Kristine Hughes's Blog, page 175

Jo Manning: Artists and Their Models - Part Three of Part Six

Emma as The Spinstress
The Spinstress dates from this second series of paintings. Greville could not afford to pay for it, so it was sold to another buyer on the condition that he could "repurchase" it. Unusually, the sittings for this painting took place at Edgware Row, not in Romney's studio. During this time, according to a pupil of Romney's, he was also painting Emma's face into a number of history and allegorical works, as his sketchbooks were filled with her face in its changing nuances ...

The Larry King Show Goes British

Piers Morgan has given up his seat on the Britain's Got Talent judging panel in order to fill the nightly interview seat held by Larry King on CNN for 25 years, but will remain on America's Got Talent as a judge. King's last show is set to air on December 16th. Speaking to Forbes.com, King said that, although he's had Morgan on his show a couple of times, he knows virtually nothing about him. While King's choice for his replacement would have been Ryan Seacrest, King did say about Morgan, "I ...

William Huskisson - England's First Railroad Fatality

William Huskisson PC (11 March 1770 – 15 September 1830) was a British statesman, financier, and Member of Parliament for several constituencies, including Liverpool. He is best known today, however, as the world's first widely reported railway casualty -  he was run over by George Stephenson's locomotive engine Rocket.

Huskisson entered the cabinet in April 1822 when Lord Liverpool appointed him as President of the Board of Trade. The following year Huskisson became MP for Liverpool. Huskisso...

The Death of Wellington - Long Live the Duke

An image of the arms of the Dukes of Wellington, shamelessly stolen from author Lesley-Anne McLeod's blog. Thanks, Lesley-Anne!

On 14 September 1852 Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, KP, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS died both quite suddenly and peacefully at his rooms at Walmer Castle, Kent. It is hardly necessary for me to take up further room on this blog in extolling the myriad virtues, accomplishments and glories attached to the first Duke. There are a wealth of stories abou...

A Visit to Chiswick House, Part One

Victoria here, taking you today to the London suburbs to see a benchmark in the evolution of English architecture. Chiswick House was built by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694-1753) in the second quarter of the 18th century. Not only is it a lovely jewel-box of a structure, it had a widespread and lasting influence on subsequent buildings in Britain.

First we must step back a century or so to Inigo Jones (1573–1652), architect of the Queen's House, Greenwich (left), the Banqueting H...

Jo Manning: Artists and Their Models - Part Two of Part Six

Romney spent two years in Italy, returning to London in 1775. He was 40 years old. He lived alone, working out of a studio/dwelling at 24 Cavendish Square. Previous to this location he'd lived in a large studio at Charing Cross and later in one in the Covent Garden area, where so many artists resided. (His last house-cum-studio was in the Hampstead countryside; he sold the lease for the long-held Cavendish Square property when he relocated.)


The Cavendish Square studio was where he first met E...

Leading Man News

Emma Thompson received her star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame last month
and showed up at the unveiling with a pig and a pint.
Yipppeee for Emma Thompson. Yes, I know Emma's not a leading man, but she is working on a new project, a remake of My Fair Lady, to star Carey Mulligan as Eliza Doolittle and rumour is that she's tapped Colin Firth to play Henry Higgins, with Hugh Grant in a supporting role. Emma has said in interviews that she was dissatisfied with the original film version's sugary tak...

Happy 50th to Colin Firth, Actor Extraordinaire

Victoria here, wishing many happy returns to Colin Firth, another actor that fascinates me -- handsome, talented, versatile and all the other adjectives one can apply to British actors in the tradition of Olivier,  Gielgud, and so many others.  I wonder if Firth ever realized what a heart-throb he would become by playing Jane Austen's memorable hero in the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice, with a screenplay by Andrew Davies, produced by Sue Birtwistle and directed by Simon Langton for...

A Note From Kristine and Victoria

Windsor June 2010

As we approach our six month anniversary, Victoria and I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for their support of Number One London. Judging by the comments and emails we receive, you're enjoying this site, but not half as much as we enjoy blogging! It's really been a labour of love.
When we first started Number One London, one of our goals was to have a place where like minded Georgian, Regency and Victorian history addicts could share research and interesting stories ...

Mack the Knife

Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dearAnd it shows them pearly whiteJust a jackknife has old MacHeath, babeAnd he keeps it … ah … out of sight.
Ya know when that shark bites, with his teeth, babeScarlet billows start to spreadFancy gloves, though, wears old MacHeath, babeSo there's nevah, nevah a trace of red.
Now on the sidewalk … uuh, huh … whoo … sunny mornin' … uuh, huhLies a body just oozin' life … eeek!And someone's sneakin' 'round the cornerCould that someone be Mack the Knife?
Don't y...