Playlist 1851: The Prima Donna Waltz

Playlist 1851: The Prima Donna Waltz

  Sheet music cover of The Prima Donna, composed and published by Jullien in 1851, and embellished with The Bride by George Baxter. 10” x 13¾”. PLAYLIST 1851 2. The Prima Donna How hyperscalers George Baxter and Louis-Antoine Jullien developed mass...
Playlist 1851: The Bloomer Valse

Playlist 1851: The Bloomer Valse

Exploiting the gender wars. Sheet music from 175 years ago. The issues of the day were, it transpires, not so very different from our own obsessions. PLAYLIST 1851 1. The Bloomer Valse Some fifty years ago my Aunt Jenny, an antiquary of the first order, presented...
My favourite artist has a new show

My favourite artist has a new show

MY FAVOURITE ARTIST HAS A NEW SHOW Disclaimer: I’m married to her. (Banksy is No.2) Karey Shinn has a new solo exhibition of photographs, “Portraits: Icons of Thrift,” at the Worth Gallery in Toronto, May 28–June 7. Here is a brief selection (low...
Who really designed Times and Helvetica?

Who really designed Times and Helvetica?

Times Roman: A Revaluation. By Peggy Lang, Alphabet and Image: 2,  Published by James Shand at the Shenval Press, 1946. Preliminary drawing for the new Times typeface, reproduced size as, completed in the offices of The Times in 1931. WHO REALLY...
Against science

Against science

“Galvanic” demonstrations were amongst the vogue for scientific theatre in early 19th century Britain, an inspiration for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.  Engraving from Les Merveilles de la science, 1870, showing Dr. Andrew Ure in 1818, shocking the corpse of a murderer...