The Ornamented Being
Ornamented: -verb: Adorn; beautify. Be·ing: -noun: Fulfillment of possibilities; essential completeness.
-
Haas Brothers, two-piece dress, red and white cotton, circa 1894, USA
FIT
-
Tomorrows theme is Down by the sea… by the beautiful sea. I’ll start with the Victorians and end up in the 20s.
Queen Alexandra in a yachting dress, 1884
-
There was once a young Navy Lieutenant who looked out the plane window at the Norwegian city below. She pulled her diary out and tried to capture in words the beauty reflected: “From the windows of my plane the city lights look like the stars in heaven turned upside down.”
Days would pass by before the same young woman would once again reach with distracted hands for her diary as she beheld the wonder of the Aurora Borealis shimmering over her camp site. She would fill the little ebony diary with pages praising the heavens and the night skies.
Many years later the young Lieutenant would become my mother. Today you will find that beautiful black book filled with hopes and dreams perched next to my own travel journals.
My mother is my inspiration.
(Take a look at the next to photo: While docked and onboard the International Space Station on March 21st 2008, an STS-123 Endeavour crewmember, looking northward across the Gulf of Alaska, captured the glowing green beauty of the Aurora Borealis over the Earth)
(The last picture is from NASA: Among the views of Earth afforded astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), surely one of the most spectacular is of the aurora. These ever-shifting displays of colored ribbons, curtains, rays, and spots are most visible near the North (aurora borealis) and South (aurora australis) Poles as charged particles (ions) streaming from the Sun (the solar wind) interact with Earth’s magnetic field.)
-
c. 1918
Army & Navy Cooperative Company (American)
The Met says: This classic World War I uniform is part of a complete ensemble. Notable for its handsome appearance and excellent condition, it was worn by U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Charles P. Plunkett. Admiral Plunkett was a distinguished naval officer during the Spanish-American and First World War and held numerous postings and commands during his career, which began in 1879. His last posting before retirement was as Commandant of New York Navy Yard (now Brooklyn Navy Yard) from 1922 to 1928. The destroyer USS Plunkett is named in his honor. This uniform was worn with a hat, puttees and Sam Browne belt.
(d) This Sam Browne belt is part of a complete World War I uniform. The development and popularity of the belt is credited to General Sir James Samuel Brown (1824-1901) of the British Army in India, who, having suffered the loss of his left arm in 1858, found that the cross-body strap construction helped compensate for the weight of an officer’s sword. The eponymous belt was later used by officers to help balance the weight of a heavy pistol. It was found, however, that the cross-strap could be used against the wearer by an adversary; the Sam Browne belt is now predominantly used as part of ceremonial wear.
(g) This cap, with its foldover construction, is part of a uniform worn by U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Charles P. Plunkett. Called an ‘overseas cap’ because it was first worn by troops overseas during the First World War, it replaced the less practical campaign hat. -
The Charge of the Light Brigade Animated Scenes
In my opinion the best scenes start at 4:56 with Queen Victoria. I was hoping to upload my own video but it’s 8:50 and Tumblr only allows 5:00.
Edit: Sorry everyone but I’m afraid you’ll have to go to Youtube to watch this video but i promise it’s worth it. The animation is so original and amazing!
