William Hempel of Denmark very kindly sent me an image of the message etched inside Abe Lincoln's watch. (See post below.)
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Secret message found in Honest Abe's watch
Written By Lingkar Dunia on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 | 6:09 PM
For more than a century there has been a persistent rumor that an Irish immigrant watchmaker by the name of Jonathan Dillon had etched a brief message inside Abraham Lincoln's watch.The legend was launched by Dillon himself. He told his children (and anyone else who would listen) that he had been repairing the president's watch when he learned that Fort Sumter had been attacked, in the opening salvo of the Civil War. Struck by a patriotic impulse, he said, he had etched a message along the lines of, "The first gun is fired. Slavery is dead. Thank God we have a President who at least will try." Then he closed up the watch, and sent it back to the White House. Lincoln unknowingly wore the watch throughout the days of tumult, and the watch ended up in the Smithsonian.
No one knew if the story was true, until today, when -- as Neely Tucker reports in the Washington Post -- officials at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History decided to find out. Expert watchmaker George Thomas delicately pulled the timepiece apart -- and on the inside of the case, he found etched words.
"Jonathan Dillon, April 13, 1861," the message read. "Fort Sumter was attacked by the rebels on the above date. Thank God we have a government."
So the old man's memory had not been exact. But his story had been the truth. Douglas Stiles, Dillon's great-great-grandson, was delighted. "That's Lincoln's watch," he exclaimed, after being shown the timepiece. "And my ancestor wrote graffiti on it!"
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Boost for news-stand sales
Last November was great in more than one respect, comments Amanda Andrews, media editor of the Telegraph Group.
President Barack Obama's supporters were not the only ones celebrating his victory. It brought a much-needed boost to magazine and newpaper sales in the midst of the global advertising slump. Some news-stand operators were forced to compile waiting lists for election issues of certain newspapers and magazines such as Time and Newsweek.
"We had to go back on press four times for Time's person of the year Obama issue," says Ann S Moore, Time Inc's chief executive. "And Time magazine renewal rates are up a whole percentage point this quarter."
President Barack Obama's supporters were not the only ones celebrating his victory. It brought a much-needed boost to magazine and newpaper sales in the midst of the global advertising slump. Some news-stand operators were forced to compile waiting lists for election issues of certain newspapers and magazines such as Time and Newsweek.
"We had to go back on press four times for Time's person of the year Obama issue," says Ann S Moore, Time Inc's chief executive. "And Time magazine renewal rates are up a whole percentage point this quarter."
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Theatrical remains uncovered
It's a Big Birthday for the Bard. Not only has a portrait made while Shakespeare was actually alive and around to sit for it been identified, but significant parts of his first theatre have been found
BBC News Online reports that a team from the Museum of London found the foundations in Shoreditch last summer. This is the theatre where Shakespeare started his acting career, and the premiere of Romeo and Juliet was staged.
BBC News Online reports that a team from the Museum of London found the foundations in Shoreditch last summer. This is the theatre where Shakespeare started his acting career, and the premiere of Romeo and Juliet was staged.
Taryn Nixon, from the Museum of London, said her team has found part of the original curved wall.
They also uncovered a gravelled area, part of the pit where the common part of the audience stood and cheered on the players -- or threw local produce, as it should be added that the Shoreditch area was known as "the suburbs of sin" at the time. The group that was cheered or smeared was the Chamberlain's Men, Shakespeare's theatre company.
The original theatre was polygonal. About 25 years after it was built, it was dismantled timber by timber and moved to the South Bank of the Thames to construct the famous Globe Theatre.
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President Obama makes British Book Awards shortlist
Written By Lingkar Dunia on Monday, March 9, 2009 | 11:59 PM
Twice! Barack Obama, US President, leads the nominations for the 2009 British Books Awards in two categories, author of the year, and biography of the year.
As reported by BBC News Online, Obama is lined up against Stephanie Meyer, Rose Tremain, Diana Athill, Sebastian Barry and Aravind Adiga for the Best Author Award. (One couldn't dream up a more varied selection in a lifetime!)
As reported by BBC News Online, Obama is lined up against Stephanie Meyer, Rose Tremain, Diana Athill, Sebastian Barry and Aravind Adiga for the Best Author Award. (One couldn't dream up a more varied selection in a lifetime!)
His contender for Best Biography Award, Dreams from my Father (first published in 1995),faces strong competition from memoirs by JG Ballard, Dawn French, Paul O'Grady, Julie Walters, and Marcus Trescothick.
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Shakespeare in original splendour
Well, he looks as if he could have discovered South America, but it is actually the Bard himself. An authenticated portrait of William Shakespeare, thought to have been made in 1610, when he was 46, is going on show at The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in (guess where) Stratford-on-Avon.
Rather appropriately, it will be unveiled on 23 April, his four-hundred-and-forty-fifth birthday.
According to the interesting story in BBC News Online, the portrait belongs to the Cobbe family, and is currently in the possession of Alec Cobbe, who -- also appropriately -- is an art restorer. Mr Cobbe realized the true nature of the painting -- which had been in the family for many generations -- when he visted an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, and saw the portrait of Shakespeare there.
Rather appropriately, it will be unveiled on 23 April, his four-hundred-and-forty-fifth birthday.
According to the interesting story in BBC News Online, the portrait belongs to the Cobbe family, and is currently in the possession of Alec Cobbe, who -- also appropriately -- is an art restorer. Mr Cobbe realized the true nature of the painting -- which had been in the family for many generations -- when he visted an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, and saw the portrait of Shakespeare there.
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SPEAK, O MUSE
Written By Lingkar Dunia on Sunday, March 8, 2009 | 12:51 PM
Last week, http://www.nytimes.com/ invited readers to submit original verse about the economic downturn. The sampling published in this last weekend's "Week in Review" demonstrates that even economic hardship can release a wonderful creativity, along with a dry sense of humor.
My favorite, penned by Gregoire Vion of Santa Cruz, California:
It's 2009 and still they show women
with long, open legs on high heels
next to the car they want me to buy.
I have never known such a dream-girl.
No surprise here, as I have never owned
the right wheels, even though I am sure
I would enjoy it all very much for a while.
My own car is more likely to be seen
above an oily mechanic, and
my woman, she wears socks in bed
sometimes two pairs in winter.
My favorite, penned by Gregoire Vion of Santa Cruz, California:
It's 2009 and still they show women
with long, open legs on high heels
next to the car they want me to buy.
I have never known such a dream-girl.
No surprise here, as I have never owned
the right wheels, even though I am sure
I would enjoy it all very much for a while.
My own car is more likely to be seen
above an oily mechanic, and
my woman, she wears socks in bed
sometimes two pairs in winter.
12:51 PM | 0
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