Tag Archives: nineteenth century

No More Worlds to Conquer

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Frank

When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer. This fantastic line was spoken by the late, great Alan Rickman in Die Hard, and I know I was not the first … Continue reading →

Posted in Idle Chit-Chat, Poem | Tagged Alan Rickman, Alexander, bicycle, corsets, degrees for women, Die Hard, history, Mary Auld, nineteenth century | 11 Comments

Wheeling to Perdition – Rescuing Women from the Bicycle

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Frank

Reading 1896 newspaper articles on the subject of women riding bicycles, the impression is that dissenting voices were few and far between. One of the most outspoken critics was the Woman’s Rescue League. In Raising More Hell and Fewer Dahlias: … Continue reading →

Posted in Idle Chit-Chat, Uncategorized | Tagged 1896, bicycle, Charlotte Smith, corsets, feminism, history, Lilly Library, nineteenth century, William Acton, Woman's Rescue League | 1 Comment

Feminine Symmetry and Poise: Marguerite Lindley’s Advice to Wheelwomen

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Frank

I have at long last tracked down a first-hand account of the specific speech given by Miss E. Marguerite Lindley (see my Coda to Loosing my mind) that is quoted so often, in The Omaha Daily Bee from 15th March, … Continue reading →

Posted in Idle Chit-Chat | Tagged 1896, bicycle, feminine symmetry, Marguerite Lindley, nineteenth century, ohama daily bee, poise, wheelwomen | 4 Comments

The Female Vampire

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Frank

I have finally read Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla. Carmilla was not the first female vampire of nineteenth century literature, and not even the first lesbian vampire, but she does mark the real beginning of a long association of female … Continue reading →