By Clark Kendus
Yuletide At Winterthur this year celebrates life at Christmas on a country estate, with glimpses of the past during the Holidays at the home of Henry Francis du Pont where family and friends gathered every year to celebrate the season. Highlights of the tour were a number of beautifully decorated trees throughout this grand estate.
The Blue Tree
Living Room
Entrance Hall Tree – Made Up Of Dried Flowers
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One of the most attractive visuals on the picturesque island of Bermuda are the white roofs of the pastel colored homes that dot the landscape. Did you also know that the white roofs provide a critical function in the habitation of this Atlantic island? The scarcity of fresh water has made them a necessity and they are a vital part of a water collection system that provides the majority of the domestic water consumed.
Bermudian roofs are built in a terraced fashion with gutter ridges funneling water toward pipes leading to an underground tank known as a cistern. Roofs are made of limestone blocks and sliced into individual slates after which several layers of cement whitewash is applied. The white cement wash is a paint and lime powder mixture that sanitizes the rainwater as it runs off into the holding tank.
The whitewash is applied to rootops every 3 to 4 years and coupled with an occasional roof top cleaning are all that is necessary to keep this water collection system in operating shape. Inhabitants of Bermuda have been collecting water in this fashion for hundreds of years.
Several Bermuda residents I spoke with commented that the water has a sweet flavor as compared to our stateside water that has a discernible flouride taste. And there are no government mandated inspections for water qualty in this environmentally friendly water system!
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Omaha Beach From The American Cemetery
The coverage of the 70th anniversary of D Day in Normandy shows Omaha Beach much like the photo above, a scene vastly different than the morning 70 years ago when Allied forces stormed the Normandy coast of France. Remember the sacrifice of the many who gave their lives for our freedom.
American Cemetery – Normandy
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Costumes Of Downstairs – Anna, Thomas, And Mrs. Hughes
Saturday marked the start of the exhibit Costumes Of Downton Abbey at Winterthur Museum in Wilmington, Delaware. I was fortunate to get a ticket to see the show on it’s inaugural day. The depiction of the fictional upstairs and downstairs characters of Downton Abbey in the exhibition is a must see for any Downton fan.
Robert, Lord Of The Manor
In addition to the captivating costumes the exhibit contrasts the differences in life on English estates such exemplified by Downton Abbey with an actual American estate of the same time period, as typified by Henry Francis Du Pont’s Winterthur.
Dressing For The Hunt
There are 40 costumes from the acclaimed series on display. Each vignette features a wardrobe selection depicted with photographs, and sometimes footage from the series, of the scenes in which the costume was worn in the show. Script excerpts on the walls complement the display as well.
Edith’s Wedding – Dresses Of The Crawley Sisters
There is a scant 7 weeks between the receipt of the script by costume designers and the start of production. In that time wardrobes for the entire cast must be designed and completed.
Evening Wear – Lady Sybil Shows Off The Latest Fashion
The exhibit is organized chronologically depicting the costumes of daily life of the characters as they go about their routines, from the start of the servant’s day to the formality associated with evening.
Amid A Snowfall – Matthew Proposes To Mary
Whether you are an avid Downton Abbey fan or a fan of fashion the exhibit at Winterthur is a gem. The exhibit runs from March 1 to January 4, 2015. Costumes Of Downton Abbey is sure to be one of the museum’s most popular exhibitions it has ever hosted. Visit Winterthur online for information regarding admission to the show.
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Today’s Inquirer had an article today regarding the distribution of the world’s wealth that was equally astonishing and disturbing at the same time.
A report issued by the British based charity Oxfam finds that 85, that’s right 85, people control the same amount of wealth as half the world’s population. In other words the world’s poorest 3.55 BILLION inhabitants must survive on what the wealthiest 85 people on the planet possess.
Furthermore the wealth of the top 1% of the richest people in the world have access to $110 trillion which is an amount 65 times greater than the bottom half of the world’s 7.139 billion people. Overall 69% of the world’s population controls only 3% of global wealth, with 0.7% – that is seven tenths of a percent – controlling 41% of global wealth.
The recent financial crisis and recovery was a windfall for the wealthy with an estimated 95% of the proceeds from the economic recovery flowing into the hands of the wealthy.
The World Top Incomes Database has additional information regarding wealth distribution.
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