Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambé in Mayerling photographed by Florian Moshammer
cherry valley forever
todays bird
we're not kids anymore.

祝日 / Permanent Vacation

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Stranger Things

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shark vs the universe
🪼
$LAYYYTER
styofa doing anything

❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
Keni
trying on a metaphor
Show & Tell
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year

pixel skylines
Jules of Nature

JVL

blake kathryn

seen from United States

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@violetsbookshelf
Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambé in Mayerling photographed by Florian Moshammer
ATONEMENT (2007) dir. Joe Wright
I was sad so went to the bookshops
Vivienne Westwood X Brintons Carpets
Throughout the 1990s, Brintons Carpets collaborated with Vivian Westwood on multiple advertising campaigns. Westwood designed and created looks made from carpets and rugs Brintons produced. The result, an eccentric and eclectic selection of looks, drawing inspiration from the 1700s all the way up to a more contemporary, modern feel.
Historical Mirror Selfies [Source: Smithsonian, Vintage Everyday, Galerie Karsten Greve]
The Veiled Vestal by Raffaelle Monti, Chatsworth House
The Odyssey (2026) dir. Christopher Nolan
Queen Guinevere’s Maying (1901) by John Collier
What if I have gotten love all wrong? What if I’ve been slaving away, reaching my arm in to prise words and feeling out of the mouth of someone who didn’t have it in them, not for me? I’ve been treating lovelike a noun, like a trophy I won ages ago and have left to gather dust in a cabinet. But in every single one of those instances today love has been a verb, an action. And not an action that requires Herculean effort, either. Take up here, now. Love is floating around serenely, like feathers, in this quiet space.
~ Why Did You Stay? by Rebecca Humphries
Pointe Skirt by Darinika Atelier
The Lost Art of Compulsory Figures
Before the world of Quad Jumps and Biellmann Spins, Compulsory Figures were the basis of figure skating. Demonstrating immense control and skating skills these ‘figures’ made up a significant portion of skaters final scores. However, as one of the International Skating Union’s (ISU) ‘modernisation’ tactics, these gradually became less significant before being phased out entirely in 1990. This has been controversial with many arguing that it has caused a decline in skating skills of singles skaters and a reduction in overall technique, with some even campaigning for their return. But what are these ‘Compulsory Figures’?
Prior to the 1890s, figure skating competitions consisted entirely of skaters etching patterns made up predominantly of circles and figures of eight into the ice using the only blades on one’s feet. These would be judged for accuracy and consistency. By the early 20th century a ‘Free Skate’ had been introduced, allowing for skaters to perform choreographed, artistic routines including jumps and spins. Compulsory Figures continued to make up 60% of a skaters final score.
Judges would closely scrutinise the shapes skaters had made. They’d examine the symmetry and accuracy of the circles as well as the consistency of the skaters repetition of the figures. The first judges handbook for Compulsory Figures was created by the ISU in 1961 and listed the judging criteria as the following: flow of movement, accuracy of shapes of both bodies and figures, deepness of edges, and any double tracks, scrapes or deviations from perfect circles. The Compulsory Figure sections of competitions were notoriously long and boring for audiences to watch, often taking up to 8 hours to complete with only skaters and judges being able to see the final figures before the ice was reserfaced.
Skaters were required to change their edge and foot as well as complete the three turn, counter turn, rocker turn, bracket turn, and loop in order to create the figure assigned. They would then have to repeat the figure multiple times in the same spot to demonstrate consistency.
The decline of importance for compulsory figure began in 1967 when they reduced in value to 40% and a Short Program valued at 20% was introduced to bridge the gap. From the mid 1960s and throughout the 1970s and 80s figure skating competitions began to be televised more frequently, however the Compulsory Figures portions were almost never shown in their entirety. Skaters such as Trixie Schuba of Austria was known as an incredibly strong skater of Compulsory Figures; her Free Skates, however, were extremely weak in comparison. To audiences watching from home and less aware of how Figure Skating was judged and scored didn’t understand how she was winning competitions. There were multiple instances similar to this, such as skaters being poor at Compulsory Figures but stronger program skaters yet rarely medalling.
Towards the end of the 1980s was when conversations surrounding the retirement of Compulsory Figures entirely significantly picked up traction. The ISU wished to make Figure Skating more enjoyable for those watching on television as well as the practicalities of filming the Compulsory Figures competitions. Attempts were made to film the competitions at the Olympic Games throughout the 1980s, however it required suspending cameras over the rink. Even with this complicated camera set up, the figures themselves were almost impossible to see on a television.
In 1988, the ISU voted for the elimination of Compulsory Figures for singles skaters beginning in the 1990/1991 season in ISU sanctioned international competitions. The last season of Compulsory Figures (1989/1990) saw only two competed for the entire season and make up just 20% of skaters scores. Most other countries eliminated figures with the ISU, however US Figure Skating continued to compete figures in their national championship up until 1999.
Compulsory Figures are truly a lost art which demonstrated the skill and technique of skaters. Most singles skaters in contemporary figure skating will have never completed one of these figures in their time of skating. Although Ice Dance saw the maintenance of the Compulsory Dance until 2010 and then the inclusion of Compulsory Pattern Dances in the Short/Rhythm Dance until 2022, with the Pattern Dance making a return in the 2026/2027 season, subsequently maintaining somewhat of a stronger basis of skating skills for skaters, this has not been the case for those competing in the singles discipline. A heavy focus on jumps has caused coaches and skaters to pay less attention to the technical fundamental skills previously associated with Compulsory Figures and still needed for other elements, such as Step Sequences, alongside good jump technique.
Compulsory Figures are unlikely to make a return to competition any time soon, however they should still be recognised as the origin and basis for what we know as figure skating today. A skaters ability to complete figures would still demonstrate their technical skating ability today.
Mayerling (2018) choreo. Kenneth MacMillan
The Favourites by Layne Fargo
Francesca Hayward in Giselle (photographed by Florian Moshammer)
Bessie Coleman: Queen of the Skies
The early years of aviation are rarely associated with women, let alone black women. Bessie Coleman was the women who, defying all odds, would become the first American to earn an international aviation licence directly from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).
Born in 1892 in Texas and later moving to Chicago, Coleman's interest in aviation began from stories of the planes during WWI told by her brother and the men in the barbershop where she worked. Having made connections with Robert Abbott, editor of the Chicago Defender and advocate for African American advancement, he persuaded Coleman to attempt to pursue her interest in becoming a pilot.
After attempting to join a flight school in the United States but being rejected from all on account of her race and gender, Abbott suggested she travel to France to gain her licence. After raising the funds, Coleman travelled to France in November 1920. She inquired at multiple flight schools before finding the Cauldron School of Aviation who agreed to take her on.
Coleman trained intensely for seven months before taking and passing the qualifying test to gain an international aviation licence from the FAI. This licence was the only type at the time which granted a pilot to fly anywhere in the world.
On 15th June 1921 Bessie Coleman would become the first American, regardless of race or gender, to be awarded an international aviation licence directly from the FAI.
After returning to the USA, Coleman began flying in air shows across the country and became a major figure in flying shows for both black and white people. She flew in stunt shows and holding lessons, with a focus on promoting black American's in aviation. Coleman ultimately dreamed of owning her own plane and flight school specifically to teach black American's how to fly.
Sadly, Coleman's life and dreams were cut short when in 1926, at the age of 34, the plane she was flying malfunctioned at 3,000 feet, causing it to flip and Coleman to not survive the fall. Thousands attended her funeral in Chicago where her contributions to both women and black American's were recognised.
Frequently forgotten and overlooked as a pioneer in aviation, Bessie Coleman's determination, passion and resilience opened doors for both women and black people to enter the world of aviation. She is a women who deserves to be remembered just as much as her counterparts of the era.
Scrovegni Chapel - Padua, Italy
Widely recognised as the first example of Italian Renaissance art, the Scrovegni Chapel and its frescoes is a key transitional point from the Medieval to Renaissance period. The vibrancy of colour and increasingly detailed figures mark a key turning point in European art styles.
Decorated with vivid frescoes depicting stories from the New Testament, these paintings show a clear increase naturalism when compared to Christian imagery from the Medieval period. The figures are more volumetric and realistic in style. Alongside this, the larger focus on emotions and facial expression is key to the transition between Medieval and Renaissance art.
The Renaissance period was a time of 'rebirth', with a focus on the rediscovery of the knowledge, values and aesthetics of antiquity. Throughout the period there was also a radical change in the subject matter of artworks. European art had been solely religious based in the preceding centuries, however shifted to include a greater variety of subject matter, predominantly classical mythology and secular 'everyday' scenes.
Realism, perspective and anatomy were key changes that came to artwork during the Renaissance. Medieval paintings are dull, flat, disproportionate and feel almost like caricatures. Focus was placed on studying anatomy and the human body, which created the increased realism in paintings like those in the Scrovegni Chapel..
ok i want to do a Valentines themed history post but do we want it on love/romance generally or specifically the history of Valentine’s day itself…