Adventures in Pdf land

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I continue to be astonished by the research that's possible on the Net. I've been reading, on computer, a pdf of a rare book, Racine et Voisin, that I was able to download from the Internet Archive. 

The author quotes an entry in Registre de La Grange. La Grange worked for Molière's troupe, and dutifully recorded daily tallies (and much else). The date given for the entry in Racine et Voisin seemed wrong according to my notes. A short Net search revealed that La Grange's notes were available on Open Library — a searchable version, no less, and I was quickly able to verify my suspicions.  

There is a wealth of information in La Grange's notes. With respect to this particular event, Molière's troupe had invested a considerable amount in producing the young and aspiring playwright Jean Racine's tragedy, Alexander, and were thus — according to La Grange's note — rather surprised to discover that the same play was also being performed by a rival theatrical troupe ... and that this had been Racine's doing.  

Jean Racine (see image above) was a genius, a writer of great power, but he was also, to be blunt, a rat. 

To see Registre de La Grange, go to: http://bit.ly/LaGrangeRegister (You may have to join Open Library, first.)

To see Racine et Voisin by Marc de Monifaud, go to: http://bit.ly/Racine_et_Voisin

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Beautiful Versailles: discovered

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I came upon this stunning image of Versailles on a blog yesteday and asked if anyone knew the artist's name and date. Voilá! Anthony (see his comment below) discovered that the artist is Isidore Laurent Deroy (1797-1886). In its original form (click here) the colors are duller. Clearly, the original has been re-colored — I like the almost surreal vibrancy of this doctored version. Too, it's possible that the colors of the original faded over time.

Virtual tour of Louis XIV, the man and the king

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Can't get to Versailles? This virtual tour of "Louis XIV, the man and the king," the current exhibition there, is amazing. It's a little clunky — our technology has yet to evolve — but it points to a future where it will be possible to see a museum exhibition from afar. For now, it's simply fantastic.

The French were the first, to my knowledge, to put an extensive digitized library collection on-line (long before Google). Might this virtual tour of an exhibition be a first, as well?

The Age of Comfort goes to bed

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I've been sick-a-bed this week, and pleasantly returned to reading The Age of Comfort, by Joan DeJean. Appropriately, Chapter Ten: The Bedroom.

Not surprisingly, the history of beds is even more interesting than the history of sofas. I'm rather shocked by how much I didn't know.

Before the 1670s, the sleeping area was a public space, open to everyone in the household. Over the next four decades, the private bedroom was born.

Beds, before, were movable, and simply curtained off. They tended to be single rather than double in size. Until late in the 17th century, most beds were moved around in the home rather than left in one room. The bed was made mostly of fabric, and, since fabric was expensive, it was the most expensive piece of furniture in the house.

A horsehair mattress provided springiness. A feather mattress on top make it plush. The less fortunate made do with straw mattresses.

Remember: there wasn't much to sit on in the home in those days (other than the storage trunks, which served for storage until closets and armoirs were created). The bed, thus, was the social center of the room, a rather large sofa by day, and a bed by night:

" . . . it's surface was used for all types of social interaction" (page 166).

Once again, it was the King's mistress Athénaïs, Madame de Montespan, who lead the revolution. The first grand bed-frames — the first beadstead, that is, a "bois de lit" — were created for her Porcelain Trianon at Versailles. No doubt she had a great deal to do with the over-the-top design: the garlands of tassels, fabric swags topped with bouquets of plumes, the curtains replaced by a grand canopy. Mirrors set into the headboard called attention to the frame (and, one might add, to the lovers, as well).


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How trying to stay young can kill you

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This isn't a 17th century discovery, but "Dying to look good" is an interesting article on the recent discovery of gold in the bones of Henry II's mistress, Diane de Poitiers. Liquid gold was believed to preserve youth, but it likely killed her.

It makes me wonder what Louis XIV's mistresses resorted to. Certainly Athénaïs, the Marquise de Montespan, took witchy remedies of various kinds. 

It also makes me wonder what effect they might have had on her many children by the King.

The beginning of moral decay: the sofa

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I'm learning so much from Joan Dejean's The Age of Comfort I'm losing sleep. Take, for example, the sofa.

Marquise de Montespan: revolutionary

Much of it began with the woman we all love to hate: Athénaïs, Marquise de Montespan, the Sun King's mistress. She was one of the first to consider comfort  a necessity. She designed a flowing (maternity) gown — ironically called "The Innocent."

Clagny, her chateau near Versailles, was one of the first designed with personal comfort in mind. In this painting ("Portrait of Madame de Montespan Reclining in Front of Gallery of the Chateau de Clagny" by Henri Gascard), one sees the requisite grand hall -- the show of status -- but note how a cozy area has been sectioned off, and note, especially, how La Madame reclines comfortably, if seductively, on a cushioned daybed, supported by pillows.

This was the beginning of a revolution.


The comfortable upholstered armchair came into being in France around 1680. Before then, everything was hard wood, softened — perhaps, by the morally weak — with a pillow. Before you knew it, men – and women — were lounging, feet up, arms thrown casually over armrests.

It was a short leap from the armchair to an elongated version that could sit two, side-by-side. Voilá! 

The beginning of the end

Clearly, it was the beginning of the end. The English knew the sofa was dangerous. In 1745 (over 60 years after its introduction in France) Hoarace Walpole joked about the dangers of people lolling about on a sofa in péché-mortel — mortal sin. There was very little cushioned seating and a host of other life comforts in England before the 19th century!

Have a tasty cushion?

By the way, as you pass the holiday canapés, consider the word's origin. A canapé was one of the earliest sofa designs (see the etching above). When someone first put a tasty something on a bit of bread, it was thought to look like a sofa cushion.


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A "Divine" Award

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Melanie of Kill them all, God will know his own has just given this blog an award. Thank you, Melanie! 

I'm to pass the award on to five blogs that I really like. The hard part is making a short list. Focussing on Early Modern historical sites, I nominate:

1. Wonders and Marvels; A Community for Curious Minds who love History, its Odd Stories, and Good Reads. A treasure for students of the 17th century.

2. Weave a Garland of My Vows. Jackie often writes of daily life in the 17th century.

3. On Familiar Things; Rediscover Classical Painting.

4. Mercurius Politicus, a blog about early modern books, history and culture.

5. Hoydens and Firebrands; Roaring Ladies Who Write about the Seventeenth Cenury. I know, I'm a member of this blog, but only a part.

Unfortunately, a newly-discovered blog I like very much is not connecting right now, so I can't add it to this list. Keep an eye out for Daily Life in 17th Century England.

I now have to answer some questions to prove that I am a worthy winner:

1. Where is your phone? On my desk

2. Your hair? Blonde (enhanced)

3. Your Mother? Sadly departed

4. Your Father? 92, hale & hearty

5. Your favourite food? Whatever my husband cooks

6. Your dream last night? Something about planting seeds

7. Your favourite drink? A dry white wine

8. Your dream/goal? To finish the current novel to my satisfaction

9. What room are you in? My office

10. Your hobby? I collect bookmarks

11. Your fear? That anything bad should happen to those I love

12. Where do you want to be in six years? At a computer, writing

13. Where were you last night? Early to bed with a good novel

14. Something that you’re not? Competative ... unless it's a noisy, kid game

15. Muffins? Low fat

16. Wishlist item? Books

17. Where did you grow up? Berkeley, California

18. Last thing you did? Checked my email

19. What are you wearing? Jeans

20. Your TV? How do I turn it on?

21. Your pets? An aging horse

22. Friends? Wonderful

23. Your life? Hectic

24. Your mood? A little sad

25. Missing someone? Yes

26. Vehicle? A car

27. Something you’re not wearing? A hat

28. Your favourite store? AbeBooks.com

29. Your Favourite colour? Taupe

30. When was the last time you laughed? This morning

31. The last time you cried? This morning

32. Your best friend? My husband

33. One place that I go to over and over? My computer

34. Facebook? I actually like it

35. Favorite place to eat? Many of the great restaurants in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Again, thank you! And now ... back to the 17th century.