31 May - Cats Behind Bars



Another

31 May - Pass in Review



Always an impressive sight for Museum visitors, a column of cats comes into view for the ceremonial march past following the evening's catwalk. Leroy's on point, followed by Natasha, while Nutmeg acts as the Tail-End Tortie.

30 May - A Brief History of Cat Parachutists



I love the splendid expression of bravery and quiet confidence on the face of this paracat from a Cirque Mexicain poster (via the wonderful

Hearing of my mistress's intended ascension, and
having learnt, from my master's late experiment, the
turbulent nature of the English atmosphere, I who
had been a quiet spectator of her aerial flights in
more peaceful skies, determined on sharing the danger
of her new voyage...

The very first moment I found myself buoyant, I felt disposed
not`to be an idle spectator, but to take an active part in
the boat. My mistress, however, near whom I was
seated, in a neat wicker basket, patting me gently
upon the head, and smiling irresistibly, said it would
be of dangerous consequence, and requested me to
sit still. Ever obedient to the call of beauty, I complied,
and instantly began to purr a little tune, to
prove at once the placidity of my temper, and the
total absence of all fear and apprehension...

My companion thinking this a good opportunity to take
a snack, and feeling the effect which exposure to
the pure air generally produces upon my constitution,
I prepared to gratify my appetite with a leg of
cold chicken. Mr.Garnerin here interposing, assured
me that such gross food would infallibly obtund
my intellectual faculties, and requested me to reserve
my appetite for the milky way, which would
afford pure and safe nourishment. I readily acquiesced;
and while the rest were disposing of several
hams, and a dozen of chickens, I devoted myself
entirely to physical observations.

I had now attained the greatest elevation ever reached
by any of the feline race, and Mons. Garnerin proposed
that one of us should descend in the parachute;
we were exactly over Milbank, where the storm and
tempest of the late elections had not reached, and all
was calm, while the sky was rent and torn all over
Maidstone and Brentford. Madame Garnerin expressed
an inclination to make the experiment. I was
musing upon the use to which balloons might be
applied by cats in pursuit of the feathered race, when
my mistress's danger roused me from my reverie. I
instantly claimed the honour of this hazardous mission,
observing, that I had nine lives, and was ready to sacrifice
one of them for so much beauty. I was accordingly
placed in the basket of the parachute, and
gave a mew as the signal that I was ready. My companions
cut the rope which attached the parachute to
the balloon, and I began to descend...

30 May - El Milagro de Dormir Perro



It seems that there might be an entire class, or genus, of Mexican miracles that depends on strategically placed sleeping dogs, as evidenced by the ex voto illustrated above (and

23 May - Out in the Prairie

23 May - AirSpace


Aeromarine 75 flying boat Buckeye,
National Air and Space Museum SI 89-1182

Very pleased to pass on the news that the National Air and Space Museum has started a blog,

22 May - May Folksongs, Again


Woodcut by Joseph Crawhall II (1821-1896)

Thinking still on the subject of

It was about the tenth of May,
The time I remember well;
That very same night, her body disappeared
In a way no tongue could tell...

15 May - Hand Me Down My Boater and My Mask; Bang the Cod Slowly



Just because the Spanish Influenza was laying low huge great numbers of people in 1918 didn't mean a chap could't look sharp - all it took was a snappy boater and an edgy custom flu mask, as

2 May - Azalea-Related Felony



This is just pathetic - no sooner had word leaked out about our excellent deal with a Korean distiller - we're selling our azalea blossoms for dugyeonju - azalea wine - than we were hit by azalea rustlers. Last night, a gang stripped a large section of the south azalea grove - we estimate a loss of a couple thou, for crying out loud.

Were the azaleas insured? Of course not.

So now, we've detailed our maintenance man Gus, armed with his scattergun, to serve as our azalea guard - no good can come of this, as the bottle of rum in the picture above portends. What we need is a highly trained orchard warden, like Enver/Egon of the nearby Leib Hornbostel Institute.

1 May - Economic Uptick



Here's some good news, for a change - our business office has negotiated with a major Korean distiller, and has sold them the blossoms of the famous Janus Museum azaleas for

1 May - Closing Time


Kathleen Ewing - Photograph by Katherine Frey, Washington Post

Very sad to report that The Kathleen Ewing Gallery, DC's essential photo gallery, is closing after thirty-three years. I can't even begin to imagine what life in Washington will be without it, and what photography in Washington will be like. Kathy has been at the center of Washington photography since she started the gallery in her Cleveland Park house, then to a scenic location on the grounds of a cement factory under the Whitehurst Freeway, and then on to Harry Lunn's former gallery on P street in Georgetown - much nicer than the cement factory. Kathleen even let me set up a wet-plate darkroom in the basement of the P Street gallery...



Kathleen Ewing - ambrotype.

Here's a portrait I made of Kathleen behind the P Street gallery, sometime in the early '80s, I think. By the way, The Kathleen Ewing Gallery has represented the Allan Janus estate for years and years.

After P Street, Kathleen moved on to a spacious location at Dupont Circle - 'twas there that she generously allowed me to hold

"All of us thrive on the rich photographic community we have built here," says Sarah Greenough, senior curator and head of the Department of Photographs at the National Gallery. "Kathleen was one of the people who started the ball rolling, who decided at a very early point to stand up to the Washington art community, which had little or no interest in photography.

"It was a brave act."