Stardust Memories

In 1837 a young Hungarian boy called Iguatz von Peczely cared for an owl with a broken leg. He noticed a black stripe in its eye, which became paler as the leg healed. More than 30 years later, having qualified as a naturopathic physician, Peczely found the same complaint. His research into the 200 or so markings in the coloured part of the eye, which are unique to each person’s health from their eyes is the basis of modern iridology.

From The Guardian 27th Novermber 2005

In 1850 Florence Nightingale saved a baby owl from some boys who were tormenting it in Athens, smuggled it home, and christened it Athena. To be persuaded to enter a cage, the owl had to be mesmerised, but soon became a devoted companion.

She would perch on her mistress’s finger for feeds, as well as bow and curtsy on a table, but her life came to a rather sad end in 1855.

On hearing of Florence’s imminent departure for the Crimea, the family left Athena shut in an attic. Starved of the attention she craved, the owl – it seems – died of a fit, leaving her owner heartbroken.

Following Florence’s instructions, the bird was taken to London and embalmed. It remains in very good condition and was recently conserved by the National Trust, who for a time had it on display at Claydon House in Buckinghamshire.

Florence Nightingale’s sister, Parthenope wrote and illustrated a book: The Life and Death of Athena an Owlet.

From The 24 Hour Museum 29th July 2004

The pie-crust head of Craig Brown looks damp between the lights of Aldeburgh cinema. He is interviewing Louis Theroux and he has just assured us, the audience that Theroux (junior) has

” a basic faith in human nature and a belief that we are all good”

Is this why he seems so excited by the sinister? Hoping to expose the naiveties of Max Clifford, Jimmy Saville & American neo-Nazis. People driven by their need tyo control;ridiculed by their lack of it.

I ask Louis a question assuming, naturally that we are a love-match, that he’ll feel a sense of relief when I ask it-yes, that girl understands me

Me: “Have you ever met anyone who was so funny that you felt sobered and could not find the humour in the situation, perhaps until later?”

Louis: “So the question is um…have I ever met anyone so poisonous and evil that I didn’t want to interview them?”

I repeated the question but to no avail. I think he thought I believed that people could be categorised as evil. This has never appealed to me as it explains nothing.

Maybe Louis had a fundamentally happy childhood. His father may write lascivious memoirs from his condo in Hawaii, but maybe there was little darkness in the Theroux household. Louis continues to try and answer me by telling an anecdote about someone who initially comes across as very unpleasant but who later revealed his vulnerability through a love of Are you Being Served.

I know of the photographs of Mussolini that were banned and that guests had to continue the conversations Hitler had stopped when he had fallen asleep half an hour previously.

I watched Marnie the other night and was interested how Marnie’s behaviour was explained and excused as part of a Freudian equation. I suppose my very unpleasant childhood may account for my vertiginous fear of darkness-of the literal and the modern ‘murky and unpleasant sort. Vertiginous in the sense that I want to jump from high places. I feel I am from and part of something with such Exxon Valdese darkness that I must avoid it at all costs and yet it is somehting I often find myself overwhelmed by.

So to owls: the most collected of all figurines in Britain and America. Traditionally birds of the dark and often thought to be ghosts.

I have two owl stories, one light-filled and one a sort of twilight…

Ctd on next post

Adapted from a text published in Dark Arty

Dear Patrick

I wondered if you would help me with a project I am currently engaged in. Thank you

All the very best

Annabel x

Dear Annabel,

Yes…I would love to help. Will it have to be my hair? There are two versions that immediately popped into my mind…so I’ll have to decide which one to go with. Maybe I could send both and you can then pick. Is there a deadline? Will the book be 1/1?

All the best Patrick

From: [email protected]> Subject: Re: Hairy book

Haha! any kind of hair you like-some people I have asked are bald so it’s the only choice they have. The book will be in a small edition

Dear Annabel,Red Arrows are flying overhead as write this….this is not it but attached is a work from 2005, made from 2 sets of hair in Resin.I’ll send my parts soon(ish)..All the bestPatrick

Dear Patrick I love this! It’s very creepy and exciting. Where did you get the hair? Do you have red hair ? I do Annabel x

Annabel Dover wrote:
Dear Sir/ Madam
I was in the Fitwilliam museum yesterday and was looking at your big owl. He is a punchbowl cracked by an earthquake in San Fransisco- is that right?Please can you tell me more about it?
All the very best
Annabel Dover

Dear Annabel Dover,

It is not correct that this punchbowl was cracked an earthquake in San Francisco, and I hope that you weren’t told this by a member of the Museum’s staff. If yes, please let me know and I will make sure that they are given the true story.

This owl was made by Wallace Martin in 1903, and it remained in his studio until after his death in 1923, probably because of the crack. It was sold by Sotheby’s, in London on 24 October, 1924, ‘The whole remaining stock of finished pieces of the Martin factory, the property of R.W. Martin Esq. (deceased). Sold by order of the administrator’, lot 68; and was bought by the ceramics dealer, Cyril Andrade for Dr Glaisher for £25.

The incorrect story about our owl seems to have come about because Wallace Martin is said to have made a punch bowl in the shape of an giant owl in 1893 for the Bohemian Club of San Francisco, a literary club founded in 1872 which has an owl as its emblem, and still exists. His first attempt is said to have been cracked, and another was made and sent (at least that is the story as printed). It is thought that this owl perished in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. A club member whom I met, when he came here on a summer school in the 1980s, tried to find out more about it, but was unable to trace a record of its purchase. There are at least two other large owls known, but not exactly like the Fitzwilliam’s. As our owl very clearly has the date 1903 on it, it clearly is not the one mentioned.

Yours sincerely,

Julia Poole

Keeper
Department of Applied Art
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Cambridge, CB2 1RB

Dear Megan,
I am a Fine Art PhD student in the UK. I know that the
auction of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s personal
effects was held at Sotheby’s. I am trying to locate a
picture of The Duke of Windsor’s socks (preferably in
his sock drawer!) or a picture of his Chimney sweep
doll.Strange requests I know. No doubt you have had
stranger ones.

All the very best,

Annabel Dover