Good morning everyone,

How has your week been? I have really overcommitted myself socially this week. It's been quite useful to have the reminder that when I'm not being literally told to stay at home, potter around and make a fake soup now and then* I'm not that great at remembering to do those things! Next week will be quieter. All this is by way of saying, let's enjoy a nice relaxing Fem Fri together.

In fact, let's make this about the medieval age, which I totally wrongly assume was mostly pottering about and making meals and sewing. Here's a beautiful Hildegard of Bingen track to get us in the medieval mood:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9K9PfjRjxM

You will notice that the singer, "Hildegard von Blingin'", also does Bardcore so you can hear her sing other things, like Dolly Parton's Jolene, in the medieval style.

Now here's a woman who was totally committed to the medieval age – Belle da Costa Greene, who ran J. P. Morgan's personal library and was responsible for its (fairly incredible) acquisitions. I would not want to cross her:

It seems that Greene’s reputation was built not only on her having an incredibly sharp eye, but also on an overwhelming and impossible-to-ignore demeanor at auction. Her methods could be considered brash and unconventional, especially for a young woman at the time, like spitting on the page of a manuscript to see if pigment would run off revealing a forgery. Greene also did not seem to be intimidated by the great power stemming from J. P. Morgan’s massive fortune; In fact, she used it to full advantage.  In the year 1911, the tenacious Greene confidently placed a bid of $50,000 dollars (roughly over $1.75 million today) for Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur on which she had her eyes set. Nevertheless, Greene’s profound knowledge of illuminated manuscripts and determination to amass spectacular pieces despite hefty costs expanded J.P. Morgan’s collection once Greene became the sole buyers of works for the financier.

https://medievalartus.ace.fordham.edu/exhibits/show/greene-exhibit/greene-exhibit-essay

There's more about her life here, and a link to a book about her. I respect it when people destroy their own papers, but it does make me sad that we can't know more:

The mixed-race daughter of a prominent black rights activist, Greene lived her adult life as a white woman in a controversial practice termed “passing” [as white]. The self-created mystery surrounding her life has made her fascinating from her own lifetime through today. She was cagey about her past, routinely lied about her age, and burned all her personal papers before her death. She never married, but she flirted constantly and had numerous love affairs. She claimed to hate the rich yet was quite happy to work with them, party with them, and befriend them. She lacked a college education, but PhDs deferred to her authority and expertise. She was unafraid to make waves and skillfully outmaneuvered rivals for major acquisitions in the rare books market.

https://ascholarlyskater.com/2020/10/05/belle-da-costa-greene/

Have a lovely weekend,

Alex.

*in case I have not already told you what fake soup is, it's when you make stock in a mug and drink it. So good and so comforting. Try it this evening!