1. Bezoar stones: undigested matter found in the gastrointestinal tract of deer, goats, porcupines and other animals, once prized as magical cure-all stones, worn by royalty
Arabian doctors had been using bezoars since the 8th century, and brought them into western medicine in the 12th century as an antidote to arsenic, a favorite poison used to assassinate European nobles. By the 16th century, use of bezoars was widespread among the very rich — they were valued at 10 times their weight in gold. Queen Elizabeth I even had a bezoar set in a silver ring.
More found here.
2. An Art Deco spa in Amsterdam, decked out with Rare Lalique glass, vault furnishings from a historic bank, and vintage treasures salvaged from Parisian department stores
Founded in 1979, Sauna Deco – a former office which lies within a schoolhouse-style building designed by Dutch architect H.P. Berlage in the 19th century – has become a trove of Art Deco splendor, filled with treasures from a historic Parisian department store.
The story begins in the late 1970s when Melle’s parents discovered that the heritage department store Au Bon Marché on the Rue des Sèvres in Paris was undergoing extensive renovations. “They were going to throw it all away,” Melle explains. “My parents couldn’t believe it. They managed to negotiate with the directors and were given a year to carefully remove individual pieces.”
Full article on Cabana Magazine.
3. This Historic 1913 Library For Sale in New Hampshire
The property boasts cathedral ceilings, slate roof, sawn white oak wood paneling, original lighting fixtures including an unusual lamp embedded in leaded glass, built-in bookshelves and a vault. Most of the hinges, latches, locks, and other hardware elements are in excellent condition. The library was built as a solid masonry building with thick sidewalls supported by cut granite foundation walls and footings. The poured concrete floors are supported by heavy I-beams and finished with an elegant terrazzo.
It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
The property is being offered for $350,000 “As-is” plus any costs associated with covenants for the building. Covenants would include maintaining the exterior facade of the building and would prohibit demolition.
More information about contacting to make an offer here. Take a quick tour of it on Instagram here. Photos via the Restoration Project FB Page.
4. A Follow up on the Utterly Insane Ghost City of Fake French Chateaux
Remember we wrote about this place a few years ago? Well…
‘If I had the power I’d destroy the whole thing’: what went wrong with the ghost town of Disney-style castles? It was meant to be a dream development but, 13 years on, it remains unfinished – a microcosm of Turkey’s scandal-hit construction sector under Erdoğan. The Guardian has an update by Ruth Michaelson and Beril Eski
5. Meet the sole occupants of a remote railway town waiting for visitors who might never arrive
Found on Colossal.
6. ‘Forever Is Now’ 4.0 brings art back to the pyramids
The Pyramids of Giza are once again hosting Art D’Égypte’s monumental sculpture festival, Forever is Now, exploring the link between past and present through a dozen site-specific sculptural artworks.
Now in its fourth edition, the festival has expanded its roster to a second concurrent show in Alexandria this year. But the big action remains in Giza, where creatives including light artist Chris Levine, tech, science and data artist Federica Di Carlo, American-Korean artist Ik-Joong Kang, and Indian Magic Realism artist Shilo Shiv Suleman have created site-specific installations backdropped by the ancient monuments.
Full article found on The Spaces.
7. There are 38 cities/towns/villages in Europe that claim to be “The Venice of the North”
The term Venice of the North refers to various cities in Northern Europe that contain canals, comparing them to Venice, Italy, which is renowned for its canals, such as the Grand Canal. Here is a list of all 38 of them. Some of these nicknames, e.g. in the case of Amsterdam, date back centuries, while others like Birmingham are recently given and invented as self-promotion by the cities’ own residents or representatives.
8. The Peculiar Story of the Witch of Wall Street
Hetty Green, the “Witch of Wall Street,” became the wealthiest woman of the early 20th century, amassing a $100M fortune (~$2.7B today) by investing in real estate, railroads, and mortgages. Green was also a miser who wore the same black dress daily, ate only oatmeal, and lived in cheap housing.
Found on The Witch of Wall Street.
9. Painting of the Day: Edward Hopper’s “New York Movie”, 1939. Oil on canvas.
Found on Art Lovers.
10. A bar where Mozart, Lenin and Hitler were all regulars
The Hofbräuhaus am Platzl is a beer hall in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. More of its story here.
11. Cruentation (the Law of Bleeding)
If you thought today’s court systems were unjust – until the middle of the 18th century, it was thought that a murdered corpse would spontaneously bleed in the presence of the murderer. It was used in various European courtrooms in cases where it was difficult for the jurors to determine whether someone accused of murder was guilty or innocent. The accused was brought before the corpse of the murder victim and was made to put his or her hands on it. If the wounds of the corpse then began to bleed or other unusual visual signs appeared, that was regarded as God’s verdict, announcing that the accused was guilty.
More gruesome details found here.
12. This excellent Etsy shop of sarcastic embroidered pillows
So many fun quotes to choose from. Shop here.
13. “These are cherry flavoured knickers.”
Clip taken from That’s Life, originally broadcast on BBC One, Sunday 7 November, 1982. Found on BBC Archive.
