Volume 10:Number 2, June/July, 2009
Published by The DAISY Shop, women's couture resale (15 years of operation)
67 East Oak Street, 6th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
(001 International +1) + (312) 943-8880
FAX: (001 International +1) + (312) 943-6660, a secure line for ordering by credit card (VISA, M\C, Disc)
To “Reserve” merchandise (24 hour hold), e-mail us. E-mail address Head Daisy
Publisher: Barbara, Head Daisy
Feature Writers: Ms Terry; Ms Romance
Foreign Correspondents: Rym Daisy
Critic Emeritus: The Daisy Mother, Bea
Daisy Godmother: Marie
All prices shown $US. All sales are final sales. All merchandise is authentic, 2nd hand couture.
Our popular historical articles have been compiled into an e-book, An Interpretive History of Sorts. If you have Microsoft Reader software, you can download the e-book and read the compilation to your Aug2006IssueSubscribersPage_files's content. Click here to go to the e-book: An Interpretive History of Sorts©
If you have Adobe Reader, you can access the articles in .pdf format at this link: An Interpretive History of Sorts©
By popular demand, an archive of past issues of The Perspicacious Woman OnLine is available in .pdf format. Click here to obtain any of the past three issues: Archives of The Perspicacious Woman OnLine©
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August publication - July 15
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Should you miss the deadline, your ad will be published in the next bi-monthly issue.
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GoTo http://daisyshop.com/AdContract.htm for a printer friendly contract. FAX this to The Daisy Shop, (312) 943-6660.
Blings - rhinestone necklaces
earrings, bracelets, brooches,
Denim, and St. John
are on sale.
Comin' down the Pike: FALL FASHION TRENDS
From chicstories.com:
Tuxedo style (Easy to accomplish. Affix satin ribbon to solid color pant or skirt, especially black or white, at side seam. Voila! Tuxedo stripe!)
Half sleeves
Hats
Jumpsuit (Give this one a pass, Dear Reader. It's a fad, not a trend.)
From girlawhirl.com:
Plenty of Color:
Nothing updates a basic article of clothing more than color, and from what Girlawhirl saw on the runways of New York Fashion Week, she figures that her Fall 09 wardrobe will include plenty of neon orange, hot pink, cobalt blue, shades of green and yellow and more. In addition, gorgeous jewel tones; the purples, teals and deeper blues, cranberries and reds that make for wearable fall and holiday outfits, were part of many designers' collections.
Strong Shoulders:
This one might take a little getting used to, but it's not the first time strong shoulders have been in the spotlight. Balenciaga showed them in Paris for Spring 09 and for next fall, other designers have followed suit. In addition to a strong shoulder line that's helped out with a bit of padding underneath, another way shoulders have become a focal point is with pleats, tucks and even a few strategically placed bows.
Slim Silhouettes:
From super skinny pants – topped with printed tunics a slim silhouette looks just right for Fall 09. When slim trousers are topped with oversized layers on top, belts keep everything from becoming too overwhelming.
Plaids, Tweeds and Houndstooth Checks:
Always fall staples, Girlawhirl always expects to see plaids, tweeds and checks in her fall wardrobe, and for Fall 09, there's no exception.
Father's Day
Sunday June 15th
MEN'S DEPARTMENT - Vintage Men's Ties, $45.00\each
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A SHORT REVERIE
The Shop is celebrating its 15th year of operation on June 10. The celebration will be private, a cup of cinnamon flavored coffee will be served to staff and drunk behind the curtain in the back of the Shop, I will give a 30 second speech without saying anything maudlin, and then, staff and I will get back to work.
Frankly, it's been a helluvah good ride, Dear Reader, and I am grateful and thank each and every customer, supplier, friend, acquaintance, and relative who helped The Daisy Shop achieve this year mark. Certain people come to mind: Andrea, Ruth, Pat, Catherine, Janelle, Jan, Cynthia, Eileen, Eloise, Vanessa, Waverly, Marion, Deborah, Loreen, Ann, Fay, Kevin, Mark, Marie, The Daisy Godmother, Ulrike, Ilene, Bob, Steve, Michael, Chuckele, Sam, The Daisy Mother, The Daisy Brother, The Daisy Aunt, The Daisy Uncle, Anna C., Pam, another Andrea, Tim, Mark, Russell, Lindsay, Luis, Boguslaw, another Lindsay, Jacquelyn, Andrew, Sid, Irene, and Laura. I am grateful and thank each and every staff person, those onboard, Rym, and those who have gone on to other endeavors (Colleen, Chrissie, Roz, Nona, Lara, Josephine, Gary, Jessica, Carroll, Anna, Herta, and Sue) whose good help was much appreciated and needed in the day-to-day operations of the Shop.
WARM
FUZZIES
To Ai, a congratulations on her first piece of couture; to Lindsey Reiser for her fine piece on The Daisy Shop in the "Examiner," a thank you for the publicity; to our visitors who came a far piece (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela); to Susan Segrest, who highlighted The Daisy Shop in her listing, "Consignment Scores," an accolade for which we are grateful and in fine company; to Jada Russell for her nice mention of The Daisy Shop in her piece, "Consign Designs," published in "Uptown Chicago," a thank you; to Anne-Marie Otey, who gave the shop such fine publicity in Footware News, June issue, a thank you.
Valentino, 45 Years Strong
Valentino (Clemente Ludovico) Garavani
The official biography from netglimpse.com. It's sketchy.
Additional material from the web in parentheses.
(Valentino was born May 11, 1932 in a small village in Italy named Voghera (current population: 39,328). It's in the Lombardy region, above the boot. His father was an electrical appliance store owner, Mauro Garavani. His mother's name was Teresa de Biaggi. He had an older sister, Wanda, who was born in 1925. She married into the Villani family, which may have been the same family who produced Giovanni Villani, a historian, whose chronicle of Florentine history offers a descriptive picture of medieval city life in the 13th and 14th centuries. He died in 1348, probably during a bubonic plague epidemic. Wanda and her unnamed husband produced two children: Piero and Mauro Villani, of which nothing is mentioned on the Internet. Wanda was some sort of executive at her brother's couturier house, her 1997 obit says.)
(During World War II, owing to its
strategic position on the roads Milan-Genoa and Turin-Bologna, Voghera was
heavily bombed by the Allies. There is no further information on the
Internet about Voghera and WWII, so I don't know how the Garavani family
fared during and after the Great War. I suspect it was a grim
existence. There are no childhood photos of Valentino on the Internet,
nor are there photos of his parents, his sister, or Voghera during
Valentino's childhood.)
Valentino became interested in fashion while in middle school. It's not clear when he apprenticed under his aunt Rosa (Don't know if she's an aunt on the his father's side, Garavani, or his mother's side, de Biaggi.) and local designer Ernestina Salvadeo (of which no information can be found on the Internet), an aunt of noted artist Aldo Giorgini (who was a high school classmate of Valentino.). (Apparently, he graduated the American equivalent of grammar school and enrolled in High School.)
At 17, (This would be 1949.) Valentino moved to Paris to pursue his fashion interest with the help of his mother, Teresa de Biaggi, and his father, Mauro Garavani. (They may have moved to Paris with him. Certainly, they sent money for him to live on. His father's store, I guess, was doing well. It is not said if Valentino graduated High School.) (Another source says Valentino first studied fashion design and French at the Accademia dell Arte in Milan in 1948 (Milan is 33 miles from Voghera. This is more probable. He was only 17 and this could have been High School.), then he went to Paris (with his family?) to study at Ecole des Beaux Arts. There are many different courses of study at this school, and I couldn't find which one Valentino was enrolled in or when he was enrolled.) He studied at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, too, for three years, 1949-1951. (This conflicts with the des Beaux Arts info above.) Valentino is not listed as a graduate. So maybe he never graduated High School.)
(After school?) his first apprentice choice in Paris
was with Jacques Fath, then Balenciaga,
but neither accepted him. He found an apprenticeship with Jean Desses,
where he helped style icon countess Jacqueline de Ribes and where he
sketched her dress ideas. (He's 19, I think.) At Desses,
Valentino sketched furiously, between helping with window dressing and
greeting clients for the daily 2:30 p.m. private showings. Most of his
early sketches were lost. That's a photo of Desses showing a 1949
gown. Maybe Valentino sketched it; maybe not. It was
photographed for Life Magazine. At a Rome exhibition in 1991, a
smattering went on display, and current clients at that time such as Marie
Hélène de Rothschild and Elizabeth Taylor marveled that the DNA of
Valentino's style was already apparent in the layers of white pleats and
animal prints.
After five years
(1956, maybe), Valentino left Jean Desses under a cloud over an incident
about prolonging a vacation in St. Tropez that still makes him wriggle
uncomfortably today. Rescued by his friend, Guy LaRoche, he joined his
"tiny, tiny" fashion house (1956-1959, maybe). LaRoche, interestingly
enough, also apprenticed at Desses. Maybe, that's where Valentino met
LaRoche. After discussions with his parents, he decided to return to
Italy and set up in Rome in 1959. (He's 27, now.)
He opened a fashion house in Rome on the posh Via Condotti with the backing of his father and an associate of his father's. More than an atelier, the premises resembled a real "maison de couture", being very much in the line of what Valentino had seen in Paris: everything was very grand, and models flew in from Paris for his first show. Valentino became known for his red dresses in the bright shade that became known in the fashion industry as "Valentino red." (It contains a touch of black pigment. Valentino's trademark red color, known as rosso Valentino, is a combination of 100% magenta, 100% yellow and 10% black (CMYK color model).)
Valentino was with French socialite Gerald
Nanty,
at this time. (Ganty may be the owner of a posh, exclusive
bar\restaurant in Paris called Mathi's and who is the hero of a book by
Elizabeth Quin, Beautiful Nights, which was published in 2007 and received
favorable reviews. I found only one photo on the Internet labeled
Gerald Nanty. It's shown at right.) Guess it was a long distance
romance.
About one year later, 31 July 1960, Valentino met
Giancarlo Giammetti (Photo of Giammetti at right, taken in 2007) at the Café
de Paris on the Via Veneto
in Rome. One of three children, Giammetti was in his second year of
architecture school, living at home with his parents in the haut bourgeois
Parioli section of Northern Rome. His father owned an electronics
store near the Via Veneto. That day, Giammetti gave Valentino a lift
home in his little Fiat and a friendship as well as a long-lasting
partnership started. The day after, Giammetti was to leave for Capri for
vacation and by coincidence, Valentino was also going there so they met
again in the island 10 days later. Giammetti would shortly after
abandon the University for good to become Valentino's business partner.
Giammetti's
entrepreneurial genius will prove
fundamental to the worldwide expansion and
success of the House. Thanks to Giammetti, Valentino was able to focus
on the creative aspect of design leaving all
business intricacies to Giammetti.
When Giammetti arrived, the business situation of Valentino's atelier was,
in fact, not brilliant: in one year, he had spent so much money that his
father's associate pulled out of the business, so that Valentino had to
fight against bankruptcy. Valentino already had a passion for luxury
and would spend too much money on
expensive fabrics never thinking about the financial aspects of his fashion
business. Photo at left, Valentino (?) in his workshop in Italy.
The Internet says he also had a studio in Paris, but his biography makes no
mention of this. Photo at left shows him dressed similarly as in his
workshop in Italy. Neither photo resembles Valentino.
Valentino and Giammetti were told to start a new company and they did. Under Giammetti's wing, Valentino's business got under control and things were ready for international success.
Valentino's
international debut took place in 1962 (He's 30, now.) in Florence, the
Italian fashion capital of the time. His first show at the Pitti
Palace was welcomed as a true revelation and the young couturier was
submerged by orders from foreign buyers and enthusiastic comments on the
press.
After the breakthrough show in Florence, Valentino
started to dress the ladies of the international best-dressed crowd such as
his acquaintance
from the Paris years Countess Jacqueline de Ribes (who made Vanity
Fair's Best Dressed List in 1962...was she wearing Valentino? Photo at
left.) and New York socialites Babe Paley (Black & White photo at right.)
and Jayne Wrightsman
(Colored
photo at right.)
In 1966, confident of his client base, he moved his shows from Florence to Rome and there, two years later, he had one of his greatest triumphs, an all-white collection, which became famous for the "V" logo he designed.
By the mid-1960s he was already considered the undisputed maestro of Italian Couture, receiving the Neiman Marcus Award in 1967, the equivalent of an Oscar in the field of fashion.
In 1964, Jacqueline Kennedy had seen Gloria Schiff,
the twin sister of the Rome-based fashion editor of American Vogue and
Valentino's friend Consuelo Crespi, wearing an ensemble in two pieces in
black organza at a party. Jackie called Gloria Schiff to learn the
name of the designer and found out it was Valentino. In September
1964, Valentino had a show at the Waldorf-Astoria for a benefit. Since
Jackie wanted to see the clothes, he sent
his
saleslady, along with a model, to Jackie's apartment on Fifth Avenue.
Mrs. Kennedy ordered six of his couture dresses, all in black and white, to
wear during her year of mourning after President John F. Kennedy’s death.
From then on, she became a devoted
client and friend. Later on, Valentino would also design the white
dress that Jackie wore to her wedding with Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis.
Throughout the 1970s, Valentino spent considerable time in New York City, where he socialized with Vogue's editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland and art identities such as Andy Warhol.
1989 marked the opening of the Accademia Valentino, designed by Architect Tommaso Ziffer, a cultural space located near his atelier in Rome for the presentation of art exhibitions. The next year, encouraged by their friend Elizabeth Taylor, Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti created L.I.F.E., an association for the support of AIDS-related patients, which benefits from the activities of the Accademia Valentino.
In 1998, Valentino and his partner Giancarlo Giammetti sold the company for approximately $300 million to HdP, an Italian conglomerate controlled, in part, by the late Gianni Agnelli, the head of Fiat. In 2002, Valentino S.p.A., with revenues of more than $180 million, was sold by HdP to Marzotto Apparel, a Milan-based textile giant, for $210 million.
It was rumored that HDP was displeased with Valentino’s and Giammetti’s personal expenses, a claim Giammetti has bristled at. It was not a good business marriage.
Valentino and Giammetti were together for 12 years. Neither ever discussed their relationship with anyone outside their closest circle of friends, not even with their mothers. Valentino's mother, Teresa, moved from Voghera to Rome to help with the business. Eventually both his parents moved to Rome and lived with Valentino. Teresa Garavani and Lina Giammetti lived with their sons until the women died, Teresa in 1977 and Lina in 1996.
In 2007, he revealed that for an amount of time,
before meeting Giammetti (before 1960),
he was engaged with Italian actress Marilù Tolo (born 1944), the only woman
he had really loved and with whom he'd have liked to have children.
(Well, maybe, but only if Valentino and Tolo were engaged after Tolo went
into early puberty. Tolo is silent about this declaration.)
That's a photo of Tolo at right. She was a film star.
On Thursday, 6 July 2006, President Chirac of France awarded Valentino with final jewel in the crown of his achievements: Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur from the country where he arrived as a 17-year-old Italian boy - and fell in love with haute couture.
Both Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti are renowned for their extensive collection of art spread among their homes around the world including Picasso, Cy Twombly, Balthus, Damien Hirst.
Valentino
owns marvelous villas and apartments around the world, all
boasting an extensive array of art pieces. These are: Palazzo Mignanelli
near the Spanish steps in Rome and a villa on the Via Appia Antica, a major
historical landmark of Rome (At left.); Chalet Gifferhorn in Gstaad,
Switzerland (At right). In France, it's the Chateau de Wideville (At
left.), a castle on 120 acres
(0.49 km2) in
Davron, about 30 minutes outside Paris. Built circa 1600, the castle
was once the home of Claude de Bullion, the finance minister for Louis XIII.
Valentino also has an apartment near the Frick Museum overlooking Central
Park, New York and one of the largest private houses in London’s Holland
Park, a 19th-century mansion whose centerpiece is the grand salon, which
features five late Picassos. The breakfast room is lined with 200 Meissen
plates, and the small salon has two Basquiats and a painting by Damien Hirst.
His villa on the cliffs of Capri has recently been sold.
Valentino also
spends much time on T. M. Blue One, his hundred-and-fifty-two-foot long
yacht boasting a full-time staff of eleven, and a
selection of art ranging from Picassos to Andy Warhol.
Observers have often noticed how Valentino always seems to move surrounded by a court of friends which has become a real family for him. This court always comprises his business associate and ex-boyfriend Giancarlo Giammetti, his current boyfriend American bag and jewel designer Bruce Hoeksema (Photo at right.), Brazilian brothers Sean and Anthony Souza, as well as their parents Carlos Souza and socialite Charlene Shorto de Ganay.
Throughout his career, Valentino has been deeply inspired by many glamorous women. Some of them have become very close friends, making up what is referred to as the Valentino's "family".
Valentino
adores dogs to the point that he once named a second line of clothing after
his late pug Oliver. (He really did this. That's a photo of the
label at right. His first collection was in either 1987 or 1996.
It's unclear if it's a women's or men's line. In 1987, press releases
were distributed announcing Oliver Boutiques for men's wear. I don't
think they worked. In 1996, press releases were distributed announcing
the women's line, a bridge label. I don't think it worked. Ebay
has a bunch of stuff, men's and women's, under this label. Now, it's
sunglasses under this label. I think this worked. ) Today
Valentino owns six pugs: the mother, Molly; her sons, Milton and Monty; and
her daughters, Margot, Maude and Maggie. When traveling on his 14-seat
Challenger jet, three cars are needed to move Valentino and his entourage to
the airport: one to move Valentino and Giammetti, another for the luggage
and the staff and a third to
transport five of six
Valentino's pugs as one of them, Maude, always travels with Valentino.
In 2006, Valentino did a cameo role as himself in the hit movie The Devil Wears Prada.
A feature-length documentary (titled Valentino: The Last Emperor) premiered at the 2008 Venice International Film Festival. Produced and directed by Matt Tyrnauer, Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair magazine, the film follows Valentino and his inner circle throughout various events, including last year's anniversary show celebrating his 45 years of career.
During the festivities for the 45th year of Valentino's career the Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni announced that the site of the Valentino museum will a building in via San Teodoro in Rome between the Palatine hill and the Bocca della Verità (mouth of truth).
On September 4, 2007, Valentino announced that he would retire fully from the world stage after his last Haute-Couture show in Paris. He delivered his last women's Ready-to-wear show in Paris on October 4 to a rapturous applause.
His last Haute Couture show was presented in Paris at the Musée Rodin on January 23, 2008. Many models returned to show for Valentino's last Haute-Couture show, including Eva Herzigova, Naomi Campbell,Claudia Schiffer, Nadja Auermann, Karolina Kurkova and Karen Mulder.
Valentino was presented with the Medal of the City of Paris the following
day Thursday
January 24, 2008 for his services to fashion in the city where he was
educated.
The new designer at Valentino's brand is Alessandra Facchinetti, the former designer at the House of Gucci. Photo at right.
Two Voghera recipes:
Risotto with Bell Peppers:
Bell pepper risotto is a specialty from Voghera, a city in the southern
side of the Po Valley, between Piacenza and Alessandria. The region is famed
for its peppers, which are also very good grilled with bagna caoda (salted
fish). The recipe serves six. You'll need:
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups (Carnaroli or Vialone Nano) white rice
1/2 pound bell peppers, preferably yellow
6 ounces ripe plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled and seeded
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
A medium onion, minced
Freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Beef broth, simmering (about a quart, use lightly salted vegetable or beef
bullion if need be)
Preparation:
Begin by washing the peppers, coring them, and discarding ribs and seeds.
Then flame them to blister the skins (a broiler makes this operation quite
easy), peel them and cut them into thin strips.
Sauté half the minced onion in just a dab of butter, and when it has gilded
add the tomato pulp, breaking up the pieces with your fingers. Check
seasoning and simmer over a low flame stirring repeatedly, and then the
sauce is somewhat reduced add the pepper strips. Cook for a minute more and
then cover the pot and turn off the flame.
Set another pot on the fire and sauté the remaining onion in half the
remaining butter. As soon as the onion is a light golden remove it from the
pan with a slotted spoon, turn the heat up slightly, and stir the rice into
the drippings. Continue cooking for several minutes, stirring constantly
lest the rice stick. Return the onion to the pot and begin adding hot broth,
a ladle full at a time. When the rice is half cooked add the tomato and
pepper mixture. Continue stirring in broth until the rice is at the al dente
stage, stir the remaining butter and grated cheese to taste into the pot,
and serve.
Mostarda (similar to chutney)
It's fruit preserved in syrup that gains quite a kick from a healthy jolt
of powdered mustard seed or essence, and is one of the standard condiments
served with boiled meats in northern Italy.
Ingredients:
1 1/3 pounds tart apples
1 1/3 pounds tart pears
1 pound 2 ounces sugar
3 to 6 drops of mustard essence (an oil; you may have to visit a spice shop
for this) per pound of mostarda obtained
Preparation:
Peel and core the fruit, then slice it finely and put it in a bowl,
sprinkling sugar over the slices as you go. Cover the fruit with the
remaining sugar and let it macerate for 48 hours, covered, in a cool dark
place. At the end of this interval you'll find a syrup in the bottom of the
bowl.
Transfer the syrup to a pot, bring it to a boil for a couple of minutes,
then pour it back over the fruit. Let the fruit rest 24 hours more, repeat
the process, and then do so again the day after.
The day after the final boiling of the syrup, transfer everything to a pot
and simmer the mixture gently to drive off most of the liquid. When it has
thickened, let it cool, stir in the mustard essence, and transfer it to
sterile jars. It's perfect with boiled meats.
Note: Purists simply concentrate the syrup, without cooking the fruit.
Photos from thepeakofchic.blogspot.com
| 1959 | 1962 | 1965 |
| 1966 | 1968 | 1968 |
| 1968 | 1968 | 1969 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 1980 | 1990 | 2002 |
The Daisy Shop's collection of Valentino:
GRIPE, GRUMBLE, GROUSE
I don't like to be called Dear, Sweetie, Honey by female strangers who are younger than me and in a service capacity. My personality is not endearing, or sweet, or honey-laden; rather, I'm irascible, critical, impatient, and sharp tongued, in other words, a strong personality. I can't be reduced to a dear, sweetie, or honey, despite being a short statured, lean frame, of a certain age woman. It's patronizing the elderly and that's not a good thing. Ma'am is polite.
Cleopatra Queen of Egypt and the Pearl
An obscure legend about pearls debunked. By Barbara Nell.
By
Barbara Nell
Publisher, The Perspicacious Woman OnLine©
Reprinted with permission from June, 2002 issue
In
2001, The Field Museum had an exhibit on Cleopatra, which I went to see, and
from which I came away dissatisfied, for Cleopatra was not really there in
the selection of artifacts chosen to be exhibited. The artifacts were
representational and exegetic. Apparently, she lives on in legends,
not in artifacts, and I was curious why this is so.
After attending the exhibit, I did some research on the Internet about her
and found the reason for the lack of artifacts: They were destroyed
after her suicide under orders from Octavion, who ruled Rome and Rome's
territories (of which
Egypt
was a part) under the name, Augustus. Interesting, very interesting
that the Emperor of Rome, a city-state that ruled the known world at that
time, would chose to destroy the living artifacts of a woman whose lands
were already conquered and was a mere seductress. Something smelled
bad, but I didn't have time to research this.
The Pearl Exhibit arriving at the Field Museum on
June 28, 2002 caused me to remember that odor because of a
legend about Cleopatra and pearls and Marc Antony, a banquet
Cleopatra held with or for Marc Antony in which pearl earrings were the
fulcrum.
The Internet provided me with a "Pearl Earring Banquet" legend that's no
better and no worse than any on the Internet written by a nonacademic
historian, Fred Ward, in his article, "The History of Pearls." He's a
gemologist and author of the book Pearls (Gem Book Publishers, Bethesda,
Maryland, 1998), and the article was adapted for the Internet.
Pearls, in fact, played the pivotal role at the most celebrated banquet in
literature. To convince
Rome
that Egypt possessed a heritage and wealth that put it above conquest,
Cleopatra wagered Marc Antony she could give the most expensive dinner in
history. The
Roman
reclined as the queen sat with an empty plate and a goblet of wine (or
vinegar). She crushed one large pearl of a pair of earrings, dissolved it in
the liquid, then drank it down. Astonished,
Antony
declined his dinner -- the matching pearl -- and admitted she had won.
It's evocative, isn't it? But there's one problem: Egypt was
already conquered at the time Cleopatra held the banquet. This
generally accepted legend smelled bad, too. I turned to the academic
websites.
The Pearl Banquet Legend is verifiable. It was held, but its truth is
embroidered and the facts are distorted, characteristics all legends
possess. A guy popularly named Pliny the Elder (to distinguish him
from his nephew, Pliny the Younger) (known by some as the first
historian and naturalist, by others, as the 2nd) (and writing his
observations in the 1st century after Christ's death) (about 70 years after
Cleopatra's suicide), was the first to publicly describe this banquet.
It's in his 'book' called The History of the World. (There are 37 volumes,
"published" in 77AD for the Emperor Titus. The banquet is described in
Book IX, Chapter xxv, entitled Of Pearles; how and where they be found.)
Pliny names the judge at this wager\banquet, L. Plancus (There's a '12'
after Plancus' name that I can't figure out the meaning.) about whom I found
snippets on other websites. Plancus, the judge, is a Roman legionnaire, who
remained in Egypt as one of Caesar's Lieutenants after Caesar went back to
Rome. (In other battles elsewhere, Plancus was a victorious General.
He was a Senator, a Consul and a Censor, too. These are high and
responsible positions in Plancus' resume, Dear Reader. This speaks
volumes.) Caesar did not abandon him, but left him as a Lieutenant,
commanding troops. Marc is representative of the conqueror, Rome, one
of three bosses in
Rome, who hold on to the enormous
Roman Empire
in a Triumvirate capacity, what we now call a coalition government. A
guy named Octavion, about whom we will learn more, and a guy named Lepidus,
about whom we will not know more, have divided up the
Roman Empire
with Marc, who holds the territories, which contain the former Egyptian
Empire. Marc is placed stratospheres higher in the hierarchy than
Plancus when he arrives to visit his territories and at the time when the
wage\banquet occurs. Cleopatra is royalty of a conquered territory.
Plancus has been at her side for at least 7 years, watching her and
reporting about her to Rome.
This fleshed out version from more contemporaneous sources has a ring of
truth, doesn't it? The origin, I think, of Pliny's version could have
been obtained from one of Plancus' required written reports to the Senate in
Rome on "What's What in
Conquered Territory,
Egypt,
This Week." Sort of like TWTWTW, Egypt version.
So, why, Dear Reader, did she hold this preposterous wager\banquet?
Turns out, she had traveled to
Rome
with Julius and the son, Caesarian, who was acknowledged in Rome as Julius'
son. She and the kidlet were set up in their own posh house (a villa
probably), and she was required to be viewed publicly in social settings as
his trophy slave-wife while in
Rome.
This is where she learned about Roman etiquette banquets, for she was
obligated to hold and attend these banquets for Julius. Female royalty
of conquered territories were taken to
Rome
to function publicly as trophy slave-wives. It was both a humiliation
for them and a reprieve from death for them. Cleopatra suffered this
humiliation not to save her life, but to preserve the lineage on behalf of
the son she had had with Julius, I think. (Marc wasn't yet in her
picture.)
This pseudo-bigamy or Julius flaunting this 'exotic' female specimen of
conquered territory did not scandalize upper class Rome. Her
visibility, a requirement, enhanced Rome's dominion over the known world.
They became scandalized when Julius had a statue of her made and one of him
made and put both in a temple as if they were deities. It is suggested
that Julius did this more to show his power over Rome (as in I conquered
Egypt's deity-Queen, so I'm more powerful than a deity, so I must be a deity
in Egyptian lore, and I can show myself as a deity) than her power over him.
Remember, she's a trophy slave-wife and a former ruler of her own Empire.
She knows this is political suicide if this power play fails. It
probably did not surprise her when someone told her the results of the Ides
of March.
She and Caesarian were in
Rome
when Brutus killed Julius. They came back home to Egypt, where she
governed in tandem with Rome's representative, Plancus, and did the best she
could what with famine and internecine fighting occurring in her
territories. I couldn't tell if she was in hazard in
Rome
when Julius was killed. I suspect she wasn't, but would have been
passed around to someone else in the Senate as chattel, a further
ignominious situation she did not want to experience. So, she went
back to Egypt where she did the best she could for years with Plancus
watching. She was kept informed of what was going on in
Rome
after Julius Caesar was replaced by a Triumvirate governorship of which two
of the Triumvirate are important to us: Octavion and Marc Antony.
Nothing much happened between
Egypt
and Rome for a while.
After seven years of being one of three most important people in the Roman
Empire, Marc Antony arrived to see what was what in the capital of the lands
he held in the Triumvirate. She held etiquette proper banquets of the
sort she had attended in
Rome,
one of which was the "Pearl Banquet."
Pearls were not held as valuable in Egypt but were valued in Rome and other
places. (It was gold that was held in highest esteem in Egypt.)
It is believed she received the pearls as a tribute gift from Kings of the
East (the Orient is implied), before Egypt was conquered by Rome.
Egypt held vast territories before the conquest and she had adroitly
obtained and administered these conquests of hers. Back to the pearls:
She did not consider them valuable, but knew that Marc Antony and Plancus
did.
Now, Marc Antony's personality-reputation preceded him. He was not
known as an aesthetic, although he was educated and came from a patrician
family. He was known as a carouser, a drinker, a gambler, boring in
the company of women (this from Plutarch, a historian), and curiously
enough, he was known to suffer from depressions. He was called vulgar
by his contemporaries in their letters to each other and in reports sent to
the Senate in
Rome, all of which survive somewhere.
Cleopatra was not considered vulgar at all. The worst said of her is
that she was ostentatious when she was in
Rome, and
this is interpreted as 'she didn't act like a conquered queen.' She
was educated well while a Princess, spoke nine languages, was literate in
some, was politically astute, militarily astute, wonderful at doing math in
her head, and humorous. She was called brilliant by her
contemporaries, when she received delegates from all over the world as head
of Egypt. Nowhere, by the way, was she called or described as
beautiful or sexy by anyone. These sort of surviving documents are few
and far between, but current historians are unearthing them. Plutarch
wrote about her, but it was in reference to her association with Marc Antony
and how he governed in Egypt, and this is where we get information about her
skills.
She was obligated to keep in touch with Marc and Plancus, dine with both of
them, be seen in public with both of them, hold public events with both of
them. If she enticed Marc, it was to preserve her blood lineage.
All conquered royalty did this in the hopes of a coup.
She held the banquet because it was her duty to provide interesting events,
an etiquette banquet, for the often boring, usually vulgar, and sometimes
depressed Roman representative, Marc, and the long present watchdog, Plancus.
And that's the fleshed out event, not the decadent odoriferous spin that's
been handed down for two thousand years, and I'm not sorry for that.
It does sit well with me that Cleopatra was a sharp cookie. It
does not sit well with me that all her male children died bad deaths and
only her daughter married and begat. But this lineage tale is for
another time.
Octavion, the guy I mentioned earlier, had an 'expunge her memory' campaign
after her death because there were men all over her conquered territory,
former military men, who were still loyal to her and her line, the Ptolemy.
She had lineage, you see, for she had had four or five children, one or two
(historians are uncertain) with Julius and three with Marc Antony.
Each or any would be in line for the Ptolemy throne and empire. In
Rome, Julius' children with Cleopatra could have been powerful adversaries
against Octavion for they were both males.
So, he destroyed all artifacts of hers everywhere and smeared her name
transmuting her from Empress and deity of a glorious (conquered) empire into
a seductress, wanton, vulgar, indolent, etc. And he had Plancus
transfer the children to
Rome
as trophy hostages after her suicide, placed under the guardianship of his
sister, Octavia, who, by the way, was the recent widow of Marc Antony.
Some say the eldest boy, the one she had with Julius and the one which
Julius recognized as his own, was spirited away to
India,
which was part of the former Egyptian Empire. Others say he went to
Rome. Rome had a lot of trophy hostage children, by the way.
Wouldn't it be grand to discover that Cleopatra had intentionally ridiculed
Marc Antony and Plancus with her pearl feast, i.e., what these Roman
military men hold valuable, I, of noble blood and Queen-deity of Egypt and
its territories, hold negligible? I do wish that were true, but we'll
never know. No diary has ever surfaced, despite her literacy in some
of 9 languages, some of which had alphabets not hieroglyphics, one of which
may have been Latin. No log of court events has ever surfaced, despite
the fact that scribes were plentiful in all courts in her lands.
Octavion was thorough in expunging artifacts and we have to resort to Pliny
and Plutarch to obtain an essence.
A SUMPTUOUS PEARL BUFFET
REEL REVIEW
GREY
GARDENS
HBO, April 2009
Directed by Michael Sucsy; written by Mr. Sucsy and Patricia Rozema, based
on a story by Mr. Sucsy; Lucy Barzun Donnelly, Rachael Horovitz and Mr.
Sucsy, executive producers; David Coatsworth, producer.
With: Drew Barrymore (Little Edie Beale), Jessica Lange (Big Edie Beale),
Malcolm Gets (George Strong), Daniel Baldwin (Julius Krug), Ken Howard
(Phelan Beale) , Jeanne Tripplehorn (Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis), Arye Gross
(Albert Maysles) and Justin Louis (David Maysles).
Although HBO's movie was a pseudo documentary, it was exceptional. The Beale's, Big Edie, the mother, and Little Edie, the daughter, seem to be real as do the other people portrayed in the movie.
The story line comes from truth: Both Edie's isolated themselves in their home, a formerly lovely 28 room mansion in an expensive area, East Hampton, in upstate New York about 1952. Big Edie was divorced in 1946 and received no alimony. She received child support for her three children, Little Edie, Phelan, and Bouvier, until they became 'of age.' Her income was $150\month and it was derived from a $65,000 trust fund from her father, whose principal was depleted at some point in her life. She sold family possessions, until there was none left to sell. Her only asset was the mansion. Both dug in and subsisted.
They were discovered in 1971, when the Suffolk county Health Department inspected their home (due to complaints from neighbors downwind of them), and the National Enquirer and New York Magazine published information about the condition of their home and their family history when Big Edie's maiden name, Bouvier, was discovered in the complaint. Big Edie was Jackie Kennedy's aunt, sister to Jackie's father, Black Jack. Jackie and her sister, Lee Radziwill, stepped in in 1973 and renovated Grey Gardens and, I guess, helped them out financially.
In 1975, a documentary was released. It was filmed by Albert and David Maysles, and it received favorable reviews. Neither Eidie's received money for their participation.
It's a big movie and tries to do a number of things:
1) find reason(s) the two women became recluses. There are many flashbacks. None work.
2) portray both Edie's as real people at the moment. This works. They are gentle souls.
3) provide dialogue that's believable. This kind of works. Both Edie's knew how to manipulate the camera crew and give terse, interesting quotable bites. How and what they talked with one another in private is another matter. I imagine they talked in code and in stream of consciousness they both could follow. It's an intimacy bond that's evident throughout the movie.
4) provide substantiation for inter-dependency. This doesn't work. I don't think they were co-dependent. I think they chose to be reclusive because they wanted to be, enjoyed their lives more alone. Both were quite sociable when younger, but in a show off capacity. Neither had close friends. I didn't find the bickering dialogue believable, nor did I find both Edie's 'asides' believable.
5) provide a backdrop of fear to step out into the world, agoraphobia, I guess, is hinted at. This doesn't work. Both gladly accepted the camera crew and spoke easily and openly to them.
I think they became recluses slowly, because their fantasies ultimately had a greater pull than reality. I think they spent their time talking about what if's, singing, dancing, listening to records, acting out reveries, and doing 'do you remember?.' I think they were having fun and time passes quickly when you're having fun. I don't think either of them was crazy; rather, they were characters. They didn't disregard of social conventions when they had visitors; rather, they were cordial, hospitable, pleasant. They didn't disregard the outside world for they honored Jack Kennedy's funeral in their own way. The penury and the squalor were real and they accepted it, adapted to it, survived it.
Certainly, they had a mother-daughter bond, which mothers and daughters either have or don't have. But, if you have it, you can't imagine not having it. I can't say it any other way, Dear Reader, for my mother and I had it, and I've talked with other women, who didn't have it, and I can't understand not having it, nor can I describe the bond. Both camera crews were guys. Maybe guys don't understand the mother-daughter bond.
The squalor was
the result of financial problems. What I don't understand is why
Phelan and Bouvier didn't help them out. Both had good jobs:
Phelan was employed by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission for 30
years; Bouvier was a lawyer and partner in the firm, Walker and Beale.
Both were irresponsible, downright mean sons and brothers,
I
think. There was no reason the Edie's had to live in squalor.
Little Edie's alopecia had a big effect on her, I think, and the movie did not consider the effect. It's an awful condition, and it may be hereditary and dormant until something, such as stress, causes the gene to activate. She was lovely before the alopecia kicked in; baldness is considered grotesque in woman. The photo at left is Little Edie at 17.
I watched the movie twice and it was good both times, despite my differences of opinion on certain things. I'll watch it, again, because it reminds me of the nice bond my Mother and I had and because it's simply interesting.
CONGRATS
To Dr. Rhoda Pomerantz for the Humanitarian Award, June 18, 2009; to Roma on her birthday in March; to Allen, the Daisy cousin, on his speedy recovery.
BOOK WORM CORNER
The Almost Moon
by Alice Sebold
Publisher: Back Bay Books (2007)
ISBN: 978-0-316-06736-2
291 pages
Have mixed feelings about this book. It's riveting, but I didn't understand the main characters. The plot is simple: a middle-aged woman kills her elderly, chronically ill Mother. The back story, the family relationship between the daughter and her parents, is not simple and difficult to understand. The events following the murder, the relationship between the killer-daughter and her children and ex-husband, are not simple and impossible to understand. I walked away from this book feeling sad, confused, yet sympathetic to each main character. None of the main characters are normal, I warn you. I couldn't get into their heads. Because Sebold could, I did a tad of research on the author, Alice Sebold, and found she had a life-changing experience while a college student. It was a rape and she wrote a book years later, "Lucky," which helped her, I think, get through this experience. Writing, I think also, is a catharsis for Sebold. This book is not yet a catharsis; rather, it's a draft. She, her editors, and her publisher should have spent more time editing. It could have been a good book.
MS TERRY REVIEW
I is for Innocent
by Sue Grafton
ISBN-13: 978-0449000649
Publisher: Ballantine Books (1993)
352 pages
Kinsey Millhone is a private eye and Sue Grafton is making a living writing about her work escapades in alphabetical order. The problem is Grafton hasn't created an interesting enough character for all 26 letters of the alphabet. I would take a pass on this series.
CONSULTATION
& COMMENTARY
I'm sorry but I have subscribed for years and your website is horrible to read. Its unorganized, difficult to find items, too long and not easy to navigate. There is just au much information and its just stuff! I think you need a better web developer. Sharon
(Ouch! Barbara)
Spring Preview
You're right. I pass on greens all the time. Claudia
Oversized Necklaces
Are you crazy? I'm going to wear a chandelier chain! Bebe
The munchkin sounds delightful. Is she available for adoption? Sharon
Black & White
Tell me about Assoulin.
(Roxanne Assoulin designs for Lee Angel. Her lovely jewelry is sold at Neiman Marcus in Chicago. She's very clever in her usage of materials, rather geometric in style. The earrings shown have a mosaic tile center. Priced at $201.00, they're a good buy. Barbara)
Easter Brunch
Do you remember the creamed chicken the Walnut Room served in a pig shaped ramekin? Barbara
(My goodness! I had forgotten that. I used to order it all the time when my dear Aunt Yetta and I would have lunch at the Walnut Room on our Saturday jaunts downtown. Nice memory, huh? Barbara)
Money Matters
How are you doing with your cash only spending? A couple of folk
(Am still at it, and it works just fine. Barbara)
Virgin Suicides
A spooky book. Ulrike
Tagine
Tried the recipe and it was good. A bunch of folk
General
Congrats on your 15th anniversary. A bunch of folk
Your photos are getting better and better. Especially like the way you 'puddle' scarves. Leon
El Norte
We order from El Norte often, too. Sometimes the cook delivers. Did you know that? Caroline
(No, I didn't know that. They are a nice owner operated place. Barbara)
Thanks for the ymail tip. Life is simpler. Candace
Merchandise Related
SALOME and HERODIAS
Love this story. A couple of folk
MONEY MATTERS
Free Days at Chicago Museums...no money fun, in other words
 The Adler Planetarium
1300 S. Lake Shore Dr. June 7-12 |
 The Art Institute
111 S. Michigan Ave. June & July: Every Thursday, 5 - 8 pm |
 The Charnley House
1365 N. Astor St.
June: 3,
10, 17, 24 |
 Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier
700 E. Grand Ave
June:
7, Thursdays, 5 - 8 pm |
 Clarke House Museum
1827 S. Indiana Ave
June: 3,
10, 17, 24 |
 DuSable Museum of African American History
740 E. 56th Pl., (57th St. and S. Cottage
Grove Ave.) June: 7, 14, 21, 28, July: 5, 12, 19, 26 |
 Field Museum of Natural History
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
June: 8 |
 The Glessner House Museum
1800 S. Prairie Ave. June: 3, 10, 17, 24 July: 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 |
 Chicago History Museum
1601 N. Clark St.
June: 1, 8,
15, 22, 29 |
 Loyola University Museum of Art
820 North Michigan Avenue
June: 2, 9,
16, 23, 30 |
 Museum of Contemporary Art
220 E. Chicago Ave
June: 2, 9,
16, 23, 30 |
 Museum of Science and Industry
57th St & Lake Shore Drive June: 1 - 5, 19 |
 Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
2430 N. Cannon Dr
June: 4,
11, 18, 25 |
 Shedd Aquarium
1200 S. Lake Shore Dr June: 14 - 19 |
 Spertus Museum
610 S. Michigan Ave Wednesdays, 10 am - 12 noon Thursdays, 2 - 6 pm |
 Swedish American Museum
5211 North Clark Street June: 9 July: 14 |
 Chicago Cultural Center
78 E Washington Street Always free admission |
 Oriental Institute Museum
1155 East 58th Street Always free admission |
COUTURE SCRAMBLE
Make
as many 4 letter words from Alexander McQueen
as you can. Proper nouns are a no-no.
ANSWER
acme, acne, acre, admen, amen, amend, annex, annexe, annexed,
arced, armed, axed, axle, cadre, calender, calm, calmer, came,
camel, canal, canard, candle, candler, cane, caned, caner, canned,
card, care, cared, careen, cedar, cede, ceder, clad, clam, clan,
claque, clean, cleaner, clear, cradle, cram, crane, craned, cream,
creed, creel, creme, damn, dance, dancer, darn, dean, decree, deem,
deer, dermal, dram, dream, earn, eland, elder, emend, equal, equaled, exam, exceed, excel, exec,
lace, lacquer, lacquered, laden, lamed, lance, lanced, lancer, land, lard, laxer, learn,
leer, lend, lender, mandrel, mane, maned, manned, manner, mannered, manque, manque,
marque, maxed, mean, medal, mead, meld, mend, mender, mere, nacre, name, named, narc,
near, need, nerd, quad, qualm, queen, queened, queer, queered, race, raced, rand, recede,
reed, reel, relax, remand, renal, rend
GRATIS PUBLICITY
Although
March is The Month for Colon Cancer Prevention, you just gotta be aware that
it’s a cancer that can be prevented from turning fatal all the time.
Go to
http://coloncancerprevention.org/
immediately to learn the signs of Colon Cancer, the only cancer that can be
prevented. Why? Because You’re Worth It!
220 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 312.280.2660
Museum Hours
Monday Closed
Tuesday 10 am - 8 pm
Wednesday through Sunday 10 am - 5 pm
Admission Prices Suggested General Admission $10
Students with ID and Senior Citizens $6
MCA Members and Children 12 and under, members of the military Free
Tuesdays - FREE Courtesy of Target
B Boutique
1117 W. Armitage Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614 • 773-665-1102
Thursdays – 12pm - 7pm
Fridays – 12pm - 5pm
Saturdays – 12pm - 5pm
New Hub for Chicago Designers to Launch at B Boutique on April 16th 2009!
Featuring local designers: Chicago designers Steven Rosengard
of Project Runway, Alice Berry, Kate Boggiano, Tennille White, Lauren Lein,
Double Stitch, Anna Fong and Lara Miller
Art Institute
111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60603-6404
Monday–Wednesday, 10:30–5:00
Thursday, 10:30–8:00
(Free General Admission 5:00–8:00)
Friday, 10:30–5:00
Saturday–Sunday, 10:00–5:00
Admission: Adults: $12; Children,
Students, and Seniors (65 and up): $7; Children under 12: Free; Members:
Free
The
Garden Restaurant
Enjoy table-side service daily, 11:30–3:00
Reservations are accepted but not required.
Call (312) 553-9675
Lower Level
Members always receive a 10% discount in the museum's restaurants
COMFORT FOOD
4th of July Recipes
Trifle
1 yellow or white cake mix (or buy a bunch of Lady Fingers, already made)
2 packets of custard or pudding mix, instant is fine
2 bags, 1 lb. each, frozen fruit or equivalent sliced fresh fruit,
blueberries and strawberries are especially fine for the 4th of July
1/3 C sugar (more or less to taste) or equivalent sugar substitute
1-1/2 C heavy cream, whipped (or to save time, use whipped topping for
heaven sake!), sherry, optional. Use additional fresh fruit for
garnish.
Serves 10-12
Basic Instructions:
Prepare cake according to directions on package. Let cool completely.
Prepare custard or pudding mix according to package instructions. Let cool
completely.
Mix fruit with sherry. If you don't want to use alcohol, use a little water
or apple juice instead. You want the fruit to be sitting, but not swimming,
in a bit of sweetened juice. Some people like to really soak the cake in the
alcohol, then add the fruit on top. I think this can tend to make the cake
too soggy, so I prefer less.
Whip the cream or not, if you're using the whipped cream from a can.
To assemble:
Trifle is very forgiving, it takes no effort to make it looks great! If you
don't have a trifle bowl, like the one in the photo, use any large glass
bowl. It doesn't technically have to be glass, but it looks prettier if it
is. You can also make individual servings by placing the layers in large
wine goblets.
Cut the cakes into large chunks and cover the bottom of your dish with a
layer of cake. Top with a layer of prepared fruit, then a layer of custard.
Repeat the process until you are out of ingredients or the bowl is full. Top
with whipped cream and garnish with fresh fruit. Chill until serving time.
To Serve:
Simply scoop out servings with a large spoon.
Red White And
Blueberry Shortcake Recipe
Ingredients:
1 (10 oz size) Fat-Free Pound Cake (or sugar free Pound Cake), cut into 3
layers
1 cup blueberry pie filling
1 cup strawberry pie filling
4 ounces Cool Whip Lite -- thawed
Directions:
Set bottom layer of cake onto serving plate. Spread with blueberry pie
filling. Add second layer of cake. Spread with strawberry pie filling. Top
with third layer of cake. Frost top and sides of cake with whip topping.
Chill until ready to serve.
Old Family Recipe
The Daisy Mother's "Split Seconds Cookies"
2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
Blend into above to form a dough:
3/4 cup soft butter
1 unbeaten egg
2 tsp vanilla
Place on a lightly floured surface. Divide into four parts: shape each into
a roll, 13" long and 3/4" thick. Place on un-greased baking sheets 4" apart
and 2" from edge of baking sheet (2 rolls per sheet). Make a depression 1/4"
to 1/3" deep down center of each. Fill depression with strawberry jam, about
1/3 cup in all. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. While warm, cut into bars.
Makes about 4 dozen.
SEASON'S
END SALE, July 5-August 30, 46-days
40% off summer couture garments;
20% off couture accessories*
*Excluding Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Judith Leiber accessories
Click the text link to take you to our Sale page: Season's End Sale
