The Circus, 1870-1950

I came home to find a large box on my front door step today (is there anything better than finding a large package (pun intended) on your doorstep?!) and couldn't contain my glee. I knew exactly what was in this large, heavy box from the good people at Amazon, my eagerly anticipated The Circus, 1870-1950 from Taschen and let me tell you, it was definitely worth the wait! The book is enormous, not one for the bath, and is beautifully designed, a lot of time and thought has clearly gone into it. Stuffed full of photographs, posters and information, The Circus really manages to capture the glitz and grime of the American Circus in it's heyday. My favourtie being the incredible vintage circus photos from the 40s and 50s, many of them rare colour pictures of the circus' showgirls. I also loved the posters advertising a huge variety of world famous circus acts. The only downside to the book is that in true Taschen format, it has been published in three different languages which is a bit of a hassle as you have to flick through to find the English translation, however the stunning imagery more than makes up for a few extra pages! It is a brilliant history of the classic American circus, detailing every aspect of it, not just the nice parts!

I have chosen a VERY small selection of my favourite images to wet your appetites but if, like myself, you love looking through vintage images of a fantastic tradition that unfortunately no longer exists, then I really can't recommend this book enough!
Just what I needed, another book that shows me I was born in the wrong era!!

Picture of the week

I managed to book grab Gustav Klimt Drawings & Watercolours from my work at Thames and Hudson publishers today and it reminded me of all the great works of art Gustave Klimt is responsible for. Therefore on this wet and windy Friday my picture of the week is his Life and Death painting. I love the colours and the detail of Klimt's work and this is one of my favourites. Especially as, and those who know me know, I am a sucker for an artsy skull!

Another Must Read

Bone River by Megan Chance

I just finished this stunning novel by author Megan Chance. I have never read any of her work before, but after finishing this gripping and haunting tale of passion and identity I will definitely be reading her others. I couldn't put the book down and whilst I was expecting a historical romance, I couldn't have been more wrong and (this being something I never admit) happy to have been so. Instead I was surprised by a complex, meaty plot; a tightly woven mystery based around secrets and lies, both past and present. Chance's ability to mix the inner turmoil of her characters with the battering winds, intense dark and rain adds much to the atmosphere, and brings the stunning but treacherous landscape to life. Whilst her confidence in writing about this period in history, adds a sense of reality that's not easy to accomplish.
I could not recommend this novel enough, there's enough history, mystery, romance, hardship and heartache in this novel to suit almost anyone who enjoys beautiful prose, believable characters and an intelligent, imaginative story. So don't thank me now, instead get reading immediately, I insist!

At Home in the Mountains

As promised here is a selection of the many photos I took on my holiday to St Anton. I absolutely loved Austria, it was incredibly beautiful. I sat for a whole morning outside on the slopes over looking the vast landscape and really felt in awe of the world we live in.
So I hope you enjoy the photographs, all taken on my Yashica film camera, depicting sun, snow, slopes and of course, a hell of a lot of apres ski.

Confetti Death

My inspiration for the week, Confetti Death by Typoe

St Anton

My sentiments exactly...

I took a couple of films of my ski trip to St Anton on my Yashica camera. Waiting for the black and white one to be developed, so expect a new post soon. x

Picture of the week

Because everyone likes a nice bottom.
Photograph by Tyler Udell