The Bastard, The Incestuous Bitch, and The Silver Belt Brooch
Okay kiddies. Do I have your attention now? Hmmm? Let us start with
the unmentioned part of the title, shall we: The Jewelry Designer.
His name was William M. Link. Information about him is more than a
tad scant. In 1871 he opened a jewelry concern at 21 Green Street in
New York. No idea when he was born. He died in 1911. All the rest of
the info I have about him is boring mundane details–who his
partners were. when he moved. all the kind of stuff about which I am
sure no one gives a rat’s ass. So the only thing I’ll add about him
is that he made gorgeous jewelry. That said. let us proceed to:
The Incestuous Bitch. Now we’re going to start cooking with grease.
She was extraordinarily well educated. It is said she could speak
nine languages and rarely had the need for an interpreter. She was
beautiful and charming and used her wiles to influence the most
powerful men in the western world. She once bet her lover that she
could spend what today equals 15 million dollars on a dinner. The
bet was on and the next night she served an inconsequential meal.
Her lover laughed at her. When she ordered the second course
however. she was served a single glass of strong vinegar into which
she plopped a priceless pearl earring. watched it dissolve. and then
drank it. Suffice it to say she won the bet. Pearls were clearly
worth more money in them thar days. She was equally tough in her
government relations with representatives she sought to overthrow.
And. last but not least. as was the custom of the time. she married
her younger brother with whom she was supposed to co-rule the
nation. But she got rid of him quickly and became sole ruler of her
nation. When you do the horizontal mambo with your brother and
overthrow your foes you soon become known to this writer of Tidbits
as The Incestuous Bitch. Her name. for those who have not yet
guessed. was Cleopatra.
As to The Bastard. She was born in 1844… the daughter of Julie and
an unknown father. Julie. our bastard’s mother was herself the
daughter of a spectacle merchant–a vision specialist–and a petty
criminal. Julie–in order to survive her life’s
circumstances–became a courtesan and taught her daughter (the
bastard) the tools of her trade. a vocation at which our bastard
became quite adept. Around 18 years of age our little bastard
decided to become an actress and joined the Comedie Francaise in
Paris. However. her tenure there was short-lived as she was
summarily kicked out for slapping another actress across the face.
Eventually. our bastard–who became known as a notorious liar due to
her tendency to exaggerate and distort the facts of her life–moved
to Belgium where she became the Mistress of Henri, the Prince de
Ligne.
However. she was not able to totally abandon her career as courtesan
and soon resumed her life as a prostitute. Our first passions are
clearly our most enduring passions.
Eventually she became famous as an actress and during this period in
her life she like to sleep in a coffin as she felt it helped her to
better understand her tragic roles. Perhaps–in keeping with this
same spirit–I will one day have a diamond-studded bed made to look
as a typewriter. I am sure this will help me with Tidbits.
And our bastard’s acting career grew. and she gave up the streets.
and her fame became worldwide. and one of her greatest film roles
was that of–yup. you guessed it–Cleopatra. Our bastard’s name. are
you ready for this: Sarah Bernhardt.
Which brings us to the Silver Belt Brooch made by one William M.
Link sometime around 1902, which now resides in the Newark Museum.
The Silver Belt Brooch–in the image of The Incestuous Bitch–pays
homage to Sarah Bernhardt’s famous role as Cleopatra.
And that’s that folks. You now know more than you ever did or ever
even expected to know about The Bastard, The Incestuous Bitch, and
The Silver Belt Brooch. This little trek through life which we all
travel is a tad fascinating. dontcha think? Perhaps one day. when we
get to the next station stop. we’ll all have a drink together and
laugh and reminisce about our little journey along this crazy road
we once trod.
Okay. You know the rest. The visit to the image… also known as the
viewing experience. You know where. Home page.
http://www.tyler-adam.com. Scroll down. Left side. Tidbits. Click.
And there for your sensory optic pleasure you will see the silver
belt brooch of which I just spoke.
And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks. Catch you all
next week.
Benjamin Mark