The Styrous® Viewfinder: 12/01/2018

December 31, 2018

Christmas for Styrous

I love Christmas so much! Not just for the presents, although, those are pretty kool, nor the fantastic food, although that is pretty yummy (link below). It's for the wonderful surprises that come at that time of the year.

The jolt for me this Christmas was a present Lex (of Titanic fame (link below) gave to me. It was one of my image constructions I'd given to her mother Barbara so many decades ago, I'd completely forgotten about it; so, it was a complete shock to receive and see it. I was so blown away with the image I didn't open the box until a week later (link below).

image construction - date unknown
construction by Styrous®

Somehow, this seems to me to be a splendid way to end a year that has had so many ups and downs, twists and turns and surprises good and bad.

Viewfinder link:

Christmas ~ 2018
Titanic
Bowie & Halihal ~ A fine New Year's start!

Thanks for the best surprise of all, Lex!

Styrous® ~ Monday, December 31, 2018

this 'n that ~ musings

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Sister Wendy articles/mentions

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VHS Tape: Sister Wendy ~ The Saints






Sister Wendy
date & photographer unknown

Television
VHS Tapes Archive
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December 30, 2018

VHS Tape: Sister Wendy ~ The Saints

Sister Wendy ~ The Saints

VHS video tape spine

photo by Styrous®

Wendy Beckett (aka Sister Wendy) died four days ago. She was a British religious sister, hermit, consecrated virgin and art historian who became well known internationally during the 1990s when she presented a series of BBC television documentaries on the history of art.

Sister Wendy ~ The Saints

VHS video tape
left: front cover, right: back cover

photos by Styrous®

I loved to watch the Sister Wendy broadcasts and I missed them after her series on PBS ended (link below). She was a bit funny looking with her over-sized glasses and malocclusion of her teeth but she really knew her stuff.

The Saints episode followed Sister Wendy as she traveled through Italy to celebrate the bimillenary of Christ with a look at the lives of Saints as told through some of the world’s most exquisite works of art. It is a journey through some of the most beautiful libraries in the world, including the Vatican, with unprecedented access to portraits, engravings and priceless manuscripts (link below).

Sister Wendy

video still

She spent years translating Medieval Latin scripts before deciding to pursue art in 1980. She didn't hesitate for a second about revealing any aspect of a painting even if it was sexually oriented; she was straight forward, open and honest about it and that was part of her charm.

Sister Wendy ~ The Saints

VHS video tape back cover detail

detail photo by Styrous®

Beckett was born in South Africa, and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, where her father was studying medicine. In 1946, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a Roman Catholic congregation of religious sisters dedicated to education. She was sent to England where she completed her novitiate and then studied at St Anne's College, Oxford, where she was awarded a congratulatory first class honours degree in English Literature. J. R. R. Tolkien was president of her final examinations board and asked her to stay on at the University, an invitation but she declined.

Having overheard her commentary while attending an art exhibit, a film crew asked to videotape her. This brought her to the attention of a BBC producer and led, in 1992, to the debut Sister Wendy’s Odyssey.

Sister Wendy ~ The Saints

VHS video tape back cover detail

detail photo by Styrous®

Wendy Beckett died on the 26th of December, 2018 at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk. She was 88 years old.

Net links:

NY Times ~ Sister Wendy Beckett Dies at 88
Smithsonian Magazine ~ Remembering Sister Wendy Beckett
Washington Post ~ Sister Wendy, an unlikely TV celebrity
BBC ~ Sister Wendy Beckett, TV art historian, dies at 88

YouTube links:

Sister Wendy ~ The Saints

Sister Wendy

photo by Andrew Crowley

Styrous® ~ Sunday, December 30, 2018

VHS Tapes Archive

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VHS Tapes Archive

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Pink Floyd ~ La Carrera Panamericana
Sister Wendy ~ The Saints
The Tubes ~ White Punks On Dope

JFK VHS tape

photo by Styrous®

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December 29, 2018

Charles Ahrenfeldt ~ Limoges bowl made for Gump's

C. Ahrenfeldt Limoges bowl detail

detail photo by Styrous®

This is a Charles Ahrenfeldt Limoges bowl that was made exclusively for Gump's. Ahrenfeldt (1807-94) was born in Germany (link below).

C. Ahrenfeldt Limoges bowl

photo by Styrous®

C. Ahrenfeldt Limoges bowl detail

detail photo by Styrous®

C. Ahrenfeldt Limoges bowl

photo by Styrous®

Viewfinder links:

Gump's ~ end of an era

Net link:

gaukartifact ~ Charles Ahrenfeldt

Styrous® ~ Saterdayday, December 29, 2018

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Style

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Style

Gump's

The 1960's ~ the end of fun flying . . .

The King and I ~ when Debora danced

tea cups

Turkish Delights

Vernon Kilns Early California

origami wine bag

photo by Styrous®

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Gump's

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Gump's ~ the end of an era
Charles Ahrenfeldt ~ Limoges bowl made for Gump's
tea cups

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Style
MAIN MENU - Blog Articles

December 28, 2018

20,000 vinyl LPs 163: Leonard Bernstein ~ On the Town in 1944

Leonard Bernstein ~ On the Town

vinyl LP album cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®

On December 28, 1944, the musical On the Town premiered on Broadway at the Adelphi Theater in New York City and ran for 462 performances. It featured the song, New York, New York.

The production starred John Battles (Gabey), Cris Alexander (Chip), Nancy Walker (Hildy), Sono Osato (Ivy), Betty Comden (Claire), and Adolph Green (Ozzie). The musical director was Max Goberman.

Although Comden and Green sing some of the songs, this is not an original cast recording and it is on side two of the record. It is a 1950 re-issue of monaural 78 RPM recordings of songs from On the Town. Other singers on the recording are Nancy Walker, Toots Camarata, Lyn Murray and Mary Martin (link below). It featured the Lyn Murray chorus and orchestra.

Leonard Bernstein ~ On the Town

vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®

Side one of the recording has the music from Lute Song which features songs from that production sung by Mary Martin. The orchestra was directed by Raymond Scott (link below) who also wrote the music.

Leonard Bernstein ~ On the Town

vinyl LP album cover
photo by Styrous®

The big hit from the On the Town was, New York, New York, sung by Lyn Murray on this recording; the famous line from the song is, "New York, New York, a helluva town. The Bronx is up but the Battery's down." (link below).

Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Jules Munshin performed New York, New York in the 1949 MGM musical film version of On the Town (links below). The film was directed and choreographed by Kelly.

Leonard Bernstein ~ On the Town

vinyl LP album back cover
photo by Styrous®

The other songs from On the Town never reached the popularity of New York but they are a lot of fun (links below). They are typical of the bebop music, à la the The Andrews Sisters (link below), of the period.

Leonard Bernstein ~ On the Town

vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®

Leonard Bernstein ~ On the Town

vinyl LP, side 2
photo by Styrous®

Leonard Bernstein ~ On the Town

vinyl LP label, side 2
photo by Styrous®

Side 2:

        On The Town


B1a – Lyn Murray Chorus And Lyn Murray Orchestra - On The Town Opening
    –     I Feel Like I'm Not Out Of Bed Yet, Lyrics By Betty Comden-Adolph Green, Music By Leonard Bernstein

B1b – New York, New York, Lyrics By Betty Comden-Adolph Green, Music By Leonard Bernstein

B2 – Betty Comden And Adolph Green With Lyn Murray Orchestra - I Get Carried Away, Directed By Lyn Murray, Lyrics By Betty Comden-Adolph Green, Music By Leonard Bernstein

B3 – Mary Martin With Toots Camarata And His Orchestra - Lucky To Be Me, Directed By Tutti Camarata, Lyrics By Betty Comden-Adolph Green, Music By Leonard Bernstein

B4 – Mary Martin With Toots Camarata And His Orchestra - Lonely Town, Directed By Tutti Camarata, Lyrics By Betty Comden-Adolph Green, Music By Leonard Bernstein

B5 – Nancy Walker With Leonard Joy Orchestra - I Can Cook Too, Directed By Leonard Joy, Lyrics By – Betty Comden-Adolph Green, Music By – Leonard Bernstein

B6 – Nancy Walker With Leonard Joy Orchestra - Ya Got Me, Directed By Leonard Joy, Lyrics By Betty Comden-Adolph Green, Music By Leonard Bernstein


Notes:

Also available in Decca 78 rpm albums: Lute Song: A-445; On The Town: A-416
Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Matrix / Runout (Side A label): (MG 1624)
    Matrix / Runout (Side B label): (MG 1625)

Various ‎– Selections From 'Lute Song' And 'On The Town'
Label: Decca ‎– DL 8030
Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1950
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Musical

Viewfinder links:

The Andrews Sisters

Leonard Bernstein
Gene Kelly
Mary Martin
Raymond Scott

Frank Sinatra

Net links:

Plot summary

YouTube links: