Alton Tobey

Alton Stanley Tobey (5 November 1914 - 4 January 2005), the American artist, was a painter, historical artist, muralist, portraitist, illustrator, and teacher of art.
Biography.
He was born in Middletown, Connecticut, and in 1934 won a scholarship to the Yale University School of Fine Arts. After his military service, he completed his masters degree at Yale and taught there for a period. Alton Stanley Tobey resided for most of his life in the village of Larchmont, part of the town of Mamaroneck in Westchester County, New York. He was married to Roslyn Tobey, an esteemed piano teacher and musician. Their son, David Tobey, is a painter and musician.
Alton Tobey died on January 4, 2005, at a nursing home in Mamaroneck, New York.
"The New York Times" obituary, by Wolfgang Saxon, described Alton Tobey as "a muralist, portraitist, and illustrator whose renderings of famous events and faces hang in museums, libraries, public buildings, corporate offices, and private collections." Tobey is ranked by the Artists Trade Union of Russia amongst the world-best artists of the last four centuries".
Style.
Referring to the dichotomy between his realist works and his curvilinears and other modernist works, Alton Tobey once said, "I live an artistic double life: one of classical realism and the other of aesthetic exploration."
Realist work.
Tobey's murals, illustrations, and portraits show him working in the realistic style for which he is best known.
The huge murals on historical subjects (first painted in the 1930s, when he worked for the WPA Federal Art Project) are probably the most widely seen of Tobey's works, prominently displayed in many public places in the US and elsewhere. These include public institutions in his native Connecticut; the Smithsonian Institution and other venues in Washington, DC; New York's Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum; and even an officers club in Saudi Arabia. Indeed, the Larchmont Gazette obituary (see 'External links') states, "Alton Tobey was best known for the murals, which he called 'symphonies of painting'." Alton Tobey was president of the National Society of Mural Painters from 1984 to 1988.
As a realist painter and illustrator, Alton Tobey is also famously the creator of the hundreds of paintings which illustrate the twelve volumes of "The Golden Book History of the United States. Additionally, he did many illustrations for SPORT magazine, Life Magazine and Time-Life books. Millions of children, whether they knew it or not, grew up gazing at Alton Tobey's vivid imaginings of historical events (such as this one depicting a scene from the Russian revolution). Michael Bierut wrote for Design Observer magazine a very touching tribute to Alton Tobey that begins: "Alton Tobey died the week before last. Chances are you've never heard of him, but when I was eight years old, I had no doubt about one thing: Alton Tobey was the best artist in the world." Tobey's works are included in the collection of the National Museum of American Illustration.
In his work as a frequently commissioned portraitist, Tobey had the honor of rendering many prominent sitters in paint. These included Pope John Paul II, the poet Robert Frost, and Albert Einstein. In fact, it was while Einstein was sitting for his Tobey portrait (during the 1940s), that a cordial acquaintance began which yielded an important gem of artistic inspiration: Einstein's remark that there are really no straight lines in nature led to Alton Tobey's invention of his signature "curvilinear" style - one of his experimental genres.
Abstract and experimental work.
Besides the realist works, Tobey also created less well known paintings in several very personal idioms.
Among the several experimental styles, perhaps the most original works (that is, immediately recognizable as having been painted by Alton S. Tobey and no one else) are those in an abstract (or semi-abstract) idiom using a curious "visual alphabet" of his own invention. These he called his "curvilinears" ("Sailboats", shown here, is an example). He created some sculptures in this idiom as well. These abstract works, just as much as those in his realistic vein, display a distinctive and exacting draftsmanship.
Also in a modern (or even postmodern) vein are his series of "fragments": bizarre portraits, mostly of famous people, consisting of extreme closeups of only parts of (usually) the head or face, often far off-center. A particularly amusing example is "Thatcher's Thatch", consisting only of the British Prime Minister's famous hairdo jutting up from the bottom of the canvas. There are also grotesque and piercingly angry paintings of social commentary, sometimes verging on protest art, such as "Our Hero", an over-muscled monster with a tiny infant's head, embodying belligerent and stupid militarism. A portrait of Ronald Reagan called "The Making of a President" shows the President's head bizarrely stretched and multiplied across the canvas into a menacing, many-eyed creature, culminating on the far right with a disembodied Reagan smile hovering mid-air, bounded by sphincterish wrinkles which extend creepily into the smoky brown background. It would not appear to express reverence or affection for the Gipper — yet it was painted by the same man who painted this.


World Heroes Perfect

 is a 1995 fighting arcade game developed and published by ADK with the assistance of SNK. It was originally released for the Neo Geo MVS arcade cabinet on May 25, 1995. It is the fourth and final title of the "World Heroes" series.
Gameplay.
In "World Heroes Perfect", each character had a traditional four-button attack layout instead of the two-out-of-three pressure-sensing button attack layout as its predecessors, but also could achieve stronger attacks by pushing down two respective punch or kick buttons at the same time. Players are also able to perform weak or strong versions of special moves depending on whether they press one or both punch or kick buttons with the special move command.
New additions include a few new playable characters, as well as new and modified moves and fighting statistics added to the playable characters returning from the first three "World Heroes" titles. Other new features are that every character has an ABC Special Move (or "special ability") that can be activated by pressing the A, B, and C buttons at the same time. Moves vary by character, though they all require strategic use and are easy to activate, allowing for more tactical battles. For example, the character Fuuma's ABC Special allows him to fake a special move; J. Max's ABC Special allows him to catch, hold onto, and throw back projectiles; and Kim Dragon's ABC Special allows him to perform counters while blocking. Characters also can use the strongest versions of their desperation moves whenever their life bars are under 50%.
All modes from the previous titles were excluded in this version; however, the main mode is similar to the "Normal Game" modes of "World Heroes" and "World Heroes 2", as well as the "Entry to the tournament" mode of "World Heroes 2 Jet". At the start of "World Heroes Perfect" in the main mode, after selecting one of the sixteen playable characters (plus three unlockable ones using codes), the object is to first face several of the playable characters selected by random and fight them in random stages that take place in different historical periods. After defeating ten characters, the player will then face off against Zeus and Neo Dio. If the player defeats Neo Dio, they will be able to see their selected character's ending.
Plot.
One year after both the conclusion of the World Heroes Battle Fest and the defeat of Zeus, invitations has been sent to the 16 fighters by Dr. Brown, informing them of a new World Heroes tournament that will help finally settle the question of who is the strongest fighter in history. With the 16 fighters preparing themselves in order to finally determine who is the strongest fighter in history, Zeus seeks to gain his revenge against those who had caused his downfall, but little does Zeus and the rest of the fighters know and realize that an old enemy from the past is also back and that he too has his own personal desire for revenge as well.
Ports and related releases.
"World Heroes Perfect" was later ported to the Neo Geo AES in both Japan and North America on June 30, 1995, like most AES versions of Neo Geo titles, it is the same as the Neo Geo MVS version. This version was later added to the Wii's Virtual Console in Japan on January 11, 2011, in North America on July 26, 2012 and in the PAL region on October 18, 2012. "World Heroes Perfect" was later ported and published in Japan by ADK to the Neo Geo CD on July 21, 1995, and published in North America by SNK on the same date, which everything in it is identical to the MVS and AES versions, with the exception of replacing FM chiptune background music with arranged versions, plus a few exclusive modes. This is also the only title in the series to have a Neo-Geo CD port released outside Japan.
Outside of SNK's platforms, it was ported to the Sega Saturn, which was reprogrammed by ADK and published by SNK exclusively in Japan on August 9, 1996. This port has the traditional Arcade mode, the VS. mode, and a CPU VS. mode, and uses the same arranged background music as the Neo-Geo CD port. It also includes some official artworks from all four "World Heroes" titles and is the only version of the game where Zeus is a selectable character.
On October 18, 2007, SNK Playmore added it along with its predecessors to the arcade game compilation in Japan for the PlayStation 2. It was later published in North America on March 11, 2008, and on November 7, 2008, both titled as "World Heroes Anthology". This compilation was reprinted as part of a series of best-sellers subtitled "The Best" in Japan on June 18, 2009.
Reception.
In Japan, "Game Machine" listed "World Heroes Perfect" on their July 1, 1995 issue as being the second most-successful arcade game of the year. According to "Famitsu", both the AES and Neo Geo CD version sold over 6,044 and 28,766 copies in their first week on the market respectively.
Reviewing the Neo Geo home version, Major Mike of "GamePro" stated that it is "almost perfect." While expressing some disappointment that it was only an upgrade of the previous installment, they praised the game for adding new special moves and fixing most of the problems with "World Heroes 2 Jet". He concluded that ""World Heroes Perfect" almost lives up to its title." "GamePro" later awarded it Best Neo-Geo Game of 1995. "Electronic Gaming Monthly" scored it an 8.5 out of 10, citing the improved audio, graphics, and playability over previous games in the series, as well as the new moves that they said add considerable depth to the game. Ed Semrad and Al Manuel both said it was by far the best game in the "World Heroes" series to date. They later stated that, while "not quite perfect, this game is still good." "Next Generation" reviewed the Neo-Geo version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that ""World Heroes Perfect" is best left for fighting game enthusiasts and those gamers without any other fighting games in their current library."
Retrospective reviews.
"World Heroes Perfect" has been met with a more mixed outlook from reviewers in recent years.


The Pass System

The Pass System is a 2015 Canadian documentary film about the pass system, a former Canadian government policy in which the First Nations were kept segregated on their reserves.
The film was researched, directed, and produced by Alex Williams and narrated by Tantoo Cardinal. Its executive producer was James Cullingham, and it had music by Cris Derksen.
The film was made with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, community support and produced in association with Tamarack Productions. It premiered in Vancouver, British Columbia, during the 2015 Vancouver International Film Festival. The film was first broadcast by the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network on April 13, 2016 and was shown by the main network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on June 19, 2016 at 1 p.m.


Six (musical)

Six is a British musical with book, music, and lyrics by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. The musical is a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII presented as a pop concert, as the wives take turns singing and telling their story to see who suffered the most due to Henry and should, therefore, become the group's lead singer.
The musical was first presented by Cambridge University students at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017. It has since gone on to professional productions in the West End and internationally.
Plot.
The six Queens introduce themselves performing at a pop concert, telling the audience that the position of the band's lead singer will be the prize for whomever they determine had the worst experience at the hands of their common husband, Henry VIII ("Ex-Wives"). Catherine of Aragon recounts how Henry wished to annul their marriage and place her in a nunnery when he began lusting after Anne Boleyn, much to her anger ("No Way"). In turn, Anne mocks Catherine about how Henry wanted her instead but then complains of the infidelity Henry partook in, which led to Anne flirting with other men to make him jealous and ending up beheaded in return ("Don't Lose Ur Head"). Jane Seymour announces it is her turn to partake in the contest, but is mocked for having had an easy time with Henry. However, while admitting she may have been the only one Henry truly loved, Jane claims that his love was conditional on her having produced a male heir and that she had stood by him despite knowing his many faults ("Heart of Stone").
Themes relating to ideas of female beauty are explored in Hans Holbein's painting studio, where the Queens parody a dating app by presenting a choice of three women for Henry to marry ("Haus of Holbein"). He chooses Anna of Cleves but soon rejects her and annuls the marriage after seeing her non-resemblance to her portrait. She makes a show of complaining about living in a beautiful palace in Richmond with an enormous fortune and no man to tell her what to do but in reality ends up bragging about it ("Get Down"). The Queens question this, and Anna decides to drop out of the competition in favour of returning to her lavish lifestyle. The Queens then belittle Katherine Howard for being "the least relevant Catherine", but she in retaliation mentions flaws in the other Queens' reasons for winning. She then recounts her romantic history, having had many suitors even as a child, and at first relishes her attractiveness; however, she soon reveals the emotional trauma and abuse she faced in each of these relationships ("All You Wanna Do").
As the Queens continue to fight over who is the true winner, Catherine Parr questions the point of the competition which defines them by their connection to Henry rather than as individuals. The Queens, however, do not listen and continue to argue. Frustrated, Parr tells of her separation from her lover and arranged marriage with Henry but mainly acknowledges her accomplishments independent of Henry ("I Don't Need Your Love"). The other Queens, realising they have been robbed of their individuality, abandon the contest and declare that they do not need Henry's love to feel validated as people. They use their remaining moments on stage to rewrite their stories, singing together as a group rather than as solo artists and writing their own "happily ever afters" ("Six").
Musical numbers.
† Not included on the Studio Cast Recording.
†† Included as part of "I Don't Need Your Love" on the Studio Cast Recording.
Productions.
Development.
Toby Marlow was selected in late 2016 by Cambridge University Arts Society to write a new musical to be performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe the next summer. The idea for what became "Six" came to Marlow while studying in his final year at Cambridge University. The initial six wives' concert concept occurred to him in a poetry class, and Marlow decided to get his friend Lucy Moss involved. Despite uncertainties, the pair wrote part of the show while studying for their final exams. Marlow researched by reading Antonia Fraser's "The Six Wives of Henry VIII", while Moss viewed a documentary series, "Six Wives" by Lucy Worsley. At their first writing session together, they watched a 2011 Beyoncé concert and story-telling performance, "".
The writers thought of various popular singers in fashioning their characters. Catherine of Aragon is modeled off a mixture of Lemonade-era Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and Jennifer Hudson. Her solo "No Way" incorporates components of real-life Catherine's Blackfriars speech. Anne Boleyn features elements of Avril Lavigne, Miley Cyrus, and Lily Allen. In full-fledged productions, the actor portraying Boleyn typically wears space buns, which signals character roots in Miley Cyrus. Boleyn also sports green to pay homage to "Greensleeves", referring to the myth that states that Henry VIII composed the song for Anne. Marlow and Moss weave in the "Greensleeves" musical motif throughout the score. Additionally, Jane Seymour emulates pop balladeers such as Adele, Sia, Rihanna, and Celine Dion. Seymour's costume design consists of a black and white corset design which alludes to half-timbered houses. Anna of Cleves radiates Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé's "Feeling Myself", Lorde's "Royals", and Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX's "Fancy". Katherine Howard's story is recontextualised through her depiction which parallels young, sexualised pop stars like Britney Spears and Ariana Grande. Katherine's costume design also features a choker, serving as a representation of her being beheaded. Lastly, Catherine Parr's characterisation draws inspiration from Alicia Keys and Emeli Sandé.
Marlow and Moss lamented the lack of gender diversity within the theatre industry, which caused them to focus on themes of queerness while developing the show. They wanted a cast that was predominantly female or non-binary and the story itself to feature queer narratives in a space which normally didn't. Over the course of approximately 10 nonconsecutive days, Marlow and Moss established the foundation for the show.
Edinburgh Fringe.
The world premiere production of "Six" took place at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, presented by Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society. Although the production did not win any big awards, it was well-received and sold out of tickets at the festival. Its popularity led to "Six" being invited back to Edinburgh Fringe the next summer, this time in one of the festival's larger venues.
Professional debut and UK tour (2018).
The Edinburgh production and a subsequent showing back in Cambridge attracted the attention of producers Kenny Wax and Global Musicals, and they gave the show its professional debut on 18 December 2017, performing initially on four Monday nights although this was increased to six performances at the Arts Theatre. A studio recording was released on 13 September 2018, featuring the original Arts Theatre cast.
"Six" began its first UK tour on 11 July at the Norwich Playhouse, returning to the Edinburgh Fringe on 1 August 2018. "Six" transferred to the Arts Theatre in the West End with an opening night on 30 August. The production closed on 14 October prior to continuing its UK tour. The UK tour ended on 30 December 2018 in Glasgow.
West End (2019–present).
The musical re-opened for an initial 16-week run at the Arts Theatre on 17 January 2019. Directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage with choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, set design by Emma Bailey, and musical supervision by Joe Beighton, the initial run was extended until January 2021. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the show was forced to take a lengthy hiatus from March 2020.
Under special and unprecedented conditions, the show became one of the first to reopen. It reopened at the Lyric Theatre on 5 December 2020, with plans to return to the Arts Theatre the next year. Due to the ongoing pandemic, audiences were to be socially distanced, capacity limited to 50%, face coverings and temperature checks required, and contact tracing rules in place. In mid-December, all London theatres were again required to close. The show is due to reopen on 21 May 2021 with the above measures still in place.
North American tour (2019).
"Six" had its North American premiere at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) in May 2019. Directed by Jamie Armitage and Lucy Moss, the Chicago premiere was produced by "Six"'s London producers with the addition of Broadway producer Kevin McCollum. According to Chris Jones the Chicago production was a likely Broadway tryout. Toward the end of the extended Chicago run, where "Six" broke box office records for the CST, it was announced the show would go to Broadway in 2020. The production moved to the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts in late August and September 2019, and made its Canadian premiere at Edmonton's Citadel Theatre in November. The production moved to the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota, from 29 November through 22 December, prior to its Broadway debut.
Norwegian Cruise Line (2019).
On 6 August 2019, Norwegian Cruise Line announced that they would be showing performances of "Six" on three of their ships at different times. The shows began in September 2019 on Norwegian's "Bliss" and will run until 2022.
UK tour (2019–2020).
A second UK tour of "Six" was officially announced on 5 September 2019. The production opened on 24 October 2019 at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford, starring Lauren Drew, Maddison Bulleyment, Lauren Byrne, Shekinah McFarlane, Jodie Steele, and Athena Collins. The tour was scheduled to run until 25 July 2020, concluding its run at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down theaters however, a deal was struck between the Society of London Theatre and U.K. actors union Equity; ensuring that West End and touring performers who are currently under contract will be able to continue on those preexisting terms and restart rehearsals or performances with revised dates once the shutdown ends.
In June 2020, a drive-in style production at venues such as showgrounds, racecourses and airfields was planned, but it too was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In April 2021, it was announced that the tour would resume starting on June 8th in Canterbury. Drew, Bulleyment, and McFarlane are set to return.
Australia and New Zealand (2020).
"Six" had its Australian premiere at the Sydney Opera House, in January 2020. The production was originally planned to tour to Melbourne's Comedy Theatre in mid 2020 and Adelaide's Her Majesty's Theatre in late 2020 as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival but all performances have since been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Australian production is produced by Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Linda Bewick. At some point, it is set to open in Wellington, New Zealand's Opera House.
Broadway (2020, 2021).
"Six" began Broadway previews on 13 February 2020 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. On the day of its scheduled Broadway opening, 12 March 2020, all Broadway theatres were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2021, it was announced that "Six" will resume Broadway performances on 17 September 2021, with an official opening set for 3 October. Moss and Armitage again direct, with choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, set design by Emma Bailey, costumes by Gabriella Slade, sound by Paul Gatehouse, lighting by Tim Deiling, and orchestrations by Tom Curran. The original principal cast is the same as the show's 2019 North American tour.
Chicago (2021).
On 4 August 2019, at the final performance of the Chicago premiere, it was announced that "Six" would return to the city at the Broadway Playhouse. It is scheduled to begin 5 October 2021, after two postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to run to 30 January 2022.
Principal cast.
Notable West End replacements.
Show co-creator Toby Marlow also filled in as Catherine Parr for two West End performances on 28 July 2019, due to a cast-wide illness.
Reception.
In a review of the Arts Theatre production, Dominic Cavendish of "The Telegraph" called the show "gloriously – persuasively – coherent, confident and inventive". Lyn Gardner of "The Guardian" wrote, "It may be cloaked in silliness, but "Six" makes some serious points about female victimhood and survival."
In a review of the Chicago production, Chris Jones of "The Chicago Tribune" praised the show as "dynamic" and a "blast", with a "sense of humor and spirited radicalism." Marlow and Moss are "gifted comic writers", he said, and he praised the "musical force of the intensely committed and talented actresses" in the Chicago cast. Jones suggests the show could use 10 more minutes of material that gets away from the plot's singing contest conceit, and toward the emotional center of the characters. He also thinks the orchestration of the songs could be more substantial. Jones believes "Six" has an audience that is ready for it, in part because it gets to a complex historical paradox and treats it with verve, the memories of women in history being tied to the life of a man.
Hedy Weiss of "WTTW" praises the musical as "sensational", singling out each performer in the Chicago cast. Weiss also thinks the show makes a convincing case for each character, and in addition to praising the writers, notes the "dynamite direction by Moss and Jamie Armitage, and powerhouse music direction by Roberta Duchak" as well as, "Gabriella Slade’s glittering costumes . . . and Tim Deiling’s arena-style lighting". According to Rachel Weinberg of "Broadway World", ""Six" carries out [a] joyful and anachronistic takedown of the patriarchy" through the performances of a "brilliant" cast and a book and score with an inventive and sensational compositional method. Jesse Green of "The New York Times" wrote that the musical is "pure entertainment", the writing is "wickedly smart", the "terrific singers" of the Chicago cast sell the show "unstintingly", and the production values "befit a splashy North American premiere with Broadway backing."
Awards.
Original Broadway production.
The original Broadway production was in previews starting February 13, and was set to open the day New York City's stay-at-home order was announced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


Team of Rivals

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln is a 2005 book by Pulitzer Prize-winning American historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, published by Simon & Schuster. The book is a biographical portrait of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and some of the men who served with him in his cabinet from 1861 to 1865. Three of his Cabinet members had previously run against Lincoln in the 1860 election: Attorney General Edward Bates, Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase and Secretary of State William H. Seward. The book focuses on Lincoln's mostly successful attempts to reconcile conflicting personalities and political factions on the path to abolition and victory in the American Civil War.
Goodwin's sixth book, "Team of Rivals" was well received by critics and won the 2006 Lincoln Prize and the inaugural Book Prize for American History of the New-York Historical Society. US President Barack Obama cited it as one of his favorite books and was said to have used it as a model for constructing his own cabinet, although he later wrote this was not the reason he chose Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State. In 2012, a Steven Spielberg film based on the book was released to critical acclaim.
Background.
"Team of Rivals" is the sixth book by American historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. In 1995, Goodwin was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for History for her book "", a similar study of personalities in the Roosevelt White House.
Goodwin spent ten years on the research and writing of "Team of Rivals". She stated that she had been inspired to tell the stories of the four men (Seward, Chase, Bates, and Lincoln) together when realizing that the cabinet members had written extensive diaries and letters that might provide a "new angle" in Lincoln studies.
During Goodwin's work on "Team of Rivals", a plagiarism scandal erupted over unmarked quotations in Goodwin's 1987 book "The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys". Goodwin stated that in dealing with the scandal, during which she had to apologize and make an out-of-court settlement to author Lynne McTaggart, she found Lincoln a consolation, particularly his philosophy "not to waste precious energies on recriminations about the past". In a 2012 interview, Goodwin cited early 20th-century muckraker Ida Tarbell on the pleasures of writing about Lincoln: "Somebody asked her, why do so many people write about Lincoln? And she said, because he's so companionable. And I think somehow that's been true for me."
Contents.
The book begins with an introduction where Goodwin explains how she plans to illuminate Lincoln's life: "In my own effort to illuminate the character and career of Abraham Lincoln, I have coupled the account of his life with the stories of the remarkable men who were his rivals for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination—New York senator William H. Seward, Ohio governor Salmon P. Chase, and Missouri's distinguished elder statesman Edward Bates." The book is organised in two parts: Part 1 called "The Rivals" and Part 2 called "Master Among Men". The first part of the book chronicles the rise of Lincoln and each of his political rivals' journeys and how Lincoln ended up with the Presidency and ends with the inauguration of Lincoln in 1861. In the second part, Goodwin describes Lincoln's years as President of the Union through the civil war and till his eventual assassination in 1865.
The first chapter of "Team of Rivals" portrays four major contenders for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination on May 18, 1860, awaiting the results of the national convention by telegraph: New York Senator and former governor William H. Seward, widely considered the frontrunner; Ohio Governor Salmon P. Chase, a favorite of the party's more radical wing; former Missouri Attorney General Edward Bates, preferred by more conservative elements of the party; and Abraham Lincoln, a former U.S. Representative from Illinois. Goodwin then describes how each candidate rose to national political prominence: Seward through a long alliance with New York political boss Thurlow Weed, Chase through his early advocacy of the abolition of slavery, Bates through a speech opposing President James K. Polk at the 1847 River and Harbor Convention, and Lincoln through a series of debates with Democratic rival Stephen A. Douglas in the 1858 Illinois Senate election.
At the Chicago Republican Convention of 1860, Seward was the favourite, as he was the most widely recognised political figure and almost had a majority of pledges. Seward's detractors who thought that he was too radical on slavery and too liberal on immigration, were worried that if the opposition could not be united behind one man, he would be elected as the candidate - "Murat Halstead of the Cincinnati Commercial telegraphed the same message to his paper at the same time, reporting that "every one of the forty thousand men in attendance upon the Chicago Convention will testify that at midnight of Thursday–Friday night, the universal impression was that Seward's success was certain." However, it was a concern that even if Seward was elected as candidate, he would not be able to carry all the Northern States in the elections because of his abolitionist views against slavery and that would mean a Democratic win in the election.
Similarly, Edward Bates could not represent the middle-line of the Republican party: "He was much too conservative for liberal Republicans, who might welcome him into their party but would never accord him chief command of an army in which he had never officially enlisted. At the same time, the letter he had written to prove his credentials to the Republicans had diminished the previous enthusiasm of conservatives and former Know Nothings" Salmon Chase's candidature was hampered by attacks from Ohio politicians like Judge McLean or Ben Wade and could not mount a serious challenge. Lincoln emerged as the more palatable choice for these important delegates. Lincoln was ultimately the victor at the 1860 convention through a superior political operation and by making himself the unobjectionable second choice of all Republican factions, and proceeded to win the presidency.
Determined both to hold the party together and to recruit the ablest men for his cabinet, Lincoln then persuaded each of his former rivals to join his cabinet. Seward assumed the post of Secretary of State, Chase that of Secretary of the Treasury, and Bates that of United States Attorney General. The South secedes following Lincoln's election, and the country falls into the American Civil War. Goodwin describes in detail some cabinet decisions, such as the debate over provisioning Fort Sumter in South Carolina, the first state that had seceded (in December 1860), and the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves of secession states. She also traces the home life of the book's main figures, including the marriage of Chase's daughter and close companion Kate, First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln's role in Washington, D.C. society, and the death of Lincoln's son Willie.
During the war, Seward comes to respect and collaborate with Lincoln. Chase, on the other hand, schemes against Lincoln from within the cabinet, hoping to replace him as the Republican nominee in the 1864 presidential election. Lincoln nonetheless keeps Chase in the cabinet until 1864 for his skill at financing the war effort, and his efforts to undermine the president are ultimately unsuccessful. Lincoln also recruits Chase ally Edwin M. Stanton to replace Pennsylvania political boss Simon Cameron as Secretary of War; like Seward, Stanton comes to respect and support Lincoln. While managing the disparate personalities of his cabinet, Lincoln also struggles to manage a series of generals including George B. McClellan, Henry Halleck, and George Meade. The president finally finds success in 1864 by promoting Ulysses S. Grant to commander of the Union armies.
Lincoln oversees the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolishes slavery, and sees the war to its successful conclusion. During the battle for the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, Lincoln uses all kinds of persuasion and incentives to get the required number of votes for ratification: "I am President of the United States, clothed with great power. The abolition of slavery by constitutional provision settles the fate, for all coming time, not only of the millions now in bondage, but of unborn millions to come—a measure of such importance that those two votes must be procured. I leave it to you to determine how it shall be done; but remember that I am President of the United States, clothed with immense power, and I expect you to procure those votes."
He also appoints Chase as the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, believing him the best man to secure the rights of newly freed black citizens.
"Team of Rivals" closes with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865. Seward is also attacked by a knife-wielding assailant, though he survives. An epilogue traces the later lives and deaths of Seward, Stanton, Bates, Chase, Mary Lincoln, and others.
Reception.
"Team of Rivals" was generally well received by critics. Pulitzer Prize-winning Civil War historian James M. McPherson called it "an elegant, incisive study of Lincoln and leading members of his cabinet that will appeal to experts as well as to those whose knowledge of Lincoln is an amalgam of high school history and popular mythology" and stated that Goodwin addressed Lincoln's gift for coalition-building "better than any other writer". Allen C. Guelzo wrote in "The Washington Post" that "this immense, finely boned book is no dull administrative or bureaucratic history; rather, it is a story of personalities – a messianic drama, if you will – in which Lincoln must increase and the others must decrease." In the "Seattle Times", Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett praised the book's "ambitious, multi-strand structure", concluding, "This monumental effort is a gift; Goodwin's work clarifies and preserves Lincoln's legacy with rare skill." Randy Dotinga of the "Christian Science Monitor" called "Team of Rivals" an "immense and immensely readable work". Sanford D. Horwitt of the "San Francisco Chronicle" wrote that Goodwin is "an engaging, insightful chronicler of Lincoln's Civil War presidency, although she strays from time to time from her stated intention of keeping the lens focused on Lincoln and his 1860 rivals, who, in turn, were often feuding with others in Lincoln's Cabinet."
In 2006, the book was awarded the Lincoln Prize, "awarded annually for the finest scholarly work in English on Abraham Lincoln, the American Civil War soldier, or a subject relating to their era". On March 29, 2006, Goodwin was announced as the winner of the $50,000 Book Prize for American History of the New-York Historical Society. "Team of Rivals" was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
U.S. President Barack Obama named "Team of Rivals" as the one book he would want on a desert island. As a senator, he met with Goodwin in Washington to discuss the book. After his election in 2008, Obama reached out to previous rivals including Hillary Clinton, who became his Secretary of State, drawing comparisons to Lincoln's "Team of Rivals" approach.
Film adaptation.
While consulting on a project for director Steven Spielberg in 1999, Goodwin told Spielberg she was planning to write "Team of Rivals", and Spielberg immediately told her he wanted the film rights. DreamWorks finalized the deal in 2001, and Goodwin sent Spielberg the book chapter by chapter as she composed it. Daniel Day-Lewis agreed to play Abraham Lincoln after Liam Neeson, the original lead, withdrew from the project in 2010. The screenplay was written by Tony Kushner, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay). A number of critics noted that the final film, which focused almost entirely on the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment through Congress, was based on only a few pages of Goodwin's book, and that Kushner did substantial independent research composing the screenplay.
Filming began on October 17, 2011, and ended on December 19, 2011. Goodwin consulted with Kushner on various drafts of the screenplay and took Day-Lewis on a tour of Lincoln's home and law office in Springfield, Illinois. The film was released nationwide on November 16, 2012 to commercial success and wide critical acclaim. Day-Lewis won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.


Hendrick Krock

Hendrick Krock (21 July 1671 – 18 November 1738) was a Danish history painter who, from 1706, was the court painter of Frederick IV as well as his successor Christian VI. Along with Benoit Le Coffre set the tone for history painting in Denmark during the 18th century-1720s, having been influenced by the Italian baroque painting he experienced during his travels. He also played a role in the eventual establishment of an Art Academy in Denmark.
Early training.
He was born to merchant Valentin Krock and Volborg Peters in Flensborg. At 11 years of age he studied under Johan Ayerschöttel of Husum, a well-known portraitist of the time. He came to Copenhagen in 1688, where he taught drawing, and studied under painter to the royal court Peder Andersen at Frederiksborg Palace.
In 1693 he traveled to France, and then to Italy, where he stayed for a period of time. According to one of his later students, Krock traveled to Italy in the company of young Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve, King Frederick IV’s half-brother. He returned to Italy in 1699.
Impetus to an Art Academy.
In October 1701 Krock was in Copenhagen again, and on 6 October 1701 he was one of the cosigners of a petition sent to King Frederick IV requesting approval for the formation of an artist society and teaching academy. This was the humble beginning to the formation of the Royal Danish Academy of Art ("Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi") many years later. The other cosigners were Wilchen Riboldt, Jacob Coning, Otto de Willarts, Georg Saleman and Thomas Quellinus, all court artists.
He traveled to Italy for the third time in 1703, and worked several years in the studio of Carlo Maratta, under a travel grant from the King. He may have studied at the Art Academy in Paris ca. 1705.
Painter to the court.
He returned to Denmark again in 1705, and painted over the remainder of his working life many plafonds, wall panels, door pieces and mythological paintings as decoration for such royal palaces and castles as Frederiksberg, Fredensborg, Hirschholm, Rosenborg, and Christiansborg, as well as for various churches. These works were generally large, and with many figures.
He was named royal painter in 1706. He married Helle Cathrine Robring in 1707.
Numerous works were lost to the fires at Christiansborg in 1794 and at Frederiksborg in 1859, including his famous "Dommedag" ("Judgement Day"). Work extant can still be seen on plafonds at Fredensborg and Frederiksberg. Due to the volume of work he produced he maintained a studio with many students and apprentices.
He made only a few portraits, and when depicting royalty or nobility he was known to be assisted by Nicolai Wichmann to complete the heads and faces.
The artist society met weekly until 1712 in the Ahlefeldt house on "Kongens Nytorv" in Copenhagen, where Krock taught drawing. That same year Krock received a royal studio behind Børsen (“The Stock Exchange”) in the Post Office ("Postamts") building. Beside his duties as a royal painter, he used the studio to teach drawing, and also as a meeting place for the artist society which he managed and provided with educational materials.
Krock became a well-to-do man, and had an impressive home. His first wife died in 1718.
In 1722 he became an advisor to the Chancellory ("Kancelliraad"). He remarried on 17 November 1722 to Elisabeth Vilhelmine Magdalene Cumm, but she died a year later. He married his third wife, Armgott Sophie Koefoed, on 26 April 1724.
His position as royal painter was renewed in 1731; at that same time, however when the building of Christiansborg had begun, the preferred artistic style was quickly changing from Krock’s baroque to the new rococo-style. French painters were being called in to do the work, because there were no qualified Danish artists. And therefore, the idea of a Danish Art Academy, which could train native artists to decorate the King’s castles and palaces, became an important royal objective.
In 1731 he painted an altar piece portraying Christ on the Mount of Olives in St. Peter’s Church ("Sankt Petri Kirke") in Copenhagen. The work was thoroughly restored in 1995.
His third wife died in 1733.
In the late 1730s plans were beginning to seriously take shape for a royal art academy, and the Academy received rooms in the same building as Krock's studio. In 1738 Krock was named leader of Christian VI’s Art Academy along with sculptor Louis August le Clerc. Krock, however, died shortly afterwards on 18 November 1738.
Leadership of the burgeoning Academy was taken over by le Clerc and Venetian history painter Hieronimo Miani after Krock's death.
None of his students or apprentices took over his artistic production.
There is a portrait of Krock by Johann Salomon Wahl in the collection of the Frederiksborg Castle Museum.


Karl Becker (painter)

Karl Ludwig Friedrich Becker (18 December 1820, in Berlin – 20 December 1900, in Berlin) was a German history painter and president of the Berlin Academy.
Biography.
Becker was a pupil of August von Klöber, Peter von Cornelius, and Heinrich Maria von Hess, and afterwards studied a year in Paris, two years in Rome, and visited Venice. He first attained success with subjects of the Venetian Renaissance.
Later in life, he made many visits to Venice to study paintings drawn from life in the 15th and 16th centuries. The chief characteristics of his manner are historical fidelity, skillfulness of technique, and richness of coloring. His works include “Belisarius as a Beggar” (1850), “Jeweler at a Venetian Senator's” (1855), “Visit of Sebastian del Piombo to Titian” (1861), “Doge in Council” (1864), “Charles V and Fugger” (1870), “Dürer in Venice” (1873), “Charles V Visiting Titian” (1873), “In the Picture Gallery” (1874), “Bianca Capello” (1874), “Scene from the Marriage of Figaro” (1874), “Emperor Maximilian Receiving the Venetian Embassy” (1877), and frescos for the Neues Museum in Berlin.


Arminio

Arminio (HWV 36) is an opera composed by George Frideric Handel. The libretto is based on a libretto of the same name by Antonio Salvi, which had been set to music by Alessandro Scarlatti. It is a fictionalisation of events surrounding the Germanic leader Arminius, who defeated the Romans under Publius Quinctilius Varus in AD 9, and his wife Thusnelda. The opera was performed for the first time at the Covent Garden Theatre on 12 January 1737.
Background.
The German-born Handel had brought Italian opera to London stages for the first time in 1711 with his opera "Rinaldo". An enormous success, "Rinaldo" created a craze in London for Italian opera seria, a form focused overwhelmingly on solo arias for the star virtuoso singers. Handel had presented new operas in London for years with great success. One of the major attractions in Handel's operas was the star castrato Senesino whose relationship with the composer was often stormy and who eventually left Handel's company to appear with the rival Opera of the Nobility, set up in 1733 and with the Prince of Wales as a major sponsor. Handel moved to another theatre, Covent Garden, and engaged different singers, but there was not enough of an audience for opera in London, or aristocratic supporters to back it, for two opera houses at once, and both opera companies found themselves in difficulty.
Together with "Giustino" and "Berenice", "Arminio" is one of three operas Handel wrote within a period of half a year in 1736. He began with the composition of "Giustino" on 14 August 1736, followed by that of "Arminio" on 15 September. Having finished "Arminio" he resumed work on "Giustino", which he finished on 20 October. In mid-December, he went on to compose "Berenice". "Giustino" followed "Arminio" on to the stage in February.
Reception and performance history.
The opera was esteemed by Handel's admirers but not by the ticket-buying public.
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 4th Earl of Shaftesbury wrote in a letter that he found "Arminio" to be "rather grave but correct and labour'd" (well worked-out) "to the highest degree & is a favourite one with Handel... But I fear 'twill not be acted very long. The Town dont much admire it."
"Arminio" only saw six performances, the last one on 12 February. It was not performed again until it was revived in 1935, at Leipzig.
With the revival of interest in Baroque music and historically informed musical performance since the 1960s, "Arminio", like all Handel operas, is performed at festivals and opera houses today. Among other productions, the opera was staged by the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe in 2016.
Synopsis.
Act 1.
Arminio, chieftain of a Germanic tribe who has taken up arms to fight against the Roman invasion of his country, yields to his wife Tusnelda's entreaties to retire from the field of battle lest they should both be taken prisoner. (Duet: "Non è tema").
They leave as Varo and Tullio enter. Tullio informs the Roman general Varo that Arminio has retreated and Varo reveals that he is in love with Arminio's wife Tusnelda. Tullio advises him to forget about such an unworthy passion and fight for Rome's triumph instead (Aria: "Non deve Roman petto") but Varo responds that love can inspire great feats of glory (Aria: "Al lume di due rai").
Arminio appears, in chains, captured by Segeste, a Germanic chieftain who is collaborating with the Romans and is also Arminio's father-in-law. Arminio denounces Segeste for his treachery and Tusnelda is torn between loyalty to her husband and her father (Aria: " Scagliano Amore"). Varo demands that Arminio accept subjugation to Rome, but Arminio insists he would rather die and is taken away. Segeste advises that Arminio must be killed to ensure peace with Rome (Aria: "Fiaccherò quel fiero orgoglio").
The scene changes to the castle of Segeste, where Sigismondo, his son, has been dreaming of Ramise, Arminio's sister, with whom he is madly in love (Aria: "Non sono sempre vane larve"). She and Tusnelda appear on the scene and Tusnelda informs them that her father Segeste has handed Arminio over to the Romans. Ramise is greatly distressed by the threat to her brother's life (Aria: "Sento il cor per ogni lato"). When Sigismondo asks Tusnelda for sympathy in this situation, she points out that his dilemma is nothing as to hers, torn as she is between loyalty to her husband and her father (Aria: "E vil segno").
Segeste commands his son to abandon any hope of wedding Ramise but Sigismondo asserts that he would prefer to die (Aria: "Posso morir").
Act 2.
Tullio informs Segeste that the Roman general Varo is in love with his daughter and Arminio's wife Tusnelda (Aria: "Con quel sangue").
Segeste is happy to hear it and looks forward to Varo becoming his new son-in-law once Arminio is dead. Varo appears with a letter from Caesar ordering Arminio's execution and Segeste is eager for this to occur. Arminio once again breathes defiance to Rome (Aria: "Sì, cadrò") and is thrown into prison under sentence of death. Tusnelda is beside herself with grief;her father Segeste advises her to tell her husband to submit to Rome and save himself, but she will not (Aria: "Al furor").
Ramise denounces Segeste for collaborating with the Romans and sending her brother Arminio to execution and attempts to stab him. Sigismondo intervenes however and saves his father's life, whereupon Ramise bitterly upbraids him. Sigismondo attempts to kill himself but Ramise prevents him from doing so. Ramise is also suffering from divided loyalties between her lover and her brother (Aria: "Niente spero") and Sigismondo is likewise torn (Aria: "Quella fiamma").
Arminio, in prison, tells Varo that he knows that he loves his wife and gives his blessing for their marriage after his death, which he accepts (Aria: "Vado a morir"). Tusnelda however tells Varo that the only way he can make her happy is by saving her husband. Varo pledges to do this and Tusnelda swears to be grateful (Aria: "Rendimi il dolce sposo").
Act 3.
Arminio is brought to his place of execution but still breathes defiance to Rome (Aria: "Ritorno alle ritorte"). Segeste is astonished when Varo appears and releases Arminio from his chains so he can die in battle (Aria: "Mira il Ciel"). However Tullio enters with news that another German chieftain has defeated the Romans and Arminio is returned to prison.
In another room, Tusnelda is contemplating suicide with her husband's sword, but decides to poison herself instead (Aria: "Ho veleno").
Ramise enters just in time to prevent her and the two ladies agree that they must save Arminio (Duet: "Quando più minacci"). They appeal to Sigismondo to release Arminio, but he says he cannot, whereupon both ladies threaten to kill themselves. Sigismondo is in despair at his conflicting loyalties (Aria: "Il Sangue al cor favella"). Tusnelda expresses her anguish (Aria: "Tra speme") but is surprised by Arminio, who has been freed from prison, and dashes off to fight the Romans with his sword which has been restored to him by Sigismondo.(Aria: "Fatto scorta al sentier ").
Ramise is afraid of Segeste's reaction to what his son has done and urges him to flee but Sigismondo refuses. When Segeste appears, furious at his son's action, Ramise lies that she was the person who restored Arminio's sword to him. Segeste has both his son and Ramise thrown into prison as Sigismondo breathes defiance to his father (Aria: "Impara a non temer"). Ramise is happy to share her lover's tribulations (Aria: "Voglio seguir lo sposo").
Tullio informs Segeste that Arminio has killed Varo, defeated the Romans, and occupied his castle. Tullio thinks they should escape while they can, but Segeste instead denounces his son as a traitor and attempts to kill him. Arminio enters just in time to prevent this; he and Sigismondo implore Segeste to relent in his anger and promise to forgive him if he does. Segeste, overwhelmed by their kindness, agrees. Arminio and Tusnelda rejoice in their reunion (Duet: "Ritorna nel core vezzosa") and all celebrate the fortunate turn of events (Chorus: "A capir tante dolcezze").


I Love Belarus

"I Love Belarus" is a retro-pop song performed by Anastasia Vinnikova who was selected to represent Belarus at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany. The song was presented to the public on 14 March 2011.
Originally, the song picked was "I Am Belarusian" performed by Anastasia Vinnikova as well. But the song had to be withdrawn after it was discovered that it was sung in public in the summer of 2010. The song was performed live in the 16th position of performance order at the second semifinal on 12 May, succeeding Estonia's "Rockefeller Street" which was performed by Getter Jaani, and preceded Latvia's "Angel in Disguise" which was performed by Musiqq, but failed to qualify for the grand final finishing in 14th place receiving 45 points overall.


Guglielmo Borremans

Guglielmo Borremans or Guglielmo Fiamingo (1670–1744) was a Flemish painter whose documented career took principally place in Italy, in particular Naples, Cosenza and Sicily. Here he was one of the pre-eminent late-Baroque fresco painters of the first half of the 17th century who received multiple commissions to decorate churches and palaces.
Life.
Little is known about the youth and training of Guglielmo Borremans. He is believed to have been born in Antwerp in 1670. Here he trained with the history painter Pieter van Lint around 1688–1689. A painting of the 'Martyrdom of St Andrew' formerly in the St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent is the only documented work attributed to him dating to his residence in his home country. He likely did not leave Flanders before the end of the 17th century. The last evidence of the artist's presence in Antwerp is found in the records of the archives of the Academy of Fine Arts of Antwerp where he is recorded until 1693.
The exact timing and details of his route to and in Italy are not clear. That the artist may have passed through Rome is made likely by a painting by his hand dated to 1703 that was formerly in the Consentino Duomo in Rome. He also spent time in Napoli and possibly in Cosenza, Calabria. At least 20 works dated from 1703 to 1706 are recorded in Cosenza. He may have had a link with the local members of the Franciscan order as most of his works in Calabria were commissioned by this religious order. In fact, these dated works painted in Cosenza are the earliest indication of his presence in southern Italy.
The only known paintings by Borremans in Naples are the fresco decorations in the crossing of the Santa Caterina a Formiello dating from around 1708–09. He was replacing Giuseppe Simonelli who had died not long before and had commenced the decoration of the crossing. The subject of the series were stories from the life of Saint Dominic.
He must have made quite a name for himself in Naples as the 1713 publication ‘'Selva poetica'’ by Giuseppe D'Alessandro, the Duke of Peschiolanciano, included a poem dedicated to the artist entitled "In lode del Signor Guglielmo Borremans, famoso pittore fiammingo" (‘"In praise of Mr. Guglielmo Borremans, famous Flemish painter'). The final verses of the poem refer to Borremans' skills at eternalizing the living and to revive the dead, which point to his activities as a portraitist in Naples. To date no painted portraits have been attributed to the artist other than the half-length portrait of the Archpriest Raffaele Riccobene in the altarpiece of the ‘'Immaculata with Angels and Saints'’ for the main altar of the Cathedral of Caltanissetta. Riccobene had funded the decoration of the Cathedral.
The Duke of Peschiolanciano clearly had a close relationship with the artist. He likely invited Borremans to design the plates included in the Duke’s book on equestrianism called "Pietra Paragone de cavalieri" published in Naples in 1711. This book contains many plates relating to equestrianism that were cut by the prominent Napolitan engraver Francesco De Grado after Borremans' designs. The book also includes portraits, 14 of which are equestrian portraits and 14 are bust portraits. It is possibly that the reference in the Duke’s poem to portraits by Borremans relates to these designs for his "Pietra Paragone de cavalieri".
Borremans moved to Sicily where he was recorded in Palermo in 1714 when he was commissioned to paint a fresco on the ceiling of the church of Our Lady of the Vault. In Sicily he received multiple commissions to decorate the local churches and the palazzi of prominent personalities. He also painted many canvases. He must have operated a large workshop. He worked in various locations in Sicily outside Palermo including Nicosia, Catania, Enna, Caltanissetta, Buccheri, Caccamo and Alcamo. One of his largest projects were the decorations of the Chiesa di San Ranieri e dei Santi Quaranta Martiri Pisani in Palermo, a commission he commenced in 1725. In this church he used a profusion of gold and stucco to create one of the richest and most lavish Baroque decorations in Sicily. This is the only work he signed with a signature which refers to his homeland: "Guglielmus Borremans Antuerpiensis Pinxit" ('Painted by Willem Borremans of Antwerp').
In Palermo, he painted in 1733-34 some rooms of the archbishop's palace, which have been partially preserved. He worked on a number of secular projects. He was involved in the decoration of some aristocratic buildings, culminating in the frescos on the ceiling of the main gallery of the Palazzo dei Principi di Cattolica in Palermo. In 1733 he was called as an expert to settle a dispute between the two Sicilian painters, Venerando Costanza and Pietro Paolo Vasta, who were competing for the decoration of the interior of the Cathedral of Acireale. He decided in favour of Vasta. He was himself involved in a similar competition with Olivio Sòzzi over the decoration of the Cathedral of Alcamo. He won thanks to the support of the patrons.
Still in Sicily, he also frescoed the Church of John the Apostle, Piazza Armerina.
In the latter part of his life Borremans slowed down the hectic pace of his activities and fewer works are documented during this period. Borremans died on 17 April 1744 and was buried in the Capuchin Church in Palermo.
His son Luigi who likely trained and worked with him continued in his father's vein by creating vast decorative cycles for the local churches. Luigi's activity is known for signed and dated frescoes of 1747 located in Caltanissetta. To his grandson Guglielmo the Younger are attributed extensions to the paintings in the Cathedral of Enna, which are largely considered to be by the hand of Guglielmo the Elder.
Work.
Almost all of his known oeuvre was made and is located in Southern Italy. The majority of his works depict religious and, to a lesser extent, mythological subject matter. He was praised as a portrait painter during his residence in Naples, but no painted portraits are currently attributed to him.
Guglielmo Borremans was quite unique in that as a Flemish painter who was not trained in the technique and art of fresco painting, he was able to establish himself as one of the leading fresco painters in southern Italy in the early 18th century. He may have learned the fresco technique from his master Pieter van Lint who during his time in Italy painted fresco's in the Cybo-Soderini Chapel in the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome. He also created works on canvas. Many of his works have been lost due to destruction caused by war and lack of adequate restoration. He also used a thinner wash of pigments than local painters which may have contributed to a quicker decay.
His earliest works show his debt to the Flemish Baroque school and in particular the work of Peter Paul Rubens. Later his style absorbed local and contemporary influences and developed towards the late Baroque idiom that was popular in southern Italy at the time. His youth works show in particular his dependence on the Rubens tradition as continued by Rubens' pupils Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens. In this early period he seems to have been free from direct Italian influence although he showed the indirect influence of Italian art as transmitted by his master Pieter van Lint. His work of that time was close to the Flemish-influenced Italian art then current in Genoa. In the he comes particularly close to works of Pieter van Lint such as van Lint's (1640s, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna).
The pieces created in Cosenza in 1703-1706 show stylistically a Flemish basis over which a layer of pre-roccoco sensitivity has been laid. At the same time the works reveal some late Manierist elements, possibly absorbed from Pieter van Lint, and visible in the lengthened and graceful figures. These works display an originality in design and an exquisite palette. Borremans' use of brilliant reds and full-bodied blends, as well as the detailed rendering of the fabrics and the different pieces of flowers show his 17th century Flemish heritage. These works also show similarity to the work of other pupils of van Lint such as Godfried Maes whose work also shows a tendency to lengthen the forms and use soft subjects. His brushstrokes in these works is lively and his compositions are balanced.
In his Naples paintings dating to 1708-1709 he showed a similarity to the work of Luigi Garzi, a Roman influence that may also have been the result of the influence of followers of the Roman style in Naples such as Luca Giordano and Paolo de Matteis.
His masterpieces include the remarkable series of frescoes in the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta in Alcamo, the Chiesa delle Anime Sante in Enna, the Chiesa di San Giuseppe in Leonforte and the Chiesa dell'Assunta di San Giuseppe dei teatini in Palermo.


The Bright Shawl

The Bright Shawl is a 1923 American silent historical drama film directed by John S. Robertson and produced by and starring Richard Barthelmess. This film, based on a novel by Joseph Hergesheimer, had several days of filming on location in Cuba. It is the first film appearance of Edward G. Robinson (credited as E.G. Robinson).
Plot.
In the nineteenth century, an American visiting Cuba with a friend becomes mixed up with the island's independence movement against Spanish rule.
Preservation.
A print of "The Bright Shawl" survives at the UCLA Film and Television Archive.


The Enterprise of Death

The Enterprise of Death is a historical fantasy novel by Jesse Bullington, published in 2011. It recounts the journeys of Awa, a lesbian Moor necromancer, through an irreverently portrayed 16th-century Europe, helped by friends who include historical figures such as the polymath Paracelsus and the artist-mercenary Niklaus Manuel.
Synopsis.
The story follows the life of Awa, a lesbian Moor slave girl, who is captured near early 16th-century Granada by a powerful necromancer. After several years of tormented apprenticeship, Awa finally manages to kill the necromancer, only for her to discover this to be a key element of the necromancer's plan to reincarnate himself in her young body after a decade has passed. Leaving Andalusia on a search for the necromancer's grimoire, she is caught on the order of the overzealous inquisitor Kahlert manipulated by a shadow from her past, her undead ex-lover Omorose. Rather luckily, she is freed by artist-turned-mercenary Niklaus Manuel Deutsch of Bern, with whom she strikes up an improbable friendship, soon followed by further friends in the form of polymath Paracelsus and the lesbian weaponsmith Monique. Though Awa settles down in Monique's brothel in Paris for a while, making good use of her magical healing talents and falling in love with the plucky prostitute Chloé, her impending doom makes her resume her search for the necromancer's grimoire. Further encounters with Kahlert and Omorose and a sect of vampires in the Schwarzwald as well as Chloé's death bring her close to desperation. Shortly before running out of time, however, she - with help from Manuel, Monique and Paracelsus - manages to turn the spirits of the casualties of the Battle of Bicocca against the necromancer's spirit, banishing him forever and thereby escaping his curse.
Reception.
The novel was well received by critics. The A.V. Club praised it as "beautifully balancing putridity, profanity, and poignancy", and Publishers Weekly appreciated its "relentless dark humor blended with occasional tragedy". The Wall Street Journal's reviewer characterized the novel as "macabre, gruesome, foul-mouthed and much more complex than the usual vampire-and-zombie routine". In January 2012, it was named a finalist for the 2011 Kitschies Red Tentacle award.


Henrico Leone

Henrico Leone (also Enrico Leone) is an opera ("dramma per musica") in three acts composed by Agostino Steffani to an Italian libretto by Ortensio Mauro. Based on the life of the powerful German prince Henry the Lion, the opera was first performed on 30 January 1689 in Hannover to inaugurate the new royal theatre in the Leineschloss (Leine Palace).
The opera was performed in German at the Oper am Gänsemarkt in Hamburg in 1696 with sets designed by Johann Oswald Harms, who was inspired by Flemish seascapes. It was also performed in 1697, 1699 and 1716 in Braunschweig, the residence of Henry the Lion, in an arrangement by Georg Caspar Schürmann and a translation by Gottlieb Fiedler.
The opera was revived as "Enrico Leone" in Hannover in 1989 when it was performed by the Capella Agostino Steffani (today the Hannoversche Hofkapelle) to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Hannover State Opera and of the composition. In May of that year the ensemble with the same soloists gave a concert performance of the opera at Boston's Jordan Hall as part of the Boston Early Music Festival.


Johann Peter Krafft

Johann Peter Krafft (15 September 1780, Hanau - 28 October 1856, Vienna) was a German-born Austrian painter who specialized in portraits, historical works and genre scenes.
Biography.
His father was an enamel painter who originally came from a family of wine merchants in Alsace. His brother, Joseph Krafft (1786-1828) also became a painter of portrait miniatures. By the age of ten, he was already attending a drawing school.
In 1799, he and sister were sent to live with an aunt in Vienna. He immediately enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied history painting with Heinrich Friedrich Füger. In 1802, he travelled to Paris with Veit Hanns Schnorr von Carolsfeld to continue his studies. There, he made the acquaintance of Jacques-Louis David and François Gérard, who had a major influence on his style.
He returned to Vienna in 1805, where he established himself as a portrait painter. From 1808 to 1809, he went on a study trip through Italy. He became a member of the Academy in 1813. Two years later, he married Juliana Preisinger. Three of their children became painters: Marie (1812–1885), Albrecht (1816–1847) and Julie (1821–1903). He was appointed a Professor at the Academy in 1823.
In 1828, he was named Director of the Galerie Belvedere, a position he held until his death. He became an Academic Counselor in 1835. Over the next few years, he travelled to Munich, Dresden and Venice, where he purchased 80 works for the museum. He was also employed as an expert on the preservation of monuments, working at Karlstein Castle, Schönbrunn Palace and the Jesuit Church.
He was buried at the Vienna Central Cemetery. In 1885, a street in the Leopoldstadt district was named after him.


The Onedin Line

The Onedin Line is a BBC television drama series that ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham.
The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and covers the rise of a fictional shipping company, the Onedin Line, named after its owner James Onedin. Around this, it depicts the lives of his family, most notably his brother and partner Robert, a ship chandler, and his sister Elizabeth, giving insight into the lifestyle and customs at the time, not only at sea, but also ashore (mostly lower- and upper-middle-class). The series also illustrates some of the changes in business and shipping, such as from wooden to steel ships and from sailing ships to steamships. It shows the role that ships played in such matters as international politics, uprisings and the slave trade.
Overview.
Classic BBC drama series set in 19th century Liverpool, and narrating the changing fortunes of the ambitious Captain James Onedin and his family. A 55-minute pilot episode for the series aired as part of BBC One's Drama Playhouse strand on 7 December 1970, produced by Anthony Coburn.
Series 1 (1971).
Series 1 played from 15 October 1971 to 28 January 1972 (15 × 50 min episodes).
The series opens in 1860 Liverpool, as 28-year-old Onedin establishes a new shipping company, marrying the owner of a ship to do so. Main characters and story are introduced. Narrative unfolds around historically contemporary events, such as a Phylloxera outbreak affecting Portuguese wine, establishing a theme of incorporating real events around the fictitious family drama.
Series 2 (1972).
Series 2 played from 17 September to 31 December 1972 (14 × 50 min episodes)
Series 3 (1973).
Series 3 played from 21 October 1973 to 27 January 1974 (13 × 50 min episodes)
Series 4 (1976).
Series 4 played from 25 April to 27 June 1976 (10 × 50 min episodes)
Series 5 (1977).
Series 5 played from 26 June to 28 August 1977 (10 × 50 min episodes)
Series 6 (1978).
Series 6 played from 18 July to 17 September 1978 (10 × 50 min episodes)
Series 7 (1979).
Series 7 played from 22 July to 23 September 1979 (10 × 50 min episodes)
Series 8 (1980).
Series 8 played from 31 August to 26 October 1980 (9 × 50 min episodes)
Characters.
Main.
James Onedin (Peter Gilmore), the younger son of Samuel Onedin, a miserly ship chandler, who left his money to his elder son Robert. He was a penniless sea captain with aspirations to greater things. In order to become a ship-owner, he married Anne Webster, who was some years his senior. She was the spinster daughter of Captain Joshua Webster (James Hayter), owner of the topsail schooner "Charlotte Rhodes". At first, it was purely a business transaction on Onedin's part; but a warmer relationship gradually developed. On her death, at the end of the second series, James had come to love her. James considered two possible replacement brides: wealthy widow Caroline Maudslay and the young heiress Leonora Biddulph (Kate Nelligan), before settling for his daughter's governess, Letty Gaunt (Jill Gascoine). Tragedy struck in the first year of the marriage when she, unfortunately in James's view, became pregnant. The memories of Anne always remained in his thoughts. In due course, Letty also died, of diphtheria, and, by the last series, James was married to a third wife, the exotic Margarita Juarez and was, by then, a grandfather. He was framed for theft and imprisoned. He was freed when Elizabeth, Baines, and Samuel sought evidence to clear his name. On his release, he took to the sea again with Captain Baines on business to South America that would stabilise his life for the next twenty years, only to find Margarita as a stowaway. On the voyage home, she revealed that she was pregnant and unable, as was Baines as a cargo captain, to deliver the baby, so the cook was left to do the job. A baby son was successfully delivered, with both mother and son well. James named the boy William after Captain Baines.
Anne Webster-Onedin (Anne Stallybrass), entered into the marriage in full recognition that it was a business transaction. She was the conscience of James and, when she could not take his ruthless business nature any more, left him and lived hand to mouth in the Liverpool slums, seriously affecting her health. On her reconciliation with James, she ignored the doctor's warning not to get pregnant, knowing how much James wanted a son and heir, and died giving birth to a daughter, Charlotte.
 William Baines (Howard Lang), first mate to James Onedin. Taught by Anne Onedin to read and write, he became a captain and served on all of Onedin's ships. Appalled at Onedin's business dealings and treatment of ship's crew, even though he was prepared to use his own fists to maintain discipline, he left to work for a rival shipping line for a short time but returned to Onedin. Another falling out led Baines to buy his own ship, but a fire broke out destroying the ship and killing Tom, a boy he and James took on first as a cabin boy and then as an indentured lad. Blaming James, he left again and was tricked in the plot to frame James for theft. He then helped to clear James' name. On their last voyage together, James' wife Margarita had a baby son, which was named in Baines' honour.
Elizabeth Onedin-Frazer-Fogarty (Jessica Benton), James's volatile sister, became pregnant by seafarer Daniel Fogarty (Michael Billington / Tom Adams). To avoid disgrace, she married wealthy Albert Frazer (Philip Bond), developer of steamship technology and heir to the Frazer shipyards, a connection James soon turned to his own advantage. Elizabeth gave birth to a son, William Frazer. The marriage was unhappy and Albert took trips away on business, finally settling in South America where he died. Albert's father died leaving his shipyards and shipping line to Elizabeth for William to inherit on coming of age so the Frazer's name would live on. Daniel Fogarty returned from Australia, where he had amassed a fortune, and married Elizabeth, whom he still loved, to help and advise his son, who retained the name Frazer. Elizabeth and Daniel became estranged as their business interests differed and he rose in political circles to become ambassador to Turkey. She refused to go with him and remained to run "Frazers". As time went by, a reconciliation between Elizabeth and Daniel was in the offering as they exchanged letters and Daniel resigned as Ambassador. On his return to Liverpool, his ship was in a collision and he was declared missing.
Robert Onedin (Brian Rawlinson/James Garbutt (one series)), James's older brother, took after their father and counted coppers in the family ship chandlers, though he later expanded it into a profitable department store after visiting the United States to see new methods of selling. He and his wife Sarah had one son, Samuel, who at first cared more for the sea and ships than shopkeeping. Robert was elected as a Member of Parliament and he and Sarah moved to a smart new residence, but his life abruptly came to an end when he choked on a bone at a family dinner.
Sarah Onedin (Mary Webster), wife of Robert, was always looking to improve her station in life as her husband status rose. She was upset how her husband's brother James borrowed money from him to further his own ambitions. When her husband died, she and her son Samuel ran the business. She was shocked when her son married Charlotte after William got her pregnant. Sarah made attempts to contact Robert through a medium, despite her son Samuel's objections. She almost married the fortune-hunting Captain Dampier. She was last heard of as having undertaken a tour of the world.
Letty Gaunt-Onedin (Jill Gascoine) was employed as governess to James's daughter Charlotte. She reconciled the two and grew to love James, while his feelings were initially repressed by memories of his first wife Anne. Letty started her own business employing, at a fair wage, women whose men were out of work. James, recognizing that she was a force in her own right, softened and they married with his proviso, remembering Anne's death, that they had no children. Letty fell pregnant, as did Charlotte by her cousin William, and James returned from a voyage to discover that, like Anne before, she was having a difficult childbirth. The baby, James's male heir, died. Charlotte had a baby boy, Robert. Letty threw herself into work and built a house for foundlings of prostitutes and destitute women to the disbelief of prominent townsfolk. After some time, diphtheria broke out amongst the children at the home; Letty nursed the children and died from the disease.
The cousins.
The cousins were all born within months of each other and Charlotte as a young child moved between Elizabeth Fraser and Sarah Onedin' home, and her aunt Mary's homes.
Charlotte Onedin (Laura Hartong), her mother Anne died when she was born and as a young child felt rejected by her father James as the cause of the death of her mother. Reconciled with her father by Letty her governess who married her father. She fell in love with her cousin William Frazer, but he abandoned her when she became pregnant by him. Instead, she married her other cousin, Samuel Onedin, who initially loved her. She had two children, Robert (by William) and Anne by Samuel. Following William's death, Charlotte and the now successful Samuel were increasingly unhappy and Charlotte ran off with Seth Burgess (Michael Walker), a sea captain who owed money and his ship to James. Her father pursued her and she realized that her sea captain had no feelings for her when Burgess traded the ship for her. She returned to England with her father suffering a serious head injury when hit by a falling block and tackle. Samuel divorced Charlotte, citing her infidelity with Seth Burgess. Charlotte, after staying with her aunt, left to take up a career as an actress and music hall singer "The Lancashire Rose" much to the horror of her father; although alleviated by the money she was earning. When her father was in prison, she returned home to help run the business and had secret meetings with Samuel to discuss their children.
William Frazer (Marc Harrison), the result of a relationship between Elizabeth and Daniel Fogarty. Elizabeth married Albert Frazer before he was born and Albert brought him up as his own son. As a young man, he came under the influence of Josiah Beaumont (Warren Clarke), an ambitious banker. Daniel Fogarty returned to marry Elizabeth and together they thwarted the plans of Beaumont. Denied access to his son by a bitter Samuel and Charlotte. Shortly afterwards, William was killed by a runaway horse and wagon.
Samuel Onedin (Christopher Douglas), son of Robert and Sarah and heir to his father's department store. As a youngster, he grew up with William and Charlotte and was more interested in the sea and ships. He became a stowaway on one of James's ships. On his father's death, he began to run the department store with his mother. Always fond of Charlotte, he married her when she became pregnant with William's baby. Charlotte never reciprocated his feelings, leading to an acrimonious parting after she went off with a sea captain leaving her two children. After a trip to the United States, he returned with a new bride, Caroline. An heiress to a fortune, she immediately put Charlotte in her place by taking full control of the children's upbringing. When Caroline's ambitions for Samuel's election as an MP in Daniel Fogarty's seat failed, she grew colder. Samuel secretly saw Charlotte.
The "Charlotte Rhodes".
In the TV series James Onedin’s first ship, the "Charlotte Rhodes", was portrayed by a schooner of the same name, built in 1904 in Fjellebroens Shipyard, Denmark, by F. Hoffman. She appeared in the series from 1971 until 1976. Later the ship became unseaworthy so she was dropped from the series. While some sources suggest she was replaced by another schooner called "Kathleen and May", there is nothing in that ship’s history to support this. The original "Charlotte Rhodes" was a victim of arson in the mid/late '70s in Holland before the end of the series. The first link between the "Kathleen & May" and the "Charlotte Rhodes" was not made until 2005.
The topsail schooner "Charlotte Rhodes" was originally owned by Captain Joshua Webster. His spinster daughter Anne was married by James Onedin, in order to become a ship-owner. A shrewd and often ruthless operator, James soon built up a fleet, assisted by the loyal Mr (later Captain) Baines (Howard Lang). His other sailing ships included the "Pampero", the "Medusa", the "Søren Larsen", the "Neptune", the "Falcon", the "Trident", the "Osprey", the "Orphia", the "Oberon", the "Osiris", the steamship "Shearwater", the "Christian Radich", the "Thorsoe", the steamer "Black Pearl", the "Jenny Peak" renamed the "Letty Gaunt", the "Ondine", the "Orlando", the "Star of Bethlehem", the "Teawynd" and the "Lady Lazenby". He also initiated the building of a steamship, the "Anne Onedin" (until the death of his wife, to be named the "Golden Nugget").
Production.
Conception.
Series creator Cyril Abraham had originally envisaged "The Onedin Line" as being about a modern shipping company with its boardroom battles and seagoing adventures, but then he discovered that almost all such companies were run by boards of anonymous executives. However, he noticed that most of these companies had their origins in the 19th century, mostly started by one shrewd and far-sighted individual who, through his own business acumen, built up a shipping line from nothing. Abraham stated that James Onedin was not based on one individual but was rather an amalgamation of several characters. Suggested real-life inspirations include Victorian era shipping line owner James Baines & Co. of Liverpool (a leading character in the series was named 'Captain Baines'), Sir Samuel Cunard and various members of the Allan Line family.
An article in "Woman" magazine published in July 1973 featured an interview with Cyril Abraham in which he recalled how he came up with the very unusual family name Onedin.
He wanted something unique. He had decided to call the leading male character James but still had not found a surname when the BBC agreed to film the story. Then some inspiration - he said:
The programme was recorded in Dartmouth, Devon, as well as certain scenes in Exeter, Falmouth and Gloucester (many of the dock scenes). The last series was filmed in Pembroke Dock, Wales, where the 18th-century naval dockyard and surrounding streets became Liverpool, and various coastal locations in the Pembrokeshire area substituted for Turkey and Portugal.
Due to its popularity in Sweden, the series inspired the name for a real-life shipping line in Stockholm, the Ånedin-Linjen, founded in 1973, which until recently operated cruises in the Baltic.
Music.
The music behind the opening credits of the series is an excerpt from the Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia from the ballet "Spartacus" by Aram Khachaturian. Other background music includes excerpts from Ralph Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 2 'London', Symphony No. 5 & Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, Manuel de Falla's The Three-Cornered Hat, Gustav Holst's Fugal Overture, Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 and Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 1 and Jean Sibelius's Tapiola, symphonic poem for orchestra.
Traditional music, including folk songs and sea shanties in particular, are heard in abundance throughout the series, including such songs as "The Maid of Amsterdam," "Ruben Ranzo," "South Australia," "Maggie May," "The Sailor's Hornpipe," "Botany Bay," "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes," "A Hundred Years Ago," "Blow the Man Down," and "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at".
Vessels.
Among the historic ships and boats featured in the series was the steam pinnace "Hero", then owned and lent by John Player & Sons, and the following tall ships:
Actors.
The series made the careers of Peter Gilmore, who played "James", Anne Stallybrass, who played "Anne", and Howard Lang, who played "Captain William Baines", as well as being an important break for Jill Gascoine ("Letty Gaunt"), Warren Clarke ("Josiah Beaumont"), Kate Nelligan ("Leonora Biddulph") and Jane Seymour ("Emma Callon").
Other regular cast members included Jessica Benton ("Elizabeth Frazer"), Brian Rawlinson and James Garbutt ("Robert Onedin"), Mary Webster, ("Sarah Onedin"), Michael Billington / Tom Adams ("Daniel Fogarty").
Other featured cast members included Philip Bond ("Albert Frazer"), Edward Chapman ("Thomas Callon"), James Warwick ("Edmund Callon"), John Phillips ("Jack Frazer"), Caroline Harris ("Caroline Maudslay"), James Hayter ("Captain Joshua Webster"), Ken Hutchison ("Matt Harvey"), Laura Hartong ("Charlotte Onedin"), Marc Harrison ("William Frazer"), Christopher Douglas ("Samuel Onedin"), Roberta Iger ("Margarita Onedin"), Jenny Twigge ("Caroline Onedin"), Cyril Shaps ("Braganza"), Hilda Braid ("Miss Simmonds"), David Garfield ("Samuel Plimsoll"), Robert James ("Rowland Biddulph"), Sylvia Coleridge ("Mrs Salt"), Sonia Dresdel ("Lady Lazenby"), Nicolette Roeg ("Ada Gamble"), John Rapley ("Dunwoody"), Stephanie Bidmead ("Mrs Darling"), John Sharp ("Uncle Percy Spendilow"), Heather Canning ("Mrs Arkwright"), Keith Jayne ("Tom Arnold"), Frederick Jaeger ("Max van der Rheede"), Edward Judd ("Manuel Ortega"), Elizabeth Chambers ("Miss Gladstone"), Jack Watson ("Dr Darling"), Paul Lavers ("Francis Polter/David Teal") and Maurice Colbourne ("Viscount Marston").
Victoria Thomas is a female child actress who played "Charlotte Onedin" in "Month of the Albatross", "A Clear Conscience" and "Undercurrent".
Novels.
There are six novels based on the series.
The first five are all by the series creator, Cyril Abraham:
The books are not straightforward novelisations of the television episodes, since the author introduced additional material and also changed a number of details, though dialogue from the series that Abraham had penned himself is utilised. In print, Elizabeth's child is conceived in a private room above a restaurant, not on the "Charlotte Rhodes"; George Callon lasted considerably longer and died in bed after suffering a stroke, not in a warehouse fire; Emma was Callon's daughter, not his niece;
Captain Webster remarried, his new partner being the irrepressible old crone Widow Malloy, an entertaining character with a repertoire of coarse remarks; Albert did not abscond to Patagonia but died aboard ship following his involvement in retrieving a kidnapped Elizabeth from Daniel Fogarty; Caroline Maudslay and Matt Harvey were omitted altogether (though Matt did appear in a short story - see below); Jack Frazer's life was extended and he lived to see both Emma's death and Daniel's return from Australia, though his television discovery that William was not his grandson never took place.
The sixth novel, "The Turning Tide" (1980) , was written by Bruce Stewart. This deviated even more from the television series and probably from Cyril Abraham's intentions as well. Letty was depicted as a jealous harpy aiming unpleasant remarks at Charlotte; Elizabeth and Daniel ended up emigrating to Australia permanently and James became the owner of the Frazer Line.
A series of Onedin short stories by Cyril Abraham, set between Series Two and Series Three, appeared in "Woman" magazine in 1973. The first one was called "For The Love Of A Lady"; the final one was entitled "The Choice". The plots involved: two of James' crew who were rivals for the same woman; Robert's encounter with the attractive Amelia; a social gathering that revolves around the naming of the first Onedin steamship;an appearance by Sarah's destitute sister Constance, who is on the streets; the first appearance in James' life of Leonora Biddulph.
A later tale by Abraham, "For Love of the Onedins", appeared in a short-lived magazine called "tvlife". This story, covering Leonora's wedding, occurs between Series Three and Series Four and features Matt Harvey, who was Elizabeth's love interest during the fourth series. There is a slanging match between Elizabeth and Sarah, who each disparage the circumstances of the other's wedding day until Leonora intervenes to restore peace. Cyril Abraham had planned to write a whole series of novels about the Onedin Line, but he died in 1979 after completing the fifth book, "The White Ships".
The story was eventually to have seen James and Elizabeth as two wizened old autocrats, both determined not to relinquish their hold on the shipping business. James would have died as a very old man, leaving the family divided over control of the company. Cyril Abraham had intended the Onedin saga to continue right up to the 1970s.
Additional books.
In June 1977, "The World of The Onedin Line" by Alison McLeay was published. The hardback book () was a historical and factual look at the world and places in which "The Onedin Line" was set.
Peter Graham Scott's autobiography "British Television: An Insider's Story" (McFarland & Company, 2000) includes a full (25-page) chapter on the setting-up of the series and his time as producer (and occasional director/writer) on the first 42 episodes, along with six behind-the-scenes black-and-white photos.
Broadcasts.
The pilot was produced by Anthony Coburn and was broadcast as a one-off BBC Drama Playhouse production on 7 December 1970. It was announced in September 2010 that a copy of pilot episode was discovered in the American Library of Congress. Until the discovery it was thought that there was no recording of the episode in existence.
The story and the cast were basically the same as the resulting series with the exception of Sheila Allen playing Anne Webster/Onedin; Anne Stallybrass took over the part for the series. The series was originally aired in the United Kingdom by the BBC, from 15 October 1971 to 26 October 1980. In the Netherlands, broadcasts started in 1972.
In the mid '80s, the BBC repeated the series in a daytime slot. From 1992 UK Gold repeated the series in full, ending repeats in 1998, before moving to sister channel UK Gold Classics in October 1998 when that channel was launched, although it was only available on Sky Digital on weekends between 6pm-2am and the showing only lasted around six months.
In 2000 it reappeared on UK Drama and has been repeated in full on that channel in more recent years.In 2007 MAX restarted a broadcast of the first series, with one episode every weekday (Monday through Friday), starting 10 July 2007. The UK digital channel Yesterday began running the whole series from 27 July 2010. As with many of the vintage series run by the channel, the episodes are slightly cut, from the c.50m length standard in the 1970s to the c.46m standard on Yesterday. As of 6 January 2018, the UKTV channel Drama began repeating the series from the first episode at the rate of four episodes a week.
Contribution to Romanian revolution.
The programme was extremely popular in Romania, but following his visit to North Korea the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu opted to replace the programme (and other popular shows) with broadcasts designed to show off the success of his policies. Consequently, the population tuned into foreign stations to follow the series. In 1989 these channels carried news broadcasts of events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, which were absent from Romanian television news. This in turn contributed to the uprising which brought down the Ceaușescu regime.
Home media.
Home video versions of the series have been made available in various versions over the years. For series one, edited versions were made available by BBC Video on VHS in the 1990s. These edited masters saw a re-release in the UK on DVD from Universal Playback in 2003. The Australian (from ABC) and Dutch (from Memphis Belle) DVD versions of series one also derive from these edited versions. In North America, Canadian company BFS Video released the first four episodes uncut on VHS in 2001, with these and the next four episodes arriving on DVD in two double-disc sets two years later.
It would not be until 2007 that all 15 episodes of the first series became available uncut on DVD, in the UK from 2 entertain in a four-disc set.
Series two follows a similar pattern, with edited versions arriving on VHS and DVD in the UK from the same companies listed above. The version from the Netherlands is sourced from the same masters. The Australian version, however, has all 14 episodes uncut on four discs, and was released in 2008.
Series three to eight are available on DVD from Memphis Belle in the Netherlands, and all are uncut. All series are also available in Germany.
Series three and four are available uncut in the UK and Australia.
In summary, all current DVD editions are uncut apart from the Australian series one and the Dutch series one and two. The earlier edited UK versions of the first two series are still available from a number of sites.


Through the Desert

Through the Desert is a German-style board game designed by Reiner Knizia. It was originally released in 1998 by German game publisher, Kosmos, under the name "Durch die Wüste". Players place pastel colored plastic camels on a hexagon-based board in an attempt to score points by capturing watering holes and reaching oases.
Gameplay.
Before the game starts, the board is seeded with watering holes and oases. Each player then places one camel in each of the five colors with a caravan leader of their color on the board.
On a player's turn, he places two additional camels of any color on the board. A camel must be played adjacent to a camel of the same color and that group of camels must include the player's caravan leader. A player may never combine two different groups of the same colored camels.
During the game, players score points by placing a camel on top of a watering hole or playing a camel adjacent to an oasis. At the end of the game, players score points for the longest caravan (most camels) of each color and for areas that have been enclosed by one of their caravans.
The game ends when the supply of camels for any one color has been exhausted. The player with the most points wins.


Vera; or, The Nihilists

Vera; or, The Nihilists is a play by Oscar Wilde. It is a tragedy set in Russia and is loosely based on the life of Vera Zasulich. It was Wilde's first play, and the first to be performed. A draft of the script was completed in 1880 and the following year arrangements were made for a one-off staging in London with Mrs. Bernard-Beere in the title role, but the production was cancelled. The first performance was in 1883 at New York’s Union Square Theatre, and was based on revisions made by Wilde while lecturing in America in 1882. The play, which starred Marie Prescott as Vera, was not a success and folded after only one week. It is rarely revived.
Production history.
At the time of writing, the reform-minded Tsar Alexander II was involved in a struggle with revolutionaries who sought to assassinate him (and eventually succeeded). Though none of Wilde's characters correspond to actual Russian people of the time, the above situation was well-known both to Wilde and to the audience for which he was writing. It has been suggested that the plot was inspired by true events. In 1878, three years before the play's completion, Vera Zasulich shot the Governor of St Petersburg, Trepov. Wilde described himself as a Socialist, although Ellmann describes his Socialism as more "a general hatred of tyranny" than a specific political belief.
Marie Prescott and her husband, Mr Perzel purchased the rights to perform the play, and she was the leading actress in its first performance at the Union Square Theatre. Wilde travelled to America for the second time in his life specifically to oversee the production.
The play was withdrawn after one week. Mr Perzel stated to newspapers "the play is withdrawn simply because it did not pay," citing that he had lost $2,500 on the piece the previous week. He also implied that he had hoped Wilde himself would lecture between the acts, allowing him to capitalise on Wilde's popularity as a public speaker.
Plot.
"Dramatis Personae".
PERSONS IN THE PROLOGUE.
PERSONS IN THE PLAY.
"Nihilists."
Soldiers, Conspirators, &c.
Prologue.
Vera is a barmaid in her father's tavern, which is situated along a road to the prison camps in Siberia. A gang of prisoners stop at the tavern. Vera immediately recognises her brother Dmitri as one of the prisoners. He begs her to go to Moscow and join the Nihilists, a terrorist group trying to assassinate the Czar, and avenge his imprisonment. She and her father's manservant Michael leave to join the Nihilists.
Act I.
Five years later, Vera has become the Nihilists' top assassin, and is wanted across Europe. She is in love with a fellow Nihilist named Alexis: however, Nihilists are sworn never to marry. A Nihilist meeting is nearly broken up by soldiers, but Alexis thwarts the soldiers by revealing his true identity: he is the Tsarevich, heir to the Russian throne. This act earns him the further admiration of Vera and the hatred of the Nihilists.
Act II.
At a council meeting, Tsar Ivan and his cruel epigrammatic minister Prince Paul Maraloffski criticise Tsarovitch Alexis's democratic leanings, but the Tsar is assassinated by Michael after the Tsarovitch opens the window.
Act III.
Alexis ascends the throne and exiles Prince Paul Maraloffski, not to Siberia, but to Paris. Maraloffski joins the Nihilists to kill Alexis. The task of assassinating the Tsar is given to Vera. She must infiltrate the palace, stab the Tsar and throw the dagger out the window as a signal to Nihilist agents below. If she does not, the agents will break in and kill him. Vera is reluctant to kill the man she loves, though.
Act IV.
Alexis returns to the palace after his coronation, intending to end injustice in Russia during his reign. Vera enters the palace, knife at the ready. Alexis asks her to marry him. She accepts, but then she hears the agents outside crying out for the signal. She stabs herself and throws the dagger out the window, and the agent departs satisfied.
Critical reception.
The play’s original reception was mostly critical.
Reviewing the first production, the "New York Mirror" described it as "among the highest order of plays," "masterly," and "the noblest contribution to its literature the stage has received in many years". Other newspapers reviews were very critical: "Long-drawn dramatic rot" ("New York Herald"), "wearisome" ("New York Times"), and "little better than fizzle" ("New York Tribune"). "Punch" printed that it was "from all accounts, except the Poet's own, Vera Bad". Pilot, meanwhile, complimented the script, and laid blame on Prescott as an "inferior actress".
Since its original production, "Vera" has been very rarely revived. In 1987, Wilde's biographer Richard Ellmann described "Vera" as "a wretched play," yet noted that "it did not fall disastrously below the standard set by drama in a century when, as Stendhal said, plays could not be written."