Have you heard of tunnel books? I saw my first tunnel books at The Milwaukee Art Museum recently. Each tunnel book was made from a series of paper layers, tied at their sides.
Then, a light was cast down from above to illuminate the whole scene. There is a lot going on here in these intricately cut layers. There are all sorts of critters and skulls. One skull is even growing like a plant. It's like an enchanted forest, luring this girl in. But you get the idea that it has lured other people in and kept them there.
That photo above is actually the wallpaper on my computer now. You can see a bit of the light above the paper here and the thread/twine holding the papers together:
A second tunnel book showed a more vertical scene.
You can really see the way this is held together in this photo.
You can also see the quality of the paper, which is nice and thick. It would have to be. Imagine how difficult it would be to cut out these details and not mess up with thin paper. I'm sure this was a challenge too, but the high quality paper had to help. If you're interested in the specific paper, I read that the artist used high-quality Japanese Kozo paper on this one.
And as an added bit of trivia, Kozo paper is made from the bark of the Mulberry bush. I just watched a video about the making of Kozo paper, from Mulberry bush to the final product. Wow. What a lot of work. I'd really feel the pressure to cut this paper just right after seeing how much effort goes into making it.
Kozo Paper making:
Back to the tunnel books. Here's the view from above. I read that these can also be lit from below.
The artist is Andrea Dezsö. If you'd like to see more of the artist's tunnel books, here's a link: Andrea Dezsö's Tunnel Books
Tunnel books were pretty popular during Victorian times. According to what I read in the exhibit, this artist likes to work with fairytale themes that are similar to those in the old time tunnel books. What kind of fairytale do you think is being shown here? I'm reminded of Snow White a little because of the forest creatures.
And the skulls make me think of the poison apple:
The first tunnel book I showed you was titled "Enchanted Forest: Girl with Bee" and the second was "Bird and Girl Resting". So if she was going for a theme related to a fairytale we know, I can't guess it from the titles. You might also be interested to know that the first tunnel book wasn't made from Kozo paper, but a paper called Shojoshi. I looked that up too and was surprised to see that it's traditionally used for calligraphy and watercolor painting.
In looking at videos about tunnel books on YouTube, I ran across an awesome tutorial:
It just so happens that I have a wood box/wide frame on hand that I cut for another project years ago! Just yesterday, I was staring at it, hoping that some idea would come to mind for how I could reuse it. No idea came to mind at that time, but who would think that one day later an idea has presented itself? What timing!
So, what do you guys think? Does this look like a fun project? Just think of what you could design around a Halloween theme!
Wow! It's been a really long time since I've blogged. It's been pretty cold and uneventful, so I haven't had too much to share. But after a recent trip to The Milwaukee Public Museum, I have something very cool to share. We've had an exhibit at this museum since the 1960s called The Streets of Old Milwaukee. It was something new for its time when it was created and it's always been a favorite part of the museum for me.
The Streets of Old Milwaukee shows what it was like in the city more or less a century ago. It's super cool if you're familiar with local history and the buildings around here. But even if you were new to town, I think you'd enjoy this. The streets have been recently updated and I was really excited to see the new changes. The first big change is that you enter the exhibit through an old streetcar.
As you stand in the car, images zip past the windows and you watch as the same street goes back in time. The cars change style, as do the people's clothes. It also goes from day to night, which makes sense because in the exhibit it is night. There was a conductor in full uniform at the back of the streetcar and this guy was perfect. His facial hair, his uniform, his manner. Everything.
So you step off the streetcar and into the old streets. Some new changes were the silhouettes moving in the windows and some advertisements from businesses that existed back in the day and still exist now. The ads looked old and I thought it was a clever way to help fund the exhibit.
The silhouettes of the men in the Falk building were moving and you can see a bit of the conductor in the streetcar.
Something I have been doing over the past few months is reading local history. For several reasons it became important for me know about some of Milwaukee's buildings, streets, and people. The time of history I'd been focusing on was around the turn of the century so that was a perfect fit for what's going on in this exhibit. I'll link to some of the books and web sites I've been reading at the end of the post for those who are interested. I don't think for the most part those who read my blog are from my state, but you never know. I'll also share a site that could apply to anyone's local history.
See the full moon glowing? If you look to the upper left, you'll see part of an old kite stuck in the phone wires.
Anyway, I brought up my recent reading material because it was definitely on my mind during this exhibit. See, a lot of what I've been reading has not been pleasant. So I was thinking about some old crimes and the dangerous climate of this part of Milwaukee in the late 1800s to early 1900s as I toured the exhibit. Especially, with this being a nighttime setting.
There are some little nooks and crannies behind buildings and I carefully peeked around them as if some drunken, deranged man from a century ago would be ready to jump out. After doing my recent research, I knew that these exact streets were places I would have gone nowhere near 100 years ago. And at night? Pfft!
A favorite part of this exhibit for me has always been the old granny who rocks on her chair on the front porch. She was spooky to me as a kid, but now I think she's really cool. OK, I still think she's a little spooky.
To my surprise, I saw that the rocking granny has her own twitter account. I read a little about her when I got home and learned she's been through a lot over the years. She got a little makeover in the 1980s after someone turned her head around and majorly messed up her hair. What's scarier than a realistic mannequin rocking in a chair in the dark? One with her head turned around.
Note the Sendik's grocery bag behind her
The silver lining here is that Granny needed a makeover. The original was a little too scary in my opinion.
I love the signs that show clearly what the business was. This as you might guess, was an optometrist's office. No matter what language you spoke, and chances were good it might not have been English around here at the time, you could tell what that meant.
Above the office is I think where there's a little nod to the famous Madam we had in Milwaukee. Here name was Miss Kittie Williams. Some say her name inspired Miss Kitty's on Gunsmoke, but I don't know about that. Miss Kittie was a big deal and allowed to operate fairly openly for a while, probably because her clientele were the rich, bigwigs around town. So I heard there was a red room that's decked out in the way one of her girls' rooms would have been. My opinion is this is it. Although, what's throwing me off is that there's supposed to be a painting of a nude woman in the room. I was sure I got a photo of it, but it was pretty dark in there. When I got home, I closed in on the painting and saw...
A dog? What do you guys see? It looks like one of those dogs in people clothes, like one of those dogs playing poker.
*Update* I revisited this window in March and tried again to find the painting. I did find another painting, but again, I have no idea what I'm looking at. Thoughts?
I think I'm seeing a lady's arms and maybe a black boa hanging across her body. I definitely see the man's hat that people talk about. It's down in the lower right side of the window.
There were many old businesses to peek in, like this bar. Again, not a place I would have gone at night in this neighborhood 100 years ago.
And a neat old glowing beer advertisement next to a Houdini poster.
There was the apothecary with the large, lovely glass containers full of what you imagine to be some mystery remedy. I guess it was probably dye and water.
And the pharmacist hard at work:
There was a general store with probably everything a person could want back then. I loved that glowing stove. There was an old phone you could pick up the receiver of and listen in to a conversation. I wish I'd gotten a photo of that now! The conversation wasn't all that juicy, just a guy with a strong German accent booking a hotel room.
Outside the old store, I could hear a cat yowling and yowling. It turns out there's some sort of motion sensor that turns on the cat noises. I never saw the cat, but I did see a pic of it online:
It was probably up above me in a tree or something. Maybe it's just as well that I didn't see it! What's funny is there was a lady with a baby carriage near the cat noises and I thought it was the baby at first.
*Update* I went back to the museum in March and spotted the cat! A couple were standing near the smallest of spaces (I think it was supposed to represent an alley) and they were looking at an app that told them where the cat was. So they were nice enough to point above our heads. I still couldn't see anything in that dark little space so I pointed my camera up and saw:
Actually, this is what I saw after using a flash. The first few pics I took were without a flash and all I saw were the green eyes glowing at me! It's pretty spooky to look up and see something like this.
There happened to be a man standing behind me as I took my first pic and he asked me to take another one so he could see the cat on my camera screen. He said he'd been wandering around that area looking for a cat and wondering if he was going crazy imagining those sounds! So it was a nice community moment with those people sharing their app and then me sharing my photo. I can't imagine how shocked I would have been had I discovered this cat on my own with no one around. I probably would have shrieked.
I got the chance to try a Penny-farthing bike,
although I wasn't going anywhere. The bike was stationary and very
difficult to pedal. It was like biking through water the way it was set!
It was really high too. I had to take quite the stretch to get on it.
This pic is a bit blurry in part because I was pedaling away to the best
of my ability.
There was an old movie theater that's a replica of one of the many beautiful theaters that are now gone. I wish so many hadn't been torn down. The museum now plays a loop of old early 1900s silent movies inside the theater. There were some funny movies being played as well as some old Harry Houdini footage.
There was an older part of The Streets of Old Milwaukee that was left pretty much untouched. This part exists in the daylight, and is supposed to exist in Europe. "The European Village" is attached to The Streets of Old Milwaukee, but is like a different world. You can get a small glimpse into what the living situation looked like for different ethnic groups long ago. I just checked the museum's web site and they say these would be homes from 1875-1925. I took some photos inside a few of the houses and noticed afterwards that I'd photographed the homes that fit with my ethnicity.
Polish
German - That face in the window kind of spooked me, but I think there was a place for people to walk on the other side of this structure.
Irish
Isn't she realistic? Part of me wouldn't be surprised if these figures turned and looked at me. I would be freaking out, however!
I've heard a few other museums around the country have something similar to The Streets of Old Milwaukee. I'd like to hear about it if you've been to any of those exhibits, and if you have some photos, even better!
Prigge writes articles about Milwaukee history for our local paper so I was somewhat familiar with his obscure and interesting finds before reading this. In fact, the link I put up to Miss Kittie Williams was directed to one of his articles. This book was along the lines of Wisconsin Death Trip for me, only without the disturbing photos. Milwaukee Mayhem is split into different sections, like unsolved mysteries and murders. My favorite part of the book was the vice section. Some chapters are depressing, some are intriguing, and some make you go "Wow! Life was like this in Milwaukee?" The book spans about a hundred years from 1840-1940. It's interesting for someone who is familiar with the city, but anyone interested in true crime would be into this.
The first half of this book was very interesting for someone like me who went to school and lived right in the heart of where the local mafia was centered in the 1800s through early to mid 1900s. For people into mob history, there are some stories worth reading. I didn't see some things I expected to see in this book, but those who don't live here won't care about that. I got a definite sense of how crime worked in one part of town from this book.
I am midway through this book now and I'm loving it! This is Milwaukee was published in 1970 but the perspective still fits with modern day Milwaukee. This is written in such a funny way and I've been learning a lot of history as I laugh along. I'm not sure how interesting this would be to those outside the state, because some of the humor is pretty specific to here. But if anyone from around the Milwaukee area happens to be reading this, I'm recommending this book to you!
I learned from all three of these books that the Milwaukee I saw in The Streets of Old Milwaukee was something that would have been different for me socially. I get the sense that it was rougher than most modern people could handle. Walking through this exhibit was a way to experience that world safely and take in the beauty of the old buildings and lights.
The last source I wanted to share is something that would be useful to anyone, not just those in Milwaukee. If you're into history or genealogy, you will be very into the old newspaper archives. You probably know already that you can search google news, but you might not know that you can search way back in time, to newspapers that were in your area in the 1800s! I don't know how to link to this aside from showing an actual search, so I chose an interesting local one:
This article is from 1962, and you'll see why I chose it.
If you want to try searching through the archives, just type something else in the search box up there and the name of the city nearest you. Just a search for a random year in your area can turn up something interesting. I even found a quote from my great uncle when searching for one of the names in my family tree! Just be sure to click "search archive" instead of "search the web". If you're like me, you'll also enjoy the old advertisements. You'll find yourself saying things like "You could buy something like that for only 25¢?"
Midnight Syndicate has a new Christmas album out this year! I was very excited to hear this news and even more thrilled to receive a copy of it to review. I wondered which direction Midnight Syndicate might go with a Christmas album. I knew I would like it, but I wondered how they would strike that balance of Christmas themes and spooky music. It can be tricky to do a spooky take on Christmas, because you wouldn't want to hear too scary of a version of the beloved carols. That doesn't happen at all here. This album struck the perfect balance for me!
You know the way the ghosts are presented in A Christmas Carol? In that way where Christmas is seen as a magical time when the ghosts and memories of Christmas past can come alive. The ghosts in A Christmas Carol are at times beautiful, at times jolly, and times truly haunting. Well, that's the way Christmas is handled on Midnight Syndicate's Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering. The music is beautiful and strikes an eerie chord while remaining respectful to the Christmas classics.
I am a big fan of Christmas themed albums. I might have more Christmas CDs than Halloween CDs and I'm at the point where I thought I had nearly every style of Christmas music out there - Cajun, Country, Jazz, everything. Trust me! But I didn't have anything like this in my collection.
When I chatted with Edward Douglas from Midnight Syndicate about this album, he said they weren't working with an overall story line on this one. Still, I heard a story through this album. So this will be my interpretation of the songs and how they piece together into a story in my mind. What I heard on this album were the spirits of holiday past, always present and haunting a beautiful Victorian house. The CD cover art and album title definitely started me thinking in that direction. Check out that fireplace!
Also on the back cover was this description:
As fierce winter winds cut across the frozen landscape, a welcoming golden glow beckons from the windows of a venerable country mansion. Decorated in the festive trappings of Yule, its stately walls seem to offer a much-needed respite for the weary traveler. But the holiday spirits are restless and eager for company this night, as the haunting strains of melodies old and new call forth from the shadows.
Once I started picturing the house in that illustration and what might be happening in it during the Christmas season, all of the songs fit together with that setting. For this telling, the great Pabst Mansion will be playing the role of the stately home:
And these will be the spirits of Christmas past that you will encounter:
I just saw this and thought how the scene fit perfectly with what I pictured as far as who would be haunting this house at Christmas. Thanks to Dex for letting me know that this painting is titled "The Ball" and that the artist is Julius L. Stewart.
Each song stands strongly on its own, but I enjoyed fitting them together into one long Christmas Eve story format. So here are my descriptions of the tracks along with my personal photos to illustrate the story.
The night starts off in track 1 with magical, wintery sounds, followed by horsewhip noises and some bits of classic Christmas carols in minor off key spooky tones. The horses are hurriedly transporting you to your destination. The carriage whips through the snow and trees on its way to the old Victorian house.
Meanwhile, in track 2, the ghosts are floating through the hallways, waiting for the guests to arrive. A large grandfather clock chimes in the grand hall. This is a variation of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy".
"Carol of the Bells" is my favorite Christmas song, and that's number 3. I'm not sure why this has always been my favorite carol, but it probably has something to do with the mysterious and magical tone of the song. I love whatever version I hear of it. In this case, there's a slow build up to the familiar music with what sounds to me like monks chanting. Then there is some soft string music and light little bells.
I was really looking forward to hearing the fourth track: "Night of the Krampus". How could I not? Has there ever been a Krampus song before this? Maybe something in German. We all have an idea of what Krampus looks like and this music fit perfectly with my vision of him. The song conjures up images of Krampus sneaking into town and then cracking his whip/switch at those who have been naughty. So fitting with the story line, your horse-drawn carriage is now passing quickly through a little European town - very quickly! Your driver is careful to avoid that scary furry guy with the whip. As you make it quickly out of town, you hear manic giggling and the sound of bells behind you... I really liked the Old World feel to this one.
Next you pass by a pretty little church where you hear organ music and then a harpsichord. Track 5 is "Angels We Have Heard on High" and I can picture the old house coming to life as it plays. The lights are slowly flickering on as the ghostly music begins. The fireplace lights up and the memories of the past become the present.
"Greensleeves" is Track 6. Beautiful guitar playing is followed by the heavy old doors of the gate opening. Your carriage approaches the old mansion and makes its way to the entrance. This is one of the more traditional songs on the album, but there are still some eerie little undertones. They're subtle.
You make your way inside the old house and Clump, clump, clump. What's that noise above your head? "Up on the Housetop" is next. I thought this was a pretty clever use of the title and song. What is up on the roof in this case? It doesn't sound like Santa, that's for sure. Did Krampus get a ladder? Whatever it is, it has heavy footsteps and isn't feeling too jolly. I think I heard a deep "HOHOHO" in the mix. Maybe Santa's had a rough night?
There are some pretty church-like bells in Track 8 "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen". There's a slight churning darkness under the surface, but for the most part the song is angelic. After hearing Santa or Krampus or whoever stomping around on the roof, it's nice to hear the angelic singing outside the house. I like the way there's a variation of light and dark through this album.
"Coventry Carol" is number 9. There are slightly ominous bells and then some fairy-like music box type music in this one. I can imagine the little toys coming to life in the house as I listen to this song.
I love Track number 10 "Little Helpers"! This one reminds me a bit of some of the songs on Carnival Arcane. That sort of slide whistle mischievous music. Santa's helpers are more like little gremlins taking time away from the carnival here. Or pointy-eared little elves who are sort of a mix of naughty and nice. I picture some green little critters running around. This is one of my favorites on the album.
"Sing We Now of Christmas" is almost a waltz. I think people could waltz slowly to this beat. There's an interesting percussion on this one that I can't quite figure out. It's a pretty song and back to the haunted mansion, I can imagine the ghosts appearing and slowly dancing around the great hall to this music.
The next song "Winter Storm" makes me think of what will probably be one of the best times to listen to this album - during a winter storm. There's always that spooky side to the winter season, especially with the snow storms we have here. I know there will be some time when I'm snowed in and in the mood to listen to this. There's a heck of a storm in this song! It's like listening to an avalanche, from which emerges the abominable snowman, charging at the old house. The wind is hitting the house from all sides, the windows are clattering, the snow is spinning in the strong air, and the beast is out there.
A sort of peace falls over the house in track 13 "Into the Stillness". You'll recognize the first part "Still, still, still..." from the classic carol. Then you'll hear the voices of a beautiful choir. I liked how the album is pieced together with that innocent sounding singing tucked into some of the songs. It keeps the music just light enough. The way I see it, you and the rest of the visitors decide to leave the old mansion after the storm clears, and head out "Into the Stillness" of the dark winter's night.
Everyone rides along in the horse-drawn carriage into the old streets of the village. There's merriment as people celebrate and also that threatening Krampus lurking around every dark corner. "Little Toy Soldiers" plays as people shop in the market, but every now and then you hear the heavy footsteps... Better stay in the carriage!
There's a definite regal feeling to track 15 "Everywhere, Everywhere, Christmas Tonight". This gives a warm, bold ending to the album. This is the kind of music to toast a mug of warm cider to. Think of this song as the Ghost of Christmas Present. It's warm and celebratory with just a hint of ghostliness. I imagine the ghosts sitting around a warm fireplace in the old house and wishing one another a Merry Christmas.
There is a bonus track after this one called "Christmas at Midnight". It is a sweet and quiet song. The bells in the mansion chime 12:00 and the ghosts wave goodbye, wishing you a Merry Christmas! An angelic choir finishes the song.
I think Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering would make an awesome Christmas present, especially for Midnight Syndicate fans. It would also be good for people who like that more magical side of Christmas or for those who feel (like I did) that they have every type of holiday music already. They don't have anything like this!
And now for a special treat - an interview with Edward Douglas about the new Christmas album! It was fun for me to read his answers to my questions. How many times do you get the chance to discuss what you were wondering about a piece of music with the person who created it?
My interview with Edward Douglas
When is the perfect time to listen to this album?
During all of December, leading up to Christmas or maybe during those
cold, windy winter nights? Sometimes I wonder what the perfect time is
for spooky Christmas entertainment. Like with A Nightmare Before Christmas, it's hard for me to decide if I should watch it for Halloween or Christmas. I've
personally been enjoying your album through November, but I'm wondering
what time you had in mind when you composed these songs.
>>
This album has a very winter feel to it for me. One thing we found
was that as we took these classic holiday carols and started putting our
own spin on them, they became more like Midnight
Syndicate tracks and less associated with any particular time of year.
I found myself listening to it in October and even September (which is
something I never do with holiday music). If we created a
holiday-themed album that can transcend the season for some of our
listeners, I think that would make us both very happy.
Looking
at the back cover of your CD, you guys are standing in front of a sort of stone
archway. I see a bit of what I think is a European city between you and
behind the arch. Do you know where those buildings are located?
>>
That's actually a picture of Gavin and I taken by photographer Steven
Franczek in front of Squire's Castle in Cleveland, Ohio. There's a
lot of wonderful architecture in Cleveland. As for the buildings
through the archway, those came courtesy of Topher Adam of Dark Beauty
Magazine who's done additional photo design work for us on our past two
albums.
I assumed that
the setting for this album was in Europe, maybe because of those
buildings and the Old World flavor of the Krampus song. I mean, the
setting we might imagine while listening to this. Did you have a sort of
European Christmas theme in mind?
>>
We saw this album existing in the same world as all of our other
albums. Although it's not specific to any particular place in the real
world, there's definitely a European flavor to this album. I think
that's because most of the songs we chose are centuries-old European
carols or classical compositions written by European composers.
It's pretty heavily implied that part of
this album involves the ghosts who haunt an old mansion around
Christmastime. Who do you think the ghosts are or who had once lived in
the old house?
>> As always, we want to leave that up to the listener... ;)
What kind of bells were you using on this album? Like when
we hear what would maybe be a horse carriage, reindeer, or Krampus
jingling. And the whip noises for that matter. Are you actually back
behind the mic with bells and a whip?
>>
Sometimes yes. We got to use a lot of bells, woodwinds, and crazy
percussion on this disc. It was great. Lots of sleigh bells (which I
think is what you are referencing).
In "Sing We
Now of Christmas" I heard some interesting percussion in the background.
What instrument am I hearing? Maybe it's even a cowbell? That little
popping sound.
>>
Christopher Walken would not be pleased as there is definitely no
cowbell in that song. It's actually a type of traditional European hand
drum.
What kind of elves
did you picture in "Little Helpers"? I'm assuming you were thinking of
elves... Because I was visualizing some creepy little critters running
around.
>>
All sorts. When I told my kids we were doing a Christmas album, one
of my daughters said that we had to do an "evil elves" song, so that's
how that one started. I don't know if they're necessarily "evil,"
but mischievous? Most definitely.
In
"Up On the Housetop" Is Santa the one who is on the roof? Traditionally
I would think so, and I think I heard a HOHOHO, but that song is pretty
ominous!
>>
That was a fun track to do. We didn't want to make an entire album
where we were just taking happy light songs and turning them all dark
and ominous but there were a few songs we wanted to do that to and this
is one that Gavin heard in his head from the very beginning.
What is your favorite classic Christmas carol?
>> Sleigh Ride is both of our favorites but I also love O Holy Night.
So now that you've read quite a bit about Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering, you'll want to hear some of the songs and watch the slideshows of antique imagery that accompany them. The first eight videos on this playlist are from the Christmas album.
