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thoughtportal · 5 months ago

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The Congo’s role in creating the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was kept secret for decades, but the legacy of its involvement is still being felt today.

“The word Shinkolobwe fills me with grief and sorrow,” says Susan Williams, a historian at the UK Institute of Commonwealth Studies. “It’s not a happy word, it’s one I associate with terrible grief and suffering.”

Few people know what, or even where, Shinkolobwe is. But this small mine in the southern province of Katanga, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), played a part in one of the most violent and devastating events in history.

More than 7,500 miles away, on 6 August, bells will toll across Hiroshima, Japan, to mark 75 years since the atomic bomb fell on the city. Dignitaries and survivors will gather to remember those who died in the blast and resulting radioactive fallout. Thousands of lanterns carrying messages of peace will be set afloat on the Motoyasu River. Three days later, similar commemorations will be held in Nagasaki.

No such ceremony will take place in the DRC. Yet both nations are inextricably linked by the atomic bomb, the effects of which are still being felt to this day.

The Shinkolobwe mine – named after a kind of boiled apple that would leave a burn if squeezed – was the source for nearly all of the uranium used in the Manhattan Project, culminating with the construction of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945.

But the story of the mine didn’t end with the bombs. Its contribution to the Little Boy and Fat Man has shaped the DRC’s ruinous political history and civil wars over the decades that followed. Even today the mine’s legacy can still be seen in the health of the communities who live near it.

“It’s an ongoing tragedy,” says Williams, who has examined the role of Shinkolobwe in her book Spies in the Congo. She believes there needs to be greater recognition of how the exploitation and desire to control the mine’s contents by Western powers played a role in the country’s troubles.

Mombilo too is campaigning to raise awareness of the role played by the Congo in deciding the outcome of World War Two, as well as the burden it still carries because of this. In 2016, the CCSSA’s Missing Link forum brought together activists, historians, analysts, and children of those affected by the atomic bomb, both from Japan and from the DR Congo. “We are planning to bring back the history of Shinkolobwe, so we can make the world know,” says Mombilo.

Out of Africa

The story of Shinkolobwe began when a rich seam of uranium was discovered there in 1915, while the Congo was under colonial rule by Belgium. There was little demand for uranium back then: its mineral form is known as pitchblende, from a German phrase describing it as a worthless rock. Instead, the land was mined by the Belgian company Union Minière for its traces of radium, a valuable element that had been recently isolated by Marie and Pierre Curie.

In no other mine could you see a purer concentration of uranium. Nothing like it has ever been found – Tom Zoellner

It was only when nuclear fission was discovered in 1938 that the potential of uranium became apparent. After hearing about the discovery, Albert Einstein immediately wrote to US president Franklin D Roosevelt, advising him that the element could be used to generate a colossal amount of energy – even to construct powerful bombs. In 1942, US military strategists decided to buy as much uranium as they could to pursue what became known as the Manhattan Project. And while mines existed in Colorado and Canada, nowhere in the world had as much uranium as the Congo.

“The geology of Shinkolobwe is described as a freak of nature,” says Tom Zoellner, who visited Shinkolobwe in the course of writing Uranium – War, Energy, and the Rock that Shaped the World. “In no other mine could you see a purer concentration of uranium. Nothing like it has ever been found.”

In a deal with Union Minière – negotiated by the British, who owned a 30% interest in the company – the US secured 1,200 tonnes of Congolese uranium, which was stockpiled on Staten Island, US, and an additional 3,000 tonnes that was stored above ground at the mine in Shinkolobwe. But it was not enough. US Army engineers were dispatched to drain the mine, which had fallen into disuse, and bring it back into production.

Under Belgian rule, Congolese workers toiled day and night in the open pit, sending hundreds of tonnes of uranium ore to the US every month. “Shinkolobwe decided who would be the next leader of the world,” says Mombilo. “Everything started there.”

All of this was carried out under a blanket of secrecy, so as not to alert Axis powers about the existence of the Manhattan Project. Shinkolobwe was erased from maps, and spies sent to the region to sow deliberate disinformation about what was taking place there. Uranium was referred to as “gems”, or simply “raw material”. The word Shinkolobwe was never to be uttered.

This secrecy was maintained long after the end of the war. “Efforts were made to give the message that the uranium came from Canada, as a way of deflecting attention away from the Congo,” says Williams. The effort was so thorough, she says, that the belief the atomic bombs were built with Canadian uranium persists to this day. Although some of the uranium came from Bear Lake in Canada – about 907 tonnes (1,000 tons) are thought to have been supplied by the Eldorado mining company – and a mine in Colorado, the majority came from the Congo. Some of the uranium from the Congo was also refined in Canada before being shipped to the US.

Western powers wanted to ensure that any government presiding over Shinkolobwe remained friendly to their interests

After the war, however, Shinkolobwe emerged as a proxy ground in the Cold War. Improved enrichment techniques made Western powers less dependent on the uranium at Shinkolobwe. But in order to curtail other nations’ nuclear ambitions, the mine had to be controlled. “Even though the US did not need the uranium at Shinkolobwe, it didn’t want the Soviet Union to get access to the mine,” explains Williams.

When the Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960, the mine was closed and the entrance filled with concrete. But Western powers wanted to ensure that any government presiding over Shinkolobwe remained friendly to their interests.

So important was stopping the Communist threat, says Zoellner, that these powers were willing to help depose the democratically elected government of Patrice Lumumba and install the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko in 1965 for a decades-long reign of ruinous plutocracy.

Attempts by the Congolese people to negotiate better conditions for themselves were attacked as Communist-fuelled sedition. “The idealism, hope, and vision of the Congolese for a Congo free of occupation by an external power was devastated by the military and political interests of the Western powers,” says Williams.

A wound unhealed

Mobutu was eventually toppled in 1997, but the spectre of Shinkolobwe continues to haunt the DRC. Drawn by rich deposits of copper and cobalt, Congolese miners began digging informally at the site, working around the sealed mineshafts. By the end of the century, an estimated 15,000 miners and their families were present at Shinkolobwe, operating clandestine pits with no protection against the radioactive ore.

Accidents were commonplace: in 2004, eight miners were killed and more than a dozen injured when a passage collapsed. Fears that uranium was being smuggled from the site to terrorist groups or hostile states vexed Western nations, leading the Congolese army to raze the miners’ village that same year.

Stories abound of children born in the area with physical deformations, but few if any medical records are kept

Despite the mineral wealth present at Shinkolobwe, since Union Minière withdrew in the early 1960s there has never been an industrial mine that could safely and efficiently extract the ores and return the proceeds to the Congolese people. After the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, any interest in extracting the uranium for civilian use withered away. “Uranium, even in its natural condition, resists control,” says Zoellner. “Right now Shinkolobwe exists in a limbo, a symbol for the inherent geopolitical instability of uranium.”

The ongoing secrecy around Shinkolobwe (many official US, British and Belgian records on the subject are still classified) has stymied efforts to recognise the Congolese contribution to the Allied victory, as well as hampering investigation into the environmental and health impacts of the mine.

“The effects are medical, political, economic, so many things,” says Mombilo. “We’re not able to know the negative effects of radiation because of this secrecy.” Stories abound of children born in the area with physical deformations, but few if any medical records are kept. “I had a witness who died with his brain coming out of his head, because of the radiation,” says Mombilo. “In all these years, there is not even a special hospital, there is no scientific study or treatment.”

Many of those affected by Shinkolobwe are now campaigning for recognition and reparation, but knowing who should receive them – and who should pay – is compounded by the lack of information made available about the mine and what took place there.

“Shinkolobwe is a curse on the Congo,” says Mombilo.

But he adds that for over a century, the country’s rich resources have made possible one global revolution after another: rubber for tyres made automobiles possible, uranium fuelled nuclear reactors, coltan built the computers of the information age, and cobalt powers the batteries of mobile phones and electric vehicles.

“Our world is moved by the minerals of the Congo,” says Mombilo. “The positive thing I can say is that in all these advanced technologies, you’re talking about the Congo.”

The Congo’s impact on the world has been immeasurable. Recognising the name Shinkolobwe alongside Hiroshima and Nagasaki should be the first step to repaying that debt. {read}

#article #BBC #history #war crimes #atomic bomb #congo #world war 2 #world war ii #colonialism #colonization #us imperialism #mining #Hiroshima

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sgiandubh · 1 year ago

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National personification

The UK has Britannia. France has Marianne. The US have Uncle Sam. National personifications, summing up supposed collective qualities and passing on a message, both to citizens and foreigners alike. Instantly recognizable by just about anyone. To be found everywhere, from city halls (busts, frescoes, tapestries) to subway walls (Army conscription posters - of course it rings a bell!).

Romania has this:

This is Revolutionary Romania, as seen by C.D. Rosenthal, an Austrian painter who found both friendship and an avid clientele among the Romanian young rebels who tried and failed to overthrow the corrupted Ottoman rule, in 1848. Following them in exile and probably also spying on their behalf, Rosenthal was finally arrested in Budapest and tortured to death by the Imperial authorities: a normal occurrence in troubled times. His memory went on and on and on, because the same friends were soon to come back home and become ministers, bankers, newspaper owners: a modern democracy slowly emerged.

This is his most famous portrait and it quickly became our Britannia of sorts. Ceaușescu had it placed in his office, for inspiration - it did not help much, though.

The woman painted by Rosenthal holds the red, yellow and blue flag and is dressed in a Southern peasant costume, as it was worn at the time. She gazes with strength, determination and confidence towards a future that spells free press, parliamentary elections, industrialization and capitalist speculation. In real life, she is Maria Rosetti, a personal friend and sponsor of his. The wife of C.A. Rosetti, an authentic Prince of Genoese and Greek stock, one of the leaders of both the rebellion and the future Liberal Party. Also a many times removed relative of this blogger - but let's not insist. 😉

There is a catch, however, in all this fine and dandy story. Our national personification, the woman I just mentioned, is Scottish. Her life begins in Guernsey in 1819, as Marie Grant, the daughter of Captain Edward Grant, a ship-owner businessman and member of the Clan Grant of Carron and Spey and Marie La Lacheur, a French Huguenot woman.

These people, who fought as Jacobites at Prestonpans and Culloden and whose motto was 'Stand Fast':

Marie came to Wallachia, or what is now the Southern part of Romania, around 1837, following her younger brother, Effingham Grant, who just managed to find a lucrative job as the private secretary of another Scot (Glaswegian, even), Robert Gilmour Colquhoun, the newly appointed British Consul-General. At the time, these were long term postings, not unlike a long sojourn on a space station of sorts: Colquhoun remained in Bucharest from 1835 to 1854, when he eventually was posted to Bosnia.

Because she needed to support herself, Marie found a well paid live-in job as a governess for the family of Ion Odobescu, a high ranking Police honcho (also a far removed relative, this time on my maternal grandmother's side - the world is really, really small). The rest was easy enough: having met Rosetti through her brother, they fell in love, eloped to Plymouth and got married there, for what was to become a life long equal political and business partnership. Because they owned several newspapers, she is our first female journalist. A truly remarkable woman, a philanthropist and an indispensable voice advocating for the dispossessed. Effingham went on to establish the biggest foundry in the country, along with a real estate company, a tobacco manufacture, an orchid greenhouse and a bread factory - all prospered beyond any expectations. A heavy traffic steel bridge in Bucharest still bears his name. Enduring legacies.

For those brave enough or bored enough to look for more, here is the best detailed account on her I could find, based on Guernsey sources (but not only): https://www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk/node/386 .

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gogmstuff · 1 year ago

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Early 1730s dresses and portraits (from top to bottom) -

ca. 1732 The Beautiful Greek (La Belle Grecque) by Nicolas Lancret (Wallace Collection - London, UK). From their Web site 1429X1960, The complex sleeves open at the top like they would in Russian court dresses a century later.

ca. 1732 Watson-Wentworth and Finch Families by Charles Philips (Yale Center for British Art, Yale University - New Haven, Connecticut, USA) persons. From Wikimedia 4902X3094. The décolletage-filling fichu would become prominent in the Louis XVI era, but just about every grown up woman wears one along with a fastened bodice, round skirt, and apron. The heads of every female are covered by a cap, veil, or hat.

1733 Marie-Geneviève le Tonnellier de Breteuil by French school (attributed to Alexis Simon Belle) (auctioned by Sala de Ventas).From invaluable.com/auction-lot/18th-century-french-school-alexis-simon-belle-a-646-c-2074af1b03 1940X3362.Round skirts flourish on both shores of the channel.

ca. 1730-1735 Lady by Joseph Highmore (National Gallery of Art - Washington, DC, USA). From their Web site 1148X1495. The cuffed outer sleeves are stuffed by under-sleeves and the dress lining has a very subdued pink contrasting with the gold color of the other layer.

1734 Princess Sophie Dorothea with Friedrich Wilhelm by Antoine Pesne (location ?). From Wikimedia1633X2611. Textiles with large patterns characterize the early 1700s. Her dress has a square neckline.suggesting French influence.

ca. 1734 Wilhelmine of Prussia, Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth by Antoine Pesne (location ?). From Wikimedia 829X11221. The silver brocade over-bodice has a deep V neckline filled in with scoop neckline.

1734 Madame Marie du Tour Vuillard (1695- 1759), née Robin by Louis Michel Van Loo (Tajan - 12-12-12 auction Lot 37), From their Web site; fixed spots & flaws w Pshop 2487X3151.

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friday-im-in-love-with-crowley · 18 days ago

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When you get this, list 5 songs you like to listen to, publish them, and send this ask to the last 10 people in your notifs 💗

how can you ask me to choose only five??? i think it’s actually physically impossible???

1 guilty pleasure by chappell roan

1.1 super graphic ultra modern girl by chappell roan

1.2 we fell in love in october by girl in red

1.3 it’s over isn’t from steven universe

1.4 kiss me son of god by they might be giants

1.5 apt by rosé & bruno mars

1.6 sexy love by t-ara

1.7 i can’t stop the loneliness by anri

1.8 the cruel angel’s thesis by yoko takahashi

1.9 idol by yoasobi

2 oh no! by marina

2.1 problems by mother mother

2.2 arms tonite by mother mother

2.3 dance macabre by ghost

2.4 rats by ghost

2.5 the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny by lemon demon

2.6 jaws by lemon demon

2.7 misery fell by tally hall

2.8 Cotard’s Solution (Anatta/Dukkha/Anicca)’s by will wood and the tapeworms

2.81 The Song with Five Names, a.k.a. Soapbox Tao, a.k.a. Checkmate Atheists! a.k.a. Neospace Government, a.k.a. You Can Never Know by will wood and the tapeworms

2.82 Suburbia Overture / Greetings from Mary Bell Township! / (Vampire) Culture / Love Me, Normally by will wood

2.83 6up 5oh Cop Out (Pro/Con) tapeworms

2.84 Aikido! (Neurotic / Erotic) tapeworms

2.85 White Noise by will wood

2.86 Marsha, Thankk You For The Dialectics, But I Need You To Leave. by will wood

2.87 Venetian Blind Man by will wood

2.88 Chemical Overreaction / Compound Fracture by wwatt

2.89 Cicada Days by ww

2.9 labyrinth by miracle musical

3 and your bird can sing by the beatles

3.25 eleanor rigby by the beatles

3.5 norwegian wood by the beatles

3.75 you never give me your money by- guess who- the beatles

3.9 for no one by the beatles

4 romeo and juliet fantasy overture by tchaikovsky

4.25 europapa by joost

4.5 shostakovich’s second waltz

4.75 i can’t decide by scissor sisters

5 psycho killer by talking heads

5.1 there is a light that never goes out by the smiths

5.2 starman by david bowie

5.3 hang on to yourself by david bowie

5.4 ashes to ashes by david bowie

5.45 changes by david bowie

5.5 runnin’ down a dream by tom petty

5.6 paradise city by guns n’ roses

5.7 dirty deeds done dirt cheap by ac/dc

5.8 edge of seventeen by stevie nicks

5.9 anarchy in the uk

wow, i think i did well restraining myself to around five songs. idk i might have been a bit off, i’m not very good at math 😅😅😅

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amphibious-thing · 2 years ago

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OFMD Stede Bonnet as a Macaroni: Wealth, Gender and Sexuality in the 18th Century Fashion World

Historical Inaccuracy in Our Flag Means Death? Never!

Historical inaccuracy! I hear you cry. A Macaroni in 1717!?! It is true macaroni fashion was really a late-18th century fashion trend, seemingly reaching its peak in the 1770s. However Our Flag Means Death is nothing if not historically inaccurate. Stede’s costumes seem to take inspiration from across the 18th century rather than worrying about what would have actually been worn in 1717.

Early 18th century suits tended to have round necklines, loose-fitting sleeves with wide cuffs, long waistcoats that stoped just above the knee, and coats with full skirts just a little longer that the waistcoat.

[Left: Matthew Prior, oil on canvas, c. 1713-1714, by Alexis-Simon Belle, photo credit: St John's College, University of Cambridge, via Art UK.

Middle: Matthew Hutton of Newnham, Hertfordshire, oil on canvas, c. 1715, by Johannes Verelst, photo credit: National Trust Images, via Art UK.

Right: William Leathes, Ambassador Brussels, oil on canvas, c. 1710-1711, by Herman van der Myn, photo credit: Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service: Ipswich Borough Council Collection, via Art UK.]

As the century continued we get standing collars and turned down collars but round necklines were still around as well, sleeves got tighter with smaller cuffs, the waistcoats got shorter and the coats lost their skirts.

[Left: Thomas ‘Sense’ Browne, oil on canvas, c. 1775, by Nathaniel Dance-Holland, photo credit: Yale Center for British Art, via Art UK.

Middle: Sir Brooke Boothby, oil on canvas, c. 1781, by Joseph Wright of Derby, photo credit: Tate, via Art UK.

Right: David Allan, oil on canvas, c. 1770, by David Allan, photo credit: Royal Scottish Academy/National Galleries of Scotland (Antonia Reeve), via Art UK.]

Stede’s collars are inconstant some are rounded but others are turned down and Ed’s purple suit has a standing collar. Many of Stede’s coats have wide cuffs, but most have little skirt to them. His teal suit from the pilot has a bit of a skirt but its paired with a short waistcoat.

Most of Stede’s waistcoats are short with the exception of his suits from both the wedding portrait with Mary and the the family portrait. Both suits are very straight giving him a boxy appearance and are pretty different from most of the suits we see him in.

All in all I don’t think they were aiming for historically realistic clothes but with the collars, short waistcoats, and lack of skirts I get more of a late-18th century vibe.

So what was a Macaroni?

A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1785), defined macaroni as follows:

An Italian paste made of flour and eggs; also a fop, which name arose from a club, called the maccaroni club, instituted by some of the most; dressy travelled gentlemen about town, who led the fashions, whence a man foppishly dressed, was supposed a member of that club, and by contraction stiled a maccaroni.

The macaroni club was said to have comprised of young men who had gained a taste for French and Italian textiles on their Grand Tour (a traditional trip taken tough Europe by upper class men when they came of age). The earliest reference to the club is from a letter from Horace Walpole to Lord Hertford on the 6th Feb 1764:

at the Maccaroni Club (which is composed of all the travelled young men who wear long curls and spying-glasses),

In his book Pretty Gentleman: Macaroni Men and the Eighteenth-Century Fashion World Peter McNeil suggest the club was actually Almack’s. Almack’s was a private club at 50 Pall Mall that was attended by prominent Whigs including Sheridan, Fox and the Price of Wales. (p52) While the name may have originated from the men at Almack’s it was soon used to describe any man who followed the associated fashion trends.

So what were these trends?

Hair

“Still lower let us fall for once, and pop

Our heads into a modern Barber’s shop;

What the result? or what we behold there?

A set of Macaronies weaving hair.”

~ The Macaroni by Robert Hitchcock

Probably the most iconic aspect of macaroni fashion was the hair. “It was the macaroni attention to wigs that caused most consternation” explains Peter McNeil. The macaroni hair “matched the towering heights of the female coiffure, with a tall toupee cresting at the centre front. The wig generally had a long tail at the neck (’queue’), which when folded double was called the ‘cadogan’, all of which required regular dressing with pomade and powder, sometimes in the colours of pink, green or red.” (p45)

The height of the macaroni hair was a point of particular fascination in macaroni caricature exaggerating it beyond what the macaroni were probably actually wearing. Compare below Tom’s hair in the satirical print What is this my son Tom to the self portrait of Richard Cosway, who was satirised by Mary Darly as “The Miniature Macaroni” (a reference both to his height and his career as a miniature painter).

[Left: What is this my son Tom, print, c. 1774, published by Sayer & Bennett, via The British Museum.

Right: Self-Portrait, Ivory, c. 1770–75, by Richard Cosway, via The Met.]

The way Stede usually wears is hair is not particularly macaroni nor particularly 18th century for that matter. The exception to this is his wig from The Best Revenge Is Dressing Well though even this doesn’t have the iconic macaroni hight.

Interestingly both Stede and Ed are wearing flowers in their hair. While there are certainly depictions of women with flowers in there hair I’m not aware of this being a trend in mens fashion at all. However macaroni were known for wearing large nosegays.

While the tall hair was certainly iconic not all macaroni wore their hair tall. Joseph Banks, who was satirised as “The Fly Catching Macaroni” by Matthew Darly, is depicted in his portrait with a fairly typical 18th century hairstyle. Its not the hair alone that makes a macaroni, it was just one aspect of the fashion.

[Sir Joseph Banks, oil on canvas, c. 1771-1773, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, via Wikimedia.]

Suit

“If I went to Almack’s and decked out my wrinkles in pink and green like Lord Harrington, I might still be in vogue.” ~ Horace Walpole to Lord Hertford, 25 Nov 1764

Menswear of the period consisted of the same basic elements; shirt, stockings, breeches, waistcoat and coat. What differentiated the macaroni from others was the fabric, cut, colour and trimmings of the suit. “At a time when English dress generally consisted of more sober cuts and the use of monochrome broadcloth,” explains Peter McNeil “macaronism emphasised the effects associated with French, Spanish and Italian textiles and trimmings”. Popular amongst macaroni were brocaded and embroidered silks and velvets, sometimes further embellished with metallic sequins, simulated gemstones and raised metallic threads. Popular colours included pastels, pea-green, pink, red and deep orange. (McNeil, p30-32)

Far from wearing “monochrome broadcloth” Stede likes a “fine fabric” and dresses in a range of colours, we see him in teal, pink, purple, green, white, red, peach &c.

Tightly cut French style suits known as habit à la française were popular with macaroni. (McNeil, p14) Stede’s suits vary somewhat in cut but some are very French. The peach suit Stede wears in We Gull Way Back particularly has a very macaroni feel to me. Compare it to the English suit (left) and the French suit (right).

From the back you can see the English suit has more of a skirt to it.

Both Stede’s suit and the French suit are somewhat plain but have been paired with a floral embroidered waistcoat, while the English suit has a matching plain black waistcoat.

[Left: English suit, wool, silk, c. 1755–65, via The Met, number: 2009.300.916a, b.

Right: French suit, Silk plain weave (faille), c. 1785, via LACMA, number: M.2007.211.47a-b.]

Fabric covered button’s were common in the 18th century, you can see them on both the French and English coats above. In contrast Stede wears a lot of metal buttons. Steel buttons were popular amongst macaroni, a trend that was satirised in Steel Buttons/Coup de Bouton.

[Steel Buttons/Coup de Bouton, print, c. 1777, by William Humphrey, via The British Museum.]

Pumps and Parasols

“Maccaronies who trip in pumps and with Parasols over their heads” ~ Mrs Montagu

High heels had been popular amongst men during the 17th century. The Royal Collection Trust explains:

In the first half of the 17th century, high heeled shoes for men took the form of heeled riding or Cavalier boots as worn by Charles I. As the wearing of heels filtered into the lower ranks of society, the aristocracy responded by dramatically increasing the height of their shoes. High heels were impractical for undertaking manual labour or walking long distances, and therefore announced the privileged status of the wearer.

(Royal Collection Trust, High Heels Fit for a King)

In 17th century France Louis XIV popularised red-heels by turning them into a symbol of political privilege, which in turn spread the fashion to England. But with the sobering of menswear in England around the turn of the century the high heel and the red-heels went out of fashion. (see Bata Shoe Museum Toronto, Standing TALL: The Curious History of Men in Heels)

The high heel had a bit of a resurgence in the 1770s with macaroni fashion. The Natural History of a Macaroni snipes that the macaroni’s “natural hight is somewhat inferior to he ordinary size of men, through by the artificial hight of their heels, they in general reach that standard”. (Walker’s Hibernian Magazine, July 1777, p458)

Red-heels were reintroduced to England by young men returning from their Grand Tours. A young Charles James Fox (satirised by Mathew Darly as “the Original Macaroni”) wore such French style red-heeled shoes. The Monthly Magazine recalls a young Fox as a “celebrated “beau garçon” with “his chapeau bras, his red-heeled shoes, and his blue hair-powder.” (Oct 1806) and The Life of the Right Honorable, Charles James Fox recalls him in his “suit of Paris-cut velvet, most fancifully embroidered, and bedecked with a large bouquet; a head-dress cemented into every variety of shape; a little silk hat, curiously ornamented; and a pair of French shoes, with red-heels;” (p18) And in Recollections of the Life of the Late Right Honorable Charles James Fox B.C. Walpole recalls him as “one of the greatest beaus in England,” who “indulged in all the fashionable elegance of attire, and vied, in point of red heels and Paris-cut velvet with the most dashing young men of the age. Indeed there are many still living who recollect Beau Fox strutting up and down St. Jame��s-street, in a suit of French embroidery, a little silk hat, red-heeled shoes, and a bouquet nearly large enough for a may-pole.” (p24)

Compare the French style red-heeled shoes of Louis XIV to Stede’s red-heeled shoes.

[Left: detail of Louis XIV, oil on canvas, c. 1701, by Hyacinthe Rigaud, via Wikimedia.]

However most macaroni were depicted wearing the more standard late 18th century low-heeled bucked shoes. Where they distinguished themselves was the size and decoration of the buckles. “Such buckles could be set with pate (lead glass) or ‘Bristol stones’ (chips of quartz), or diamonds if you were very rich.” Explains peter McNeil, “The new macaroni fashion was for huge silver or plated Artois shoe buckles which the Mourning Post claimed weighed three to eleven ounces.” (p90)

While certainly not as iconic has his heels Stede also wears these sorts of shoes. Compare below the shoes from a macaroni caricature to Ed wearing Stede’s shoes (I couldn’t get a good shot of Stede wearing them).

[Left: detail of How d'ye like me, print, c. 1772, published by: Carington Bowles, via The British Museum.]

“A great many jewelled accessories accompanied the macaroni look”, writes Peter McNeil, “They included hanger swords, very long canes, clubs, spying glasses and snuff-boxes.” (p68) Tragically we don’t see Stede with a fashionable dress sword or a cane but we do see him with another accessory popular amongst macaroni; a parasol.

Popular in France parasols/umbrellas were adopted by the macaroni. They were popular amongst both men and woman in France but in England they had a feminine connotation. (McNeil, p129) In the 1780s as umbrellas became more popular amongst men there was a cultural pushback to the perceived gender transgression. On the 16th of August 1780 the Morning Post complains of of the “canopy of umbrellas” bemoaning that “the effeminacy of the men, inclines them to adopt this necessary appendage of female convenience”. On the the 4th Oct, 1784, the Morning Chronicle published a letter complaining of “that vile foppish practice of sheltering under a umbrella”. The author of this tirade writes that while “the ladies should be allowed to secure their beauty and persons from the heat of the sun, or the inclemency of the weather,” because “it is natural, and has a striking effect”, that “to see a great lubberly cit, bounce from his shop, with a coat, hat, and wig that are not together worth one groat,” sheltering “from the influence of the solar beam” was “intolerable.” However:

The macaroni being of the doubtful gender, may in part claim a feminine right; his dress is too delicate to bear an heavy shower, perhaps his person is so too; but a coach, if a clean one is to be found would serve his purpose much better, as there would be less likelihood of his being washed away into the kennel, which he deserves to be kicked into for his d-----d affectation.

Wealth

Born from rich young men returning from their tours with a taste for French and Italian textiles macaroni fashion was expensive. Certainly a working class man would not be able to afford Stede’s wardrobe. Both the sheer amount of clothes he has as well has the fabrics those clothes are made of are indications of wealth. However to say that Stede’s wardrobe is only an indication of wealth would be missing part of picture.

Most rich upper class English men (including colonial) wore plain monochrome suits. Even amongst the gentry macaroni fashion was not the norm. Compare bellow George Washington (left) who was a wealthy planation owner, but notably not a macaroni, to Richard Cosway (right) who was a famous macaroni.

[Left: George Washington, oil on canvas, c. 1796, by Gilbert Stuart, via Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Right: Detail of The Academicians of the Royal Academy, oil on canvas, c. 1771-72, by Johan Zoffany, via The Royal Collection Trust.]

In spite of the expense macaroni fashion was not exclusive to the upper classes. “Macaroni dress was not restricted to members of the aristocracy and gentry,” writes McNeil, “but included men of the artisan, artist, and upper servant classes, who wore versions of this visually lavish clothing with a distinctive cut and shorter jackets. Wealthier shopkeepers and entrepreneurs also sometimes wore such lavish clothing, particularly those associated with the luxury trades, such as mercers and upholsterers -” (p14)

It was possible to copy certain aspects of macaroni fashion on a cheeper budget. The hairstyle in particular was achievable without braking the bank. And there were ways to replicate the effects of certain expensive fashion trends for cheeper prices. For example patterns could be printed rather than embroidered.

[Left: printed waistcoat, cotton, c. 1770–90, via The Met, number: 35.142.

Right: embroidered waistcoat, silk, c. 1780–89, via The Met, number: 2009.300.2908.]

The Town and Country Magazine complains “we now have Macaronies of every denomination, from the colonel of the Train’s-Bands down to the errand-boy.” (McNeil, p169) The Morining Post mocks macaronies that couldn't financially keep up with the trends:

The macaronies of a certain class are under peculiar circumstances of distress, occasioned by the fashion, now so prevalent, of wearing enormous shoe-buckles; and we are well assured that the manufactory of plated ware was never known to be in so flourishing a situation.

(14 Jan, 1777)

In 18th century England, class was about more than just how much money you had. It was about pedigree. “English society was particularly alert to those whom it felt were using clothes to achieve a social status they did not merit” explains McNeil. Richard Cosway was a famous macaroni from modest background. Born to a Devonshire headmaster he was sent to London to study painting at 12. He became a very successful miniature painter and grew rich from the patronage of the Prince of Wales (later George IV) and Whig circles. In Nollekens and his Times J.T. Smith writes of Cosway:

He rose from one of the dirtiest boys, to one of the smartest of men. Indeed so ridiculously foppish did he become that Mat Darly, the famous caricature print-seller, introduced an etching of him in his window in the Strand, as ‘The Macaroni Miniature Painter’

(McNeil, p105-14)

But it was not only the Darlys that satirised Cosway Hannah Humphrey mocks Cosway as a social climber in A Smuggling Machine or a Convenient Cos(au)way for a Man in Miniature which depicts him standing under the petticoats of his much taller wife Maria. In the background there is a picture of Cosway climbing a ladder that rests upon a woman (she is believed to either be Angelica Kauffman or the Duchess of Devonshire). Below this reads:

Lowliness is Young Ambitions Ladder, Whereto the climber upward turns his Face But when he once attains the upmost round He then unto the Ladder turns his back, Looks unto the clouds - scornin [sic] the base degrees By which he did assend. Shak. Jul. Caesar.

[A Smuggling Machine or a Convenient Cos(au)way for a Man in Miniature, print, c. 1782, by Hannah Humphrey, via The British Museum.]

Another famous macaroni not born into the aristocracy was Julius Soubise. Brought to England from the West Indies as a slave he was taken in by Catherine Hyde, the Duchess of Queensbury. She gave him a leisured childhood, in which he was taught to play and compose for the violin, was taught to fence by Domenico Angelo, and learned oration from David Garrick. “Macaroni caricatures of Soubise parodied a foppish upstart whose outfits and entertainments, financed by the Duchess, affronted both racial and social expectations of an African male.” Writes Petter McNeil, Soubise was satirised as “a Mungo Macaroni” an “offensive term meaning a rude or forward black man.” (p118)

[Left: A Mungo Macaroni, print, c. 1772, by Matthew Darly, via The British Museum.

Right: The D------ of [...]-- playing at foils with her favorite lap dog Mungo after expending near £10000 to make him a----------*, print, c. 1773, by William Austin, via Yale Center for British Art.]

The expense of Stede’s wardrobe is a key part of the narrative. Stede has nice fancy luxurious things. Ed wants nice fancy luxurious things. Ed was born a poor brown boy and while he may be rich now he can never truly change his class. He could be as rich as Richard Cosway or Julius Soubise but to the gentry he will always be that poor brown boy.

Gender

As we have already seen in the tirade against men using umbrellas the macaroni was perceived as being of “the doubtful gender”. (The Morning Chronicle, 4 Oct, 1784)

The Natural History of a Macaroni writes that there “has within these few years past arrived from France and Italy a very strange animal, of the doubtful gender, in shape somewhat between a man and monkey,” that dresses “neither in the habit of a man or woman, but peculiar to itself”. The author states that “they are in no respect useful in this country”:

that the minister of the war department would give orders to have them enlisted for the service of America: we do not mean to put them on actual duty there. Alas! they are as harmless in the field, as they are in the chamber, but they may stand as faggots to cover the loss of real men.

(Walker’s Hibernian Magazine, July 1777, p458-9)

A “faggot” being “A man who is temporarily hired as a dummy soldier to make up the required number at a muster of troops, or on the roll of a company or regiment.” (see OED)

[The Masculine Gender & The Feminine Gender, etching with touches of watercolour, c. 1787, Attributed to Henry Kingsbury, via The Met.]

The macaroni wasn’t just considered effeminate because of the way they dressed but also because of their interests and the way walked and talked. Famous for playing fops and macaroni, the actor David Garrick did a lot to establish the character of the macaroni in the public mind. In his poem The Fribbleriad Garrick mocks the men who were offended by his performances asserting, perhaps accurately, that they were offended because it was them he mocked. He portrays a group of angry effeminate men meeting in order to seek revenge on him for his portrayal of them:

May we no more such misery know! Since Garrick made OUR SEX a shew; And gave us up to such rude laughter, That few, ’twas said, could hold their water: For He, that player, so mock’d our motions, Our dress, amusements, fancies, notions, So lisp’d our words, and minc’d our steps,

The macaroni had become more than simply an effeminate man, he had become a new sex. Something not quite man or woman. Something in-between. A new description of a macaroni asks the question:

Is it a man? ‘Tis hard to say - A woman then

- A moment pray -

So doubtful is the thing, that no man

Can say if ‘tis a man or woman:

Unknown as yet by sex or feature,

It moves - a mere amphibious creature.

(McNeil p169)

Sexuality

Much like today in the 18th century effeminacy was associated with homosexuality. Men who had sex with other men were known as mollies. A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1785), defined a molly as “A Miss Molly; an effeminate fellow, a sodomite”. In the History of the London Clubs (1709), Ned Ward characterises mollies as follows:

There are a particular Gang of Wretches in Town, who call themselves Mollies, & are so far degenerated from all Masculine Deportment or Manly exercises that they rather fancy themselves Women, imitating all the little Vanities that Custom has reconcil’d to the Female sex, affecting to speak, walk, tattle, curtsy, cry, scold, & mimick all manner of Effeminacy.

“By the 1760′s,” explains Peter McNeil, “too much attention to fashion on the part of a man was read as evidence if a lack of interest in women”. (p152)

Macaroni were often portrayed as incapable or simply uninterested in sexual relations with women. This attitude is expressed by Mr. Bate in the following dialogue from The Vauxhall Affray; Or, the Macaronies Defeated:

Mr. Fitz-Gerall: I always though a fine woman was only made to be looked at.

Mr. Bate: Just sentiments of a macaroni. You judge of the fair sex as you do your own doubtful gender, which aims only to be looked at and admired.

Mr. Fitz-Gerall: I have as great a love for a fine woman as any man.

Mr. Bate: Psha! Lepus tute es et pulpamentum quæris?

Mr. Fitz-Gerall: What do you say, Parson?

Mr. Bate: I cry you mercy, Sir, I am talking Heathen Greek to you; in plain English I say, A macaroni you, and love a woman?

Mr. Fitz-Gerall: I love the ladies, for the ladies love me.

Mr Bate: Yes, as their panteen, their play-thing, their harmless bauble, to treat as you do them, merely to look at

While lack on interest in woman does not necessarily mean attraction to men, Matthew Darly takes the implication there in his 1771 set of macaroni caricatures which induces a print entitled Ganymede, a reference to Zeus’ male lover of the same name. Ganymede is believed to be a parody of Samuel Drybutter who had been arrested for attempted sodomy in January 1770. Darly also includes the character Ganymede in Ganymede & Jack-Catch. Jack-Catch is a reference to the infamous English executioner John Ketch. In the print Jack-Catch says, “Dammee Sammy you’r a sweat pretty creature & I long to have you at the end of my String.” Ganymede replies, “You don’t love me Jacky”. Jack-Catch is holding a noose with one hand and stroking Ganymede’s chin with the other. Jack-Catch is soberly dressed in typical 18th century menswear, while Ganymede’s dress is distinguished by his lace ruffles and styled wig. The print is not only suggesting that macaroni are sodomites but making a joke of the execution of them. The punishment for a sodomy at this time in England being death by hanging.

[Left: Ganymede, print, c. 1771, Matthew Darly, via The Met.

Right: Ganymede & Jack Catch, print, c. 1771, Matthew Darly, via The British Museum]

An anonymous letter to the Public Ledger (5 Aug, 1772) says blatantly what others had already implied. “The country is over-run with Catamites, with monsters of Captain Jones’s taste, or, to speak in a language witch all may understand, with MACCARONIES”. The writer warns macaroni who have “escaped detection” as sodomites and “therefore cannot fairly be charged” that they have not avoided suspicion:

Suspicion is got abroad-the carriage-the deportment-the dress-the effeminate squeak of the voice-the familiar loll upon each others shoulders-the gripe of the hand-the grinning in each others faces, to shew the whiteness of the teeth-in short, the manner altogether, and the figure so different from that of Manhood, these things conspire to create suspicion; Suspicion gives birth to watchful observation; and, from a strict observance of the Maccaroni Tribe, we very naturally conclude that to them we are indebted for the frequency of a crime which Modesty forbids me to name. Take warning, therefore, ye smirking group of Tiddy-dols: However secret you may be in your amours, yet in the end you cannot escape detection;

Bows on His Shoes

18th century shoes were typically buckled, laces and ribbons were simply unfashionable. As mentioned previously macaroni were distinguished by the size and decoration of the buckles. So are Stede’s bows simply ahistorical? Well there are references to 18th century men wearing laces and ribbons.

Towards the end of the 18th century laces started to come into fashion. Appeal from the Buckle Trade of London and Westminster, to the Royal Conductors of Fashion (1792) complained that despite how “tender and effeminate the appearance of Shoe Strings” the “custom of wearing them has prevailed.”

Perhaps the most intriguing reference is that of Commissioner Pierre Louis Foucault’s papers where he details the surveillance, investigation and entrapment of "pederasts” in Paris. It is important to note that the word “pederasty” was used synonymously with “sodomy” in the 18th century and did not denote age simply sex. An Universal Etymological English Dictionary (1726) defines “A pederast” as “a Buggerer” and “Pederasty” as “Buggery”.

Foucault and the men working with him identified particular clothing worn by men seeking sex with other men that he called the “pederastical uniform”. In Foucault’s papers men are described as being “attired in such a way as to be recognized by everyone as a pederast”, “clothed with all the distinctive marks of pederasty”, or simply “dressed like a pederast”. This “uniform” generally included “some combination of frock coat, large tie, round hat, small chignon, and bows on the shoes.” Jeffrey Merrick in his article on Foucault speculates that these men dressed this way to signal to each other. However when questioned by police they would understandably deny such a purpose, one man when questioned about his outfit responded that everyone “dresses as he sees fit”. (Jeffrey Merrick, Commissioner Foucault, Inspector Noël, and the “Pederasts” of Paris,1780-3)

Conclusion

I’m not saying Stede is intended to be a macaroni. If that were the case they would have given him the iconic macaroni hairstyle. However the costuming team has clearly pulled from fashion trends that were associated with effeminacy and homosexuality. While OFMD is evidently wholly unconcerned with creating period accurate costumes the costumes are still clearly inspired by historical fashions. Perhaps the curtains really are just blue but maybe Stede wears bows on his shoes because he’s gay.

#I had way too much fun doing this #our flag means death #ofmd meta #stede bonnet #queer history #macaroni #historical fiction #fashion history

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lya-dustin · 1 year ago

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So Osferth gets 7 estates in Sussex in Alfred’s will.

These are

Beckley: near the southern coast and Kent which was the center of Christianity in the UK

Rotherfield: east Sussex a royal hunting estaste owned by Alfred known for its oak forests and being the source of the river Rother

Ditchling: rumored to have been the first capital of the Saxon Kingdom. the Roman Greensand Road that connects to London passes by it, loacted in East Susesx. Also has Wings Palace, the saxon manor Anne of Cleves lived in after her divorce and was supposedly built by Alfred of Wessex

Sutton: i couldn't really find anything save that it is home to a very specific species of cricket

Lyminster: another royal hunting estaste of Alfred’s. Home to 11th century church, St. Mary of Magdalene known for its six bells(which their oldest pub is named after) and burial place to St. Cuthflaed of Lyminster(whom the saxon kings are related to) also has a knuckerhole where a knight slayed a water dragon and his tomb is a slab on the church called the Slayer's Slab. Near the coast as well

Angerming: has the remains of a roman villa and a bathhouse meaning it was occupied by a wealthy roman citizen. Also has all these ways its called: Angemeringatun, Angmerengatum, Angemaeringum, Angemeringe, Aingmarying, Angmarrying, Angemare and Ameringe. (This village has as many name variations as Osferth) near the coast as well

Felpham: by the coast in the same district as Angerming and except that it was partially given to Edward’s third wife, nothing else is there about it.

Edit 10/4/23: he was also given 100 pounds of silver, which made him perhaps the richest non royal ealdorman then.

#osferth the last kingdom #osferth x reader #osferth son of alfred #alfred of wessex #the last kingdom #ewan mitchell #ewanverse

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missedurdodge · 2 months ago

Text

Aside- Bell towers

I'm just about getting to the bit where we bring other people into the equation, but first let's talk about bell towers as a whole.

A bell tower is typically part of a church, given we're ringing church bells. We've gotta be nice to the church or they don't let us ring.

(Picture taken by me, and also my pfp! It's Mary-le-bow, in London, a very good tower to boast about ringing in)

If you're in the UK, like me, you can choose between any 6642 (according to dove, the website that has most of them listed) ringable bell towers. Roughly 1 in 7 towns or villages here have one. Almost every village nearby me has a functioning bell tower, it's great!

If you live literally anywhere else, you have 145 towers. Sorry.

A bell tower will have a ringing room, either on the ground floor, or up a set of usually very tight spiral stairs (at least in the UK).

Ringing rooms, and bell towers as a whole, come in all manner of sizes, shapes, and states of repair. But they have the bit of the rope we need in them, so that's nice.

Above that, separated often by a floor or small chamber so we don't go deaf, is the belfry. It has the bells. It's usually very dusty, and the bells are sort of crammed together like Tetris pieces.

You only really ever see the belfry if you help with maintenance or repairs, but it's worthwhile to ask to head up there at least once so you can actually see the thing you're rotating at high speeds.

Really, that's all a bell tower is. Every single one is wildly different, it makes outings to other towers exciting.

At some point, I'll talk about bells themselves, and all the different words we use to describe them (far too many) as well as the organisational system of ringers in the UK.

Have a good!

#bell ringing #change ringing #church bells

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rangerelik · 2 years ago

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Christmas present - T.S. x Fem!Reader

Word count: 1373

Summary: Y/N and Tommy spend their Christmas with their family.

Warnings: nothing

Requested: No, it’s made for @runnning-outof-time’s BINGO challenge.

A/N: I started writing and it kinda developed in double bingo.

So I went with: fluff-a family tradition-modern AU-must include: a proposal and with domestic-must include: a secret-modern AU-Christmas Eve.

Oh and I don’t exactly know how Christmas is celebrated in the UK, I know what we learned at school, so don’t please come for me if I have written something wrong.

I am so sorry it was really my first proposal scene I’ve ever written, so please forgive me.

Thanks to @cillmequick for beta reading.

Although it was nearly Christmas time, you couldn’t get into your normal Christmas spirit. You needed to go Christmas shopping for Tommy and your little five year old daughter Samantha, but she now occupied all of your free time you wanted to spend preparing the house for the holidays. Unfortunately, you couldn’t do that as the maids had their orders to prepare the tree and all those ornaments you always loved to display by yourself. Tommy gave his orders and you didn’t have any choice in this matter.

At least you could be in your room and read your little one some books. She liked everything fairy tale-like, every princess, prince or dragon captured her eyes and refused to leave her imagination. Tommy sometimes played with her, he was her rescuer, her prince and she was always the princess that needed her prince.

The time went by and you were becoming a bit anxious. This was the first Christmas, you weren't able to have the presents prepared. So, deciding it was time to go shopping you rang the bell and Mary, your maid, appeared in the door of your room.

„Yes, ma’am?“ she said.

„Could you take Sam for a while, I need to do my shopping.“ you told her as you gave her your little one.

Mary just nodded her head as she started talking to Samantha. You changed out of your home clothes into something more presentable and went to do your shopping.

Christmas Eve came and all the Shelbys came to your house to celebrate the holidays with your little family. Tommy had a big house in the country, so it was natural, you would be the host for those holidays. There were enough bedrooms for all of your family, so they didn't need to go home after all the evening festivities ended late at night.

As you were preparing in your dressing room, you put on your best festive dress with some delicate Christmas ornaments. Everyone was already inside, sitting in the drawing room, probably already drinking, as you knew Arthur. Well everyone except Ada. It bugged you because you liked her the most. As you made your way down the stairs the bell rang and maids opened the door, Ada made her way into your parlour.

„Ada! I am so glad you came! How are you? Oh, hello Karl, dear!“ you said as you hurriedly embraced her and her little boy. You were glad she accepted your invite. You felt a lot more happy and at ease when she really came. Even Sam would be happy, she liked playing with her cousin.

„Y/N! It’s nice to see you! I am good, thank you.“

After some more lively talk you both made your way to the drawing room, where everyone was. The dinner time came and everyone set on to go find their seat at your large table in the dining room.

You took your seat next to your boyfriend and daughter. The dinner went on great, nobody did anything stupid, which was already a little miracle for you, and everyone had a great time.

When late evening came, Ada and you went on to set the children to sleep. There the first problem came. Samantha kept asking about Father Christmas, she wanted to stay awake to see him.

„You need to go to bed, my dear. He won’t come if you stay awake and you won’t get any presents this year.“ She scoffed and her mouth curled into a pout, already starting to throw a fit.

„But mama,-“ she started with a weepy voice but she didn't have the opportunity to say more as you interrupted her. „Off to bed with you.“ You told her as you took her into your arms and took her to her bedroom. There came the usual tantrum about not wanting to go to sleep. After some bargain she settled for some fairytales. When she finally drifted off to sleep, which took almost two fairy tales about princess Fiona and Rapunzel, you came back down and found out that everyone moved back to the drawing room where the adults had been drinking again. Thomas poured you a drink and kissed you. You embraced him from the side and looked around the room. Everyone was here and everyone was happy.

„It’s time,“ you told everyone. As they knew what was going to happen, they got up and helped Tom and you prepare gifts under the tree. You also poured some flour over Arthur’s boots to mask Father Christmas’s footsteps to the fireplace. Poll drank the milk and John ate half of the carrot and the biscuits Samatha left there before the dinner for Father Christmas to freshen up.

„I am so glad you all are helping me. She loves this little tradition, it always makes her smile.“ You told everyone when you finished setting up the perfect scenario for the kids. „Hope Karl will like it too,“ you said, sending a smile in Ada’s direction.

After committing all those crimes the kids shouldnt know of, everyone, already tired from all the preparation it took, went to bed.

„Mummy, daddy! Father Christmas was here! And he had eaten what we prepared for him!“ Both of you were abruptly woken by your daughter jumping up and down on your masterbed. You were still tired and hoped she won't continue in waking you up, but you were mistaken. When neither of you answered, she proceeded to pinching and tickling you both, so you had no choice but to wake up.

„Good morning, Sam. That’s awesome. Did he leave some presents for you under the tree?“ Tommy asked with his raspy morning voice, you always loved. His words worked like magic, because Samantha jumped from the bed and ran downstairs to observe the presents you bought her.

„Morning, love,“ you told your boyfriend and pecked him on his lips.

„Mornin’,“ he answered. You got the chance to stay a while in his embrace, when the distant shouts of Sam and Karl made you get out of your shared bed. You put on your Christmas pyjamas and made your way down.

„What do we have here?“ you asked the children when you found them beneath the Christmas tree.

„A lot of presents, ma! Even Karl got some! Could we go and wake up everyone else?“ she exclaimed while jumping up and down excitedly.

„Of course, love. But be gentle with everyone. Uncle Arthur doesn't like jumping on his bed and aunt Pol must be woken up gently, so careful.“ Both children nodded their heads and set off on their quest of waking everybody up.

After some time, when everyone was gathered, the children took the presents and brought them to the person it was for. They were so happy because they brought smiles to all of the „boring“ adults. When there were any more presents under the tree, Tom stood up and came to the middle of the room.

„I have one more present which I kept secret,“ he started his speech, „This christmas was the most wonderful one I had since the time my daughter was born.“ Everyone looked at him, eager to know what his present would be. „To the love of my life. Y/N, you gave me a beautiful daughter, you make me the happiest man under the sun. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?“ With those words he made his way towards you and came down onto one knee and opened the little box with the most beautiful ring you ever saw.

With tears in your eyes you nodded your head and simply replied, „Yes, I will.“ Everyone clapped and cheered as Tommy put the ring onto your finger. You fell into his arms where you wept happy tears for a while. After composing yourself a bit you gave him a long kiss.

„Bleh, ma! Why would you do that?“ little Sam shouted over the claps of others. Frances, who had been discreetly waiting in the wings, knowing he was going to ask, quickly ushered in maids bearing trays of champagne as well as orange juice for the children, so the whole family could celebrate their happy news together.

Tags: @runnning-outof-time @cillmequick @zablife @gypsy-girl-08 @dandelionprints @shelbydelrey

Dividers are from @firefly-graphics

#k’s 2.5k holiday bingo challenge #peaky blinders #tommy shelby #tommy shelby x y/n #tommy shelby fanfic #tommy shelby x reader #writing #rangerelik writing #please reblog

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lawlietscaramels · 8 months ago

Note

I have a question about rie. I know she has a lot of alternate names/aliases, but I’m not really sure on who uses what name, if that makes sense? Like, do specific people call her certain things? Oh! And does L have any cute nicknames for her?

-🎲

Aliases ╾ Rie

YIPPEE!!!!?!!

Any excuse to drag Rie onto main 🩷 and to procrastinate on my other drafts...

　★━━─・‥…━━━☆

I'll organise by the basic rule: the main reason she has so many aliases is to help blend in – depending on the country. It won't work everywhere, of course. So, country - names - about the name - nicknames - about the nicknames.

╾ JAPAN

please note: the kanji in brackets are ordered last name - first name, as is typical in Japanese names. So Rie is not 高村 but rather 理恵.

Rie Takamura (高村理恵). I picked this because Rie is a fairly common name for girls meaning "reason". As for Takamura, it's like most common Japanese surnames in that it's somewhat geographical. Specifically, it means "high up village."

Hina Suzuki (鈴木陽菜). I actually don't know the exact meaning, but I didn't pick it for that: Hina and Suzuki are incredibly common names (think John Smith). It has the anonymity of Jane Doe.

Nicknames: Riri (by me; maybe by Matsuda and/or Misa). Miss Rie-san (by L. two honorifics...). Rie Pie (by "Matty Beef Patty" and "Mello Jello," because they got cross at her and decided to give her a taste of her own medicine. She's soooo pissed off that it doesn't rhyme).

╾ USA, UK, CANADA, AUSTRALIA etc...

Rue Dixon. I'm not sure if I ought to add a middle name. Rue I picked simply because it sounded similar to Rie (I didn't pick her real name, or even that she was French, until later. That probably sounds weird, but my creative process is too I guess..) and – come on. The meaning is so cool. Later, I learned BB uses it as an alias, which I'm just going to play into MWAHAHA (sobs). As for Dixon, it's after Elizabeth née Dixon, mother of Mary Wollstonecraft, mother of Mary Shelley.

Nicknames: um, Rue... (by Naomi. The "um" is a permanent fixture/hj). This is her name throughout Another Note.

╾ FRANCE

Reinette Rose Descôteaux (real name. how dramatic are her parents (me)). I struggled picking this name. I speak English (unbelievably) and I've been studying Japanese for a long time, but I've never really touched French up until developing Rie. I just picked something that sounded nice and didn't have an objectionable meaning for her first name. I kind of stomped over the fact middle names are uncommon in France and patched it up with the fact some kids have, like, dual first names (I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm thinking of things like Marie-Belle). As for Descôteaux, HOPEFULLY, it means something to do with gardens.

Aurélie Rousseau. I don't have any plans to use this one in RieCanon so far – perhaps in proLogue: 1429. Same process as above with the first name. Rousseau came up in my sociology class along with a couple of other white dead guys, and I thought the name sounded nice and Rie-ish.

Nicknames: Reine-Rose (L. He pronounces it wrong, pretty much just to annoy her. "Rainy rose" instead of "rehn rose"). Rosey (by L, about twice a year, when he feels cutesy). Pétalette (by her parents. I'm still figuring out Rie's childhood).

╾ INTERNATIONAL

1429 (fourteen twenty-nine). This is a real alias Rie goes by, even though it's not a name, and it's her main title throughout my fan made prequel arc. I don't remember how exactly I picked the number, but I like it.

Nicknames: Cat (by L, strictly once. She calls him mouse for a good while).

╾ OTHER

Rie goes by "L" a lot too. It's an agency more than a person. I feel like I read that somewhere, but there's an equal chance I made it up... Anyway, she does most of the PR stuff, and takes over if L gets sick or if she knocks him out to get some rest.

I've recently decided (this is an edit to the original post) that Rie is half Korean. She was born in France, but her dad (Korean, her mother is French) wanted to give her a Korean name as well, so here it is: 문영지, or Mun Yeong-ji. I probably messed something up, but I liked the sound of Mun and it's a fairly common surname. Yeong means shadow/reflection/photograph, and Ji means intelligence. Also considering the nickname YeonYeon by her father but idk what that means in Korean so I'll have to make sure it isn't anything weird, haha.

I'm trying to figure out if she went to Wammy's, or if there was time for her to meet the kids between 1429 and LABB, or something else. If she went, she'd go by Q or maybe X. I think different kids left at different times, so different letters opened up at different times. It's the simplest explanation I can think of, though I must admit it still doesn't answer everything. What is that again? Occam's razor?

　★━━─・‥…━━━☆

character ©lawlietscaramels , ©dailyreine , ©riexliet. Though Rie has been inserted into Ohba Tsugumi's Death Note universe, her design, character, and non canon related storyline are all my own original work. Do not steal her design, claim her as your own, use her for “inspiration” — it's flattering but it often ends up a copy, feed any part of her (story/art) to AI, or do anything else unethical or immoral.

#im giggling im so happy you asked #🎲 anon #desunorie #death note #l lawliet #dn #lei writes #death note headcanons #wammys house #lei's death note #lei chats #asks #anons #oc #original character #death note oc #oc x canon

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brookstonalmanac · 3 months ago

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Birthdays 8.4

Beer Birthdays

Julius Deglow (1823)

William J. Seib (1836)

Rod DeWitt (1957)

Aaron Mateychuk (1965)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Louis Armstrong; jazz trumpeter, bandleader, actor (1901)

Richard Belzer; comedian, actor (1944)

Greta Gerwig; actress (1983)

Barack Obama; 44th U.S. President (1961)

William Schuman; composer (1910)

Famous Birthdays

Aleksandr Danilovich Aleksandrov; Russian mathematician, physicist, and mountaineer (1912)

Warren Avis; businessman (1915)

Béla Balázs; Hungarian poet (1844)

David Bedford; English keyboard player (1937)

George Irving Bell; physicist, biologist, and mountaineer (1926)

Henri Berger; German composer (1844)

Roger Clemens; Boston Red Sox P (1962)

Allison Hedge Coke; American-Canadian poet (1958)

Robbin Crosby; guitarist and songwriter (1959)

Gerard Damiano; film director (1928)

Don S. Davis; actor (1942)

Mary Decker; track and field athlete (1958)

Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici; Florentine patron of the arts (1463)

Michel Déon; French novelist, playwright (1919)

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother of the UK (1900)

Herb Ellis; jazz guitarist (1921)

Frankie Ford; R&B/rock & roll singer (1939)

Witold Gombrowicz; Polish author and playwright (1904)

Jeff Gordon; race car driver (1971)

William Rowan Hamilton; Irish physicist, astronomer, and mathematician (1805)

Knut Hamsun; Norwegian writer (1859)

Robert Hayden; poet (1913)

Martin Jarvis; English actor (1941)

Cleon Jones; New York Mets LF (1942)

Johann Gottlob Lehmann; German mineralogist and geologist (1719)

Leopold I, Duke of Austria (1290)

Helen Kane; singer and actress (1904)

Lee Mack; English comedian, actor (1968)

Meghan Markle; actress (1981)

Ernesto Maserati; Italian race car driver and engineer (1898)

Paul McCarthy; painter and sculptor (1945)

John Newton; composer of “Amazing Grace” (1725)

Walter Pater; English author (1839)

Clara Peller; “Where’s the Beef” lady (1902)

David Raksin; composer (1912)

Paul Reynolds; English singer-songwriter and guitarist (1962)

Bernard Rose; English film director (1960)

Klaus Schulze; German keyboard player and songwriter (1947)

Percy Bysshe Shelley; English poet (1792)

Helen Thomas; journalist (1920)

Billy Bob Thornton; actor (1955)

John Henry Twachtman; painter (1853)

John Venn; English mathematician and philosopher (1834)

Louis Vuitton; French fashion designer (1821)

Raoul Wallenberg; Swedish humanitarian (1912)

Tim Winton; Australian author (1960)

Isoroku Yamamoto; Japanese admiral (1884)

#Birthdays

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dear-indies · 5 months ago

Note

hi! i hope you dont mind the ask! im looking to set up a period fc and just looking to get some fc help! i want the group to be diverse as possible and was hoping you could help with some fc suggestions?

Kathy Bates (1948) - American Horror Story as Madame LaLaurie.

Richard Ridings (1958) - Dickinson.

Michelle Yeoh (1962) Chinese Malaysian - The School for Good and Evil.

Zahn McClarnon (1966) Hunkpapa Lakota, Sihasapa Lakota, White - History of the World, Part II.

Sophie Okonedo (1968) Nigerian / Ashkenazi Jewish - The Wheel of Time, The Hollow Crown.

Adrian Lester (1968) Afro Jamaican - Mary Queen of Scots.

Yuliya Aug (1970) - Ekaterina.

Warwick Davis (1970) - Willow - has spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita.

Danny Sapani (1970) Ghanaian - in Harlots.

Nick Frost (972) - The Nevers & Into the Badlands.

Matt Berry (1974) - Year of the Rabbit.

Caroline Chikezie (1974) Igbo Nigerian - The Shannara Chronicles.

Ashlie Atkinson (1977) - is queer - The Gilded Age.

Karthi (1977) Tamil Indian - Ponniyin Selvan.

Oscar Isaac (1979) Cuban-Guatemalan-Spanish - In Secret.

Nonso Anozie (1979) Igbo Nigerian - Cinderella.

Adeel Akhtar (1980) Pakistani / Indo Kenyan - Enola Holmes.

Chrissy Metz (1980) - American Horror Story as Ima ‘Barbara’ Wiggles.

Angel Coulby (1980) Afro Guyanese / White - Merlin.

Mahesh Jadu (1982) Indo Mauritian - The Witcher.

Ella Smith (1983) - The Nevers.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw (1983) Zulu South African / White - Belle.

Joel Fry (1984) Afro Jamaican and White - Drunk History UK.

Freida Pinto (1984) Konkani Indian - Mr. Malcolm's List.

Sterling Sulieman (1984) African-American - Still Star-Crossed.

Zawe Ashton (1984) Ugandan / White - Mr. Malcolm's List - has spoken up for Palestine!

Sonoya Mizuno (1986) Japanese / Spanish-Argentinian, White - House of The Dragon.

Jodie Turner-Smith (1986) Afro Jamaican - Anne Boleyn.

Deepika Padukone (1986) Indian - Bajirao Mastani.

Lashana Lynch (1987) Afro Jamaican - Still Star-Crossed.

Susan Wokoma (1987) Nigerian - Enola Holmes - has spoken up for Palestine!

Pippa Bennett-Warner (1988) Jamaican and Kittitian - Harlots.

Stefanie Reinsperger (1988) - Maria Theresa.

Aiysha Hart (1988) Saudi / White - Atlantis - has spoken up for Palestine!

Gratiela Brancusi (1989) Romani and White - 1883 - has spoken up for Palestine!

Dalmar Abuzeid (1990) Sudanese - Anne with An E.

Sophia Nomvete (1990) Iranian and Black - Rings of Power.

Himesh Patel (1990) Indian - The Aeronauts and The Luminaries.

Lolly Adefope (1990) Nigerian - in Ghosts - has spoken up for Palestine!

Paapa Essiedu (1990) Ghanaian - Anne Boleyn - has spoken up for Palestine!

Jacob Anderson (1990) Black Caribbean and White - Interview with the Vampire.

Ebonee Noel (1990) Afro Guyanese - Still Star-Crossed.

Dianne Doan (1990) Chinese - Warrior.

Katie Findlay (1990) Chinese, Portuguese-Macanese, White - Walker: Independence - is queer (they/them) I'm unsure if they're referring to gender and/or sexuality as queer but I'm under the assumption it's both! - has spoken up for Palestine!

Liu Yuning (1990) Chinese - A Journey to Love.

Dev Patel (1990) Gujarati Indian - The Personal History of David Copperfield.

Sope Dirisu (1991) Nigerian - Mr. Malcolm's List.

Medalion Rahimi (1991) Iranian, Mizrahi Jewish - Still Star-Crossed.

Ashley Park (1991) Korean - Mr. Malcolm's List.

Ronke Adekoluejo (1991) Nigerian - Chevalier.

Kiran Sonia Sawar (1991) Pakistani - The Nevers.

Denée Benton (1991) African-American - The Gilded Age - has spoken up for Palestine!

Emma D’Arcy Actor (1992) - is non-binary (they/them) - House of Dragons - has spoken up for Palestine!

Anna Shaffer (1992) Black and White / Jewish - The Witcher.

Devon Terrell (1992) African-American / Anglo-Indian - Cursed.

Crystal Clarke (1993/1994) Trinidadian and Guyanese - Sanditon.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. (1994) African-American - Chevalier.

David Licauco (1994) Filipino - Maria Clara at Ibarra.

Julie Anne San Jose (1994) Filipino - Maria Clara at Ibarra.

Kit Young (1994) Ugandan / White - Shadow and Bone.

Lola Petticrew (1995) - is non-binary (they/them) - Anne Boleyn.

Jack Wolfe (1995) - is queer - Shadow and Bone - has spoken up for Palestine!

Maddison Jaizani (1995) Iranian / White - Versailles.

Alisha Boe (1997) Somali / White - The Buccaneers - has spoken up for Palestine!

Madeleine Madden (1997) Eastern Arrernte, Arrernte, Kalkadoon, White / Gadigal and Bundjalung - The Wheel of Time.

Chen Muchi (1997) Chinese - The Starry Love.

Archie Renaux (1997) Indian and White - Shadow and Bone.

Sophie Wilde (1998) Ivorian / White - Tom Jones.

Josie Totah (2001) Palestinian / Lebanese and White - is a trans woman - is a trans woman - The Buccaneers.

Aaron Cobham (?) Black British - The Spanish Princess.

Stephanie Levi-John (?) Black - The Spanish Princess.

Akil Largie (?) Black - Sense and Sensibility.

Bayo Gbadamosi (?) Black British - The Great.

Thalissa Teixeira (?) Afro Brazilian - Anne Boleyn.

Matthew Broome (?) Black - The Buccaneers.

Colette Dalal Tchantcho (?) Cameroonian / Sunni Kuwaiti - Dangerous Liaisons.

Scott Turner Schofield (?) - is a trans man - The Conductor.

Gladly! I'd also suggest checking out @periodfcnetwork's amazing directory and page, maybe they can help find more disabled, fat and/or trans suggestions not listed because I sadly couldn't find many!

#fc help #rph #rpc #period fc

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spotconln · 2 years ago

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uk conlon siblings

because i love pinoy spot (clarice, i miss you), naturally i had to expand on her life and gave her siblings. a lot of my other thoughts about her comes from here!

they are marisol, tala, and sean col-long at birth

ages in canon are 17, 13, and 9 respectively

marisol: sunflower in tagalog; before moving up to new york from the south, their mother’s favorite flowers were the narrowleaf sunflower. a beautiful plant that’s able to thrive in difficult conditions, a sentiment she hopes is passed onto her firstborn

tala: bright star in tagalog; like many others, the stars were an important guide that got their ancestors to america, strong and bright, grounding. the second-born, rounding out their little family and becoming a new star in the col-long constellation

sean: ‘god is gracious’ in irish; while not filipino in origin, their parents’ faith in god is a large part of their lives, so it seemed fitting to honor their third and final child after the faith that’s kept them together and strong as a family (also it’d be a crime to not keep sean conlon in the mix somehow)

when they move to new york, their last name becomes anglicized to conlon to assimilate a little better

tala and sean are part of the select few to call marisol ‘mari’, but it’s only used when they want something or feel mischievous

before moving, they’d speak in tagalog practically all the time. but after, they started speaking in english more for practice. they do still often communicate in tagalog, mostly to gossip in front of folks or discuss private things

because of her namesake, tala developed an appreciation for the stars, her favorite being the lyra constellation because it reminds her of the music shared in her community

mari loves both her siblings (despite their behavior at times) and prioritizes them over everything. tala gets along with mari more than she does sean. she’s the ‘anti-mari’, refusing to obey her sister sometimes, but she does not like sean for most of their childhood. she teases him for being the shortest and smallest of the three, often calling him mini, dot, half-off, semi-conlon, bite-sized, smidge, etc. sean’s biggest role model is mari, and took to trailing after her a lot when he was quite young

as newsies, they become spot, dash, and mini

spot: named after her deadly aim with a slingshot

dash: based on her mad running skills that spot is both proud of and hates – it’s easier for her to run off into a crowd whenever she does something stupid

mini: both because dash won’t stop calling him this and he aspires to be like spot one day, so people took to calling him a ‘mini spot’ (it was nearly freckles because he does have them and it adds to his charm in front of the ladies)

the three of them used to sleep in a single bunk (due to the fear of losing each other after their parents died) but when they got bigger, spot took the top bunk while dash and mini took the bottom. the three do try to squeeze together on occasion, to various degrees of success

spot taught them how to use a slingshot when they were each old enough and gave them their own personalized one. dash’s has the lyra constellation carved in, while mini’s has two circles – one large and small

dash, lucky, and stray make up the ‘troublemaking younger sister/cousin’ trio. they drive spot, belle (daveysjackie’s oc for lucky’s older sister), and specs (stray’s older cousin – ty bailey siblings) insane sometimes

sprinkling in the sprace; mini looks up to race as a brotherly figure. whenever he makes the trek over to brooklyn, at night he and dash and mini would sit on the fire escape and he would tell them stories until they fall asleep. spot watches from the window and takes her siblings back inside so race can sneak off undetected

mini becomes fiercely loyal to race. one time some of the brooklyn newsies were in manhattan, and he saw jack and race argue over something. immediately ran over to them and started hitting jack’s legs to defend race. race was highly appreciative. jack was confused but played along, over-exaggerating his defeat

now every time jack sees mini he starts off by dramatically hiding from him in his “are you following me” style. it boosts the kid’s ego so much

mini and les become fast friends, being the same age. mini absolutely teaches les how to use a slingshot. davey is concerned, spot just hopes no one’s eye is taken out

while dash thinks of mini as the ‘annoying younger brother’ for a long time, she’s still very protective over him. sees him get beat up by the delanceys once and “knocks morris’ teeth out with his own brass knuckles”. mini feels loved. spot is proud

mini punches dash’s arm hard enough to bruise once – she was teasing him for his small stature again – and she is immensely proud and has a newfound respect for him. of course, she hits him back and they tussle it out for a bit until spot breaks it up

as spot and race’s relationship continues on, and once the elders aren’t newsies anymore, race takes on more responsibilities taking care of dash and mini. they start to see him take on a fatherly role in their lives

mini calls him dad once and race cries

spot struggles a lot with balancing being young and fun with them as an older sister while also being stern and caring like a mother. she doesn’t want to replace their mother in their eyes, but there are moments where she acts as she would and it makes her emotional

she often worries that she didn’t do a well enough job of taking care of them throughout their adolescence. but then she sees them grow up to be the most wonderful, strong, caring and smart people and is relieved to have done an alright job (race argues she did an amazing job)

to dash and mini, the line between spot the sister and spot the mother figure gets blurrier as they grow older. while they do miss their mother – or the idea of a mother – spot has her own special place in their hearts that they wouldn’t give up for anything

i’m SO normal about them, can you tell

#newsies #newsies uk #uksies #west endsies #spot conlon #sprace #guys please talk to me about them i literally love them sm

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