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Humans have been writing by hand for thousands of years. 人类用手书写已有数千年历史。 Since ancient times, people have used every tool imaginable to share information, do business, and keep records. 自古以来,人们就使用一切可以想象到的工具来共享信息、开展业务和保存记录。 But as computers took over the job and the type-written word became more common, something was lost in the process; namely, the charm and personal nature of a hand-written note or letter. 但随着计算机接管了这项工作,打字文字变得越来越普遍,一些东西在这个过程中丢失了。 即手写便条或信件的魅力和个性。Now, letter writing is making a comeback in the form of artificial intelligence-operated robots. These AI robots can write notes for humans in their own handwriting. 现在,写信正以人工智能操作的机器人的形式卷土重来。 这些人工智能机器人可以用自己的笔迹为人类写笔记。 David Wachs is the head and founder of Handwrytten. He said businesses use his company's robots for handwritten letters and “thank-you” notes to create a strong and personal connection with those who receive them. David Wachs 是 Handwrytten 的负责人和创始人。 他说,企业使用他公司的机器人来手写信件和“感谢”便条,以与收信人建立牢固的个人联系。 Many non-profit organizations also use handwritten letters to keep donations coming. It helps turn one-time givers, or donors, into yearly givers, Wachs explained. 许多非营利组织还使用手写信件来持续捐款。 沃克斯解释说,它有助于将一次性捐赠者或捐赠者转变为每年一次的捐赠者。 Wachs added, “I think what's old is new again.” 沃克斯补充道:“我认为旧的又是新的。”Automated letter writing is not new. Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. President, often used a polygraph created by British inventor John Isaac Hawkins. Jefferson considered the device the greatest invention of his time. It let him make copies of his letters to keep for his own records. 自动写信并不是什么新鲜事。 美国第三任总统托马斯·杰斐逊经常使用英国发明家约翰·艾萨克·霍金斯发明的测谎仪。 杰斐逊认为该装置是他那个时代最伟大的发明。 这让他可以复印信件作为自己的记录。 Charles Morrill is a historian and professional woodworker who worked as a guide for several years at Monticello, Jefferson's Virginia home from 1770 until his death in 1826. Morrill said about the polygraph, “Jefferson falls in love with this and it becomes in many ways the hobby of his presidency...He keeps buying machines and exchanges ones that are not quite perfect for the next one that's a little bit better.” 查尔斯·莫里尔 (Charles Morrill) 是一位历史学家和专业木工,从 1770 年起一直在杰斐逊位于弗吉尼亚州蒙蒂塞洛的家中担任向导数年,直到他于 1826 年去世。莫里尔谈到测谎仪时说道:“杰斐逊爱上了它,它在很多方面都成为了 这是他总统任期内的爱好……他不断购买机器,并将不太完美的机器换成下一台稍微好一点的机器。” The president had more than ten of the devices at one point, Morrill added. Using what he considered wonderful technology, historians say Jefferson went on to write almost 20,000 letters in his lifetime. 莫里尔补充说,总统曾一度拥有十多个设备。 历史学家称,杰斐逊一生中使用他认为出色的技术写了近 20,000 封信。In a January 15, 1809 letter to Charles Willson Peale, who worked with Hawkins to develop and perfect the machine, Jefferson wrote: “The use of the polygraph has spoiled me for the old copying press the copies of which are hardly ever legible,” adding, “I could not, now therefore, live without the Polygraph.” 1809 年 1 月 15 日,杰斐逊在写给与霍金斯一起开发和完善该机器的查尔斯·威尔森·皮尔 (Charles Willson Peale) 的信中写道:“测谎仪的使用让我对老式复印机宠坏了,因为它的复印件几乎无法辨认。” 补充道,“因此,现在我不能没有测谎仪。” Morrill remembered that a visitor once told him, “What is it about you Americans and this new, new thing? Other cultures aren't like this. You Americans are just so absolutely convinced that the next new thing is going to do it; the latest software, the latest computer, the latest phone.” 莫里尔记得,一位访客曾经告诉他:“你们美国人和这个新事物有什么关系? 其他文化并非如此。 你们美国人绝对相信下一个新事物将会做到这一点; 最新的软件、最新的电脑、最新的手机。” “And I think this kind of begins with Jefferson,” Morrill added. “我认为这要从杰斐逊开始,”莫里尔补充道。Handwriting technology has greatly changed since Jefferson's time. 自杰斐逊时代以来,手写技术发生了巨大变化。 Wachs says such technology now includes 3D printing and laser cutting, among others. And if users need help thinking of exactly what to write in their notes, they can choose AI to help them create a more effective message. Wachs 表示,此类技术现在包括 3D 打印和激光切割等。 如果用户需要帮助思考到底要在笔记中写什么,他们可以选择人工智能来帮助他们创建更有效的信息。 Whether via the printing press or the polygraph, a computer or a robot, one thing is clear… humans will use whatever tool they have to express themselves through the printed word. 无论是通过印刷机还是测谎仪、计算机还是机器人,有一件事是明确的……人类将使用他们拥有的任何工具通过印刷文字来表达自己。
It was meant to be a spectacle. And it was. But not in the way intended. In this episode, author and historian Eliga Gould tells the incredible story of Charles Willson Peale's Triumphal Arch, built to celebrate the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the American Revolution and established international recognition of the United States. Monticello's Gaye Wilson and Hannah Zimmerman join in for our look into this pivotal yet often forgotten moment in American history, where art, celebration, and tragedy intertwined.
It was meant to be a spectacle. And it was. But not in the way intended. In this episode, author and historian Eliga Gould tells the incredible story of Charles Willson Peale's Triumphal Arch, built to celebrate the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the American Revolution and established international recognition of the United States. Monticello's Gaye Wilson and Hannah Zimmerman join in for our look into this pivotal yet often forgotten moment in American history, where art, celebration, and tragedy intertwined.
In this unique episode, we engage in a conversation with Salina B. Baker, an accomplished author of historical fiction, who has received multiple awards for her work. Additionally, she is a historian specializing in the American Revolution and Victorian America.She has just released an outstanding novel titled "The Line of Splendor: A Novel of Nathanael Greene and the American Revolution." In our conversation, we delve into the intricate relationship between General Greene and his close French ally, the Marquis de La Fayette. This profound friendship holds significance not only for the two men but also for the broader context of the American Revolution, symbolizing the enduring and meaningful connection between France and the United States of America in various aspects.Timecodes:Introduction03:01 - Meet Nathanael Greene09:57 - Greene and La Fayette20:40 - Working Together27:39 - Fighting for the Cause30:41 - Friends after the War40:16 - ConclusionMusic: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche.Artwork: "Nathanael Greene in General uniform" by Charles Willson Peale (left) and "The young Marquis de Lafayette wearing his uniform as Major General of the Continental Army" by Charles Willson Peale (right).Recommended link: Salina B. Baker's website (https://www.salinabbaker.com/)Support the showReach out, support the show and give me feedback! Follow the podcast on social media Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify Become a patron on Patreon to support the show Buy me a Coffee Get beautiful “La Fayette, We are Here!” merchandise from TeePublic
Photo: Mrs. James Smith and Grandson, 1776, by Charles Willson Peale, Smithsonian American Art Museum 8/8 The Cause: The American Revolution and its Discontents, 1773-1783, by Joseph J. Ellis, Ph.D. Hardcover – September 21, 2021 https://www.amazon.com/Cause-American-Revolution-Discontents-1773-1783/dp/1631498983 • New York Times Book Review ― Editors' Choice • Chicago Tribune ― "60 Best Reads for Right Now" • St. Louis Post-Dispatch ― "50 Fall Books You Should Consider Reading" A culminating work on the American founding by one of its leading historians, The Cause rethinks the American Revolution as we have known it. In one of the most “exciting and engaging” (Gordon S. Wood) histories of the American founding in decades, the Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Joseph J. Ellis offers an epic account of the origins and clashing ideologies of America's revolutionary era, recovering a war more brutal, and more disorienting, than any other in our history, save perhaps the Civil War. For more than two centuries, historians have debated the history of the American Revolution, disputing its roots, its provenance and, above all, its meaning. These questions have intrigued Ellis―one of our most celebrated scholars of American history―throughout his entire career. With this much-anticipated volume, he at last brings the story of the revolution to vivid life, with “surprising relevance” (Susan Dunn) for our modern era. Completing a trilogy of books that began with Founding Brothers, The Cause returns us to the very heart of the American founding, telling the military and political story of the war for independence from the ground up and from all sides: British and American, loyalist and patriot, white and Black. Taking us from the end of the Seven Years' War to 1783, and drawing on a wealth of previously untapped sources, The Cause interweaves action-packed tales of North American military campaigns with parlor-room intrigues back in England, creating a thrilling narrative that brings together a cast of familiar and long-forgotten characters. Here Ellis recovers the stories of Catherine Littlefield Greene, wife of Major General Nathanael Greene, the sister among the “band of brothers”; Thayendanegea, a Mohawk chief known to the colonists as Joseph Brant, who led the Iroquois Confederation against the Patriots; and Harry Washington, the enslaved namesake of George Washington, who escaped Mount Vernon to join the British Army and fight against his former master.
Before photography, when portrait painting remained expensive but technology was changing how people saw the world, silhouettes – the shadow-like images created from projections and paper – were having a moment. A craze, in fact. Affordable, reproducible, and surprisingly faithful, silhouettes served as valued reminders of friends, family, and loved ones, and Jefferson displayed several at Monticello. Hoping to take advantage of a growing market, renowned portraitist, Charles Willson Peale, used a newly-invented device to simplify their production. Peale hoped his silhouette-making service would attract visitors to his private museum in Philadelphia, PA, driving revenue from both sales and admission. But it was perhaps his young enslaved servant Moses Williams, who learned to operate the new machine and took a cut (so to speak) from each sale, that profited most, using his income to buy his freedom and build a livelihood and a home.
Before photography, when portrait painting remained expensive but technology was changing how people saw the world, silhouettes – the shadow-like images created from projections and paper – were having a moment. A craze, in fact. Affordable, reproducible, and surprisingly faithful, silhouettes served as valued reminders of friends, family, and loved ones, and Jefferson displayed several at Monticello. Hoping to take advantage of a growing market, renowned portraitist, Charles Willson Peale, used a newly-invented device to simplify their production. Peale hoped his silhouette-making service would attract visitors to his private museum in Philadelphia, PA, driving revenue from both sales and admission. But it was perhaps his young enslaved servant Moses Williams, who learned to operate the new machine and took a cut (so to speak) from each sale, that profited most, using his income to buy his freedom and build a livelihood and a home.
Before photography, when portrait painting remained expensive but technology was changing how people saw the world, silhouettes – the shadow-like images created from projections and paper – were having a moment. A craze, in fact. Affordable, reproducible, and surprisingly faithful, silhouettes served as valued reminders of friends, family, and loved ones, and Jefferson displayed several at Monticello. Hoping to take advantage of a growing market, renowned portraitist, Charles Willson Peale, used a newly-invented device to simplify their production. Peale hoped his silhouette-making service would attract visitors to his private museum in Philadelphia, PA, driving revenue from both sales and admission. But it was perhaps his young enslaved servant Moses Williams, who learned to operate the new machine and took a cut (so to speak) from each sale, that profited most, using his income to buy his freedom and build a livelihood and a home.
Before photography, when portrait painting remained expensive but technology was changing how people saw the world, silhouettes – the shadow-like images created from projections and paper – were having a moment. A craze, in fact. Affordable, reproducible, and surprisingly faithful, silhouettes served as valued reminders of friends, family, and loved ones, and Jefferson displayed several at Monticello. Hoping to take advantage of a growing market, renowned portraitist, Charles Willson Peale, used a newly-invented device to simplify their production. Peale hoped his silhouette-making service would attract visitors to his private museum in Philadelphia, PA, driving revenue from both sales and admission. But it was perhaps his young enslaved servant Moses Williams, who learned to operate the new machine and took a cut (so to speak) from each sale, that profited most, using his income to buy his freedom and build a livelihood and a home.
Author Rick Atkinson brings to life two men who played outsized roles during the founding of the United States— one a rich slave trader, the other a pamphleteer who died penniless. They both stood for liberty and equality, but their stories illustrate how the democratic ideals written into the Declaration of Independence often clash with historical reality. See the portraits we discuss: Thomas Paine, by Laurent Dabos Henry Laurens, by John Singleton Copley John Laurens, by Charles Willson Peale
Today is the 280th birthday of the American portrait artist Charles Willson Peale. You have seen his art and may not have known the name of the artist. His work helped chronicle major historical figures and events at the formation of the United States. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/waldina/message
East coast birdwatchers probably can tell you famed Philadelphians involved in birding. John Cassin, who described 194 new species of birds in his lifetime and has five species of North American birds named in his honor; Titian Ramsay Peale, son of Charles Willson Peale and meticulous illustrator of wildlife whose artworks are as highly sought as those of John James Audubon. Titian’s older and less-well-known half-sister Sophonisba Angusciola (Peale) Sellers, America’s first female ornithologist. And Witmer Stone, who worked for more than 50 years in the Ornithology Department at the Academy of Natural Sciences. But even birdwatchers may not know about the father and son oölogists Joseph Parker Norris Sr. and Jr., who had the largest collection of bird eggs in the United States. And since the show is called The Birds and the Bees, I’ll talk about Dr. John Lawrence LeConte, who was responsible for naming and describing approximately half of the insect taxa known in the United States during his lifetime, and his younger partner Dr. George Henry Horn. And physician / naturalist and entomologist Thomas Bellerby Wilson, who spent his personal fortune buying collections from around the world for the Academy of Sciences.Even if you’ve never lusted after a pair of Vortex Diamondback HD binoculars, you’ll enjoy this episode of “All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories – The Birds and the Bees.”
What was the study of nature like before Darwin? It was an integral part of the Enlightenment and was avidly pursued by early Americans such as Thomas Jefferson and the portrait artist Charles Willson Peale, who created the most famous museum of the Revolutionary era. Lee Dugatkin is both an historical scholar of the period and an eminent evolutionary scientist. His newest book on Peale’s museum, Behind the Crimson Curtain: The Rise and Fall of Peale’s Museum, helps to situate “this view of life” against the background of centuries of intellectual thought. --- Become a member of the TVOL1000 and join the Darwinian revolution Follow This View of Life on Twitter and Facebook Order the This View of Life book
Today we celebrate the Patron Saint of Beekeepers We'll also revisit the letter Jefferson wrote about gardening - it contains one of his most-quoted lines. We remember the French Landscape Architect who designed ninety percent of the public spaces in Argentina. We’ll eavesdrop on another letter from Elizabeth Lawrence - the garden writer - who also wrote the most wonderful letters. We celebrate World Mosquito Day with some Mosquito poems. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that will help you create some Inspired Gatherings in your garden. And then we’ll wrap things up with one of my favorite light-hearted poets. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today’s curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Get the Most from Your Potting Soil With These Tips | The Spruce | Jon VanZile Here's an excerpt: "Most soil mixes are peat-based, often made with reed or sedge peat, and pH adjusted with lime. They are rich and loamy fresh out of the bag, and often they are enhanced with fertilizer or water-retention crystals. If you've been gardening for a long time, though, you may notice that plants rarely thrive in these kinds of soils for too long. This happens because peat-based soils really aren't designed for long-term use. They're not actually designed for plants at all—they're made for your convenience. They're cheaper to produce, and they are lightweight and easy to bag and sell. As these soils decompose, a number of negative forces will affect your plants. Take these steps to ensure your plants have the soil they need: Improve your bagged soil. It's not a long-term fix, but you can improve on peat-based growing mixes by mixing in a few handfuls of perlite. It won't slow the decomposition rate of the peat, but it will increase aeration. Flush the soil thoroughly every month, at a minimum. Take the plant to the kitchen sink or outside and thoroughly flush the soil to wash out accumulated salts from fertilizer and deposits from tap water. Wick your pots. Insert a wick through the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. This won't help with compaction, but it will wick away excess water in the pot and help drainage, thus reducing the chance of root rot. Make your own potting mix. Many growers mix up their own potting mixes based on composted bark, coconut coir, peat, perlite, vermiculite, pumice, and other soil additives. This is a more advanced option, but it is possible to build a soil that will last for two or more seasons if you make it yourself." Pass-Along Plants "You don't have a garden just for yourself. You have it to share." — Augusta Carter, Master Gardener, Pound Ridge, Georgia Pass-along plants have the best stories, don't they? They have history. They have a personal history. One of my student gardeners had a grandmother who recently passed away from breast cancer. Her mom was no green thumb. But, when her daughter started working in my garden, she let me know that her mom had some plants, and her dad was looking for a place for them. Would I be willing to take one? Sure. Absolutely, I said. Next thing I knew, a few weeks later, Mom is walking up to my driveway, caring one of the largest Jade plants I’ve ever seen. The plant was in a container the size of a 5-gallon paint bucket, and the plant was just as tall. I took the plant from her with a promise to take good care of it. When she turned to leave, I asked her mom’s name. I like to name my pass-along plants after the people I get them from; and, that’s when the tears started. When she left, I brought it over to the potting bench and let it sit for a few days. Then, my student gardeners and I set about dividing it and taking care of it. It was a good thing we did it - because the minute we started to take it out of the pot, it became very apparent that this plant was severely waterlogged. It wouldn’t have made it have a knot rescued it from the pot. We removed as much potting soil as we could. We split the plant in half and put them into separate clay pots, which were very heavily perlited, which was just what the doctor ordered. It’s the perfect environment, and now it’s doing fantastic. But, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it had a little more special meaning to me than just your typical jade plant -because of the look on this woman’s face when she gave me this plant; passing on this little, living thing that her mom had nurtured. Pick herbs for fresh use and also for drying. Most herbs have a more concentrated flavor if they are not allowed to bolt or flower. Frequent harvesting will also accomplish that. As a bonus, harvesting encourages fresh, vigorous growth and keeps them growing longer into the season. Today is World Mosquito Day and so, today’s poems are all about the Mosquito; the Minnesota state bird. Here are a few interesting facts about mosquitos. First, only the female mosquitoes bite. The lady mosquitoes use blood protein and other compounds to help them produce and develop their eggs. Second, they are attracted to Carbon Dioxide. Mosquitos track CO2 to find their protein sources. Three, mosquitos are terrible fliers. Windy days keep mosquitos away. This is another reason why I drag a large fan around with me in the garden. The constant flow of air keeps the mosquitos at bay as well as any bug spray. Alright, that’s it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There’s no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events Today is Saint Bernard of Clairvaux‘s day; he was the patron saint of beekeepers. He's also the patron saint of bees and candlemakers St. Bernard was a doctor of the church and a French Abbot. He was apparently a fabulous preacher, with excellent speaking skills. He became known as the "honey-sweet" doctor for his honey-sweet language; he would draw people in. When he decided to become a part of the monastery, he had to give up and get up and give a testimony. History tells us that his testimony was so compelling that thirty members of his family and his friends decided to join the monastery. That’s how he became associated with bees; all that sweet talk. And it was Saint Bernard who said, "Believe me, for I know, you will find something far greater in the woods than in books. Stones and trees will teach you that which you cannot learn from the masters." 1811 On this day Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the painter and naturalist Charles Willson Peale about his farming and gardening at Monticello ("MontiCHELLo”). Here's an excerpt: “I have heard that you have retired from the city to a farm and that you give your whole time to that. Does not the Museum suffer? and is the farm as interesting? I have often thought that if heaven had given me a choice of my position and calling, it should have been on a rich spot of earth, well-watered, and near a good market for the [produce from]the garden. No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden. Such a variety of subjects, someone always coming to perfection, the failure of one thing repaired by the success of another, and instead of one harvest a continued one through the year. Under a total want of demand, except for our family table, I am still devoted to the garden. But though an old man, I am but a young gardener. Your application to whatever you are engaged in I know to be incessant. But Sundays and rainy days are always days of writing for the farmer.” 1849 Today is the birthday of the French-Argentine landscape architect Carlos Thays (“Tays”). Carlos Thays took a business trip to Argentina when he turned forty in 1889. His job was to design a park in Cordoba. The project was life-changing for Thays when Argentina unexpectedly captured his heart. He decided to move to Argentina and he spent the back half of his life in his adopted homeland. If you visit Argentina today, the green spaces in the capital city of Buenos Aires are all thanks to Carlos Thays - the tree-lined streets, the parks, the paths, and the promenades. Essentially Carlos brought the French Landscape to Argentina - one of the many reasons why the country has a strong European vibe. It’s hard to imagine a Buenos Aires without trees, and yet, that is the sight that greeted Carlos when he arrived in 1889. Carlos recognized the immediate need for trees. You know the old saying, the best time to plant a tree is thirty years ago and the second-best time is today? Well, that, essentially is a philosophy Carlos adopted. He knew that the quickest way to transform Argentina into the lush landscape we know today meant making a commitment to planting trees. Over his lifetime, Carlos planted over 1.2 million trees in the capital city. Now, the other smart decision Carlos made was to focus on native trees for his plantings. One of the most impressive trees in all of Buenos Aires is the oldest tree in the city - a massive rubber tree that the locals call El “Gran Gomero.” The crown of Gran Gomero is over 50 meters wide. In Buenos Aires alone, Carlos designed over ninety percent of the public spaces in and around the city. In addition, Carlos worked on hundreds of projects all across Argentina. But a project that was near to his heart was the creation of the Buenos Aires Botanical Garden that covers 8 hectares. The garden was established a decade after Carlos arrived in Argentina. Carlos considered the Botanical Garden to be his masterpiece. It was Charles Thays who said, “To achieve happiness, it’s better to live in a cabin in a forest, than in a palace without a garden.” 1940 On this day the garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence wrote to her sister: "I have finished [the chapter on] Summer, and I only have [the chapter on] Fall to do—which is short. I hope I can get it done quickly, and have time to rewrite after your reading. If you get back before I do [from a trip with Bessie and sister Ann], and can find time to look into my garden, will you see if Nerine undulata is in bloom? And if it is, pick it when all of the flowers are out, and put it in your refrigerator until I get back. It bloomed last year while I was gone, and I have never seen it, and it is the most exciting bulb I have. I enclose a map of where it is, and of other things that might bloom. Don’t bother about any of them—don’t look for Ridgeway [color chart]. I am taking it with me in case we get to any nurseries.…" Nerine undulata an Amaryllis. It grows 18 inches tall and has umbels of 8-12 slender, crinkled pale pink flowers, and it blooms in autumn. 1948 Today is the birthday of the man with the last name all gardeners covet - the lead singer of Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant. Unearthed Words Today is World Mosquito Day and so, today’s poems are all about the Mosquito Lovely mosquito, attacking my arm As quiet and still as a statue, Stay right where you are! I’ll do you no harm- I simply desire to pat you. Just puncture my veins and swallow your fill For, nobody’s going to swot you. Now, lovely mosquito, stay perfectly still - A SWIPE! And a SPLAT! And I GOT YOU! — Doug MacLeod, Australian author and poet, Lovely Mosquito Announcing your arrival In a high-pitch buzzing-tone. As a tactic for survival, You’re seldom on your own. Red lumps display where you have been Often felt, but rarely seen. But if I catch a glimpse of you, my little vampire chum, I’ll make sure you get what you’re due And crush you with my thumb! — David Sollis, English publisher and poet, Mosquito Grow That Garden Library French Country Cottage Inspired Gatherings by Courtney Allison This book came out in May 2020. In case you didn't know, Courtney is the author of the blog French Country Cottage and she also has a floral line with Balsam Hill. She also works as a freelance photographer and stylist for magazines. So, in short, Courtney was the perfect person to write this book. And, the only bummer is that the book was released during the pandemic. Now, what gardeners will love about this book is that Courtney shares all of her secrets for creating beautiful gatherings. And, hey, nowadays we only entertain with the people we care the most about - so we might as well make it extra special. What I love about Courtney's book is that she shares all of her gorgeous tips and tricks for elevating gatherings. she shows how to add layer and depth to all of your entertaining and her flower arrangements really set the stage. Here's what Courtney's editor wrote about this book: "Courtney provides the styling expertise to host your own French Country Cottage–inspired gathering, whether in the backyard, at the beach, under an old oak tree, or in a country barn. A simple picnic; coffee by the lake; a cheese board for friends outdoors; a bistro table for two; a long table for a formal meal―each setting exhibiting Allison’s dreamy style for you to emulate. The pièce de résistance in every venue, any setting, is the gorgeous arrangements of seasonal flowers; Courtney’s bouquets will take your breath away, from spring to fall, for outdoors and inside." This is definitely one of my favorite books for 2020. This book is 224 pages of French Country Cottage Style for gardeners. You can get a copy of French Country Cottage Inspired Gatherings by Courtney Allison and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $30 Today’s Botanic Spark 1881 Today we celebrate the birthday of the poet Edgar Albert Guest. Edgar was known as the People’s Poet during the first half of the 20th century. Edgar's poems were happy and hopeful, which is why people like them. Here’s his poem called To Plant a Garden: If your purse no longer bulges and you’ve lost your golden treasure, If at times you think you’re lonely and have hungry grown for pleasure, Don’t sit by your hearth and grumble, don’t let your mind and spirit harden. If it’s thrills of joy you wish for get to work and plant a garden! If it’s drama that you sigh for, plant a garden and you’ll get it You will know the thrill of battle fighting foes that will beset it. If you long for entertainment and for pageantry most glowing, Plant a garden and this summer spend your time with green things growing. If it’s comradeship you sight for, learn the fellowship of daisies. You will come to know your neighbor by the blossoms that he raises; If you’d get away from boredom and find new delights to look for, Learn the joy of budding pansies which you’ve kept a special nook for. If you ever think of dying and you fear to wake tomorrow, Plant a garden! It will cure you of your melancholy sorrow. Once you’ve learned to know peonies, petunias, and roses, You will find every morning some new happiness discloses
One cup Religion, 3 tsp. magical springs, a deck of playing cards, a pinch of bribery, some poop problems and a dash of Charles Willson Peale. Bake for one hour.
NPG senior historian David C. Ward discusses Charles Willson Peale.
David Barquist, curator of American decorative arts, Philadelphia Museum of Art Focusing on Charles Willson Peale’s portrait of the Cadwalader family, find out about early American portraiture and how people chose to represent themselves at the time of colonisation.
George Washington painted by Charles Willson Peale commemorates the military leadership of General Washington during the American Revolutionary war. Alice Walton, Board Chair, shares her observations of this significant American work of art with Don Bacigalupi, Executive Director of Crystal Bridges Museum.
David Ward, historian at NPG, talks about artist Charles Willson Peale
Sid Hart, senior historian at NPG, discusses a portrait of Thomas Jefferson by Charles Willson Peale