J’ai Messed Up

Je n’ai pas posted beaucoup, et je suis sorry. I am working on deux articles, et they should be done a bientot. Je t’aime. Vraiment.

The Complete “Les Fleurs du Mal,” Online, for You

Most overly-sensitive-yet-thoughtful teenagers that I knew growing up had a Sylvia Plath phase at one point or another. She had rage and daddy issues, and was a complete solipsist. She was easy to relate to.

I found that more often than not, should this interest in literature continue into one’s twenties, a brief fling with Baudelaire was an inevitability. Urban, modern, and romantic, his work celebrates beauty, vice, the importance of art, and individual moral complexity. He is the awakening to something bigger than the self, but he never fails to acknowledge the self’s individual experience within that world.

It was so exciting to find a complete library of each addition of “Les Fleurs du Mal” online, and it gives me great pleasure to get to share this beautiful piece of art. Thank you to the wonderful fleursdumal.org for assembling this awesome library.

Art Deco Travel Posters, Part Deux

I search Google images compulsively…so why not marry compulsion with a false sense of productivity! It seems only fitting that I make an effort to curate a little collection here. I particularly enjoyed pulling together vintage art deco travel posters the last time, so why not do it again. They are timeless and compelling, and they never fail to fill me with a desire to pack up a single white linen ensemble and a scarf and just hit it. I hope you enjoy.

Admittedly, the following three deviate from the theme somewhat. But I stumbled upon them during my search, and they are absolutely wonderful. And they’re vintage travel posters, technically, but I digress…

La “Mélon-colie”

France is home to arguably some of the greatest foods in the world. Immediately one is likely to conjure images of croissants, cheese, charcuterie…yet it is time that we acknowledge an unheralded and unassuming champion. It is time that we acknowledge the Cavaillon Melon.

Nestled in the bucolic landscape of Provence, the charming town of Cavaillon resembles a postcard with a jagged landscape hinting quietly at the sea nearby.

So much of the identity of Cavaillon seems to be tied up in its melons. Thought to be brought to the region from Italy during the 14th century when the papacy relocated to France, the seeds flourished in their new climate. Sweet and aromatic, the melons fragrance the air of the region throughout its peak months, becoming enticingly omnipotent as the summer drags on. Tourists flock to the town, eager to find the perfect specimen. It will smell rich and sweet, and feel surprisingly heavy for its size. The Cavaillon Melon is also an aesthetic treat, donning a rich green color with vibrant blue/green stripes – 10 of them. Nine or 11, it has been argued, may indicate that it is under ripe or past its prime.

Melon, bottom right – NINE STRIPES.

Cavaillon’s most famous resident and avid melon fan was the author of several celebrated novels, including “The Count of Monte Cristo” and “The Three Muskateers”. In 1864, Alexandre Dumas received a letter from the town asking if he might consider donating some of his works to the public library. Ever a gentleman, he responded:

“Have the kindness to inform Monsieur Tourel, your honourable Mayor, that I agree on one condition: if the town and the Cavaillon authorities think highly of my books, I also love their melons and I would like, in exchange for my 300 or 400 volumes, that a bylaw be passed awarding me a life annuity of 12 Cavaillon melons a year.”

The town agreed, and sadly, the great author only ever enjoyed 72 melons.

The beloved Cavaillon Melon has been celebrated for centuries in various incarnations, be it in a cucumber soup, wrapped in ham or simply as is. And being such a simple yet integral facet of the local culture, one might be hard pressed to find a more quaint or delightful reason to visit any place.

We’ll Just Say it’s “Performance Art”

“In 1898, Parisian art gallery owner Maurice Joyant photographed his childhood friend Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec defecating on the beach at Le Crotoy, Picardie.

A year later Toulouse-Lautrec was committed to an asylum, and in 1901 he died from complications caused by alcoholism and syphilis.”

I dare you not to poop on the beach if you’re suffering from dimentia and drinking absinthe on the regular.

New Biography Argues that Chanel was Nazi Spy

Coco Chanel is arguably one of history’s most intriguing women, regardless of whether you are interested in her progressive, feminist thinking or her revolutionary design work. She had a strong sense of identity which translated into a carefully tailored aesthetic, and the drama that infused the artist’s fashions seems to overflow from her exciting, yet turbulent, personal life.

Most are aware that Mademoiselle Chanel carried on an affair with a German officer during the Second World War, although it’s generally been argued that their relationship was the victim of bad timing – to say the least. However, a new biography argues that her involvement with the gentleman symbolized much more than a simple torrid romance – it was, in fact, a sinister glimpse into her true sentiments during this tumultuous time. Indeed, journalist Hal Vaughn believes that Chanel was in fact a Nazi sympathizer, collaborator, and spy. He claims that the famous designer, aka “Westminster,” was even actively involved in SS recruitment and the collection of information for Abwehr, the German Military Intelligence Agency.

You can learn more about this fascinating (and hopefully untrue) story here.

Dramatic Portraits of French Women Staring Off into Space and Crying

Anna Karina:

Brigitte Bardot:

Catherine Deneuve:

Audrey Tautou:

Edith Piaf (close enough):

Jeanne Moreau: