It's not better to be safe than sorry

Madame de Pompadour by Francois Boucher (1703-1770) oil on...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:59:39 +0400

Madame de Pompadour by Francois Boucher (1703-1770)

oil on canvas, 1756

chiffonandribbons: Balmain Fall 2012

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:53:49 +0400

chiffonandribbons:

Balmain Fall 2012

chiffonandribbons: Elie Saab Couture S/S 2012

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:53:41 +0400

chiffonandribbons:

Elie Saab Couture S/S 2012

fashioninquality: Jason Wu Resort 2014 | New York

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:48:27 +0400

fashioninquality:

Jason Wu Resort 2014 | New York

Equestrian Portrait of Mademoiselle Croizette by Carolus-Duran...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:28:49 +0400

Equestrian Portrait of Mademoiselle Croizette by Carolus-Duran (1837-1917)

oil on canvas, 1873

Photo

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:24:32 +0400

historyofromanovs: Day 26: Saddest Romanov death(s). Grand...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:20:12 +0400

historyofromanovs:

Day 26: Saddest Romanov death(s).

_{Grand Duchess Maria. Because I just can’t imagine what horror she had to go through, having watched all of her family getting killed. She was one of the last victims who perished that night, if not the very last. Maria had lived through the first volley of the shots and witnessed the deaths of her parents and two male servants. Maria tried to escape through the doors at the rear of the room, which led to a storage area, but the doors were nailed shut. The noise as she rattled the doors attracted the attention of the drunken military commissar Peter Ermakov. A heavy layer of smoke had accumulated in the room from the gunfire and the plaster dust from the walls, and the gunmen could see only the lower bodies of those who were still alive. Ermakov fired at Maria, and his bullet struck her in the thigh. She fell to the floor with Anastasia and Demidova and lay there moaning. Some time later when the gunman approached her, he struggled with the ever strong Maria and tried to stab her with a bayonet. The jewels sewn into her clothes protected her. Dr. Botkin, Olga, Tatiana, and Alexei were killed in front of her.}

_{The attacker said he shot her in the head but her skull showed no sign of bullet wounds. Perhaps the drunken Ermakov inflicted a scalp wound, knocking her unconscious and producing a considerable flow of blood, leading Ermakov to think he had killed her. It was believed Anastasia was killed right after Maria lost her consciousness. As the bodies were being removed from the house, Maria regained consciousness and screamed. Ermakov tried to stab her again but failed, and struck her in the face until she was silent. The facial area of Maria’s skull was indeed destroyed, but Yurovsky wrote that the victims’ faces were shattered with rifle butts at the burial site. Though Maria unquestionably died with her family, the exact cause of her death remains a mystery. Rest in peace, Maria, Nicholas, Alexandra, Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia, Alexei, Dr. Botkin, Ms. Demidova, Mr. Kharitonov, and Mr. Trupp.}

thedame: famousandfavourite: THE BENNETT SCHOOL FOR...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:17:23 +0400

thedame:

famousandfavourite:

THE BENNETT SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

This school was originally constructed in 1890 as Halcyon Hall - a luxury hotel constructed of wood and stone dreamed up by publisher H.J. Davison Jr. Filled with books and curios from around the world, the hotel was a retreat that featured beautiful carved wooden pillars, balconies, and small niches to steal a quick read or nap. The building had been designed in the elaborate Victorian Queen Anne style by James E. Ware, and consisted of 200 rooms in 5 stories, plus a basement and sub-basement. Despite the grandeur, Halcyon Hall failed to catch the popularity it had hoped for. It closed in 1901, and stood vacant until another a buyer was found eight years later.

The Bennett School for Girls, originally founded in Irvington N.Y. by Miss May Bennett, found Halcyon Hall quite suitable as a new home in 1907. The school had been in operation for seventeen years and had 120 students, most from prominent families. These women took a six year course of study - four years of high school and two years of higher study. Language, culture, and fine arts were stressed in the curriculum. In the early 20th century, the school eliminated high school courses and became a junior college, offering two year degrees.

A number of addition and modification took place at Halcyon Hall during the college years. In 1926, a northern service wing which formed part of the courtyard was demolished and replaced with the present-day Gage Hall. The new wing had originally held dormitory rooms, but was converted into classrooms, offices, and other facilities in later years. In 1952, the stucco Alumnae Hall added as a west wing dormitory. In 1956, the Ella Buffington Library was built out of the east wall of Gage Hall.

Bennett College found itself struggling to survive in the 1970s as the popularity of coeducation steadily grew. A major movement to upgrade the school into a four year college had left the college in financial distress. An attempt to merge with nearby Briarcliff Manor failed, and Bennett College entered bankruptcy in 1977. The school was closed for good one year later, and many school artifacts including the entire library was moved to the Millbrook Free Library.

Several attempt to redevelop the property failed in the 1980s, and the title was acquired by a savings bank subsidiary. When the bank went out of business in 1991, its assets including Bennett College were seized by the FDIC. An agreement was reached to place Halcyon Hall on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 - however, the town of Millbrook has been working with developers to demolish the building for condominiums.

From Opacity.

I wish I was a billionaire so I could turn it into its original idea.