Kristine Hughes – Page 204 – Number One London

On The Shelf – A Yank Back to England

A Yank Back to England: The Prodigal Tourist Returns by Denis Lipman – The cover blurb for this book reads, “Denis Lipman left London’s East End for Washington, DC more than 20 years ago, but made an annual pilgrimage year after year to visit aging parents, a pair of cantankerous, real-life Cockneys. He endured the visits as best he could. Enter an American wife. Not content with a grin-and-bear-it attitude, she declares that since the trip to England was inevitable, then it was to be enjoyed: see things, go places! Against his will, our expat becomes a tourist in his homeland and discovers it’s not so bad after all, certainly better than remembered! Here is a travel memoir more carbolic than bucolic. Discover a place where the sun doesn’t always shine, where going to the loo can be an adventure, and where canned beans on toast is a cornerstone of cuisine. Taste the real East End and tour with a colorful group as they rent cottages, host outrageous relatives, meet the locals and discover the English countryside.”

This is a delightful account of Lipman’s almost annual trips back to England with his American wife Frances in order to visit his parents, Lew and Jessie. Most visits start at the old family home in Dagenham, an area firmly rooted in London’s East End. From here, David and Frances, his parents, and assorted aunts, uncles and cousins take off for parts unknown, usually a rented cottage in a picturesque (and often difficult to find) corner of England. Part memoir and part travelogue, A Yank Back to England tells the sometimes painfully honest tale of tiny tourist villages, seaside resorts, British food and assorted pubs, aging parents, the frailty and strengths of those we love, the reality of childhood memories and the glories of life, love and England.

At the end of A Yank Back to England, you’ll be reluctant to close the book. I continue to hope that Lipman will pick up the memoir where he left off. In the meantime, you’ll find Denis Lipman’s blog here.

Reviews:
“Here is England seen entire, from inside out, from bottom to top, as Denis Lipman returns from America to his working class family home in blighted Dagenham. From there he, his young American wife, and his cockney Mum and Dad embark on a series of funny, touching, madcap and even surreal adventures as they visit celebrated landmarks and holiday spots in England as well as a good many pubs. The result is an absolutely wonderful book, not only about going home again but also about love and family and tradition and the passage of the years.” –Michael Dirda, Pulitzer Prize-winning literary critic (Washington Post) and author of the memoir An Open Book

“A perceptive, engaging and informative take on contemporary England as seen through the eyes of a fellow expatriate who writes with humor and affeciton. The case of characters has an almost Dickensian vivacity.” Michael York, actor.

The Raglan Collection

On 4 April 2012, Christie’s Auction House in London offered The Raglan Collection: Waterloo, Wellington and The Crimea at the South Kensington saleroom, 85 Old Brompton Road. This private collection from Cefntilla Court, Monmouthshire – the ancestral home of the Barons Raglan since 1855 – included important historical medals, arms and armour, militaria, pictures, furniture, silver, books, Indian weapons and works of art, as well as a selection of enthnographic art. The collection is being sold by order of the Executors of Fitzroy John Somerset, 5th Baron Raglan (great-great-grandson of the 1st Baron Raglan). The collection comprises over 300 lots and was expected to realize in excess of £750,000.

Prior to the sale, Amelia Elborne, Specialist and Head of Sale commented, “FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, was one of the most well-known British soldiers of the early 19th century. His career spanned service at the right hand of Britain’s greatest soldier, the first Duke of Wellington for almost 40 years, during the Peninsular War, at Waterloo, and as Private Secretary, through to his command of British forces in The Crimean War – Raglan’s legacy is of foremost importance. This fascinating collection chronicles Lord Raglan’s role in some of the most famous battles in British history, as well as featuring more personal items stemming from his relationship with ‘the Iron Duke’ and the family he created with his wife, Lady Emily Wellesley-Pole, Wellington’s favourite niece. The collection comes to auction from Cefntilla Court, the Monmouthshire home which was given by a group of admirers to the son of Lord Raglan after the Field Marshal’s death in June 1855 – before what would eventually be victory in The Crimea. The selection on offer has been collected by the 1st Baron Raglan as well as by his descendants – almost all military men themselves – including the 3rd Baron Raglan, a politician and governor of the Isle of Man, and the 4th Baron Raglan, an anthropologist and collector.”

Highlights from The Collection

Commissioned into the army at the age of fifteen, Lord FitzRoy Somerset became the Duke of Wellington’s Aide-de-camp in 1808, at the age of twenty, as Captain. Somerset proved himself in battle, bearing the dispatches after Talavera (1809) and receiving a wound at Busaco (1810). He played a distinguished role in the bloody storming of Badajoz in 1812 and fought at the battles of Salamanca (1812), Vitoria (1813) and Toulouse (1814), after which he was made KCB. He was awarded the Peninsular Gold Medal (with clasps for Badajoz and Salamanca) illustrated right and the Peninsular Gold Cross (with five clasps) illustrated far right. These latter medals were instituted by the Prince Regent on behalf of his ailing father, George III, to reward senior officers for their service in the Peninsula. For his first battle the recipient would be awarded a gold medal, for his second and third two clasps, and thereafter the exquisite gold cross (with clasps). In total, only 165 crosses and

clasps were ever awarded.

A magnificent gold and diamond-hilted sword presented to General Don Alava by the city of Vitoria in gratitude, who then gave it to his great friend and comrade-in-arms, Lord FitzRoy Somerset. It is believed that Alava holds the distinction of being the only person to have been present at both Trafalgar and Waterloo – one as opposition and the other as an ally to the British. Estimate: £30,000-50,000. Photo: Christie’s Images Ltd 2012

The medals are included in the highly important and exceptionally rare group of honorary awards and medals awarded to Field Marshal Lord Raglan (estimate: £250,000-350,000). The field marshal’s baton that Raglan was awarded after his victory at Inkerman in the Crimea (a rank that had been created for Raglan’s mentor Wellington after his success at Vitoria) is also included in the lot. Designed by the Prince Regent, and presented by Queen Victoria, the deep red velvet baton is decorated with small gold lions, and the base is engraved: “From Her Majesty Alexandrina Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to Field Marshal The Lord Raglan G.C.B. 1855‟, with maker’s mark WN for William Neal, hallmarks for 18 carat gold, London and 1854; it is surmounted by a figure of St. George slaying the dragon. Somerset’s Waterloo Medal, issued in 1816-17 and the first award given by the British government to all soldiers present at a battle, as well as his Crimea Medal with four clasps are also included in the lot. The lot comprises a total of twelve awards and medals, and is accompanied by a letter signed by Frederick, Duke of York as commander-in-chief to Lord FitzRoy Somerset, Horse Guards, 21 September 1813.

As Wellington’s right-hand-man for almost forty years, the collection includes a number of lots related to the first Duke of Wellington, including a mahogany armchair by Holland and Sons, used by Wellington in his office at Horse Guards (estimate: £4,000-6,000). Somerset married Lady Emily Wellesley-Pole, the daughter of Wellington’s brother William Wellesley-Pole later third Earl of Mornington, and Wellington’s favourite neice. Wellington gave many personal treasures to Emily, including a diamond-set gold bracelet containing a lock of his hair (estimate: £1,500-2,000), and a heavy Indian gold ring which he had purportedly taken from Tipu Sultan, after the Battle of Seringapatam in 1799 (estimate: £10,000-15,000).

It is the great-grandson of Baron Raglan who is putting the collection up for auction. The collection comes from the family house of Cefntilla Court in Monmouthshire, Wales, which has been the seat of the Barony since 1855. Meanwhile it has emerged that Lord Raglan’s heir has put Cefntilla Court (above) on the market at a guide price of £2 million. The chairwoman of a Gwent civic society has called for a “tragic” sale of war memorabilia from the home of Lord Raglan to be stopped. Ms Morse said Usk Civic Society, which Lord Raglan served as president of from 1973 until he died in 2010, was shocked by the sales: “We are pretty sure that he would have wanted it all kept together.” She said that the house was given to the son of the first Lord Raglan, FitzRoy Somerset, in recognition of his father’s achievements as a soldier and to be with the family for perpetuity.

UPDATE: The Sale ha
s been postponed, with a Christie’s spokesperson saying this week: “The auction has been postponed pending resolution of a legal claim filed by a family member.” Bettina Harden, of the Raglan Rescue campaign to keep the best parts of the collection together and in this country, said: “The battle may have been won, but now the war begins.” The injunction will be reviewed in May. If it is not extended, this allows campaigners only a short time in which to raise the necessary funds. The collection has been valued at £750,000 and the house at £2 million.

We’ll bring you updates on the debate as they are received.

Centenary of the Titanic Sinking

The White Star ocean liner RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912, after striking an iceberg. Though the ship had been touted as “unsinkable,” more than 1,500 lives were lost in the disaster. Every man, woman and child in the U.S. and U.K. probably knows this story.

The story has been told and retold in so many formats that it is almost impossible to ignore. And you are no doubt aware of all the re-telling underway for this centennial observance. Soon we will all be watching (or enduring) another Julian Fellowes creation, much hyped after the success of his Downtown Abbey series.

a photo of an old book just like the one my grandmother owned

I first learned about the Titanic from a book published in 1912 that I found on Mimi’s (my grandmother) bookshelf. She remembered hearing about the disaster as a young married woman and gave the book to me when she eventually moved into a care center. I read every word over and over, studied the pictures and imagined what happened on the doomed ship. Nevertheless, I am an enthusiastic boater, sailor, cruiser and all things aquatic. Who’da thunk it?

I loved the pictures especially, black and white artists’ renderings of the interior of the vessel as well as the lifeboats, the icy waters and the ship slipping below the surface while the orchestra played Nearer My God to Thee. It stirred the heart of a little girl — and still stirs the heart of a considerably older and more experienced me!

Grand Staircase in First Class

The movie set, 1997

Probably all of us remember the movie Titanic, staring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, in 1997. A version in 3-D is in movie theatres now — or will be soon.

But it did not make anything like the impression on me that the film A Night to Remember (1958) made. I think I lost sleep for weeks. Maybe it had something to do with my age — then and now!!

Ceremonies are already underway in Belfast where the ship was built. And there will be many other observances on the anniversary.

The Memorial in Belfast

Since soon after the wreck was discovered, exhibitions of materials from the ship have been traveling around the world. I admit to having seen it twice and will probably go again someday. When we entered, they gave us cards with the names of passe
ngers. At the conclusion of the exhibition we learned whether “we” survived or were among the lost. The first time, I survived, but not the second time I visited.

Titanic artifacts

One of the most compelling stories for me as a child was the fate of the skipper, Captain Edward J. Smith, who, in the naval tradition, went down with his ship. He was one of the 1,500+ who died that night; his remains were never recovered.

RMS Titanic Captain E. J. Smith

I suppose I will not be able to resist watching the new Titanic mini-series when it is shown in the U.S. But given my disappointment with the cliched characters and trite plot of Downton Abbey, I predict similar disappointment — the early reviews use terms such as “hectic” to describe it.

However, I will continue to treasure the vision I have of the doomed ship — acquired so long ago they are indelible! Many thanks to Mimi for giving me the book!!

Shakespeare's Sisters: Women Writers 1500-1700

At the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D. C., I recently visited a fascinating exhibition entitled Shakespeare’s Sisters: Voice of English and European Women Writers, 1500-1700. The exhibition website is here.

The exhibition began with a famous passage from Virginia Woolf’s 1929 volume A Room of One’s Own: “(W)hat would have happened had Shakespeare had a wonderfully gifted sister, called Judith, let us say…it needs little skill in psychology to be sure that a highly gifted girl who had tried to use her gift for poetry would have been so thwarted and hindered…that she must have lost her health and sanity.”

In Woolf’s day, little was known about women who might have written — and even published — in Shakespeare’s day. But recent scholarship has brought to light a number of such writers and some of their work is shown in this exhibition.

Georgette de Montenay, Emblemes ou devises Chrestiennes, 1619

Folger Shakespeare Library Collection

Obviously, due to the age and fragility of the books shown, photographs of them were not allowed, and due to the low light level, my photographs of the text panels are sometimes rather dim. Sorry about that, but I thought you’d rather see them as is than not. Refer to the website for the texts.

The exhibition is divided into several sections covering such subjects as Religious Writing, Love and Romance, and Families and Salons. Below, a panel celebrating poetry. In the center is Veronica Franco (1546-1591), a Venetian poet and courtesan.

The portrait of Franco is said to be by Tintoretto. A biography, The Honest Courtesan, by Margaret F. Rosenthal, was the basis of a film about Franco’s life.

The film, titled in the U.S. Dangerous Beauty (1998) starred Catherine McCormick as Franco, Jacqueline Bisset and Rufus Sewell. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the film’s story, but it does emphasize Franco’s writing talents as well as giving sumptuous views of 16th century Venice and its inhabitants.

To my knowledge, no one has filmed a life of Lady Anne Clifford, but her life would be good material for a creative screen writer and director.

A reproduction of a triptych (attributed to Jan van Belcamp) showing Lady Anne Clifford on either side; in the center panel is Margaret Russell, Countess of Cumberland, and George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, with their two sons, is on display.

Here is a closer view of Lady Anne Clifford at age sixteen.

Lady Anne Clifford was raised in the Court of Elizabeth I; she married the Earl of Dorset and later of Pembroke. Not only is she well known for her letters and diaries, she was also a dedicated patron of the arts and literature. She fought for her legal rights to the family estates for almost forty years before she gained success. She was truly a Renaissance woman. Below, Lady Anne at age 56.

Vita Sackville-West (1892-1962) wrote about Lady Anne in her study of her family and its great estate, Knole and the Sackvilles, published in 1922, and in introducing her works.

Vita Sackville-West

Sackville-West, close friend and colleague of Virginia Woolf, also wrote a biography of another of the exhibition’s subjects, Aphra Behn (1640-1689). Best known as a playwright, Behn also wrote novels and poetry. Her plays were very popular in the Restoration era theatre in England.

Aphra Behn by Mary Beale

Gravestone of Aphra Behn, in the Cloister of Westminster Abbey, London

The inscription: Here lies a Proof that Wit can never be

Defense enough against Mortality

I recommend spending time on the exhibition’s website, Shakespeare’s Sisters, for many further insights into this fascinating topic: Voices of English and European Women Writers, 1500-1700.

Below, the Folger Shop.

I would be remiss if I did not give the website of the Folger Shop which has wonderful books, catalogues, cards, and assorted items relating to the Woman Writers exhibition as well as to Shakespeare and his era. I highly recommend a visit to the Folger when you come to Washington, D.C. And what’s more: admission is free!

The Folger Shakespeare Library

Near the U.S. Capitol and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., stands the Folger Library, repository of 82 Shakespeare First Folios — the largest collection in the world by far of these precious volumes.

The Folger Library, 201 Capitol St. SE, was the gift to the United States of Henry Clay Folger (1857-1930) and his wife, Emily Jordan Folger (1858-1936). Mr. Folger and his wife were lifelong lovers of Shakespeare and collectors of his works, including First Folios, Quartos, artwork, mementos of performances, and additional material related to the Elizabethan Era and the theatre.

They planned the library as a repository of their collections and as a permanent institution in the U.S. for the scholarly study of Shakespeare and his era and the continuing appreciation of reading and performing his works. Built at a cost of $2 million, the library opened in 1932 with an original endowment of $10 million. The Folger is administered by the Trustees of Amherst College in Massachusetts, alma mater of H. C. Folger.

On the day I visited in March, students were performing snippets of the Bard’s plays and having a hilarious time doing so, under the direction of a professional actress in Elizabethan costume, and before an audience of fellow students, parents and teachers.

Below, a view of the Folger’s theatre, without the gleeful group, but showing all its timbered glory. The theatre is also used for fully staged productions, literary and theatrical awards ceremonies, performances of the Folger Consort, and other activities.

Folger Shakespeare Library, Elizabethan Theatre

The Folger presents many special exhibitions. The one I visited, Shakespeare’s Sisters, was enlightening. I will blog about it soon.

Central to the Folger’s mission is scholarship. Imagine how privileged one would be to receive a reader’s card and be able to conduct research here in the Reading Room. When I visited, we were allowed only a peek at the premises, which are reserved for serious studies. At the end of the room is the immense window depicting the Seven Ages of Man (from As You Like It).

The window, designed especially for the Folger, was executed by the Philadelphia stained glass studio of Nicola D’Ascenzo (1871-1954) in 1932.

Emily Jordan Folger by Frank O. Salisbury, 1927

Henry Clay Folger, by Frank O. Salisbury, 1927

On the exterior of the building, scenes from Shakespeare’s favorite plays are captured in white marble bas relief sculptures. Above, a Midsummer Night’s Dream. Below, Richard III.

Though the Folger’s mission focuses on a writer from hundreds of yeara go and his world, the library’s resources and techniques are decidedly up-to-date. Their website (here) is excellent, worth hours of browsing. Many parts of the collection are available digitally, as described here. Hamnet is their free on-line catalogue. The Folger has blogs, facebook pages, and can be found on itunes, youtube and twitter, among other sites. The Conservation Lab is in the forefront of preserving fragile and delicate materials.

First Folio, Folger Shakespeare Library

In 2011, the Folger sponsored an exhibition “Fame, Fortune, and Theft: The Shakespeare First Folio,” which told many stories of the creation, acquisition, sales and losses of these precious documents. Since the Folger has the world’s largest collection of First Folios (82 at present), it was the perfect venue to explore the topic. First Folios, in case you have forgotten your college Shakespeare facts, are editions of the Bard’s plays published in 1623, which contained many plays never before published. In the world today, just over 230 First Folios are known to exist.

One of many representations of Shakespeare at the Folger

The Founder’s Room

Portrait of Elizabeth I, the “Sieve” portrait

by George Gower, 1579

in the Folger Collection

The above costume replicating the Elizabethan gown in the portrait was worn by actress Michael Learned in the 2003 Folger Theatre production of Elizabeth the Queen by Maxwell Adnerson (1888-1959). Ms. Learned required the assistance of a dresser to put on the costume which weighed more than twenty pounds.