The Mysterous Joan

A search for female warriors from history will always include Joan of Arc, or Joan the Maid (La Pucelle) as she called herself. She also appears on the lists of canonized saints in the Roman Catholic Church. There are plays and movies about her life and numerous paintings. We have her trial records and the retrial records. And yet we understand nothing of her. Joan does not fit into any of our expected categories: a saint who lead armies into battle then cried over the dead; a "simple" uneducated provincial girl who answered interrogators with cogent and intelligent answers; a teenager who believed she was the instrument of God's will but was burned at the stake as a witch; a virgin who bivouacked with her soldiers who saw her undress and felt no carnality at her beauty.

Kathryn Harrison's new book Joan of Arc, A Life Transfigured uses every lens possible to endeavor to understand her. Literature and cinema interpretations are offered side-by-side with historical account; the myth and legend appears next to the flesh-and-blood girl.

First throw out any ideas of Joan being simple, ignorant, delusional, unstable or pure fiction. Her folks were pretty important people, and Joan could sign her name. She definitely knew her religion and faith. If  her visions were a side effect of illness, how could she have been so cogent and well spoken?  You can read the trial of Joan here. This is not fiction.

Harrison goes to great length to compare Joan to the Synoptic Gospel accounts of Jesus. It is sometimes disturbing, leaving me wonder if we are to think that Joan, a product of the Medieval church, knew the Gospel so well she could purposefully imitate Jesus? Is Joan's story redacted to appear more like that of the Christ? Can we twist any history through a lens and see what we want to see? I leave that up to you to decide.

What we can know is that Joan inspired the common soldier to do things he would never have done without her, pushed a reluctant Dauphin to claim the throne of France, and routed the English from Orleans. Then the king and leaders found no more use for her. Joan was left aimless without an army or battle to fight, eager to finish routing the English off the continent. Her love of male finery was her undoing: a soldier grabbed her fine cloth of gold cloak and pulled her off her horse. She was imprisoned for a year before her death at age 19, the man she gave his crown unable or unwilling to raise ransom money. For a Catholic who expected a bodily resurrection, the destruction of her body by burning upset her more than death itself.

Joan grew up wearing a homespun russet gown that laced up the front. When she responded to her voice's call to lead France against the Brits she bobbed her hair and adopted male attire. This was against Biblical law. Joan became quite foppish. A fashion explosion was going on in Europe, one only the upper crust could legally indulge in. Rich new fabrics and style innovations abounded. At at time when available virgins flaunted their hair, Joan's short cut was at once a requirement for war but also a statement that she was not available.

Part of her insistence on men's wear may have been the chastity belt aspect: Joan's tight leggings were attached to the short puffy pants with forty cords that were triple threaded through holes. Inconvenient for a women's needs, but also for a would-be assaulter. Virginity was part of her power and mystic, a requirement to live up to the old Lorraine legend of a maid rescuing France, and a statement of not being an evil sexual woman. Females, after all, were known to be the devil's tool to bring down virtuous men. The worst thing Joan's accusers could do was call her a wanton slut.

She wore armor, sometimes for days, and her soldiers were impressed that she could stand it. She had a quilted and padded top under the armor, but still it weighted a lot, and sleeping in a metal shell meant aches and bruises. But unlike the paintings you find, she had no long partial skirt under her armor.

Joan's cloak of gold had to have been a remarkable gift, as the fabric was worn by high church officials and kings and queens. See an example of a cloth of gold dress, made between 1403 and 1403, and worn by Queen Margaret here.

For centuries we have been fascinated by Joan. We don't get answers in this book. We see what we want to see in Joan. Then perhaps it is Joan's very mysteriousness that keeps us fascinated generation after generation.

Joan of Arc, A Life Transformed
by Kathryn Harrison
Publication date: October 28, 2014
Doubleday
$14.99
ISBN 9780385531221

Sewing Again!

Today I got my sewing machine plugged into an electric outlet and started to catch up with the Jane Austen Family Album weekly block that Barbara Brackman has been offering. This is Friendship Square to represent Catherine Knatchbull Knight, Edward Austen's adopted mother.

I decided to fussy cut the center per the instructions of Barbara Brown, but with my own twist. I used a neutral stripe and then appliqued motifs from my fabrics in the boring parts! Then I photographed it wonky, as I mean the bird to be at the top of the block.

Getting power to my Bernina 830 and iron was not an easy task. The space I have for my sewing room has no electric outlets...yet. This is what it looked like before we moved in.

My hubby had to get a heavy duty extension cord from an outlet in the finished basement side, over the hanging ceiling, into the unfinished basement side...where it is plugged into another extension cord. 

We went to IKEA in Canton, MI yesterday and picked up five Hemnes bookcases.We had thought we'd get the Billy bookcases, but the white and natural wood were out of stock! Rather than make another trip, we upgraded to the solid wood Hemnes line.

Self serve is a lot of work.

But the real work is ahead, putting together the bookcases. Then we can take our library out of the boxes.

I just loved these chairs and table. I want something like this in the family room for laptop compuers, crafting, or to sit with a book sipping tea. 

"America 1844: Religious Fervor, Westward Expansion and the Presidential Election that Transformed the Nation" by John Bicknell

What if Texas had not been annexed into the United States? What if California, Oregon, and the Pacific coast were a separate country? What if Henry Clay had won the 1844 presidential election and western expansion had come to a standstill?


The premise of  Bicknell's America 1844 is that the future of America was determined by the events of this pivotal
presidential election. year.

The most important political topic of the time was the annexation of Texas, a cause supported by President John Tyler. His arch nemesis was Henry Clay who feared that the annexation of Texas would shift political power in favor of the southern slave states. Clay also did not buy into the mandate that America must claim the continent all the way to the Pacific Ocean. John Polk was the Democrat choice, a slave holder from Kentucky who ardently believed that the whole of North American must become unified into the United States of America and who also wanted the annexation of Texas. Throw in Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon church running for election and you have a very interesting presidential race.

For ten years there had been a 'gag' rule that had tabled the issue of Texas. John Quincy Adams had gone into congress after his presidency, and as an ardent abolitionist he was against bringing Texas into the union. At the end of the year Adams successfully lifted the gag rule and the vote was cast.

Meantime, regardless of wether the land was American or not, people were immigrating across the continent to California and Oregon. In 1844 the trails were still being forged, often by people ignorant of the land-- and basic survival skills. Bicknell is at his best in describing the harrowing journey of several parties. And he tells the story of  John C. Fremont, the little remembered explorer of the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest who was quite a character himself.

The Second Great Awakening brought new forms of religion. George Miller studied scripture and determined that 1844 would be the time of the second coming of Christ. Millerism spread across the country, with people selling or giving away everything they owned in preparation. Miller believed that God played a hand in human history, in contrast to the deistic beliefs of the Founding Father's time. The abolitionist Angelina Grimke' was a follower of Miller. The date of the end time came and went--several times-- but that did not deter Millerites from hoping it was still coming. Some later decided that the Second Coming of Jesus was his return to heaven and not an earthly reality.

The Mormons were undergoing continued persecution, suffering total loss of their possessions and land while authorities turned a blind eye to the crimes. It is appalling to know that the law would not protect the rights of this church group. Smith's platform was progressive, calling for prison reform and gradual, compensated emancipation. He was jailed and lynched, which ended his campaign and left Brigham Young to claim power.

Millerites hoped to escape the world and figured God would release the slave at the end time. So there was not need to think of worldly matters. Joseph Smith looked to fix societal problems. Social activism was born in the Second Great Awakening and lead to the Social Gospel of the early 20th century.

I was very interested in the thorough presentation of the Anti-Catholic riots by Nativists in Kensington and Southwark  neighborhoods now  part of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Protestant Bible was used in public schools, and the Irish Catholics wanted to use the Catholic version. Nativists built a platform in front of St. Michael's Church in protest. They also called to mandate a 21 year residency for voting rights and the blocking of non-naturalized citizens from holding political office. Riots ensued. We lived in Kensington for some time.

Millerism, Mormons, Catholics vs. Protestants was not the only religious news of the day. Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau translated a Buddhist text from the French and became a practicing Buddhist, introducing the religion to Americans. And it was the year that Robert Chambers beat Darwin to publishing the first paper on evolutionary theory. Not to mention that the issue of slavery was splitting mainstream denominations.


Thank you to Chicago Review Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read the pre-release e-book.

America 1844
by John Bicknell
Chicago Review Press
publication November 1, 2014
$26.95
ISBN 9781613730102

Great Blog for Handkerchief Lovers and My Latest Find

 I bought a SwissAir hanky off eBay today and did a Goggle search to learn more about it. I Goggled SwissAir handkerchiefs and discovered a great blog on handkerchiefs, Handkerchief Heroes at  http://handkerchiefheroes.com. The blog has wonderful photos, thematic articles with links and even songs and quotations.

Here is the handkerchief I bought.  It is part of  series. The series is shown at the "Air Travel" post at http://handkerchiefheroes.com/air-travel/. Now I want them all! There is a cubist feel to the design. Each hanky features a different country with two people with instruments.

Many years ago I found this Swissair hanky for about a quarter at a flea market.

 



Souvenir handkerchiefs abounded. Designers like Tammis Keefe did series for major cities. Here are some other hankies in my collection originally purchased to remember a special trip or place.

The Eagle in John Wanamaker's flagship store stood in the atrium and was a meeting spot for Philadephians.

Tammis Keefe from her Philadelphia Series

Nostalgic Images on Mid-Century Handkerchiefs

Burmel Gay 90s Hanky

The Twentieth Century nostalgia for Early America and the Gay 90s was manifested in handkerchief design in the 50s and 60s.  Technology and social changes were happening so quickly that people's thoughts hearkened back to perceived 'simpler times.' 

Some of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes have persons longing for the olden days, like "A Stop At Willoughby" in which a "Mad Man" ad man feels such stress he fantasizes about a train stop to an 1888 town.



My family all decorated in the Colonial Revival style, not the Modern which is in revival today. A great article on the Americana revival in the 70 s can be found  here:
http://retrorenovation.com/2014/07/07/bicentennial-chic/

Here are some examples from my collection.

Pat Prichard used Early American signs in these hanky designs.

In another series Prichard used turn-of-the century kitchen images, like the cast iron stove in the hanky below.

 Old clocks and time pieces are also found on handkerchiefs of this time period.

Jeanne Miller

We were nostalgic for old forms of transportation. 

Pat Prichard

Pat Prichard

Pat Prichard

Quaint baby buggies from yesteryear by Pat Prichard.

Tammis Keefe was a prolific designer in the 1960s. 

Tammis Keefe

Tammis Keefe

Erin O'Dell's design with antique furniture was not far different from what Tammis Keefe was doing ten years earlier.

 High button boots and an old time cash register on another Pat Prichard hanky.

Old fashioned keys were another motif found in several designs like this one by Faith Austen.

 I love this nostalgic kitchen scene series.

 I made a wall hanging with a hanky from this series.

Farm and small town life was another favorite theme.

Betty Anderson

Tammis Keefe's wooden Indians salute a ship's masthead woman.

I love this Tammis Keefe hanky with sailors in the rigging of an old sailing ship.

And here the sailors are dancing the Hornpipe.

Learn more about Tammis Keefe here.

July 1964 Woman's Day: Make an Embroidered Denim Coverlet

Has it been fifty years? Now 1964 styles and decor are so old they are all the rage. Thanks to Mad Men and nostalgia for the past. Our son wants Mid-Century Modern inspired furniture. Renovating not remodeling Mid-Century ranch homes is a fad.

Women's magazines at the grocery store check out line offered crash courses in consumer education.  Magazines alway taught women about style and decor, going back to Lady Godey's and other Victorian magazines that came available then. More people could read and the printing press offered cheap reading material. But the huge color ads and pics were a post-war luxury.

They look so small by today's standards. Love that gold fridge!

Big innovation! Moms no longer needed to add the sugar. What a time saver.

Debbie Reynolds was in The Unsinkable Molly Brown at this time, a novel about a woman who survived the sinking of the Titanic 

Hair and makeup advice based on skin tone. Notice the absence of women of color?

Egad! Is that Don Draper at the phone? Pay phones! When did you last see one?

I never asked to go to Disneyland, but I did ask about going to the New York World's Fair. I had friends who went. We lived in Western New York State. I mean we were in the same state after all. To my kid's mind it was like going to the Hamburg Fair. Only bigger. And a little farther.

The great thing in this magazine was the coverlet quilt! it is pretty cool. 

Denim quilt with embroidery embellishments!

Instructions for the quilt:

Blue Denim Quilt
56" x 72"
Each square is 4"

Materials: The original quilt was made from scraps of overalls and jeans. Or buy 4 yards of 36" wide denim materials. Scraps of printed and plain cotton fabric, rickrack, and embroidery floss. Lining requires 4 yards of 36" percale. You also needed 'bedspread cotton' in assorted colors and black to crochet around each square and a steel crochet hook No. 6

Squares: cut 252 each 4 1/2" squares from denim material. Trim as desired with appliqué, rick rack, etc. The appliqué is edged or trimmed with embroidery. Stitches included buttonhole, herringbone, feather stitch, lazy daisy, French know, and outline stitched worked with s strands of 6-ply floss.

Edges: turn under edges of the trimmed squares 1/8". With colored bedspread cotton, work single crochet sc around each square. Space stitches close together and work 3 sc in each corner. Break off. Attach black and work sc in each sc around, working 3 sc in each corner. Break off.

Finishing: Arrange and then sew squares together at edge of crochet to form a rectangle 14 squares wide by 18 squares long. Cut and piece lining to fit top, allowing 1/2" for seams and turn under. Turn under 1/2" all around outer edge and sew to top. Tack through both layers in several place to hold lining in place or tack at corners of each square.
THE END