolute favorite for sure, no problems whatsoever. 10/10

Drawbar (ft. Tom Morello): This cut was actually one that took me a long while to really get into. Like The Summoning, it’s another instrumental track that serves as an interlude between Mark the Graves to Final Masquerade. Featuring the acclaimed guitarwork of Tom Morello, of Rage Against the Machine fame. Arguably one of the most talented and creative guitarists in the entire scene. Yet, for the longest time I thought this was the weakest cut here. It felt far too plodding, not nearly as throttling or memorable as most other cuts here were. But one day, it clicked, and what I once saw as plodding, was slowly creeping and building suspension and tension in the piece. Each swirling synth, each sangling piano hit, each small snare hit or hi-hat tap, they all add to this creeping feeling of the piece. It’s a languorous and dreading piece, that builds to a climax within this sonic landscape. While I still feel the production sounds cheap at times or that the guitar work can sound somewhat flat for someone as skilled as Morello, it serves its purpose well, and is a track I can easily see myself coming back to. 8.5/10

Final Masquerade: Unlike both Rebellion and Mark the Graves, this is a heart-bleeding cut in which the power comes from the lyrics and Chester’s incredible vocal prowess, almost ballad-esque in the sonic ideas found here. Slower than virtually every other song on this record, it holds a heartbreaking resonance to it that rings true through the entire piece. Instead of blistering and energetic, this penultimate piece has hollow, lamenting guitar tones and a slow, pounding, consistent drumbeat, as if a heartbeat to the final moments of life breathed. Of course, the main focus here is Bennington’s vocal performance, and this is one of his most emotionally powerful and sorrowful pieces he’s ever delivered. Barely any screams to be found here, simply powerful delivery in sung vocal passages, tugging at the heartstrings and making his words manifest in their consonance and passion. Lyrics here are the other main standout besides Chester’s ever beautiful singing, and they’re some of the most powerful in the entire bands career.

This song dictates the falling out of some sort of relationship. Words never said, thoughts never expressed, slowly creating a gap and filling both members hearts with despair and mistrust towards one another. Each day becomes darker, light ebbing away into the darkness of both their locked hearts, apathy rendering what was once there null. As said in the song, “All I ever wanted, the secrets that you keep. All you ever wanted, the truth I couldn't speak”. One refuses to tell them their secrets, the other refused to tell them their truth. It’s the natural way fallings out tend to happen. Both partners simply feel nothing, and refuse to just open their hearts and just speak what they need to speak. Only speaking when it’s too late, when there’s no longer a red string of fate tying them both to the same destiny. No flaws about this piece, beyond gorgeous. Absolutely top 10 Linkin Park song, favorite song here next to Rebellion. Perfection. 10/10

A Line in the Sand: This isn’t the first time LP have concluded a record with a 6+ minute long epic, their album Minutes to Midnight ended in much the same fashion with the piece The Little Things Give You Away. Though whereas that was lamenting, heartfelt ballad about Hurricane Katrina and the horrific damage and fear it brewed in millions, this is a blood pumping, throttling cut packed with screams, slowdowns and swift tempo changes, adrenaline pumping rap sections, and much more. Powerful vocal performances from both Mike and Chester, as per usual I suppose. Long instrumental bridges that lead into charged, anger intensified pieces of energy and flame, into quiet leading passages once more. Genuinely, this feels almost like the bands quintessential song. It feels like Linkin Park’s message and ethos of how and why they make music distilled into a singular piece. Hell, I’m pretty sure Shinoda has said something to that effect in some interview a while back somewhere. Lyrically, this is no different as well.

Lyrics are essentially an encapsulation of the lyrical themes and ideas found present within the rest of the record prior to this. Anger against the ineptitude and growing complacence in the rock scene and music industry. Rage against the critics and those who lambasted LP when they dropped their nu-metal sound post-Meteora, calling them out on their hypocrisy against them. Shinoda puts it best with his lines the 2nd verse, stating “I'd never been a coward, I'd never seen blood. You'd sold me an ocean and I was lost in the flood”. He put trust into these critics and faith in this industry, as he was inexperienced and didn’t know what to think about these things. Like he said, he was sold an ocean but was lost in the flood. From his inexperience came anger, and now he’s here to pay his dues and collect his repentance for what these critics gave done. While not a perfect encapsulation and send off like Final Masquerade probably would have been, it’s essentially who Linkin Park is, or was, distilled into a singular song. Fantastic, a favorite for sure. 9.5/10

Final thoughts + rating: After the relative disappointment of Living Thing’s (2012), this was an incredible return to form for the group. That heavy, aggressive sound I was searching for was found in aces all across this record, plus the wonderful bonus of some more slower melodic pieces as well. And alongside with some incredible instrumental features really making the whole thing come together. Just front to back, nonstop aggression, adrenaline and excitement. All around, this album is a 9/10 for me. Easily one of my favorite releases in the Linkin Park discography, second only to Meteora and Minutes to Midnight. An album I have returned to several times prior to writing this, and one I will continue to return to several times afterwards

Favorite songs: Keys to the Kingdom, Guilty All the Same, Until It’s Gone, Rebellion, Mark the Graves, Final Masquerade, A Line in the Sand

Least favorite song: The Summoning

#linkin park #LP #the hunting party #album analysis #long post

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nellygwyn · 6 years ago

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The real women of Georgian era Britain & Ireland that inspired ‘Harlots’ (Part 2)

Georgian Britain and Ireland were full to bursting with brothels and bagnios, with the sex industry being one of 18th century Britain’s most lucrative enterprises. Whilst the women and girls who filled them enraptured the nation, their voices have all too often been lost to history and in favour of their aristocratic counterparts and greater men who sought to hide their own seedy practices. Harris’ List of Covent Garden Ladies, an annual gentlemen’s guide to London’s most enticing women shows us a vast spectrum of women who lived, worked and loved in a world that both caressed and disdained them. They came from all walks of life, and many tasted great success after finding favour with 18th century Britain’s wealthiest and most influential grandees. Others, however, were not so lucky. This post, created in two parts, sheds a light on some of the more prominent of these women, who left their mark on this country in some way, shape or form, and still captivate those of us who are inclined to adore them in the present day. Many of these women inspired the characters that are now so popular and beloved on Hulu’s period drama series ‘Harlots,’ though the truth is always stranger than fiction. Birth/death dates have been given when I have been able to scout out such information, as well as portraits/prints if they exist, and a source list will be given at the end of both posts.

Mary Robinson (1757-1800) - Though Mary was born into a fairly well-off family, her childhood was troubled from the moment her father abandoned his family in favour of a life with his mistress. Mary’s mother educated all her children and Mary showed a promising aptitude for the arts (she had briefly attended a school run by the social reformer, Hannah More, and been noticed by the great 18th century actor, David Garrick) but this all came to a halt when Mary’s mother arranged a marriage between Mary and an articled clerk named Thomas Robinson, who claimed to have a large inheritance. Though Mary resisted, the marriage eventually took place and Mary came to discover that not only was her husband extravagant and unfaithful, but that he had also never had an inheritance in the first place. They found themselves constantly on the run from debt collectors before eventually, Thomas Robinson was thrown into the Fleet Debtors Prison. Mary and her 6-month-old daughter accompanied him and it is here that Mary began to write poetry, both as a way to pay off her husband’s debt and as a way to escape from reality. One of her earliest patrons and supporters in this endeavour was the socialite, Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, who sponsored her first publication and encouraged Mary to pursue her dreams. It was this encouragement that prompted Mary, upon the release of her husband from the Fleet, to pursue a career in the theatre. She made her debut as Juliet in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1776, and soon became well known for her breeches parts in various Shakespearean plays. Her most famous role was as Perdita in ‘Florimel and Perdita,’ an adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘A Winter’s Tale.’ It was in this role that she caught the eye of the Prince of Wales (later George IV). He offered her £20,000 to become his mistress but it took Mary a considerable amount of time to decide whether to leave her husband to become a kept mistress or not. In the end, she decided to take the Prince up on his offer and became his first public mistress. However, he ended the affair in 1781 and did not pay out what he had promised. Mary managed to support herself through an annuity promised by the Crown, after she threatened to expose letters from the Prince she had in her possession. Though she had been a short-lived royal mistress, she was now a celebrity who sustained herself through several love affairs with notable men, after she permanently separated from her husband. Although Mary died alone and in relative poverty, she did spend the last years of her life writing in favour of women’s rights and feminist principles, leading her to earn the nickname of ‘the English Sappho.’

Elizabeth Needham (died May 1731) – Though very little is known about Needham’s early life, she became one of Georgian London’s most notorious bawds, praised for the exclusivity of her brothel in St. James (considered superior to even those of Covent Garden) but reviled for her ruthless brothel-keeping practices and methods of procuring girls. If her girls were unable to pay off their debts, she forced them to take on a higher intake of customers or sent them to the debtors’ prison herself, and if any of her girls became too ill or too old, Mother Needham had very few qualms about throwing them out onto the street. Mother Needham procured her girls through various methods: she poached them from other brothels, picked up homeless girls from the ‘bails’ of Covent Garden, deceived girls eating and drinking at Tom King’s Coffee House, or she acquired them from specialised auctions. Her favourite and most ruthless method, however, was to target girls fresh from the country, many without family (at least not in London) and deceived them with the promise of respectable employment. It earned Needham a fearsome reputation but her house was still popular with many of the country’s most important men, who in turn, were the main reason Needham’s house was raided very little (though during one raid, her house was burnt down, leading to the death of a French officer and the arrest of many of Needham’s girls) and she managed to evade arrest and punishment on multiple occasions. However, in 1730, following the trial of the notorious Francis Charteris for the rape of Ann Bond, a reforming Justice of the Peace named Sir John Gonson began to conduct raids on many of London’s brothels. Charteris had been a frequent customer of Needham’s house and Gonson was tipped off by the residences of Park Place that there was a disorderly house in the neighbourhood. Needham was arrested and hauled up before the court, where she was eventually found guilty of keeping a disorderly house, fined one shilling, expected to find sureties for her behaviour for the next three years and, most importantly, expected to stand twice in the pillory. On the 30th April 1731, Needham was brought to the first pillory in Park Place. Her connections meant she was allowed to be face down for the ordeal and was protected by a number of guards, but the crowd that gathered pelted her with such force that it was feared she would die before the punishment was out. The crowd was so large at one point that a young boy was killed by an iron fencing rail after trying to get a better look. Needham was taken from the pillory, alive but weak, and died the day before her second ordeal in the pillory. She had expressed great fear at having to stand in the pillory again before her death. No contemporary portraits of Needham survive but William Hogarth immortalised her in the first panel of ‘A Harlot’s Progress,’ where Needham lures a naïve Moll Hackabout, newly arrived from the country, to her brothel. Hogarth had met Needham once or twice and said that she was handsome even in her middle age, though her face was covered in patches to hide her pockmarks.

Emma Hamilton (also known as Amy Lyon and Emy Hart) (1765-1815)– Emma is now best known as the great muse of George Romney and the mistress of Horatio, Admiral Lord Nelson, but what is less well known is that Emma began her life in relative poverty, working her way up the ranks through various forms of domestic service and sex work. Born Amy Lyon in a village near Cheshire, Emma was raised by her single mother and her grandmother for the first years of her life. At a young age, she worked as a maid at the home of Doctor Honoratus Leigh, a surgeon working in Chester but who resided in Hawarden, Wales. After Emma was dismissed in 1777, she took a stage coach to London and took a domestic service job for the Budd family in Chatham Place. Here, she befriended a maid named Jane Powell who was also an aspiring actress. Jane let Emma accompany her to her rehearsals for various tragic roles, and Emma’s pretty face and joyful disposition was soon noticed and she was offered a job at Drury Lane Theatre as a dresser and maid to the actresses, one of whom included Mary Robinson. Emma’s next jobs included a posture girl at the Rose Tavern and as a model and dancer at the so-called ‘Temple of Health,’ run by a Scottish quack doctor who offered unconventional, mainly useless forms of treatment for aiding conception. It was around this time that Emma met Sir Harry Featherstonehaugh. Emma was fifteen and beautiful, and Sir Harry was captivated by her. He hired her to play hostess, entertainer and mistress at his estate in the South Downs. She apparently entertained Sir Harry’s guests by dancing naked on a table for them, but soon, Sir. Harry tired of his beautiful, new mistress and threw her over in favour of drinking and hunting with his friends. Emma became friendly with one of Sir. Harry’s guests, the boring but mirthful Charles Greville. When Emma conceived a child with Sir. Harry in 1781 and found herself abandoned by her old lover, it was Greville she chose to turn to. He promised to take her as his mistress and keep her in good style on the condition that she be his and his alone, and that the child be fostered by someone else (her daughter, Emma Carew, would see her often in the future, but for now, she was sent to a schoolmaster and his wife in Manchester). Greville moved Emma into a small house in Edgware Row, where he encouraged Emma to change her name from ‘Amy Lyon’ to ‘Emma/Emy Hart,’ and expected her to dress modestly and keep a quiet social life. Greville gave Emma elocution lessons and occasionally let his friends meet her. It was a rather stifling existence for Emma, as Greville was jealous and controlling, but also embarrassed to be too associated with a woman of such low birth and minor connection. At some point, Greville teamed up with the fashionable artist, George Romney, charging him with taking Emma’s portrait and hoping to make some money from them. Emma quickly became Romney’s muse, and he produced countless pictures of her, all beautiful and expressive, in the 1780s and 90s. Even well after Emma stopped visiting his workshop, Romney sketched her from memory and it is said that he was driven to his grave mad with love for her. In the meantime, though, Greville’s embarrassment of Emma began to grow, and when it became apparent that he would have to find a respectable wife, he decided to smoothly cast Emma off onto his uncle, Sir William Hamilton. Hamilton was quite a bit older than Emma and obsessed with antiques and collecting curious objects, and collecting Emma for his own keeping was no exception. Greville sent Emma to Naples, where Hamilton was the ambassador to the King and Queen of Naples, with the promise that he would join her there soon. Emma began to realise Greville had no intention to claim her but found she enjoyed life in Naples, and by this point, Sir William was falling deeply in love with her. In a bold move, he married Emma in 1791, and they settled in Naples, where Emma (now Emma, Lady Hamilton) would not only wow the Neapolitan court with her famous ‘Attitudes’ (tableaux vivant), but strike up a close friendship with the Neapolitan Queen, Maria Carolina (Marie Antoinette’s sister) and ultimately meet Admiral Horatio Nelson, the great love of her life.

Frances ‘Fanny’ Abington (1737-1815) – Although most famous for her career on the stage of Drury Lane theatre, Fanny Abington (born Frances Barton), had very humble beginnings. As a young girl, she had to support her family and thus, she was a flower girl and a street singer as well as a prostitute. During this period of her life, Fanny showed a great aptitude for theatrics, often performing long Shakespearean monologues, even when she was as young as 12, in taverns to impress gentlemen. She became a servant to a French milliner (a profession that so often went hand in hand with prostitution in this period) which taught her about fashion and French language and manners, virtues that would have her in good stead in the future. Fanny first appeared on the stage of Haymarket Theatre when she was 18, in 1755, as Miranda in Susanna Centlivre’s play ‘Busybody.’ She joined the company at Drury Lane on the recommendation of the greatly admired actor, Samuel Foote. At first, Fanny was overshadowed by older, more established actresses and had to endure an unhappy marriage to her music teacher, James Abington. Her big break was as Lady Teazle in Sheridan’s ‘School for Scandal’; her success in the part won over the hearts of audiences and critics alike, who adored her for her wit and beauty and natural ability in comedic roles. Her nickname of ‘Nosegay Fan,’ acquired when she was a flower girl as a child, carried over into her adult life, and she also became an influencer of fashion through the outfits she chose to wear on the stage and when out in public. She had sporadic appearances on the stage from the mid 1780s to the early 1790s but officially retired in 1799, considered by contemporaries as one of the great comic actresses of the age.

Mary ‘Hellfire’ Davis (1742-1825) – Contemporaries wrote that Mary had been born ‘in a wheelbarrow’ in Covent Garden and this may be reflective of how humble Mary’s background and birth was. She entered the leagues as a beauty when she became a model for Sir Joshua Reynolds; this placement set her on her career as a courtesan. Her first major connection was with Simon Luttrell, Earl of Carhampton, an Irish aristocrat, nicknamed ‘the King of Hell’ for his rakish behaviour. It was through Luttrell that Mary earned the nickname of ‘Hellfire Davis.’ Luttrell introduced her to the son of a merchant banker, Alexander Nesbitt, and the pair married in 1768. Nesbitt settled his estate of Upper Norwood in Surrey on Mary for life. By 1772, Alexander was dead, after suffering from an isolating mental collapse from around 1769. The press hounded Mary, alleging that Alexander’s mental state and eventual death was due to Mary’s disrespectful treatment of him and unnatural behaviour as a wife. Mary continued her career as a courtesan, associating herself in particular with the Hon. Augustus John Hervey, with whom Mary lived in the late 1770s. She received the estate of Evedon on Hervey’s death, as well as a hefty amount of money and land. Her financial stability meant that Mary was at liberty to begin her own salon, where she entertained many Enlightenment thinkers and involved herself deeply within counter-revolutionary movements following the outbreak of the French Revolution.

Moll King (1696 – 1747) – Born Elizabeth Adkins, Moll went by several aliases but her most enduring was that of Moll King. Moll was exposed to London’s underworld from childhood, starting her career as a sex worker as a preteen and becoming involved with Jonathan Wilde (both an informant to the law-force and a gang-leader & criminal) who taught her to pick-pocket. She also married Thomas ‘Tom’ King as a young woman and became friendly with London’s most famous courtesan at the time, Sally Salisbury. In 1718, Moll was arrested for stealing a gold pocket watch and was sentenced to transportation to the Americas. When Moll was discovered trying to re-enter the United Kingdom, she was sentenced to death and only evaded this punishment through her connection to Jonathan Wilde. After returning to England permanently, Moll returned to her husband and opened up a stall in Covent Garden, selling nuts and other street foods. The stall grew and soon, the Kings’ small venture grew into King’s Coffeehouse. This was one of the most popular coffeehouses and taverns in London, frequented by members from all echelons of society. Bawds and procuresses like Mother Needham used the coffeehouse to scout out potential new girls to fill their brothels, and gentlemen used it as a meeting place between their friends and paramours. Moll continued her theft and other underhand activities alongside Jonathan Wilde and she faced arrest, imprisonment and the threat of transportation several times before passing away in 1747. She had at that point, amassed enough money to pay for her son’s education at Eton school.

Teresa Constantia Phillips (known as Con Phillips) (1709-1765) - Con was born to a Captain in the English army, who fell into poverty very early on in Con’s life. At age 13, her godmother, the Duchess of Bolton, funded Con’s education at Miss Filler’s Boarding School in Westminster but when Con’s father married one of his servants, Con’s new step-mother cut off most of Con’s funding for her education and living. Con tried to earn a living as a seamstress and soon attracted the attention of the young Phillip Stanhope, 4thEarl of Chesterfield, who became enraptured by her and may have been the man who raped her at this time under the alias ‘Thomas Grimes,’ though there is speculation that Con’s rapist may also have been the Earl of Scarborough. Con herself believed that her rapist was most probably Stanhope (she seems to not have been 100% sure), claiming that Stanhope had a fascination with adolescent girls and virgins and had tied her to a chair and locked her in his rooms before raping her. This was a traumatic start to her career but soon after this ordeal, Con entered the leagues as a courtesan, allying herself with rich and influential men. In 1722, she married a man who eventually revealed he already had a wife but this bothered Con very little. Over the following years, she herself would marry several of the men she came into contact with, becoming a serial bigamist, and she was kept by many other influential gentlemen on top of these marriages. In 1732, Con had broken with one of her long-term keepers and was finding it hard to re-establish herself as a courtesan so instead decided to open a shop called The Green Canister on Half Moon Street (now Bedford Street in Covent Garden) specialising in condoms, sex toys, pornography and other sex related items. Her shop was particularly popular with women, and became infamous for its ‘flagellation machines.’ In the 1740s, Con wrote her scandalous memoirs, popular but widely criticised (interestingly, these memoirs also included a fan letter from Con to the castrato singer, Farinelli). By the 1750s, Con had settled in Jamaica with her lover but after his death, it is thought that she contracted at least three other marriages before passing away herself in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1765.

Sarah ‘Sally’ Lodge (died in 1735) – Sally’s parents died when she was very young and so she was placed into the care of a vicar who in turn placed her in domestic service, but Sally was eventually dismissed for petty theft. The vicar then had her apprenticed to a dressmaker for five years but according to Sally, she was mistreated by her employer and consequently, she ran away at age 14, working for a short while as a prostitute before starting her own brothel in the parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London. Sally’s brothel was incredibly successful, mainly due to the number of influential visitors from the Court. Her establishment was praised by the poet, Alexander Pope, as well as the dramatist John Gay. Unfortunately, according to sources, Sally lost all her money after she was swindled by an Irish confidence trickster and was unable to re-establish herself as either a prostitute or madam due to her age. She traversed several paths in an attempt to regain her footing but ultimately failed and ended her life as a barmaid at the Whale Public House in Wapping, serving brandy and rum to the sailors.

Ann Duck (baptised in 1717– 1744) – Ann Duck was born to a black father (a teacher of swordsmanship) and a white mother in Surrey. By the time she was in her early 20s, she was already a respected member of the criminal gang ‘the Black Boy Alley Gang’ who operated around Clerkenwell in London. Ann was particularly skilled at petty theft as well as highway robbery and also subsidised the money she gained from her criminal activities with sex work. Though she was hauled up before the Justice several times prior to 1744, it appears that many were afraid to punish her because of the men she associated with and who were on her side. She was arrested 19 times before, in 1744, being sentenced to death by hanging at Tyburn after being found guilty of petty theft of five shillings and sixpence, though the fairness of Ann’s trial in this case is debated.

Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Armistead (1750-1842) - By her own admission, Elizabeth Armistead was born Elizabeth Cane on July 11, 1750 in humble conditions. Other than that, the details of early life are vague. Various publications said she was the daughter of a herb-vendor in Greenwich, whereas others claimed she was actually born to a shoemaker, a Methodist preacher, or market porter. She most certainly moved to the centre of London as a model for a hairdresser. She may briefly have worked as a dresser and maid to several of London’s finest actresses at Drury Lane Theatre, too. And at some point, Elizabeth’s charms caught the eye of one of London’s leading madams. According to a notation in Sir Joshua Reynolds notebook from 1771, he visited one Mrs Armistead (the name Elizabeth Cane had now started using for herself) at the brothel of Elizabeth Mitchell. Liz Armistead was charming and pretty. Her laid-back, cheery nature made her popular with men, particularly important and elite men from society’s uppermost echelons. Her first real keeper was Viscount Bolingbroke. Bolingbroke’s friends teased him about his affection for “the Armistead,” especially following several of them bursting in on an intimate moment between Elizabeth and Bolingbroke. This match cemented Elizabeth as a leading light in London’s bawdy firmament. At one point, Bolingbroke arranged for Elizabeth to try her hand at acting. Critics weren’t that impressed with her ability but they did praise her beauty, her singing voice, the way her figure filled her costume, and her smile. After a string of Dukes, rakes and new money, Elizabeth attracted the interest of George, Prince of Wales (latterly, the Prince Regent and King George IV). He made arrangements with his page to pay his addresses to beautiful Elizabeth and their first meeting was in an inn near Bushy Park. The newspapers were in their element after learning of this affair: the Prince had just broken off a passionate affair with the actress, Mary Robinson, and since both she and Elizabeth Armistead were celebrities, the press revelled in pitting the two women against each other in a bitter rivalry for the Prince’s affections. Mary Robinson was in luck, however, as newspaper rumours suggesting Elizabeth Armistead was a “mattress-vote” (a.k.a. trying to influence the Prince with her deep Whig sympathies) lead to the Prince leaving Elizabeth for his new flame, Grace Dalrymple. Elizabeth attempted to re-kindle the affair but to no avail. To avoid offending the future king, she arranged to take a Continental Tour with several of her noble lovers, but not before purchasing a small country estate in Surrey with the help of the Duke of Marlborough’s brother. When she returned from the continent, something had changed for Elizabeth. She had always been a staunch Whig and many of her friends and lovers were members or supporters of the party. One of her long-time friends was the unkempt, uncouth Whig leader and firebrand, Charles James Fox. Their relationship had never been romantic, nor even sexual but by 1783, the pair had settled down into a monogamous, loving relationship. In 1795, Fox and Armistead secretly married and spent their time most of their time either entertaining or gardening, which contrasts greatly with the chaos of their earlier lives. Fox came clean about his marriage in 1802 when he wished Elizabeth to be by his side, as his wife, when he was honoured by Napoleon. In 1806, Fox died of dropsy; reportedly, his last words were “Dearest Liz.” Elizabeth outlived Fox by almost four decades. She continued to live out her life as a respected politician’s widow, being paid a yearly stipend of £500 by King George IV for her earlier services to him (a payment that was later continued by George’s brother, William IV, and his niece, Queen Victoria). Elizabeth died at the age of 91/92 in 1842, very old but not miserable. Her lasting epitaph perhaps comes from Charles James Fox himself who wrote to his nephew following their secret wedding: I think my affection for her increases every day. She is a comfort to me in every misfortune and makes me enjoy doubly every pleasant circumstance of life. There is to me a charm and delight in her society which time does not in the least wear off and a real goodness of heart. If she ever had an equal, she certainly never had a superior.

Grace Dalrymple Elliott (1754-1823) - Grace was born in Scotland in 1754, and soon after her parents’ separation, was sent to be educated at a convent in France until she was 16 years old. By the time she had moved back to England, she was already touted as a beauty, her features said to be striking and unique. This meant that she soon attracted the attention of the Scottish baronet and physician, Sir John Eliot, who eventually married the 17 year old Grace in 1771 (John was 18 years her senior). Grace enjoyed the lifestyle that came with marrying a man so well-respected in society but did not much enjoy married life and had soon begun an affair with one Lord Valentia. When her husband discovered the affair, he sued Lord Valentia for criminal conversation and is said to have been rewarded almost £12,000 as compensation. He divorced Grace, freeing her from the marriage, but now that Grace’s reputation was ruined, she would have to rely on the patronage of wealthy men who would seek her out for her beauty and witty company in return for stability and standing. After briefly fleeing to another French convent, Grace made a return to England in 1776 alongside Lord Cholmondeley, a known rake and philanderer, and this set her up in the leagues as a desirable mistress and companion. Her connection with Cholmondeley threw Grace into the notice of the Prince of Wales (latterly George IV), who is said to have been captivated by her portraits first and foremost. Grace was only very briefly a royal mistress but the affair produced a child in 1782, one Georgina Seymour. Grace insisted the child was the Prince’s (though rumours also speculated that the daughter may have been George Selwyn’s child, or Charles William Wyndham’s) but the Prince claimed that the baby’s skin was too dark to be his and the daughter was put into the care of Lord Cholmondeley. Just as Grace’s connection to Cholmondeley had introduced her to the Prince of Wales, now her relationship with the Prince of Wales brought her to the attention of the Duke of Orleans, who was, like many of Grace’s other flames, a well-known rake. Grace became one of his most established and recognised mistresses and the Duke granted her a permanent residence in Paris in 1786, as well as giving her several other properties. Although the Duke of Orleans was her main keeper, Grace continued to have affairs with members of the European aristocracy during her time in France. Grace would come to witness the outbreak of the French Revolution, being an eyewitness to the September Massacres and it is probable that Grace acted as a spy for the English, as well as risking her life to hide aristocrats from the Revolutionary government and arranging false travel documents for them to escape. Grace herself was arrested in 1793, and after the death of her former lover, the Duke of Orelans, she believed herself doomed too. However, the Revolutionary government spared her and she was released, allowed to live out the rest of her life in Paris before dying a wealthy, elderly woman.

Jane Douglas (circa. 1700 – 1761) - In her time, Jane Douglas was known as the ‘Empress of the Bawds’ and her house in Covent Garden attracted many gentlemen from the highest echelons of society. Little is known of her early life, save for her birth in Scotland between 1698-1700, and the fact that by the time she was 17, Jane was already a sex worker in St. James in London. Her connection to many rich men and women meant that she was able to purchase her own house in St. James and begin procuring her own girls, choosing them based on their elegant manners and aptitude for sex. By 1735, she had moved to Covent Garden, her first property being close to the theatres (and Douglas often pimped out poorer actresses who subsidised their profession with sex work) and thus becoming immensely popular. Douglas furnished the house in the utmost style and hired liveried servants to wait on clients. In 1741, Douglas moved again, this to the opposite end of the main piazza of Covent Garden and made similar, elegant improvements to her property, installing it with the finest furniture and amenities so as to attract peers of the realm and men of high rank. Her prices were high but gentlemen paid for the surroundings as well as the girls, and were provided with condoms in a silk bag and cures for syphilis. For the most part, Douglas’ connection to influential men meant she usually avoided arrest and punishment but she did occasionally fall out with the Society for the Reformation of Manners, and with Sir John Gonson’s anti-vice patrols. She usually escaped with a fine only or used bribery to escape punishment completely, but Douglas did have to spend time in prison once or twice.

Elizabeth ‘Edgeworth Bess’ Lyon – Bess is best known as the mistress and beloved of Jack Sheppard, one of the most notorious criminals in early Georgian London and the young man who gave his name to the popular saying ‘Jack the Lad.’ She was not only his lover, but his partner in crime, but what little we know about her is gleaned from the criminal records of Sheppard’s trial and from the contemporary media who blamed Bess almost entirely for the fate and lifestyle of her beau (even Jack himself, in his confession, would argue that he had been corrupted by Bess, due to her position in life as a sex worker). Bess is described by contemporaries as a ‘large, masculine woman’ with a fondness for drink. A relatively poor prostitute in Georgian London, by the time she had established a strong relationship with Jack Shepherd, they were working together in London’s underworld. Bess convinced Jack to live with her as her husband and their thefts became more and more ambitious. They were first caught by the law after the pair stole a pocket watch from a gentleman in Leicester Fields: Jack was arrested but Bess managed to avoid capture, until she visited Jack in prison the next day and was herself implicated. Remarkably, they both managed to escape prison, after Sheppard used a file to saw off his and Bess’ fetters, cut an iron bar out of the window and descend 25 feet down the walls of the prison by fastening a blanket to the remaining iron bars and lowering Bess and himself down to the ground. They returned to their life of criminality in the Georgian underworld and Jack was arrested another four times, escaping each time with Bess’ help. After his final arrested in 1724, after a large stealing spree in Drury Lane, Jack was sentenced to hang at Tyburn. He lay a lot of the blame for his life of crime at the door of Bess, who he confessed had led him to his life of vice and encouraged him to steal gifts for her. Jack was only 22 when he was hanged, a hero with the poor and entering folk legend but Bess was not so lucky; Jack’s confession was damning to her. It is not known whether she attended the execution of her lover or what happened to her after 1724.

Dorothea ‘Dora’ Jordan (1761 – 1816) – Born Dorothea Bland (she would later change her last name to ‘Jordan’ to liken her crossing from Ireland to England to crossing the River Jordan) in Waterford, Ireland to an acting and musical family, Dorothea had to support her family from a very young age due to her father’s absence. Her mother was an actress herself by profession and noticed Dorothea’s talent early on and set her in good stead on the stage in Dublin. Around this time, Dorothea became the mistress to Richard Daly, the manager of the Theatre Royal in Cork where Dorothea first worked. He was married but Dorothea bore him a daughter, one Frances Daly. Daly was the first of many keepers who would support Dorothea financially and artistically, in exchange for a romantic and sexual relationship. She toured in northern England in 1782 before making her first appearance in London at Drury Lane, as Peggy in ‘A Country Girl.’ Dorothea would be a member of the Drury Lane company until 1809. She was an overnight sensation, best noted for her comedic roles and her breeched parts: it was said that Dorothea looked particularly good in male clothing as she had the most beautiful legs in the kingdom. During her time as an actress, she was kept by a Charles Doyne, Tate Wilkinson (who managed many theatres in the north of England), George Inchbald (actor brother of his more famous actress sister, Elizabeth Inchbald), and finally by a magistrate named Sir Richard Ford, who Dorothea met in 1786 and bore three illegitimate children. Dorothea soon realised that Ford had no intention of marrying her but it was around this time that she had caught the attention of Prince William, Duke of Clarence (later King William IV) and entered into a romantic, monogamous relationship with him. They lived together in relative domesticity in Bushy House and had at least ten illegitimate children together, all bearing the last name of Fitzclarence. Dorothea occasionally returned to the stage during this time, where she was still ever popular, and she was even relatively well liked by Prince William’s royal family. Dorothea and Prince William were obliged to separate in 1811 after the death of the heir to the throne, Princess Charlotte of Wales, as William, along with his brothers, was expected to marry a princess and produce children. Dorothea and Prince William’s children were loved by William’s new wife, Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen but the same could not be said for Dorothea herself. She was awarded a stipend and custody of her children on the condition that she did not return to the stage but, after Dorothea’s son in law became heavily in debt, she had to return briefly to the stage to pay it off. Prince William received word of this and removed their daughters from her care and cut off her stipend. Dorothea fled to France to avoid her creditors in 1815 but died there just a year later, in relative poverty.

Sources

The Secret History of Georgian London: How the Wages of Sin Shaped the Capital // Dan Cruikshank

The Origins of Sex: A History of the First Sexual Revolution // Faramerz Dabhoiwala

Madams: Bawds and Brothel-Keepers of London // Fergus Linnane

The First Bohemians: Life and Art in London’s Golden Age // Vic Gatrell

The Gin-Lane Gazette: A Profusely Illustrated Compendium of Devilish Scandal and Oddities from the Darkest Recesses of Georgian London // Adrian Teal

Amatory Pleasures // Julie Peakman

Night-Walking: A Nocturnal History of London // Matthew Beaumont, Will Self

A Grim Almanac of Georgian London // Graham Jackson, Cate Ludlow

Courtesans // Katie Hickman

The Covent Garden Ladies: Pimp General Jack and the Extraordinary Story of Harris’ List

London, the Wicked City: A Thousand Years of Vice in the Capital // Fergus Linnane

Perdita: The Life of Mary Robinson // Paula Byrne

Beloved Emma: The Life of Emma, Lady Hamilton // Flora Fraser

Various editions of Harris’ List

#harlots #harlots hulu #18th century #18th century history #georgian london #georgian england #nsfw/#long post/

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bountyman · 7 years ago

Text

outofbullets;

i know it’s late and everyone’s probs in bed by now, but my retro multimuse hub is almost finished! i plan on adding more muses since it’s a little sparse atm, but so far there are four sublogs / muses ready to interact with!

current muses:

george fowler (the great st. louis bank robbery; active)

the narrator (the twilight zone; tentatively active)

elly may clampett (the beverly hillbillies; currently under construction / not linked)

virgil hilts (the great escape; active)

thomas crown (the thomas crown affair; active)

muses that i might add, if there is interest in them:

amanda grayson (star trek: tos)

dick grayson / robin (batman)

mr. death (the twilight zone)

marion crane (psycho)

maxwell smart (get smart)

lisa douglas (green acres)

max sand (nevada smith; will be canon-divergent in order to make original casting make more sense)

chester goode (gunsmoke)

frank bullitt (bullitt)

* i still plan on making other muses from wanted: dead or alive, but i think i will keep them as guest muses here on bountyman rather than on my hub.

#out of bullets [ooc];#i may be prematurely excited since i have no idea what i'm doing / how to run a hub #but hopefully this will work out?

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jedi-bird · 5 years ago

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8 people I’d like to get to know better

I was tagged by @plays-with-shadows :)

i. Name/alias: birdy (most of my online names are bird related, lol, and for certain reasons I try not to use my real name, which is also bird related)

ii. Birthday: the first day of the year (no one believes me 😭)

iii. Zodiac: capricorn

iv. Height: about 152 cm

v. Hobbies: reading, writing, gardening. I used to draw and crochet a lot, until it became too hard to hold any kind of tools in my hands. Now it's mostly reading since I broke my computer and my phone hates Google docs (anyone have any suggestions for good writing apps for phones?)

vi. Favorite color: if you look in my closet, you'd think it's black. In reality, I will wear anything but pink on a regular basis (though mostly black). In general, I like blues and grays to surround my because they are soothing, but I like things like bright orange and purple as accents.

vii. Favorite books: let's see how many I can remember without getting up to look.... "Howl's Moving Castle" by Diana Wynne Jones, "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" by Shirley Jackson, The Alien Chronicles series by Deborah Chester, "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers, "The Kaedin Secret" by A. K. Lee (the ever lovely @peppermintquartz , seriously, go read this book), "American Hippo" by Sarah Gailey, "Song of Blood and Stone" by L. Penelope

viii. Last song I listened to: Bury a friend by Billie Eilish

ix. Last film I watched: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse

x. Inspiration for a muse: umm... If I say the voices in my head will that be too weird? Mostly, I create things when a thought gets too loud and demands attention. I'll make things if I think someone might enjoy it, but mostly is because I was alone most of the time as a child and needed to entertain myself.

xi. Dream job: professional writer. Cat trainer. Plant breeder. I'll just settle for anything not considered a guest service position for a while though. That broke my mental health.

xii. Inspiration behind my url: it was an old nickname. It combines my first major fandom obsession (star wars) and the nickname given to me by my first best friend. Also, every name I use online is different, and, with the exception of one, bird related.

Thank you for tagging me! I'm never sure who to tag so I'm not tagging anyone, but feel free to play along if you wish.

#about me

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stacyswirl · 6 years ago

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IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN! HERE IS MY TOP TEN ALBUMS FROM 2018!

By midway through the year, I knew who would be in the top 3, and that it would be difficult to order them. Ordering 4 through 10 was faster and easier than any list ever has been before. But those top 3, so difficult. Here are some thoughts on each. in ascending order. MUCH TEXT TO FOLLOW.

10: Muse - Simulation Theory I just got this album a few weeks ago. It's not super amazing, but is definitely loads better than their last album, 2015's "Drone". I like the '80s synth stylings, especially on the opening and closing tracks. Plus, just look at that amazing vaporwave album cover. A favorite: "The Void" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztnEjj5WW8k

9: Cut Chemist - Die Cut Cut Chemist hasn't put out a proper album since 2006! This album is pretty scattershot, but it has some great tracks. It's basically a mid-level DJ Shadow album, with some trippy dance tracks and some fun hip-hop songs. But since Shadow himself hasn't put out a decent album since 2011 this was plenty welcome. A favorite: "I Got a Weapon" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTPQI2_N2cI

8: Charlie Puth - Voicenotes A newcomer to my lists! I first heard his song "How Long" in 2017, and loved it, but there was no album yet! Finally, he put out a full-length and it is wonderful. This is just a sexy album, full of amazing basslines and syncopated beats. The real standout track is "Attention". A favorite: "LA Girls" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW3Than5jrs

7: Aurora - Infections of a Different Kind Another newcomer! Her first album from 2016 was such a big hit in our household, but I think we found it slightly too late to chart, so to speak. Phoenix discovered this elfin performer, and within a week we got to see her in concert. This new album is much shorter than her first, and so far not quite as amazing. But I know it has hidden depths that will reveal themselves over time. A favorite: "Forgotten Love" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPUFd7cv9q8

6: Death Cab for Cutie - Thank You for Today I've been on a bit of a Death Cab kick for a while, since falling especially in love with their last album, 2015's "Kintsugi". This is a very soft album, but with some good rhythms and melodies that do the perfect mixture of lull me and keep me interested. The opening song "I Dreamt We Spoke Again" has a very Post Service feel to it. A favorite: "I Dreamt We Spoke Again" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aZUgUii4Sk

5: Metric - Art of Doubt Metric has been a favorite of mine since I discovered Broken Social Scene in 2007 along with all their related bands. Their last album, 2015's "Pagans in Vegas" was a disappointment, I never really got into it. This one's really good though, it has the perfect modern Metric sound, cold and electronic yet enveloping and organic at the same time. Very good stuff. A favorite: "Now or Never Now" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC8MfulGMXE

4: The Decemberists - I'll Be Your Girl I have not loved a Decemberists album this much since 2009's #1 "Hazards of Love". In late 2017 they put out the first single from this album "Severed" and I was blown away by their use of sythesizers, it was completely different than anything they'd done before, and I listened to it over and over. When the album proper dropped it was a somewhat slow burn for me at first, nothing on it was as immediately catching as Severed. But over time it has become a huge favorite. Much of the album has an electronic texture, either subtly in the background or front and center. One of my favorite songs, "Cutting Stone" sounds much like a classic Decemberists folksy ballad, but there's not a guitar anywhere, its all synths. Also, a special shout out to "Rusalka, Rusalka/Wild Rushes", it sounds like a Hazards of Love b-side. A favorite: "Cutting Stone" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfRwOyBWUsk

3: Dessa - Chime Dessa has shared my "top favorite band" spot with Silversun Pickups for several years now. Her last two albums took my #1 spots in 2013 and 2010. Chime is at first a bit of a departure, but is also just a natural extension of where she's been heading for years. It has genuine pop music on it, and she sings much more than raps on the album as a whole. She changed her sound, she changed her look (went blond and curly), and I love it all. I was at first disappointed at the lack of hard hip-hop bangers (outside of a couple near the beginning of the album) but have made peace with that because of how much I love the rest of the album. Also: I read her book of personal essays "My Own Devices" which was really good, and informed me about many of the emotional behind the scenes-ness to much of her music. This album is so great, and if it weren't for the next two albums, it would have taken #1 easily. A favorite: "Jumprope" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc7lGAssa1I

2: A Perfect Circle - Eat the Elephant This is one of those glorious returns. APC hasn't put out an album since 2004's "Emotive", and that was honestly barely an album. 2003's "Thirteenth Step" was their last true album, and it is still a huge favorite of mine. So it's been roughly 15 years. In that time, singer Maynard James Keenan has put out a wealth of music, mostly under his Puscifer solo band name. Some of that music has been beautiful and amazing, but no full album has been that great. Billy Howerdell, former Tool guitar tech turned musical-side of A Perfect Circle has put out an album under the name Ashes Divide, and it was decent. But the magic that is A Perfect Circle has been distinctly missing that whole time. "Eat the Elephant" (a reference to destroying the republican party) is great from start to finish. It is dark and challenging, atmospheric and beautiful. It stands beside their older albums as a true equal and I couldn't be happier with it. I thought for the longest time this would garner #1 this year, it completely deserves it. A masterpiece. A favorite: "Disillusioned" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u05S9cq2bLY

1: Mike Shinoda - Post Traumatic This one's difficult to talk about. In 2017, the singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington, killed himself. LP had been a favorite band of mine since high school, I hadn't loved all their music throughout time but always loved them as a band. It was really rough for me, definitely the most I'd been affected by a "celebrity death". Mike Shinoda, Linkin Park's resident rapper and production genius had always been my favorite member. In January 2018 he put out three songs, with appropriately low-budget filmed-at-his-studio-selfie-style videos that granted an intense and personal look into his life and feelings over the last months. I listened to those three songs over and over, they made me cry many times. In June he put out a full-length album, that began with those three songs. The album ranges from specific and personal to broad and emotional. There are a few great guest artists, including Chino from the Deftones and last year's surprise #10 singer K. Flay. The production on the album isn't overly flashy but it has that Mike Shinoda sound that I've loved for years. I used a huge amount of these (and Linkin Park) songs in my recent sync of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which proved their impact on me. The album is raw, unpolished, and uncompromisingly emotional. It's personal significance is what put it at #1. A favorite: "A Place To Start" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eijqQgC2S-g

#top albums

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artstrings · 6 years ago

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Journals and sketchbooks are important to an artist. They come in various sizes and types, and these days we even have canvas pads that can also serve as sketchbooks for those who prefer to do oil and acrylic painting on-the-go. Journals have also evolved from diary-books and notebook substitutes, into sketchbook cousins. I myself have plenty of sketchbook and journals (and I still collect and buy them sometimes on a whim), and here are some reasons why I use them:

Gateway to the Artist’s Soul

Have you ever wondered why a lot of artists are not open with their sketchbooks and journals, or have sketchbooks and journals they wish to hide? Journals and sketchbooks like these contain the inner workings of the artist — their ideas and feelings, their inner thoughts toward particular things and issues, and whatever dark musings and skeletons in their closets that could pop up anytime. To be shown an artist’s journal, especially their most private one, can mean a lot.

Chester Bennington. Journal entry.

My sketchbook entries through the years.

They Tell Your Story

An artist’s repertoire of skills develops over time as one continually draws, paints and creates. What better way to check an artist’s growth than to look through their sketchbooks?

I Am Not You, You Are Not Me. Oil on Canvas 48in x 36in.

Cutting the Red String of Fate Series. Art installation 7in x 5in x 3pcs

The Princess and Her Warrior Butterflies Panel Series. Oil on Wood 8in x 9in, 9in x 12in, 8in x 9in

Some of my paintings and their conceptualization

Blueprints of the Artist’s Major Works and Projects

I tend to make plans with some of my paintings particularly when I make artworks that are connected to a particular theme or subject. Sometimes I even draw bits and portions of a final painting in different pages before consolidating it into one final painting.

A lot of artists practice working on their ideas first in sketchbooks before realizing them in major artworks. In some cases, especially when we run out of ideas, we tend to go back to our journals and look for bits that we could put on our artworks.

Da Vinci’s Study for the Head of Leda. Source: http://www.drawingsofleonardo.org/

Exhibit Pieces

There are exhibits where sketchbooks and art journals become part if not the highlight of the exhibit. Examples of such events are held in the Brooklyn Art Library in New York, and a lot of their pieces are sourced through The Sketchbook Project .

Some artists also show their sketchbooks and journals during their exhibit aside from their portfolio and smaller pieces. Other artists, like I and my friends, bring our journals and sketchbooks during our exhibits and show them to guests who wish to inquire or chat with us about our work.

The Business Aspect

A zine is self-published and with small circulation. I know a couple of friends who have earned a lot and gone to places just with zines, stickers, and other crafts created from their artwork that are either too large and costly for zine and stationery and craft buyers, or are too small and in most cases too precious and stuck in the artist’s art journals and sketchbooks for them to be sold off to the public.

There are probably other reasons artists like me use sketchbook and journals. I, for one, once used sketchbooks as school notebook, and my journals for taking down notes as I browse through art vlogs. My friends and I sometimes even use them as communication tools where we leave our messages and pass the journal to another friend. There are also cases where we do our major artworks right off the sketchbook itself. I even use them to put keep my movie tickets and grocery receipts. No matter what the reason for using them, sketchbooks and journals are definitely a must-have for artists and those aspiring to become one.

5 Reasons Artists Use Journals Journals and sketchbooks are important to an artist. They come in various sizes and types, and these days we even have canvas pads that can also serve as sketchbooks for those who prefer to do oil and acrylic painting on-the-go.

#featured #journaling #journals #mixedmedia

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helloworlddemo1122-yahoopar-blog · 7 years ago

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Star Sightings: Yara Shahidi Gets in Festival Mode, Kelly Clarkson Fangirls Over Justin Timberlake & More!

Happy festival season! Tons of celebs flocked to Indio, California, for week one of the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, rocking their best desert queen gear to celebrate the beloved two-weekend event. Though Yara Shahidi couldn't make it this year -- "I'm a little too short to see everything, which I realized there last year, so I'm just living vicariously through all my friends that went." she told ET -- the Grown-ish star did chat about her fave looks at the Teva Festival Season Styling Suite at Mama Shelter in Los Angeles on April 18, and she admitted that it was always tough to figure out what to wear throughout the festival. "I think a lot of it is about function," she mused to ET. "Sure, look cute -- pastel and glitter and all of it -- but I feel like when I was there, you’re out in the sun for hours at a time, so I ran into the problem of not being able to find the perfect outfit because it’s like, 'Am I cold right now? Do I want to carry a jacket with me? Do I want to wear heels in the grass? You can’t do that! It’s a special kind of talent... I literally live in sandals." And though they're still finding out what will happen to her character, Zoey, on the second season of Grown-ish, Shahidi is counting down the days till production starts up again. "We start shooting in the fall. I'm just really pumped because who knows where Zoey starts? I'm really excited to watch her go to class. I think she'll maybe have more than one this year!" she said. "The way season one ended, she's in a relationship now and she has other things to explore, which I'm really excited for."

Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Teva

Plenty of stars were out partying in Coachella Valley, however.

Shay Mitchell stopped by the #REVOLVEfestival Day 1 during Coachella weekend, where she enjoyed a delivery by Postmates.

Jason Camera/Postmates

Erika Jayne was one with the animals at the Galore x Her Campus party, sponsored by Bedhead by Tigi, in Palm Springs on April 14.

Galore

Paris Hilton met Sushi by Bou chef David Bouhadana, who was flown to Palm Springs from New York City to serve up an omakase to VIPs at 1 Oak's party at the Gravity SUV Mansion, where French Montana and Leonardo DiCaprio were also in attendance.

Justine Skye was excited to rosé all day at Three Olives’ Rosé Vodka party at the Hilton Palm Springs Day Club on April 13.

Eric Reed

Alessandra Ambrosio looked like there was nowhere else she’d rather be in the world while lounging on a huge pool float in an orange Peixoto swimsuit. “Coachillin in My Pink Cadillac ... 💓☀️💦 #foreveronvacation @ingefonteyne,” she wrote on Instagram.

Coachillin in My Pink Cadillac ... 💓☀️💦 #foreveronvacation 📸 @ingefonteyne

A post shared by Alessandra Ambrosio (@alessandraambrosio) on Apr 17, 2018 at 1:22pm PDT

And Amber Rose took a break from a pool party at Coachella to chat with EverlyWell founder and CEO Julia Cheek to learn about the brand's at-home health testing kits.

Ian Bailey/Jupiter Media Group

She may have been in Los Angeles, but Paris Jackson gave off major Coachella vibes in a tie-up striped shirt, navy blue patterned H&M Conscious skirt, strappy heeled sandals and a boho bandana on April 17.

H&M

Also looking pretty was Jessica Biel, who rocked a black jumpsuit with butterfly sleeves for an American Express Experience event that celebrated the launch of the brand’s new “Live Life” global campaign in New York City on April 9.

Michael Simon

Ava DuVernay also looked lovely at the Independent School Alliance for Minority Affairs’ annual Impact Awards Gala at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, California, on April 17.

Independent School Alliance

Southern Calfornia wasn't the only place to here good music last weekend. Kelly Clarkson and her husband, Brandon Blackstock, took in the Las Vegas stop of Justin Timberlake' Man of the Woods Tour, watching the show from the Grey Goose Nest at Hyde Lounge in the T-Mobile Arena.

Loved @jtimberlake show tonight in Vegas! His band\crew is sick and Justin is a beast on stage! A true entertainer that sings, dances, and plays! BUT obviously @_NicoleHurst was my favorite part! #yeswiththatlaurynhill yes ma’am 🙌👏❤️ #Manofthewoodstour#Vegas

— Kelly Clarkson (@kelly_clarkson) April 15, 2018

Famous fans can’t get enough of JT, as evidenced by Mitchell, Leven Rambin and Lily Collins all recently rocking “Tennessee” tees from the singer’s tour merch.

Jake Owen serenaded residents of Sublette County, Wyoming, which won the title of "“RANGER Country USA," putting on an intimate show in the town of Pinedale for a RANGER Country USA Celebration. “I’ve been fortunate enough to tour the nation, meeting the hard-working Americans that make up these small towns,” the “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” singer said. “Coming from a small-town myself, these are my people, and to be a part of an initiative recognizing them is incredible.”

Polaris

Jenni Farley took to a different kind of sandy climate with her family. After some very hectic press days for Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, "JWoww" and her family -- husband Roger Mathews, daughter Meilani and son Greyson -- took a trip to the Four Diamond Moon Palace in Jamaica, where they swam with dolphins, strolled along a private beach and rode waves on the FlowRider Double Wave Simulator.

Anthony Serrantonio

Also soaking up the sun? Olivia Munn, who rocked her Etnia Barcelona sunnies while hitting up sandy shores with pal Victoria Potvin. “Beach moment: ✔️ (That look on my face is because it’s actually freezing. I had a great time anyway.),” Potvin wrote on Instagram on April 8.

It was wheel's up for Sienna Miller, who raced to the finish line at E-Prix’s debut in Rome, Italy, in mid-April. She took a spin around the race track in the BMW i8 Qualcomm safety car by Formula E founder and CEO Alejandro Agag and also met with Venturi drivers Edoardo Mortara and Maro Engel alongside Prince Albert of Monaco.

Getty Images

Vroom vroom! Milo Ventimiglia took over the Harley-Davidson social media channels on April 16 to celebrate the motor company’s 115th anniversary.

Michael Simon

Jason Mraz was mobile as well, joking he was “well trained” when he hopped on an Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train to travel throughout Los Angeles.

Jason Mraz

With hard work and lots of play also comes the need to eat! Allison Janney and NicoleKidman bonded at a dinner at Los Angeles’ Sunset Tower honoring influential women who are making a difference in the world and InStyle's Badass Women column, with guests gifted Brahmin handbags.

Getty Images

On April 16, Johnny Galecki was joined by Billy Dec, the founder and CEO of Chicago-based Rockit Ranch Productions hospitality and entertainment company, for the opening of the second location of Asian-fusion restaurant SUNDA in Nashville, Tennessee.

And Brooklyn Decker hit up a Whole Foods on April 9 for fresh fruits, veggies and Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold.

Jesse Bauer

From coast to coast, celebs were also doing plenty of non-Coachella partying. “Real Housewives of Miami” star Joanna Krupa took over Hyde Bellagio in Las Vegas on April 3 for a massive birthday bash that included a gifting suite with goodies from her friend, Monica Hansen’s, swimwear line, Ciroc Vodka and Ciroc Apple drinks, and a gorgeous pink-and-gold cake topped with red roses.

Hyde Bellagio

Golfer Michelle Wie was also partying with friends at Hyde Bellagio that night.

Ty Dolla $ign went bowling at Lucky Strike in Houston, Texas, on April 1 with a few friends. The group munched on corn dogs, BBQ wings and Caesar salad with shrimp before heading over to the House of Blues for the “Paranoid” rapper’s show that night. Jason Momoa and artist Blaine Halvorson channeled the band Kiss at Mastercard and Fred Segal Present Rock n Roll Holy Land: An Exclusive and Interactive Experience by MadeWorn exhibit in West Hollywood on April 10. The duo and guests like Gene and Nick Simmons and DJ Cassidy enjoyed a DJ set by Classixx and Moscow mules made with Absolut Elyx.

Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Mastercard

It's almost Earth Day, and January Jones was feeling the puppy love just in time to celebrate. “Uh..I have a puppy in my bike basket. It’s too much cuteness, the cynic in me is close to vomiting a little 🤦‍♀️ @criticalcycles planted a tree for my family and will plant a tree for every order placed on 4/22 #earthday through plantabillion.org #plantrootsfortomorrow🌱,” she wrote on Instagram on April 17.

Also warming hearts, Gretchen Rossi helped style the girls at the Pick Your Prom Dress event, a workshop hosted by Speechless and Girls Inc. of Orange County, where attendees discussed positive body image, self-esteem and making smart choices on prom night.

Aelorae Qahlwyn

Todrick star Chester Lockhart and Vanderpump Rules’ Scheana Shay took part in Aid for AIDS of Nevada's 28th Annual AIDS Walk Las Vegas on April 15.

Madison Freedle/one7communications.com

And activist Emma Gonzalez met Anna Wintour at the Center Dinner 2018 at New York City’s Cipriani Wall Street on April 19.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Julie Bowen teamed up with Hallmark for a special Mother’s Day surprise, which launches April 30.

Hallmark

For even more must-see star sightings, click through the gallery below.