Aristocracy · Monarchies · Observations · Humour

Spanish Bourbons and the claim of Luis Alfonso, Duke of Anjou, to the French throne

I see excellent potential for a dynastic union in this photograph, an alliance of the English and Spanish crowns against France, say, if Prince George were to marry the Infanta Sofía. There is just one small "but": Spain is tied to France through Bourbon-Anjou, and King Felipe

NB! · Observations · Humour

A Telegram Admin, Then?

NB! · Pop Culture · Humour

A Lego Set for Bastille Day

NB! · People · Humour

Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov and the Case of “What Is Permitted to Jupiter Is Not Permitted to the Ox”

Colour drawing of a multi-storey house facade with sculpted decoration, balustraded balconies, dormer windows and a scale bar below.

Architecture · Observations · Humour

Architectural elevation of a town house facade with mansard and balconies

What Is Stopping You from Building Houses Like This? (In fact, we know what)

Art · Observations · Humour

The drawing is called “Big Dreams”

The drawing is called “Big Dreams”. The artist is Jean-Jacques Sempé, 1997 And how do your weekends begin?

Black-and-white photo: a bearded man in a hat talks with two women in aprons beside a steaming pot under a sign reading “A la renommée des bonnes frites”.

Archive · Mores · Paris · Humour

Women selling chips and a customer at the entrance of a shop in Paris, 1920

Tasty, and That's Full Stop: A Hundred Years Ago. A man awaiting his chips in Paris in 1920

Cinema · Monarchies · Humour

Emperor Marcus Opellius Macrinus?

Emperor Marcus Opellius Macrinus? I hardly recognise you under the make-up Surprises of Ridley Scott's "Gladiator II"

An elderly man in a white cassock with a pectoral cross sits in an optician's shop beside a smiling man in a suit and two laughing women.

NB! · Faith · People · Rome · Humour

Pope Francis visits his favourite optician's shop and poses for a photo with customers

Pope Francis has once again been spotted beyond the confines of the Vatican: this time the pontiff decided to call in at his favourite optician's. As you can see, the Pope did not refuse a joint snap with the fortunate lady customers

NB! · Art · Humour

None Has Excelled So Well in Mouse Notes as the Cat Orchestra, 1700s, Lombard School

Paris · Pop Culture · Humour

Van Cleef & Arpels released the men's fragrance Eau du Tsar with Russian motifs in 1998

In 1998 Van Cleef & Arpels launched a men's fragrance, Eau du Tsar, that is, "the Tsar's Water". The design of the bottle and its case drew on Russian motifs, from a coat of arms in the Muscovite style to Cyrillic lettering. Amusingly, the

Archive · Society · Humour

Your Sanctions Are Pipe Dreams, Mr Reagan!

Soviet people warmly approve the patriotic initiative of the labour collectives of the gas-pipeline builders, who have pledged their word to bring all the gas pipelines, the export pipeline included, into operation on schedule and ahead of it, notwithstanding the discriminatory sanctions undertaken by the US administration Yu. Galkin