Greetings to all Full Circle friends and members,
In this edition of our newsletter we have:
UPDATES TO THE WITCHES BALL WEBSITE:
1) Location Page, Parking & Maps: This page has information on the San Jose Civic Auditorium. It also has parking maps, a list of free parking and information on public transit and directions to the downtown area.
2) Stores Selling Tickets: Borderlands Books in San Francisco is now selling Tickets to the ball. You can see a list of all the Bay Area stores selling tickets on our Tickets Page.
3) Need a ride to the ball? We have a Bulletin Board for arranging Carpools.
WEB
SITE CREDITS:
Lately,
folks have written in praising the 2002 Witches Ball site and asking who built
it. We hear and obey. For Your Information:
The Witches’ Ball Web Builder is also our Website Committee Chair, Captain Lightning. He is responsible for the all of the html & the on-line shopping carts on all of our websites. He has been our Web Wizard since we started FCE in 1999. He comes to us courtesy of Waverider Systems.
The majority of the text on the FCE and WB websites
comes from Yours Truly. I also have the
pleasure of doing the research for and finding the artwork you see on all of
the WB websites. All of the artwork
used this year is in the public domain.
Matt Cogswell designed the 2002 Art Nouveau inspired logo you see
at the top of every page of this year’s website. Matt is also the creator of this year’s WB Ticket design. Matt is one of the Founders of Deaf Eye
Design: http://www.deafeyedesign.com
Our original Witches Ball logo, the wonderful Black
Cat Buttons, and the color scheme used in the 2000 & 2001 web sites were
designed by Monica Tucker with help from Paul Wilcox. Matt Mazurek designed some of
the banner ads for our Sponsors. Last
year’s Fairy artwork was the work of British artist, Brian Froud and it
was used with his permission.
Monica and David Cole (another Techno-Wizard)
were invaluable members of the year 2000 web team. Monica aided us in the
creation of these pages, both as writer and editor. The artwork from that year came from my
collection of antique Halloween postcards. (I only collect “pretty” Witches, as
you can see.)
The Web Site team is also grateful to our members, FCE Council and to Hawk, our 2002 Witches Ball Director, for their helpful suggestions.
SAN FRANCISCO POSTER FAIR:
Many people have written in to say how much they love the poster art and paintings that decorate this year’s website. If you would like to own your own copy of these works, or if you just want to see more of the wonderful poster art from this period, then consider going to the 9th Annual San Francisco Poster Fair:
Here are the details: October 18, 19, and 20, 2002 at Herbst Theatre, Fort Mason. Friday Preview 5-9 pm $25 (good all weekend), Saturday 10 am-7 pm ($10 each day.), Sunday.11 am-6 pm ($15 both days)
For more information, visit http://www.yaneff.com. Yaneff is a dealer of rare and vintage Posters. We are very grateful to Greg Yaneff and Yaneff.com for the use of several images from their website.
The following is from a presentation given by Brandy Williams at the Seattle Pagan Scholars Position of Studies Tea, September 1997.
“What does it mean to be both Pagan and a scholar? What it means
more than anything else is to hear, over and over, that most Pagan scholarship
is bad scholarship. Academics say it. Christian theologians say it. And Pagans
say it. At a Temple Grove social I threw the flyer advertising this event in
front of a lively group of educated and intelligent Pagans. One of them picked
it up, read the title of my lecture, and commented: "The state of Pagan
scholarship? Terrible."
To read the rest of this speech,
please go to:
http://www.speakeasy.org/~bwilliam/scholars.html
WITCHES’ REED OF CHIVILARY:
Many Pagan groups either have or are working on their own Code of Ethics. Here is one group that has written a Witches Reed of Chivalry for just such a purpose. The language they use is archaic. You can use all or only part of it or re-write it for your own purpose. In any case, it might serve as a starting point when you choose to write your own Code. http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/chivalry.htm
Our team of professional photographers is back by
popular demand. They can take a picture
of you (or your group) in front of a beautiful background and make a
professional photo print for you on the spot.
Each photo print comes in it’s own protective folder and has “Witches
Ball 2002” printed on the bottom. The cost is $15 for one 5x7 photo print or two
prints for $25.00. .
Policy on Group Photos: For Groups of 6 or more, our photographers ask that the group purchase
1 print for every 2 people. Odd
numbered groups can negotiate a fair price that evening.
Some of the photos from last year’s ball can be found below. Please note: All these attendees have given
us permission to place their photos on this page: http://www.fullcircleevents.org/ball2001/pictures.shtml.
THE PAGAN BOOKSHELF:
This month on the Pagan Bookshelf we have;
Philosophy of Wicca by Amber Lane
Fisher
Wiccan, Editor of the Mother’s Magic website:
http://www.mothersmagic.net/
Review: While many books focus on spells and magic, few have comprehensively addressed the philosophical underpinnings of nature-based faiths. Philosophy of Wicca fills this void. This book details Wiccan beliefs and reveals the "how" and "why" of this burgeoning religion, exploring its place within a predominantly Christian society
New Witch Magazine hits bookstands this month. It comes to us from Blessed Be Publications. These folks produce:
PanGaia (a magazine for Earth Wise men & women) http://www.pangaia.com/,
SageWoman (which of written for women) http://www.sagewoman.com/ and the
Blessed Be Family Newsletter: http://www.blessedbee.com/
New Witch is an easy read. It is well written, light hearted and is aimed at ages 18-35. The magazine contains some frank discussions of sexual matters and honest, forthright reviews of books and music. These folks aren’t afraid to say if a new Pagan CD doesn’t cut it, which makes for a nice change. Most of the articles in this first issue seemed to be aimed at young people who are new to Earth Wise Spiritual practice. Hopefully, they will expand their focus to include some articles for the generation who were raised as Pagans.
CTHUUGLE:
Cthulhu fans rejoice.
Your search engine is finally here: http://cthuugle.com/.
Check out the H.P. Lovecraft library.
GETTING THE WORD OUT:
We could use your help getting the word about this year’s ball. We have
created a Witches Ball flyer, which can be downloaded from our website here:
http://www.fullcircleevents.org/ball2002/flyer.shtml
We are asking our friends and supporters to help us get this flyer up in
their area.
The best places for these flyers are:
College campuses * coffee
houses * independent book stores * comic book &
gaming stores * costume shops *New Age & Pagan stores * fabric &
quilting
shops * music stores * Veterinary offices * healing centers * health food
and organic grocery stores * craft stores * dog grooming salons * bead shops
* hair and beauty salons * stores selling musical instruments * pet food
stores
We rely on the Pagan community to get the word out via
flyers, web links to our site and via email to friends and newsgroups and we would like to
thank those of you who have helped us in the this way. Your support is greatly appreciated.
This comes to us courtesy of the Witch Way Is Up Project:
http://www.witchwayisup.com/mission.htm
DAUGHTERS OF DIVINATION:
Who, you may ask, are the Daughters of Divination?
“Formed in the
misty reaches of a few years ago, Daughters of Divination (DOD, not to be
confused with the Department of Defence) was formed to explore the
"Oracular Universe ™" and all its divinatory possibilities). DOD
helps to produce the San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium (SF BATS),
DivinationFest, and the Tarot Rumba Lounge, a divination salon. Through events,
The Belfry ("the finest piece of divinatory journalism in the Western
world!"), readings, and classes, DOD fosters investigation of the Universe
inside and outside the individual.”
Fun
loving and well respected, scholarly and hip. Check out the Daughters http://www.daughtersofdivination.com and the Bay
Area Tarot Symposium http://www.daughtersofdivination.com/Oct2002BATS.html
that
takes place on Saturday, October 19th.
CIGERETTE
GIRLS:
The
Witches’ Ball Raffle is also back by popular demand. This year we have an even
larger number of unique and wonderful prizes. Among these are two gorgeous
beaded shawls. Each shawl has one of
the famous “Mucha Women” designs on the front.
Alphonse Mucha is the well-known artist of the Art Neuveau school. His designs appeared on many posters from
the period and they remain very popular today.
The
Raffle prizes will be on display on the stage and in the hall at the Humane Society Table.
We have used art posters in our decorating design
in order to give our attendees the feeling of entering the artistic wonderland
that was the 19th century. These, too, are part of the raffle.
So, if
a beautiful “Cigarette Girl” comes up to you that evening with her box of
raffle tickets, please consider purchasing a $1.00 ticket. You may win a fabulous prize.
This
year we will also have one or two “Silent Auctions” for very special
pieces. These art items will be
scattered throughout the hall as a part of our decorating scheme. The items available for auction will have
forms that explain how the auctions work.
As
always, all of the money made from the sale of these raffle and art pieces will
be given directly to the Humane Society.
You do not have to be present when the Raffle numbers or the Auction
winners are announced to win your prize.
We will be happy to call you to let you know if you have won and we will
mail your prize to you after the ball.
PETS
IN NEED – A “NO KILL” SHELTER
I
often get urgent calls from people who have found a stray animal they need to
place or folks who have to suddenly give up their pet due to an unexpected life
change. Sadly, local rescue groups are
full and often can’t take any more animals. If you take an animal to a shelter
you risk having it put to sleep before it can be adopted. One alternative I recommend is Pets In Need,
a privately operated “no kill” shelter located in Redwood City: http://www.petsinneed.org/. If you are looking for a new pet or if you
have no place to take your animal friend, then consider Pets In Need.
Pets
In Need is privately funded and they can always use donations. Please consider them when you make your
charity donations at Yule time.
SEASON
OF THE WITCH
Well,
here we go again. It’s that time of
year when all the press articles appear about Witches and Pagans. Some of these articles will make us proud
and some will make us mad. If we are
lucky, some will actually have a fact or two embedded in the text.
The San Jose Mercury News
recently printed a nice article about
The Witches Ball and our Gaia’s Guardian Award. We were thrilled.
Good
luck getting through the “silly season” as you prepare for Samhain.
You
will find some good articles on Samhain here: http://www.witchvox.com/holidays/xsamhain.html
Here
is some excellent advice for the Press when dealing with Pagans: http://www.witchvox.com/xpress.html. If someone from the Press contacts you or
your group, you may want to ask them to look at this page, first.
Both
articles come to us courtesy of Wren & Fritz at The Witches Voice: http://www.witchvox.com
Here
is an interesting website from National Geographic that talks about “Witchcraft
hysteria” in Salem. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/salem/.
PHRENOLOGY,
ANYONE? OR WOULD YOU PREFER A GLASS OF ABSINTH?
Among
our entertainers at the ball will be a juggler and a world famous Phrenologist.
http://pages.britishlibrary.net/phrenology/.
Our café will offer food, as
well as absinth http://www.marimayans.com/history_absinthe_i.htm
and opium http://www.dimensional.com/~randl/opie.htm
in the form of green and purple slushies.
Those of you who prefer coffee http://www.bezzera.com/html/coffee_history.html will find it there, as well.
OPEN CIRCLE FINDS NEW RITUAL
SPACE
This announcement comes to us from Open Circles in Santa Cruz
"Open Circle"
has moved to a new location, The Pacific Cultural Center. The
Pacific Cultural Center is located at 1307 Seabright Ave, Santa Cruz. Open
Circle will be held upstairs in the very comfortable Gallery on the second
Sunday of every month. Gather at 2, ritual at 2:30. For more information
visit http://www.communityseed.org/
EVENTS
OF INTEREST:
October 5 - The Loch Lomond Highland Games – Ben
Lomond
The flyer says: This will take place at Highland Parks in Ben Lomond. For more information, contact 831-457-6716, llcs95@lochlomondceltic.org, or visit http://www.lochlomondceltic.org.
October 5 - Cooking with
Medicinal Herbs – Santa Cruz
The
flyer says: Taught by local herbalists and medicine makers, Debra Mayoff and
Dov Shoneman in Santa Cruz from 10am-5pm. Learn to; eat with the seasons, strengthen
immunity and resistance, use herbs as special foods, make homemade fermented
foods, constitutional cooking. Traditional healing recipes are used to make
medicinal meals. Cost: $60, includes lecture handouts, lunch, samplings, and
fun. To register, call 831-6377.
October 6, 2002 – Coven Nemorensis hosts The First Annual Crone's Tea - Sonoma
The flyer says: from 4-6pm near Cotati. This will be a
gathering of women elders to combine wisdom and magick for the community and
personal growth. For more information, contact ferne.campbell@att.net,
or visit http://www.covennemorensis.mybravenet.com/cronestea.html.
The flyer says: The theme for
this year's ball will be Bohemia and the Moulin Rouge. This is a costume ball,
a Pagan Pride Event and a charity event all rolled up into one. There will be
vendors, food, entertainment and dancing all night long. A portion of all proceeds will go to benefit
the Humane Society. For more
information go to http://www.fullcircleevents.org. Last year we had 600 attendees. This year we hope to have between 600 – 800
people attend.
October 19 - The San
Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium (SFBATS)
The flyer says: This will
take place at the Unitarian Universalist Center. More details to be announced
as plans progress. For more information, contact 415-753-5041.
October 25 –Spiral Dance –
East Bay
The
flyer says: Celebration of the Ancestors with Daughters of the Goddess in the
East Bay at 6:30pm. Open to all womyn desiring knowledge of and experiential
work with, the multi-faceted aspects of the Goddess, in ritual. While these are
not drop-in circles, you can confirm with Daughter's of the Goddess on the day
of ritual, if you want attend. Please bring a candle for the altar, rattles,
drums, blanket, pillow to sit on and food and drink to share. Cost: $40. Work
exchange and senior discount payment plans available. All women are welcome,
and no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. For more information,
contact Lellani Birelyi at 925-256-8109, Leimermaid@aol.com
or visit http://www.daughtersofthegoddess.com.
October 26 - The San Jose Book Shop hosts a Psychic
Fair
The flyer says: From 11:00AM – 6:00PM. There will be Clairvoyants - Tarot Readers - Numerology - Astrology - Reiki – Energy Healers. Admission is free. For more information, call the San Jose Book Shop at 408-446-0590.
October 26 - Samhain Ritual
- Menlo Park.
The
flyer says: Attendance is by invitation. For more information, please contact
Bianca at 408-265-5180, or Bill at 408-730-9622. Write to wabaldwin@aol.com, or visit their website at http://members.aol.com/wabaldwin/sbc.
October 27 – BAPA Samhain
Observance – Palo Alto
The
flyers says: An open public ritual featuring a different Pagan tradition each
month. Gateways are held from 6-8pm at the Palo Alto Unitarian Church located
at 505 E. Charleston Rd. Each Gateway begins with an informative talk, and both
the talk and the ritual are led by the practitioners of the religion presented.
The October Gateway will be presented by Penumbra, an eclectic Wiccan coven
from Santa Cruz. Penumbra will lead us in a Samhain observance honoring
our departed ancestors as well as loved ones who have passed over more
recently. The centerpiece of the ritual will be a sumptuously decorated
altar to the ancestors. Call 408-559-GAIA for more information, or visit www.bapa.net.
October 31 - Author Brian
Froud will be speaking at Dark Carnival in Berkeley
The
flyer says: from 5-7:30PM. For more info, contact: Dark Carnival at
510-654-7323.
The
flyer says: from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
at Hearthstone Home in San Jose. For more information, please contact Molly at molly@hearthstonecircle.org
or visit http://www.hearthstonecircle.org.
November 2 - Join Reclaiming
of Sonoma as they celebrate Samhain,
The
flyer says: The Witches' New Year at the Sebastopol Community Center. This is a
clean and sober event. Please call the Events Line for more details at
707-793-2183, or contact Pegasus at 707-433-3133, or pegasus@saber.net.
November 2 - Dandelion
Circle's Samhain Ritual and Ancestor Feast - Stockton
The
flyer says: This will be held at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of
Stockton, 2737 Pacific Ave. at Bristol, Jackson Hall starting at 5:30PM. A
potluck and ritual in honor of the neo-pagan festival of Samhain. Choose to
honor a particular friend or relative who has died, or your ancestors in general.
Bring a dish to share; it should be either a favorite food of someone you are
choosing to honor, or an ethnic food representing your cultural
background/identity. Children are welcome, but are expected to behave
appropriately to the solemnity of the occasion. What is remembered lives… A
donation of $5 is requested to help cover the cost of hall rental, but everyone
is welcome, whether or not they can or choose to pay. See http://www.dandelioncircle.org/ for more
information.
November 4 – East West
Bookshop in Mountain View hosts Becoming the Enchanter
The
flyer says: 7:30pm. Lyn Webster Wilde’s new book, Becoming the Enchanter, is
for anyone who treasures the myths and messages left by the Celts and the Neolithic
teachings born in the British Isles. Lyn tells the story of her incredible
mystical journey and of her experiences within this tradition. Becoming the
Enchanter will touch, amaze, and inspire anyone who has always suspected that
magic and mythology, the unseen and the unknown, can be the keys to one’s true
power and destiny. Lyn is a graduate of Cambridge University and is a writer,
teacher, lecturer and producer for international television and radio. She
lives in London with her husband, journalist Colin Wilde.
Cost:
$5. For more information, contact 650-988-9800, 800-909-6161, info@eastwest.com, or visit http://www.eastwest.com/.
November 2 - Hearthstone will host a Samhain Celebration – San
Jose
The flyer says: from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Hearthstone
Home in San Jose. For more information, please contact Molly at
molly@hearthstonecircle.org or visit http://www.hearthstonecircle.org
November 9 - Samhain in the view of the Buddha-dharma – Richmond
The flyer says: beginning at
7pm in Richmond. We will visit the otherworld in this time when the veils are
thin and make an offering to the Dead of a long recitation (chant) of the Heart
Sutra, one of the core texts of Mahayana Buddhism. Call or email to RVSP and
for particulars. Contact: Sam@TwilightGathering.org.
Ongoing Events:
October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 -
Seekers' Lunch Tuesdays at Hobee's in Palo Alto
The
flyer says: 12:30-2:00PM. Curious, new to the Craft, or Pagans new to the area
are welcome to gather at 4224 El Camino Real. Ask the hostess for the
"duck people". Call 650-813-1816 for information. Reservations not
required.
October 3 – The San Jose
Book Shop will host an Apprentice Practitioner Program
The
flyer says: Offered by Universitas Fumi et Speculorum from 7:30-9:30pm.
Discover the world of real magick during this formal instruction in the
Magickal Arts. This is the first of a 9-week series of classes covering
divination, natural magickal arts and magickal techniques. Tonight’s lecture:
Introduction to Tarot. Divination includes Tarot, runes and astrology. Natural
arts include herbology, the magickal pantry, and concoctions and brews.
Magickal techniques include psychic protection, wand making and spell casting.
Classes meet every Thursday and include take-home examinations leading up to
apprentice-level certification. Tuition: $180 for 9-week session. ). For more
information, contact 408-446-0590, sjbookshop@mindspring.com, or visit www.sanjosebookshop.surfmetro.com.
October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 -
Thursday Morning Dream Class at Dolphin Dream in Walnut Creek
The
flyer says: from 10:30-noon, suite F. The dreams that we create for ourselves
each night are replete with deep meaning. Truly valuing our nightly forays into
dreamtime can transform our lives. Learn how to interpret your dreams with the
"dream interview process", an essential skill that delves deeply into
your dream. Please bring one of your dreams to share and explore. Cost: $20 per
class. Please pre-register with Alexandra at 925-609-8640, or call Dolphin
Dream at 925-933-2342.
October 6, 13, 20, 27 - Join
an Open Pagan Circle
– Pacific Grove
The
flyer says: Every Sunday morning at 11am, for fellowship and chat at the Sacred
Branch, next to Bookworks, in downtown Pacific Grove. For more information,
please contact annie490@yahoo.com
October 13 - Irish Music
Session and Traditional Song Circle – Aptos
The
flyer says: Every second Sunday from 6-10pm at Britannia Arms, 8017 Soquel
Drive in Aptos. All singers and instrumentalists are welcome! For more
information, contact Jessica at 831-335-7696, or Sheila at 831-464-2128.
Sponsored by the Celtic Society of Monterey Bay.
For more information on these
and other events, visit
Bay Area Pagan Assemblies: http://www.baba.net
The Index: http://www.cyprian.org/Index/
The Witches Voice: http://www.witchvox.com
19TH CENTURY
FRANCE: A NOT SO DISTANT MIRROR
When we choose “Bohemia and the Moulin Rouge” as our theme, we knew it would be popular. Little did know just how popular it was going to be. From the emails we get here, one would think that you folks have waited your whole lives to dress up as dissolute poets and Dance Hall girls. Clearly, this theme has inspired many of you. The Bohemian Movement and specifically, the Fin de Siecle period (1880 – 1900) period in France is a fascinating time. This era mirrors our own time in many ways. On that note; I’ve found a few websites I’d like to share with you.
Dirty Dancing: The
Tango and the Can Can
“Dirty dancing” is not unique to our century. The Tango, a dance once described as the “vertical expression of a horizontal intention” was all the rage of 19th century Paris. Here is a wonderful website that traces the origin of the Tango from the brothels of Argentina to the Dance Halls of France: http://www.forevertango.com/history.html.
Another dance that was associated with the Moulin Rouge was the infamous Can Can. This dance is older then you might think: http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3cancan.htm.
Famous Trials:
The French, like Americans in the 1990’s, became obsessed over a scandalous trial that touched on the highly sensitive issues of racism, the misuse of authority, censorship, hate speech, the separation of Church and State, the use of spies, and the viability of evidence. We had the OJ and Rodney King trials, they had the infamous Dreyfus Affair: http://www.wfu.edu/~sinclair/dreyfus.htm. This case engendered a national argument, one so heated that friends and family members stopped speaking to each other. Careers were made and ruined on the strength of it and many French citizens lost their confidence in the justice system. The famous French writer, Emile Zola, risked his career and his own liberty when he took up the case in defense of Dreyfus: http://kirjasto.sci.fi/ezola.htm. He was himself taken to trial and had to flee France and hide in England to avoid imprisonment. The implications of this case are still felt in France today.
Frauds, Stock Losses & Banking Scandals:
Our era of Dot.Com Busts, Enron scandals and accounting frauds has much in common with the period of the great Panama Canal Stock Scandal. This event is still considered greatest bankruptcy of all time. Many of the major political and social figures of the period were involved. The collapse of this company ruined thousands of lives and reputations, brought down hundreds of companies, costs millions of private citizens their savings and undermined the economy of several nations: http://www.panamascandal.com/historical/historicalindex.html.
If you missed out on Enron, it’s still not too late to buy some worthless stock from the Panama venture.
http://www.scripophily.net/panamacanal.html.
The Moulin Rouge:
As you probably know, “Moulin Rouge” means the “Red Windmill”. Here is a website that shows a picture of the original Moulin Rouge, which did in fact have a windmill on the front. The site has a brief history of the famous dance hall: http://www.sandiegomuseum.org/lautrec/MoulinRouge.html
The Moulin Rouge was located in Montmarte, known as the “Painter’s Hill of Paris”.
http://www.parisdigest.com/promenade/montmartre.htm
Here is the website for the Moulin Rouge club today:
http://www.moulinrouge.fr/home-flash-fr.html
The Bohemians &
The Bohemian Movement
Bohemia Books: Here is a wonderful bookstore and website, dedicated to the Spirit of Bohemia: http://www.bohemiabooks.com.au/eblinks/spirboho/index.html
It contains great history on the Bohemian movement in Paris and traces the influence of the Bohemians on the Beat Generation and the Student Radicals of the 1960’s. This is the best website I’ve found on the Bohemians and the Bohemian movement. I like it so much, that I’ve quoted from it when creating our own web pages. The writers are willing to point out both the pros and the cons that come from this movement. It is a must read for anyone interested in the Bohemians and their influence on modern Pagan culture.
Bohemians and Counter Culture: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255/bohem/tdefine.html
Here is the website about the Literary Bohemians of San Francisco:
http://www.shapingsf.org/ezine/lit/bohemia.html
Diseases:
Every year, millions of people on the planet die from AIDS. In the 19th Century, millions of people died from diseases like tuberculosis, cholera, rabies and small pox. Many thousands of otherwise healthy women died from needless infections following childbirth. Such deaths no longer occur in most countries, due in large part to the work of a french chemist named Louis Pasteur: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/medicine/nonint/indust/dt/indtbi4.shtml.
Pasteur lived in a time when germs were considered to be a crazy theory and he was widely ridiculed for insisting that physicians wash their hands and their instruments before treating their patients. Among his many accomplishments are the development of a vaccines for both rabies’ and anthrax. We can only hope that the Louis Pasteur’s of our time are as brilliant and mule headed as he was.
The Bicycle:
Like us, people in the 19th century loved their bicycles. This invention became so popular that women’s clothing changed radically to allow them more freedom of movement. http://www.pedalinghistory.com/PHbikbio.htm. Not every one was in favor of this new invention and 19th century women were warned that they might damage their reproductive systems if they took up the new fad http://www.victorianstation.com/leisurebicycle.htm. Worse yet, it was felt that they might become nymphomaniacs, a claim that was also made about women who worked on the new fangled, pedal operated sewing machines.
Sewing Machines:
As our Costumers know, the sewing machine was invented in France: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/buisson/english/thimonnier.htm.
This labor saving invention was hailed as one of “mankind’s greatest achievements” and it won a medal at the World’s Fair in 1855.
Clothing:
Clothing from that period was in some ways very different and in some ways very close to what we have now. Men’s evening dress, for example, has changed very little since 1900. However, woman now carry purses and wear bras when once they wore corsets and carried chatelaines. Here are some websites of interest to the clothing enthusiast:
Ladies & Men’s Evening Dress of the 1890’s:
http://www.vintagevictorian.com/nahant_dress.html
Undergarments: Underwear, Bustles and Corsets:
http://www.fashion-era.com/undergarments.htm
Hairstyles of the Victorian Gentleman:
http://www.flinc.net/vell/articlehairmen.htm
Men’s Clothing and Military Uniforms of the 19th Century:
http://www.19th-century-us-history.com/victorian_clothing.htm
Victorian Women and Their Changing Hair:
http://www.flinc.net/vell/articlehair.htm
The History of Cameos:
http://www.victorianbazaar.com/cameos.html
Fashion from 1895 – 1914:
http://www.fashion-era.com/1890-1914_la_belle_epoque.htm
Perfume History:
http://www.fashion-era.com/perfume_history.htm
The Trouble with Fashion: Politics, Health and Art:
http://costume.osu.edu/Reforming_Fashion/trouble_with_fashion.htm
Costume in the 1800’s:
http://www.marquise.de/en/1800/index.shtml
The Costume Gallery:
http://www.costumegallery.com/
Costumes in Period Photographs:
http://www.marquise.de/en/themes/foto/index.shtml
Inventions, The
Eiffel Tower & The Great Paris Exposition:
The years between 1880 and 1900 were a time of great change. It is said that the world saw the birth of more new inventions and innovations in these two decades then it had seen in the previous two centuries.
The World’s Fairs began in the 19th century as a way to showcase the new products and scientific inventions developed by the different countries. http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa111100a.htm.
The Eiffel Tower was designed for the famous Paris Exposition of 1889. http://www.nga.gov/resources/expo1889.htm.
It was constructed to show the power and possibilities of steel and it was never intended as a permanent monument. Here is a photo from the period that shows the tower as it looked then: http://www.nga.gov/resources/dpa/1900/celeste.htm. Gustav Eiffel also constructed the Statue of Liberty.
Art Nouveau:
The Paris Exposition of 1900 introduced the world to a distinctive art form called “Art Nouveau”. http://www.nga.gov/feature/nouveau/exhibit_fair.htm.
This art form continues to be very popular today. The most famous proponent of this style is Alphonse Mucha: http://www.nymuseum.com/Mucha.htm. Original Art Nouveau pieces command huge prices at auction. Reproductions of the posters, jewelry, plates, furniture as well as the architecture it inspired are found everywhere today.
Industrial Light & Magic:
Here is a picture of the Eiffel Tower, lit for the 1900 Paris World’s Fair. http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/arch/1900fair/paris07.jpg
Thousand of the new electric light bulbs were used to light the tower.
One of the most important inventions to come out of the 19th century, was the electric light bulb. http://americanhistory.si.edu/lighting/hall19.htm. By 1885, most French theatres would be electrified. This was done at great cost to avoid the frequent fires that had cost so many lives in the past. City streets came next and later on, the home.
Imagine what your day would be like if it were lived from dawn till dusk without the aid of electric light or electricity?
Supermodels:
The role of “model” as career was invented in the 19th century. In the early part of that century, artist’s models were considered to be little better then prostitutes. In fact, many were prostitutes, as well as seamstresses and laundresses. That begins to change after 1885. For a history of the artist’s model and a discussion of the book titled “Bodies of Art” go here: http://www.cwru.edu/pubs/cnews/2001/11-15/lathers.htm.
Modern Art & Artists:
The modern art movement was born in France during this time. The artists we admire so much in today’s museums and whose work commands such great prices at auctions were considered by the majority of the general public and most critics to be vulgar and lacking talent in their own time. They painted life as they saw it in Dance Halls, streets and parks. The subjects they choose were often thought to be too “low” for High Art.
Here is a website that offers an overview of 19th Century French Art, famous names and paintings http://www.loyno.edu/~tlkinnon/Art.htm.
Women Artists came into their own during this period:
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/women-artists-19th.html
The French Academy & Neo-classicism were the ruling forces of their day:
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/neoclassicism.html
The Major New Art styles developed during this period include:
Romanticism: http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/romanticism.html
The Pre-Raphaelites: http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/pre-raphaelite.html
Impressionism: http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/impressionism.html
Art Nouveau: http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/art-nouveau.html
The Arts & Crafts Movement in Britain:
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/arts-and-crafts.html
Symbolism: http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/symbolism.html
Favisism: http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/fauvism.html
& French Poster Art celebrate the famous dance halls of the period, including the Moulin Rouge: http://www.nga.gov.au/dance/
Mysticism & the
Occult:
The great “Occult Revival"
occurred in the 19th century and continues on to this day. Then, as now, some practitioners were
sincere and some were Con Artists.
Harry Houdini (like The Great Randy today) became famous for exposing
the Miss Cleo’s of his time. Sadly, this work cost him his friendship with the
writer, Arthur Conan Doyle.
Harry Houdini vs. The Fake Mediums
http://www.mcbridemagic.com/ArcMage/houdini.html
A brief history of The Golden Dawn and other 19th Century Occult Groups:
http://www.connectionsjournal.com/files/archives/rootsreligion/mer3.htm
Occultism in the 19th Century: A Chronology:
· http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/symbolist/texts/occultism_chron.html
Class Wars and the Birth of the Bourgeoisie:
There was a gap between rich and poor in the 19th Century, as there is today. The19th century (due in large part to the rise in trade and the industrial revolution) gave rise to a relatively new group, the bourgeoisie, also known as the middle class. http://gallery.sjsu.edu/paris/social_classes/
The Sports Craze & Modern Olympics:
The modern Olympics were the brainchild of a French sports enthusiast named Pierre de Coubertin. He organized first French sports club in 1890. Sports clubs became hugely popular in France and were divided along class lines. The Tour de France bicycle race and many running and car races were developed at this time. Hiking and mountain climbing became the rage. The era of the famous athlete had begun. During this time, as Coubertin envisioned and organized the first modern Olympic games, which took place in Athens in 1896. http://history1900s.about.com/library/weekly/aa081000a.htm
Need more French History? The Alliance for Leaning website has recommendations for books and websites that will delight and interest you: http://www.allianceforlifelonglearning.org/er/lg/FrenchHist19thK.shtml
Here is general overview of life in 19th Century Paris: http://gallery.sjsu.edu/paris/. It was created by a professor and her art class at San Jose State.
Below you’ll find a list of the books our Full Circle Volunteer Staff used when preparing the website, the decorations for the hall and our own costumes for this year’s ball.
History Books:
France: Fin de Siecle by Eugen Weber
Disenchanted Night: The
Industrialization of light in the Nineteenth Century by Wolfgang Schivelbusch
The Paris Metro: A Ticket to
French History
by Susan L. Plotkin
Breaking The Codes: Female
Criminality in Fin-de-Siecle Paris: by Ann-Louise Shapiro
Art Nouveau in Fin-De-Siecle
France: Politics, Psychology, and Style by Debora L. Silverman
Bohemian Paris: Culture,
Politics, and the Boundaries of Bourgeois Life, 1830 – 1930 by Jerrold Seigel
Idols of Perversity:
Fantasies of Feminine Evil in Fin-De-Siecle Culture by Bram Dijkstra
Costume Books:
Victorian Fashions &
Costumes from Harper’s Bazar: 1867 – 1898. Edited by Stella Blum
Men’s Fashion Illustration
from the Turn of the Century. Edited by
Jean L. Druesedow
La Mode Illustree: Fashion
Plates in Full Color. Edited by Florence Leniston
Full-Color Victorian
Fashions: 1870 – 1893. Edited by JoAnne Olian
Jet jewellery and Ornaments by Helen Muller
Antique jewellery: Its
Manufacture, Materials and Design by Duncan James
It’s
going to be a great evening, folks. We
hope to see you there.
Blessed
Samhain to you and yours,
Sia
Full
Circle Events
http://www.fullcircleevents.org
“Honor
the Past, Celebrate the Present, Create the Future”