An envisioning. 2015 and a May Friday at the house in Ellery Lakes, the afternoon starting to inch toward five o’clock and cocktail hour.

Oh to be here.

Meadows filled with wild flowers. Friday having turned into a half-day at work. Getting to sit under a tree and watch the wild rabbits hop by on their way home for a snack or maybe a nap instead of taking another meeting.

my new short fiction piece with the rest of it at the link if you’d like to see-

https://sarahbguestperry.substack.com/p/an-envisioning-2015-and-a-may-friday

A heat wave to pretty up and the perfect solution. Antique hand fans to make your own breeze, from the latest email from Fan d’Eventails, Paris.

Arabic dance card fan. Peau d’âne (cardboard) painted with a woman dressed in oriental style with what are probably bone guards which are encrusted with sequins and feature a small pen nestled at the top of the main guard. 1815-1925. Image © Fan d’Eventails, Paris. Fair use license. https://www.fandeventails.fr/en/19th-century-fans/4442-arabic-dance-dance-card-fan-circa-1815-25.html

Pair of advertising hand-fans with paper leaves and wooden sticks and guards. Art Deco period. One for the Casino des Fleurs in Vichy, signed by Riom and the other signed by Umberto Brunelleschi. Image © Fan d’Eventails, Paris. Fair use license. https://www.fandeventails.fr/en/advertising-fans/4429-belles-orientales-eventails-de-riom-et-brunelleschi-periodeart-deco.html

Chinoiserie painted brisé horn fan. ca. 1820-1830. Image © Fan d’Eventails, Paris. Fair use license. https://www.fandeventails.fr/en/19th-century-fans/4443-chinoiserie-with-acrobats-fan-circa-1820-30.html

Memories of a trip to Egypt fan. Broken wooden fan, re-pierced and painted with several views of Egypt: on one side, the Great Gate of Karnak, the island of Pirilé (Philae?) and the Ibn Touloun Mosque in Cairo; on the other side, the Nile floods of 1866 (localized in French) and blessings to the Prophet in Arabic. Signed and dated *C. Gaber* 1867. Image © Fan d’Eventails, Paris. Fair use license. https://www.fandeventails.fr/en/19th-century-fans/4432-memories-of-a-trip-to-egypt-fan-circa-1867.html

Fan from the East India Company for the Western market. Skin leaf, mounted in the English style, finely painted in gouache with a scene of trade or judgment between Chinese protagonists, on a pink background imitating wood and a trompe l’oeil ribbon frame
The reverse side is painted with peonies and cherry blossom branches. Finely pierced sticks and guards engraved with geometric decorations and floral motifs. ca. 1760-1770. Image © Fan d’Eventails, Paris. Fair use license. https://www.fandeventails.fr/en/18th-century-fans/4435-that-s-him-east-india-company-fan-circa-1760-70.html

An envisioning. 1948, with autumn just getting underway at the house on Squam Lake.

Oh to be here.

The final weekend for the season, and the high school girls out from town to pack everything up. The men coming tomorrow to drain the pipes so they don’t freeze in February. Being forced to rebuild the whole thing with something primitive-looking, brought out from Bangor, that was the only one they had in stock. A lesson learned the hard way, during a terrible cold snap.

my new short fiction piece. The rest is at this link:

https://sarahbguestperry.substack.com/p/an-envisioning-1948-with-autumn-just

An envisioning. 2017, and an early morning in June at the house on Cranberry Isle.

Oh to be here.

Up in New Hampshire until whenever or however long it takes Cousin Betsy’s nerves to finish needing a rest.

my new short fiction piece with the rest at the link-

https://sarahbguestperry.substack.com/p/an-envisioning-2017-and-an-early

Imagery from various productions of “Les sept châteaux du diable:feerie en quatre acts et vingt-deux tableaux. Various productions and theatres, mostly from 1844, one from the 1870s.

*Les sept châteaux du Diable, XIe tableau, La polka : Francisque, rôle de Ganuche, Mademoiselle Léontine, rôle de Regaillette : Galerie dramatique, Théâtre de la Gaîté.* French. Published in Paris by Martinet, Hautecoeur frères in 1844. Hand colored engraving after Alexandre Lacauchie (1814-1886). Collections of the gallica.bnf.fr, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Bibliothèque-musée de l’opéra. In the public domain due to age. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b105410766.item#

*Les sept châteaux du Diable*. Sketch for the set for *Act II, Scene 7 ‘Avarice.’* Egyptian Revival looking. Staged at the Théâtre Impérial du Châtelet on December 9, 1844. Charcoal and white highlights on paper. *Jean-Louis Chéret,* artist/designer (1820-1882). Collections of the gallica.bnf.fr, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Bibliothèque-musée de l’opéra. In the public domain due to age. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b7001269w.r=Les%20sept%20ch%C3%A2teaux%20du%20Diable?rk=42918;4#

Théâtre du Châtelet – *Les sept châteaux du Diable*, feerie en quatre acts et vingt-deux tableaux, de Monsieurs Dennery et Clairville (Dessin de M. Scott). Staged at the Théâtre Impérial du Châtelet on October 14, 1876. Published in 1876. M. Scott, designer. Collections of the gallica.bnf.fr, the Bibliothèque nationale de France. In the public domain due to age. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b531179353.r=Les%20sept%20ch%C3%A2teaux%20du%20Diable?rk=128756;0#

Art Deco wallpaper, some sort of floral but all with that Art Deco geometric spin. 1920-1940 with most of these being from the mid 1920s-mid 1920s. Société Charles Follot, Paris, makers. Loving the designs.

Wwallpaper with a repeating motif. Elephant gray background, machine-printed in eight colors: pale pink, off-white, Indian pink (2 tones), silver powder, gold powder, and dark pink. ca. 1925-1930. French, Made in Paris by Société Charles Follot. Collections of the Bibliothèque Forney. In the public domain due to age. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0000844530/v0001.simple.selectedTab=record

Wallpaper with a repeating motif. Light earth background machine printed in seven colors: pale salmon pink, earth tones (three tones, salmon pink (two tones), silver powder. ca. 1925-1930. French, Made in Paris by Société Charles Follot. Collections of the Bibliothèque Forney. In the public domain due to age. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0000844546/v0001.simple.selectedTab=record

Wallpaper with a repeating motif. Light grey background, machine printed in three colors: dark background (two tones), black head. ca. 1929-1930. French, Made in Paris by Société Charles Follot. Collections of the Bibliothèque Forney. In the public domain due to age. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0000844603/v0001.simple.selectedTab=record

Wallpaper with a repeating motif. Ultramarine blue background machine printed in four colors: light royal blue, elephant gray, Prussian blue, and silver powder. ca. 1925-1935. French, Made in Paris by Société Charles Follot. Collections of the Bibliothèque Forney. In the public domain due to age. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0000844531/v0001.simple.selectedTab=record

Wallpaper with a repeating motif. Pale blue background, machine printed in three colors: dark background (two tones), and silver powder. 1930-1935. French, Made in Paris by Société Charles Follot. Collections of the Bibliothèque Forney. In the public domain due to age. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0000844577/v0001.simple.selectedTab=record

Wallpaper with a repeating motif. Light carmine background, machine printed in three colors: dark background (two tones), and silver powder. ca. 1929. Henry Stephany, illustrator. French, Made in Paris by Société Charles Follot. Collections of the Bibliothèque Forney. In the public domain due to age. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0000844602/v0001.simple.selectedTab=record

Dress up your dessert party with cakes moulded as pineapples, fish or wooden shoes.Cake moulds and other related items from a 1932 commercial catalogue from Létang Fils which has been around since they were founded in 1832.

*MOULES por NOUGAT.* Image 7 from a 1932 Létang Fils Biscuiterie pâtisserie. 108 Rue Vieille du Temple, Paris, France. Rousselot & Cie, printers. Collections of the Bibliothèque Forney. In the public domain due to age. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0002009732/v0007.simple.highlight=g%C3%A2teau.selectedTab=thumbnail

*MOULES por ENTREMETS et BISCUITS; MOULES pour BORDURES.* Image 8 from a 1932 Létang Fils Biscuiterie pâtisserie. 108 Rue Vieille du Temple, Paris, France. Rousselot & Cie, printers. Collections of the Bibliothèque Forney. In the public domain due to age. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0002009732/v0008.simple.highlight=g%C3%A2teau.selectedTab=thumbnail

*MOULES DOUBLES en FER BLANC pour PATISSERIE: pièce montée Renaissance. por Nougat et Sucre.* Image 17 from a 1932 Létang Fils Biscuiterie pâtisserie. 108 Rue Vieille du Temple, Paris, France. Rousselot & Cie, printers. Collections of the Bibliothèque Forney. In the public domain due to age. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0002009732/v0017.simple.highlight=g%C3%A2teau.selectedTab=thumbnail

PIÈCES MONTÉES pour NOUGAT et SUCRE. Image 19 from a 1932 Létang Fils Biscuiterie pâtisserie. 108 Rue Vieille du Temple, Paris, France. Rousselot & Cie, printers. Collections of the Bibliothèque Forney. In the public domain due to age. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0002009732/v0019.simple.highlight=g%C3%A2teau.selectedTab=thumbnail

PIÈCES MONTÉES pour NOUGAT et SUCRE. Image 20 from a 1932 Létang Fils Biscuiterie pâtisserie. 108 Rue Vieille du Temple, Paris, France. Rousselot & Cie, printers. Collections of the Bibliothèque Forney. In the public domain due to age. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0002009732/v0020.simple.highlight=g%C3%A2teau.selectedTab=thumbnail

MOULES a MADELEINES par 1. Not sure about a madeleine shaped like a lobster. (center, 5th row down). Image 31 from a 1932 Létang Fils Biscuiterie pâtisserie. 108 Rue Vieille du Temple, Paris, France. Rousselot & Cie, printers. Collections of the Bibliothèque Forney. In the public domain due to age. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0002009732/v0031.simple.highlight=g%C3%A2teau.selectedTab=thumbnail

*PLAQUES a BISCUITS.* A tennis racket in the middle row between two fish options and a rooster. Image 53 from a 1932 Létang Fils Biscuiterie pâtisserie. 108 Rue Vieille du Temple, Paris, France. Rousselot & Cie, printers. Collections of the Bibliothèque Forney. In the public domain due to age. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0002009732/v0053.simple.highlight=g%C3%A2teau.selectedTab=thumbnail

visit Létang Fils in real time or here https://www.letang-fils.com/historique_en.html

An envisioning. July 1990, and late morning at the cottage on Sebascodegan Lake.

Oh to be here.

The sun out for a change. The children off watching someone play baseball down in Boston. A treat. Hating baseball, but usually stuck taking them, followed by an evening trying to get hot dog mustard out of the t-shirts the vendors sell by the entrance to the ball park. A baseball-loving cousin having come up for the fishing and taken them all down on the train from Portland instead.

My new piece of short fiction. Please click through the link to read the rest-

https://sarahbguestperry.substack.com/p/an-envisioning-july-1990-and-late

An envisioning. 1999, and the tiger lilies blooming away at the house on Lake Cochichewick.

Oh to be here.

A sweet tea and then another. Not quite summer warm yet, at least not if you are from somewhere in the South. But duck families to watch and those not to be missed with their baby-sitting aunties trailed across the lake by baby after baby doing his or her best to keep up, with an uncle duck bringing up the rear.

My new short fiction piece, please see the rest at the link if you’d like to read it. Thanks!

https://sarahbguestperry.substack.com/p/an-envisioning-1999-and-the-tiger