Hollywood, once upon a time…
John Kobal’s The Art of the Great Hollywood Portrait Photographers is as good as his book on Hollywood with Kevin Brownlow, which is one of the essential books to read … Continue reading
The Great Hunger: Ireland 1845-9
How equipped are our governments to deal with emergencies? Supposing a worldwide epidemic, which many scientists forecast, or even a tornado, were to strike, would there be an effective support … Continue reading
Tanizaki’s Makioka Sisters
The Makioka Sisters (Sasame Yuki, Light Snow), first published in 1948, was written by Junichiro Tanizaki (1886-1965). Tanizaki wrote The Makioka Sisters after translating the Tale of Genji into modern … Continue reading
Family ties: the films of Yasujiro Ozu
Yasujiro Ozu is a figure whose films move me deeply. The impression I take away after viewing one of his films is often of him. There seems to emanate from … Continue reading
Ancestors: Joseph Knowles
Joseph Knowles was my great great grandfather, my father’s father’s father’s father. The photo shows Joseph’s great grandson Reginald Knowles in 1944. Joseph was the son of a London watchmaker … Continue reading
Ancestors: Robert Knowles Waters
Robert Waters was my great great grandfather, my mother’s father’s mother’s father. The photo shows Robert’s daughter Susanna in the early years of her marriage sometime in the 1880s. Robert … Continue reading
The king of Paris: Alexandre Dumas
We know him best as author of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, but Alexandre Dumas’ greatest creation was his own life. He had a saying: “Old … Continue reading
