otd

1y

47 years ago today
"Oh Bondage Up Yours!" is the debut single by English punk rock band X-Ray Spex, released on this day in 1977.

#punk #punks #womenofpunk #xrayspex #polystyrene #history #punkrockhistory #otd

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1y

#OTD in 1843.

William Rowan Hamilton invents quaternions, a 3D system of complex numbers.

Important precursors to this work included Euler's four-square identity (1748) & Olinde Rodrigues' parameterization of general rotations by 4 parameters (1840), but neither of these writers treated the four-parameter rotations as an algebra. Carl Friedrich Gauss had discovered quaternions in 1819, but this work was not published until 1900.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaternion

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9942

Portrait of Sir William Rowan Hamilton.

In the image, Hamilton is shown as a mature man with a thoughtful, introspective demeanor. His face is marked by high cheekbones, a prominent brow, and deep-set eyes that reflect intellectual depth. His hair, typically dark and wavy, is styled neatly, though in some versions of his portraits it appears slightly receding, signaling the passage of time. His expression is serious, with a slight furrow in his brow, indicative of his deep intellectual pursuits.

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1y

English poet and novelist Letitia Elizabeth Landon died #OTD in 1838.

Her first major breakthrough came with The Improvisatrice and thence she developed the metrical romance towards the Victorian ideal of the Victorian monologue, influencing fellow English writers such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Alfred Tennyson and Christina Rossetti.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letitia_Elizabeth_Landon

Books about Letitia Elizabeth Landon at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/56166

#books #literature #poetry

Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–1838); variation of the original painting by Daniel Maclise.

Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L.E.L.) was a renowned English poet and novelist of the early 19th century, known for her Romantic works. In the portrait by Daniel Maclise, she is depicted with a delicate and refined appearance, typical of Romantic portraiture of the time. The original shows her seated gracefully, with soft curls framing her face, gazing thoughtfully into the distance. Her attire consists of elegant 19th-century clothing, with rich textures and details.

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1y

#OTD in 1858.

The farce Our American Cousin by the English playwright Tom Taylor is first performed at Laura Keene's Theatre in New York City, with the American Joe Jefferson in the title rôle and the English actor Edward Askew Sothern as Lord Dundreary.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_American_Cousin

Our American Cousin at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/3158

#books #literature #theatre

Photograph of Edward Askew Sothern as Lord Dundreary.

Unknown author - http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/chatterbox/2009/02/our_american_cousin_revisited.html

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1y

#OTD in 1892.

The first collection of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories from The Strand Magazine (June 1891–June 1892), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, is published by George Newnes in London; it includes Doyle's favourite, "The Adventure of the Speckled Band", which was originally published in February.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Sherlock_Holmes

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1661

#books #literature

Illustration of the Sherlock Holmes short story The Speckled Band, which appeared in The Strand Magazine in February, 1892. Original caption was "WHICH OF YOU IS HOLMES?"

Sidney Paget (1860 - 1908)

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1y

Swiss chemist Nicolas Théodore de Saussure was born #OTD in 1767.

His book Recherches chimiques sur la Végétation (1804) was the first summation of the fundamental process of photosynthesis and a major contribution to the understanding of plant physiology. In contrast to some of his predecessors in the field of photosynthesis research, Saussure based his conclusions on extensive quantitative data that he had collected.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Th%C3%A9odore_de_Saussure

#phytochemistry #photosynthesis

Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure (14 October 1767 - 18 April 1845)

Unknown author - http://ihm.nlm.nih.gov/images/B23357

The portrait depicts de Saussure as an elderly man with a composed and scholarly demeanor, reflecting his stature as a scientist. He has a calm, thoughtful expression, and his hair is white and neatly styled, indicating his age and wisdom. He is dressed in formal 19th-century attire, likely a dark coat with a white cravat, which was typical for men of his status during that time.

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1y

#OTD in 1926.

The children's book Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne first appears, published by Methuen in London.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie-the-Pooh_(book)#

Winnie-the-Pooh's entrance into the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2022 was noted by several news publications, generally in the context of a greater Public Domain Day article.

https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2022/#fn6text

Winnie-the-Pooh at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/67098

#books #literature

First edition cover

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1y

"Call me Ishmael."

#OTD in 1851.

Herman Melville's Moby-Dick is first published as The Whale by Richard Bentley of London.

In the October 1851 issue of Harper's New Monthly Magazine "The Town Ho's Story" was published, with a footnote reading: "From 'The Whale'. The title of a new work by Mr. Melville, in the press of Harper and Brothers, and now publishing in London by Mr. Bentley."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby-Dick

Moby-Dick at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/15

#books #literature

The whale or Moby Dick (half-title page), Herman Melville, 1851

Herman Melville and one more author - State Library of New South Wales, [https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/74VK2oZrBwKZ/l3gXqDvw8yl0N DSM/813.3/M531/2A1

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1y

#OTD in 1911.

German novelist Hans Fallada, kills his best friend in a suicide pact staged as a duel.

Fallada made a pact with a friend, Hanns Dietrich von Necker, to stage a duel to mask their suicides, feeling that the duel would be seen as more honorable. However, because of both boys' inexperience with weapons, it was a bungled affair. Dietrich missed Fallada, but Fallada did not miss Dietrich, killing him.

Hans Fallada at Projekt Gutenberg-DE
https://www.projekt-gutenberg.org/autoren/namen/fallada.html

#books #literature

German writer Hans Fallada (1893–1947), depicted in Bonniers litterära magasin Nr.6, 1936.

In the image, Fallada appears as a middle-aged man with a solid, slightly rounded face. His expression is calm yet intense, reflecting a contemplative nature and the inner turmoil often associated with his life and writing. His eyes, framed by slightly heavy eyelids, have a distant, introspective gaze, as if lost in thought. His short, dark hair is combed neatly, and his face bears a mustache, common to his appearance in the 1930s.

Fallada's attire is formal but modest, in keeping with the style of the time. He is dressed in a suit with a high-collared shirt and a simple tie, perhaps signaling his role as a respected writer while also hinting at his working-class sensibilities. The black-and-white portrait from Bonniers litterära magasin emphasizes sharp contrasts, with Fallada's face and suit emerging starkly from the background, highlighting his features with a sense of gravity and weight.

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1y

#OTD in 1771.

Premiere in Milan of the opera Ascanio in Alba, composed by Mozart at age 15.

This is a pastoral opera in two parts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe Parini. It was commissioned by the Empress Maria Theresa for the wedding of her son, Archduke Ferdinand Karl, to Maria Beatrice d'Este on 15 October 1771.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascanio_in_Alba

https://imslp.org/wiki/Ascanio_in_Alba,_K.111_(Mozart,_Wolfgang_Amadeus)

Books about Mozart at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=mozart&submit_search=Go%21&start_index=26

#books #music #opera

School of Verona, attributed to Giambettino Cignaroli (Salo, Verona 1706-1770), Portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the age of 13 in Verona, 1770. Offered for auction at Christie's Paris on 27 November 2019, from the collection of the descendants of pianist Alfred Cortot.

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1y

Lise Meitner died #OTD in 1968.

She is known for her part in the discovery of nuclear fission. Among physicists she had been known for many years as one of the early pioneers in the study of radioactivity. Einstein nicknamed her ‘the German Madame Curie’.

#physics #science

In 1938, Austrian-born physicist Lise Meitner (1878-1968) fled Germany and eventually became a Swedish citizen. After World War II, Meitner received many awards, including being named "Woman of the Year" at the National Press Club in 1946. She was a Visiting Professor of Physics at Catholic University during Spring 1946.

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1y

"The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself."

#OTD in 1847.

Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre is published (as "an autobiography, edited by Currer Bell") in London by Smith, Elder & Co. in 3 volumes.

The first American edition was published the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre

Jane Eyre at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1260

#books #literature

The title page to the original publication of Jane Eyre, including Brontë's pseudonym "Currer Bell".

St John Rivers admits Jane to Moor House, illustration by F. H. Townsend

F. H. Townsend, 1868-1920 - http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1260/1260-h/images/

"Hush, Hannah! I have a word to say to the woman.

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#OTD in 1917.

The 51-year-old poet W. B. Yeats marries 25-year-old Georgie Hyde-Lees at Harrow Road register office in London, with Ezra Pound as best man, a couple of months after Yeats' proposal of marriage to his ex-mistress's daughter, Iseult Gonne, is rejected.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._B._Yeats#Marriage_to_Georgie_Hyde-Lees

Books by W. B. Yeats at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1719

#books #literature #poetry

Walter de la Mare, Bertha Georgie Yeats (née Hyde-Lees), William Butler Yeats, unknown woman, summer 1930; photo by Lady Ottoline Morrell.

In the image, the group is outdoors, likely in a garden or rural setting, characteristic of Lady Ottoline's gatherings at her homes. The lighting is soft, typical of an English summer, lending a relaxed and somewhat nostalgic quality to the photograph.

Walter de la Mare, the English poet and author, stands or sits calmly, perhaps slightly to one side.

Bertha Georgie Yeats (née Hyde-Lees), the wife of William Butler Yeats, appears in the photograph with a sense of quiet elegance.

William Butler Yeats, the famed Irish poet, stands or sits prominently in the image, his distinctive features easily recognizable.

The unknown woman is present alongside the others, her identity and role a mystery, adding an air of intrigue to the photograph.

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Polish composer and virtuoso pianist Frédéric Chopin died #OTD in 1849.

To this day, Chopin's music remains one of the most widely performed, and an indispensable part of the universal piano repertoire. Along with Franz Liszt, he is the father of modern piano technique and influenced a whole line of modern composers, including Claude Debussy, Alexandre Scriabine, Maurice Ravel and Sergei Rachmaninov.

Books by or about Frédéric Chopin at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric+Chopin&submit_search=Go%21

#books #music #art

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1y

"Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own."

Irish writer Jonathan Swift died #OTD in 1745.

Swift is remembered for works such as A Tale of a Tub, An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity, Gulliver's Travels, & A Modest Proposal. He originally published all of his works under pseudonyms—including Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, M. B. Drapier—or anonymously.

Books by Jonathan Swift at PG
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/326

#books #literature

Charles Jervas portrait of Jonathan Swift.

In the portrait, Swift is shown as a middle-aged man, with his characteristic rounded face and full, expressive features. His hair, worn in long, flowing curls, is typical of the wigs of the early 18th century, a fashion among men of high status. His gaze is direct, with piercing, intelligent eyes that convey both a sharp wit and deep contemplation, traits often associated with his satirical writing.

Swift is dressed in clerical attire, signifying his role as a clergyman within the Church of Ireland. He wears a dark robe with a white clerical collar, which contrasts against the rich, dark tones of his clothing.

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1y

Argentinian poet and author Alfonsina Storni died #OTD in 1938.

Her first book, La inquietud del rosal, brought her recognition from the literary circles in Buenos Aires; but it was her volume El dulce daño that won her popular success.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfonsina_Storni

Alfonsina Storni walking along the promenade of Mar del Plata. Unknown author - Archivo General de la Nación Argentina Inventory 7770

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1y

Dutch author and poet Isabelle de Charrière, known as Belle van Zuylen, was born #OTD in 1740.

She is now best known for her letters and novels, although she also wrote pamphlets, music and plays. She took a keen interest in the society and politics of her age, and her work around the time of the French Revolution is regarded as being of particular interest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabelle_de_Charri%C3%A8re

Books by Isabelle de Charrière at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Isabelle+de+Charri%C3%A8re&submit_search=Go%21

#books #literature #poetry

Isabelle de Charrière by Jens Juel, (1777), Bibliothèque publique et universitaire de Neuchâtel.

Jens Juel - http://www.charriere.nl/images/juel.htm [1]

Isabelle de Charrière, born Isabelle Agneta Elisabeth van Tuyll van Serooskerken, known as Belle de Zuylen (1740-1805)

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French pianist and composer Georges Bizet was born #OTD in 1838.

Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Carmen, become one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertoire.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/31624

Portrait of Georges Bizet (1838–1875): this image has been published in: Meilhac, Henri; Halévy, Ludovic (1895) "Frontispiece" in Carmen: An Opera in Four Acts, New York, United States: G. Schirmer Retrieved on 27 September 2011. Hervey, Arthur (July to December 1896). "Georges Bizet—A Biographical Sketch". The Strand Musical Magazine 4: 195. London, United Kingdom: George Newnes. Retrieved on 2011-09-27.

Act 1 of the original 1875 production of Bizet's Carmen

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1y

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was born #OTD in 1910. He established an upper limit on the mass of stable white dwarf stars, and made numerous contributions to astrophysics and relativity.

Above the Chandrasekhar Limit – about 1.44 solar masses – electron degeneracy pressure cannot prevent a stellar remnant’s gravitational collapse into a neutron star or black hole.

Photo: Stephen Lewellyn / AIP

Black and white photo of a young Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, seated at a table with shelves full of books behind him. His hands are folded on the table in front of him and he is looking directly at the camera. Chandrasekhar wears a dark suit and tie, with a white, collared shirt.

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1y

#OTD in 360.

Pappus of Alexandria, Greek philosopher, observes an eclipse of the Sun and writes a commentary on The Great Astronomer (Almagest).

In his commentary on the Almagest he calculates "the place and time of conjunction which gave rise to the eclipse in Tybi in 1068 after Nabonassar". This works out as 18 October 320, and so Pappus must have been active around 320.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pappus_of_Alexandria

#books #astronomy

Title page of Pappus's Mathematicae Collectiones, translated into Latin by Federico Commandino (1588).

Pappus Alexandrinus - https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6069499

Pappi Alexandrini. Mathematicae collectiones. A Federico Commandino Vrbinatae in latinum conuersae, & commentarijs illustratae. Pesaro: Girolamo Concordia, 1588

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2y

American archaeologist and anthropologist Zelia Maria Magdalena Nuttall was born #OTD in 1857.

She discovered two forgotten manuscripts of pre-Columbian manuscripts in private collections, one of them being the Codex Zouche-Nuttall. She decoded the Aztec calendar stone and was one of the first to identify and recognise artefacts dating back to the pre-Aztec period.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zelia_Nuttall

Books by Zelia Nuttal at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/35649

#books #archeology #anthropology #womeninSTEM

Zelia Nuttall (1857-1933), American archaeologist and anthropologist.

Zelia Nuttall is likely shown as a middle-aged or older woman in the photograph, depending on when it was taken. Her hair is likely styled in a simple, practical manner, possibly pulled back into a bun or pinned up, in keeping with the fashion of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She may have some graying hair, reflecting her experience and wisdom in her field. Her face is composed, with an expression that conveys intelligence and determination.

She might be wearing a long dress or blouse with a high collar, made of dark or neutral-colored fabric. Her clothing would reflect both her professionalism and the norms of the period, with an understated elegance rather than showiness. She may also be wearing a brooch or another accessory, adding a subtle touch of personal style to her appearance.

Codex Nuttall; facsimile of an ancient Mexican codex belonging to Lord Zouche of Harynworth, England
by Nuttall, Zelia, 1858-1933; Zouche, Robert Nathaniel Cecil George Curzon, baron, 1851-; Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology

Publication date 1902

https://archive.org/details/gri_33125011146541

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German novelist and translator Dorothea von Schlegel was born #OTD in 1764.

She met the poet & critic Friedrich von Schlegel in the salon of her friend Henriette Herz in 1797, after which Dorothea divorced Simon Veit in 1799.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_von_Schlegel

#books #literature

Dorothea von Schlegel; portrait by Anton Graff (c.1790) Anton Graff - Own work, anagoria

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263d

"Art is at least in part a way of collecting information about the universe. "
The Strange Necessity: Essays and Reviews (1928)

~Rebecca West, born #OTD in 1892.

About Rebecca West:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_West

#books #literature

Rebecca West papers.

The image is a black-and-white, grainy portrait photograph, likely from the early 20th century. It shows a young woman in close-up, facing slightly to the viewer’s left, with a calm, serious, and introspective expression. Her gaze is steady and directed just past the camera.

She wears an ornate, beaded headpiece that fits closely around her head and extends down the sides, with strands of beads hanging near her ears. Her hair is mostly concealed beneath it. She is dressed in a dark garment with a simple neckline, which contrasts with her pale complexion and draws attention to her face.

https://beinecke.library.yale.edu/collections/highlights/rebecca-west-papers

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1y

Swiss illustrator Eugène Grasset died #OTD in 1917.

Grasset was an engraver, poster artist, decorator and architect, representative of the Art Nouveau movement. He exercised his talent in all areas of the decorative arts: architecture, decoration, illustration, graphics, furniture, jewelry, stained glass...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Grasset

#art #literature #illustration

Grasset poster, Drei Frauen und drei Wölfe, c. 1892.

Eugène Samuel Grasset (1845-1917) - http://www.kunstkopie.de/a/grasset-eugene-samuel/drei-frauen-und-drei-woel.html

La Vitrioleuse ("The Acid Thrower"), 1894, lithograph with hand-stencilled colours, for L'Estampe originale

Eugène Grasset - Own work

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261d

"Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin."
Opening lines.

#OTD in 1925.

Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared by name in a children's story in the London Evening News for Christmas Eve.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie-the-Pooh

Winnie-the-Pooh at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67098

#books #literature

Illustration to page 3 of Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) by artist E. H. Shepard.

The scene shows Winnie-the-Pooh sitting on a log at the base of a large tree. He’s leaning back slightly, head tilted upward, with a thoughtful, mildly puzzled expression.

To Pooh’s left is a wooden signpost attached to the tree, with a bell on a cord hanging from it. The sign bears the name “MR SANDERS”, hinting at Pooh’s misunderstanding that this must be the name of whoever lives there. Below it, another small sign is partially visible. At the base of the tree are a few round objects, reinforcing the cozy, woodland setting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie-the-Pooh#/media/File:Pooh_Shepard1928.jpg

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