Mural designs for every room in your home. You can pretend you are a Renaissance princess going up and down the stairs or Hera Queen of the Skies instructing the maid on table settings for the next banquet for the goddess. Chromolithographs from the 1890 folio “Plafonds et peintures murales” which was put together by decorative painter Ernest David and his friend and fellow painter F. Lamy. Published in Paris. Where else?

ANTICHAMBRE. Ernest David, pinx. Imprimerie A. Janniot and Cie, Paris, lithographers. E E. Thézard fils, publishers, Editeur à Dourdan (Seine-et-Oise). Bibliothèque du Peintre en Bâtiment, Plafonds et Peintures Murales par E. David. Image 8. Collections of the Caroline Simpson Library, Museums of History New South Wales. CcO License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/David10636/page/n8/mode/1up

PLAFOND RENAISSANCE. Ernest David, pinx. Imprimerie A. Janniot and Cie, Paris, lithographers. E E. Thézard fils, publishers, Editeur à Dourdan (Seine-et-Oise). Bibliothèque du Peintre en Bâtiment, Plafonds et Peintures Murales par E. DAVID. Image 10. Collections of the Caroline Simpson Library, Museums of History New South Wales. CcO License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/David10636/page/n10/mode/1up

ESCALIER. Ernest David, pinx. Imprimerie A. Janniot and Cie, Paris, lithographers. E E. Thézard fils, publishers, Editeur à Dourdan (Seine-et-Oise). Bibliothèque du Peintre en Bâtiment, Nouveaux modèles de Plafonds et Peintures murales par E. DAVID. Image 12. Collections of the Caroline Simpson Library, Museums of History New South Wales. CcO License 1.0. https://archive.org/details/David10636/page/n12/mode/1up

SALLE DE BAIN. Ernest David, pinx. Imprimerie A. Janniot and Cie, Paris, lithographers. E E. Thézard fils, publishers, Editeur à Dourdan (Seine-et-Oise). Bibliothèque du Peintre en Bâtiment, Plafonds et Peintures Murales par E. DAVID. Image 16. Collections of the Caroline Simpson Library, Museums of History New South Wales. CcO License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/David10636/page/n16/mode/1up

TENTURE RENAISSANCE. Ernest David, pinx. Imprimerie A. Janniot and Cie, Paris, lithographers. E E. Thézard fils, publishers, Editeur à Dourdan (Seine-et-Oise). Bibliothèque du Peintre en Bâtiment, Plafonds et Peintures Murales par E. DAVID. Image 20. Collections of the Caroline Simpson Library, Museums of History New South Wales. CcO License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/David10636/page/n20/mode/1up

PORTE ORIENTALE. *Ernest David, pinx. Imprimerie F. Hermet, Paris – Orléans*. lithographers. E E. Thézard fils, publishers, Editeur à Dourdan (Seine-et-Oise). Bibliothèque du Peintre en Bâtiment, Plafonds et Peintures Murales par E. DAVID. Image 32. Collections of the Caroline Simpson Library, Museums of History New South Wales. CcO License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/David10636/page/n32/mode/1up

*PLAFOND LOUIS XIV. Ernest David, pinx. Imprimerie F. Hermet, Paris – Orléans*. lithographers. E E. Thézard fils, publishers, Editeur à Dourdan (Seine-et-Oise). Bibliothèque du Peintre en Bâtiment, Plafonds et Peintures Murales par E. DAVID. Image 34. Collections of the Caroline Simpson Library, Museums of History New South Wales. CcO License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/David10636/page/n34/mode/1up

*CROISEE MAURESQUE. Ernest David, pinx. Imprimerie F. Hermet, Paris – Orléans*. lithographers. E E. Thézard fils, publishers, Editeur à Dourdan (Seine-et-Oise). Bibliothèque du Peintre en Bâtiment, Plafonds et Peintures Murales par E. DAVID. Image 40. Collections of the Caroline Simpson Library, Museums of History New South Wales. CcO License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/David10636/page/n40/mode/1up

*MUR VESTIBULE. Ernest David, pinx. Imprimerie F. Hermet, Paris – Orléans*. lithographers. E E. Thézard fils, publishers, Editeur à Dourdan (Seine-et-Oise). Bibliothèque du Peintre en Bâtiment, Plafonds et Peintures Murales par E. DAVID. Image 52. Collections of the Caroline Simpson Library, Museums of History New South Wales. CcO License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/David10636/page/n52/mode/1up

PEINTURE MURALE ET PLAFOND. F Lamy, pinx. Imprimerie Bourgerie Paris, lithographers. E E. Thézard fils, publishers, Editeur à Dourdan (Seine-et-Oise). Bibliothèque du Peintre en Bâtiment, Nouveaux modèles de Plafonds et Peintures murales par F. LAMY. Image 52. Collections of the Caroline Simpson Library, Museums of History New South Wales. CcO License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/David10636/page/n64/mode/1up

PEINTURE MURALE ET PLAFOND DE SALLE À MANGER. F Lamy, pinx. Imprimerie Bourgerie Paris, lithographers. E E. Thézard fils, publishers, Editeur à Dourdan (Seine-et-Oise). Bibliothèque du Peintre en Bâtiment, Nouveaux modèles de Plafonds et Peintures murales par F. LAMY. Image 74. Collections of the Caroline Simpson Library, Museums of History New South Wales. CcO License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/David10636/page/n74/mode/1up

*CHEMINÉE DE CABINET* (the captioning on this page is very faded out). *Bibliothèque du Peintre en Bâtiment, Plafonds et Peintures Murales par E. DAVID.* Image 80. Collections of the Caroline Simpson Library, Museums of History New South Wales. CcO License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/David10636/page/n80/mode/1up

Gardens of Flatbush back before they built the big Sears Roebuck store. Flatbush is part of Brooklyn, a borough of New York City. These images are from 1908; I’m not sure how accurate they are. My mother was a baby in a different part of Brooklyn but they moved long before she could have remember the neighbors’ flower beds.

Front cover, Image 1 of *Brooklyn’s Garden, Views of Picturesque Flatbush.* Published and copyrighted 1908 by Charles Andrew Ditmas, Brooklyn, New York. The Albertype Company, Brooklyn, New York, printers. In the public domain due to age. Collections of the Library of Congress. via https://archive.org/details/brooklynsgardenv00ditma/mode/1up

*Albermarle Road*. Image 4 of *Brooklyn’s Garden, Views of Picturesque Flatbush.* Published and copyrighted 1908 by Charles Andrew Ditmas, Brooklyn, New York. The Albertype Company, Brooklyn, New York, printers. In the public domain due to age. Collections of the Library of Congress. via https://archive.org/details/brooklynsgardenv00ditma/page/n4/mode/1up

*Tennis Court.* Image 6 of *Brooklyn’s Garden, Views of Picturesque Flatbush.* Published and copyrighted 1908 by Charles Andrew Ditmas, Brooklyn, New York. The Albertype Company, Brooklyn, New York, printers. In the public domain due to age. Collections of the Library of Congress. via https://archive.org/details/brooklynsgardenv00ditma/page/n6/mode/1up

*Boat House – Prospect Park.* Image 22 of *Brooklyn’s Garden, Views of Picturesque Flatbush.* Published and copyrighted 1908 by Charles Andrew Ditmas, Brooklyn, New York. The Albertype Company, Brooklyn, New York, printers. In the public domain due to age. Collections of the Library of Congress. via https://archive.org/details/brooklynsgardenv00ditma/page/n22/mode/1up

*Melrose Park, Residence of W. A. A. Brown.* Image 35 of *Brooklyn’s Garden, Views of Picturesque Flatbush.* Published and copyrighted 1908 by Charles Andrew Ditmas, Brooklyn, New York. The Albertype Company, Brooklyn, New York, printers. In the public domain due to age. Collections of the Library of Congress. via https://archive.org/details/brooklynsgardenv00ditma/page/n35/mode/1up

*Beverley Road*. Image 42 of *Brooklyn’s Garden, Views of Picturesque Flatbush.* Published and copyrighted 1908 by Charles Andrew Ditmas, Brooklyn, New York. The Albertype Company, Brooklyn, New York, printers. In the public domain due to age. Collections of the Library of Congress. via https://archive.org/details/brooklynsgardenv00ditma/page/n42/mode/1up

Ocean Avenue Entrance to Prospect Park. Image 50 of *Brooklyn’s Garden, Views of Picturesque Flatbush.* Published and copyrighted 1908 by Charles Andrew Ditmas, Brooklyn, New York. The Albertype Company, Brooklyn, New York, printers. In the public domain due to age. Collections of the Library of Congress. via https://archive.org/details/brooklynsgardenv00ditma/page/n50/mode/1up

I have other relatives who live or have lived in New York City too and a large chunk of my following too. So here is a Substack link – this author has a very interesting substack with an article on a different part of New York City nearly every week. This is his Flatbush article.

https://theneighborhoods.substack.com/p/flatbush-brooklyn?utm_source=publication-search

An envisioning. 1982 with December reaching for January as the snow comes down at the ski house on Pine Cone Way.

Oh to be here.

Aspen. Three apres ski outfits to wear sitting around the roaring fire trying to look like you fit in what with the new inlaws not having met a pair of skis they don’t like, and not knowing the lady in their midst is more of a New York City girl, habituated to going up and down in elevators under someone else’s propulsion, not with knees bent and ski poles to wave around, while the wind goes woosh in your ears as sparkly light bounces off the trees.

my new short fiction piece published to my Substack at the link if you’d like to read the rest. The images are from Florida Memory, the Florida Archives.

https://sarahbguestperry.substack.com/p/an-envisioning-1982-with-december

Chromolithographs of flowers, just as pretty as the ones growing in the meadow at the top of the hill. Imagery from the 1866 work “Der Führer in die Pflanzenwelt. Hülfsbuch zur Auffindung und Bestimmung der wichtigsten in Deutschland wild wachsenden Pflanzen.” Written mostly by Emil Postel, it was published by the school bookstore of F.G.L. Gressler, Langensalza, Thurungia (Germany).

*Adonis vernalis. Frühlings Adonis. (Spring adonis).* Frontispiece, Image 7 of Emil Postel’s 1866 work *Der Führer in die Pflanzenwelt. Hülfsbuch zur Auffindung und Bestimmung der wichtigsten in Deutschland wild wachsenden Pflanzen*.” Written mostly by Emil Postel, it was published by the school bookstore of F.G.L. Gressler, Langensalza, Thuringia. Julius Beltz, Langensalza, printer. Collections of the New York Botanical Society LuEsther T. Mertz Library via the Biodiversity Heritage Library and the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/derfhrerindiep00post/page/n7/mode/1up

*Primula minma. kleinste Primel*. (Primrose). Image 144 of Emil Postel’s 1866 work *Der Führer in die Pflanzenwelt. Hülfsbuch zur Auffindung und Bestimmung der wichtigsten in Deutschland wild wachsenden Pflanzen*.” Written mostly by Emil Postel, it was published by the school bookstore of F.G.L. Gressler, Langensalza, Thuringia. Julius Beltz, Langensalza, printer. Collections of the New York Botanical Society LuEsther T. Mertz Library via the Biodiversity Heritage Library and the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/derfhrerindiep00post/page/n144/mode/1up

*Trifolium rubens. Langjähriger rother Bergklee.* (Perennial red mountain clover). Image 290 of Emil Postel’s 1866 work *Der Führer in die Pflanzenwelt. Hülfsbuch zur Auffindung und Bestimmung der wichtigsten in Deutschland wild wachsenden Pflanzen*.” Written mostly by Emil Postel, it was published by the school bookstore of F.G.L. Gressler, Langensalza, Thuringia. Julius Beltz, Langensalza, printer. Collections of the New York Botanical Society LuEsther T. Mertz Library via the Biodiversity Heritage Library and the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/derfhrerindiep00post/page/n290/mode/1up 336. Juni – VL. Strauder und Aranter in Rabelwalbe

*Sträucher und Kräuter im Nadelwald* *Number 265* (Shrubs and herbs in the coniferous forest). Image 346 of Emil Postel’s 1866 work *Der Führer in die Pflanzenwelt. Hülfsbuch zur Auffindung und Bestimmung der wichtigsten in Deutschland wild wachsenden Pflanzen*.” Written mostly by Emil Postel, it was published by the school bookstore of F.G.L. Gressler, Langensalza, Thuringia. Julius Beltz, Langensalza, printer. Collections of the New York Botanical Society LuEsther T. Mertz Library via the Biodiversity Heritage Library and the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/derfhrerindiep00post/page/335/mode/1up

*Melampÿrum nemorosum blauer Kuhweizen* (wood cow-wheat). Image 428 of Emil Postel’s 1866 work *Der Führer in die Pflanzenwelt. Hülfsbuch zur Auffindung und Bestimmung der wichtigsten in Deutschland wild wachsenden Pflanzen*.” Written mostly by Emil Postel, it was published by the school bookstore of F.G.L. Gressler, Langensalza, Thuringia. Julius Beltz, Langensalza, printer. Collections of the New York Botanical Society LuEsther T. Mertz Library via the Biodiversity Heritage Library and the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/derfhrerindiep00post/page/n428/mode/1up

Life in India under a early 19th century sun. Imagery from “Oriental Field Sports: Being a Complete, Detailed, and Accurate Description of the Wild Sports of the East.” Published in 1807-1819 in London, the manuscript and designs are by Thomas Williamson. The drawings are by Samuel Howitt who illustrated other field sports books which in 1807 meant hunting. There are lots of hunting pictures in this one which I have skipped over. If you’d like to see them just click through one of the links and start at the beginning.

*Hunters Going Out in the Morning/Les Chasseurs Partant le Matin. Edward Orme engraver after drawings by Samuel Howitt. Published in London by T. M. McLean January 1819.* Frontispiece, Image 5 from *Oriental Field Sports: Being a Complete, Detailed, and Accurate Description of the Wild Sports of the East (India/Hindoostan)* with the manuscripts and designs by Thomas Williamson and drawings by Samuel Howitt. William Bulmer, printer. Collections of the National Sporting Library and Museum
Middleburg, Virginia. Cc0 License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/oriental-field-sports-1807_202407/page/n5/mode/1up

*Decoy Elephants Catching a Male/Des éléphants dressés, attrapant un mâle.* *Edward Orme engraver after drawings by Samuel Howitt. Published in London by T. M. McLean January 1819.* Image 62 from *Oriental Field Sports: Being a Complete, Detailed, and Accurate Description of the Wild Sports of the East (India/Hindoostan)* with the manuscripts and designs by Thomas Williamson and drawings by Samuel Howitt. William Bulmer, printer. Collections of the National Sporting Library and Museum
Middleburg, Virginia. Cc0 License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/oriental-field-sports-1807_202407/page/n62/mode/1up

*A Tiger Prowling through a Village/Un tigre traversant un village en hurlant ouete.* *Edward Orme engraver after drawings by Samuel Howitt. Published in London by T. M. McLean January 1819.* Image 62 from *Oriental Field Sports: Being a Complete, Detailed, and Accurate Description of the Wild Sports of the East (India/Hindoostan)* with the manuscripts and designs by Thomas Williamson and drawings by Samuel Howitt. William Bulmer, printer. Collections of the National Sporting Library and Museum
Middleburg, Virginia. Cc0 License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/oriental-field-sports-1807_202407/page/n82/mode/1up

*The Ganges Breaking its Banks with Fishing etc/Le Ganges se debordant; avec les pecheures. Edward Orme engraver after drawings by Samuel Howitt. Published in London by T. M. McLean January 1819.* Image 206 from *Oriental Field Sports: Being a Complete, Detailed, and Accurate Description of the Wild Sports of the East (India/Hindoostan)* with the manuscripts and designs by Thomas Williamson and drawings by Samuel Howitt. William Bulmer, printer. Collections of the National Sporting Library and Museum
Middleburg, Virginia. Cc0 License 1.0. via https://archive.org/details/oriental-field-sports-1807_202407/page/n206/mode/1up

Even peacocks. Why would someone want to kill a peacock for fun? But I digress

Some interesting old artwork from “Halligan’s illustrated world’s fair : a pictorial and literary history of the World’s Columbian Exposition.” Published in 1893, the same year as the exposition (better remembered as The White City). Many thanks to my friend Howard Mock who sent me a link to a copy for sale on Facebook Marketplace. These are from the scanned copy I found in the Pennsylvania Digital Library.

*The Illustrated World’s Fair, devoted to the World’s Fair, Art and Scientific Literature. Jewell N. Halligan, General Manager.* Title page (upper image) Image 7 of *Halligan’s illustrated world’s fair : a pictorial and literary history of the World’s Columbian Exposition.* Volume I – Number 1. Chicago, Illinois, USA. Has an interesting font. American, Published in Chicago, Illinois in 1893 by the Illustrated World’s Fair Publishing Company. In the public domain due to age. Collections of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. via the Power Library, Pennsylvania’s Electronic Library. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Apcalo-amc_27702

*Scenes from the First Banquet to the Columbian Commissioners.* Image 13 of *Halligan’s illustrated world’s fair : a pictorial and literary history of the World’s Columbian Exposition.* Volume I. Chicago, Illinois, USA. Has an interesting font. American, Published in Chicago, Illinois in 1893 by the Illustrated World’s Fair Publishing Company. In the public domain due to age. Collections of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. via the Power Library, Pennsylvania’s Electronic Library. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Apcalo-amc_27702

*A Decoration for the Electricity Building, As Seen in the Works of the Philippsons, at Jackson Park.* Image 119 of *Halligan’s illustrated world’s fair : a pictorial and literary history of the World’s Columbian Exposition.* Volume I. Chicago, Illinois, USA. Has an interesting font. American, Published in Chicago, Illinois in 1893 by the Illustrated World’s Fair Publishing Company. In the public domain due to age. Collections of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. via the Power Library, Pennsylvania’s Electronic Library. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Apcalo-amc_27702

*Among the Sculptures – Models for Heroic Statues on the Great Buildings.* Image 228 of *Halligan’s illustrated world’s fair : a pictorial and literary history of the World’s Columbian Exposition.* Volume II. Chicago, Illinois, USA. Has an interesting font. American, Published in Chicago, Illinois in 1893 by the Illustrated World’s Fair Publishing Company. In the public domain due to age. Collections of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. via the Power Library, Pennsylvania’s Electronic Library. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Apcalo-amc_27702

*The Signs of the Zodiac, for the Agricultural Building.* Image 287 of *Halligan’s illustrated world’s fair : a pictorial and literary history of the World’s Columbian Exposition.* Volume II. Chicago, Illinois, USA. Has an interesting font. American, Published in Chicago, Illinois in 1893 by the Illustrated World’s Fair Publishing Company. In the public domain due to age. Collections of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. via the Power Library, Pennsylvania’s Electronic Library. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Apcalo-amc_27702

All dressed up and off to be in a pageant at the University of Virginia. 1921. This was the second year women were accepted at the school and there were only 17 female students in 1921 so thinking some of these young ladies are from a local school of the dance or perhaps sisters of male students.

Centennial Pageant, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia USA. 1921 original negative print. Holsinger’s Studio, Charlottesville, Virginia, photographers with the photographer’s stamp in the lower right hand corner. Under copyright in 1921. Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Virginia. https://search.lib.virginia.edu/sources/images/items/uva-lib:2159721?idx=0&page=1

*Centennial Pageant held on the Lawn*. Centennial Pageant, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia USA. Usually the cross is for the Red Cross as are the flags for the various states. The dark round objects look to be fans but maybe not. The young men in uniform behind them would be members of the University of Virginia Corps of Cadets or ROTC members, this being right around when ROTC started. Anyway a fun picture by the same commercial photographer so some sort of school sanctioned event as they got Holsinger to take a picture of it. 1921 original negative. Holsinger’s Studio, Charlottesville, Virginia, photographers with the photographer’s stamp in the lower right hand corner. Under copyright in 1921. Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Virginia. https://dp.la/item/c94e14e685a5a8b1453553cae8765b1e?back_uri=%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dcentennial%26partner%3D%2522Digital%2BVirginias%2522%26page%3D3&next=%2Fitem%2F9c39b63d9fdea3e57a19b6aaf87cb219

*Centennial Pageant held on the Lawn*, *rotunda*. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia USA. Aesthetic dancers with their queen seated on her throne in the center and more dancers holding up Ancient Greek ish looking shields on either side of the rotunda steps with other students in costume as the Ancients holding flags and others in international dress over on the left and two in armor over on the right. 1921 original negative. Holsinger’s Studio, Charlottesville, Virginia, photographers with the photographer’s stamp in the lower right hand corner. Under copyright in 1921. Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Virginia. https://dp.la/item/dd6c49980c2925fbfa643ce2b2782228?back_uri=%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dcentennial%26partner%3D%2522Digital%2BVirginias%2522%26page%3D3&prev=%2Fitem%2Fef463ab068d3e5856ea869e4fab653f2&next=%2Fitem%2Feea637b79318efe584deca3aea87ab72

Many thanks to my friend Sue Burkey for helping me figure out the second picture.

Views of the West Indies and Central and South America made by someone on a mid 1930s cruise of the islands. From an album presumably kept by someone who was on the trip. From the website of Wayfarers Bookshop. early mid 1930s, ca. 1934.