Inspector Morse.

 Inspector Morse is a British detective drama television series based on a series of novels by Colin Dexter. It starred John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. The series comprises 33 two-hour episodes (100 minutes excluding commercials) — 20 more episodes than there are novels — produced between 1987 and 2000. Dexter made uncredited cameo appearances in all but three of the episodes.
The series was first shown on Britain's ITV network, was made by Zenith Productions for Central Independent Television. Later, it was produced by Carlton UK Productions between 1995 and 1996. Towards the series end, it was made by Carlton and WGBH.
Every episode involved a new murder investigation featuring several guest stars, and showed a complete story. Writer Anthony Minghella scripted three including the first, The Dead of Jericho, which was filmed in the summer of 1986, and aired on January 6, 1987 featuring Gemma Jones, Patrick Troughton and James Laurenson. Its other writers included Julian Mitchell (10 episodes), Daniel Boyle (5) and Alma Cullen (4 episodes), and its directors included John Madden (4 episodes), Herbert Wise (3), Peter Hammond (3), Adrian Shergold (3) and Danny Boyle (2 episodes].
The series remains popular and is frequently repeated on ITV1 and ITV3 in Britain.

 Morse was played by John Thaw, and the faithful Detective Sergeant Lewis by Kevin Whately. The character of Lewis was transformed from the elderly Welshman and ex-boxer of the novels to a much younger Geordie police sergeant with a family, as a foil to Morse's cynical streak. Morse's first name is not revealed except for the one occasion when he explains to a lady friend that his father was obsessed with Captain James Cook and for this reason his first name is Endeavour. On the other occasions, he usually answers "Morse. Everyone just calls me Morse" or dryly replies "Inspector", when asked what his first name is.
Thaw had a special appreciation of the fact that Morse was different from classic characters such as James Bond and Sherlock Holmes. Morse was brilliant but he was not always right. He often arrested the wrong person or came to the wrong conclusion. As a result, unlike many classic sleuths, Morse does not always simply arrest his culprit; ironic circumstances have the case end and the crime brought to him. Also, Morse was a romantic—frequently mildly and gently flirting with or asking out colleagues, witnesses or suspects—occasionally bordering on the unprofessional, but had little success in love.
Morse is a character whose talents and intelligence are being wasted in positions that fail to match his abilities. Several references are made to the fact that Morse would have been promoted above and beyond Chief Inspector at Thames Valley CID, but his cynicism and lack of ambition, coupled also to veiled hints that he may have made enemies in high places, frustrate his progression despite his Oxford connections.
Morse is a highly credible detective and plausible human being. His penchant for drinking, his life filled with difficult personal relationships, and his negligence toward his health, however, make him a more tragic character than previous classic sleuths.
Morse's eventual death in the final episode "The Remorseful Day" is caused by heart problems exacerbated by heavy drinking, differing from the literary character's diabetes-related demise.

Morse had 'highbrow' passions: music (especially opera; Mozart and Wagner among his favourites), poetry, art, classics, British real ale, classic cars and cryptic crossword puzzles. When seen at home, Morse is usually listening to music, solving a crossword, reading classic literature, or drinking ale. While working, Morse subsists on quickly downed pints of ale in pubs, usually bought by Lewis who struggles to keep up. Many of his cases touch on Morse's interests and it is often his knowledge that helps him solve them.

In "The Death of the Self", the episode ends with Morse seeing one of the characters, an opera singer recovering from a long absence through stage-fright, make her 'comeback' performance at the amphitheatre in Verona, while in "Twilight of the Gods", he investigates the life of one of his opera idols, Gwladys Probert, a world-famous soprano. In "Who Killed Harry Field?", the murder victim is a painter, and in "The Way Through the Woods", Morse researches the pre-Raphaelite movement to aid his investigations.

In several episodes, Morse's crossword-solving ability helps him to spot where people have changed identities by creating a new name which is an anagram. In "Masonic Mysteries", he is maliciously implicated in the murder of a woman when his Times newspaper is placed in the victim's house, with his handwriting filling in the crossword. In the same episode, the writer names Morse's old Inspector from when he was a detective sergeant as 'Macnutt' in homage to D.S. Macnutt, better known as the famous and influential Observer puzzle setter 'Ximenes'.

In "The Sins of the Fathers", he investigates a murder in a brewery-owning family while, in the first episode, "The Dead of Jericho", he compares the life of a dead woman with that of Jocasta, the mother of Oedipus. The same episode also introduced his Jaguar Mark 2 car (which is damaged at the start and end of the story). His interest in classic cars is also explored in "Driven to Distraction" where, he suspects a car-salesman of murder. He so strongly seems to dislike Jeremy Boynton that he refers to Morse's own Jaguar as "she", which makes Morse convinced of his guilt.

In "Cherubim and Seraphim", he investigates the suicide of his niece and discusses with her English teacher about her interest in the poet Sylvia Plath, who also killed herself. The teacher defends the teaching of Plath's poetry to students and says that her suicide will not influence students to do the same. In "Second Time Around", investigating the killing of a retired detective, Morse is haunted by an early case of his in which a young girl had been murdered and an obvious suspect could very well be innocent.

Colleges and Locations

Beaumont College (in the TV episode, "The Last Enemy") and Lonsdale College (in The Riddle of the Third Mile, the book on which "The Last Enemy" was based) are both fictional Oxford colleges. The real Brasenose College and Exeter College were used to represent Lonsdale, while Corpus Christi was used for Beaumont. Both fictional names are from real streets in Oxford. There is a Lonsdale College at Lancaster University. St Saviour's College in the episode, "Fat Chance" is also fictitious, though New College was used as the location for it. Merton and University College were used for the fictional Beaufort College in the episode, "The Infernal Serpent". Christ Church appears in "The Daughters of Cain" as the fictional Wolsey College. Eton College was used extensively as an alternative set to depict various parts of Oxford through the series, notably the county court in the episode, "The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn", while the nearby school of St John's Beaumont, Old Windsor, became the Foreign Examinations Syndicate in the same episode, with both external and internal filming taking place there. Many of the generic locations used throughout the series, including Morse's house, were situated in Ealing, London amongst the residential streets to the north of Ealing Broadway. Some scenes were also filmed at Brunel University, London.

The Regency red Jaguar Mark 2 2.4L car (with number plate 248 RPA) used by Morse throughout the television series became synonymous with the main character, despite Morse's driving a Lancia in the original novels. The Jaguar was given away in a competition a year after filming ended, and in 2002 it was auctioned for £53,200, many times the going rate for a "normal" 2.4. In November 2005 it was sold again for more than £100,000.


Back from the dead
Rod Ker 12:01AM BST 28 Apr 2007 in The Telegraph
As ITV presents an Inspector Morse weekend, Rod Ker investigates the fate of the great man's Jaguar MkII
In November 2000, 12 million people tuned in to see Inspector Morse become the 82nd dead body featured in a TV series that had gripped the nation for 13 years. "Thank Lewis for me," were his famous last words, finally recognising the contribution to crime-solving made by his loyal sidekick.
I misspent my youth watching John Thaw in The Sweeney, and could never quite come to terms with him as a crossword-solving, opera-loving intellectual, so I still half-expected him to leap up again, grab someone's lapels, and snarl "You're nicked, sunshine!" But no: Morse was gone, and the last episode was very moving.
Long-suffering Sergeant Lewis was subsequently promoted and recently returned in his own series, but the other star of the show, a Regency red Jaguar MkII with an incongruous black vinyl roof, joined Morse in TV heaven. It's ironic that a car that appeared in the opening scene of the first programme, and became something of a national institution, was really there by accident.
As dreamt up by author Colin Dexter one wet weekend in Wales, circa 1973, the chief inspector drove an old Lancia. When the books were being turned into screenplays, the production team was unable to find a suitably clapped-out example. (This seems somewhat unbelievable, because in the mid-1980s Britain was full of decrepit Lancias; they could have had the one rusting in my parents' garage for nothing!)
However, just as it looked as though Morse and Lewis would have to weave through Oxford's apparently corpse-littered streets on a tandem, someone spotted an old Jaguar 2.4 MkII at a scrapyard. A couple of hundred quid changed hands, and after some superficial tarting up (the camera always lies) an inadvertent star was born. It's no surprise that a machine virtually snatched from the jaws of a crusher frequently caused problems during filming. John Thaw admitted the Jag was "a beggar to drive" at the best of times. After 15 years of cosmetic bodging the car was as close to death as its master, and often had to be pushed or towed into position while on location.
A year later, 248 RPA was given away in a competition. The winner, an Oxford law graduate, soon sold his prize, after which some patching-up work was done. In 2002 the car was auctioned for £53,200, many times the going rate for a "normal" 2.4. The new owner was the director of a property company, who soon decided he wanted a car that wasn't a beggar to drive. Respected classic specialist David A C Royle & Co set about restoring the bodywork and uprating the mechanicals.
Contrary to rumours that this distinguished conveyance was to be blinged up with alloy wheels and blacked-out windows, which would have been akin to old "Morose" drinking canned lager and using his Wagner LPs as frisbees, the aim was to eradicate some classic foibles.
One of the worst features of MkIIs is their crunchy Moss gearbox. A new one was due, along with better brakes - 2.4s aren't fast, but they're heavy, and it's best not to have time to listen to Götterdämmerung while stopping for traffic lights.
Unhappily for the owner, his firm collapsed, and 248 RPA was handed to administrators, who deemed that finishing the restoration would yield the best price, so work resumed.
The Jaguar's re-emergence in sparkling condition coincided with it being voted Britain's favourite famous car in a poll by the Post Office, ahead of the Italian Job Minis, Herbie the VW Beetle, 007's Aston Martin DB5 and a host of others. A rare honour for any car, it even appeared on a commemorative edition stamp. The auction therefore attracted interest from around the globe, and part of our national heritage could have ended up abroad, but the winning bidder this time was Ian Berg, a Yorkshire businessman who had originally hoped to buy the car at the 2002 sale.
Understandably, the price he paid is a (big) secret, but Ian knew he'd done the right thing when he was immediately offered more by a failed bidder, who apparently wanted to plant RPA in a Las Vegas casino (that sound you can hear is Morse revolving in his grave at 5,000rpm).
The car isn't for sale at any price, but is available for occasional guest appearances, weather permitting. Obviously, ITV's Morse Weekend - today and tomorrow on ITV3 (Freeview) - wouldn't be complete without it, so in recent weeks the Jag has been filmed posing in its former Oxford haunts and outside the Albert Hall for the "Music of Morse" concert.
RPA is back in Yorkshire now and the Bodleian Library is out of range, so my plan was to drive to a country pub where Morse's "There's always time for one more pint" theory could have been investigated - not by the chauffeur, of course, which is why Lewis always drank OJ. Alas, after weeks of sunshine we were thwarted by a deluge. Water mixes as badly with old cars as it does with beer, so the endeavour had to be cancelled. A remorseful day, indeed.
morsejaguar.co.uk
Star cars for hire
Morse's Jaguar retired to Yorkshire by chance, but another two TV stars are long-term residents for good reason. The 1970 Triumph Herald 13/60 convertible driven for many years by Edie (Thora Hird) in Last of the Summer Wine lives in Holmfirth, where the series was shot. Although this car seemed to be suffering for its art in the series, it survived unscathed.
Nearby lurks the Austin Goodwood that transports Heartbeat's redoubtable Peggy Armstrong (Gwen Taylor) about her daily business. On screen, this car looks like a scrapyard refugee, the sort of pre-war banger that could still be found on the roads in the 1960s, when MoT tests were a formality. Again, appearances can be deceptive, because it's actually in very good condition and had to be "patinated" before joining the programmes.
Anyone planning a whimsical wedding will be delighted to know that both cars are available for hire through swcch.co.uk.

 Inspector Morse set for TV comeback as young man
Wednesday 4th May 2011 in Oxford By Rhianne Pope
in Oxford Mail /http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk

Morse's creator Colin Dexter
Author Colin Dexter has confirmed ITV plans to make a prequel to long-running series Inspector Morse.
The legendary Oxford detective inspector will soon return to screens after an 11-year-absence.
The one-off drama will focus on Morse’s early years, studying classics at St John’s College, Oxford.
Mr Dexter, pictured, said: “I wrote a short story for the Daily Mail... all about him coming to Oxford to study.
“It ran in the paper over three consecutive days. Morse did wonderfully at language and literature, but did not very much like philosophy or ancient studies, so he dropped out and joined the police.
“ITV came to me and said it would be marvellous if we could do something with those stories.
“I was not terribly enthusiastic at first, but I thought it would be a nice story to tell.”
Inspector Morse ran for 33 episodes over 13 years. Nearly 14 million people tuned in to watch the final episode in 2000, when Morse died from a heart attack. Next year marks the 25th anniversary of the very first episode, starring John Thaw as the grumpy inspector, in 1987.
Mr Dexter, 80, said: “Morse was in his 40s when we first met him, but I suspect he’ll still have a lot of the same character traits.”
ITV has not yet started casting for the role.
Mr Dexter said: “I don’t really have any actors in mind who could play him. I have never really had much to do with the casting.

Endeavour
In May 2011 ITV announced that it was to make a prequel—a two-hour special Endeavour, with author Colin Dexter's participation, portraying a young Morse.[5] Set in 1965, Shaun Evans plays the young detective constable Morse who is preparing to hand in his resignation when he becomes embroiled in an investigation involving a missing school girl. It was broadcast on 2 January 2012

Inspector Morse: A Wonderful Creation

Morse's Oxford - 2. The Sheldonian Theatre & Hertford Bridge.

"Inspector Morse" Tribute

The first olympic games of the modern era.

“ With deep feeling towards Baron de Coubertin's courteous petition, I send him and the members of the Congress, with my sincere thanks, my best wishes for the revival of the Olympic Games. ”

—King George of Greece (June 21, 1894)

The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the Modern era. Because Ancient Greece was the birthplace of the Olympic Games, Athens was perceived to be an appropriate choice to stage the inaugural modern Games. It was unanimously chosen as the host city during a congress organized by Pierre de Coubertin, a French pedagogue and historian, in Paris, on June 23, 1894. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was also instituted during this congress.

Despite many obstacles and setbacks, the 1896 Olympics were regarded as a great success. The Games had the largest international participation of any sporting event to that date. The Panathinaiko Stadium, the only Olympic stadium used in the 19th century, overflowed with the largest crowd ever to watch a sporting event.The highlight for the Greeks was the marathon victory by their compatriot Spyridon Louis. The most successful competitor was German wrestler and gymnast Carl Schuhmann, who won four events.

After the Games, Rhys Coubertin and the IOC were petitioned by several prominent figures including Greece's King George and some of the American competitors in Athens, to hold all the following Games in Athens. However, the 1900 Summer Olympics were already planned for Paris and, except for the Intercalated Games of 1906, the Olympics did not return to Greece until the 2004 Summer Olympics, some 108 years later.

The stories surrounding the events and personalities of these Games were chronicled in the 1984 NBC miniseries, The First Olympics: Athens, 1896 – starring David Ogden Stiers as William Milligan Sloane and Louis Jourdan as Pierre de Coubertin.

Reviving the Games

During the 18th century, several small-scale sports festivals across Europe were named after the Ancient Olympic Games. The 1870 Olympics at the Panathenaic stadium, which had been refurbished for the occasion, had an audience of 30,000 people. Coubertin adopted Dr William Penny Brooke's idea to establish a multi-national and multi-sport event—the ancient games were in a sense international, because various Greek city-states and colonies were represented, but only free male athletes of Greek origin were allowed to participate. In 1890, Coubertin wrote an article in La Revue Athletique, which espoused the importance of Much Wenlock—a rural market town in the English county of Shropshire. It was here that, in October 1850, the local physician William Penny Brookes had founded the Wenlock Olympian Games, a festival of sports and recreations that included athletics and team sports, such as cricket, football and quoits. Coubertin also took inspiration from the earlier Greek games organized under the name of Olympics by businessman and philanthropist Evangelis Zappas in 1859, 1870 and 1875. The 1896 Athens Games was funded by the legacies of Evangelis Zappas and his cousin Konstantinos Zappas and by George Averoff who had been specifically requested by the Greek government, through crown prince Constantine, to sponsor the second refurbishment of the Panathinaiko Stadium. This the Greek government did despite the fact that the cost of refurbishing the stadium in marble had already been funded in full by Evangelis Zappas forty years earlier.
On June 18, 1894, Coubertin organized a congress at the Sorbonne, in Paris, to present his plans to representatives of sports societies from 11 countries. Following his proposal's acceptance by the congress, a date for the first modern Olympic Games needed to be chosen. Coubertin suggested that the Games be held concurrently with the 1900 Universal Exposition of Paris. Concerned that a six-year waiting period might lessen public interest, congress members opted instead to hold the inaugural Games in 1896. With a date established, members of the congress turned their attention to the selection of a host city. It remains a mystery how Athens was finally chosen to host the inaugural Games. In the following years both Coubertin and Demetrius Vikelas would offer recollections of the selection process that contradicted the official minutes of the congress. Most accounts hold that several congressmen first proposed London as the location, but Coubertin dissented. After a brief discussion with Vikelas, who represented Greece, Coubertin suggested Athens. Vikelas made the Athens proposal official on June 23, and since Greece had been the original home of the Olympics, the congress unanimously approved the decision. Vikelas was then elected the first president of the newly established International Olympic Committee (IOC).

 News that the Olympic Games would return to Greece was well received by the Greek public, media, and royal family. According to Coubertin, "the Crown Prince Constantine learned with great pleasure that the Games will be inaugurated in Athens." Coubertin went on to confirm that, "the King and the Crown Prince will confer their patronage on the holding of these games." Constantine later conferred more than that; he eagerly assumed the presidency of the 1896 organising committee.
However, the country had financial troubles and was in political turmoil. The job of prime minister alternated between Charilaos Trikoupis and Theodoros Deligiannis frequently during the last years of the 19th century. Because of this financial and political instability, both prime minister Trikoupis and Stephanos Dragoumis, the president of the Zappas Olympic Committee, which had attempted to organise a series of national Olympiads, believed that Greece could not host the event. In late 1894, the organising committee under Stephanos Skouloudis presented a report that the cost of the Games would be three times higher than originally estimated by Coubertin. They concluded the Games could not be held, and offered their resignation. The total cost of the Games was 3,740,000 gold drachmas.

With the prospect of reviving the Olympic games very much in doubt, Coubertin and Vikelas commenced a campaign to keep the Olympic movement alive. Their efforts culminated on January 7, 1895 when Vikelas announced that crown prince Constantine would assume the presidency of the organising committee. His first responsibility was to raise the funds necessary to host the Games. He relied on the patriotism of the Greek people to motivate them to provide the required finances. Constantine's enthusiasm sparked a wave of contributions from the Greek public. This grassroots effort raised 330,000 drachmas. A special set of postage stamps were commissioned; the sale of which raised 400,000 drachmas. Ticket sales added an additional 200,000 drachmas. At the request of Constantine, businessman George Averoff agreed to pay for the restoration of the Panathinaiko Stadium. Averoff would donate 920,000 drachmas to this project. As a tribute to his generosity, a statue of Averoff was constructed and unveiled on April 5, 1896 outside the stadium. It stands there to this day.
Some of the athletes would take part in the Games because they happened to be in Athens at the time the Games were held, either on holiday or for work (e.g., some of the British competitors worked for the British embassy). A designated Olympic Village for the athletes did not appear until the 1932 Summer Olympics. Consequently the athletes had to provide their own lodging.
The first regulation voted on by the new IOC in 1894 was to allow only amateur athletes to participate in the Olympic Games. The various contests were thus held under amateur regulations with the exception of fencing matches. The rules and regulations were not uniform, so the Organising Committee had to choose among the codes of the various national athletic associations. The jury, the referees and the game director bore the same names as in antiquity (Ephor, Helanodic and Alitarc). Prince George acted as final referee; according to Coubertin, "his presence gave weight and authority to the decisions of the ephors."

The First Olympics Athens 1896

Cate Blanchett ... Inteligent ,Talented, Natural Aristocratic and Intellectually Courageous ... Beauty...

I want to be able to look my children in the face

Phillip Coorey  

May 31, 2011 in The Sydney Morning Herald

A stormy parliamentary session followed prominent carbon tax endorsements by former Liberal leader John Hewson and actress Cate Blanchett.

CATE BLANCHETT has dismissed attacks by Tony Abbott and other opponents of a carbon price, saying she will continue to do all she can to tackle climate change.
Speaking exclusively to the Herald yesterday, the Oscar-winning actress said she had expected the venom directed at her for appearing in a commercial that urged people to ''say yes'' to a price on carbon.
''I'm not really surprised by the reactions from people on the other side of the debate. People are entitled to their opinion,'' she said.

Cate Blanchett ... ‘‘There is a societal cost of increased pollution and that's what I'm passionate about as a mother.’'
Equally, Blanchett said she was undeterred. ''Everyone will benefit if we protect the environment. There is a societal cost of increased pollution and that's what I'm passionate about as a mother. That's where it gets me in the gut,'' she said. ''I can't look my children in the face if I'm not trying to do something in my small way and to urge other people.''

Blanchett, a mother of three, and the actor Michael Caton appear in the commercials sponsored by a collective of third-party groups, including the ACTU, GetUp and the Australian Conservation Foundation. She was not paid.
Sections of the media as well as the opposition have criticised Blanchett for being a rich person advocating a tax that would increase the cost of living for ''everyday Australians''.
But Blanchett said her support for a price of carbon was conditional on there being ''generous assistance'' for low- and middle-income households, which the government has promised.
''I understand that if you use the word tax, people are rightly and understandably
concerned about their standards of living,'' she said. ''My support for a price on pollution is based on the fact that low- and middle-income earners will be compensated.'' She rejected the suggestion that because she was a wealthy actress, she was not entitled to speak out.
''Yes, I've been fortunate in my career but that's no reason not to stand up for something that I deeply believe in.''
She said if the furore surrounding her advocacy focused debate back on climate change, that was good. ''The campaign's not about me. It's about getting it refocused on the issue.''
Blanchett has been associated with the Conservation Foundation for several years. After the former US vice-president Al Gore began championing action about five years ago, Blanchett and her husband, Andrew Upton, joined the Climate Project, in which they learnt about climate change and became community advocates.
The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, did not overplay Blanchett's involvement, saying she was as entitled as anybody else to have her voice heard on the issue.
Mr Abbott dismissed her as a celebrity who was out of touch. ''You do not give special weight to celebrities,'' he said. ''You do not give special weight to people who live half the year in Hollywood where there is no carbon tax.''
The Greens MP Adam Bandt said Blanchett was just as entitled to campaign for a carbon price as Australia's richest woman, Gina Rinehart, was entitled to campaign against the mining tax.
''Where was [Mr Abbott] when the richest person in Australia, Gina Rinehart came out and spent tens of millions of dollars of their own money on advertisements to kill a very fair mining tax proposal?'' he said.
Blanchett said Australia would be economically vulnerable if it remained a high carbon economy while its trading partners moved towards priced carbon. ''Australia is a remarkable country with incredible technical and physical resources and a capacity to be a world leader in renewables.''

Inside the Actors Studio - Cate Blanchett

Carbon Tax Ad with Cate Blanchett Michael Caton.flv

Isabelle de Borchgrave ... Paper Magician ...

BIOGRAPHY

The story begins in a little house in Sablon, which Isabelle turned into a studio. There, she gave drawing classes to her friends’ children and other neighbourhood children and, thus, was free to think about her own designs. It was the seventies and, so, La Tour de Bébelle was set up there. Processions of hand-painted clothes, rolls of fabrics strewn about, pigments, brushes, gouaches, canvasses, pastels and travel journals. Everything alongside each other in a friendly, colourful and modern setting.

Journeys followed, one after another, all over the world. Isabelle discovered different cultures and began to see the world in a new light.

Following a visit to the Metropolitan Museum in New York in 1994, Isabelle dreamed up paper costumes. While keeping her brushes in hand and her paintings in mind, she worked on four big collections, all in paper and trompe l’œil, each of which set the scene for a very different world. “Papiers à la Mode” (Paper in Fashion), the first, takes a fresh look at 300 years of fashion history from Elizabeth I to Coco Chanel. “Mariano Fortuny” immerses us in the world of 19th century Venice. Plissés, veils and elegance are the watchwords of that history. “I Medici” leads us through the streets of Florence, were we come across famous figures in their ceremonial dress. Figures who made the Renaissance a luminous period. Gold-braiding, pearls, silk, velvet … here, trompe l’œil achieves a level of rediscovered sumptuousness. As for the “Ballets Russes”, they pay tribute to Serge de Diaghilev. Pablo Picasso, Léon Bakst, Henri Matisse, … all designed costumes for this ballet company, which set the world of the 20th century alight. These dancing paper and wire figures play a very colourful and contemporaneous kind of music for us.

It’s true that, today, Isabelle de Borchgrave has become a name that is readily associated with fashion and paper. But her name is also closely linked to the world of design. By working together with Caspari, the potteries of Gien, Target, and Villeroy and Boch, Isabelle has turned her imagination into an art that’s accessible to anyone who wants to bring festivity into their home. Painted fabrics and paper, dinner services, curtains, sheets, decor with a personal touch for parties and weddings,… All this tells of the world in which she has always loved to move.

But in a 40-year career, she has never put to one side the thing that has always guided her in her life: painting. She still exhibits her paintings and her large folded paper works all over the world. With an imagination increasingly stimulated by her knowledge and interpretation of art, Isabelle, a follower of the Nabis movement, has a fresh perspective of a world that flies around her like a dream.
http://www.isabelledeborchgrave.com

Pulp Fashion

The Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave

Author Jill D'Alessandro

Editor Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco & DelMonico - Prestel

Language : English

ISBN : 978-3-7913-5105-6

This beautiful volume (catalogue of the exhibition "Pulp Fashion : the art of Isabelle de Borchgrave" now at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco) explores the exquisite paper costumes of the Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave. Author Jill D'Alessandro contextualizes de Borchgrave's work against the rich tapestry of art and couture history, examining how the artist brings long-lost fashions to life through an intricate process of tailoring, crumpling, braiding, pleating, and painting paper.

Paper Illusions
The Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave
Author Barbara & René Stoeltie
Editor Fonds Mercator, Bruxelles, 2008.
Isabelle de Borchgrave is an artist and designer, whose collection of dresses made entirely of paper - an astonishing tour of 300 yearsof fashion history - caused a worldwide sensation. These 160 sumptuous photographs by Barbara and René Stoeltie highlight the achievements of this exceptional artist, whose talent, creativity and sense of colour invite the reader into a fleeting, marvellous realm. Shoes, beads, hairstyles and costumes, all made from paper, make each page a feast of colour and invention, of finesse and elegance.
Language: French, English
Preface: Hubert de Givenchy
ISBN: 978-90-6153-807-3

Present! - "Pulp Fashion" at the Legion of Honor

The Art of Illusion - Paper Renaissance Clothes | euromaxx

Remembering ...the rugby ralph lauren tweed run london 2011.

The Tweed Revolution recognized by a great Fashion Label ...

As long as R.L. keeps on remembering that ... it is not about Fashion ... but about Style and Attitude ...

Fashion Highway Code Part Two - London Tweed Run Highlights

The Rugby London Tweed Run—A Recap

Rugby Ralph Lauren Tweed Run 2011

The boxcloth Braces by Albert Thurston

Boxcloth braces

Boxcloth,sometimes called 'buckskin', was the ultimate fabric for keeping out the cold in the 19th century. Since then it has continued to be woven in Yorkshire, then finished by being shrunk to half it's original width, which tightens up the cloth allowing it also to be used for making the ultimate classic brace.

Over 180 years of traditional British craftsmanship
In 1820, five years before Nelsons Column was built (to celebrate his life and death on the 21st October 1805 at the battle of Trafalgar) braces and suspenders were first made and sold by Albert Thurston from his emporium at 27 Panton Street, Haymarket, London. If you want to know whether any of your ancestors fought on the British side at Trafalgar click here  Trafalgar
  

Thirty one years later, in 1851, the nation celebrated the Victorian era, when the Great Exhibition was held in Hyde Park. Albert Thurston received an Honourable Mention for the excellent standard of their products.

By now, Albert Thurston had become a by-word for quality in gentlemens' accessories, and their braces and suspenders were destined to be sported by kings, princes, presidents and successful businessmen across the world over the next 2 centuries. in http://www.albertthurston.com.

The boxcloth braces are designed in such a way that you can either cut the excess tabs off using sharp scissors (and one side as a template to achieve the half moon shape) or let the tabs hang down ...

White Goat skin ...

In addition to boxcloth, lighter versions made from barathea are made for warm weather wear