An American Foxhound in New York

A Winning Spirit



I saw a dog which looked to me like an American Foxhound near the Duane Reade on 106th and Broadway, when I was in New York last week. The second time I saw this happy and active dog, I asked the owner what kind of a dog he was. The young man told me that he didn't know, and that the dog was a "rescue dog" which he'd only had for a couple of months. The young man looked like he could do with a rescue more than the dog. As I was talking to his owner, the dog became friendly, but possessive, as though to ward me off his master. I took this as a greeting, and stroked him gently, while asking the man what he called the dog. "Grant," he said. "What a name you have," I told the dog, who by now looked like he just wanted to play.



"He looks like an American Foxhound," I said. "You should have him tested. George Washington's dog was an American Foxhound." I left Grant with his owner, still playful and rambunctious. I wonder where his owner got "Grant" from, the movie star (Cary), or from President Ulysses Grant? Either way, this Grant is a member of a prestigious group.


John Ward Dunsmore (1856-1945)
The First Gentleman of Virginia: George Washington at the Hunt (c. 1777)
Frances Tavern Museum, New York City

Information on the painting is on page 20 of:
Images of America: Woodbrook Hunt Club
Joy Keniston-Longrie
Arcadia Publishing, 2009

I've written about Jewel, an American Foxhound, who won several dog shows. And my post George Washington and his Dogs discusses how Washington bred the American Foxhound from English and French hounds, and the names he gave his large menagerie of hounds.
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Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat
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Rembrandt's Esther

The Jewish holiday of Purim ended last week. It commemorates:

...the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire where a plot had been formed to destroy them...

According to the Book of Esther, Haman, royal vizier to King Ahasuerus...planned to kill all the Jews in the empire, but his plans were foiled by Mordecai and his cousin and adopted daughter Esther who had risen to become Queen of Persia. The day of deliverance became a day of feasting and rejoicing [more here].

Rembrandt painted a series of paintings depicting Esther. Below are what I think it is a complete list:


Haman and Ahasuerus at the banquet with Esther


Haman Prepares to Honour Mordecai


Haman Begging Esther for Mercy


Esther is Introduced to Ahasuerus


Esther before Ahasuerus


Esther with the Decree of Destruction


Esther Preparing to Intercede with Assuerus

More paintings of Esther by various artists can be found: here, here, here and here.

A special holiday cake called hamentashen is served for this holiday. I mention my first encounter with hamentashen in my post Kidist's Best of New York City (Best Hotel Bakery Item: The Hamentashen at the Plaza Hotel (apricot filling), which I discuss more here.



I'm not sure how the greeting goes, but I will just say: Happy Purim!
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Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat
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Reclaiming Beauty Newsletter: New York in Spring

Below is the email newsletter I sent out for March 15, 2014. If you would like to be included in the list, please send me your email to cameralucidas@yahoo.com.

Kidist

March 15, 2014 Dear Friends of Western Civilization, Thank you for those who made my upcoming trip to New York possible. I will spend six days in New York City from March 17 - March 22. Actually, it will be four days, since on two of the days I will spend travelling from and to Toronto, a 12-hour trip by Greyhound. And before you feel sorry for me, it is a wonderful ride through western New York, parts of Pennsylvania, crossing New Jersey, before reaching Port Authority. The ride is mostly through rural and farm land, and we pass by some small towns. I blog about the route here at Camera Lucida in 2009. Here is post I did with photos I took of the mountain ranges I travel through. And here is a poston the Finger Lakes, with photos of Lake Cayuga. Customs at the American border is at Buffalo, and I am always surprised at the grand buildings in the center of the city. In New York, I will join the roundtable group I mentioned in my last newsletter for dinner and discussion. I will spend most of my time at the New York Public Library to continue with my research for my book Reclaiming Beauty: Winning Back Our Civiliztion. I am also going through various guides to find exhibitions that would be worth visiting (some might even be "essential viewing"). Two so far: - Radiant Light: Stained Glass from Canterbury Cathedral At the Cloisters, Feb 25-May 18 - The History of the Dressing Table At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, through April 23 And Lincoln Center. When I was a student in New Jersey (in Rutgers) I used to make day trips to New York to listen to the free concerts. Actually, they were rehearsals open to the public. It was very intereting to see how the pieces were put together, and how the condictor went about doing so. Now, these rehearsals (called Open Rehearsals) cost $20, and the reviewer at the New York Philharmonic site agrees with me, saying:"An Open Rehearsal is a fascinating opportunity to watch the New York Philharmonic at work, and see how a piece of music is shaped and polished by the conductor and the musicians." There's an Open Rehearsal on Thursday, March 20, at 9:45 am, at Avery Fisher Hall for: - Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major - Weill: Symphony No. 2 - Gershwin: Concerto in F With Jeffrey Kahane conducting. I had mentioned (in passing) on my blog that I had been through a long series of medical tests this past year. My latest doctor's visit (two days ago) showed that I have a clean bill of health. This is great news, and I believe that St. Michael, of St. Michael's Hospital, where I have been going through most of my tests, is watching over me. St. Michael Slaying Satan  St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto [Photo by KPA]