I have literally owned a copy of that book since college, and I’ve never read it. We’re talking decades now! But you’ve inspired me — maybe 2023 is finally the year, lol
In a previous newsletter you had a link to https://tniklassongallery.com/ I just bought a special piece of jewellery on there for a friend's important birthday. It embraces her Finnish heritage and her birthstone. Thank you for the recommendation. Love reading your content.
There is so much to appreciate in this edition, but I'll start by saying that inspired by it, I'm going to start referring to myself as an "unnécessaire".
(I am also very glad that you capitalised "GO TO ENGLAND" because of course we are a VERY important country and deserve capitalising. Absolutely...capital work.)
Emma Hamilton's story is astonishing. I knew a little already, the later part about her affair with Nelson. But when I Wiki'd it: "Emma became Nelson's secretary, translator and political facilitator. They soon fell in love and began an affair. Hamilton showed admiration and respect for Nelson, and vice versa; the affair was tolerated." Good grief, men of that time had regrettably unromantic ideas, or at least - I don't know, utterly alien ones? The casual aloof dispassion of it all. And I don't know how unhappy her life was, but on paper it truly is desperately tragic. (And the part where public sentiment was cynically turned against her - well, *cough cough* Meghan Markle. Some things don't change so much, it seems.)
That Elgin Bluebird bicycle is so gorgeous that now I need either a lie-down or a cold shower (not both, I'd drown), so I guess this is the end of this comment.
Good lord, I'm only answering this fully a month late!!!! Sorry, Mike. The past month has been a doozy. But re: Emma's story - boy, did you hit the nail on the head with the word "dispassion." I think that's why it hit me so hard. To see her spoken about so plainly as just another possession is incredibly jarring, even now.
Anyway, I hope you had a nice post-Bluebird lie-down and a lovely holiday season. I’ll see if I can find something to weaken your knees again with the next newsletter. (Which I still have to write, oh dear god WHEN. Soon. I promise!)
Okay you were not lying about that model trying to smolder above that derpy little dragon. What a precious perfect creature.
I was compelled to close out the year with that face! He's wonderful.
Congratulations on a great year! -waving farewell from a slowly departing Bugatti Pedal Cart-
faintly, from a distance: *AHOOGA*
The Sontag novel The Volcano Lover is about the Hamiltons and Horatio Nelson and it's VERY GOOD
I have literally owned a copy of that book since college, and I’ve never read it. We’re talking decades now! But you’ve inspired me — maybe 2023 is finally the year, lol
🤞🤞🤞 it's a long, slowish book but it is fascinating and Emma Hamilton is given a lot of space to be a human being, in all her freaky weird glory
A long, slowish book sounds like perfection right now, so thanks for bringing it back into my orbit!
In a previous newsletter you had a link to https://tniklassongallery.com/ I just bought a special piece of jewellery on there for a friend's important birthday. It embraces her Finnish heritage and her birthstone. Thank you for the recommendation. Love reading your content.
I'm so so so happy to hear this! T Niklasson is wonderful; he's become a real go-to for me over the years. I hope your friend loves her gift!
There is so much to appreciate in this edition, but I'll start by saying that inspired by it, I'm going to start referring to myself as an "unnécessaire".
(I am also very glad that you capitalised "GO TO ENGLAND" because of course we are a VERY important country and deserve capitalising. Absolutely...capital work.)
Emma Hamilton's story is astonishing. I knew a little already, the later part about her affair with Nelson. But when I Wiki'd it: "Emma became Nelson's secretary, translator and political facilitator. They soon fell in love and began an affair. Hamilton showed admiration and respect for Nelson, and vice versa; the affair was tolerated." Good grief, men of that time had regrettably unromantic ideas, or at least - I don't know, utterly alien ones? The casual aloof dispassion of it all. And I don't know how unhappy her life was, but on paper it truly is desperately tragic. (And the part where public sentiment was cynically turned against her - well, *cough cough* Meghan Markle. Some things don't change so much, it seems.)
That Elgin Bluebird bicycle is so gorgeous that now I need either a lie-down or a cold shower (not both, I'd drown), so I guess this is the end of this comment.
Good lord, I'm only answering this fully a month late!!!! Sorry, Mike. The past month has been a doozy. But re: Emma's story - boy, did you hit the nail on the head with the word "dispassion." I think that's why it hit me so hard. To see her spoken about so plainly as just another possession is incredibly jarring, even now.
Anyway, I hope you had a nice post-Bluebird lie-down and a lovely holiday season. I’ll see if I can find something to weaken your knees again with the next newsletter. (Which I still have to write, oh dear god WHEN. Soon. I promise!)
Forever indebted to you for introducing the term “faux-bergé” to my life 🙏
It's perfect, isn't it? The Fabergé expert Dr. Geza von Habsburg came up with it years ago, so he deserves all the credit!