The first cartoon hero?
In 1809 the writer William Combe and the artist Thomas Rowlandson created a character called Dr Syntax who is believed to be the world’s first cartoon character. William Combe (1742-1823) …
‘Taking a knee’
What does it mean to kneel? What beliefs or emotions does kneeling communicate to others? The action ‘taking a knee’ has become increasingly common and is now seen around the …
The naked snollygoster
Early this year I bought a book titled ‘Lost Words – Collywobbles, Snollygosters, and other surprisingly useful terms worth resurrecting’ by Joe Gillard. It was the word ‘snollygosters’ that made …
Powolny’s putti
Yesterday’s post looked at gargoyles, so today I will move from ‘the dark to the light’ and look at the other carved objects we might find overhead – putti. A …
Observing the world from afar
While I am watching the ‘world from afar’ I am reminded of gargoyles – those carved architectural fantastical forms that perch on the roofs of old buildings to prevent the …
For the person who has everything?
It is the Queen’s birthday long weekend and the annual acknowledgement of our Monarch. As a member of the Commonwealth of Nations we, along with other Commonwealth countries and territories, …
‘the vilest man I have ever known’
Yesterday there was considerable attention given around Australia to the ongoing plight of the Indigenous population. The choice of the date (6 June) was perhaps unintended for its significance, but …
Black Lives Matter
Today, due to the medical wisdom of maintaining social distancing, many of us will not be able to support, by our presence, the ‘Black Lives Matter’ public gathering. Over many …
Lifters and Leaners
As the economy is now in a recession the focus is clearly on ensuring jobs are available and secure. With programs like JobSeeker, JobKeeper and JobMaker, we have fortunately moved …
Vale Christo
1969 was a year when big things happened. Apollo 11 landed on the moon and mankind took a giant leap. The Woodstock music festival ran for three days in upstate …