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Hello everyone! :wave:
I have finally gotten around to cleaning out the clutter in the attic of my Victorian mansion (5300) in anticipation of a few future renovations. Already I have come across several items of historical interest hidden amongst the bric-a-brac, and I felt that I should share them, both for purposes of historical documentation and because they may be of interest to members here. I have only just begun the process of cleaning out the house, and hope that there may be more discoveries in the future. But on to the past...
The first item of interest is a pair of Daguerreotype portraits that I found in a dresser drawer. After doing some research, I have discovered that the photographs were taken in 1848 of the opera singer Jane Morndry (née Darling) and her husband, the pianist/composer Jean-Luc Morndry. The couple had a famously tumultuous relationship, partly due to the fact that Jane was by far the more well-known and successful during their lifetimes; this was not helped by the fact that Jane only spoke English and Jean-Luc only spoke French. The couple separated in 1850, a few years after sitting for this pair of twin Daguerreotypes. Jean-Luc soon turned to gambling and alcohol, dying penniless of an opium overdose in 1852. Rumors swirled in the public imagination that Jane or her lover, the infamous Count von Stein, had something to do with Jean-Luc's untimely death, and Jane saw diminished success on the stage. She died of consumption in 1858.
(https://i.ibb.co/Y8J8zX4/1-Daguerreotype.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/nCYt2px/2-Daguerreotype2.jpg)
The next item of interest is a painted portrait I found wrapped in a sheet and hidden at the back of a wardrobe in the corner of the attic. On the back of the painting is written: "Portrait of Pauline with a Parrot, 1901." I have not been able to identify the Pauline in the portrait (nor the parrot), but the painting is signed by Claude Playmonet. Playmonet appears to be a fairly-well known artist working largely in the impressionist style popular during the period. This portrait was painted toward the end of his life, and you can definitely see influences of the burgeoning Art Nouveau movement which he would help to shape.
(https://i.ibb.co/SsVd13p/3Pauline.jpg)
I hope to keep everyone updated on any new discoveries!
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Really interesting items you are unearthing :)
Thanks for sharing!
(please do introduce yourself)
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(please do introduce yourself)
...in the 'Welcome' topic.
Great creations sorry finds Klicky_Ghost
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Thanks, tahra and GrahamB! :) I have taken the suggestion and given a "short" introduction in the appropriate sub!
It has been several months since I inherited this mysterious old mansion from a distant and heretofore unknown relative, Henry Funnymoney, and I am just now finding the time to slowly go through its contents. I had heard that the old gentleman was a collector of sorts, but I never imagined the variety of interesting items to be found hidden throughout the house. Just the other day, I moved a dressing screen sitting against the wall in one of the bedrooms, and uncovered this lovely oval-framed portrait:
(https://i.ibb.co/p1Y0NDM/Portrait-Of-Molly-Brown2.jpg)
I instantly recognized the woman in the portrait as none other than the famed actress and entertainer Molly Brown! This portrait must date from the time of her European tour in the early 1880s. For those who may not know, Brown got her start performing in the saloons and dance halls of Colorado Springs in the early 1870s. From there, she moved to San Francisco, where she made a name for herself with her risqué and bawdy burlesque performances. It was here that she was discovered by Buffalo Bill Cody, who made her a star of his Wild West show. Molly Brown enjoyed tremendous success throughout Europe and America in the 1880s and 1890s, before retiring to her large estate in East Hampton.
I thought I might also expand on my previous post by sharing a few images I came across while doing research on the photographs posted previously. I found out that there is a somewhat well-known portrait of Jean-Luc Morndry in the National Portrait Gallery in London. The portrait was painted in 1850, only a few years before Jean-Luc's death; I am guessing that after his passing the portrait came into the possession of his estranged wife, who was living in London at the time, and thence into the hands of the NPG.
(https://i.ibb.co/hRSk85h/Portraitof-Jean-Luc-Morndry.jpg)
In my previous post I mentioned the infamous Count von Stein, who was Jane Morndry's lover toward the end of her life. The Count was an infamous playboy in his day, famous for his dalliances with married women. He spent the 1840s and 50s hopping from capital to capital, hanging about all of Europe's most exclusive artistic circles. Von Stein caused a scandal in 1862 when one of his spurned lovers committed suicide after the Count had blackmailed her with evidence of her infidelity. Later in life, von Stein served as a long-standing member of parliament; he lived to the ripe old age of 88, outliving all 4 of his children. The first photograph is a Daguerreotype portrait of Count von Stein dating from the mid- to late 1840s, during the early years of his famous bon vivant lifestyle. The second photograph is much later, dating to around 1890; it depicts an older Count von Stein with a memorial portrait featuring his four children.
(https://i.ibb.co/swzFD7Z/Count-Von-Stein2.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/QnB9fGw/Count-Von-Stein4.jpg)
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I'm loving these wonderful portraits of colourful characters from the past!
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It reminds me 100+ years ago they used to dress up dead people and put them in as natural poses as possible, as would they still be alive, to then take pictures :skull:
;D
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I'm loving these wonderful portraits of colourful characters from the past!
Thanks, GrahamB! :wave: I hope I will continue to make discoveries around the house that may be of interest to more than just myself.
It reminds me 100+ years ago they used to dress up dead people and put them in as natural poses as possible, as would they still be alive, to then take pictures :skull:
Ah, yes! I hear people were dying to be photographed back then. ::) (Okay, I'll show myself out :-[ ). Though I can't imagine wanting to keep a picture of a dead relative as a keepsake today, there is something touching—though slightly unnerving nonetheless—about Victorian post-mortem photography.
Who knows but that I may yet find some portrait of the dead somewhere around the house! ;)
Why, just this morning I was rifling through some papers, long forgotten in a deep drawer of a dusty desk located in the study, when I found this most lovely watercolor portrait hidden at the very bottom, seemingly untouched by the hands of time:
(https://i.ibb.co/TmZ8DHv/Portrait-Of-Paulinewith-Posies2.jpg)
On the back of the unframed picture is written in a delicate hand: "Portrait of Pauline with Posies and a Pussycat" with the date 1905. The picture is unsigned, and I do wonder if the portrait was painted by an accomplished friend or relative of the sitter. Watercolor painting was considered a very genteel pastime during the period, to be sure. I still have not been able to identify the mysterious Pauline in the portrait—there does not appear to be a Pauline in the previous families who owned the house, which dates to the early 1870s. Perhaps continuing the search will yield more clues?
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Great pics, made all the better by the stories! :gent:
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Great pics, made all the better by the stories! :gent:
Thanks Macruran! :wave: I consider myself lucky to be finding such well-preserved items of interest.
Just today, I finally had time to go through some of the old books filling the long-untouched shelves of the study. Among the interesting old tomes, I was amazed to discover several antique albums filled with carte-de-visite photographs dating from the late 1870s through to the early 1900s! While many of the photographic portraits are of normal, everyday people (like the friends and family of previous owners), there are quite a few photographs depicting illustrious persons and notable celebrities of the day.
For instance, I came across this lovely portrait below of Anna Louise LaBelle, one of the first women in Europe to earn a formal degree in chemistry. LaBelle was one of the few people to conduct research into early thermoplastics, paving the way for their use in a variety of everyday objects. LaBelle was famous for her saying "everything is chemistry and chemistry is everything." Unfortunately, many of the chemicals used by LaBelle in her research were toxic in large doses, and she died relatively young in 1918; however, she had lived to see her research put to great use with many applications in the medical industry, which saw widespread use during the First World War.
(https://i.ibb.co/Ky3GR9L/Portrait-B.jpg)
I also came across this interesting photograph of Bertha Mills and her governess/teacher, Mary O'Clare. Bertha Mills was born blind, deaf, and without the ability to move her body in 1873 to a wealthy family in Boston, Massachusetts. Bertha was seemingly cut off from the outside world entirely, trapped in her own body and mind. When she was six years old, the family hired Mary O'Clare to be her governess. May had been a teacher to the deaf, and she developed a method of communication with Bertha using a system of blinks, which soon developed into a full language. Not only did Bertha learn to communicate, but she quickly became a child prodigy, excelling in the areas of mathematics and physics. By the time she was 13 years old (when this photograph was taken), Bertha was giving lectures on advanced mathematical concepts, with Mary acting as her interpreter. Bertha Mills would eventually go on to study at university, earning a doctorate in mathematics in 1894. She would go on to become a distinguished professor, defining several important mathematical concepts; Mary O'Clare would stay by her side until the end of her life, helping Bertha to navigate the world and communicate her unique wisdom.
(https://i.ibb.co/GfwT7ns/Portrait-D.jpg)
Perhaps even more exciting, I happened upon a large trunk in a corner of the cellar which I have not yet fully explored. Inside the trunk, I was shocked to discover another beautiful framed portrait, this one entitled "Portrait of Pauline in Pink."
(https://i.ibb.co/xsWhKWV/Portraitin-Pink2.jpg)
This appears to be the same Pauline seen in previous portraits with that name. But who is she? The only clue here is the signature of the aritst: "Alfred Stitzl, 1916." Stitzl is another artist of some renown, working largely in the Early Expressionist style seen here. The bold colors, dynamic lines, and slightly warped perspective seen in this painting are characteristic of the style; the symbolism with the white lilies and the white Bible on the table are characteristic of Stitzl's work.
The identity of Pauline remains a mystery for now. Sometimes, lying alone in this dark old house at night, I swear I can almost here a voice whisper the name: Pauline...
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I love your Artwork and your take on these historical figures :love:
What a wonderful idea to match these stunning and so creative pictures with stories of these colourful characters :)
Thank you so much for sharing these pictures and stories with us :thanks:
Great thread that I will always have pleasure visiting again :wave:
Karim
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As the day was damp and misty, I spent yesterday evening continuing to look through the many photograph albums in the study. Transfixed by the somber faces rendered in black and white, I scarcely noticed that darkness had fallen and the gentle drizzle of rain had turned into a heavy downpour. When I got up and flipped the switch to turn on the light, I realized that the electricity had gone out throughout the house! Luckily, there are plenty of old oil lamps and candles that I then put to good use. With the study lit in a dim and eerie glow, I continued to peruse the portraits; in the flickering light, their eyes seemed to follow my gaze across the pages. After looking at so many old photos, one begins to feel almost haunted.
And haunted I well may be after what I discovered next!
As Hadoque mentioned earlier in the thread, there was a fashion during the 19th century for photographing subjects post mortem. While this may seem strange to us today, one must remember that we live in a world where we may have hundreds of pictures of friends and loved ones to serve as keepsakes and mementos; during the early days of photography, one was lucky to have even one photographic portrait by which to remember one's relatives.
Last night, in the ghostly light of the study, I came across one such post mortem photograph.
(https://i.ibb.co/0np9SjF/Memorial-Portrait.jpg)
On the back of the photograph is written: "Memorial portrait of Lydia Ashburn with parents, Mr. & Mrs. John T. Ashburn, 1889." John Ashburn was a well-to-do banker in town, and the Ashburn family was one of the early families to live in the house. I'm unsure if the photograph was taken in a studio or in the house, but the wallpaper does seem to match that found in the dining room downstairs :o
The 19th century also saw mainstream interest in spiritualism—the idea that the living could interact with and communicate with the spirits of the dead. As one may imagine, this led to all sorts of frauds and hoaxes, from so-called psychics and mediums, to special devices that could help one communicate with the spirit world. I tend to be a staunch skeptic in most cases, but sitting in that all-to-quiet study, lit with nothing but a dim and ghostly candlelight and the rain hitting upon the window glass, I began to wonder if I was truly alone in the room.
If the dead could speak, would we want to hear what they had to say?
I must confess, my heart skipped a beat when the light landed upon the image I found next...
(https://i.ibb.co/djSBf4r/Spirit-Photography.jpg)
One of the more interesting phenomenon from this period was the fad of fraudulent "spirit photography." Often, an assistant or accomplice dressed in a sheet would sneak out behind the unsuspecting sitter while the picture was being taken; the ghostly image would only become apparent after the photograph was developed. This seems to be the case with the Daguerreotype photograph found above. The only information about the photograph is written on a paper tag inside, which says simply "Bernice, 1849."
To end the post on a slightly lighter note, I thought I would share a portrait of the previously-mentioned Count von Stein, of whom I already shared a few photos. The portrait, which dates to the early 1860s, hangs in one of the many luxurious châteaux just outside of Paris at which the Count stayed during his time in France.
(https://i.ibb.co/TcCNgcD/Von-Stein-Portrait.jpg)
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Priceless!
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Great stuff!
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In the light of the day, the old Victorian mansion seems far less threatening, and I almost feel silly for letting myself get spooked the other night. Since it was a bright and sunny morning, I opened all the windows to air out the dusty old place, and continued to sort through some cabinets in the sitting room.
In accordance with the fine weather, today's finds were far more pleasant than the previous discoveries...though, dare I say, a good deal racier.
In a large leather-bound portfolio full of papers, I came across two old advertising playbills featuring the famed Miss Lorraine "Lola" Montez. Lola was one of the top cabaret performers at the Moulin Rouge during the 1890s and early 1900s. The advertisements seem to be directly referencing one of Lola's popular acts in which she performed an entire set while lounging in a bathtub. Even though she was fully clothed, this caused a sensation that made her famous. These prints date to around 1901.
(https://i.ibb.co/NmNrsgW/Lola2.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/djNzPnG/Lola4.jpg)
For those who may have felt that poor "Bernice" from the last post was cheated out of a proper portrait by an unscrupulous photographer, fear not—I have come across another portrait of Bernice DuBois, this one a proper portrait painted around the same time as the previously-seen "ghost image."
(https://i.ibb.co/CbVPcRt/Portraitof-Bernice.jpg)
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I adore your creative work in terms of the treatment you applied to these wonderful pictures :love: :love: :love:
Each picture tells a story of its own in such a lively way !
Are you on Instagram at all ?
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Love the pictures and the stories:)
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Alright I’ll admit that I had no idea what was going on with these great pictures at first. I was like, cleaning out your Victorian mansion? Have people taken these pictures in the past, do you have a Victorian mansion or is it the set you referenced...confusion has mostly passed and now realize my brain still has a lot to learn : )......anyway, these pictures are great, a lot of talent and the background stories add a lot as well. Great job!
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Thank you to everyone for the very kind and encouraging comments! :love: I am definitely not a photographer, so I am still learning how to take decent pictures of Playmobil, as well as working out things like proper lighting, angles, and photo editing. I am definitely having fun experimenting, and I am glad that these are enjoyable to others. Feel free to offer any ideas or suggestions (as well as critiques)!
I adore your creative work in terms of the treatment you applied to these wonderful pictures :love: :love: :love:
Thank you! I am using a combination of Adobe Photoshop CS3, and the VirtualPainter program. I am looking forward to trying out the programs you mentioned in another thread!
Are you on Instagram at all ?
I am, but only as a personal account that posts pictures of historical buildings and houses in my local area. I would consider setting up a secondary account for Playmo-pictures if that is the sort of thing that might be enjoyed there.
Alright I’ll admit that I had no idea what was going on with these great pictures at first. I was like, cleaning out your Victorian mansion?
Sorry for the confusion! 8} When initially creating this thread, I wasn't sure whether to include it under the "Photography & Graphics" category or the "Story-Telling" category, as it is a bit of both. I ultimately decided on the former, since the main focus was the pictures and graphics, and the story was more of a narrative framework to give context to the pictures. Plus, that's kind of how I've always played with my Playmobil—giving them elaborate and probably unnecessary histories and backstories. When I was a child and mostly played with the knights sets, I would often put my Playmobil on trial for treason or witchcraft and sentence them death, complete with a public execution. Of course, this was in the days before taking pictures was as simple as it is now, so I have no documentation of these events (Which is probably a good thing :P ). Now, I'm mainly obsessed with the 19th century. I do own the Victorian mansion (set 5300), but I don't want to post pictures of it until the renovations are complete, which will probably not be until late summer. ;)
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Great pictures, it seems you have many sets and accessories according to the pictures! I'm looking forward to see more hidden treasures ;)
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No I think I was the only one confused at first, my brain is just slow. I think it is all terrific and I love the history/backstories you have provided. Well done!..
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As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, the relative from whom I inherited this large Victorian mansion was quite the collector—though "hoarder" might be a more apt term. There seems to be no end to the pictures & paintings, art & antiques—not to mention knicknacks and bric-a-brac—and I have been so busy searching through the cluttered collection, that I often entirely miss gems that are hidden right in front of my face.
A good example is the painting hanging above the fireplace in the sitting room. I had never paid much attention to the painting until today, when I was dusting the fireplace mantel and noticed the signature in the corner of the painting: "La Lande." It was then that I realized that this was a painting by none other than the famed 19th century artist Henri Louis La Lande! La Lande gained prominence in the 1860s with his highly detailed portraits of European nobility. After doing some research, I have discovered that this painting is an 1886 piece entitled "A Musical Party," and features three prominent figures of late 19th-century London high society.
In the center at the harp is Lady Edwina Elliott; she is perhaps better known for her series of autobiographical books detailing her life in India, where her husband worked for the Viceroy. To the right playing the violoncello is Sir Henry Hastings, a long-standing Member of Parliament and a favorite of Queen Victoria. To the left at the pianoforte is Madame Denise Deschamps, a French émigré with a mysterious past who was rumored to be a spy.
(https://i.ibb.co/c2Dnx4T/The-Musical-Party-copy.jpg)
There seems to be a solo portrait by La Lande of Lady Edwina painted at the same time, which now hangs at the National Portrait Gallery:
(https://i.ibb.co/YfDL4f8/Portrait-of-Edwina.jpg)
In the corner of the sitting room is a much smaller painting which I had seen several times before, but it was only today that I realized that the woman in the painting is none other than Pauline! There is no other information on the painting—no date, no signature, no title—that would help shed light on the identity of Pauline, but this must surely date to around the same period as the Stitzl portrait, or slightly before.
(https://i.ibb.co/C9bqfLy/Pretty-Pauline.jpg)
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Rather late to the post, but MY GOODNESS these are fantastic! What a delightful treasure trove you've discovered! ;) I would adore to have some copies in my own humble mansion simply because of how lovely they are. Looking forward to more of your findings! :love:
( P)Nerd Alert! P)) And as for the dead people in portraits, the proper term is Memento Mori I believe.
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My dear Playmofriends, I do apologize for my long absence and hope all has been well! :wave: Business had taken me out of the country, quite far away from my Victorian mansion and its trove of time-worn treasures. You must not imagine, however, that my discoveries have ceased. Some weeks ago, I discovered two paintings in the upstairs drawing room, hidden behind a cabinet that had been haphazardly moved in front of them. Both were unrecognizable, being covered in layers of soot and smoke, likely from being long hung above an old fireplace.
Before I left, I gave these two paintings to a restoration specialist who was able to perform a wonderful cleaning on both of them, and I was quite delighted to come back to these two Regency-era beauties:
(https://i.ibb.co/MPj5mxF/Portrait1.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/kGkB6Cy/Portrait2.jpg)
The portraits were painted at the same time—around 1811—and the sitters are sisters, the daughters Sir Thomas Hedgeford, Third Earl of Gumbury. The first is the eldest daughter, Lady Augusta, about nineteen or twenty years old at the time of the painting. The second is the younger daughter, Lady Georgiana, about seventeen or eighteen. Rumor has it that the sisters were the inspiration behind Elinor and Marianne Dashwood in Jane Austen's novel Sense & Sensibility.
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This thread is wonderful, I love what you have done with the photographs and different styles of paintings, and the stories behind them all.
Very inspiring.
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Thank you for the kind compliments, Raven! :wave:
This morning, under the auspices of dusting, I spent a couple hours perusing some of the old volumes that have been quietly sitting on the bookshelves in the study. I became quite engrossed with a handsomely-bound copy of Goethe's Faust printed in 1878, where I discovered two wonderful illustrations.
The first is a fine etching of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe himself at the front of the book:
(https://i.ibb.co/Fwtf3Kb/Goethe1.jpg)
The second is an illustration of Faust himself, studying the sign of the Macrocosmos and preparing to summon the Earth-spirit.
(https://i.ibb.co/b2nM7VD/Faust1.jpg)
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:inlove: :easterhop: