Footnotes to a Conversation, June 19, 2023
From ‘We Don’t Do Anything But Books’ To ‘We Do Everything’
Andrew Carnegie funded 2,509 libraries around the world in the late 19th and early 20th century. They were designed to inspire the masses and to provide access to books, “that great democratizing force”. Democracy is still at play in today’s libraries as they are the only remaining free public space. They provide internet access, free washrooms, and space to work. They’re hiring social workers to help meet the needs of people who are homeless, addicted to drugs, or with mental health issues. But it’s a struggle. “No institution ‘magically’ takes on the role of the entire welfare state, especially none as underfunded as the public library. If the library has managed to expand its protective umbrella, it has done so after a series of difficult decisions. And that expansion has come with costs”, from staff taking on roles for which they have no training to dealing with violence and a lack of community support. [The Walrus]
The Dangers of Tea Drinking
Now there’s a headline to capture your attention if you enjoy drinking tea – I certainly do. Not to worry! The risks the article refers to are historical. In 19th century Ireland, it was well and good for upper-class women to enjoy a cup of tea (not more than one, though!) but not the lower classes.
“The practice of taking afternoon tea spread from fashionable Dublin to upper and middle classes around Ireland in the 1800s. Women could demonstrate their families’ status with tasteful tea parties governed by rules of etiquette imported from England. Among these were that the tea must be of good quality, refreshments should be placed on a silver tray, and nothing serious or controversial should be discussed … As early as 1745, a treatise on tea by British writer Simon Mason promoted afternoon tea drinking as a digestive aid for elites who enjoyed large meals and many glasses of wine. On the other hand, he discouraged ‘an imprudent Use of Tea, by Persons of an inferior Rank, and mean Abilities.’ In particular, when it came to women who ‘work hard and live low,’ he argued, tea ‘makes them peevish and unkind to their husbands… These poor Creatures, to be fashionable and imitate their Superiors, are neglecting their Spinning, Knitting, etc spending what their Husbands are working hard for.’” [JSTOR Daily]
Flowers and Footwear
A current exhibit at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto looks at flowers and footwear, two subjects that I wouldn’t normally juxtapose. And yet it works. Do take a look at the slideshow of some of the exhibits. There are some beautiful shoes adorned with roses, peonies, and cherry blossoms as well as shoes made from cork and grass or with heels shaped like flower pots. [Bata Shoe Museum]
Farm-to-Building Architecture
A new art gallery in Arles, France, could well be the ultimate eco building – and it’s been constructed from local waste materials. “Its door handles are made of salt. Its walls are made of sunflowers. Its furniture is made of Japanese knotweed. And it was stained with dyes made from filtered urine. Is this recycling marvel in southern France the future of architecture?” [The Guardian]
Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also post occasional articles on other dates, including frequent book reviews and travel tales.
If you share my love of nature, check out EcoFriendly West, an online publication encouraging environmental initiatives in Western Canada, and Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.