Lenora Rogers's Blog, page 4
April 15, 2018
Harriet Hanks, Lincoln’s Cousin-Niece
It’s a complicated family line.
The Lincoln-Hanks Kinship
Abraham Lincoln, as everyone knows, was the son of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks.
A photograph of Thomas Lincoln, coupled with an “imagined” picture of Nancy Hanks Lincoln.
Nancy Hanks, Abe’s mother, had an aunt, also named Nancy Hanks, who had an illegitimate son named Dennis, born in 1799, about seven years before Tom Lincoln and Nancy Hanks married. At an early age, Dennis (whose mother presumably die...
March 26, 2018
Artist of the Month: Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
Ernst Gombrich famously said in his book ‘The Story of Art’: “There really is no such thing as Art. There are only artists.” If we are to look at art through this provocative statement, one of art history’s brightest artists is Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), who found fame and fortune painting wonderful pictures that gleamed with radiant light and colour. He was especially famous for his intimate portraits of beautiful women, children, flowers and peasant scenes. Importa...
A guide to entertaining in Regency London
Social Meetings
The social meetings of the fashionable world consist of balls, musical parties, and routs. The latter appear to be formed on the model of the Italian conversaziones; except that they are in general so crowded, as entirely to preclude conversation. Cards, upon these occasions, are usually provided for the senior part of the company.
An evening party, George Cruikshank. The Met
General Expense of these Entertainments
The expense attendant on these entertai...
Salem Film Fest 2018
It is that time of year again: time for the annual Salem Film Fest, now in its eleventh year and very firmly established on the cultural calendar. Over the years, it has been very inspiring to see the festival’s growth: in terms of participation, attendance, offerings and impact. The care taken with curation is always very apparent to me: resulting in a nice balance of films with themes that are global and local, environmental and material, very serious and a bit more whimsica...
March 18, 2018
Book Corner: Mary, Tudor Princes by Tony Riches
History... the interesting bits!
From the author of the international best-selling Tudor Trilogy, the true story of the Tudor dynasty continues with the daughter of King Henry VII, sister to King Henry VIII. Mary Tudor watches her elder brother become King of England and wonders what the future holds for her. Born into great privilege, Mary has beauty and intelligence beyond her years and is the most marriageable princess in Europe. Henry plans to use her marriage to build a powerful allianc...
March 12, 2018
Hellgate – He Lived for The Moment
Once upon a time, there were three brothers, with the surname Barry and with the nicknames ‘Newgate ’alias Augustus, as this was said to be the only prison he had been in. Henry, known as ‘Cripplegate’ due to his club foot and then there is the one we are going to look at, Richard Barry, the 7th Earl of Barrymore, better known as ‘Hellgate’ as this was the gateway he was destined to enter.
Richard as a child – how angelic! © National Portrait Gallery, London
Richard wa...
Interview: Glenn Richards talks about Augie March’s new album Bootikins and their upcoming tour.
It is true what they say, there is nothing like Augie March. This is a band that has created a distinct sound and loyal following worthy of any Australian band that has come before them. As much as their enigmatic band leader Glenn Richards seems to believe they will be forgotten in time, many of us believe that their musical style heightened with an array of complex and poetic lyrics and melodies will never be forgotten.
They first formed in 1996 and have travelled far and w...
March 6, 2018
March 5, 2018
Rosicrucians: Out of Darkness
In the 18th century, some four hundred years after the Templar Order had been forced out of the limelight. They were to emerge as an influential Order within Masonic and Rosicrucian beliefs.
Karl Gottheff, Varon von Hund, founder of the Strict Observance Rite, who established Templar traditions, Templar rules within the Masons. Baron von Hund had been initiated into the Paris Lodge, led by Lord Kilmarnock, Grand Master of Scottish Freemasons, and the Guardians of Templar...
