Happy Birthday to Eight Eminent Women

 

Happy 481^st Birthday to Mary, Queen of Scots

Queen of Scotland (1542-1567)

Born: December 8, 1542

Birthplace: Linlithgow Palace, Linlithgow, Scotland

Died: February 8, 1587 (44 years old)

 

Queen Elizabeth I of England, the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, imprisoned Mary, Henry’s great-niece, and eventually had her beheaded for treason. 

 

“In the end is my beginning.”

 

Happy 193^rd Birthday to Emily Dickinson

Reclusive American poet

 

Born: December 10, 1830

Birthplace: Amherst, Massachusetts, United States

Died: May 15, 1886 (55 years old)

 

Miss Dickinson, known for dressing in white, wrote approximately 1800 poems that “were mostly without titles and had short lines, slant rhyme, and unconventional punctuation” (TFP#94). 

Most of her work was published after her death.

 

Happy 208^th Birthday to Ada Lovelace, Countess of Lovelace

Mathematician and “Earliest Computer Programmer” (Lovelace)

Birthdate: December 10, 1815

Birthplace: London

Died: November 27, 1852 (36 years old)

Ada, the daughter of the poet Lord Byron (author of Don Juan), worked on Charles Babbage’s proposed “analytical engine,” a mechanical general-purpose computer proposed by Charles Babbage. Many believe “she published the first algorithm after realizing that the algorithm could be carried out by a machine like the Analytical Engine” (TFP#66).

 

"I am much pleased to find how very well I stand work and 

how my powers of attention and continued effort increase." 

 

Happy 205^th Birthday to Mary Todd Lincoln

First Lady of the United States (1861 - 1865); President Abraham Lincoln’s wife

 

Born: December 13, 1818

Birthplace: Lexington, Kentucky, United States

Died: July 16, 1882 (63 years old)

 

Mrs. Lincoln’s intelligence and dedication to her husband are often overshadowed by her reputation as a frivolous spendthrift. After the assassination, she suffered from severe depression, financial problems, and legal disputes. 

 

“My evil genius Procrastination has whispered me 

to tarry ‘til a more convenient season.”

 

Happy 121^st Birthday to Frances Bavier

Actress best known for playing Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith Show.

 

Born: December 14, 1902

Birthplace: Manhattan, New York City, New York

Died: December 6, 1989 (almost 87 years old)

 

Ms. Bavier's career began in the theater, but it was her portrayal of Aunt Bee that made her famous and beloved by generations of fans. She earned critical acclaim for the role and was nominated for two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

 

“…Aunt Bee is so much nicer than the real me.”

 

Happy 538^th Birthday to Catherine of Aragon

Queen Consort of England (1509 - 1533)

 

Birthdate: December 16, 1485

Birthplace: Alcala de Henares, Spain

Died: January 7, 1536 (50 years old)

 

The daughter of Spain’s monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, and mother of Queen Mary I gained her fame as the first wife of the infamous King Henry VIII. She refused to give in to her husband’s demands for an annulment which had far-reaching religious implications. She “commissioned The Education of a Christian Woman, a controversial book promoting women’s right to education” (TFP#137).

 

“I choose what I believe and say nothing. 

For I am not as simple as I may seem.”

 

Happy 248^th Birthday to Jane Austen

English author of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion (my favorite), and other novels.

 

Birthdate: December 16, 1775

Birthplace: Steventon, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom

Died: July 18, 1817 (41 years old)

 

Miss Austen’s novels may be seen by some as lighthearted stories. On a deeper level, however, she is celebrated for her sharp wit, keen sense of irony, and insightful observations on human nature. Each novel has been adapted for film and television numerous times, and today she is recognized as a pioneer of the modern novel.

 

“The person, be it lady or gentleman, who has not pleasure in a good novel, 

must be intolerably stupid.”

 

Happy 107^th Birthday to Betty Grable 

American actress known for Mother Wore Tights and How to Marry a Millionaire

 

Birthdate: December 18, 1916

Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Died: July 2, 1973 (56 years old)

 

The multi-talented Miss Grable could do it all! Actress, dancer, singer…and the pin-up girl with the famous million-dollar legs. She became a cultural icon during World War II as a symbol of hope and optimism for American soldiers who were fighting overseas. Her legacy lives on as a Hollywood legend.

“There are two reasons why I am successful in show business 

and I am standing on both of them.”

 

Your Turn ~ Today we're celebrating the birthdays of royalty, actresses, literary icons, and a science pioneer. Given the opportunity, which one of these notable women's parties would you most like to attend? Let me know in the comments!

My Latest Short Story!

"Christmas Comes to Springlight," a story about two feuding sisters, a tragical tragedy, a repentant thief, and a present from the past, appears in A Thrill in the Air.

The latest Mosaic Collection Christmas Anthology includes eight wonderful stories about reconciliation during the holidays.Available now on Amazon.

 

Johnnie writes award-winning stories in multiple genres. A fan of classic movies, stacks of books, and road trips, she shares a life of quiet adventure with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, her raccoon-treeing papillon. Visit her at johnnie-alexander.com.

Photos ~ each photo is in the public domain; modified with Canva.

Ada Lovelace ~ Portrait of Ada by British painter, Margaret Sarah Carpenter (1836), Government Art Collection. 

Betty Grable ~ Publicity photo of Betty Grable. “This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1928 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice” (GrablePhoto). Created circa 1950s. 

Catherine of Aragon ~ “This is the largest miniature of Henry VIII's first wife. Three other miniatures exist, but two are circular copies of this original; the third is believed to be a companion piece to a miniature of the king. A unique feature of this work is that it includes Katharine's hands. All of Horenbout's other miniatures focused on the head and shoulders. All of his portraits have plain blue backgrounds and are traced with a gold line. Later artists such as Nicholas Hilliard inherited this style and continued it into the 17th century” (CatherinePhoto).

Emily Dickinson ~ Daguerreotype taken at Mount Holyoke, December 1846 or early 1847; the only authenticated portrait of Dickinson after early childhood. It is presently located in Amherst College Archives & Special Collections. 

Frances Bavier ~ CBS-photographer-Gabor Rona; eBay item photo. Created: 31 May 1964. 

Jane Austen ~ “From a watercolour by James Andrews of Maidenhead based on an unfinished work by Cassandra Austen. Engraving by William Home Lizars. A Memoir of Jane Austen by her nephew J. E. Austen-Leigh, Vicar of Bray, Berks. London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, Publisher in Ordinary to her Majesty, 1870….Portrait of Jane Austen, from the memoir by J. E. Austen-Leigh (1798-1874). All other portraits of Austen are generally based on this, which is itself based on a sketch by Cassandra Austen” (AustenPhoto).

Mary, Queen of Scots ~ Mary in captivity, by Nicholas Hilliard, c. 1578.

Mary Todd Lincoln ~ Brady-Handy Photograph Collection (Library of Congress). 

Sources ~ all websites accessed on December 5, 2023.

Lovelace ~ https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/ada-lovelace-6234.php

 

The following three entries are from this website:

https://www.thefamouspeople.com/famous-people-born-in-december.php

 

TFP#66 ~ Ada Lovelace is the 66^th entry.

TFP#94 ~ Emily Dickinson is the 94^th entry.

TFP#137 ~ Catherine of Aragon is the 137^th entry.

Galt & Bro. Jeweler's - A Glittering Legacy

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I shared about the Delaware's State Fair and the history of fairs throughout the "First State." If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2019/02/the-first-states-first-state-fair-book.html.

Just last night, I was chatting with a friend about shared commonalities from living around the Chesapeake Bay for a time. We reminisced about places we visited, and in a part of that conversation, I shared about my family's ties to Washington, D.C., as well as some of the elite, including several presidents. Here's a little glimpse of my personal family history as seen through the eyes of one of the oldest and continuously operated jewelry stores in the nation.

* * * * *

A Glittering Legacy

stamp on brown paper showing opening date
also etched on all packages delivered from the shop

George Washington didn't sleep here, but Abraham Lincoln shopped here.

So did Jefferson Davis and Alexander Graham Bell, J. Edgar Hoover and John F. Kennedy, and practically every well-heeled luminary who has passed through Washington, D.C., over the past 200 years.

In 1802, James Galt (a cousin of mine many times removed) opened his "clock and watch" business on the promise that he would "keep a few good watches and material for sale at reasonable prices." Sadly, in 2001, the store was forced to close its doors, but 200 years in continuous operation is quite impressive!

1107 Pennsylvania Ave. storefront

Throughout its many years in business, leather-bound store ledgers documented the visits and recorded the accounts of people like "Hon. Abraham Lincoln," as well as the "Hon. Jefferson Davis," who in 1860 purchased charms, buttons, shawl pins, and a gold thimble, and "Gen. Ulysses S. Grant," who six years later purchased two butter knives and a sugar tong. These hand-written ledgers and yellowed customer cards became much more of a treasure than the Gorham silver or diamond-and-pearl adornments rumored to be quite favored by Mary Todd Lincoln...a woman whose much-criticized obsession with spending was documented in faded script in the ledgers.

Among some of these hand-written items are customer cards of "Mrs. F.D. Roosevelt," and "Mrs. Wm. H. Taft," and a copy of Washington's first phone directory -- a single page from 1878 with "Galt" as the only name listed under "Jeweler." How amazing is that? To be the only jeweler in the city and to boast a clientele that can only be described as city's elite!

interior of Galt & Bros. Jewelry

The shop reflected its posh patronage too. Chandeliers sparkled overhead, oriental carpets muffled footsteps, and heavy, ice-blue damask curtains blocked the sun, while a massive grandfather clock stood sentry. This place was much more than a jewelry store. Other inventory items included silver keychains, leather watchbands, linen napkins and tablecloths, a grand silver tea service, and a commemorative Bicentennial plate, added in 1976 (the year I was born).

Although I never stepped inside the shop when it was open, I do know the last Galt to operate the business was Norman Galt, whose wife, Edith Bolling Galt, inherited it upon his death and went on to become the wife of President Woodrow Wilson. I wrote a post a couple years ago about this, as she was my grandfather's first cousin on my mother's side.

Galt & Bros. storefront at 1107 Pennsylvania Ave.
(photo copyright Alamy)

Considering the notable list of names who frequented this shop, it's no surprise to also learn the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Washington Historical Society are all itching to inherit the Galt archives.

After 200 years in Washington, that's a pretty amazing legacy. One of these years, I intend to write a series focusing on this jewelry store and the people who were patrons and customers. It will be exciting to research not only the story but my own family's history too. Washington, D.C. elite in the 1800s and 1900s. Sounds like fun to me!!

* * * * *

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Do you have any notable names or stories like this in YOUR family history?

* What item or type of item would entice you to shop at Galt & Bros. if you were in Washington, D.C. during its years of operation?

* What was your favorite part about today's post?

---

BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning and best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. On the side, she dabbles in the health & wellness and personal development industry, helping others become their best from the inside out.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children and two dogs in Colorado. She has sold twenty (21) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, and LinkedIn

Inside the White House: The Lincoln Bedroom

The Lincoln Bedroom is perhaps one of the most famous rooms in the White House. It's part of a guest suite in the southeast corner of the second floor, and while it's technically part of the family quarters, it is as well-known as many of the State Rooms.

The Lincoln Bedroom in 1962, during the Kennedy Administration. Robert Knudsen. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston. Public Domain.

Many assume Lincoln slept in the room, using the furniture inside, but he did not. The famous, gigantic bed (eight feet by six feet) was one of many furnishings purchased by Mary Todd Lincoln, along with the marble-topped table in the room, and these two items were kept in what was then called the Prince of Wales room down the hall. Mrs. Lincoln had purple drapery added to the bedstead. 

Lincoln slept in another bed in another room, which has since been converted to the Private Dining Room and Family Kitchen.

President Lincoln. Public Domain

And this particular room was used by Lincoln as presidents had used it since 1825--as an office.

During Lincoln's presidency, the walls were covered in dark green and gold wallpaper, and a green carpet covered the floor. Books and papers piled on the tables, and maps to help plan military strategy for the Civil War were tacked on the walls alongside paintings. Two large wicker baskets held debris, often to overfloweing. Here, Lincoln met with military leaders as well as every day folks.


Lincoln also issued the Emancipation Proclamation in this room September 22, 1862 (it went into effect January 1, 1863). An engraving of the 1864 painting, "First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation," now hangs in the room (the original is in the Capitol Building). 

"First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation" by Francis B. Carpenter, 1864. Public Domain

The Presidential office was moved to the West Wing in the early 20th century, and the room became a bedchamber for the president's family members or guests. 

While Lincoln may not have slept in the bed now in the room, it's believed his young son Willie, aged 11, died in the bed in 1862. Later, other presidential couples chose the bed for their master suites, including Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt and Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson. The Coolidges also used the bed.

in the 1950's, President Harry S. Truman and his wife Bess decided to place the large bed and marble-topped table in the former presidential office. The chamber has been known as the Lincoln Bedroom since then.

The Lincoln Bedroom, 1985-1995. Public Domain.

The Committee for the Preservation of the White House assessed the room and its contents in 2002, and the decision was made to finance a historical refurbishing project. Using etchings, newspaper articles, a painting, and photographs of the Lincoln office to guide them, they chose a diamond-patterned wallpaper for the room. While the original paper in the room was dark green, the room was papered in creamy tones to reflect the preferences of President George W. Bush, although the diamond pattern in the paper was kept.

Duplicates were made of many fixtures and furnishings that had once been in the room, although there are some original pieces, too: the clock once sat on Lincoln's mantel, and four walnut side chairs once sat around Lincoln's cabinet table. A rocking chair from the period, similar to the one Lincoln sat in at Ford's Theater the night of his assassination, is also in the room.

Perhaps the most breathtaking item in the room, however, is a copy of the Gettysburg Address, handwritten and signed by Lincoln.

President Obama with Peng Liyuan, Xi Jinping in the Lincoln Bedroom, viewing the Gettysburg Address, 2015. Public Domain. Note the diamond-patterned wallpaper and the restoration of purple drapery over the bed in the background--much like Mary Todd Lincoln had it.

Actor Daniel Day-Lewis, who won an Oscar for portraying Abraham Lincoln, views the Gettysburg Address during a 2012 visit to the White House. Public Domain

Sleeping in the Lincoln bedroom is considered an honor. Today, guests of the president continue to sleep in the room, no doubt cherishing the opportunity to spend the night in a place so steeped in American history, and associated with such a great man and president.

***

Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she's a Selah Award-winning author. A pastor's wife and mom of two, she loves fancy-schmancy tea parties, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama and a plate of nachos. You can visit her on her website, www.susannedietze.com.

Mary Todd Lincoln...White House Hostess

A Much Maligned First Lady

 by Martha Rogers

The years she served as hostess to White House functions were known as “The Tragic Years” because of the Civil War. Poor Mary had three strikes against her because of Harriet Lane, Buchanan’s niece who served as hostess during his years as President.

In contrast to Harriet’s blonde beauty and social skills, Mary Todd came across as short, dumpy, and plain. Based on her background from the Midwestern prairies, Social Washington assumed Mary would have a lot to learn. The harder Mary tired, the more Washington society resisted her.

However Mary was not your typical prairie wife. She came from a respected Kentucky family, and in normal times might have been a happier hostess. She was well-qualified to serve as hostess with all the Southern hospitality with which she had been raised.

Below is a picture of her home in Kentucky.

These were not normal times with storm clouds of impending war hanging over Washington. Many southerners living in Washington of course had sympathies with the South and closed their houses to return to their Southern roots.

Mary Todd Lincoln fought an uphill battle to prove that she had the taste and style expected of a First Lady. She often went to extravagant lengths to establish her gentility to skeptics. She spent large sums of money on clothing to impress Washington society.

 

Just as she became more accepted and successful, her son Willie died in 1862. From then on, everything she did was misunderstood, and in the public’s eyes, she could do no right.

To the left is a China doll made in her image sometime later.

Because of her southern roots, rumors ran rampant that she was actually a Confederate spy. The talk became so vicious that Lincoln himself had to address an investigating committee and assure them of her loyalty to the Union cause.

Her response to the charges gave insight to her bitterness toward the Confederates. “Why should I sympathize with the rebels? They would hang my husband tomorrow if it was in their power.” 

Hints of treason were only one of the many crosses she had to bear as First Lady. A semi-breakdown followed the death of her son. Then when she witnessed her husband’s assassination, her grip on sanity loosened even more and gave way completely a while later.

Mary Todd Lincoln, in the face of constant criticism, bravely tried to carry on the official functions of the White House. 

Of all the actresses who have played the part of Mary Todd in many movies, Sally Field came closest to looking more like the First Lady. Her make-up and the costumes gave her a very close resemblance to Mary Todd.

So much more has been written about Mary Todd Lincoln and most of is a sad account of her days after the White House when she had an abject fear of poverty and began losing her sanity to the point that her son had her committed to an asylum in May of 1875. Mary Lincoln was released into the custody of her sister in Springfield in 1876. Mrs. Lincoln spent the next four years traveling throughout Europe then returned home to live with her sister after a fall which left Mary with a spinal cord injury that confined her to the house. Her death came on July 16, 1882 at the age of 63. She is buried in the Lincoln Tomb in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield next to her husband.   

 It's Go Texan! time here in Houston. 

  Martha Rogers is a free-lance writer and was named Writer of the Year at the Texas Christian Writers Conference in 2009 and writes a weekly devotional for ACFW. Martha and her husband Rex live in Houston where they enjoy spending time with their grandchildren.  A former English and Home Economics teacher, Martha loves to cook and experimenting with recipes and loves scrapbooking when she has time. She has written three series, Winds Across the Prairie and Seasons of the Heart and The Homeward Journey. Book three in that series, Love Never Fails, released in November, 2014.

Learn more about Martha www.marthwrogers.com

Manfred and Sally’s daughter Molly Logan finishes school and returns to her home to teach school. She has new and innovative ideas that are accepted only because people have known Molly since she was a child. When old friends of her parents come for a visit, with their son, Stefan Elliot, Molly is attracted to the young man, but all he is interested in is talking about his position in the army and how he’s home on furlough because of an injury. Their beliefs about war and the military have them at odds with one another. When he leaves to rejoin his regiment, Molly is both relieved and saddened. When her grandmother falls ill and passes away, Molly returns to Louisiana with her family. While there she meets Stefan again who has returned home because of a disfiguring injury in a battle. With the help of her father and uncle, Stefan is persuaded to come back to Stoney Creek and work on the ranch for her uncle, Micah Gordon. Once they return, it is up to Molly to bring him back from depression to depend on God and find love knows no limitations.

Artistry in Wood

 With Nancy J. Farrier

Peter Glass immigrated from Germany to the United States in 1844. A young man of twenty-years-old, Peter already knew about woodworking from his cabinetry apprenticeship in Germany. In Massachusetts, he began working at a piano factory applying veneer to the piano keys.

Peter Glass

In his free time Peter devoted himself to making marquetry furniture, something he loved to do. His elaborate tables won prizes at competitions and fairs. In 1857, Peter moved his family to Wisconsin where he worked, farming his land. He continued to design and build inlaid furniture in his spare time.

Considered by some to be a backwoodsman, no one could argue about Glass’s skill as an artisan. He made small gifts for family, small boxes and worktables. He was best known for the intricate tables he made with well-known American figures done in tiny pieces of inlaid wood.The Milwaukee Art Museum displays one of his workstands made of mahogany, maple, cedar and other types of wood inlay.

In 1864, Glass crafted two large tilt-top tables. One, composed of more than 20,000 pieces of wood, featuring the portraits of political and military heroes, including Zachary Taylor and George Washington. Showcasing the portraits were intricate geometric and floral patterns. Glass also made a table that featured a portrait on President Lincoln.

Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln

When the tables were completed, Glass put them on display. The public could view them for a cost of twenty-five cents. He then sent the works to President and Mrs. Lincoln, who also had other works of his, a sewing set and sewing table he made for Mary Todd Lincoln. The large inlaid tables were never seen by President Lincoln, who was assassinated before Glass’s works arrived.

Have you ever seen any of Peter Glass's marquetry furniture? I love wood boxes and used to have an inlaid wood box made of pieces of wood from Africa. Do you have any thing like that? Do you enjoy wooden boxes? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Nancy J Farrier is an award winning author who lives in Southern California in the Mojave Desert. She loves the Southwest and interesting historical past. Nancy and her husband have five children. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats, and spend time with her family. Nancy is represented by Karen Ball of The Steve Laube Literary Agency. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.