Spring Break: London (part 1)

So it's been a while since there was anything of substance up, for which I apologize.  I'm done vacationing, though, so it's back to work for a couple of days until my parents get here!! I am so excited.

After Luxembourg, I was off on an early-morning train for London.  My friend met me at King's Cross station and off we went!  It was exciting to be in a big city again for a couple of days, and also to see so many amazing museums!
We started by heading to Trafalgar Square, home of the National Portrait Gallery, and National Gallery.

 The galleries were incredible, and I saw some beautiful works by Degas, Monet, Sisley, and Turner in addition to portraits of Jane Austen, Gilbert and Sullivan, and an exhibit of the Russian Ballet.  We even got into trouble!  There were tons of people in the impressionist rooms, and there was a huge school group surrounding the Turner's.  May Alcott, who I portray at work and who's letters I've been transcribing over the past couple of summers lived in London for a while as a Turner copyist, so I was really excited to see those.  My friend and I were discussing them, and trying to figure out if we recognized any as matching Alcott's copies when the tour leader shushed us!! That hasn't happened to me in years.  oops.

Trafalgar Square was neat, but really crowded with tourists.  I know, I know, I am a tourist, but working in the industry for so long has taught me several things about being a good tourist:

1) research in advance the places you want to visit.  Know the opening/closing times, nearby attractions or places to eat, and vaguely how to get there (knowing the address is also very helpful).

2) Try not to stop aimlessly in the street to take pictures.  If you are going to take pictures, try to stand out of the way or wait for a clear moment.  You are not more important than the traffic.

            2a) Also, if you are in an area full of other tourists, be aware of other people's pictures.  Walk around them if you can, which I recognize is not always possible.

3) If you wish to walk slowly to look around you, do so on the outside edge of the sidewalk in the correct direction of travel.  Actually, this just applies to everyone.  I walk fast, and that death glare I'm giving you as I move into the street to get past your slow-moving, hand-holding set?  Not a joke. I am actually that annoyed.

But anyways.  Something that appealed to me about the area of London I was visiting was the literary historical charm.  For example:

This is an entire street of antiquarian book shops.  We popped into some of them, and they were fantastic.  Also, out of my price range.  But very cool.  One of them also had one of the original prop Daleks from old (pre-2000s) Doctor Who.  Like, a real one.  It was extremely cool.

a clothing shop we walked past.  I wish I knew more people who dressed like this.

 We also saw a book shop which had been the home of Randolph Caldecott, the illustrator the Caldecott Medal is named for.  The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually to a new American children's book with original illustrations.  Some of my favorite books as a kid, including Make Way for Ducklings, Where the Wild Things Are, The Polar Express, Mirette on the High Wire, and Officer Buckle and Gloria, are all previous medal winners.  (and if you haven't read these, do so immediately.  They are all fantastic and will brighten your day.)

Next we popped into the British Museum to see the Rosette Stone and the clock room.  The Rosetta Stone was neat, and reminded me of how cool learning about hieroglyphics was in elementary school.

 We were there until closing, and afterwards went back to dinner and the UCL dorms for an early-ish night.  Plus Black Swan, which I still hadn't seen.

On my one full day in the city we hit the two most exciting parts of my trip: the Freud Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. 

The Freud house was his residence and office for the last year of his life, from the family's escape from Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938 until his death in 1939.  The Freuds were lucky enough to have help getting through border control, and so were able to take many of their belongings with them to England.  The museum is able to display Freud's famous couch for psychoanalysis, some of his massive antiquities collection, his library, and many other belongings.  They also have a collection of his daughter Anna Freud's belongings--she lived there until her death in 1982.  Also a psychoanalyst, Anna specialized in child psychology (and the relationship between development and parenting) and founded Hampstead War Nursery, a foster care center for children affected by the war.  Several years later (1947) a children's clinic was added. Anna Freud said: "I don't think I'd be a good subject for biography...not enough 'action'!  You would say all there is to say in a few sentences - she spent her life with children!" I actually think she's awesome.  

Both Freuds are really interesting as people, even if I don't agree with the most famous parts of Freud's theories. The museum was a really special, really dorky treat.

We were awarded these on the way out!

   We spent the afternoon at the Victoria and Albert Museum, which was founded as a museum of art and design, displaying marvels of craftsmanship and engineering.  It has amazing collections of my favorite museum items: table services, jewelry, theatre costumes, and fashion.  I had such an amazing time it will have its own post later on! 

 Plus, I love Queen Victoria (we would so have been best friends), and it was really interesting to learn more about British pop culture during her reign!

Busts of Victoria and Albert

Imitating one of my favorite historical figures :)

The guards actually had to kick me out-I was so not leaving until absolutely necessary! At that point we were both museum-ed out for the day, so we headed over to a different kind of institution: Harrods!

Totally unaffordable but very very pretty...especially the shoes.  I really need to get over my love of rhinestoned shoes-it's such a problem.

My final day in London we woke up early to see the 'treasures room' of the British National Library.  It was amazing!  There were works from all over the world, but my favorites were the ones about famous works--some of the earliest mentions of the Hamlet story and journal entries by authors such as Austen and Bronte.  There was also a really neat display of different publications of Alice in Wonderland, including the original Dodgson copy for the real Alice and his journals/letters.  I was especially fond of the Dali-illustrated version.

Dali's interpretation of the caterpillar scene

The rest of the day was spent doing traditional site-seeing: walking along the Thames, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Abbey.  In the evening we caught a train to Edinburgh.  A whirlwind couple of days, but a wonderful trip!

the 'London Eye' from across the river

me with Big Ben

Westminster Abbey with some artsy-looking trees

St James Park 

a war monument near Buckingham Palace

outside the palace gates!

Even more tartan!

I turned in all my work last week, and had my last class yesterday, so I'm off to Luxembourg tomorrow afternoon.  I'm so excited!  In the meantime, in addition to working, packing, dancing, and hanging out with friends before we all disappear for a month, I've also continued my obsessive search for all (fashionable) things tartan.

There are several descriptions in English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century by Cecil Cunnington which, unfortunately, I can't access the pictures for (the downside of previews of google books...) that relate to the popularity of tartan in the mid-19th century.  Some highlights:

-1864: Carriage dress of tartan glace

-'tartan is the fashion and must be worn' (late 1860s, unsure of where this was quoted from)

-in 1859, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria described the humiliation of the Duchess of Manchester, who had gotten a hoop from her cage crinoline stuck on a turnstile, and when she fell her skirts were flung above her head.  Luckily, she was wearing the newly-fashionable 'knickerbockers': in fact, hers were scarlet tartan.  Totally unnecessary, but I want a pair now...would scarlet tartan possibly be the hunter royal stewart?  I'm making my ball dress out of the dress version.  How awesome would it be to have drawers in the other?

I considered writing a bit about all of these...but there are a lot and I'm feeling a bit lazy. (I'm also currently watching Beauty and the Beast with my flatmate.  Yes, we do watch 1990s Disney movies on a regular basis, thankyouverymuch.)  Instead, I'm just going to split them chronologically.

In general, there seems to be an impression that tartan came into women's fashion with Queen Victoria's obsession with it (starting in the 1850s).  I find this to generally be reflected in the images I've seen, but there are definitely some fabulous earlier examples:

Portrait, 'A Jacobite Lady', c. 1745

I love the military look!

fashion plate, 1830s

Check out the cute tartan apron to the bottom left.

photograph of Charlotte Lockhart, descendant of Walter Scott, 1846

After its rise in women's fashion, it also blended well with the bright colors available through new chemical dyes:

From Godey's Lady's Book, Oct. 1855 

The bright trim looks more like tartan when it's bigger...

1860, from the collection at the Musee McCord

This was worn in Canada to the dedication of a bridge in honor of the Prince of Wales.  Apparently the family was Scottish, and this is based on the clan tartan.

from Harper's Bazaar, 1870

I really like the tartan-as-trim look.  I happened to find a ton of examples for the 1870s; Here are some highlights:

basque from Harper's Bazaar, 1875

walking dress, Harper's Bazaar 1870

I do like the tartan-as-everything look too, though this is a bit much.  I have noticed that in all the images I've found, any tartan ruffle is done on the diagonal.  Something to note for future sewing...

travelling dress, Harper's Bazaar 1870

In the process of investigating, I also found this suit from 1897.  It's technically 'wool check', not tartan, but it's awfully close and it's just a gorgeous outfit.

And, as always, accessories are a great place to add fashionable touches to the wardrobe...plus, I know exactly where to get an abundance of tartan ribbon.  Let the hat-making begin!

fashionable hats, 1827.  The top and bottom left involve tartan ribbon according to the accompanying description

from Godey's Lady's Book, 1859.  Bonnet to the top right trimmed in tartan.

 Of course, not all accessories are hats, and this is one of my favorites.

tartan cloak, Harper's Bazaar 1870

 I can't get over the bow. So cute.

Just one last thing and then I'll call it a night, as I have a busy day tomorrow...these actually aren't 19th century, but I found them in the Museum of Costume collection (located in Bath) and thought they were fantastic.  Apparently, the designer created them because the outfit included a hat in the same fabric.  A good use for scraps, and perfect accessorizing!

taffeta, 1947

The Lady in the Gallery

In addition to our lovely morning hike and cupcake picnic, my friends and I also went to the National Gallery of Scotland yesterday.  The museum has a lovely collection of art, both from Scotland and throughout the world.  I had a lot of fun looking at the portraits, on loan from the National Portrait Gallery while it undergoes a massive renovation.  There was one of a Highland military man who had designed is own uniform, complete with red argyle socks, green tartan trowsers, a sporran, and a tartan drape over his military jacket!! I haven't been able to find a picture of it online, so you'll just have to take my word for how spectacular it was.

another portrait I loved, by Grant, 1857

As I've mentioned before, I love late nineteenth century art--especially Impressionism.  I was thrilled to discover the 19th century gallery, located off the main floor.  When I reached the top of the stairs, I turned to look into the gallery and came face to face with an old friend!

Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, John Singer Sargeant 1892

This is Lady Gertrude Vernon Agnew.  Her portrait was done by American artist John Singer Sargeant in 1892.  The reason this was so exciting for me is that I wore her dress to my first ball at the Astors' Beechwood Mansion in Newport, RI.
...well, sort of.  The first year I attended Newport Vintage Dance Week, the wonderful Katie Bishop loaned me some dresses she had made so that I would have something to wear to the various events.  The dress I wore to the 1890s ball at the Beechwood was after the dress in this painting.  I thought this was really neat, and spent a lot of the night attempting to take a picture of myself in the same pose as the original.  It didn't go particularly well, but here is the best attempt:

Had my posture been better, it would have worked, I think.

 I definitely jumped up and down and squealed a bit in the gallery, and everyone looked at me like I was crazy.  oh, well.

We saw a lot of other really lovely paintings, including a Seurat and several Degas.  Degas is one of my favorite artists, so this was really exciting.  Also one of his bronze casts, but a less famous one so it was new to me! yay!

Arabesque, c.1882-1895

La Luzerne, Saint-Denis by Georges Seurat

We saw a lot of other beautiful work too, from many different periods.  In particular, the National Gallery has (shockingly) a great collection of Scottish art.  Raeburn is the most famous, I think, for Americans, but there were lots of others I had never heard of.

the Raeburn I think is most famous, Reverend Walker Ice Skating on Duddingston Loch

One I really liked was Joseph Paton.  I'd seen The Reconciliation of Oberon and Titania before, but not its pair.

The Quarrel of Oberon and Titania

There were also some names I did recognize, like James Drummond.  I had never seen his work before, but I live just across from Drummond Street!

Exploring Rotterdam

My cousins live about 30 minutes from the city of Rotterdam.  Lynn and I both love art museums, so we were able to take a trip to Rotterdam to poke around.  The collection at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen was incredible-but the art around the city was a great modern addition to the museum!

outside the museum

quick PSA:  I don't have any pictures from inside the museum, because like many museums the Boijmans Van Beuningen requests that no pictures be taken inside the collection.  This is because modern cameras can damage and destroy the artifacts and paintings on display.  Also, pictures taken in museums can be a security risk. You can read more about the specifics here, and general museum etiquette here.
Ok, enough ranting.  I've worked in the museum industry for eight years, and it drives me nuts when I see people blatantly ignoring rules.

The museum had an amazing collection, spanning from renaissance art all the way to modern works.  My favorite sections were the Impressionists--which had works by some artists I already love (including Monet and Degas) and some I was unfamiliar with (like Alfred Sisley)--and the Surrealists.

La maison du pêcheur, Varengeville, 1882 by Claude Monet

Orchard in Spring, by Alfred Sisley

  I discovered I really enjoyed the sculptures by Salvador Dali-I hadn't known he worked in other mediums besides painting!
Here was one I really liked:

Lobster Telephone 1938, by Salvador Dali

There was also a lot to see outside the museum.  Walking to the central shopping area of Rotterdam there was a lot of great street art.  Here are some of my favorites:

on the side of a building.  it says "We're all freaks Be Superman!"

outside the Museum Boijmans

in an alley to a parking lot

There were also a few flower shops, with tulip bulbs even though it was winter!

 In the main shopping area there was a kiosk selling all different type of fries (or chips, as they're called here) with different sauces.  Lynn wanted to introduce me to "pindu sauce," which is a peanut sauce.  It was actually really yummy, and perfect for a cold day!

Ok, time to get back to healthy food.  Good thing art goes with everything!