1750 (en su primera edición) y  1758 (en su segunda  edición  publicada):  Baumgarten  usó  la palabra  ”estética”, se  la designó  como: “ciencia de lo bello, se le agrega  un estudio de la esencia  del arte, de las relaciones  de ésta  con la belleza y los demás valores”. Algunos  autores  han pretendido  sustituirla  por otra  denominación: calología, que atendiendo  a su etimología  significa  ciencia  de  lo  bello (kalos, «bello»).

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Gottlieb_Baumgarten

http://opusprima.wordpress.com/2008/08/23/la-estetica-de-baumgarten/

1900: La moda comienza este año con la llamada silueta S, debido al corsé que empujaba el busto hacia arriba, estrechando la cintura y sus faldas  ajustadas a  la  cadera  ensanchándolas en forma de campana al llegar al suelo. En el mundo  laboral se empieza a  incorporar  los trajes  sastre y el corte  con influencia  masculina  para las  mujeres. Los vestidos eran largos, cubrían los zapatos, las plumas y los encajes  hacían  furor, destacando los grandes  sombreros con infinidad  de adornos y ornamentos. La moda prácticamente solo fue seguida por las clases altas inglesas y francesas.

 1908: La  silueta  era  mucho  mas recta, sin marcar tanto la cintura. Radicalmente  cambió la ropa interior;  se dejó  de  usar  el corsé a  cambio  del  sujetador,  las  faldas  se  estrechaban  tanto  en su  vuelo  que casi  no dejaban andar, los  sombreros  eran  muy  anchos, la  silueta  era  un  triángulo  invertido, haciendo  surgir el escote en V.

http://alaridodelamoda.blogspot.com/2009/09/1908-aparecio-el-corpino.html

1910: Pasan de  moda las mujeres y sus curvas  con el  “talle de avispa”, en esta fecha la mujer convierte el corsé en una faja  que le desdibuja la cintura. Se  instalan  los  PRIMEROS  INSTITUTOS DE  BELLEZA en las principales  capitales  europeas. Estalla  la  guerra  del 14 y la belleza desaparece  como  encanto.  No existe  ese afán  por  conseguir la belleza  artificialmente.

1918: Resurge la femineidad  con un ímpetu insospechado. Surge una mujer  “nueva”, la que tiene que trabajar, la que viste estilo “sport”, la que se corta el cabello “porque el pelo largo es molesto para la mujer que tiene que trabajar”.

1920: La ropa era mucho más práctica. Nuevamente vuelve a cambiar la silueta descendiendo la cintura a su posición anatómica, marcando el talle y ensanchando los hombros. En esta década se destacan las faldas cortas. Desaparecen los sombreros y se vuelven a dejar crecer el pelo.

 1930: El look se militarizo y los tejidos se volvieron pobres debido a la década de guerra, debido a esto las chicas se vestían con uniforme de ciudad, es decir, trajes de chaqueta. La moda se vio totalmente afectada por la guerra.

1940: Volvió el esplendor. Se vuelve a forzar la silueta con una cintura estrecha y se le dio volumen a los hombros y a los pechos. Se aumentó el vuelo de sus faldas, estas con el largo por debajo de las rodillas. Las mujeres estaban cansadas del estilo masculino, asique volvieron las curvas. Los zapatos se estilizaron haciéndolos mas puntiagudos, usaban abrigos de paño, y bolsos al codo. Triunfó el nuevo look de Cristian Dior.

1950: Se utilizaba ropa cómoda surgiendo así la ropa juvenil. Se había puesto de moda la ropa extravagante. Los estampados eran de mariposas y de flores. Las siluetas volvieron hacer más lisas y se comenzaron a imponer rápidamente por todo el mundo las minifaldas.

1960: Surgió el concepto de la ropa diferente, original, divertida y extravagante. El cabello se usaba corto y con cortes geométricos. Tanto los hombres como las mujeres comenzaron a usar pantalones de campana y aparecieron  las blusas de algodón.

1970: Década muy diversa, se produjo un furor hacia lo RETRO. Las flores fueron el principal símbolo en la ropa y en el pelo. Resaltaban los trajes y vestidos, con ajustados pantalones. El algodón fue remplazado por la lycra; usaban botas o zapatones de tacón.

1980: Hubo un nuevo estilo que se caracterizaba por el uso de ropa interior visible, y esto nunca se había visto en el pasado, por lo tanto, esto fue sinónimo de liberación para las mujeres. Gracias a esta tendencia, las mujeres de hoy pueden vestir “sin tener que preocuparse por las transparencias o los tirantes de los sujetadores”.

1990: Había mucha variedad,  no había una tendencia específica y duradera. Trataban de ponerse lo más cómodo, sin darle mucha importancia a la opinión de los demás o a las tendencias, porque la gente había llegado a la conclusión de que no se estaban expresando con libertad. La gran modificación en esta época fue la aparición de los piercings, tatuajes y el pelo teñido.

http://punksunidos.com.ar/artecorporal/2008/08/tatuajes-en-los-ojos-donde-la-tinta.html

1908 moto bloc lincoln way campus meads c 1400×947 wallpaper wallpaper of 1908 moto bloc lincoln way campus meads c 1400×947
to view full size click1908 Moto Bloc Lincoln Way Campus Meads C 1400X947 wallpaper ( 1908 Moto Bloc Lincoln Way Campus Meads C 1400X947 wallpaper )

Rest in Peace

In Texas, USA, in 1899, Canadian actor Charles Francis Coghlan became ill and died whilst he was in Galveston. Because it was too far to return his remains to his home on Prince Edward Island, 3500 miles away, he was instead buried in a lead coffin inside a granite vault.

A year after his death, in September 1900, a hurricane hit Galveston, flooding the graveyard, shattering Charles Coghlan’s granite vault and carrying away his lead coffin out into the Gulf of Mexico.

In October 1908, eight years after the hurricane, fishermen on Prince Edward Island spotted a weathered box floating near the shore. It was the coffin of Charles Coghlan, which had finally returned home. He was buried in the nearby church where he had been christened as a baby.

Image from http://blog.makezine.com

HALLOWEEN WILL BE HERE SOON, GET READY

Young People Will Celebrate While the Goblins and Spirits Hower About, Just as of Old.

Get ready, kids. It’s coming. A week from Saturday the goblins, witches, elves and jack-o-lanterns will come into their own for one brief night. All Hallows’ eve — the world belongs to them.

In the old, old days Hallowe’en belonged to the spirits of the Northland, to the spirits and elves of Druid days. There are no witches or fairies now, but Hallowe’en will be celebrated just the same.

Farmers are getting ready for the occasion and are getting their cabbage and pumpkins under cover and before the latter part of next week will have them securely locked in the houses and barns. Corn is also used to a certain extent in celebrating, while tick-tacks** are just as big a favorite as ever.

From Dictionary Encarta:

**2. U.S. something that taps as prank: a device operated from a distance to make a tapping sound on a window or door as a practical joke.

Great changes have taken place in celebrating Hallowe’en in the past decade. It used to be that a boy or girl did not think they were having a good time unless they would burst in a number of doors during the night with cabbage stocks or hang some neighbor’s wagon on the roof of the barn, so it would be hard to remove, while some even went so far as to put cows in the school room and other things in just as ridiculous places. The taking of a buggy or wagon and running away with it was most enjoyed, that is by the celebrators, but it was a trick not enjoyed by the owner. The building of fences across the public highway also afforded the builder lots of fun. People out late at night or those compelled to get out early in the morning always bumped into one of these fences and there was all kinds of trouble. Gates and porch steps were to be found for the next two weeks in unlooked for places — but that was the way they celebrated a good many years ago.

It would not be very healthy to celebrate in this manner now. There are too many police officers. Then if you would happen to get caught or your name learned later on, you stand a good chance of being arrested for malicious mischief. There are too many laws today to permit such carryings on. Of late years the proper way to celebrate Hallowe’en and have a good time is to attend a taffy-pulling. Of course jack-o-lanterns are still used and are a big favorite, but not to the extent they were a number of years ago. In later years the young folks dress up in masque costumes and attend their taffy pullings. Many of the games played when grandmother was a girl, such as ducking for apples, etc., are still in vogue and affords no end of amusement.

It is not known to what extent Mayor Harry Lusk will permit celebrators to go this year; but one thing is sure and that is that he will not stand for destruction of property, so the boys and girls who desire to keep out of the clutches of the law and escape spending a night in the ill-smelling cooler at city hall should confine their celebrating to innocent fun and not try to see how much property they can damage.

New Castle News (New Castle, Pennsylvania) Oct 23, 1908

Image from www.grahamcounty.net

The Good Old Candy Pull.

You kin talk about y’r op’rae y’r germans an’ ali sich,
Y’r afternoon receptions an’ them pleasures o’ the rich;
You kin feast upon y’r chol’lates an’ y’r creams an’ ices full.
But none o’ them is ekal to a good old candy pull.

For ther’ isn’t any perfume like the ‘lasses on the fire,
A bubblin’ an’ a dancin’ as it keeps a risin’ higher,
While the spoon goes stirrin’, stirrin’, till the  kittle’s even full;
No, I reely thin ther’s nothing’ like a good old candy pull.

It’s true we miss the music, an’ the ballroom’s crush an’ heat,
But ther isn’t any bitter that stays behind the sweet,
An’ I think the world’d be better, an’ its cup o’ joy more full,
If we only had more pleasures like the good old candy pull.

– BOSTON BULLETIN.

The News (Frederick, Maryland) Mar 13, 1891

Hemp Seeds (Image from www.divavillage.com)

A Potent Incantation.

On All-Hallows eve there is one form of incantation which is known to be extremely, nay, terribly potent when all others have failed. You go out by yourself, taking a handful of hempseed with you. You get to a secluded place and begin to scatter the seed as you walk along the road. You say, “Hempseed, I sow thee; hempseed, I sow thee, he who is to be my true love, appear now and show thee.” And if you look furtively over your shoulder you will behold the desired apparition following you. — William Black in Harper’s.

Davenport Morning Tribune (Davenport, Iowa) Nov 5, 1890

HALLOWE’EN CELEBRATIONS

Its Origin and Customs — How the Small Boy Came to Have a Part Therein.

Many Parties of Social Nature Held — Police Department Busily Entertained.

Hallowe’en or All Hallow’s Eve, the night of Oct. 31, that is the eve of All Saints’ Day, which is the first day of November, takes its origin from the conversion in the Seventh century of the Pantheon at Rome, into a Christian place of worship, and its dedication to the Virgin and all the martyrs.

It was first celebrated on the first of May, but the date was Subsequently changed to Nov. 1st, and under the designation of “Feast of All Saints,” set apart as a general commemoration in their honor, and as such retained by the Angelican and American Episcopal churches.

On this day it is a custom of Roman Catholic countries, and is still practiced in Louisiana, to visit the cemeteries for devotion or for laying floral tributes on the graves of relatives.

The “Hallowe’en” part of it, however, appears to have nothing churchly about it. It is more in keeping with the practices of pagan times or perhaps of medieval superstitions, which set apart the night for a universal walking abroad of spirits, both of the visible and invisible world. On this mystic evening it was believed that even the human spirit might detach itself from the body and wander abroad.

From the above it can be readily seen how members of the younger population have come to distort the customs of this celebration by performing mischievous pranks, dressing in most hideous costumes and working destruction in general to everything animate and inanimate, after the fashion of sprites, or worse than these, perhaps, demons. Here also we discover the origin of the pumpkin ghost or Jack ‘o lanter, the troops of wandering devils, etc.

Image from www.retroist.com

Practically so far as recognized at all, as it is still in Great Britain and some of our states, where church usages and traditions survive, it is devoted to sports and practical jokes. Nuts and apples are in requisition, they being not only cracked and eaten, but furnish sport in the way of “ducking” and “bobbing” which often results in damp disaster at the bottom of the wash tub.

The fate of many a lad and lass is also often decided in the signs of the seeds and the kernels, as the renowned Burns put it:

“The old guidwife’s well hoardit ______ nits,
Are round and round devided,
And many lads and lassies’ fates
Are there that night decided.”

A number of parties were held last evening in commemoration of the event. The police department was also obliged to use its entire force and acumen to watch the mischievous sprites who were on the lookout to work destruction to anything and everything which happened to fall in their pathway.

Social Hallowe’en.

Among those who entertained in a social way were Miss Lulu Wolfe, Wisconsin street; Miss Anna Slagsvold, Wisconsin street; Miss Laura Aswumb, Garfield avenue; Rev. and Mrs. Arns, Vine street; and among others something unique in the way of hobo Hallowe’en amusement at the home of Mrs. David Drummond. To say the least, all of the events named above furnished much enjoyment to those who were in attendance, having a part in the quaint games and customs in accord with practices of olden times.

Image from http://rhinestonearmadillo.typepad.com

The Small Boy.

Hallowe’en with the small boy, was not so exciting up to midnight. Dr. Selbach’s buggy was carried with the Leader’s mail wagon. Windows were soaped, gates stolen, every upsetable, upset, a sidewalk in the Ninth ward torn up, with untold and various other depredations. This is all. No lives were lost. Hallowe’en is all over but the swearing.

Eau Claire Leader (Eau Claire, Wisconsin) Nov 2, 1906

Image from http://blog.makezine.com

THIS IS HALLOWE’EN.

Which Has Been Celebrated Through Centuries — The Prince of Mischief Abroad in the Land.

To-night is Hallowe’en and around it clusters more Old World superstitions than begirt the other 364 nights that go to make up the year.

The small boy knows it best as “cabbage night,” and to him it means a round of fun. He has been keeping track of it. He knows it comes with darkness and for days he has been keeping his optics on the cabbage heads in the back yards of his neighbors.

The small boy knows where all the cabbage in the neighborhood, for squares around, is kept, and as soon as night has stolen over the earth he will be out with his companions, carefully climbing over the back yard fences, and stealthfully approaching the mound where the cabbage is buried. It is no use to watch him, for if it is there he will have it if he has to stay up all night, and after he has it in his grasp he is off on his round of pranks.

The readers of THE SENTINEL know how he will put in the night. They were all young once and as they peruse this Hallowe’en article, memories of those old-time days, when they were out on the All Hallows Eve lark, will crowd in on them thick and fast, and when the “bump,” “bump” of the cabbage head comes against the door, they will say, “Oh, it’s boys. They are out for a little fun. Let them have it.”

Gates are carried off from their hinges, and the posts are ornamented with hideous, grinning faces, made of a grotesque pumpkin, hollowed out, and containing a lighted candle. Bonfires are built and potatoes, eggs and apple roasted on the hot coals. Door bells are mysteriously rung and the king of misrule and his retinue are abroad in the land.

But the Hallowe’en is not now what it once was. The boyish pranks of twenty, thirty and forty years ago (many of them) seem to be unknown to the boys of to-day and there isn’t one one hundredth part of the fun crowded into the night now as there was then. Many of the older readers of THE SENTINEL could tell the boys of to-day Hallowe’en stories that would “make their hair stand on end,” but it is best, perhaps, that those olden-time tricks (some of them mean and cruel in their nature) should be discontinued, and we will not tell more of them now for fear the boys will be tempted to repeat them to-night in Fort Wayne.

There used to be a time when the night was full of superstitions, and men, women and children believed that on All Hallows Eve disembodied spirits visited the earth again; that devils, witches and fairies were abroad; that supernatural influences existed everywhere, but these old-time superstitions passed away with the advent of railways, telegraph, and, most of all, with the enlightening influences of the newspapers, and now the night is mostly (among those who desire to celebrate it) given to amusements of a social nature, either at home or in some public hall. Even the boyish pranks grow to be less common, and bye and bye, perhaps, they will cease all together.

Hallowe’en, or more properly All Hallows Eve, is the night before All Saints’ day and comes on October 31st, being kept as a vigil by some churches for the religious ceremonies of the following day, November 1st, when honor is done in the sanctuaries to all the saints. This is its real signification now, and yet in many countries the old superstitions still prevail and we give a few of them.

In the north of England this is “Nutcrack-Night,” and everywhere nuts and apples are in demand for consumption or for divination. In Ireland the same customs exist as in the sister isle; the lads and lasses gather by the blazing fire of peat and bogwood; the hearth is cleanly swept and each pair of lovers put two nuts before the fire; if either jumps the party represented is sure to give the other the mitten.
Ducking for apples is another ceremony peculiar to Hallowe’en.

Apples are placed in a tub of water, and often coins, and the attempts to catch them in the mouth produce tremendous mirth. So. too, does the “snapapple cross”; apples and lighted candles are placed on the opposite ends of a wooden cross, suspended by a string, and the attempts to rescue an apple with the mouth is generally rewarded by catching the twirling candle.

Three plates, containing earth, water and a ring, are placed on the table, the fortune seeker is led blindfolded, and his selection dooms him to death, exile or marriage within the ensuing year. A somewhat similar form of divination exists in Scotland.

“Popping” is a custom as popular in America as in the old country, where it originated. One girl heats a shovel red hot. Two chestnuts are then named after two of the company, as Jennie and Jack. In a few minutes they begin to sputter, and when they pop with much noise and confusion it is judged by the method of popping how the love affair will terminate. If Jennie pops away it is surmised that it is meant as an invitation for Jack to follow and capture her, but if Jack pops he is not for her. If the two pop side by side or away together, it is the happiest of auguries. IF the pair of chestnuts burn up into a flame and consume together it foretells a happy married future.

Eating the apple – This first demands a walk through a long corridor, when, if the young lady does not see her lover, she must return backward, going to her room and eating the apple before a looking glass while she combs her hair. She will then see her future husband’s face over her shoulder.

Paring an apple in one long paring, throwing it over the shoulder and letting it fall is a favorite spell of the night. If it falls so as to resemble a letter, that will be the first letter of a coming lover’s name.

Image from http://z.about.com

The Hallowe’en Mirror – This is always a moonlight night performance, as the spell is assisted by the spectral light of the moon. They young woman looking into the glass must munch an apple at the same time. As the moonbeams fall across the glass she will see a face beside her own, which will be that of the man she is to marry. This test is very trying one, and many cases have been known where a delicate girl has fainted from fright, her imagination supplying the expected face.

The Three Leggies – These are three bowls of water placed on the hearth, a custom prevalent in Scotland and referred to by Burns. One is filled with clear water, one with turbid water and one is empty. Whoever dips must be blindfolded and use the left hand only. If it is a maiden and she dips into the clear water she will marry a young man and be prosperous. If she, however, puts her hand in the turbid bowl her husband will be a widower, and she will have more or less trouble, but if she dips into the empty dish, never a husband will she have at all.

A Scottish superstition was: – The girl would take her ball of knitting worsted and at midnight, standing on the edge of an old lime kiln, would throw it down in the devil’s name, and commencing to wind up the end would say, “I wind, who holds?” when a voice was supposed to answer, “I hold.” Many fatal accidents from shock followed these incantations, caused probably by some of the lads who knew that such a visit would be made.

But when all the sports were finished, then came the crowning terror to the rustic mind — the journey home and the possibility of meeting the dreaded “Phooks,” the hairy, misshapen spirit steed that on this particular night was permitted to roam around and decoy wearied pedestrians to mount him.

Some of these sports may be repeated to night among our young folks and much merriement will ensue. All in all, with the repetition of these pranks and the parties, dances and night “raids” of the small boy Hallowe’en will not go unobserved in Fort Wayne.

To morrow will be All Saints day. As early as the fourth century the Greeks kept on the first Sunday after Pentecost the feast of all Martyrs and Saints, and there is still a sermon of St. John Chrysostom delivered on that day. The feast was introduced in the west by Pope Boniface IV. The feast was at first kept on the 13th of May, but the day was changed to the 1st of November by Gregory IV. This feast has been instituted by the church to honor all the saints who reign in heaven.

Next Sunday will be All Souls day. It is a solemn commemoration of and prayer for all the souls in purgatory. This feast is dept on the 2d day of November. This feast owes its origin to Odilo Abbot, of Clugny, who instituted this solemnity for all the monasteries of his order in 998.

Both days will be religiously observed by the Catholics in this city.

The forty hour devotions began at the Cathedral to-day at 9 o’clock. Father Ambrose, of Cincinnati, a Franciscan, preached in the forenoon and will be heard again this evening. To-morrow the principal services will be at 5, 7:30, 10 a.m., and in the evening at 7:30, closing with a sermon, procession and benediction on Sunday evening.

Fort Wayne Sentinel, The (Fort Wayne, Indiana) Oct 31, 1890

Image from http://seasonofshadows.com

HALLOWE’EN [excerpt]

Three things seem to be wrapped up in Hallowe’en rites — silence, salt and apples! Salt and silence worked together, and for dire occasions. Hallowe’en, from time immemorial, seems to have been a special occasion for attempting to lift the veil and peer into the future, especially as regards one’s personal fortunes or the fate of one’s enemies.

For instance, many hundreds of years ago in northern Europe a man who put a spoonful of salt in his mouth, drank no water, and walked away in silence — you cannot imagine him talking much — to “a place where three crossroads met and sat thereon on a three-legged stool” was rewarded at midnight by hearing a supernatural voice announce the name of the neighbor, generally, his enemy, who would die within the year!

In many parts of Scotland to this day, the house-wife will empty a thimble of salt on every breakfast plate before going to bed on All Hallows Eve; and if in the morning the salt has fallen out of shape on any plate, it is believed that individual  might just as well get ready, as the big bell has tolled for him.

In other parts of northern Europe, the girl who eats a salt cake and goes to bed in silence, and without drinking water, will see her future husband in her dreams.

Olean Evening Times (Olean, New York) Oct 30, 1929

Surfing around while watching the Yankees-Angels ALCS game at Angels Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday night. I came across this link after chasing a Cubs blog mentioned at the bottom of one of St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel’s blog posts from earlier in the 2009 season:

http://justonebadcentury.com/

It’s a Cubs fan site, but the creators seem to use the Chicago failure to win a World Series since 1908 as a way to have fun. The Web site claims it’s trying to fight bad karma. I’m sure they’ll be glad to take it down if 2010 turns out to be the Cubbies’ year.

July, 1908 -Night view of Elk's Court of Honor, at intersection of Main and Akard Streets, Dallas, Texas - Grand Lodge Meeting

I like the way the night shots turn out in the animations.  I think because they’re more simplistic, there’s less to distract the eye, the lines are clearer.

To view the complete collection in full resolution, visit clicksypics.com To find out how these are created, go here.

This week I uploaded more images from the book, The Human Body and Health Revised by Alvin Davison, published in 1908 by Alvin Davison.  This book has a copyright of 1908 by Alvin Davison and one in 1924 by American Book Company.  The first copyright was pre-1923 and the copyright was never renewed; therefore, the book should be in the public domain.  I’ll keep my descriptions brief, since I have 9 new freebie images to show you.

Above is an illustration of a human skeleton from page 192.

The illustration of the thigh muscles above is from page 206

The illustration above is from page 206.  It shows the muscles in our arm, specifically our forearm.

Above is an early X-ray of an adult hand from page 197.

Above is a xray of a child’s hand from page 196.

Above is an illustration of the bones in our arms and legs.  This image appears on page 194.

Above is a partial skeleton from page 192.  The illustration shows our skull and spine.

The illustration above from page 203 shows the muscles and tendons in our arm.

This last illustration from page 226 is my favorite.  They have cut away the skull to reveal our brain.  I like the “thinking thinking” written on the brain. 

The illustrations are from a pre-1923 copyright book.  The images should be copyright-free.  All the images have been uploaded to my flickr page.  They have been attributed to Creative Commons.  If you click on the image, you will be taken to the image on my flickr page where you can chose the size of image to download for free.

.nude with hat.1908.

.amedeo modigliani.

“Chicago Cubs fans are ninety percent scar tissue.” So said George Will. But could it be even worse than that? Could it be that the Cubs can kill you?

Case in point. Let me take you back to the year 1984, now 25 years in the past. It was the Cubs first appearance in the post-season since 1945. And maybe, just maybe, we thought, the long-awaited World Championship was at hand, the laurel we’d last won in 1908.

If your name was Theresa Boucek, 1908 wasn’t just something you’d read about. Indeed, Boucek, who had been born on October 7, 1882, could even recall the 1906 World Series between the Cubs and the White Sox. She’d been a famously attractive young woman back then, and was still comely enough to win a beauty contest at age 99! Of course, I’m not sure that she had much competition, but still, being the Arkansas Tri-County Nursing Home Queen must count for something.

That aside, lovely Theresa’s life was unremarkable. Daughter of a tailor, Boucek lived on Chicago’s West Side, and worked as a department store clerk and later, as a store detective. After marrying in 1906, she continued to work outside the home. Before moving to Arkansas in 1972 with her son Fred, she’d resided in Berwyn and Glenview. And all the while, Theresa Boucek was a life-long Cubs fan, suffering the “slings and arrows of outrageous (Cubs) fortune” known to many of us.

Fast forward to the 1984 playoffs: the Cubs vs. the San Diego Padres. Our boys won the first two games at Wrigley Field and needed only one victory in three possible tries in Southern California. But we lost the first two games in San Diego and were left with one final chance to make it to the World Series. And Theresa Boucek watched it all on her TV, watched in hope and watched in frustration, watched with her grandson Michael by her side, watched and prayed, as all Cubs fans do, for a final trip to the promised land and World Series glory.

Those of you with long memories will recall that the Cubs were actually leading in Game #5, and had their ace, Rick Sutcliffe on the mound. But Rick started to fade late in the game, and, as Michael Boucek recalled for the Chicago Sun Times, “as a matter of fact, (my grandmother) died during the game when Sutcliffe started to go downhill.”

It was her 102nd birthday. A fitting payoff for a lifetime of devotion to her favorite team.

Is there a moral to this story? I guess my thoughts go to the legendary Steve Bartman, the man who (some think) cost the Cubs a trip to the World Series in 2003 by allegedly interfering with Moises Alou’s attempt to catch a foul ball. I’ve always thought that this young man got a raw deal, that it was not Bartman but the men on the field who failed themselves and us.

But then, I guess the punishment suffered by Cubs fans is relative. The lifetime of shame suffered by Bartman might not be so bad after all.

Bartman, at least, unlike Therese Boucek, wasn’t killed by the Cubs.

Last weeks book has an abundance of fascinating human body illustrations.   I’ve decided to continue uploading images from The Human Body and Health Revised by Alvin Davison, published in 1908 by Alvin Davison.  This book has a copyright of 1908 by Alvin Davison and one in 1924 by American Book Company.  The first copyright was pre-1923 and the copyright was never renewed; therefore, the book should be in the public domain.

The first illustration is from page 214.  It illustrates the nervous system in our bodies.

The illustration above is from page 241.  It shows the bones inside our ears.

Above is a cut-away skull illustrating how the brain is positioned inside the skull.

The illustration above from page 207 shows the muscles in the human chest/sternum.

The above illustration is from page 127.  It shows the lymph vessels in the face and head.

The last image is an illustration of the “Lymph vessels of the finger”.

The illustrations are from a public domain book.  The images should be copyright-free.  All the images have been uploaded to my flickr page.  They have been attributed to Creative Commons.  If you click on the image, you will be taken to the image on my flickr page where you can chose the size of image to download for free.

Continuing on with the body part theme, I’ve uploaded some more human body illustrations.  This week I’ve chosen the book, The Human Body and Health Revised by Alvin Davison, published in 1908 by Alvin Davison.  This book has a copyright of 1908 by Alvin Davison and one in 1924 by American Book Company.  The first copyright was pre-1923 and the copyright was never renewed; therefore, the book should be in the public domain.

The first image is from page 20, Figure 10, it shows the organs inside the body.

The image above looks similar to the first image.  This illustration is on page 77.  The drawing shows the organs in relation to one another inside the body cavity.

The two illustrations above are from page 81.  The first is a cross-section of a tooth.  The second is a cross-section of a face.

The illustration above from page 80 is a skeletal image of a jaw.

On page 83 is an illustration showing the human digestive tract.

On page 82 is a front view of the digestive organs inside the body.

On page 86 is a view of the face with the skin removed.

The final image is from page 118.  It shows major blood vessels in a body.

The illustrations are from a public domain book.  The images should be copyright-free.  All the images have been uploaded to my flickr page.  They have been attributed to Creative Commons.  If you click on the image, you will be taken to the image on my flickr page where you can chose the size of image to download for free.

Click the image to see all Mr. Skygack designs and merchandise! C. 2009, by Vicki Robison

If you were to google the “first science fiction comic character” or the “first science fiction newspaper comic”, you would find that the results to your search would be flooded with “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” and “1929″—but that is simply not true!  In actuality, the first science fiction comic feature was Mr. Skygack, From Mars! 

Mr. Skygack, From Mars was a single panel black & white newspaper comic feature which made it’s debut in 1907. The creator of the comic was A. D. Condo, who also penned Everett True, Diana Dillpickles and a variety of other comic features—some long lived, and some not.

I first discovered Mr. Skygack, From Mars a couple of years ago on the Barnacle Press website, where a handful of the Skygack comics are featured. I was so intrigued by Mr. Skygack that I was inspired to research the character, but alas, not much has been written about him—at least, not much that has survived.  I’m sure there are Skygack references in hundred-year-old books that have yet to be “discovered,” but at the time of this writing, I have only been able to find a few pop culture references*, plus a paragraph** about Mr. Skygack in E.W. Scripps and the Business of Newspapers, by Gerald J. Baldasty, 1999.

So Who is Mr. Skygack?

Mr. Skygack, From Mars, as stated above, is a comic feature that first appeared in Scripps newspapers in 1907. (If you decide to research this, you will also find the dates 1908 and 1909, but I know for a fact that it was 1907, because I found the very first Skygack cartoon in a 1907 newspaper!) 

Mr. Skygack was sent here from Mars to observe the human condition, so to carry out his mission, he observes people around him, usually misunderstanding the purpose of the task in which people are engaged.  The “tagline” from the comic strip explains Mr. Skygack’s purpose best—”He Visits the Earth as a Special Correspondent and Makes Wireless Observations in His Notebook.”

Irregularity of Early Newspaper Comics

The first Mr. Skygack comic panel was published in October of 1907.  The most recent example that I have been able to find was published in 1912.  I also have a couple of Skygack cartoons which are claimed to be from 1913, but I cannot verify the date.

Although Condo was employed by NEA, (a syndication service of the Scripps newspaper chain) not all Condo cartoons appeared in all Scripps papers.  In addition, because the comic industry was still in its infancy, it had not yet evolved to the tradition of daily features.  For example, one might see a particular comic strip three days in a row, and then not see it again for a week or more.  Some of the Scripps papers that I’ve been able to find would go for a month or two at a time without a Skygack cartoon, leading me to think that it had been discontinued, and then it would pop up again.

It’s also hard to know when many early cartoons were originally drawn or submitted for publication.  In my research I have found that a single comic feature might appear in two different Scripps papers a week—or even a month or two—apart.  I also tend to believe that Scripps newspapers were not contractually bound to print all features that were submitted, as is the practice today.  It seems as though comic and print features must have been sent in bulk for the editor to used as he pleased.

For all of these reasons, it becomes difficult to determine exactly when a feature began or ended, unless there is documentation tied in with the feature stating that it was the first or last of the series. 

So at the time of this writing, I believe that Mr. Skygack from Mars ended in 1913.  However, he not only appeared in his own comic panel, he also made a number of appearances in another strip!  In 1911 and 1912, (possibly even later) A. D. Condo would occasionally send Mr. Skygack to hang out with “Osgar Und Adolf,” another comic strip which Condo penned in partnership with Fred Schaefer, who was responsible for the story line.

 A. D. Condo

I haven’t been able to find out much about A. D. Condo, so a biographical sketch simply is not possible at this time.  According to lambiek.net, A. D. Condo created his most popular comic, the Everett True series, in 1905.  Yesterday’s Papers gives more details about Condo, and states that Everett True actually debuted in 1902.  Also according to Yesterday’s Papers, A. D. Condo was born in 1872 and died in 1956.  According to Toonopedia, Condo gave up the Everett True strip in 1927, for health reasons.

Whether we are able to find out more about Condo in the future or not, one thing is for certain—A. D. Condo, thanks to Everett True, was one of the most popular cartoonists of his time!  Although Mr. Skygack, From Mars was popular for a time, it never reached the popularity of True.  Perhaps the world just wasn’t ready for the first science fiction comic character!

~ ~ ~

*Mr. Skygack, From Mars is briefly mentioned in the following books, often as a generic term that had been adopted to reference a strange fellow:

“Honk and Horace Or, Trimming the Tropics” by Emmet F. Harte; Illustrated by F. Fox, 1912
“Think Back on Us: A Contemporary Chronicle of the 1930’s” by Malcolm Cowley & Henry Dan Piper, 1967
“The World Encyclopedia of Comics” by Maurice Horn, 1983
“Two Bells” by Los Angeles Railway Corporation, 1932
“The Railway Conductor” by Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, 1913
“The Union Postal Clerk” by National Federation of Postal Clerks, 1911
“The Railroad Telegrapher” by Order of Railroad Telegraphers, 1909
“The Twenties, 1917-1929″ by Mary Bruccoli, 1989

**1999:  “E.W. Scripps and the Business of Newspapers” by Gerald J. Baldasty
Pg. 126:  “Humorous cartoons were also staples of Scripps newspapers, particularly after NEA’s establishment.  One regular series was “Mr. Skygack from Mars,” in which a Martian, observing earthlings, continually misunderstands simple things.  Concerning a bride and groom at their wedding, Mr. Skygack reports, for example, “Saw Pair of Earth Beings (Male and Female) brought before high official of tribe—pair was probably guilty of some serious crime judging from emotions depicted on faces—attendant eager throng stood expectantly by listening to official’s reprimand.”

This post was updated on September 30, 2009, after finding new facts!

Just a posting to note that I have added information on the Burglary at Stormfield to the Stormfield Project blog.

This Friday is the 101st Anniversary of the burglary:

September 18th 1908 burglary at Stormfield

Dari Abu Hamzah Ats-Tsumali, beliau berkata: “Ali bin Husain memikul sekarung roti diatas pundaknya pada malam hari untuk dia sedekahkan, dan dia berkata, ”Sesungguhnya sedekah dengan tersembunyi memadamkan kemarahan Allah”. Ini merupakan hadits yang marfu’ dari Nabi, yang diriwayatkan dari banyak sahabat, seperti Abdullah bin Ja’far, Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri, Ibnu “Abbas, Ibnu Ma’ud, Ummu Salamah, Abu Umamah, Mu’awiyah bin Haidah, dan Anas bin Malik. Berkata Syaikh Al-Albani: ”Kesimpulannya hadits ini dengan jalannya yang banyak serta syawahidnya adalah hadits yang shahih, tidak diragukan lagi. Bahkan termasuk hadits mutawatir menurut sebagian ahli hadits muta’akhirin

Here is the last uploaded illustrations, at least for a while, on my series from medical text books. All of the images in this post are from the book, The Practical Guide to Health by Frederick M. Rossiter, copyright 1908, Pacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, Cal.

Above is a black and white image from page 32, a normal well-formed female chest. We have to show this skeleton, so that you may understand our first malady.

On page 33, this is an illustration of a woman’s skeleton deformed by wearing a corset.

Between pages 280 and 281, this illustration of a child’s legs is to show Erysipelas.

Between pages 270 and 271, this illustration of a throat, mouth and tongue is to show signs of Diphtheria.

Between pages 258 and 259, illustrations of children with Measles and Scarlet Fever.

The illustrations are from a pre-1923 copyright book.  The images should be copyright-free.  All the images have been uploaded to my flickr page.  They have been attributed to Creative Commons.  If you click on the image, you will be taken to the image on my flickr page where you can chose the size of image to download for free.

Here is an example of an architect’s signature with the year.

And here the links to Wikipedia on the year 1908:

1908 French, 1908 English, 1908 Dutch

I have uploaded several images from the vintage public domain book, The Practical Guide to Health, by Frederick M. Rossiter, Copyright 1908, Published Pacific Press Publishing Association of Mountain View, Cal.   I’m on a vacation, but I thought I would continue to give out a few freebies.  I’ve uploaded several illustrations/drawings from this book and another medical book.

Although this book is a medical book, the chapter headers are very nice.  I thought I would share the headers and a couple vegetable illustrations today.

The above illustration can be found on page 41. Each chapter has an illustration above the chapter heading. This one is a drawing of roses.

On page 86, I found this chapter header. This chapter has an illustration of flying birds.

On page 105 I found this chapter header. This header shows an illustration of lilies.

On page 160 is this illustration, “Vegetable foods are rich in iron”, with squash and carrots.

On Page 180 is this illustration, “Good enough to eat”, with pumpkin, potatoes, cabbage, corn and other vegetables.

The illustrations are from a pre-1923 copyright book.  The images should be copyright-free.  All the images have been uploaded to my flickr page.  They have been attributed to Creative Commons.  If you click on the image, you will be taken to the image on my flickr page where you can chose the size of image to download for free.