Old oil painting of a nude man and woman seated beneath a tree with a serpent, with a lion lying nearby and doves in the foreground.

Art · Observations · Humour

Johann Militz, a representative of Austrian painting of the 18th century

God forbid, of course, to find oneself in paradise with such an Adam. Johann Militz, an Austrian artist of the eighteenth century

Museums · Mores · Humour

An American in the early 20th century made himself jaws with coyote teeth from toothbrushes

In the early twentieth century a poor but resourceful American had no teeth, so he melted down two toothbrushes, shaped the plastic as required and made himself a new set of jaws with coyote teeth. When, in the 1940s, a professional dentist heard the inventor's story, he offered

Science · Society · People

In 1952, Alan Turing, without exaggeration one of the most outstanding British scientists of his time, was convicted of gross indecency: he was obliged to admit to a homosexual relationship, unlawful in the United Kingdom…

In 1952, Alan Turing, without exaggeration one of the most outstanding British scientists of his time, was convicted of gross indecency: he was obliged to admit to a homosexual relationship, unlawful in the United Kingdom, after his flat was burgled by a 19-year-old labourer with whom Turing had

Charcoal and pencil drawing of the Arc de Triomphe wrapped in silvery blue fabric and red ropes, with grid lines and handwritten measurements in the margins.

NB!

Project to wrap the Arc de Triomphe in Paris: drawing by Christo

Architecture · Art · Museums · Observations · Paris

Christo's project to wrap the Arc de Triomphe in Paris is postponed to 2021

It has been announced that the artist Christo Javacheff's grandiose project to wrap the Arc de Triomphe in Paris is postponed from this autumn to 2021. The married duo of pioneering artists, Christo and Jeanne-Claude (who died in 2009), who won worldwide fame for their art projects

NB! · Art · Humour

The Swiss artist Félix Vallotton (1865-1925) shows the respectful distance one is expected to keep when strolling through a wood

NB! · Architecture · Heritage · Society · People

The Shakhmatovo estate, where Blok spent 36 of the 40 years of his life, was plundered in 1918

The Shakhmatovo estate, where Blok spent 36 of the 40 years of his life, was plundered in 1918. The furnishings and furniture were sold off at auction. In July 1921 the house and its outbuildings burned down, most probably set alight through carelessness or plain, dull-witted spite.

Books · Heritage · Society · People

“Why are they riddling an ancient cathedral with holes? Because for a hundred years a bloated priest sat here, hiccuping, taking bribes and selling vodka

“Why are they riddling an ancient cathedral with holes? Because for a hundred years a bloated priest sat here, hiccuping, taking bribes and selling vodka. Why do they foul the manor houses so dear to our hearts? Because girls were raped and flogged there, if not by that squire, then

NB! · Archive · Moscow · Observations · People · Humour

Here is my beloved Alla Demidova at twenty

Here is my beloved Alla Demidova at twenty. She is not yet a student of the Shchukin Theatre School, but for now an actress of the Moscow State University student theatre under the direction of Igor Lipsky. Do correct me if I am mistaken, but I see a strong portrait

Aristocracy · Archive · Monarchies · Observations

Princess Feodora Romanova proved a distant relative of the Nazi Ernst Reventlow

Leafing through old newspapers, I came across a mention of Princess Theodora Romanov, widow of Prince Dmitri Romanovich, head of the House of Romanov and great-great-grandson of Nicholas I. A most attractive woman who looks wonderful for her 78 years, the Princess was born Dorrit Reventlow, of an

Observations · Science

Origin of the word malaria and Charles Laveran's discovery of its parasite

Malaria (mal'aria) is Italian for "bad air", as opposed to buon'aria, good air. The disease was originally thought to arise from foul miasmas in the atmosphere, so the quality of the air was the key to defining it. The malarial plasmodium, which in fact