London · Monarchies · Observations · Society

Author questions reports of Elizabeth II's remarks on Trump and Johnson

They write that Elizabeth II meant to turn her feckless son Prince Andrew out of his house, and also that she disliked Boris Johnson and Donald Trump. Strange reading, and, as usual, on the word of unnamed sources. Ah, those masters of journalism! As for Trump, on the contrary, according

Art · Monarchies · Observations · People

Still life with a basket of plums painted by Louise Moillon in 1629

What a Longing for a Plum! And also for forcing oneself to believe that this picture of a basket of plums was painted in 1629 by the French artist Louise Moillon! Louise Moillon won renown for her exact still lifes. In the course of her life she produced only some

NB! · Observations

If Anyone Is Waiting for a Sign from Above, This Is It

NB! · Observations · Mores · Humour

Dante Never Dreamed of the Sins of Kofemania

Black and white photograph of a line of schoolboys waiting while a woman in a white coat gives one of them a spoonful from a bottle.

Archive · Observations · Mores · Education

French schoolchildren queuing for fish oil in a 1948 photograph by Robert Doisneau

French schoolchildren waiting for their weekly dose of cod liver oil, 1948. Photo by Robert Doisneau. I honestly don't know whether I have a genuine memory of being given cod liver oil at nursery school too, or whether it is a memory slot imported from my parents'

Archive · Observations · Paris

The Farewell of the French Cuirassiers Leaving Paris in 1914

The end of the age of chivalry

NB! · Monarchies · Observations · Pop Culture · Humour

Very mediocre rulers are reborn as gel polish, so that something good may at last be said of them

Monarchies · Observations · People

Napoleon's Height of 168 cm and the Height Requirements in the French Army

The notion of Napoleon's small stature is an English forgery. With the average Frenchman of the time standing at about 164 cm, Napoleon, at 168 cm, was appreciably taller not only than most ordinary men but also than his own soldiers: a recruit could enter the French army

Black-and-white portrait of a smiling young man in a dark uniform with a white sash, buttons, medals and a braided cord.

NB! · Observations · Society · Humour

Comparing the looks of young Donald Trump and young Winston Churchill

In looks alone, the young Donald Trump bears some resemblance to the young Winston Churchill. Or does he not?

Cinema · Books · Observations

The language of Dostoevsky is a subject not merely interesting but essential to understanding his work

The language of Dostoevsky is a subject not merely interesting but essential to understanding his work. Is it possible to grasp the personality of a character without delving into his vocabulary? This is surely one of the first steps to take. Of course, many of the words will prove to

NB! · Observations · Humour

Spare Your Nerves, It Is Only Tuesday

Art · Monarchies · Moscow · Observations · Society

New monument to the Governor-General of Moscow, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich Romanov, and his wife, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, unveiled in Klimentovsky Lane, beside Tretyakovskaya metro station

The monument depicts the grand ducal couple on the day of their wedding in 1884. Elizaveta Feodorovna wears a bridal gown with a flowing train. Sergei Alexandrovich is dressed in the uniform of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment, which he commanded from 1887 to 1891. Sergei Romanov was killed in