Camera Obscura

I've been looking into the fascinating world of early photography - namely, daguerreotypes and the work Julia Margaret Cameron. As for the former, the American Library of Congress has some wonderful archives to browse here. You see some very interesting faces and fashions. I was reminded of this subject seeing the family portrait featured in True Blood, which was a very authentic recreation of a daguerreotype. The whole flashback sequence to Bill's Civil War past was spectacular too.

During this era, Julia Margaret Cameron, the pioneering Victorian photographer was working in her small studio. Because photography was such a new technology, Cameron was able to use her wealth and priviledge despite the various restrictions on women at the time. Also, Julia was considered the 'plain sister' in a family of beauties. Ironic that she is the one remember by posterity and not the prettier siblings. Her favourite subject was her niece, Julia Jackson who was the mother of Virginia Woolf. You can definately see the resemblance as Virginia's mother shared her same striking, classical Grecian features. JMC only took up photography at the age of 48 - one is never too old, I guess.

She recorded various subjects including Darwin, Tennyson, Carlyle and Carroll's Alice Liddell as well as family, friends and servants. This picture of Sri Lankan locals is very atmospheric - she was born in India and spent time in Ceylon during later life. There isn't a stilted pose amongst them and her work is fresh as a daisy 150 years later. Contemporary artist movements like the Pre-Raphaelites can be seen in the the fondness for classic mythology. She was clearly ahead of her time and her influence can be seen in the work of people like Paolo Roversi, one of my favourite modern photographers. The photography museum at Dimbola on the Isle of Wight is devoted to her work. I would love to visit. Other examples of her work are in the George Eastman Collection and at the SSPL archive.

As JMC was born during the Napoleonic Wars, I find it remarkable that we can still see the faces she recorded. Shows us that fashions may change and hairstyles but interesting and compelling faces have a timeless quality - a subject I find fascinating. The picture is her famous "I Wait" - not the best quality I can find but my favourite.

Icon 1 - The Girl of the Seventies

The Icon (first of series from me) I wish to applaud is Marisa Berenson. Underrated as an actress - her performance in Barry Lyndon (a favourite film of mine) was described as vacuous by various cruel critics at the time, which I think is very unfair. She captures perfectly the aristocratic reserve so much admired at the time. This froideur is very much lacking in modern adaptations of period costume dramas where the heroine must express emotion at all times through facial expressions. Sometimes, annoyingly so - see the recent BBC adaptation of Emma.

In contrast, Marisa looks like she stepped out of a Gainsborough painting with her pale skin, long nose and expressive eyes. She is far more convincing than Ryan O'Neal with his California tan, whom I found miscast as Barry - although he has his moments too (see this famous and beautiful scene). Considering the pool of actors available to Kubrick at the time, O'Neal seemed an odd choice. And his accent is ropey. But I digress. Marisa's accent is, however, flawless in a subtle way that Gwyneth Paltrow never achieves - despite her many accolades.

There was a lot to dislike about Marisa - or enough to inspire some form of envy in the onlooker. She was the It girl and attended every party in something fabulous. YSL called her "the girl of the Seventies". Her impeccable and interesting heritage alone (as Elsa Schiaparelli's granddaughter as well as several other interesting forebearers) was enough to interest high society. On top of that, she was hugely successful as a model and her look would not be amiss on a cover today. Marisa was a pioneer of unconventional beauty as was Penelope Tree and Twiggy. They were antidote to the legion of dull, dollfaced models of the time.

Also, her coolness was done in a very nonchalant way. There is the famous Vogue (I think) photograph by her sister, the inspirational photographer Berry Berenson (and tragically, 9/11 victim), with Marisa in Harlem wearing a Pucci minidress and looking very lithe, tanned and laissez-faire as always. It captures her essence splendidly - I wish I could find it online. Also, witness the 1970 Vogue cover which sums up how lovely it must be to be rich and interesting and young. There was also the element of space-cadet (she called her daughter Starlite, which considering baby names today, is a rather guileless choice) as was mandatory for Seventies actresses.

I haven't seen much of Marisa lately. Regardless of whether she succumbed to the knife ('not the band haha) like so many of her peers, Marisa has natural chic even in her sixties. Most modern actresses (with their stylists on hand 24/7) can only dream about such style. Also, she also does a lot for charity, which I cannot knock. Overall - she seemed very modern and I wish she would have made more movies during her heyday. Although she did take time-out to be on the Muppets. What other Seventies supermodel can say that?

30 years of BILLY!!!

No - not Billy Boyd or King Billy (with his orange lily) or a Billy Goat. No - apparently the Billy bookcase is 30. Everyone knows a Billy. Or has encountered a Billy. Some of us own one. Most people in rented accommodation, that is. They are both fetching and convienient. They store a lot of items and are easy to place in a room. I salute the Billy and it's creator, Mr Lundgren.

Although I'd like a goat too. There are too many things i'd like and this is one of them. Keeping on topic - some goats have a hard time in Sweden. But also they seem a popular and fond motif for Christmas in Scandinavia. The picture is of Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr - the magic goats who pulled the cart of Thor. When you think of the God of Thunder, you imagine something less hilarious than a goat-cart. See look - there is his little hammer too. Awww. Death metal never makes him seem so homely and sweet.

And thusly - 2 topics are drawn to a close in a pleasing dovetail.

Oh and ... Scandinavian things

Also - I am now into all things Scandic ever since I realise Stein was right. Alexander Skarsgård is the most beautiful man alive. He is prettier than all of us put together. By 'all' I mean - people in the world. Us. Even the little circle above the a in his name is pretty. I don't know what it represents. A belly button? As Claudia Winkleman said about Jon Snow - by the bins anytime. By the bins, perhaps some euphemism - I wouldn't put it past Our Winkles. She filthy and awesome and she understands. Hence she can be in my gang anyday.

XanderSkar is as if someone, God or St Jebus or maybe - I dunno - Buddha, took some Renaissance portrayal of St Michael and morphed it with all of the finer qualities of Dolph Lundgren. It that wasn't enough - St Jebus then put him on a TV show as a sexy vampire in leather pants; being all sarky and winky. I think this is the kind of thing that Anne Rice had in mind when she created Lestat. The fact they got Tom Cruise to play him is just ... well ... embarrassing.

Apparently Xand likes smart and funny girls. By that he also means "insanely hot girls/boys/whatevers who laugh now and again and aren't completely retarded" . This is because Swedish standards of hot are so very high, y'see. They get to do ALL the picking. Althought that 'you are so funny and smart' line would totally work on the deeply unfunny and thicko actresses like Eric Rachel Whateverperson. I salute you, sir. You know how to work the room. Witter-ramble-witter-pretty-ramble. This is me now ... I'm an idiot.

The perfect song to survey the remains of your house, destroyed in hideous gale force winds ...

EDIT- HAD TO REMOVE THIS VIDEO. EMBEDING DISABLED BUT IT WAS THE KNIFE'S VIDEO FOR MARBLEHOUSE - BOOOOO YOUTUBE! *raspberry*

I love The Knife. I love(d) that video. This is their website. You should love them too. I wish I had a little brother so we could start a lovely-eerie electro band like Karin & Olof. Or any band - heck, even like Richard and Karen. I will have to kidnap, say Elijah Wood (we could be siblings) or that weird kid from Let the Right One In, and force him to be my Scandic-Electro-Band brother. He will wear one of those neckrings like Cordelia did in Pylea. I may even call him 'cow'.

Polish the synthesiser, cow!

This means nothing to anyone who doesn't like electro or Angel. I need a little brother. Suggestions please.

The perfect song to listen to before the arrival of HIDEOUS GALE FORCE WINDS ...

We might not survive. Apparently.

Not very exciting visually but great recording from 1977 of one of my favourite Blondie songs.

One for the packaging perfume junkies!

The coolest perfumes on the block - some recommendations:

Juliette Has A Gun! Sounds like a Tarantino film and the whole thing is Quentin-esque for sure. Except from feodora wearing Nina Ricci's great-grandson, Romano. One fragrance, Lady Vengeance - takes it's name from the famous Korean revenge movie. Available at Selfridges and online.

Also, Wode by Boudicca - erroneous spelling aside, it was named after woad; the plant used to create a bright blue dye (possibly with coagulant agent) used by Iron Age Britons (onselves for decoration/battle and in textiles). Groovy packaging and intriguing website indeed - the spray resembles paint cans AND goes on in a blue colour (which apparently disappears to clear later). Expensive but also, something for a someone who likes teh weird.

There is also Si Lolita by Lolita Lempicka. The signature scent is a favourite of mine and I wear it all the time. LL is very popular in France but not here, oddly. I chose it because the packing and also, it was recommended in Le Monde this weekend (along with the Prada Ambree and Parisienne fragrances I chose earlier). I guess I have a profile after all!