History

[smokingboot]

Many years ago, I created a character for a freeform: Julian. Julian had been a historian when the library of Alexandria was destroyed and his love, the mathematician Hypatia, met her end, courtesy of a mob. Julian was left facing a burning building and the choice of what to take away with him.

Tonight, at the Old Kings Head in Borough, I watched a woman describe the Cuming museum afire 6 months ago; her job and her life. Helicopters overhead, flames visible for miles and the firemen standing in front of her saying; 'What shall we bring out?'

They had to smash all the glass to get at the collections, and they worked so hard; one stuffed hummingbird lost a beak; they found it and brought it out, while the inferno raged overhead.

We saw parts of the Lovett collection tonight, hagstones strung onto keys and necklaces made of waspgalls, as well as some works of Austen Osman Spare. Four of those masterpieces were in the old galleries that went up in smoke. I dared not ask if they retrieved any of the four; the curators' faces were like wet stones.

http://smokingboot.tumblr.com/post/61097465734/from-austen-osman-spares-book-of-satyrs