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History

The Martini

November 26, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

There's no cocktail that matches the cool, crisp taste of the classic martini.

It’s very American;  however, there are differing theories about the true origin of the martini as well as countless variations, including drinks called ‘martini’ or ‘tini’ something or other (e.g., vodka martini, appletini, french martini, dirty martini, chocolate martini).

The first dry martini, aka the ‘classic’, is often traced to a cocktail mixed in the early 20th century at New York City’s Knickerbocker Hotel and another called the “Marguerite Cocktail” in a drink mixology book published in 1904.  Tastes at the time were changing to a preference for less sugary cocktails, and by mid-century, the martini was at the peak of its popularity as it came to personify modern, sexy, sophisticated and glamorous ideals.  Watch any film from that era, and you’ll get the idea from the many scenes involving mixing and drinking martinis.  That sort of thing became outdated in the 1970’s, but in the 90’s, the martini experienced a comeback as it was rediscovered and remixed for a new happy hour crowd.

At the time of a recent search for ‘something other than wine’ to drink, it had been a few years since I’d even thought about drinking a martini, and the sparsely stocked liquor cabinet was lacking in options. However, a forgotten cocktail shaker was discovered hidden in the back behind an old bottle of rum. The big surprise… found gin and vermouth that had probably been aging 10+ years in half-emptied bottles, and there was a fresh lemon in the refrigerator.  It was destiny.

I had a memory of making martinis with friends, but it had been a long time and my cocktail making skills are wanting (‘no skills at all’ is more accurate).  Did some research, and came up with this version of a classic dry martini using ingredients on hand.  After the first icy cold sip, I wondered why I’d waited so long for this bliss.  It’s not really difficult to mix up one.

2 ounces dry gin  (Tanqueray)
1 ounce dry vermouth (Martini & Rossi, Extra Dry)
ice
lemon twist*

Chill martini glass in the freezer
Pour gin & vermouth in shaker, fill halfway with ice, and shake** about 20 seconds
Strain in the chilled glass and garnish with lemon twist
Serve immediately, and savor simple perfection

CHEERS!

Editor’s Notes:

*If you don’t have a ‘channeling knife’ bar tool, use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove a strip of peel from a fresh lemon with as little of the white pulp as possible remaining.  Before dropping the peel into the glass, ‘twist’ it over the drink to release the lemon oil scent. I chilled the peels in the refrigerator while mixing up the drink.  Olives are also a favorite martini garnish that create a very different taste.

**The ‘shake or stir’ controversy comes down to this— it’s your drink, you decide.  Shaking creates a cloudy, airy, slightly textured drink.  Stirring results in a clear, silky smooth martini. [Stirring Tips:  Add spirits into a chilled mixing glass. Place long spoon in the glass before adding ice (about 2/3 full). Stir briskly in circular motion at least 50 times (30-25 seconds).  Strain in chilled drinking glass using a julep strainer.]

The gin to vermouth ratio is personal choice.  I went with a conservative 2:1 for this experiment, and liked the results.  In the 1930’s the typical ratio was 3:1.  It went to 4:1 in the 40’s, and the gin portion continued to escalate in the late 20th century with ratios reaching as high as 50:1 and 100:1.

Reference:  “There is Something About a Martini”, by Max Rudin, American Heritage (July/August 1997)

 

Margarita mixology history, basic cocktail recipe and helpful tips for creating your personal "best" Margarita

Ready to try a Margarita?
Then you’ve got to check out Margarita Mixology 

 

 

 

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This page includes affiliate links to a shop website. If you purchase a product or service directly through the link, Zeester Media LLC may earn a small commission. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

Feature martini photo by Flickr user, Billy Abbott, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Filed Under: Gastronomy, History Tagged With: Drinks, Recipe

Capitale de Noël

November 25, 2020 By Zola Zeester 5 Comments

The Strasbourg Christmas Tree, France - December 2017

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.

 

The Strasbourg Christmas Tree, France - December 2017
Strasbourg Christmas Tree ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
The Strasbourg Christmas Markets are best when shared with family and friends
Reunion in Strasbourg ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
A travelogue of a visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets along with tips on how to get around and enjoy the festivities.
Strasbourg Christmas Markets at Night ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
Strasbourg Christmas Markets ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
A travelogue of a visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets along with tips on how to get around and enjoy the festivities.
Leclerc Memorial ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
A travelogue of a visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets along with tips on how to get around and enjoy the festivities.
Strasbourg Christmas Markets ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
A travelogue of a visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets along with tips on how to get around and enjoy the festivities.
Strasbourg Christmas Market ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
A travelogue of a visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets along with tips on how to get around and enjoy the festivities.
Strasbourg Christmas Markets ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
A travelogue of a visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets along with tips on how to get around and enjoy the festivities.
Strasbourg Christmas Markets ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
A travelogue of a visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets along with tips on how to get around and enjoy the festivities.
Strasbourg Christmas Markets ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
A travelogue of a visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets along with tips on how to get around and enjoy the festivities.
Strasbourg Christmas Markets ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
A travelogue of a visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets along with tips on how to get around and enjoy the festivities.
Strasbourg Christmas Markets ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
A travelogue of a visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets along with tips on how to get around and enjoy the festivities.
Half-timber homes, Strasbourg ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
A travelogue of a visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets along with tips on how to get around and enjoy the festivities.
Strasbourg Cathedral ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
A travelogue of a visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets along with tips on how to get around and enjoy the festivities.
Strasbourg Cathedral ©2017 Zeester Media LLC
A travelogue of a visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets along with tips on how to get around and enjoy the festivities.
Strasbourg Cathedral Rose Window, Pixabay CC0

 

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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Filed Under: History, Travel Tagged With: Exploration

Activist Arts

October 30, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

Exploring the history of black arts and activism in America

“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.” — John F. Kennedy

Throughout 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

Filed Under: Books, History, Live Streaming, Visual Arts Tagged With: Documentary

The Overview Effect

October 25, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

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

Filed Under: Cosmos, Enlighten, History, Insight, Science, Video Tagged With: Documentary, Exploration, Planet Earth, Space Travel

Chrysanthemum

October 15, 2020 By Zola Zeester 2 Comments

The Chrysanthemum is the flower of November

Across a waste of moorland, bleak and bear,
A lonely bird is flying, calling low—
The last of all the feathered host to go,
And loth to leave still lingers, calling, there
Within my silent garden-passes, where
The flowers are withered that in summer blow,
I walk with murmuring ghosts, that to and fro
Sway gently in the chill November air;

When, lo! I mark a little way apart
The sovereign glory of this waning year
That now, alone, unheralded hath come,
In gorgeous robes — alas, my fickle heart
Forgets the dead, and laughs that she is here,
The royal queen of fall, Chrysanthemum.

“Chrysanthemum” by Albert Bigelow Paine (Rhymes by Two Friends, 1893)

 

Júhuā 

Chrysanthemum was first cultivated as a flowering herb in China more than 3,000 years ago, and is a symbolic and therapeutic element of Chinese and East Asia traditions, culture and art.

Chrysanthemum is one of the Four Gentlemen of Chinese art

Chinese scholars and poets frequently praise the chrysanthemum in ancient writings as a noble flower of elegance and strength, beautifully flowering during the cold days of autumn and early winter. It’s also designated as one of the Four Gentlemen, or Noble Ones, four plants depicted in Chinese art ‘bird and flower’ painting as far back as the Song dynasty (960 -1279), and later used by other artists in East Asia to represent the four seasons: orchid (spring); bamboo (summer); chrysanthemum (autumn); and plum blossom (winter).

 

Chrysanthemum tea was first drunk in Chinese Song dynasty, and still enjoyed todayDrinking chrysanthemum tea also dates back to the Chinese Song dynasty, and is still enjoyed today.  It has a delicate floral aroma and light, refreshing taste, and is typically prepared by steeping dried flowers of Chrysanthemum morifolium or Chrysanthemum indicum in hot water, with sugar often added, and sometimes wolfberries (goji).  The teapot of chrysanthemum flowers is customarily refilled with hot water several times during tea drinking, lightening the flavor and potency of the tea with each serving. While drinking chrysanthemum tea is believed to have cleansing and special healing properties, its effectiveness is uncertain, and it can cause side effects in some people. Therefore, best to consult your doctor before indulging.  If you are allergic to ragweed, pregnant or nursing, avoid chrysanthemum tea and any type of supplement containing the flower.  SHOP here → for chrysanthemum tea *Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a purchase you make via this link to Amazon.  This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

Information/Resources:
You’ll find more history of chrysanthemum as well as planting/gardening information, tips and resources on the National Chrysanthemum Society (USA) website.
Chrysanthemum:  Uses and Side Effects, WebMD
Be Careful – Chrysanthemums are toxic to dogs, cats and horses (Learn more about toxic plants ASPCA website)
General informational resource:  Wikipedia – Chrysanthemum

 

Watch the blooming of Spring flowers close-up in time-lapse videoSee Spring Flowers blooming – right before your eyes

 

 

 

 

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Football mums feature photo is courtesy of Erol Ahmed/StockSnap CC0
Chrysanthemum (1722-1735) Xian’e Changchun Album by Giuseppe Castiglione/Wikimedia PD Chrysanthemum tea photo courtesy of Ornella Binni/StockSnap CC0

Filed Under: Cultivate, Gardening, Gastronomy, History Tagged With: Art

The Black Cat

September 22, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

There are many contradictory myths and superstitions about black cats -- some good, some bad.

“A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere.” — Groucho Marx   

Black cat folklore is varied with countless contradictory myths and superstitions. In Britain and Japan, black cats are considered good luck, but many Western cultures view the black cat as a symbol of bad luck.  Therefore, you can take your pick of black cat superstitions, and have some fun with it.

 

 

Instinct vs Reason

Read Edgar Allan Poe's most disturbing tale, The Black Cat.
Edgar Allan Poe (1848, Masury & Hartshorn, PD)

The Black Cat is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809-49) first published in 1843. It’s one of Poe’s darkest tales, and he uses a black cat named “Pluto” to arouse superstitions and fear.  [Read it here, in full for free ⇒  The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe]   On the other hand, a black cat was a Poe household pet he described as a “remarkable” animal “of a demure and sanctified demeanor” in the short essay, Instinct vs. Reason–A Black Cat, (Alexander’s Weekly Messenger”, January 29, 1840).

 

Explore Poe’s Philadelphia home, and (if you dare) descend into the spine-chilling basement that inspired The Black Cat.  The Edgar Allen Poe Historic Site is open Friday – Sunday (9am – 12noon and 1pm – 5pm), free to visit, and no reservations are required.

Information/Resources:
Wikipedia (Black Cat – Historical Associations; Ship’s Cat; Bastet; Edgar Allan Poe)

 

Watch these specially selected thriller films to get that creepy, scary feeling this HalloweenFright Night Movies: An On2In2™ video collection, free to watch, on demand-– Suspense, Mystery, Terror, Horror, Evil….

 

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Feature photo is courtesy of Pixabay/Pexels CC0

Filed Under: FREEBIES, History, Insight, Video Tagged With: Entertainment, FREEBIES

Family Mystery

September 21, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

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.

 

"Bergische Haus" in Lennep
“Bergische Haus” in Lennep photo by Doris Antony CC BY-SA 3.0

Peter Albert Reinshagen was born on April 23, 1853 in the industrial “cloth making” town of Lennep located within the Prussian Rhine Province. Although now a borough of Remscheid, Germany, the history of Lennep dates back to the Middle Ages, and its town center still remains with more than 100 examples of 18th century “Bergische Haus” architecture, distinguished by timber framed post construction, grey-black slate facades, white window frames with green shutters, and white door lintels.

Peter was the second child and oldest son of six children born to Peter and Julie Leverkus Reinshagen (a sister, Anna, born a year earlier, died four months after Peter’s birth, and Albert, the youngest child, died in 1865 at not quite 3 years old).  Peter grew up with a younger brother, Carl Hermann (Karl), and two sisters, Auguste and Anna (she was born 8 years after the death of her older sister, Anna). The Reinshagen and Leverkus families were prosperous in their manufacturing businesses;  however, family life changed when Peter was just 12 years old; his father passed away on March 13, 1864.

 

Das Land des Wieder Anfanges
-The Land of Another Beginning-

 

German Immigrants Boarding Steamer to New York
“From the Old to the New World” German immigrants boarding steamer to New York (Harper’s Weekly, Nov. 7, 1874) PD/Wikimedia

A massive wave of German migration to the United States began in the 1830s, with the number of arrivals spiking in the mid to late 1800’s.  In the 50 year span between 1820 – 1870, over 7.5 million German immigrants came to the US, more than doubling its population.  Although decisions to emigrate seem to have been primarily based on economic, religious and political issues, there does not seem to be a specific cause underlying the phenomenon.  In fact, there are probably as many different motivations behind the 19th century migration from Germany to America as there were immigrants being that it was an extraordinarily diverse group with differing religious and cultural values, dissimilar political views, and varying geographical, vocational and educational backgrounds.

The diversity of these German-speaking people was due to the fact that since the end of the Thirty Years’ War in 1648, Germany had been divided into a patchwork of independent, monarchical states with distinct histories and competing interests. While political unrest and economic turmoil existed throughout the German states during the 18th and 19th centuries, the circumstances were never as extreme as the famine and oppression suffered in Ireland during the same time period. Consequently, German immigrants were not always escaping a desperate situation, and many had professional skills as well as capital to start a new life in America.

A mass emigration effort to establish German settlements on Texas land was conducted in the 1840’s by “The Society for the Protection of German Immigration in Texas” (known as “Adelsverein”, the “Nobility Society”) for the purpose of creating new world markets for German industry and promoting German maritime commerce.  The endeavor resulted in successful colonies in central Texas that still exist today, but ended in 1853 because of Adelsverein leadership, financial and administrative shortcomings.

So, it seems, many Germans making the dangerous transatlantic voyage toward an uncertain future may have been lured by the promise of an expansive new world with greater opportunity and ideological freedom.

The Mosel passenger list 26 May, 1877
Mosel Passenger List, 26 May 1877

We don’t know his reasons, but do know Peter, at 24 years old, set off for America on May 26, 1877 from the port city of Bremerhaven on the SS Mosel.  We can, however, assume there were personal, complex motivations, rather than economic hardship, as he traveled alone on second class passage, leaving behind his mother and siblings, and never to see his homeland again.

Peter arrived in America shortly after the intensely disputed election of President Rutherford B. Hayes at the close of the Reconstruction Era, embarking on his odyssey during the outset of the Second Industrial Revolution (1870 – 1914), a period of rapid growth and great advancement in manufacturing and technology. At the same time, unresolved political, economic and social issues continued to afflict the country with conflict, suffering and violence. 

It was the beginning of the family mystery.

Mother never talked about father. — C.H. Reinshagen (1891-1980)

What happened to Peter after he arrived in America?  What sort of man was he, and how did he die? No one had answers, but there was plenty of speculation among his descendants.

Carl Peter Henry Reinshagen with his mother Emma Michel Reinshagen (about 1896)
Carl with his mother Emma (1896)

In 1891, less than 15 years following his immigration from Germany, Peter died a few days before his 38th birthday and a few months prior to the birth of his only child, Carl Peter Henry (Charles Henry). Carl was raised in Comal County, Texas by his mother, Emma, and from the age of 7 years, a stepfather in a large, blended family of step and half siblings. Unfortunately, he was not given much information about his father, except Carl was made aware of his uncles, aunts and cousins in Germany.  No one in the family had the most basic information as to Peter’s travels and work in America, the circumstances of his death, or the location of his grave.  As a result, family legend developed depicting Peter as somewhat of an outcast, a “ne’er-do-well”, and bar owner, inferring the entire story was likely much worse.  It seemed after so many years, the man, his son and family deserved better.  In late 2014, the search began.

 

Finding Peter

There are no photographs of Peter, no written communication.  Three treasured documents have survived— a family tree compiled in 1906, the May 26, 1877 Mosel passenger list, and Carl’s baptism certificate, dated November 15, 1891.  Therefore, the first logical step of this investigation involved taking the information from the documents and search the internet.  There was a feeling of determination and confidence at the start of this endeavor because there are so many online information resources, tools and data bases, including records of birth, death, marriage, US census, immigration/naturalization, military, and probate as well as genealogy websites and newspaper articles. But, after many long days and nights of intense googling, it became apparent the “Finding Peter Research Project” was not going to be quick and easy.  Peter was not showing up on anything.

Then…Success!  Found a record of Peter’s marriage to Emma Michel on February 20, 1887 in Comal County, Texas.  Also, discovered some of the limitations of an online genealogical search and reasons Peter is so hard to find.

The biggest factor is that searchable 19th century public records are limited, incomplete, and very often inaccurate or not available on the internet;  therefore, genealogical research takes a lot more digging. Case in point, an online search of the US census records was a total bust, maddening until learning most of the 1890 census records (the year before Peter’s death) were damaged by a fire at the Commerce Department Building in January of 1921.  It then became somewhat discouraging to realize the chance of discovering documentary evidence of Peter’s location and occupation in the US had been reduced to the statistical information of only one source—the 1880 census.  This led to the conclusion the library was the best next stop on this journey.

The staff is friendly and helpful at the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives & Library in Austin, Texas, and it was fun exploring all the reference materials and collections.  A search via an ancestry informational website (for free!) identified a record of Peter’s birth and baptism in Lennep.  It wasn’t a lot, but a hopeful sign he was out there somewhere. Since his son Carl’s baptism took place at a church in San Antonio, Texas, it was likely Peter had died there.  The recommendation from a library staff member was to go directly to Bexar County records to check for a death certificate.

An online search of county and city records as well as published obituaries in the Bexar County, Texas area was not successful, and things really got frustrating after a telephone conversation with a county research clerk resulted in zero findings and a certain amount of hoplessness.  It became clear—the next place to try is the church.

Cornerstone of St. John's first church building (1860)
“To God Alone the Glory” St. John’s first church building cornerstone laid March 5, 1860

Founded by German immigrants in 1857, St. John’s Lutheran Church (Deutsche Evangelische St. Johannes Kirche) has substantial historical ties to San Antonio, and church volunteers have put in many hours preserving and making available its records which date as far back as its founding.  The information and documents available on St. John’s website are extraordinary, yet again, there were problems locating anything related to Peter in the online church archives, and this was particularly perplexing because Carl’s baptism certificate was issued by St. John’s in 1891.  Not ready to give up, made a call to the church office and left a message.

That call led to an email exchange with Maria, a volunteer genealogy researcher at St. John’s, and receipt of her email on December 12, 2014 was a memorable, emotional moment (more than a few tears!):

From city records: Peter died of consumption in the San Juan Mission settlement area on April 20, 1891.  His doctor was William Meier.  He had been a resident of Bexar County for 16 months, and was buried in Bexar County (“Lutheran”).

A few days later, Maria found Peter’s funeral listed in the church record books, and although a burial site was not identified and can’t be located in the church cemeteries, Peter Albert Reinshagen was added to the St. John’s cemetery “presumed burial” list because of the funeral record and the added note “Lutheran” in the city of San Antonio death record.  A gracious acknowledgement very much appreciated by the family.

Finding this long lost ancestor was both heartrending and joyous, and while more research is required to track Peter’s life in America from 1877 to 1891, the cause of death “consumption” is an important clue to the events leading to a tragedy.  Consumption (also known as the “White Plague” and the “romantic disease” in reference to the high mortality rate among young and middle age adults during that time period) is a medical term used in the 19th century for symptoms known today as tuberculosis, an infectious disease that commonly affects the lungs.  At the time of Peter’s death, tuberculosis was widespread in Europe and North America, highly contagious as the population density and poor sanitary conditions of cities created a high risk environment, and deadly because there were no adequate treatments.

“The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero

We are inherently compelled to search for long dead relatives.  Many thousands of years ago, when humans began living in large settlements, they searched for connections to a trusted tribal group through common ancestry, eventually the practice evolved into a means of establishing links to prominent or heroic figures in order to validate social status.  Today, a primary motivation is an instinctive desire to better understand who we are and how far we’ve come.

Finding Peter has answered some of those questions, but there are still missing pieces to the puzzle, and as so often happens, the answers have led to more questions.  The Finding Peter Research Project, therefore, remains ongoing.  Will update you with any new findings.

In the meantime, best of luck with your own family history research.  Listed below are online resources I found helpful in tracing Peter Reinshagen from Germany to the US.  If you have questions about the Finding Peter Research Project, would be happy to try to answer, and would enjoy learning about your family research projects as well.

German immigrants board SS Mosel for journey to America

 

Read about the German immigrant ship, SS Mosel, and Peter’s transatlantic voyage route → HERE.

 

 

 

Resources/References:

“German Immigration” US Immigration and Migration Library Reference, US History in Context

‘Big Wonderful Thing’ Excerpt: “Reason Had Left Its Throne” – excerpt from Stephen Harrigan’s book Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas*, Texas Monthly (October 2019) During the years before and after Texas independence from Mexico, a “steady surge” of German settlers arrived, and by 1850, they made up more than 5 percent of the population.

Wikipedia:  Remscheid, Berg House, German History, Prussia, Thirty Years’ War, German Americans, Adelsverein, Reconstruction Era, Rutherford B. Hayes, Second Industrial Revolution, History of Tuberculosis

Family Search website (free online search of a large collection of genealogical and historical records)

US census research information:  Genealogy FAQs

The National Archives and Records Administration “Resources for Genealogists”

Texas State Library & Archives Commission: Genealogy Resources & Online Public Access Catalog

St. John’s Lutheran Church website – History/”Church Archives” page

How To Make a Family Tree, the National Genealogical Society – References for Researching, a step-by-step tutorial

20 Reasons Why You Should Write Your Family History, by Carmen Nigro, New York Public Library (February 9, 2015) 

 

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Feature photo is courtesy of Brian Mann/Unsplash CC0

Filed Under: Enlighten, History Tagged With: Biography, Genealogy

Snake Mountain

September 19, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

A hike to the top of Snake Mountain is rewarded with expansive views of Lake Champlain Valley and the Adirondack Mountains.

During an end-of-summer visit to Vermont, my friend, Catherine, suggested a “sunset” hike up Snake Mountain.  We didn’t see the sunset, and got a little lost on the way down (despite the fact it’s an easy loop-trail with signage), but we had a mountain of laughs on this little adventure and learned a lot, too.

Snake Mountain belongs to a series of scattered hills that extend from the greater Taconic mountain range, and it rises dramatically from the surrounding flat landscape.
Western view of Snake Mountain, Michael Kostiuk CC BY-SA 3.0

Geography  Snake Mountain is part of a series of scattered hills extending from the greater Taconic mountain range, and is oddly separated from other mountains within the range so that it appears prominently up 1,287 feet from the surrounding flat landscape of Champlain Valley.

1,215 acres span the upper slopes and summit of Snake Mountain.  Not far from the summit is Red Rock Pond, a small, shallow pond surrounded by hardwoods and a rocky ridge.  Near a summit known as Cranberry Bog is a 10-acre wetland about 33 feet deep and more than 9,500 years old.

History

At one time, locals referred to it as “Rattlesnake Mountain”, likely because of the venomous Timber Rattlesnakes believed to be living within the rocks and ledges.  Local legend also includes the story of a menacing “Black Beast of Snake Mountain” haunting the mountain slopes.

During a period of time when mountain top resorts offering guests fresh air and breathtaking views were popular in the Northeast, Addison County resident and Vermont State Representative, Jonas N. Smith (1805 – 1884), built the Grand View Hotel on the summit of Snake Mountain in 1870, and it then became known as Grand View Mountain. The hotel was destroyed by fire and abandoned in 1925, but reminders of its history are still visible on Snake Mountain, including the hotel’s concrete slab foundation at the summit and the carriage road that once shuttled vacationers up to the hotel (still used today by hikers as the main trail to the summit).

In 1959, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department began acquiring land in order to establish the Snake Mountain Wildlife Management Area for the purpose of conserving wildlife habitat and providing public access.

Habitat and Wildlife  Snake Mountain is home to many creatures, plants and a few snakes.

Bloodroot is one of many wildflowers found on Snake Mountain, Vermont
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0

Herbs and Wildflowers  Among the forests and wetland grow white trillium, dog’s-tooth violet, bloodroot, sweet cicely, beech-drops, large-flowered bellwort, bishop’s-cap, hepatica, Canada-violet, dwarf ginseng, small-flowered buttercup, Christmas fern and rattlesnake fern.  Look for back’s sedge, four-leaved milkweed, handsome sedge, needle-spine rose, hair honeysuckle, large yellow lady’s-slipper, podgrass and squaw root. The Vermont state-endangered Douglas’s knotweed has also been found.  

Mammals  White-tailed deer winter in the area.  Coyote, bobcat, red and gray fox, raccoon, cottontail rabbit, gray squirrel, and the occasional moose and bear also inhabit Snake Mountain.

Look for Great Grey Owls and other birds of prey and woodland song birds on Snake Mountain day hikes
Great Grey Owl, jok2000 CC BY-SA 3.

Birds   Snake Mountain provides opportunities to see a variety of “birds of prey”, including eagles, falcons, hawks, vultures, ospreys, and the less common harriers during migration (mid-September to early November), and peregrine falcons have nested on its cliffs.  Woodland songbirds, woodpeckers and owls can also be spotted as well as wild turkey and ruffed grouse.  [Birds of America]

Reptiles and Amphibians  You can find a variety of salamanders (red-backed, Jefferson, four-toed, blue-spotted and spotted), American toads, spring peepers, gray tree and wood frogs on Snake Mountain.  Milk, brown and garter snakes may also be seen.

Recreation  Snake Mountain is open to regulated hunting, trapping, hiking and wildlife viewing.  A network of walking trails crisscross the mountain and provides access to the summit, Red Rock Pond, and Cranberry Bog.  The accessibility, easy climb, and expansive views of Champlain Valley and the Adirondack Mountains from the summit make it one of the best beginner hiking trails in Vermont and a local favorite.

 

Hike New England's Snake Mountain trail map guide
Snake Mountain trail map, provided by HikeNewEngland.com

 

Hiking Trails & Tips  

♦  “It’s muddy and buggy”.  That was the advice we were given by a local, and it was spot on.  Don’t forget the bug spray, along with water, binoculars and camera.

♦  The hike to the summit and back is approximately 5 miles and can be accomplished in about 2 hours.  During our hike, a runner using a pair of trekking poles passed us going up & down the mountain.  The guy was flying, and I decided I needed some of those poles!  * SHOP Trekking Poles and Hiking Staffs    That’s a great workout; however, the fun of Snake Mountain is the experience of getting away, exploring, enjoying nature and the views.  Take your time, stop, rest & look around, and listen to the quiet of the forest.

♦  The main trail starts at Wilmarth Road up the old carriage road.  It’s a wide path with a steady 30% incline and bypass paths along the way to help hikers avoid muddy spots.  The trail gets rockier, narrow and winding as it gets higher with a jag left about 1/3 of the way up. (The road to the right is Mountain Road Extension, and you don’t want to go there during either the ascent or descent because you’ll wind up back tracking.)  Just short of the half-way point, the trail connects on the left to a more narrow and steeper alternate summit trail that takes hikers past Red Rock Pond.  Either trail takes you up, but probably best (especially for first-timers) to continue to the right on the old carriage road, and descend down by way of the Red Rock Pond trail or back over again the easier old carriage road trail.

It helps to pay attention to the signs while descending Snake Mountain, Vermont
Catherine points to the sign we somehow missed © 2017-19 Zeester Media LLC

♦  Some of the trail paths cross over private lands.  Be respectful and watch for signs (seems simple enough, but so easy to take a wrong turn).  The “Wilmarth Road →→” sign is there to guide hikers away from a wrong turn on Mountain Road Extension during descent, but my friend and I were distracted and missed it, and (you guessed it) had to double back once we finally realized the trail was not looking quite right.

♦  Dogs are allowed, but must be leashed.

♦  Plants may not be picked on public land.

How to get to Snake Mountain

Snake Mountain is located in west-central Vermont between Addison and Weybridge. From Burlington, drive South on Route 7 to Route 17 West toward New York.  From Middlebury, drive from the college north on Weybridge Road (23); turn left/west onto Route 17.

At the Route 22A intersection (there’s a general store and white town hall building), turn south on Route 22A.  Drive 2.5 miles and look for Wilmarth Road street sign (a gravel lane that cuts through fields).  Wilmarth Road intersects with Mountain Road, and you’ll see the start of Snake Mountain trails at the intersection. Turn left onto Mountain Road.  Park a short distance down the road in the small, unmarked gravel parking lot on the left.

 

Information/Resources:

Snake Mountain Wildlife Management Area 
Mysterious Snake Mountain by Chad Abramovich, Obscure Vermont (October 28, 2013)
Snake Mountain From the Secret Side by Christian Woodard, Addison County Independent (December 7, 2011)
The Fall Migration of Raptors by Emily Brodsky, University of Vermont EcoBlog (October 2, 2011)
Snakes of Vermont, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department
iNaturalist Vermont Mission: Spring Ephemeral Wildflowers by Kent McFarland, Vermont Center for Ecostudies (April 26, 2014)

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Feature photo of view from summit of Snake Mountain is courtesy of Flickr user, Jeanne Mayell, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

 

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Filed Under: Exploration, History, Nature, Travel Tagged With: Hiking, Wildlife

Birds of America

September 19, 2020 By Zola Zeester 1 Comment

Hummingbirds are fun to watch and John Audubon's illustrations in The Birds of America are extraordinary.
John James Audubon was a 19th Century artists and naturalist, and his "The Birds of America" publication is regarded as the greatest study of birds in history.
JJ Audubon by H.B Hall, PD

Some time around 1820, French-American artist and naturalist, John James Audubon (1785-1851) started work on a personal project to paint every bird species located in North America, using unique methods and materials as well as extensive field observations.  It was a tremendously challenging and costly endeavor, and many doubted Audubon’s ability to pull it off.  In fact, the idea would seem a little wild & crazy even today with 21st century technology.  But, Audubon was no ordinary guy. He was also totally committed to finding and illustrating every bird in North America for publication, working more than 15 years toward his goal and raising cash by teaching, selling art works, taking oil painting commissions, hunting and selling animal skins, and conducting exhibitions and demonstrations.

How to view and download John Audubon's extraordinarily beautiful illustrations in The Birds of America.
Common American Swan (The Birds of America, plate 411) is courtesy of the National Audubon Society, John James Audubon Center and Montgomery County Audubon Collection

The result of Audubon’s work is The Birds of America, first published in England as a series of 87 sets of prints between the years 1827 and 1838.  Now considered to be the greatest study of birds in history as well as one of the greatest examples of book art, the original publication included 435 hand-colored, life-sized prints of North American birds on handmade paper that were produced from copperplate etchings and engravings with water-coloring applied by assembly-line colorists.  An accompanying text (‘Ornithological Biography’) was written by Audubon and the Scottish ornithologist William MacGillvray and published separately in five volumes (1831-1839).

The cost of printing the first edition of The Birds of America was an amount equivalent to more than $2 million US dollars in today’s money.  Audubon financed the massive print project with pre-paid subscriptions, but only the wealthy could afford the subscription price which limited the publication to no more than 200 complete sets.  Consequently, more affordable editions were later produced using lithography and published during the mid-19th century.

 

“The Birds of America’ will then raise in value as much as they are now depreciated by certain fools and envious persons.” — John James Audubon

 

Almost two centuries later, Audubon’s bird art is still captivating and revered among birders and art collectors, and his influence on ornithology and natural history has been widespread and enduring as The Birds of America and Ornithological Biography significantly contributed to the understanding of bird anatomy and behavior.  Watching the short video, ‘Audubon’s Birds of America’ from the Lost Birds Project, you’ll get a sense of the massive beauty of these works of art as David W. Carson, curator of the History of Science Collection at Cornell University, conducts a private viewing of The Birds of America.

 

Six of the birds illustrated by John Audubon in The Birds of America are now extinct, and many more are endangered.  Also — According to a recent study, North America has lost more than a quarter of its entire bird population during the past 50 years. [North America Has Lost 3 Billion Birds, Scientist Say by Nell Greefieldboyce (NPR, September 19, 2019)] ⇒⇒ Learn how you can help by visiting the National Audubon Society’s Action Center.

A copy of the complete The Birds of America series is available FREE of charge for viewing and high-resolution downloading via ⇒⇒ the National Audubon Society’s digital library, courtesy of the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove in Audubon, Pennsylvania and the Montgomery County Audubon Collection.  Be sure to check it out, and let John Audubon inspire your own creative work.

Audubon’s personal copy of The Birds of America is held within the Stark Museum of Art Rare Books & Manuscripts Collections in Orange, Texas.  An original, complete series is on public display (one page is turned each week) in the Audubon Room of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.  It was purchased by the university in 1839 for the astonishing price of $970 (equivalent to approximately $80,000 today). Undoubtedly, a wise investment.  In December 2010, a complete first edition from a private collection was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in London for US$ 11.5 million (a record breaking auction price).

Other permanent public display locations:  Trinity College (Watkinson Library) in Hartford, Connecticut; University of Pittsburg (Hillman Library);  Liverpool Central Library;  Woodstock Inn in Woodstock, Vermont;  and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (Ewell Sale Stewart Library) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Look around– there are surely more opportunities for viewing a first edition as there are currently 107 held by institutions, and many periodically offer special exhibits.

Information/Resources:
The Life of John James Audubon: The Naturalist (1869) [FREE ebook] The primary source material for this biography was Audubon’s notes and journals, written/edited by Lucy Green Bakewell Audubon and Robert Williams Buchanan. The JJ Audubon image is an engraving by H.B. Hall based on a portrait by Henry Inman that appears in the book.
John James Audubon – The Making of an American (2004) by Richard Rhodes*
Audubon’s ‘Birds of America’ at Yale:  Creating a masterwork one feather at a time. Article by Mike Cummings, Yale News, June 30, 2015
“Ornithological Biography” or an Account of the Habits of the Birds of the United States of America Vol 4, (1838) by John James Audubon [FREE ebook].
Featured photo of Columbian Hummingbirds is from plate 425 of The Birds of America
Wikipedia:  The Birds of America

 

If you just can’t get enough about birds, there’s more here ⇒ Bird ID Challenge (test your birding skills);  Birdsong Melody  (the music and magic of the mockingbird);  The California Brown Pelican; and Fast and Fearless (the Hummingbird).

 

 

Audubon was the first, but there’s a new illustration of birds to get excited about!    The Wall of Birds* tells the remarkable story of artist Jane Kim’s 2,500 square-foot mural celebrating the diversity and evolution of birds at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  It took her 2 1/2 years to create the one-of-a-kind, life-size mural showcasing all 243 modern families of birds, and the book “is a visual feast, essential for those who love art, birds, and our natural world”.

 

 

 

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

Filed Under: Books, FREEBIES, History, Nature, Science, Visual Arts Tagged With: Art, Birding, FREEBIES, Wildlife

Mooncake

September 12, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

The making, sharing and eating of mooncakes is a hallmark tradition of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

A mooncake (yue bing) is a Chinese pastry traditionally filled with a sweet, dense filling (make that very sweet, very dense) and one or more whole salted egg yolk (symbolizing the full moon).  The tops of these delicacies are decorated with imprints of Chinese characters for longevity and harmony and the name of the bakery as well as images of the moon, flowers, vines, Chang’e (Chinese goddess of the moon), or a rabbit (symbol of the moon), and there hasn’t been a Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated in China without mooncakes since the Tang Dynasty (618-690 and 705-907) when they were first used as offerings to the moon and eaten during worship.  Today, mooncakes are customarily offered and shared between friends, gifted to business clients and relatives, and eaten at family gatherings while celebrating the festival, and there are many different crusts, fillings and regional styles.

Although deeply rooted in ancient tradition, the sky’s the limit when it comes to contemporary-style mooncakes.  The many modern creations include low-fat and sugar-free versions, exotic flavors and ingredients, and unique, custard-style fillings.  Häagen-Dazs was one of the first to create an ice cream mooncake.  They were a big hit (everybody loves ice cream!).

You might want to try this Home Baked Mini Cheese Shanghai Mooncake recipe (by Kimiya Lim, makes 16 small cakes) as it’s simpler and less time consuming than baking traditional mooncakes.

 

Ingredients

140g (1 cup) Cake flour
1/2 tsp Baking powder
10g (1 tbsp) Custard powder
25g (1/4 cup) Milk powder
2 tsps Parmesan Cheese powder
40g (3 tbsps) Caster sugar
50g (1/3 cup) Softened butter
1 egg

4 Salted egg yolks (optional)*
320g (11 1/2 ounces) Lotus paste**
Black sesame seeds

Directions

Bake in preheated 130°C – 150°C (250°F – 300°F) oven for first 10 minutes, take out & cool for awhile then egg wash and sprinkle tops with a few black sesame seeds.  Return to oven and bake for another 18-22 minutes or till golden on top. Baking time & temperature may vary depending on the type and accuracy of oven. You may need to adjust your oven temperature accordingly.

* Salted duck eggs are a common ingredient in Chinese cooking.  Traditionally, they are preserved whole and raw in brine, and after a few weeks, the salt water draws out the moisture within the egg, concentrating its flavor.  The yolks hardened into bright orange balls.  Find them at your local Chinatown market or brine duck (or chicken) eggs ahead of time at home.
** Lotus seed paste is a sweet and smooth filling made from dried lotus seeds.  Purchase ready-made at your local Chinatown market or make at home.

Resources/Information:

Mooncakes in Modern China, by Meredith Butenhoff, Allyn Wiggins, Hattie Grant, & Brandon Bank (Debunking Myths of China, Furman University, October 25, 2016), article includes recipe & instructions on how-to-make mooncakes
The Right Way to Eat Mooncake, by Ellen Duong (Sampan, August 5, 2016)
‘Mooncake’ (Wikipedia)

 

Sharing holiday recipes includes the family favorite pumpkin breadMore family tradition in the kitchen with fall favorites:
♥ German Chocolate Cupcakes
♥ Pumpkin Bread

 

 

 

 

Feature photo is courtesy of Flickr user, Chee Kweng Teoh, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Filed Under: Gastronomy, History, Video Tagged With: Recipe

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