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Beautiful & Fascinating

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The memory of my grandmother, an avid ‘up-cycler’, carefully cutting off buttons from the family’s time-worn clothes and saving both the buttons and fabric for future use, is what probably inspired me to hold onto buttons.  Kept in a zip storage bag, my eclectic assortment has grown slowly over the years — It isn’t a large or valuable collection.  In fact, many of the buttons are quite ordinary, but they are uniquely mine, taken from my wardrobe, and they’ve become a collection of memories as well as a personal style timeline.  I’ve also used some of the buttons for arts and crafts projects, and they’ve often come in handy for button replacement.

“Le bouton est non seulement indispensable, mais capable d’enjoliver un vêtement, de le personnaliser et de lui apporter la touche finale.” *— Herbert de Givenchy, Introduction to Boutons by Loïc Allio (2001)  *The button is not only indispensable, but capable of beautifying a piece of clothing, of personalizing it and giving it the final touch. (Translation by Caroline Baumann, Director of Cooper Hewitt Museum)

Buttons have been placed on clothing as ornamentation for thousands of years, and crafted in a variety of ways by artisans and artists or manufactured in low and high-tech factories from every imaginable material, making these small objects significant in fields of decorative arts and design, fashion, visual art, and arts and crafts as well as archeology and materials technology.

Beautiful and Fascinating!  Long admired for the artistry as well as historical value, button collecting began centuries ago and is still a popular hobby today.  The photo gallery below includes just a few examples from extraordinary button collections.

 

 

See More Glass Buttons (1700–1951, American or European) from the Hanna S. Kohn Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
→ Gallery 1
→ Gallery 2
→ Gallery 3

See More Wood Buttons (1900-20, American or European) from the Hanna S. Kohn Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
→ Gallery 4

The Cooper Hewitt button collection is amazing, and available to view online → HERE

Inspired Button Art – “I hold the button to my ear and it whispers to me, “I want to be…..” Augusto Esquivel creates sculptures from buttons, and he shares his work and creative process → Augusto Mucho Gusto website

Button Jacket by Kenneth D. King

Kenneth D. King created this stunning jacket using some of the 75 pounds of antique uniform buttons he inherited. [Pinterest pin “Using Buttons As Embellishment” by Threads Magazine]

 

 

 

 

   

Information/Resources:
Button Society Websites & Contacts – List of button society websites and contacts by country and US states
Button, Button, We’ve Got the Button(s)! by Margery Masinter (Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Buttons: In the Collection of the Cooper Hewitt Museum by Carl Christian Dauterman (The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Design, 1982)
Hammond-Turner & Sons – Button Galleries – an online museum displaying buttons manufactured by Hammond Turner & Sons (and related companies), button makers of Birmingham (and Manchester), England.  Created by Lesley Close, a descendant of one of the owners of the company.
The Waterbury Button Museum – More than 3,000 buttons are on permanent display in the Button Gallery of the Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, Connecticut
Déboutonner la mode (Unbutton Fashion), Les Arts Décoratifs exhibit presentation
Boutons, Decorative Arts Museum (Les Arts Décoratifs), Paris, France
Lucie Rie: Ceramics & Buttons Exhibit (22 June 2018 – 12 May 2019, Centre of Ceramic Art at York Art Gallery, UK
European Fashion Project – Buttons, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Keep Homestead Museum – Button Collection, Monson, Massachusetts – The vast collection is exhibited on a rotating basis, but on permanent display is a wonderful collection of mosaic buttons.

 

Button Button: Identification and Price Guide* is a well-organized guide recommended by the Button Society as a book that every button collector and dealer should own.

 

 

 

Buttons: The Collector’s Guide to Selecting, Restoring, and Enjoying New and Vintage Buttons* shows and describes fabric, metal, glass, ceramic, enamel, plastic, and uniform buttons along with the history of buttons.

 

 

 

Buttons by Diana Epstein and Millicent Safro* looks at the authors’ collections of buttons, describing their history and value as art.

 

 

 

 

Creating art with buttons is a fun arts and crafts project.
ⓒ Button Art by Zola Zeester

FREE To WATCH: Collector Confessions – A diverse group of engaging collectors tell their stories about lifelong passions for objects. [Videos on Demand]

 

 

 

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*Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a book purchase you make via a link within this page.  This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.
Feature photo “My Button Collection” © Zeester Media LLC, 2015-18

The Bigger Picture

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Henry Tate (1819-1899) was an English industrialist and philanthropist.  Starting his business career as a grocer with an apprenticeship at 13 years old, Tate made a fortune in sugar refinery, and was known for his humble nature and generous charitable donations in support of health and education causes. In 1889, he offered to donate his collection of 65 contemporary paintings to the British government on the condition the collection be displayed in a suitable gallery.  As there was no gallery space available at the time, Tate also offered £80,000 toward the building of a new gallery.  His donation toward construction of the gallery eventually reached the sum of £150,000. (An unverified guesstimate as we’re talking about an amount equivalent to US$20+ million in today’s money.)

Photo by Tony Hisgett CC BY 2.0
Photo byTony Hisgett CC BY 2.0

The Tate Gallery, now Tate Britain, first opened to the public on July 21, 1897 as the “National Gallery of British Art” in central London at the site of the former Millbank Penitentiary (1816-90), a prison that had served as a holding facility for convicts prior to transport to penal colonies in Australia. At the opening, a total of 245 art works dating back to 1790 (including the Tate collection) were displayed in eight rooms within a grand new building featuring a central dome and classical portico entrance topped by a pitched gable mounted with symbolic statuary of Britannia, the Lion and the Unicorn.

It was the launch of what has become a network of four Tate art museums holding the UK’s national collection of British art (from 1500 to present day) as well as international modern and contemporary art:  Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives (closed until Spring 2017).  Each is unique, and there is always something fun going on;  special events and exhibitions, films, performances, special tours, talks and lectures.  General admission is free; there’s a charge for some exhibitions and events.  Tate also offers an extensive digitized art and archival collection, part of an initiative designed to make art more accessible to the public by utilizing new technologies and media.

Discover the Life of an Artist

In September 2015, Tate introduced “AnnoTate”, an innovative web-based crowdsourcing transcription tool that allows online users to get directly involved with art history research by browsing and transcribing a collection of digitized handwritten documents from the Tate archival collection, including artists’ letters, diaries, notes, journals and sketch books.

The process of transcribing is somewhat similar to deciphering a secret code depending upon the condition of the document and quality of handwriting, and it’s also fascinating to view these personal writings and learn details of an artist’s life and work.  Using AnnoTate, you can get involved in this important research (no art history education or experience required) – any time, any place, choose from two different approaches:

Start Transcribing.  Jump right in and start transcribing items at random (links are provided so that you can learn more about the artist and context of an art work); or

Find Artists.  Select an artist from a list and focus transcribing the writings of a specific artist.

Do as much or as little as you wish; work at your own pace. The amount of time you put in is totally at your discretion. [A word of caution: AnnoTate users have reported that transcribing can be addicting! ]

 

In this collection of video documentaries, artists reveal thoughts and feelings about their work and living a creative life.You’ll find inspiration in this collection of selected videos about contemporary artists and their work— Creative Perspectives –FREE to watch, on-demand

 

 

 

Learning about what really happened to my great-grandfather after he immigrated to America from Germany in the 19th century took a lot of genealogical research, and there's still more digging to do. But, I did find Peter, and discovered the cause of his death was not what had been speculated.Researching family history can be quite an adventure, and the
discoveries both heartrending and joyous → The story of Finding Peter   

 

 

 

 

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Information/Resources:
History page, Tate website
Wikipedia:  Henry Tate, Millbank Prison, Tate Britain
MeasuringWorth.com

 

Feature photo courtesy of Pexel CC0

Activist Arts

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[su_quote cite=”John F. Kennedy “]If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him… We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.[/su_quote]

[su_dropcap]T[/su_dropcap]hroughout history, art has been created by people for many different reasons and purposes, both non-motivated (no specific-purpose other than a basic human instinct to create) and motivated (e.g., the artist intends to communicate a specific emotion, comment on an aspect of society, or bring about political or cultural change), and works of art have often been controversial for a variety of reasons, provoking intense debate, criticism and indignation as well as influencing new ideas and shifts in prevailing sentiment.

An art movement is art with a specific common goal among a group of artists for a certain period of time (months, years or decades).  There have been many diverse art movements during the 19th and 20th centuries, their meanings and objectives explained by the artists involved in the movement or art critics and historians.

In the US, the ‘60s were years of social unrest and cultural change, and contemporary artists responded to the turmoil and addressed the issues by producing creative works of activism.  The Black Arts Movement (1965-75), aka Black Aesthetics Movement or BAM, emerged when a group of African American artists were inspired by the Black Power movement to create expressive works of poetry, novels, visual arts, and theater that reflected pride in black history and culture and explored the African American experience as a means of arousing black consciousness.  Although it began in New York, BAM spread across the country and influenced a generation of artists.

In Southern California, the Black Arts Movement generated new forms of artistic and cultural expression and the development of community-based arts organizations in an effort to end discrimination in entertainment industries and focus attention on the conditions within black working class neighborhoods.

In her book South of Pico*, MacArthur winner and Columbia University professor Kellie Jones explores how artists in Los Angeles black communities during the 1960s and 1970s created a vibrant, engaged activist arts scene amidst racism and social upheaval. Building on her research and work on the Hammer Museum exhibition Now Dig This! Art and Black Los Angeles, 1960–1980, Dr. Jones, along with a discussion panel including UCLA professor Robin D.G. Kelly, will expand your understanding of the history of black arts in Los Angeles and beyond.  If you missed the live broadcast of this event, there’s still time to watch a video recording.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or the post located on the video player below ↓

 

Creative PerspectivesPoetry reading for On2In2™ inspiration is live – artists reveal thoughts and feelings about their work and living a creative life in this On2In2™ video collection, available to watch free & on-demand.

 

 

 

Online crowdsourcing art history project allows everyone to browse and transcribe archives of artistsFind out how you can help with art history research right from home, and discover the life of an artist using a very cool, free to
use online tool “AnnoTate”

 

 

Information/Resources:

Political Change from the 1960’s to Now:  Connections Between Arts and Activist Movements by Andrea Assuf (The Public Humanist, Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, October 30, 2009)
On Black Aesthetics:  The Black Arts Movement by Candice Frederick (New York Public Library, July 15, 2016)
The Black Arts Movement (blacklist.org)
Witness:  Art and Civil Rights in the Sixties (Brooklyn Museum)
Wikipedia (Art and Art movement)

*Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a book purchase you make via the link within this page. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

 

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Feature photo is courtesy of Pixabay CC0

Art Collecting

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[su_dropcap]Y[/su_dropcap]ou might be surprised to learn private art collecting is an avocation with a history that goes back as far as the Middle Ages (5th – 15th centuries) in Europe and East Asia. It later evolved in Italy during the Renaissance period (14th – 17th centuries) of cultural change and achievement in painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, music, philosophy, science and exploration, and spread across Europe as kings and nobleman amassed vast art collections to display within their grand palaces. By the 18th century, an art collection had become a status symbol for the wealthy, and collectors’ preferences influenced what new works artists produced for the art market.

 

Spanish Baroque artist, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, was one of the most famous artists in all of Europe during the the 17th and 18th centuries, and his paintings were highly sought after by both French and British art collectors.  By the end of the the 18th century, however, Murillo’s popularity began to decline, and his works of art were later dismissed as “sentimental, weak and inconsequential” and eventually forgotten a century later.  Today, art historians and museum curators have rediscovered Murillo, and begun to reassess and appreciate Murillo’s talent and significant role in art history.

Dr. Véronique Gerard Powell, honorary Senior Lecturer in the History of Art at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, is a specialist in Spanish painting and the history of collecting.  During her lecture, Murillo: The Shared Passion of 19th Century French and British Collectors, she explores how opportunities and the means of collecting differed in 19th Century Britain and France and the reasons for the sudden loss of interest in Murillo’s work.  If you missed the live broadcast of the lecture, there’s still time to watch a video recording.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or the post on the video player below.

 

Information/Resources:
Art Collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm is an example of art collecting in the 17th century and can be viewed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Vienna, Austria
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, The National Gallery, London
Arts Council England, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (bio & artworks)
How to Collect Art Like a Pro – How to Build an Art Collection, Alan Bamberger, Art Business consulting
A Poor Collector’s Guide to Buying Great Art (10 tips) by Henri Neuenndorf, Art Net News (June 19,2015)

 

Online crowdsourcing art history project allows everyone to browse and transcribe archives of artistsFind out how you can help with art history research right from home, and discover the life of an artist using a very cool, free to
use online tool “AnnoTate”

 

 

A collector's passion can get out of control at times, but it's also a hobby that many people enjoy.A Collector’s Passion:  The many varied interests and passions
of collectors are similar in one significant characteristic — sometimes the hobby can get out of control.

 

 

 

It's easy and fun to join On2In2 social networkWe’re the social type as well as art lovers.  Please register via the ENGAGE page to join the conversation, share your inspiration, ideas and creation, and network with On2In2™ playmakers.

 

 

 

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Feature image sourced via Wikimedia: Two Women at a Window by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, c. 1655–60 (National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC) Public Domain
Images of 17th century collections in slideshow were sourced via Wikimedia

Legendary Lovers

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“If two people love each other, there can be no happy end to it.”  — Ernest Hemingway

Love is an emotion…. a powerful emotion that creates in the human mind a longing and psychological dependence on a romantic partner.  And, great loves make great reading.  Here’s a list of Zola’s all-time favorites.  All non-fiction.

 

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton lived very public, extravagant lives (Hollywood glitz, glamour and scandal), but Furious Love by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, provides more to the story of these lustful lovers with an intimate look at the obsessions, conflict, and heartache in their tumultuous private lives and a view of the players and deals involved in the business of movie-making.  When I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down.

 

 

I first got interested in the DiMaggio – Monroe love story after reading Joe DiMaggio: The Hero’s Life by Richard Ben Cramer.  It was a ‘true love’ marriage of a sports icon and Hollywood super-star, but not so surprisingly, it was ill-fated. In fact, they were tragically mismatch, and the relationship became volatile and abusive.  Joe and Marilyn:  Legends in Love by C. David Heymann fills in the details.

 

 

The 40 year marriage of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt was controversial because it seemed so out of the norm at the time, leading to much speculation about their relationship with one another and others.  It was certainly complicated, and filled with tragedy, turmoil, and betrayal as well as devotion and commitment.  Doris Kearns Goodwin recounts the Roosevelt presidency during the war years (1940-45) through the telling of their intriguing personal story in No Ordinary Time (Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II).

 

 

King Henry VIII’s love letters to Anne Boleyn are a fascinating read.  Written in the years 1527-29, Henry professes his love and devotion to Anne beautifully, but the drama is in the knowing that by the year 1536, Henry had found a new mistress and Anne was beheaded.  You can read the letters (including historical notes) online, free → HERE

 

 

Twists, turns and intrigue of the scandalous love affair between King Edward and Wallis Simpson make for great reading.Much has been written about these scandalous lovers, and it’s never enough.  King Edward VIII’s love affair with the married American, Wallis Simpson, and his subsequent abdication in 1936 changed the course of history.  Start with The Windsor Story by Charles J.V. Murphy/J. Bryan III and Wallis and Edward: Letters (1931- 1937), then move on and find more to the story.  [A couple of these books were first published 25+ years ago, so you might have some luck finding them at your local, public library]

 

You’ve probably never heard of Sara and Gerald Murphy.  I hadn’t when I picked up Everybody Was So Young (Gerald and Sara Murphy, A Lost Generation Love Story) by Amanda Vaill, but was immediately fascinated with the story of their love and friendships with artists and writers (including Hemingway, Fitzgerald & Picasso) while living in Paris and the French Riviera during the 1920’s.  It seemed the party would never end, but it did, and the Murphy’s were forever changed after enduring the sufferings of great loss and facing financial trouble during the Depression.

 

 

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Feature photo is edited image provided by Josh Felise/Unspash CC0

Love Conquers All

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Love conquers all things; yield we too to love! —Virgil, Eclogue X, line 69

Resolved am I
In the woods, rather, with wild beasts to couch,
And bear my doom, and character my love
Upon the tender tree-trunks: they will grow,
And you, my love, grow with them. (excerpt, Eclogue X, Gallus)

Considered one of Rome’s greatest poets, Publius Vergilius Maro (aka ‘Virgil’) (70 -19BC) wrote three of the most famous poems in Latin literature:  Eclogues (also called ‘Bucolics’), Georgics, and the Aeneid.

Love Conquers All in Virgils Eclogue XThe first, Eclogues (a Greek word for “selections”), is a group of ten poems featuring a mix of visionary politics and eroticism that made Virgil a celebrity and legend in his own lifetime.

In Eclogue X (Gallus), Virgil creates a myth using the impassioned voice of his friend, the poet Gallus, imagined dying of love in Arcadia, celebrated in Roman times as an unspoiled, harmonious wilderness and the home of Pan, Greek god of nature, the wild, shepherds, flocks, of mountain wilds.

♥ Go to Project Gutenberg for English translation of Virgil’s Eclogues (Free to Read) 

 

Poetry reading for On2In2™ inspiration is liveTake a look at the On2In2™ article Contemporary Poetry. You’ll find both live and recorded readings featuring unique and inspiring literary voices of today.

 

 

 

It's easy and fun to join On2In2 social networkWe’d love to hear from you!  If you’d like to comment on this post, join the conversation, or share your inspiration, and you have not yet registered as an On2In2™ playmaker, please sign up via the ‘Engage page’.  Don’t worry, it’s pretty quick and easy.

 

 

 

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Feature photo is courtesy of Pixabay/Pexels CC0

Skiing China

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The short documentary, China: A Skier’s Journey, from Jordan Manley, is an exploration of the past, present and future of skiing within the diverse cultures and terrain of China. Stunning mountain vistas and some gutsy backcountry runs, too.

In the Altai mountains of northwestern China, prehistoric pictures carved in rock (petroglyphs) that show humans traveling over snow on skis are believed to be 10,000 years old, and the oldest written reference to skiing is from the writings of a Chinese scholar (The Hai New Jing) during the Western Han period of the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 9 AD) describing how the people of the Altai mountains “sped like goats in the valleys and on the flatlands wearing the ‘horns of goats’ – a kind of knee high fur boot under which is bound a wooden board with a hoof-shaped front tip.”

Ancient traditions of skiing are still evident today in the mountain region of northwest China, but seem likely to be lost to future generations, and the sport of skiing never gained popularity in China as in other parts of the world. That, however, is beginning to change as the country prepares for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

samische_skifahrer-pd
Skiing in Scandinavia by Knud Leem December 31, 1766 (PD)

Despite the early history in Asia, today’s modern skis actually evolved in Scandinavia, not China (in 2014, a 1,300 year old ski with leather bindings was found in Norway), and not until the mid-19th century did people start to enjoy skiing as a recreational sport, rather than strictly utilitarian purposes.

1849: First public ‘ski tour’ organized in Trondheim, Norway
1868: Winter train travel made mountain resorts commercially viable
1901: First skiing in the Pyrenees at La Llagonne, France
1910: First rope tow demonstrated at Truckee, California USA
1936: First chair lift introduced at Sun Valley, Idaho USA
1952: First large commercial snow-making machinery installed, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel, New York, USA

Info/Resources:
Wikipedia:  History of Skiing
“The Ancient Art of Skiing:  A Chinese or Norwegian Invention? (Ultimate History Project website)  

 

Follow adventure skiers as they travel the world in this 3 season video series, A Skier's Journey.WATCH more adventure skiing →  A Skier’s Journey is a free-to-watch, on-demand video documentary series that follows adventure skiers as they travel the world, discovering great beauty and dangers in the mountains.

 

 

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Feature photo is a still shot from the film “China: A Skier’s Journey“

The Overview Effect

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The iconic Earthrise photo was taken in 1968 by NASA astronaut William A. Anders during the Apollo 8 mission, the first manned spaceflight to orbit the Moon. Never before had a human observed the Earth rising, and Anders’ amazing, first-ever color photo of our stunningly beautiful planet emerging from a lunar horizon still takes your breath away.

“We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth.” — William A. Anders

 

 

To See The Earth As It Truly Is* 

[su_quote cite=”Frank Borman “]It was very, very sobering to see this little blue marble in the middle of all that darkness.  [/su_quote]

The awe-inspiring effect of seeing the whole Earth from the vantage of space (known as “Earth gazing”) is most often described as an overwhelming sense that Earth is an “interconnected whole with one destiny”. An understanding that’s key to our survival. Of course, we can’t see it and feel it firsthand (only 24 humans out of 7.3 billion world population have had the experience) until space travel becomes practical for the general public, but innovative technology continues to provide us with more and better information and visuals.

The short documentary Overview (from Planetary Collective) explores a cosmic worldview with reflections from “Earth gazing” astronauts and philosophers as well as beautiful space imagery. Watch and be inspired by the “unity and oneness of all life on Earth”.

 

Earthrise: Remembering Apollo 8.  Launched on December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 became the first manned spacecraft to reach the Moon, orbit it and return, and its crew became the first humans to see and photograph the Earth emerging from behind the lunar horizon.  Watch as the Griffith Lab All Space Considered team recalls the lead up, events and discoveries of this historic mission in celebration of its 50th anniversary.

 

*”To see the earth as it truly is, small and blue and beautiful in that eternal silence where it floats, is to see ourselves as riders on the earth together, brothers on that bright loveliness in the eternal cold — brothers who know now they are truly brothers.” Archibald MacLeish (1892 – 1982) American poet

A beautiful view of planet Earth captured by NASA satelliteTake a virtual ride on a satellite for awesome views of Earth 

 

 

 

Apollo 17 photo taken December 13, 1972 on the lunar surface
Moonwalk (December 13, 1972) NASA

Want to see more of what’s out there in space?  The short video documentary, “The Last Steps” will take you to a ‘back to the future’ moment in time with original film footage, photographs and audio recordings from Apollo 17, NASA’s final Apollo program mission, and the last time a human walked on the moon. Watch more “out of this world” videos via the “Cosmos Channel“, free to watch, on-demand.

 

 

Since its launch 20 years ago and 2004 Saturn orbit insertion, the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft has provided images that have led to significant discoveries.A retrospective look at discoveries and images of Saturn
captured during the 20 year Cassini Mission, plus some
info on when and how you can see Saturn in 2017

 

 

 

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“The Overview Effect” is an edited version of an article originally published on the “Zblog” by Zeester Media LLC.

Earthrise photo credit:  NASA

Crowning Cassini

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Saturn is a giant planet (2nd largest in our Solar System) composed mainly of hydrogen and helium and visible from Earth without the aid of optical instruments as it shines a golden steady light in evening skies.  Consequently, Saturn was known by prehistoric man, and became a major character of ancient mythologies.

The rings of Saturn, however, are not so easily viewed, and were not known to exist until Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) first saw them in 1610 using the newly developed refracting telescope.  He thought the rings were actually two moons alongside Saturn.  Forty-five years later, he was proven wrong when Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) observed a “thin, flat ring” surrounding Saturn using a telescope he designed with greater magnification.  In 1675 at the Paris Observatory, Giovanni Cassini (1625-1712) discovered a wide, dark gap between the rings of Saturn, known as the ‘Cassini Division’.  As technology has increased visibility, nine continuous main rings and three discontinuous arcs have been observed within Saturn’s ring system.

Christiaan Huygens also discovered the first and largest of Saturn’s many moons, Titan, in 1655, while Giovanni Cassini was the first to observe four others, Iapetus (1671), Rhea (1672), Tethys and Bione (both in 1684).  There are currently 62 known moons of Saturn, 53 confirmed and officially named and nine provisional moons as well as dozens to hundreds of ‘moonlets’ (small natural satellites orbiting a planet).

The Cassini Mission 

An international mission to explore Saturn, its magnetosphere (region surrounding a planet that’s dominated by the planet’s magnetic field), rings and moons began more than 25 years ago, starting with seven years of development prior to the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft launch in 1997.  The design of the unmanned spacecraft included a Saturn orbiter (Cassini) and a lander (Huygens) for Titan.

On December 25, 2004, Huygens separated from Cassini, and on January 14, 2005, successfully landed on Titan, while collecting and transmitting data to Earth using Cassini as a relay.  It’s batteries died shortly after landing;  therefore, Huygens now sits in silence on Titan’s surface.
[ESA Science: Huygens Top 10 Discoveries at Titan]

Cassini entered Saturn’s orbit on July 1, 2004, and photographs taken during the last 12+ years have led to significant discoveries.  The 2012 NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory video, Cassini: 15 Years of Exploration, hits some of the highlights.

 

End of Mission:  Cassini’s primary mission was completed in 2008 as it had made 74 orbits around Saturn. The mission, however, was extended to September 2010 for additional study, and extended a second time to 2017. It’s fuel supply running low, Cassini made a number of passes through the gap between Saturn and its inner ring before it was intentionally destroyed on September 15, 2017 by forcing a dive into Saturn’s atmosphere.  The purpose of the deorbit was to mitigate the risk of Cassini later colliding with one of Saturn’s moons.

 

 

Information/Resources:
When & How to Find Saturn in 2017 Astronomy Essentials (5/11/2017), Bruce McClure & Deborah Byrd
NASA:   Cassini Mission    Overview: Planets – Saturn
European Space Agency:  Cassini-Huygens 
Missions to Saturn (Past, Present, Concepts)
Wikipedia:  Saturn, Galileo Galilei, Christiaan Huygens, Giovanni Cassini

Photo of giant eruption on sun surface in 2012 courtesy of NASA/SDO/AIA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Public DomainMore cosmic wonders and mysteries
can be explored here →   The Sun      Galaxies     The Universe     Stars 

 

 

 

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Feature photo:  The image of Saturn was captured on February 9, 2004 by the narrow angle camera of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft when it was about 69 million kilometers (43 million miles) away from Saturn.  A series of exposures through different filters were combined to form the colors seen in the image. The icy moon Enceladus is faintly visible on the left.  Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute, Public Domain 

Capitale de Noël

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Strasbourg is an historic, multi-cultural city located close to the eastern border of France with Germany in the Alsace region, and known for its architecture, medieval streets and the Grande Île (Grand Island) city center, Gothic churches, parks and museums, Alsatian food specialities, and the Christmas Markets.

The Christmas Markets have been a tradition in Strasbourg for four centuries, making it one of the oldest in Europe, and the city seems to magically transform into a dazzling wonderland during the month of December.  Everything—-streets, buildings, churches, shop windows and balconies are covered in lights and decorations, each uniquely beautiful.  Hundreds of stalls and shops throughout the city offer Christmas ornaments, arts and crafts, gift items, souvenirs, food and drink, and there is a wide variety of entertainment, including concerts and cultural events.  Absolutely no doubt — Strasbourg deserves the title Capitale de Noël (the Capital of Christmas).

 

 

A travelogue of our visit to the Christmas Markets in Strasbourg, France

After a two week stay in the French countryside, a friend suggested a quick trip to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets before the return home.  We explored for three nights/two and a half days, and discovered a charming city full of lights, history and special moments.

Getting There:  We took a high-speed SNCF train from Le Mans to Strasbourg.  The trip schedule was 2.5 hours as there were a few stops on the route, but the train was 30 minutes late leaving the Le Mans station. [Note: Train travel has advantages, but it’s not exactly easy for beginners and/or those with little or no French language skills.  Also, nation-wide transportation strikes can cause havoc.  See ‘Train Travel in France’ below for links to info and helpful tips.]   Upon arrival, it was dark and cold, and that made the walk in search of our hotel harder.  At the entrance to the city center, a security check required us to open each of our bags for a search.  So far, not really feeling the Christmas spirit.

Moon Before Yule:  We were so lucky to see the biggest and brightest Supermoon of 2017 while walking the streets of Strasbourg.  Gorgeous! 

Festive Reunion:  The Christmas Markets are best when shared with family and friends.  We joined cousin, Ursula, and her friend Bine for a very special ‘reunion’ breakfast at the BOMA Hotel (7, rue du 22 Novembre 67000) before they had to drive back to Remscheid, Germany.  The night before, we all enjoyed a late dinner at a brasserie near our hotels. There was a happy, friendly crowd, good food & service.  [Aedaen Place, 4 Rue Des Aveugles]

Church of St. Thomas:  We had been making our way through cold, wet streets crowded with people for hours when we ran across St. Thomas (11, rue Martin Luther) and decided to take a look inside.  It was so much more than we expected.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg:  Will forever remember the feeling when turning a corner and — wow! there it is.  This “gigantic and delicate marvel” (Victor Hugo) is the sixth tallest church in the world and the highest surviving structure built entirely in the Middle Ages.  The interior is nothing short of magnificent with the choir screen dated 1252, grand high alters (1500 and 1682), huge stained glass windows (mostly dated 14th century, some from 12th, 13th and 20th centuries), a suspended pipe organ, and one of the largest astronomical clocks in the world.  I lit a votive in memory of Opa Kneupper, and we all sat in awe for awhile in the pews.

Palais Rohan:  Next door to the Strasbourg Cathedral is the Rohan Palace (1732-1742), former residence of prince-bishops and cardinals of the French noble family Rohan.  Today, it’s considered a masterpiece of French Baroque architecture, and houses three museums: the Archaeological Museum (in the basement), the Museum of Decorative Arts (ground floor) and the Museum of Fine Arts (1st and 2nd floors). We visited all three, and liked the Museum of Decorative Arts best because of the opportunity to walk through the grand apartments and chambers of the palace.

Petite France:  With half-timbered houses dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, stone bridges and waterways, this is the most picturesque district of old Strasbourg, and the location of my favorite Christmas market.

Glühwein and Lebkuchen:  Really– It’s all about the food and drink!  If you’ve ever been to a German Christmas Market (Christkindlesmarkt), you’ll always remember the smells and tastes of glühwein (warm, spiced red wine) and lebkuchen (gingerbread-like cookies), and I was guessing there would be a good supply in Strasbourg because of its historic French-German culture.  I was right, but it took some hunting and a lot of tasting.  Along the way, discovered a wonderful Christmas tea, cookies and stollen (fruit bread).  My absolute best-ever/favorite stollen was discovered at Maison Alsacienne de Biscuiterie (9, rue des Serruriers – near St Thomas church).  A wonderful little bakery; also, loved the traditional Christmas cookies and macarons ‘toujours’.  At a small booth just a few steps away from Maison Alsacienne, we enjoyed a perfect serving of glühwein (located in front of Les deux gourmandes).  I was about to give up hope when I found really, really good lebkuchen from Mireille Oster at a booth in Petite France, and you must go to a Dammann shop (2 locations: 48, rue du Fossé des Tanneurs & 19, rue des Orfèvres) for the most delicious teas.

Snow:  Yes, there was that perfect moment on day 2 when we knew — it’s Christmas.

 

 

Christmas Markets Travel Tips (from lessons learned)

It’s best to stay in the city center, but hotel room reservations can be difficult, if not impossible, during the Christmas Markets.  Plan ahead and book well in advance.

Prepare for long walks in the cold, rain and snow.  Coat, hat, gloves and walking shoes–the works.  At the same time, pack as light as possible because the streets are bumpy (those cobblestones are killers!), and there are invariably steps to climb and descend as well as broken elevators and escalators in the train stations and airports.  You can get lucky (like I did) and a kind soul will help you with your bags, but don’t count on it.

It’s surprisingly easy to get lost (at least in our experience).  Wandering around can lead to interesting discoveries, but can also waste valuable time when you’re on a tight schedule.  Directions received from helpful locals are often unreliable and/or confusing because of language issues, hard to remember street names, and the many twists and turns of medieval streets.  Best to study-up on the city layout beforehand, and have a map (paper or digital) with you at all times.  [Tip: rue = street]

The crowds seem to pick up later in the day, and this causes a lot of crushing jam-ups in the narrow streets, small shops, cafés and bistros.  Go early to see and do more, but do not miss the late evening hours when the decorative lights are sparkling everywhere, creating a fairylike, romantic winter wonderland.

Look closely at ornaments and decorations sold in the booths.  We were disappointed at first because many seemed to be mass-produced imports, but there are some beautifully hand-crafted, unique, and locally made items available at the markets.  Take the time to search, and you’ll find something special.

Strasbourg is English-friendly, making communication much easier for English speaking tourists with no French language skills.  However, making an effort to learn some basics and use French greetings and phrases can smooth the way for a better experience.  Try practicing with Duolingo, free game-like French lessons (online or apps available).  It’s kinda fun.

The French have specific times and ways of eating during the day —  Follow the customs or go hungry. Breakfast (le petit déjeuner) is typically bread or croissants, butter and jam, and a cup of tea, coffee long or café au lait, or hot chocolate, but hotels and cafes may offer more variety.  Lunch (le déjeuner) is the main meal of the day, and the French like to take time to relax and enjoy a full menu, including a starter (une entrée), main course (le plat principal), and cheese course and/or dessert.  Most restaurants open for lunch at 11:30am and continue serving new customers until about 1pm (FYI – lunchtime hours are sometimes closer to 12-2pm), and many offer a special fixed lunchtime menu (le Menu du jour) or a special main course called “plat du jour”.  Evening dinner (le diner) is much the same with service at restaurants typically starting around 8pm, but dinner at a restaurant is considered by the French to be a special event with a bigger menu, including classic three/four (sometimes 5-6) courses courses requiring 2-3 hours savoring at the table.  Travelers looking for a brunch, ‘late’ lunch or early dinner will have problems finding a place that will serve them.  During the Christmas Markets, Strasbourg restaurants may not take dinner reservations or they’ll book up early, so plan ahead.  If you missed your chance to dine at a restaurant, keep walking to find a café, bistro or brasserie for good food and flexible hours.

Its always nice to have a few snacks and drinks in the hotel room, and we got everything we needed at the small grocery, U-Express, 5 Grand Rue.  Take along a big shopping bag to carry all the bottles of wine.

Feeling a little under-the-weather?  Look for the lighted green cross sign.  It’s the mark of a French pharmacy, and they’ve probably got a quick, easy solution for you.  Just walk in, point to your trouble spot, and explain the problem you’re having.

Information/Resources:

Christmas Markets in Strasbourg, an online visitor’s guide in French, German & English languages.  [2019 Christmas Markets:  November 22 – December 30]

Strasbourg Office of Tourism (information on all the things to see and do in Strasbourg)

Train Travel in France –  Guide to Traveling in France by Train; and French Your Way (tips on how to buy a ticket at the train station and locate the platform and your coach for boarding)  [Editor’s Note:  2019 –  A nation-wide strike will make train travel to Strasbourg difficult, if not impossible;  therefore, you must check ahead and have a plan B.  Find information on train travel during strike and suggested alternatives (car rental and bus) →  Here]

Security – Since a bomb threat in the year 2000, the Strasbourg Christmas Markets festival has been under reinforced security.  [Editor’s note: In 2017, there were security entry check points requiring a search of luggage and bags, and armed police and soldiers patrolled the streets.  Despite the vigilance, tragedy occurred on the evening of December 14, 2018, when a man attacked people on the city center streets near the markets with a gun and knife, killing 5 and injuring 11.  As a result, the markets were closed for a day and re-opened with additional security measures, including shorter hours, limited tram service and closed bridges.  Find visitor safety tips → here ]

Wikipedia:  Strasbourg Cathedral, St Thomas’ Church, Palais Rohan

Museum of Decorative Arts (museum website translated to English language)

Feature photo:  The Strasbourg Christmas Tree © 2017 Zeester Media LLC
The 2017 Christmas Tree is 30 meters high (more than 98 feet), weighs 7-9 tons, and comes from the Donon area of Lorraine, France.  It’s decorated with 7 kilometers (4.4 miles) of twinkling fairy lights, along with more than 300 flashing lights, 40 large baubles featuring gold stars and 180 illuminated angels, biscuits, candles, apples and stars to create a “Christmas of Yesteryear” theme.

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