JoshuaRed

SCANDALOUS!

Thanks gents. That blue jacket is cool, ain't it? It could very well be a hood, but I thought it might also be a neckerchief. (Though it does hang down the back rather far for a kerchief) Next up, we have Luca Carlevaris (b. 1663, Udine, d. 1730, Venezia) "Italian painter, engraver and architect, his name also spelled Carlevarijs. He is regarded as the father of 18th-century Venetian view-painting (veduta), for although he was not (as sometimes asserted) the first to specialize in the genre, he approached it with a new seriousness, his training as a mathematician being reflected in his rigorous perspective settings. Carlevaris's artistic inclinations were probably inherited from his father, a painter and designer who died when his son was very young. " First painting: Seascape 1690s This crop shows a group of sailors in the foreground watching a ship trying to avoid being dashed on the rocks. Pretty average group of sailors, like the colors and their nonchalance. [Note - the original image is gone, I have linked to another version which is not cropped. Mission. 7/8/14] Second painting: The Molo with the Ducal Palace c. 1710 Here is a group of sailors I cropped. I was kind of surprised to see them shirtless in public, but hey, it IS Italy..... [Note: See previous note. Mission again. 7/8/14]

I'd like to share some period images I've been recently collecting, which show sailors & assorted other working joes of the GAOP. I'll continue to add to this thread as I find new ones. Let's start with some Canaletto: (b. 1697, Venezia, d. 1768, Venezia) Here is a brief bio on this artist: Zuane Antonio Canal, Venetian painter, the son of Bernardo Canal, a well-known scenery painter at the time. 'Canaletto' — or small canal — as he was soon called, received his training in the studio of his father and his brother, with whom he continued to collaborate for several years. He became the most famous view-painter of the 18th century. The images I'm posting are crops and details from his paintings that date 1720-1735. While most of them are in the coastal canals of Italy, many feature what I'd consider to be fairly common seaman dress, despite the fact that many of the men are gondoliers or ferrymen. Of note to me is how many appear to be wearing sashes. These paintings also show the downright ragged state many commoners dressed in. Ragged yet colorful. Their sails weren't in the best shape either. :) First up, Rio dei Mendicanti (detail) 1723-24 [Note: The original image Joshua linked to is gone, so I have linked to another version which is not cropped. Mission. 7/8/14] Next, Grand Canal, Looking East from the Campo San Vio (detail) 1723-24 This is the first of two paintings from this viewpoint, the next one being after 1730. I really like the mural of the ship draught on the wall. The sailor sitting on the ground with his back to the viewer and wearing red trousers appears to possibly be sporting a headscarf of yellow. He's also got his bag around his shoulder with a blanket strung through it. Looking for work, I suppose. Do you think the mural of the ship is a sign indicating that this was a "Water taxi" area where one would hitch a ride out to the ships at anchor? [Note: Original Image missing, updated to non-cropped image 7/8/14 by Mission] Next, La Punta della Dogana (Custom Point) 1726-28 Once again, sashes seem to be prevalent. I'm thinking maybe gondoliers wore them to indicate they were for hire, or to draw attention? [Note: Original Image missing, updated to non-cropped image 7/8/14 by Mission] Up next we have Return of the Bucentoro to the Molo on Ascension Day (detail) c. 1732 Both shots are cropped from the same painting. Looks like some red knit caps, short jacket and blue slops? Also beards and 'staches! More sashes too. [Note: Original Image missing, updated to non-cropped image 7/8/14 by Mission] So there we have Canaletto! We're fortunate he took the time to render the common workers in his paintings. I've got more artists coming, so stay tuned.

I assumed we were talking about 1660-1680 European dirtbags (I mean that in an endearing manner) who squatted on Spanish islands and hunted wild pigs, while occasionally canoeing out to board Spanish ships. Ya know, buccaneers!

Now THAT is cool.

My little collection of period buccaneer images shows a lot of them with short cuttoes, which is really just a sexier machete.

HM that is very cool! Hell if I saw you hard at work wearing a cocked hat, I'd have to come over and give you props. After my last event I lazily left my cocked hat in the car for about a week, and was so tempted to pop it on and waltz into the grocery store with it. I guess the kepi is more "normal" because in recent decades it's been associated with bikers and such.

Yeah, my theory is that whoever made up the idea of leather cocked hats was in fact looking at a picture of a tarred hat and mistook it for leather, thus the myth was born. But like I said, it's just my halfbaked theory.

Thanks for the info guys - sounds good! Colonial American tombstone art was much more simplistic than this death's head. The level of detail on this badge really surprised me - I guess it makes sense that it would be for an elite military unit.

Just kidding Greg my hearty!! Yours was truly a grand post that I enjoyed very much. In fact I'm thinking of getting a bunch of t-shirts printed up to walk around handing out at some future event. One batch would merely be white text on black, and say "Authentic" the other would say "Fantastic". Btw I'm still enjoying the German gingerbread snacks..MMMMM! :)

Anyone here have an idea what THIS PATCH would have been used for? It's fascinating. From the Natl Maritime Musuem, UK. I'm not suggesting this is pirate related...rather I think it has something to do with death in general....not sure! Thoughts?

Nice point!

LOL - Oddly enough I just found that at Border's last weekend and picked it up on sale, purely for the stellar graphic design and layout. The book was originally published in/for Thailand, so a lot of the text just sounds weird in translation. Melodramatic, completely out of whack. The pics are mostly 19th/20th century, but there are a TON of them reproduced in excellent quality in large coffee-table format, and most have never been used in any Western pirate book. The Dampier 2 Volume set edited by Masefield is the same one I have - I highly recommend it. The added footnotes and court martial info are gold.

Fantastics? Authentics? Don't forget the Incredibles! :)

Yeah she was good in that. Tough as nails.

HUZZAH! Well said Hawkyns! I drink to your health.

It would ALMOST be worth trying someday just to experience what horror the smell actually was. TOTAL immersion, right there!

Yeah the were sorta nondescript lumpy affairs. Hack the brim down with a dull machete, then roll down a hill with the hat stuffed in your back pocket, that should do it! :)

I don't really see any animosity against authenticity. If there is, it's because it's simply more work, and not everyone has the drive/time/energy to dig that deep. That or the animosity is toward those of us striving for authenticity, not the authenticity itself. Maybe we're seen as killjoys.

As I read this I can't help but think of the tune to the Royal Oak. Perhaps Franklin was satirizing/modifying the popular shanty?

If it did, I'd be on the next plane to Miami. I'm not knocking the musuem, it actually looks phenomenal.

Right now, Sinatra. The Reprise Years.

The flag Croce owns is 19th century. There are simply no pirate flags existing from the GAOP, sadly. Mutton chops? Pith helmets? Monacles? Great big cigars? Scotch? SIGN ME UP!!

Sounds like the aristocrats joke!

Wow Hawkyns that's great you mentioned the snowshoe men - I just happened across their site a few weeks ago and was blown away. I'm hoping to fall in with them once I'm back up in Maine.