Sunday near the Park without George

[ellid]

And lo, it came to pass that the Folk of Bergental didst desire to see the wonders of the past, and go on pilgrimage to the Great City of Manhatta-Knickerbocker-York. And lo, Mistress Eleanore didst put her trusty Pilot at the disposal of the folk, and Mistress Caitlin and Mistress Sarah and Lady Barbeta and Lord Eli didst assemble and sally forth from their dwellings. And lo -

"Lo!" cried Arrowroot, arising from his knees.

"He says that again, I'll gurk him myself," said Gimlet.

********

Now that I've ceased to channel cluegirl, who is much better at this than I am anyway, here's what we actually did on Sunday:

We went to the Bard Graduate Center in Manhattan to see 'Twixt Art and Nature, a stunning exhibition of Elizabethan and Jacobean needlework. Among the best pieces were an embroidered Bible that is believed to have belonged to Archbishop Laud, a beaded basket, several amazing embroidered caskets, and a beautifully embroidered child's jacket.* There was also a fascinating film on embroidery techniques and the Plimoth Jacket.

Best of all, it turns there was an SCA demo at BGC scheduled for that afternoon! We got to see shalmestre and hudebnik and many other folk from Ostgardr and Wyndhamshire and other places of note. It was a lovely little extra, especially when the sweet sounds of "J'ai vu le loup" filled the air.

We then had a late lunch at Firehouse Tavern, which makes an excellent mole poblano sauce and has a collection of helmets from, of all places, Taunton. After that, we tried to get to the Hispanic Society of America (closed, alas), then headed up to the Cloisters long enough to check out the bookstore. On the way to Fort Tryon Park we passed Reverend Ike's Palace Cathedral, which had me laughing hysterically and everyone else thinking I'd lost my mind.**

Then it was time to drop Eli at Penn Station and head home. We were back at Eleanore's house by 8:30 and home by 9:00, which is a first for a trip to New York. Much good fun was had by all, and we're hoping to do a repeat this summer to see the Hispanic Society, the gardens at the Cloisters, Reverend Ike, etc.

Today was a mediocre day at work, alas, although our own version of Bulletproof Temp is about to become Bulletproof Co-Worker as of Wednesday, thank God and the angels. It became even more mediocre when I learned that elwynne and fitzw had lost their beautiful little Roselynde. My condolences to them, and peace to Ros and her memory.







*Yes, I know it's marked as woman's jacket in the exhibition catalogue. This could not possibly be true, unless it belonged to an Oompa Loompa or a court dwarf. At *most* the wearer was about 10-12, and narrow through the shoulders.

**Does this surprise anyone?

Comments

[orphandani.livejournal.com]

**Does this surprise anyone?

Mmmmmmmm... no. *dara*

[cluegirl.livejournal.com]

And Malfoy nommed of the crunchyfood, and knew nothing.

Amen...

[orphandani.livejournal.com]

Ya got me! And now, please excuse me while I find something to clean up the Dr pepper that was just sprayed onto my monitor and desk top. :D

[ellid.livejournal.com]

I *told* you she was better at this than I am!

[orphandani.livejournal.com]

I think it was the "Amen." at the end that did it! LOL

[ellid.livejournal.com]

*snicker*

Tiny Jackets

[shalmestere.livejournal.com]

Well, people were smaller back in the day (IIRC, the [arguably] women's clothing from Herjolfsnes would fit someone c. 4'8" tall), but I also thought it looked like a child's jacket.

Re: Tiny Jackets

[ellid.livejournal.com]

I was shocked at how small it is. I know people were smaller back then, but the shoulders were so narrow that it almost had to be for a child or an Oompa Loompa.

Re: Tiny Jackets

[briony530.livejournal.com]

Talk to Elizabeth Talbot about it...she worked on the exhibit and wrote the catalog entry for the jacket.

Re: Tiny Jackets

[persevero.livejournal.com]

I was looking at armour in the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, and reflecting that men must in fact have been much slighter than we are, with narrower chests and shoulders. It isn't just that we are fatter - our skeletons are bigger.

Re: Tiny Jackets

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

They really were. I own some Victorian women's clothing, and the only one I come close to being able to wear is the shoulder cape. And that pinches in the throat.

I'm 5'6" and weigh about 120, no Amazon by any stretch and yet...nope.

Also, I'm always fascinated by the teeniness of beds and graves from more than 100 years ago. No way would I fit in either.

Re: Tiny Jackets

[ellid.livejournal.com]

Clothing, yes. Beds, not really. People slept propped up on pillows semi-upright. If you look at the size of surviving bedding it really isn't all that much different from modern sheets and blankets.

[danabren.livejournal.com]

"Bored of the Rings" reference for ONE KABILLIONJILLION INTERNET POINTS!

Have a nice day.

[animangel.livejournal.com]

Oooh, the Cloisters! I went there in eighth grade on a school trip to New York (for Spanish class, of all things) and saw the Unicorn Tapestries. I had no idea they were there, and then walked into the room....and started squeeing like a fangirl. My classmates had *no idea* why I was so excited.