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Q: "Is there a problem if more words are generated? Is there such a thing as a surfeit? Is existence reductive? Should humans have settled on the 'right words' by now for everything?" —William Keckler
A: "There can never be too many words out there, so it follows that there can't be too many wordswordswords, either." — Verla
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"Innocent dreams" from Roughing It by Mark Twain.
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| If you have a strange dream to share, send it along! |
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An illustration from Belial's Burdens by James Frank Sullivan (1896). The caption reads: "Elzie Sings."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from Gulliver's Travels. The caption reads: "The people in the streets walked fast and looked wild." |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Fortune-telling by dissecting a Chinese character, from Social Life of the Chinese by Justus Doolittle, 1867.
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from Ask Mamma by Robert Smith Surtees (1892). The caption reads: "A bottle of smoke."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Henry Hugh Armstead, "A Dream," 1863.
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| This Terrible Problem That Is the Sea |
(permalink) |
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From Red Apple and Silver Bells by Hamish Hendry and illustrated by Alice B. Woodward, 1899.
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,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,(
`-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' ` "The sea is a cruel mistress. Yet again the sea has behaved unconscionably. It's time to address this terrible problem that is the sea." —Captain Neddie, from the hilarious BBC series Broken News |
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An illustration from Hawbuck Grange by Robert Smith Surtees (1892). The caption reads: "Flesh and blood can't stand this!"
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration by A. Layard from The Marvellous Adventures of Sir John Maundevile (1895). The caption reads: "The boar-headed bear-bodied lion-tailed 6-legged beast."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Devil Posts": an illustration from Korean Sketches by James Scarth Gale (1898).
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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 "It bears repeating, however, that to say that history shares many qualities with literature is not to suggest that it is simply 'fiction'—mythical or fanciful—but to underscore that historical facts, like literary meanings, are not inherently meaningful."
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An illustration from Vikram and Vampire by Richard F. Burton (1893). The caption reads: "He was playing upon a human skull with two shank bones."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from Stories from the Diary of a Doctor (1894). The caption reads: "I am the wretched victim of a demon."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"A practical joke," from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain, 1883.
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from The Chinaman in His Own Stories by Thomas Gunn Selby (1895).
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Illustration by F. Opper from Bill Nye's History of the United States (1894). The caption reads: "The only thing Wayne was afraid of."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from The Misfortunes of Elphin and Rhododaphne by Thomas Love Peacock (1897). The caption reads: "Up that image rose, and spake, as from a trumpet."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Thomas Bewick, tailpiece for History of British Birds, Newcastle (1809). via Old Book Illustrations.
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from The King of Schnorrers by Israel Zangwill (1894).
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From La Bulgarie Danubienne et le Balkan by Felix Philipp Jaburz, 1882.
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The caption reads: "He took out a very large bath sponge."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"The Chief Magician": an illustration from The King of Schnorrers by Israel Zangwill (1894).
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Oppressively sociable," from Following the Equator by Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1897.
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from Humorous Poems by Thomas Hood (1893). The caption reads: "The thing was strange."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| This Terrible Problem That Is the Sea |
(permalink) |
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From In a Sea Bird's Nest by Frances Clare, 1896.
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,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,(
`-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' ` "The sea is a cruel mistress. Yet again the sea has behaved unconscionably. It's time to address this terrible problem that is the sea." —Captain Neddie, from the hilarious BBC series Broken News |
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"He felt stuffy," from Following the Equator by Samuel Clemens, 1897.
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"The Voyage of the Escargot": an illustration from Across France in a Caravan by George Nugent Bankes (1892).
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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His face had been white as a ghost for weeks, but no one had given it a second thought. From The Letters of Charles Dickens (1893). The caption reads: "The dying clown."
|
| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
(permalink) |
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We're pleased to offer an Internet first, having painstakingly transcribed a subtitle track for the brilliant absurdist comedy film One-Way Pendulum by N. F. Simpson. The film is not currently available on DVD, though gray market copies are available. (The YouTube upload of the film does not feature subtitles.) If you procure a gray market DVD, play it on your computer via VLC or Plex and put the .srt file in the same folder with the same name as the video file.
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A Retroactive Lifetime Goal*: we've been dubbed "the patron saint of 'going with it'"! *The phrase "Retroactive Lifetime Goal" appears courtesy of Jonathan Caws-Elwitt.
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| Who is your favorite imaginary saint? Do share! |
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From 1674, reproduced in Monographien zur deutschen Kulturgeschichte by Georg Steinhausen, 1899.
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from Gulliver's Travels. The caption reads: "Squeezing my legs together, he wedged them into the marrow-bone."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from The Novels of Captain Marryat (1896).
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Here's a precursor to the "Name that Kitchen Utensil" game, from 1895. The caption reads: "'Butter cooler,' I observe."
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An illustration from Belle and the Dragon by Arthur Edward Waite (1894).
|
| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from A Bid for Fortune by Guy Newell Boothby (1895). The caption reads: "The black cat looked through the smoke at the three men."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Such a dreadful broiling morning!" From Emma by Jane Austen and illustrated by Hugh Thompson, 1896. |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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 Momus suggests that there are "few tales which would not be improved by the addition of the phrase 'suddenly, a shot rang out.'" Decide for yourself as we alter the opening lines of . . . Nervous by ZaneFor as long as I could remember, I had always been nervous. Nervous about school. Nervous about friends. Nervous about relationships with men. Even nervous about talking to my own mother. I don't know whether it was something deep-rooted inside of me from an early childhood experience or whether it was something that was just meant to be. Suddenly, a shot rang out. (Thanks, June!)
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The "Wood Devil": an illustration from Travel and Adventure in Northern Queensland by Arthur Bicknell (1895).
|
| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from The King of Schnorrers by Israel Zangwill (1894). The caption reads: "People whose brains are softening." |
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This caption, "He did not give me time to feel frightened," recalls the movie gimmick king, William Castle, who might have promised horrors filmed "faster than the speed of fright." From Jenny Jones and Jenny by William Edwards Tirebuck, 1896. |
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 A rose may be a rose may be a rose, but its "loss" can take a variety of strongly divergent forms.
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"The Washoe zephyr," from Roughing It by Mark Twain.
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An illustration from The Land of Rip Van Winkle by A. E. P. Searing (1884).
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Q: Is it morally wrong to have two separate photo albums for "Relatives Who Have Not Yet Peaked" and "Relatives Who Have Already Peaked?" (asks William Keckler)
A: "The intelligent, free, permanent, predominant action of the will and the heart, in which the agent electively prefers some object or end inferior to the highest wellbeing of all as his supreme object or end, and which is thus fitted to prevent this end and to promote its opposite, the highest misery of all, is morally wrong action, and the only morally wrong action." —Nathaniel Taylor, Lectures on the Moral Government of God
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An illustration from The Land of the Sphinx by Georges Montbard (1894). The caption reads: "Rest in peace on your laurels."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from Phantastes: A Faerie Romance by George MacDonald (1894). The caption reads: "One of their number began to sing."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"A most extraordinary change seemed to come over it," from the Works of Charles Dickens, Household Edition.
|
| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from Home Theatricals Made Easy, or, Busy, Happy, and Merry by Frances Elizabeth Callow (1891). The caption reads: "I never meet my equal, nev-ar!"
|
| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from The Comic History of England (1894).
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from Belle and the Dragon by Arthur Edward Waite (1894).
|
| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
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We're reminded that "The first thing to keep in mind about finding the right coat is that coat styling goes through phases" (Allison Kyle Leopold & Anne Marie Cloutier, Short Chic, 1984).
Our illustration is from The Captive of Pekin by Charles Hannan, 1897. The caption reads, "Yet again he threw the coat."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from Two Girls on a Barge by Cecil Cotes (1891). The caption reads: "The awful black goat."
|
| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An 1895 illustration from the Irish fairy legend of Daniel O'Rourke. The caption reads: "'Good morning to you, Daniel O'Rourke,' said he."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Diagram: Interior of a tower of silence," from Letters from India and Kashmir by J. Duguid, 1874.
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* The most profound secrets lie not wholly in knowledge, said the poet. They lurk invisible in that vitalizing spark, intangible, yet as evident as the lightning—the seeker's soul. Solitary digging for facts can reward one with great discoveries, but true secrets are not discovered—they are shared, passed on in confidence from one to another. The genuine seeker listens attentively. No secret can be transcribed, save in code, lest it—by definition—cease to be. This Book of Whispers collects and encodes more than one hundred of humankind's most cherished secrets. To be privy to the topics alone is a supreme achievement, as each contains and nurtures the seed of its hidden truth. As possessor and thereby guardian of this knowledge, may you summon the courage to honor its secrets and to bequeath it to one worthy. |
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The "eye of the tiger" is in actuality a bullseye. Our illustration is by F. Opper, from Bill Nye's History of the United States (1894).
|
| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Who-hoop!": an illustration from Handley Cross; or, Mr. Jorrocks's Hunt by Robert Smith Surtees (1892).
|
| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"As she did this a bright flash, blinding as lightning, shot through the chamber." From The Eye of Istar by William Le Queux, 1897.
|
| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| This Terrible Problem That Is the Sea |
(permalink) |
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,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,(
`-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' ` "The sea is a cruel mistress. Yet again the sea has behaved unconscionably. It's time to address this terrible problem that is the sea." —Captain Neddie, from the hilarious BBC series Broken News |
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There's some small comfort in the knowledge that people have been feeling 'out of it' since at least 1889. Illustration from Neighbours by Mrs. Molesworth (1889). The caption reads: "She and Cathie sat in a corner beside Lavinia feeling 'out of it.'" |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from The Marvellous Adventures of Sir John Maundevile by Sir John Mandeville (1895). The caption reads: "The knight saw her in that form so hideous."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from Ghostly Tales by Wilhelmina Fitzclarence (1896). The caption reads: "My name is—Satan!"
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Here's a precursor to the German concept of the welfare state ( Sozialstaat, coined in 1870), from The Upper Rhine by Henry Mayhew, 1858. |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Folk Songs edited by John Williamson Palmer, 1867.
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Third trip of the unabridged [dictionary, pictured flying through the air]," from Roughing It by Mark Twain.
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"It bears repeating that many of the toys kids play with today stir their imagination, but not their creativity."
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An illustration from Bill Nye's History of the United States (1894). The caption reads: "The more I regret that I was not born a foreigner."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from Memoirs of Bartholomew Fair by Henry Morley (1892).
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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A rose may be a rose, but a movie with an inappropriate title may be a loser because of that title.
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An illustration from The Star of the Sea by N. Gregor (1897). The caption reads: "All the little images were smashed to pieces by the chief idol, which had never been known to have moved its hands."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from The Evil Guest by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1894). The caption reads: "My father, pretending to show me heaven knows what from the window."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from A Ramble Round the Globe by Baron Dewar (1894). The caption reads: "The effect was awful."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from The Children's Fairy History of England by Forbes Edward Winslow (1889). The caption reads: "Did you ever?"
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Votive Hand": an illustration from Byeways in the Southern Alps by Edwin Josiah Miles (1893).
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Thanks to USA TODAY's 10Best for featuring two of our photographs of La Cañada's Descanso Gardens. (See larger versions of the shots here and here.) |
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"But what if life were all a dream?" From The Heart of Princess Osra by Anthony Hope, 1896.
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| If you have a strange dream to share, send it along! |
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"A Rocky Mountains' postman going his rounds," from America Revisited by George Augustus Henry Fairfield, 1882.
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An illustration from The Man Made of Money by Douglas William Jerrold (1892).
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from The Marvellous Adventures of Sir John Maundevile (1895). The caption reads: "There fled out an head right hideous."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Jonathan Caws-Elwitt as the Statue of Frivolity. |
"One-Letter Words”
One-letter words,
oh what I'd give for
a de-cluttered phrase.
To hear those
one letter words,
that's all I'd live for
the rest of my days.
And the feelings in my heart,
they tell sincerely.
No other words can tell it
half so clearly.
One-letter words,
twenty-six letters
which simply mean 'I love you.'
One-letter words.
Though I may stutter
or sound quite verbose,
I use those
one letter words,
lest I should utter
a phrase grandiose.
And the feelings in my heart,
they tell sincerely.
No other words can tell it
half so clearly.
One-letter words,
six vowels for vowing
my unfettered love for you.
One-letter words:
Compact concordance
To passions so strong
I can find no better words
Hence the importance
Of singing along!
And though the lingo of my love
Is alphabetic
Don’t ever think that I am
Apathetic
One-letter words
Words of one letter
That spell out my love for you!
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"A closing cadence ... is the oldest confidence trick of them all — knowing all the time, as one does, that there is scarcely a statement one can make that does not slip bit by bit with every word further and further from what to begin with showed every promise of encompassing some simple, serviceable truth." —the hilarious N. F. Simpson in his spoof interview with The Transatlantic Review (Summer 1966) [via Jonathan Caws-Elwitt] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from Maid Marian and Crotchet Castle by Thomas Love Peacock (1895). The caption reads: "The devil in the likeness of a tall friar."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| This Terrible Problem That Is the Sea |
(permalink) |
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,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,(
`-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' ` "The sea is a cruel mistress. Yet again the sea has behaved unconscionably. It's time to address this terrible problem that is the sea." —Captain Neddie, from the hilarious BBC series Broken News |
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"'Are you ready for some footb--' (gunshot)." — Alex Baze
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 According to my dictionary, "tommyrot" comes from "tommy" meaning "fool" and "rot," of course, meaning "nonsense." So tommyrot is a high-grade, real fool's nonsense, and not just any old generic, amateur nonsense. Similarly, I suppose, "tomfoolery" would be first-class fool's foolery, as distinct from your basic layperson's foolery. —Jonathan Caws-Elwitt
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The theory that Humpty Dumpty was pushed is nearly as old as the chicken-or-the-egg conundrum, but we finally lay the matter to rest with this evidence of the culprit, from The Baby's Museum by Uncle Charlie, 1882. |
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An illustration from The Calton Ballads by Catter Thun (1898).
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From The Book of Days by Robert Chambers, 1864.
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An illustration from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894). The caption reads: "He deliberately knocked the whole thing over."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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The owls come to supper with her. From Mum Fidgets by Constance Milman (1892).
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Swirling mist is a precursor to the Hollywood cliché of the camera circling two people kissing. From Mr. Midshipman Easy by Frederick Marryat, 1896. |
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Things haven't changed much in the last 120 years. From Stories from the Diary of a Doctor (1894). The caption reads: "The contents of the paper puzzled him."
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| [Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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| I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
(permalink) |
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We do believe this bit of Twin Peaks trivia is an internet first: Using a secret technique of stage magic, we have determined the phone number for Black Rose O'Reilly, the madam of One-Eyed Jacks, and it doesn't follow the Hollywood cliché of beginning with 555. Blackie's number is 613-2639.
(Our illustration of Blackie is from the Twin Peaks tarot deck, which we own but which is apparently out of print.)
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An illustration from Japan and its Art by Marcus Bourne Huish (1889). The caption reads: "A sudden squall. After Hokusai." |
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Original Content Copyright © 2025 by Craig Conley. All rights reserved.
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"This may surprise you, but one animal of the Everglades that has the potential to cause harm is the oyster." —
A rose may be a rose may be a rose, but not so sludge.
