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Sojourner

April 3rd, 2009 by chet

 ”Those are the same stars, and that is the same moon, that look down upon your brothers and sisters, and which they see as they look up to them, though they are ever so far away from us, and each other.“  ~Sojourner Truth

Isabella Baumfree was born a slave circa 1797 in New York.  She had several owners.  When she was owned by the Dumont family, she married Thomas who was also a slave.  They had five children.  After being freed under New York law, one of Isabella’s sons was sold as a slave in Alabama.  Isabella fought for his freedom and won.   

She had a religious conversion and became a traveling speaker and preacher.  Isabella changed her name to Sojourner Truth in 1843, as she believed the Holy Spirit instructed her to do so.  In spite of being unable to read or write, Sojourner Truth captured audiences.  She was a fiery evangelist and advocated for women’s rights and anti-slavery.  Sojourner Truth is recognized for her memoir The Narrative of Sojourner Truth.  She also gave a spirited speech that challenged the superiority of men to women, entitled “Ain’t I a Woman.”  Sojourner Truth was active during the Civil War, supporting black Union soldiers.  After the war, she traveled and preached on spiritual matters and advocated for equality for blacks and women.

The photograph of Sojourner Truth was taken circa 1864.  The photograph notes the name Brady in the lower left hand corner, the signature for Mathew Brady Studios.  In the lower right hand corner is the location of where the picture was taken – New York.  The photograph was taken inside.  Sojourner Truth is wearing a scarf on her head and layered in clothing, consisting of a blouse, vest, jacket, and skirt.  The jacket has bold stripes on the sleeves.  Sojourner Truth is wearing eye glasses and appears to be holding a speech.  The photograph is an albumen silver print, used until the 1890s as the best way to capture an image.  This method of photography consisted of the combination of egg whites and silver nitrate.  The photograph is now housed in the National Portrait Gallery.  

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Whippings

March 19th, 2009 by chet

“This Card Photograph should be multiplied by 100,000, and scattered over the States. It tells the story in a way that even Mrs. [Harriet Beecher] Stowe [author of the 1852 book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin] can not approach, because it tells the story to the eye,” according to a writer for the New York Independent.

The photograph shows the brutal and permanent scars of slavery.  Runaway slave Gordon’s exposed back is photographed, revealing horrific welts from physical abuse.  Photographers, William D. McPherson and his partner Mr. Oliver from the Mathew Brady studio capture this powerful image in 1863.

Months after the vicious attack, Gordon escaped.   Ten days and eighty miles later, he arrived at the Union Camp in Baton Rouge and enlisted in the Army.  During his medical examination, the doctors saw the scarring.  The photographers were at the camp and took the photos to brand a visual image in viewers’ minds, as the violence of slavery had branded Private Gordon. 

This photograph took on a life of its own, being mass-produced and circulated widely throughout America and in London.  This photograph along with two others turned Private Gordon into an African American icon of bravery and patriotism.  Further, his story encouraged others to follow his brave example and enlist in the Union Army.  The photograph is currently stored in the National Portrait Gallery.

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John Brown is my Homeboy!

February 26th, 2009 by chet

Taken by Augustus Washington circa 1846, this is the first known photograph of John Brown. The photograph is being housed in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.  Augustus Washington was an African American photographer. The photograph of John Brown was intended to capture his true identity.

Taken more than a decade before the Harper’s Ferry incident, the photograph reveals a determined man taking an oath.  Brown was an American abolitionist.  He fiercely opposed slavery and took up arms to oppose it.  In 1856, Brown led the Pottawatomie Massacre in “Bleeding Kansas.”  His unsuccessful raid at Harper’s Ferry resulted in the ultimate price with his execution.

Ten years after this photograph was taken, Brown led an attack on a settlement along the Pottawatomie River.  During the attack, Brown retaliated for the recent murders of five antislavery men by proslavery settlers.  In revenge of their murders, he led the brutal seizure and murder of five unarmed, southern settlers.  Brown actually could have killed nine men; however, he only wanted to avenge the five murders.  He said he wanted to create “a restraining fear” in the southern proslavery settlers. 

A fierce abolitionist, Brown made a name for himself, as a result of “Bleeding Kansas.”  In October 1859 at Harper’s Ferry, Brown led a raid on the United States Armory and Arsenal.  His noble and brave aim was to establish a colony for freed slaves in the mountains of Maryland.  On December 2, 1859, Brown was captured and hanged for treason in Charles Town.

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Maple Leaf Rag

January 30th, 2009 by chet

“Syncopations are no indication of light or trashy music, and to shy bricks at ‘hateful ragtime’ no longer passes for musical culture,” contends Scott Joplin.  Maple Leaf Rag, one of his most famous piano compositions, demonstrates the freshness of Joplin’s use of syncopations.  Written in 1897, Joplin’s title honors the Maple Leaf Club, a black nightclub, in Sedalia, Missouri.

Maple Leaf Rag was one of his earliest works.  The structure of the piece is a multi-strain ragtime march and includes upbeat melodies along with athletic bass lines.  There are four parts with a repeating theme and a progressing bass line topped with many seventh chords.  The piece is unique in that is more precisely constructed than early ragtime works, and Joplin’s use of syncopations was daringly different.

First published in September 1899 on sheet music, Maple Leaf Rag soon sold over one million copies.  This was the first time an instrumental piece sold so many copies.  Joplin recorded the ragtime tune on a piano roll in 1916, along with other works.  The composition was popular with dance and brass bands as well.  Jazz band New Orleans Rhythm Kinds adapted the tune in the 1920s, and Sidney Bechet continued its timeless legacy in the 1940s.  Further, Maple Leaf Rag was heard on the big screen in the movies The Public Enemy, The Sting, and Walt Disney’s The Whoopee Party.

Maple Leaf Rag is a timeless piece.  Ragtime pianists, solo artists, and bands play the popular tune in concerts.  Over one century later, its welcome has not worn out yet and likely never will, as it is one of those classic musical compositions of Americana.

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Cristal

November 24th, 2008 by chet

Cristal is a premiere, imported champagne by Louis Roederer. It is packaged in a unique bottle with gold labeling and wrapping at the neck of the bottle. The price of Cristal is typically $350; however, the cost can be higher depending on the year of the bottle and where it is sold. Cristal can be purchased online with companies such as sendchampagne.com and can be shipped as a gift package along with other gourmet treats. This fine champagne can also be purchased at wine stores such as Total Wine & More, conveniently located at Central Park. Of course, some of the more upscale night clubs sell Cristal as well. At the Louis Roederer Champagne website, the company provides words of caution: “Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. Drink responsibly.” Some cocktail talk of interest regarding Cristal is that it has become popular with rap artists with some even mentioning the champagne in their songs. However, after comments from the Roederer Managing Director regarding Cristal’s association with rap, Jay-Z said the remarks were “racist,” and he has boycotted the champagne. Cristal is an aromatic champagne with honey and white chocolate flavors. The cost of Cristal is very steep by the bottle, although for a special occasion such as an anniversary or birthday for someone special, you can always buy a glass or two to share at a fine restaurant such as Clairborne’s in Fredericksburg. After all, life is all about making memories, and Cristal will make them that much sweeter. 

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materialism

November 16th, 2008 by chet

This week in class we read The Overspent American.  In class we talked about many things, but they all came back to hyper-materialism.  In the first four chapters of the book, Schor argues that what you buy makes you who you are.  But the last two chapters are about downshifting from materialistic lifestyles.  Some ideas for downshifting are reusing whenever possible, control desire, sharing and lending, and repairing instead of buying new items.  I enjoyed reading the book and it only fortified my idea that it is possible to live a successful and happy life without spending a lot of money.  I wish that people could see the importance of saving money or doing something beneficial with it instead of replacing their three year old car with a brand new one.

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Week 11

November 10th, 2008 by chet

This week in class we talked about tract-house development and the consequences that it has on the water, soil, and wildlife.  We also talked about property rights vs. public good and land-use regulation.  After reading this, I have decided that Ian McHarg has the best concept of dealing with all these things.  McHarg believes that developing needs to coexist with nature.  He believes that open-space needs to be preserved.  He understands that developing kills wildlife and causes other problems.  Also, he understands that when we develop where we are not suppose to we indirectly create erosion problems and landslides.

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The Strangers

November 7th, 2008 by chet

It is that time of year; pumpkins, costume parties, and horror films. These highlights and a few others are why Halloween is one of my favorite times of year. It gets me in the mood to rent all the classic horror flicks, like Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and I Know What You Did Last Summer. I also anxiously await the latest horror film. This year it is The Strangers, starring Liv Tyler. The movie can be rented at Blockbuster. They also deliver directly to your house. However, that takes some advance preparation. I wanted to rent the movie quick and cheap. I drove to the Giant grocery store at Park N Shop. Giant has a redbox in the store, and all you need is a credit card or bank debit card. It is really convenient, and the cost is $1 to rent a movie. I was really excited to see redbox had The Strangers. I rented it, but I have not had a chance to see it yet. A couple of my friends saw the movie, and they said it is really creepy and suspenseful, but the film is lacking on the gore and blood. I am going to make my own opinion, but if it is missing the graphic elements, that is okay. Sometimes the psychological terror can be just as torturous. If you like thrillers and want to continue in the Halloween spirit like me, I believe The Strangers is a flick you will want to see. By the way, if you really enjoy the movie and want to add it to your horror collection, you can buy the DVD at Best Buy for $20.

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Bulldozer in the Countryside

November 3rd, 2008 by chet

In class this week we talked about consumption vs. environmentalism.  We talked about Levittown, solar homes, air conditioning, energy conservation, and septic tanks.  The concept that I found most interesting was the solar home.  After reading about solar homes in the book, I have decided that I would like to live in a solar home.  The most disturbing thing is that we had the possibility of making these homes in the 50s and 60s, but conveniency overrode environmentalism.  I believe this really shows the materialistic viewpoint that many Americans have nowadays.  You can help preserve the environment or build a fancy home.

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Coolhunt

October 26th, 2008 by chet

This week in class we talked about coolhunting.  On page 362 in The Consumer Society, Malcolm Gladwell gives an excellent definition of coolhunting.  ”Coolhunting is not about the articulation of a coherent philosophy of cool.  It’s just a collection of spontaneous observations and predictions that differ from one moment to the next and from one coolhunter to the next.”  I was really interested in the concept of coolhunting and I found out that I could never keep up with the coolhunt.  In Gladwell’s words, I would be a “laggard” or worse.  A “laggard” is the last person who catches up with the coolhunt.  Another concept that I thought was interesting was when they changed a woman’s shoe to a man’s shoe and it sold better.  I would hate to be the “innovator” of something or the person in charge of finding the “innovators”.  It is already so hard to be trendy nowadays in our society and god forbid to be ahead of the game.

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