Yes, if your brain is research-wired, better bad than none at all. At least if it gets you involved and you start questioning this and that--sort of a bad road that gets you there anyway.
My parents bought a kind of what we could call now an encyclopedia for "tweens" now, called "The Wonderland of Knowledge" in the late '50's, shortly after I was born, along with a Colliers' set of adult encyclopedias plus the Year Books for several years. Sort of the closest thing to a multimedia education in those days. I spent many happy hours, especially during the summer months, between the ages of 9-12 studying the reproductions of Victorian costume history illustrations of people like Mary, Queen of Scots and the Empress Josephine in "The Wonderland of Knowledge." Would love to hunt down pics of the original paintings today as inaccurate as they might be to my better educated eyes forty years later. There was a Victorian era genre painting of a melancholy Mary, Queen of Scots, seated, holding something that looked more like an ornate rattle(perhaps some kind of rhythmn-keeper to the music) as David Rizzio plays the lute. It was maybe painted in the 1890's as Mary(as I recall)wore a full wagon wheel ruff, more suited to a 17th century Dutch upperclass woman, leg of mutton 1890's sleeves, the corseted, small waist-wide shoulders, wide skirt of the 1890's and probably the "Marie Stuart" cap. Another was the Empress Josephine, overcome with emotion, her head on an Empire(or the Victorian idea of one)chair, the rest of her becomingly drapped between chair and floor, with Napoleon looking regreatfully back at her as he opens the door to leave the room, after announcing he has to divorce her for the sake of the succession. Josephine appears no older than her twenties in the reprod of this painting, while Napoleon looks like he stepped out of one of his paintings in military dress, post becoming Emperor(sans the hand inside the jacket and vest pose--after all he has to open said door in the painting!) Cindy Abel [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Wicked Frau Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 10:35 AM To: Historical Costume Subject: Re: [h-cost] Empire I don't know. I guess to me, irrespective of any accuracy, it is a whole lot better than another 'reality' show. How many of us were introduced to history through less than accurate sources? I know I spent most of my youth absorbed in Greek and Roman mythology....I eventually found my way to "true" history. I rather like some of the casting choices. Cicero and Caesar for instance. Sg > > _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
