Cornucopia @odinus345 - Tumblr Blog

Poul Gustave Fischer (1860-1934) - The Vester Voldgade in Copenhagen by night

Me and my best friend Lucy used to go wandering off into the countryside with no real plan at all, just following footpaths, lanes, and little tracks to see where they led. At first it always felt exciting, as though the world was wide open and we had all day to explore it. We would chatter away, climb stiles, cut through fields, and convince ourselves we knew exactly where we were going, even when deep down we clearly did not. And of course, this was long before mobile phones and maps in your pocket, so once you were out there, you were properly out there. The funny thing was, we never really minded being lost while the sun was up. It all felt peaceful and endless, like one big adventure.

It was only when it started getting dark that the nerves would kick in. I can still remember those moments when we realised we had wandered a bit too far and had no idea how to get back. A few times we ended up jumping fences and heading towards the nearest sound of a road, hearts pounding and hoping no farmer would spot us sneaking across their land without permission. At the time it felt terrifying, but looking back now it makes me smile. We were probably half adventurous and half daft, but those countryside wanderings with my best friend are still some of the best memories I have.

-Shannon

Dance Lessons - Edgar Degas (1874)

The Magic Thread

Lost in her thoughts, a young maiden spins an endless thread that must never break.

Above her watches the little fairy who set her this trial, riding upon a dove. If she succeeds, the fairy will grant her whatever she desires most.

The Fairy Spinner (1875)

Illustration by Kate Greenaway.

Vilhelm Rosenstand (1838-1915).

Spring (1859) - Charles-Émile Jacque (1813-1894)

Knud Larsen (1865 - 1922)

De Gracieuse fashion plate, 1912

☞Say Cheese!

Happy National Cheese Day!

☞National Cheese Day is an unofficial food-recognition holiday of obscure origin that is celebrated annually on June 4.

☞Note: As is often the case with unofficial holidays, there is no “official” date for National Cheese Day, with the result that there are in fact two National Cheese Days that are celebrated annually -- on both January 20 & June 4.

☞The following paragraph is an excerpt from noted Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 adventure novel “Treasure Island,” which introduced the world’s most famous fictional pirate, Long John Silver, wherein, upon their first encounter, the marooned pirate Ben Gunn made the following statement to young Jim Hawkins, the protagonist of the story:

“Marooned three years agone, & lived on goats since then, & berries & oysters. Wherever a man is, says I, a man can do for himself. But, Mate, my heart is sore for Christian diet. You mightn’t happen to have a piece of cheese about you, now? No? Well, many’s the long night I’ve dreamed of cheese -- toasted, mostly -- & woke up again, & here I were.”

☞The left-hand photograph depicts an undated Victorian-Era illustration of various types of cheese. The undated right-hand photograph depicts a Victorian-Era illustration entitled “Jim Hawkins meets Ben Gunn,” by noted French artist & book illustrator George Roux (1850–1929) from the 1885 edition of “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894).

☞I’ll Shut Up My Mug If You Fill Up My Jug!

☞Happy National Moonshine Day!

☞National Moonshine Day is an unofficial holiday of obscure origin that is celebrated annually on the first Thursday of June in honor of moonshine whiskey.

☞Note: As is often the case with “unofficial” holidays, there is some disagreement as to the proper day to celebrate National Moonshine Day. It is variously celebrated on June 5, or on the first Sunday of June, or on the first Thursday of June; however, the preponderance of the evidence suggests that this holiday was originally intended to be celebrated on June 5 until the year 2013, & then on the first Thursday of June thereafter.

☞The word “Moonshine” is believed to be derived from the term “Moonrakers” which was used for early English smugglers & suggests the clandestine nature of the operations of the illegal Appalachian distillers who have produced & distributed such whiskey ever since the days of British Colonial America. Moonshine is defined as “clear, non-aged whiskey.”

☞The photograph depicts the cover of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, edition for the week ending September 1, 1883, including an illustration entitled “North Carolina. -- An Illicit Whisky Still in the Mountains Surprised by Revenue Officers. From a Sketch by J. S. Hodgson.”

☞Today in Old-West History -- On today's date 150 years ago, Sunday, June 4, 1876, a train named the Transcontinental Express arrived at the Central Pacific Railroad Station in San Francisco, California in the record-breaking time of 83 hours & 39 minutes after leaving the station at New York City -- an historic & triumphant 3,000-mile journey from coast to coast that had reduced what had once been a six-month trek to a mere three & one-half days.

☞The undated Victorian-Era photograph depicts the Central Pacific Railroad’s Engine № 173 -- a type 4-4-0 locomotive, which was built in 1863 & rebuilt in 1872. № 173 remained in service until 1909.

☞Today in Old-West History -- On today's date 150 years ago, Sunday, June 4, 1876, a train named the Transcontinental Express arrived at the Central Pacific Railroad Station in San Francisco, California in the record-breaking time of 83 hours & 39 minutes after leaving the station at New York City -- an historic & triumphant 3,000-mile journey from coast to coast that had reduced what had once been a six-month trek to a mere three & one-half days.

☞The undated Victorian-Era photograph depicts the Central Pacific Railroad’s Engine № 173 -- a type 4-4-0 locomotive, which was built in 1863 & rebuilt in 1872. № 173 remained in service until 1909.

☞Stand & Deliver!

☞Today in Old-West History -- On today’s date 139 years ago, on the evening of Saturday, June 4, 1887, infamous Old-West train-robber & outlaw Reuben Houston “Rube” Burrow (1855-1890) & his “Burrow Gang” robbed a Texas & Pacific Express train near the location of the present-day city of Benbrook, Texas.

☞According to some reports, this robbery took place on June 9, 1887, but the preponderance of the historical evidence supports the date of June 4.

☞Burrow & his gang boarded the east-bound Texas & Pacific Express at the Ben Brook Railroad Station in the town of Marinda (present-day city of Benbrook). Burrows had the engineer held at gunpoint & forced him to stop the train on the bridge over Mary’s Creek outside the town. This was meant to discourage passengers, who would have to “brave the heights & meagre footing” in order to interfere with the robbery. The bandits then forced the engineer to break down the door to the express car with a coal pick, after which they absquatulated with $1,350.00 in cash & three registered letters.

☞Three & one-half months later, on Tuesday, September 20, 1887, the Burrow Gang robbed a second train at the same spot. On the second occasion, news reports estimated that Burrows & his gang escaped with anywhere from $12,000 to $30,000. The bridge where these robberies occurred has been known ever since as “Train Robber’s Bridge.”

☞During the final years of the American frontier, Rube Burrow became one of the most hunted outlaws in the Old West since Jesse James. From 1886 to 1890, he & his gang robbed express trains in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, the Indian Territory & Texas whilst pursued by hundreds of lawmen throughout the southern half of the United States, including the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.

☞The undated Victorian-Era photograph depicts the visage of notorious Old-West outlaw gang leader Rube Burrow.

☞Stand & Deliver!

☞Today in Old-West History -- On today’s date 139 years ago, on the evening of Saturday, June 4, 1887, infamous Old-West train-robber & outlaw Reuben Houston “Rube” Burrow (1855-1890) & his “Burrow Gang” robbed a Texas & Pacific Express train near the location of the present-day city of Benbrook, Texas.

☞According to some reports, this robbery took place on June 9, 1887, but the preponderance of the historical evidence supports the date of June 4.

☞Burrow & his gang boarded the east-bound Texas & Pacific Express at the Ben Brook Railroad Station in the town of Marinda (present-day city of Benbrook). Burrows had the engineer held at gunpoint & forced him to stop the train on the bridge over Mary’s Creek outside the town. This was meant to discourage passengers, who would have to “brave the heights & meagre footing” in order to interfere with the robbery. The bandits then forced the engineer to break down the door to the express car with a coal pick, after which they absquatulated with $1,350.00 in cash & three registered letters.

☞Three & one-half months later, on Tuesday, September 20, 1887, the Burrow Gang robbed a second train at the same spot. On the second occasion, news reports estimated that Burrows & his gang escaped with anywhere from $12,000 to $30,000. The bridge where these robberies occurred has been known ever since as “Train Robber’s Bridge.”

☞During the final years of the American frontier, Rube Burrow became one of the most hunted outlaws in the Old West since Jesse James. From 1886 to 1890, he & his gang robbed express trains in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, the Indian Territory & Texas whilst pursued by hundreds of lawmen throughout the southern half of the United States, including the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.

☞The undated Victorian-Era photograph depicts the visage of notorious Old-West outlaw gang leader Rube Burrow.

☞Fix Or Repair Daily…

☞Today in History -- On today’s date 130 years ago, Thursday, June 4, 1896, after two years of working in his back-yard workshop, famous American inventor Henry Ford (1863-1947) completed the construction of his first horseless carriage, the two-cylinder, four-horsepower, ethanol-powered machine that he named the “Quadricycle,” & he took it out for a test drive.

☞The success of Ford’s Quadricycle led to the founding of the Henry Ford Company & then in 1903 the Ford Motor Company.

☞The October 1896 photograph depicts Henry Ford at the tiller of his Quadracycle on the streets of Detroit, Michigan.

☞Fix Or Repair Daily…

☞Today in History -- On today’s date 130 years ago, Thursday, June 4, 1896, after two years of working in his back-yard workshop, famous American inventor Henry Ford (1863-1947) completed the construction of his first horseless carriage, the two-cylinder, four-horsepower, ethanol-powered machine that he named the “Quadricycle,” & he took it out for a test drive.

☞The success of Ford’s Quadricycle led to the founding of the Henry Ford Company & then in 1903 the Ford Motor Company.

☞The October 1896 photograph depicts Henry Ford at the tiller of his Quadracycle on the streets of Detroit, Michigan.

On this day, 4 June 1950, the 43 Group of militant anti-fascist Jewish ex-servicemen and women voted to disband itself at an extraordinary general meeting in London, England. The group had been formed four years prior by Jewish people who had fought in the British Army against the Nazis in World War II, who had seen the horrors of the concentration camps, and who returned home to see fascists organising openly on UK streets. They resolved to continue their fight against fascism, racism and antisemitism by any means necessary.

The group included people like decorated war hero Gerry Flamberg (pictured, left, outside court on trial for attempted murder of a fascist), gay former officer Harry Bidney and women like Doris Kaye, who infiltrated fascist groups, and Julie Sloggan, who was one of its most ardent street fighters. They disrupted and broke up fascist meetings, usually after breaking through the fascists' police guard, and harassed fascist aristocrat Oswald Mosley and his followers in towns and cities up and down the country. Eventually Mosley went into exile, and fascist organising dwindled to such a level that the 43 Group dissolved itself. Although veterans of the group would throw themselves back into the movement when Mosley attempted a comeback in the 1960s.

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Cornucopia