Magpie 54 / Hippolyte Hodeau
Hippolyte Hodeau and his feuilles de poilus. While he had possibly the best name ever, I'm sharing here because he was a french soldier in the trenches of World War 1. He created amazing art (see above) carved out of leaves. Obviously few of these survive but they are simply amazing.
As unique as his objects may seem, Hodeau was not alone in carving leaves. The art form flourished during World War I as a way to enhance letters home with a unique lightweight enclosure. Soldiers used a needle or knife to whittle between the oak and chestnut veins, leaving only words or, sometimes, an image. Due to the partial opacity of perforated leaves, the carvings are especially enchanting when lit from behind; sometimes they’re called “feuilles de poilus”, or “tree leaf lace”.
If you haven't noticed, I absolutely adore the Public Domain Review.
Links!
If you've wondered what Havana Syndrome is, here's 100,000 words explaining everything, down to the specific operatives behind it. Reminds me of Bill Browder's RED NOTICE, which is a great read about the chaos, crimes and characters in the immediate post-soviet Russia through his battle with Putin and the murder of his lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky.
I'm spending a lot of time thinking about trust, and the loss of trust all around us. Paul M. Sutter has a new book out, and it looks like an important read OR you can read the interview and get his point. I really enjoyed his previous book - How to die in space.
I’m a sucker for anything about John McPhee and this one came from a surprising place - behavioral science! An excerpt from a new book, Slow Productivity by Cal Newport.
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