Lenora Rogers's Blog, page 64
October 10, 2016
Zenobia – Warrior Queen
Zenobia was a 3rd century warrior queen who claimed she was descended from none other than Cleopatra. She is known for conquering Egypt and thwarting the Roman Empire.
Born in Palmyra in Syria, Zenobia’s given Roman name was Julia Aurelia Zenobia. It’s reported that as a child she learnt the riding skills which would serve her well in her warrior future.
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501 Treasures of Byzantium: No. 41-50.
The History of the Byzantine Empire
This surprising treasure resides in the Cathedral of Troyes, in France. It is believed that it was brought from Constantinople to Troyes, by bishop Jean Langlois, after the great city was sacked during the Fourth Crusade in 1204.
Despite some obvious cracks in the lid and end panels, the Troyes casket is incredible. It is made entirely from sculpted ivory panels th...
1. Intro to Making Tutankhamen’s Nemes Crown
“He had grown old: his bones became silver; his flesh, gold; his hair of lapis lazuli . . .” (1)
The Death Mask and Crown of Tutankhamun(2)
WhenI look at the death mask of Tutankhamun with theview to recreate it, the first question I have to ask myself is how muchis itartistic representation? The Ancient Egyptians were notorious for using art as propaganda. How much of it was gold or lapis lazuli? How much was cloth? donkey or goat hair? faience (an ancient mouldable glass...
You gotta know when to fold ’em…
The bald, bearded gent who sat at the gaming table of the renowned Casino de Monte Carlo in the summer of 1891 had a certain austere dignity about him. At 50 years of age, Charles Deville Wells certainly had the gravitas and demeanour of a businessman, not a gambler. Yet, his exploits there on July 28 would see him go down in history, and a popular song would be sung to celebrate his achievement for being ‘The Man Who Broke The Bank at Monte Carlo’.
‘Breaking the bank’ mean...
Racism in Opera: Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess
On the 10th of October 1935, George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bessopened inthe Alvin Theatre onBroadway, New York. A few years earlier, Singer Al Jolson attempted to musicalise the story starring as a comic blackface Porgy, his minstrel shows, an unacceptable racist concept nowadays. The Broadway opening was unprecedented in U.S. history due to the fact that it featured an all-African American cast of classically trained opera singers. The work amalgamated European orchestral tec...
Hawks Stones, Stansfield Moor, Near Todmorden, West Yorkshire
Hawks Stones (as seen from Kebs Road, near Todmorden).
Hawks Stones, near Todmorden (strange shaped rocks).
OS grid reference: SD 9233 2735. A gritstone outcrop at the western edge of Stansfield Moor above Kebs Road, near Todmorden, in west Yorkshire. Like its near neighbour, Bride Stones, Hawks or HawkStones has many strange-shaped weather worn rocks and boulders that were first laid-down many millions of years ago, and then fashioned by a retreating glacier...
Roosevelt and Remington: The Cowboy and the Sculptor
Theodore Roosevelt was an unlikely cowboy. Frederic Remington was an unlikely sculptor of the West.
Roosevelt the Cowboy
Theodore Roosevelt was a sickly child who built his body by sheer will and exercise.
Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)was a wealthy New Yorker by birth and upbringing. A nearsighted and asthmatic child, he overcame much of his frailty by sheer will and family encouragement. His physical weaknesses helped channel his interest in natural science how...
October 9, 2016
William de Warenne, the Conqueror’s Man
History... the interesting bits!
William de Warenne, 1st earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 1st earl of Surrey, was a younger son of Rodulf de Warenne and his wife Beatrix. It is possible that Beatrix was a niece of Duchess Gunnor of Normandy, making young William a cousin of William the Bastard, duke of Normandy. The family name is probably derived from the hamlet of Varenne, part of the Warenne lands in the department of Seine-Inférieure, Normandy. William’s older brother, Rodulf or Ralp...
October 8, 2016
The Arnold Expedition arrives in Ipswich, September 15, 1775
This memorial sits in the intersection between the South Green and the site of the former South Congregational Church in Ipswich. It reads, “The expedition against Quebec, Benedict Arnold in command, Aaron Burr in the ranks, marched by this spot, September 15, 1775.”
[image error]In September, 1775, Gen. Montgomery set out from Lake Champlain totake Quebec fromthe British forces.Another force of Continental Army troops set off from Cambridge, MA with an infantry ofriflemen under the...
