Keeping Time

"Clockmakers are trying to make a wheel which will
make one complete revolution' in each day,
but that 'they cannot quite perfect their work."
Robert the Englishman, 1271

Time is the most precious resource we have. Since the beginning, people have been reckoning time with such elements as the sun, moon, stars, seasons, tides, sand, water, candles, gears, springs, pendulums, quartz, atoms, electricity, and computers. 

Over the past few centuries there have been several reliable methods invented for keeping time. By the end of the Middle Ages men were attempting to perfect the measurement of time and make such timekeeping devices available for domestic use. 

The first spring work clocks were miniature versions of a cathedral clock. In Nuremberg, about 1500, a small (3 inch diameter) "egg" watch was designed to hang by a ribbon around the neck. The earliest watches were admired more as jewelry than for their ability to keep accurate time. Cylindrical drum-watches were manufactured as a table clock or to carry in a purse. These later develop into a slimmer version of a pocket watch. Watches weren't widely worn in pockets until the 17th century, with the purpose of keeping them safe from the elements. While pocket watches were used by men, wristwatches were worn by women. One of the earliest references to an "arm watch" is that of a gift to Queen Elizabeth I.


During the 1600s, Christian Huygens developed work on the pendulum clock which was fitted into a long-case (grandfather) clock. Until the 1930's, pendulum clocks were the most accurate method for appointing time. In the early 18th century, John Harrison invented the "sea clock. This chronometer was the first accurate method to calibrate time at sea and enabled sailors to find longitude. His nautical instrument has saved the countless lives of seafarers since. Invented in 1829, a "time ball" helped sinc chronometers with the precise time. Ships would anchor in the River Thames at Greenwich and wait for the ball at the Royal Observatory to drop at precisely 1 p.m.. This practice ultimately established the adoption of Greenwich Mean Time as an international standard. These painted wood or metal time balls soon became featured in ports across the world to help keep accurate time for navigators. The general public also relied on the time ball and did so until the advent of radio. The ball would drop at 1 p.m. around the world, and at noon in the United States. A time ball is dropped on New Year's Eve to mark the first moment of the new year in 1907 thanks to the owner of the New York Times who wanted to make a lasting impression. It worked!

Candle Clock

References to time are often found in literature in the use of quaint expressions. For historical writers, it is important to be aware of the timeline of usage for time idioms.

Just a minute - a short period of time, not necessarily equating to an actual minute. More precisely rendered "Just a moment."

At the moment - At that particular instant of time. At least by 1400.

In an instant - something that happens rapidly or within an infinitesimal space of time. Also, "in a jiffy" (circa 1770, uncertain origin).

In a trice - in a single moment, without delay. A "trice" is defined as "at a single pull" of the windlass, a nautical instrument. Used figuratively since 16th century.

In a flash - Alludes to a flash of lightning. Used since about 1800.

Just a second - The second, the second division of time in an hour (the first being a minute). Used since the end of the 18th century.

Spur of the moment - All of a sudden, suddenly. Late 1700s.

In due course - In the proper or natural order of events; eventually. Used by Chaucer in the 1399.

You all know that in the due course of time
If you continue scratching on a stone,
Little by little some image thereon
Will he engraven.
~ Geoffrey Chaucer

All in good time - Be patient, it will eventually come to pass. May come earlier than expected. Late 1500s.


No time like the present - Do what you are supposed to do now. From Delarivier Manley's The Lost Lover (c. 1696)

Sands of time - Relates to the passing of time as reckoned with an hourglass.

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time
~ From A Psalm of Life,
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The time is ripe -The most favorable time to do something. May have been invented by Shakespeare in 1597.
 
Letters shall direct your course when time is ripe.
~ William Shakespeare, Henry IV play

In broad daylight - Clearly visible, in the open light of day. First appeared in 1579, although the term "broad day" was used in 1393.

Against time - Or "against the clock" denotes one who is in a great hurry or going as fast as possible. Its earliest use was in the mid-20th century.

On borrowed time - Not likely to be active or working much longer. Not used until about 1895.


Like clockwork - With extreme regularity. Refers to the mechanical and regular action of the clock. Used since the second half of the 1600s.

 

Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.
Theophrastus

Time and tide wait for no man.
Geoffrey Chaucer

 Lost time is never found again.
Benjamin Franklin

Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.
Nathaniel Hawthorne

We must use time wisely and forever realize
that the time is always ripe to do right.
Nelson Mandela

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
Ecclesiastes 3:1

He has made everything beautiful in its time.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Do you have a favorite time idiom that you use or a special timekeeping device?

Pattern for Romance (Abingdon) 

Now on Audible (Listen to sample)

Honour Metcalf’s quilting needlework is admired by a wealthy customer of the Boston Mantua-maker for whom she works. In need of increasing her earnings, she agrees to create an elaborate white work bridal quilt for the dowager’s niece. A beautiful design emerges as she carefully stitches the intricate patterns and she begins to dream of fashioning a wedding quilt of her own.

New Englander Carla Olson Gade writes from her home amidst the rustic landscapes of Maine. With seven books in print, she enjoys bringing her tales to life with historically authentic settings and characters. An avid reader, amateur genealogist, photographer, and house plan hobbyist, Carla's great love (next to her family) is historical research. Though you might find her tromping around an abandoned homestead, an old fort, or interviewing a docent at an historical museum, it's easier to connect with her online at carlagade.com.

 

 

Christmas Tree Ships

 

A few years ago I wrote a short story called The Christmas Tree Schooner for Guidepost Book's A Cup of Christmas Cheer and enjoyed learning all about Christmas tree ships on the Great Lakes. The great age of sail occurred on the Great Lakes following the Civil War with an unprecedented amount of schooners as its main type of vessel. Over 12,000 sailors worked aboard about 1,800 ships, mostly male, carrying up to 300,000 tons annually. Often their masters would have full or part ownership of the vessel and steam power eventually took over the seas, able to haul about a million tons using less vessels. Schooners that continued into the early 20th century, hauled grain, fish, lumber, and Christmas Trees.

Christmas Tree Schooner by Charles Vickery

By the mid 19th century, decorating Christmas trees at Christmas time was a well established tradition brought to America by German immigrants. Many Germans settled around the Great Lakes, in cities like Chicago, and looked forward to the balsams and firs that would be brought to the cities from Michigan's Upper Peninsular. Fisherman and short-haul sailors would risk venturing across the choppy, ice-laden waters to the lumber camps and load up their schooners full of trees, purchased for a few cents each. They would dock their ships along the Chicago River and other ports, setting up make-shift shops. Eager citizens purchased the Christmas trees at seventy-fives cents a piece, garnering a tidy profit from one of the last hauls of the season.

Hauling Christmas trees in late Novemeber and early December on the Great Lakes was risky business. Schooners such as Arendal, Actor, Experiment, Ida, and George L. Wrenn engaged in the hazardous Christmas tree trade during the period of 1876-1920. The schooners F. H. Williams and Coaster are among many who had to be towed into port looking like floating ice bergs, the captain of the F. H. Williams face frostbitten. On the Lady Ellen's first haul her master could not sell her cargo to the Chicago market already laden with Christmas trees. The Caledonia and S. Thal are among those which sank. 

Capt. Scheunemann

The Rouse Simmons is perhaps the most famous of the Christmas tree ships. It was one of the first Christmas ships, and one of the last. Christened in 1868, the schooner spent most of its life hauling lumber. But on November 23, 1912 while transporting its Yuletide cargo of evergreens it was caught in a ferocious storm on the Wisconsin shore. It, too, sank. Captain Herman Scheunemann perished with all of his crew, the same fate of his brother, captain of the S. Thal, several years earlier. The community was saddened by the loss of Capt. Scheunemann, who sold his Christmas trees from the deck of his schooner, tied to Chicago's Rush street bridge, for thirty years. They had Affectionately called "Christmas tree Scheunemann" he was admired for delivering good cheer to his neighbors. Some called him "Santa," as he was said to give some of his trees to the poor. His wife, and three daughters continued to sell trees and wreaths into the 1930's. In 1971, the sunken Rouse Simmons was discovered in Lake Michigan, its hull still filled with Christmas trees.

Today, the tradition is continued by Makinaw, a Coast Guard Cutter. Volunteers unload its cargo of Christmas trees and deliver them to deserving families throughout the Chicago area. After all, what's Christmas without a Christmas tree?

CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY OF VOLUME 3 of A CUP OF CHRISTMAS CHEER, featuring my story "The Memory Shop." (Sorry, I'm all out of volume 2 with The Christmas Tree Schooner. Both complete sets can be ordered at Guideposts: see link below.) Please leave your email addy in a comment to be eligible.

Carla Olson Gade's "Upon a Christmas Tree Schooner" is included in Vol. 1 & 2 of A Cup of Christmas Cheer from Guideposts Books and "The Memory Shop" is featured in Vol. 3 & 4. Her novella, "'Tis the Season," is from bestselling Mistletoe Memories. From Carla's heart to yours, Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving Ragamuffins

"Have you anything for Thanksgiving?"

From Carla Gade ~
 
On the first Halloween in my new neighborhood this year, my street bustled with costumed ragamuffins going door-to-door asking, "Trick or treat?" One little girl asked for change for the homeless, promising that she would not keep it for herself. I recall "trick or treating" as a child in the 1960's, which often included asking for donations to UNICEF. This idea was inspired in the 1950's when a Philadelphia Sunday school class collected about $17 in donations as they went trick-or-treating as a means of children helping other children who were in need of more than candy.

Carla and her brother in the 1960's dressed for Halloween. “Trick or Treat” did not really come about until the mid 1940s.

Carla and her brother in the 1960's
dressed for Halloween.

“Trick or Treat” did not really come
about until the mid 1940s.

The festival of Halloween was brought from Northern Europe by immigrants. Originally it was more common in Maryland and the Southern colonies rather than New England. Generally it was a superstitious time where people would gather for parties, sometimes with the purpose of diving a future spouse for a young lady. But before Halloween became an established American tradition around the time of WWII when costumed visitors would make their rounds, masked children went begging from door to door on Thanksgiving Day. Yes, sometimes history takes us by surprise and I had never heard of this strange, but true ritual. "Thanksgiving Maskers" would go about their neighborhoods in a similar manner as are modern day "trick-or-treaters" begging for a handout, "Anything for Thanksgiving." If they were fortunate, they might receive a piece of fruit, sweets, a penny or nickel, maybe even a potato or pie for the Thanksgiving meal.

“The children, quick to see a chance for fun, began to imitate the grown-ups. Dressing in old clothes many sizes too large, painting their faces or putting on a mask, the children went out to mimic the seniors. The grown-ups have given up their custom, but the children keep up the imitation.” Little Talks to Little People, 1910

The tradition of “mumming” or “guising” (masked begging) has its roots in Northern Europe. British, Dutch, Scottish, and Irish immigrants brought similar traditions of such to America. On Martinmas (Nov. 11), which honored the patron saint of beggars and the poor, St. Catherine’s Day (Nov. 25), Hallowmas (Nov. 1) when the poor would ask for food in exchange for prayers for the dead, and on Christmas (Dec. 25) or Boxing Day (Dec. 26) mummers dressed in peculiar costumes, sometimes made of straw, sang, danced, and acted out plays. Following Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation masquerade parties were often given for the holiday. It wasn’t long before Thanksgiving became a primary day for mumming in America. "Maskers" were seen alone, in groups, even parading in the streets. Before long, children were "mimicking the adult mummers. Soon it was referred to as "Ragamuffin Day."

According to an 1897 story Thanksgiving was "the busiest time of the year for manufacturers of and dealers in masks and false faces." Some Thanksgiving masks “made fun of people of other nations,” by means of “greatly exaggerated facial peculiarities.”

As early as 1873 a book entitled Old New England Traits stated that in the early 19th century, poorer Massachusetts residents started knocking on doors on the holiday’s eve, begging, “Something for Thanksgiving?” As a prank, well-to-do children dressed in tattered clothes doing the same. The activity was participated by the people in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, though primarily in New York. In 1884 a man from New York recalled his childhood ragamuffin days when he would go out on the night before Thanksgiving and come home with potatoes, a tart, a pie for the morrow's feast.  

The melding of customs seems to have instituted the Thanksgiving parade. Since the 1780’s, New York’s Evacuation Day parade on November 25^th commemorated the British evacuation of Manhattan at the end of the American Revolution. Bands of rambunctious masqueraders called “Fantasticals” dressed in garish costumes such as, politicians, harlequins, bandits, washerwomen, celebrities of the day, and veterans who donned the rags of Continental soldiers. Following the Civil War, boys marched in on Thanksgiving Day in “Arm-in-Arm” clubs. Drunken men and boys and other rowdies went from house to house demanding to be treated. The “Fantastics” disappeared by about 1910.

“This must be a foreign innovation, for no self-respecting American boy would think of parading the streets dressed up like a ragamuffin and begging a cent from each passer-by.” Sons of Daniel Boone hand-book, 1909

Children followed suit in their own Ragamuffin parades. Some dressed in more elaborate costumes as well as tattered ones with gauze “dough face” masks. The ragamuffins were often seen as a nuisance, especially by polite society who feared that children would grow up learning to beg and steal. Some cruel folks, would toss them "red pennies," heated so that they would blister the little beggars fingers when they picked them up. In 1911 charity workers advised people not to give to mummers or Thanksgiving beggars. By 1923, an effort was made to organize the parades by a director of the Madison Square Boys Club to discourage the begging and mischief that often ensued. By 1940, that parade had grown in size to over 400 children and sported the slogan "American boys do not beg." 

But in 1924, Manhattan’s Macy’s Department store followed the example of Gimbel’s in Philadelphia and planned an elaborate Christmas parade to be held on Thanksgiving Day. It’s purpose was to foster holiday shopping with employees parading as characters from their window displays, gigantic inflatable floats, and Santa Clause! Families flocked to watch the truly fantastic parade. 

“The ancient custom of masquerading on the part of the boys and girls was more in evidence than for many years past. The queerest looking specimens of ragamuffins waylaid the pedestrian in droves, and many thousands of pennies found their way into the hands of the little nondescripts.” New York Times, 1902

In 1930, New York’s Superintendent of Schools publicly condemned the Thanksgiving begging and gained official public approval. With the low mood and financial hardship encountered during the depression, Thanksgiving mummery all but disappeared by the late 1930’s. A decade later, Ragamuffin traditions were ceded to the rise Halloween costuming which fostered the "begging" of candy again with a new mantra of “Trick-or-treat.” Thanksgiving was spared with an effort to promote the respected, family-centered holiday that we now enjoy.

Macy's Christmas Parade held annually on Thanksgiving Day since 1924, excluding 1944 & 1945, during WWII.  Blessings to you and yours as you count your blessings this Thanksgiving! The American Dream Romance Collection: Nine Historical Romances Grow Alongside a New Country (New Release, October 2015) Carving a Future - Connecticut, 1753:  Ship figurehead carver Nathaniel Ingersoll has apprenticed for many years under his Uncle Phineas and hopes to become a master ship carver in his own right. Constance Starling was spirited away from England to the Connecticut coast as an indentured servant, arriving too ill for anyone to accept her. When Nathaniel takes pity on her, he purchases her contract. Has he jeopardized the future he has worked so hard to achieve for the welfare of a weakly servant? Native New Englander Carla Olson Gade writes from her Victorian home in Central Maine. With eight books in print, she enjoys bringing her tales to life with historically authentic settings and characters. An avid reader, amateur genealogist, photographer, and house plan hobbyist, Carla's great love (next to her family) is historical research. Though you might find her tromping around an abandoned homestead, an old fort, or interviewing a docent at an historical museum, it's easier to connect with her online at carlagade.com and on facebook.

History and Lore of Ship Figureheads

Isaac Howard. "Lady With a Scarf",
Boston c. 1820

Carla Olson Gade here to tell you about Ship Figureheads.

In my novella, "Carving a Future," that has been re-released this month in The American Dream Romance Collection, the hero of the story is a journeyman ship's figurehead carver in mid-18th century Connecticut.

The Wood-carver's Shop by Howard Pyle

I began my in-person research of ship figureheads in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, and ended up in Mystic Seaport, Connecticut, where I had the privilege of viewing some amazing carvings and visiting a figurehead carving shop. Much of my research was also done online where I studied the methods of some woodcarvers who are carrying on the tradition of this exceptional craft.

Ship figureheads, sometimes referred to as Neptune's wooden angels, are an ornately carved wooden sculptures attached to the bowsprit (the forward extending spar) of a ship. Many a past ship carver's artistic expression has been memorialized in the extant figureheads that once graced a ship's prow. 

A figurehead helped identify a ship and also helped non-literate people know the ship's name. In its day, a ship without a figurehead was akin to a ship without a sail. But figureheads were also wrapped up in superstition. They were believed to embody the spirit of a ship and were originally thought to placate the gods of the sea and ensure a safe voyage of the sailors.

HMS Unicorn built in 1824, shipwrecked.

The custom of figureheads attached to the bowsprit of a ship stems from ancient times and often represented a deity, mythological, or supernatural belief. The Phoenician horse, which symbolized speed, was one of the earliest uses of a wooden statue attached to a maritime vessel. Egyptians painted eyes and carved holy birds on the prow of their ships. The Greek boar's head was used to represented acute vision and ferocity. The Roman centurion portrayed valor in battle. Norse dragons and snakes characterized fierceness. All other manner of creatures were used as sentinels on ships throughout Northern Europe.

By the 16th century, figureheads were meant to embody of the might and spirit of the galleons, sometimes in tandem with the ship's name. British Admiralty often featured a lion on their frigates. All sorts of characters were carved into figureheads: animals, birds and reptiles, nobility, warriors, cultural/classical/religious/mythological icons,  mermaids, and most often of beautiful women — sometimes the effigy of the ship's captain or owner's wife or daughter.

During the 18th century the size of figureheads were generally reduced, due to the weight of the massive wood carvings, which adversely affected the efficiency of the sailing vessels. This was especially important in times of war, as cost was also a consideration. Mid-19th century clipper ships still used the smaller, lighter version of figureheads but by the end of the century the clipper stem was no longer built on warships and merchant ships. The development of non-wooden vessels prohibited the attachment of a figurehead altogether. Thus, the figurehead became an icon of the past, substituted with a billet-head (a carved ornamental scroll) or a ship's badge (that may feature a coat of arms) on a war ship.

Figureheads at Mystic Seaport Museum, Connecticut.

Figurehead Lore:

• To sail in a ship without a figurehead was considered highly dangerous.
• Sailors believed that a ship needed to find its own way, and could only do this if it had eyes.
• A figurehead was thought to be the embodiment of the ship's soul.
• To ward off evil spirits as the ship bounded through the ocean.
• To protect the crew and passengers from traveling maladies.
• A bare-breasted woman figurehead was thought to calm an angry sea by enticing it with its beauty.
  
• If a figurehead was painted black it was considered bad luck.
• In Germany, Belgium, and Holland, it was believed that fairy type spirits dwelt in the figureheads.
• Some sailors believed that if a vessel went down without a figurehead it condemned the sailor's soul to haunt the sea for all eternity.

You may view my Pinterest board of ship's figureheads here >> 










The American Dream Romance Collection:
Nine Historical Romances Grow Alongside a New Country (New Release, October 2015)

Carving a Future - Connecticut, 1753:  Ship figurehead carver Nathaniel Ingersoll has apprenticed for many years under his Uncle Phineas and hopes to become a master ship carver in his own right. Constance Starling was spirited away from England to the Connecticut coast as an indentured servant, arriving too ill for anyone to accept her. When Nathaniel takes pity on her, he purchases her contract. Has he jeopardized the future he has worked so hard to achieve for the welfare of a weakly servant?


Native New Englander Carla Olson Gade writes from her Victorian home in Central Maine. With eight books in print, she enjoys bringing her tales to life with historically authentic settings and characters. An avid reader, amateur genealogist, photographer, and house plan hobbyist, Carla's great love (next to her family) is historical research. Though you might find her tromping around an abandoned homestead, an old fort, or interviewing a docent at an historical museum, it's easier to connect with her online at carlagade.com and on facebook.

Silhouettes of the 18th and 19th centuries

Carla Olson Gade here to talk about Silhouettes.


Some images are unmistakable. The familiar inky profiles of famous historical figures leave a lasting impression. You may have already ascertained that the silhouettes that you see here belong to George Washington and Jane Austen.



A few of my most treasured pictures are the silhouettes I have hanging on my wall of my two sons at ages 8 eight and nine, along with one of my mother as a young teen. I recall watching in fascination as the silhouettist cut the the precious profiles of my boys from a piece of black paper using only a good eye and a pair of small scissors. I also have two silhouettes of my husband as a boy. It is remarkable to now see the childhood likenesses of three generations. 

In the 1st century, Pliny the Elder told the story of Dibutade, a 5th century Corinthian girl, who traced her lover's shadow, cast by candlelight, because she wanted to keep the image of her lover with her when he went away on a journey.

A renaissance of the art form occurred in the 18th century when artists would trace the distinguished profiles of the Lords and Ladies at royal balls. They soon became popular with common classes as portraits were expensive. Black painted profile miniatures became an inexpensive alternative and were often provided by itinerant silhouettists. The profile was obtained by placing a candle so it cast the shadow of the subject, which was then traced by the artist. Profile artists promised a perfect likeness of the sitter and often kept copies of their work so they could be easily reproduced and distributed as mementos for loved ones.

During the 18th century the images were referred to as "shades", "shadow portraits" and "shadow art", and "profiles" in the 19th century. A famous silhouette artist from England coined the phrase "silhouette" about 1830. He named them after the French finance minister, Etienne de Silhouette, who was perceived as being more concerned with his hobby of cutting black profiles than the plight of the peasants during the French Revolution. 

In the 18th century, shadow portraits were created on paper, wax, glass, ivory, and plaster and painted with India-ink, water colors, and other pigments. Sometimes the artist "bronzed" the image to add detail to the portrait while keeping the facial features obscured.

Silhouette cutting using black paper was a later technique, the one we are most familiar with. However, since black paper was not available until the late 1820's, paper had to be darkened with charcoal or lamp-black. Another method used was the hollow-cut silhouette. For this, the profile was cut and discarded. The remaining surrounding white paper was then placed against black paper or silk to reveal the profile. Contraptions were invented to help capture the silhouette, such as the Physiognotrace for hollow-cutting, a Profile Machine, and the Limomachia chair. The size of a silhouette could be reduced by using a machine called the pantograph.

Would you like to make a silhouette? Here's how, but please leave a comment first and kindly share this post.


Has anyone ever done your silhouette? Do you have any heirloom silhouettes?

Pattern for Romance (Abingdon) 

Now on Audible (Listen to sample)

Honour Metcalf’s quilting needlework is admired by a wealthy customer of the Boston Mantua-maker for whom she works. In need of increasing her earnings, she agrees to create an elaborate white work bridal quilt for the dowager’s niece. A beautiful design emerges as she carefully stitches the intricate patterns and she begins to dream of fashioning a wedding quilt of her own.

New Englander Carla Olson Gade writes from her home amidst the rustic landscapes of Maine. With seven books in print, she enjoys bringing her tales to life with historically authentic settings and characters. An avid reader, amateur genealogist, photographer, and house plan hobbyist, Carla's great love (next to her family) is historical research. Though you might find her tromping around an abandoned homestead, an old fort, or interviewing a docent at an historical museum, it's easier to connect with her online at carlagade.com.