Never Again: What You Do Matters

Same title as on the Giulia Geranium blog. It's this year's (American) theme for Holocaust Remembrance Days (19-26 April). For more details please go there. Worlds collide but sometimes it's too much--even for me. (photo credit)

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
— Elie Wiesel

Please visit the cleverest of Canadian pups for her fascinating post today. I know (or knew) many people who were at Terezín & have heard about the opera Brundibár, but have not seen the documentary about which she writes so beautifully. The outside world calls, so please visit The Clever Pup & also the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) for more archival material than you could hope to use in a lifetime. Some of it is newly-released & I believe some is online now for non-scholarly (in the strictest sense) work.

Creativity under pressure...

[From LIFE archives. 1) Françoise Gilot with son, Claude; 2) one of her stresses sitting in his office]

Weekend sort-out

(for later)

On the phone with Ava...

Certain people don't call or return email for weeks & then they call & act bitchy (it counts for the guys, too)...because of the following. "No I cannot TIVO or otherwise tape the show....I really want to see it..." What makes them think all the sudden I have TIVO? All they want to do is bitch about their job (they have one!) or talk about what they bought today. How insensitive can these people get? No, this is not turning into a vent blog. I'm just peeved & no one will look past the photograph anyway. (Which is fine.)

[Update: 22 June 2009 -- I took out some venting. It wasn't good enough. Sadly, there will be more opportunities for 'hey, you don't call for 3-4 months & now I must instantly pay attention? What's up with that?]

This photograph of Ava Gardner is undated; it's from Jessica at myvintagevogue. She's really dedicated. If you're still reading, give her a visit on flickr [update, Jessica has stopped posting at flickr, though you can still access some of her work there. She's now on tumblr -- right sidebar of this site -- & her website will be linked here soon. Just search myvintagevogue & she'll pop up.] . She has a new website in progress & it's shaping up very nicely.]

Off to calm down. Get tissues ready, so on. I'll be back to correct typos & so on anyway. Ach.

Week's End - Poet's Day

When I last left here, I said I didn't envision myself as Milton Berle. I still don't. There's a funny photograph in the LIFE archives of Uncle Miltie, asleep with a mask on. I was being literal. My sleep mask is navy blue silk, if you must know. Sequin-free. Julie the Cat would surely spend hours prying them off anyway.

Where to begin. Week has been weird, weekend forecasts more of the same. I've tons of beautiful photographs but I cannot bring myself to use them now. Perversely, I have to go with these two wackidoodles.

First, in what state of lunacy/inebriation did a Pond's executive say, "Yes! A nightie-wearing, corsage-sporting gal sitting with a kitten...juxtaposed in front of a photo of the Colosseum....yes yes it's genius!" Perhaps it did sell tons of night cream. Hey, I can't claim it wouldn't work on me...though the Colosseum. Egad. But as a sign of Rome for Americans, sigh, I guess. Perhaps this was from the beginning of the la dolce vita period. I bet that's it. Otherwise, they would've tried a Parisian theme. No way am I "researching" this now. [advert from Jesssica aka myvintagevogue's flickrstream; she has a new website in progress & that is great news.]

Before you say, no ad guy would use "juxtaposed"...yes, they would. Art & literature majors were in that business. My parents had many friends in advertising...all with excellent personal vocabularies. They were terribly ambivalent (or hating) about the business. Wonder what they think of Mad Men. I suspect quite conflicted. As my mother says about the 1950s...it wasn't that Happy.

Second. I know he was a decidedly troubled & difficult man, but we didn't have to put up with it. We (the audience) got the best of him. Peter Sellers in a rare photo (via scan from The Hollywood Cats book, of Catapalooza-in-DC fame). From the British film, The Wrong Box. The text says..."In this comedy about inheritance, Peter Sellers played the mad surgeon Dr. Pratt, his office overrun by kittens. As one cat sits in the surgical bowl, the doctor contemplates the phony death certificate he's just made out for Michael Caine."

Of course, he played a mad surgeon named Pratt...what else?

Off to walk in the warmish DC weather (with my hat on!)...hope it's warm (or warming up) where you are...& I can't help myself. I have to say it, though it's not "mine." You naughty cheeky monkeys!

Running on empty

I almost went with another photograph...but I just don't see myself as Milton Berle. (LIFE's archives are diverting, wholesome fun. This is by Yale Joel/1953) Visit Hazel at The Clever Pup, read her cool stuff this week & see if you can figure out The Soapbox this evening. I can't but I still agree with her. She's very sensible; you should agree with her, too (well, I think so). buona notte

Late

Huh? Oh, coffee credit to Emiliano/Loungerie in Livorno; signage (permanent lateness or what?) by only alice. Who is wonderful, by the way, Have used many of her Marrakesh photographs in the other blog. See you later....

Virginia bluebells

It's Virginia bluebell time & I'm running behind, as usual. I just saw a WashingtonGardener bluebell peeping post & thought: if George Brett has even one bluebell shot, I'll have to bust up the Jeanne Moreau mini-series.There's one shot, it's lovely, & here it is. (We allow them in DC & Maryland, as well. If they behave. Virginia is a purple-blue state now, you know. Heh heh.) It's raining a bit hard but perhaps later today or tomorrow I'll remember to look down (instead of up at all our blooming trees) at bunches on the way to the market. Last night or early a.m., I thought, must get back to writing-picture-word-collage collection. This fits one of the projects & so bluebells it is...

Jeanne, later

I'd not planned this but I thought it would be nice to post more current photographs of Jeanne Moreau. The first is also from Life's archives (1985) when she was 57; the other is from the 2006 San Sebastian Film Festival (photo credit), at 78 years young. It's not easy to find photographs that are usable due to copyright; I've written to a few photographers this morning. There's also a lovely creamy white rose named for JM & there are some on flickr. I can't junk up my feeds with so many links (I have been warned), so just go to flickr & peruse. Also have asked for those permissions. These will have to do for now.

More Moreau

I love her, Jeanne Moreau. Yes, yes, her acting (& directing), that should go without saying. It's the making of under-eye circles acceptably sexy for which she should win some prize, as well. (She also has a wonderful philosophy of life & honor; more about that in future.) Tina of English Muse reminded us last week of Google's Life archives (usable for non-commercial purposes) when she posted a fabulous Brigitte Bardot photograph. I've used some LIFE archival photos (acquired by Google) on the GG blog & promptly forgot all about it in the midst of life (the lower-cased version). So many thanks to la Tina.

JM & BB starred in Louis Malle's 1965 film Viva Maria! & these are from the film shoot. (Some history of film ratings, here. The State of Texas got all 'het' up about it, went to court. Sigh.) I love the big smiles on the actresses in the b&w pix. Also wondering if I can somehow get away with carrying an eyelet/lace/voile parasol in the close-to-unbearable searing sunlight of a Washington, DC summer. As it is, I cannot be outside without a large-brimmed hat until sundown from early May through late October. xoxo

[photos by Ralph Crane/LIFE]

Taxes & café crème

Yes, I waited too long. You would've too if you had this computer. Hope to see you later today. Snarl, growl. [original post from GG] Café crème by Glynnis Ritchie, all rights reserved/used with permission of the photographer

Circus of Flying Lunatics

The first of three in a set of camera-poetry by the luminous Ola Bell of England. I happened upon a photograph in weheartit, but it was an all rights reserved photo, originally on flickr. I wrote to ask her permission & she quickly answered; & could not have been more gracious. Go visit not only No. 2 & 3 in the set (I could not download them with this dodgy computer), but also her professional website, Oladios, for portfolio, bio, & more. Of course, it's quite the plus that she loves cats (& they, her). Bella Ola, indeed! [The results are always perfect published by kind permission of Ola Bell]

Easter Flower Basket

The last three images of all twelve, count'em, twelve that I saved from Domino archives (some people had thousands, lucky devils). The site's shut down but the credits are included in the photograph name. [update; 23 June 2009. No, they're not now]

I wonder if there's a DSM category for "flower madness." If so, I'm a charter member, pre-memory. There are very few photos of me, from tiny to older, where I am not holding some posy. I do remember saying, "Oh please, wait, I must have a flower..." There are stories of my running about, um, without clothing, in neighbors' gardens. My mother had plenty going on in our gardens so it was some sort of flower power tour. Thank God, no one took a photograph of these little forays.

Off to hard-cook eggs (it's Friday) & roast some beets. I'll be damned (no offense), if I'm going to pay $4.00 for a tiny bottle of generic red dye. So thank goodness for beets-in-the-fridge. Whatever you're doing/did, hope it's fun & warm(ish). And floral & chocolate-y. xoxo

An Audrey Easter card

A little Easter weekend treat. The front & back of a homemade Easter postcard by Audrey Hepburn. That, of course, is her famous Famous in the Easter basket. The text from the wonderful book a friend gave me a few years ago, The Audrey Hepburn Treasures: pictures & mementos from a life of style & purpose (Atria Books) says that it was probably sent to her mother. I have lots of personal photos of cats in baskets but none of Julie, so I won't do that to her. xoxo

Jersualem sunset

All but 2 or 3 personal Jerusalem photographs were destroyed, sadly. Seemed appropriate for many reasons to post it again today. (Don't assume the reasons, though.)

Easter past

(egg credit)

Week's End

The Whole by Alice Lucchin/Venice.

Bob in Black & White

Just felt like it. Visions of Johanna earlier & it's full of keys & locks & cages...(photo credit) New album late this month.

Girls & Their Pearls

This is from a November 2008 GG post. By Alan Grant/1959/Life archives. Adorable.

The perfect accessory

I just took an unfortunate tour of the blogosphere & feel blah. (It's Tuesday early evening EDT).) On political sites too much, you ask? No. Sleazy gossip sites? For heaven's sake, no. No, no one you know, I doubt it. I'm horrified by it all & therefore by self & wishing I'd shut up. So I'm going to shut up, collect photographs that I like for whatever reason & stick with a few sites I usually frequent. Detox time.

But before I shut up....

..this dress might be rather unflattering, even on Miss Elizabeth, but it sure works with a pocket kitten. Julie still wants to do this but she's no half-pint anymore (she had very long legs as a kitten, though.) Sometimes, when I'm getting ready to leave the apartment, I find her half-smooshed into my big patent bag. Her back legs flooping out, the front two criss-crossed like a bow. Other days, she just goes through my bag looking for stuff she'd like to play with...

This photo is from myvintagevogue's flickstream.