Poison Ivy Crotch, Freaks Of Nature, Surfer Angels & Enamel--

[Guest Rick Research]

Submitted for your approval: Leipzig, 1884. Verlag Moritz Ruhl's "Die Orden, Wappen und Flaggen aller Regenten und Staaten in originalgetreuen Abbildungen." The states of Imperial German with arms in splendid industrial age booming chemical industry color. Now I am sure that somewhere online, in some "easily" found Glugglefischy spot, there already IS a website showing all these state arms. But indulge a man of the 20th century declining in the 21st, looking back on the 19th. These are how THEY would have seen things:

Plate 1--

Behold-- with 125 year old eyes!

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Plate 2--

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Plate 3--

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:unsure: These being "mass market" and Victorian era-- note that Herr Ruhl has not only neutered but de-gendered his heraldic beastiary. The folks clad in shrubbery-towels are a bit on the indeterminate-gender line too, if you look closely (as Eric Idle once observed).

Plate 4--

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Plate 5--

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Plate 6--

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Perhaps if I'd had books like these in MY childhood, I would not still only be dreaming in black and white in my "silver twilight years," not having gotten a color television until the Carter epoch. (Available for medical case study doctoral dissertation.)

Plate 7--

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Plate 8--

Not quite sure what's going on in the lower left of Strelitz. An Angry God casting off blood pressure tubes (Oh. You have to be old enough to remember those.) to fling a Righteously Lethal Stale Almighty Donut onto the Wendish sinners below?

As Mister Spock would say, "Fascinating." :catjava:

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Plate 9--

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Plate 10--

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I'll repeat that one a bit larger to distract any children who haven't figured out that the only way to tell men from women in Schwarzburg was that ladies didn't have beards. Must be rough at Fr?ulein Schwarzburg pageants.

Here we have the Divine Lifeguards of Detmold raising the "shark sighting" pennant, while their munchy tie-dyed neighbors in Schaumburg have been gathering bumper crops of you-know-what from upstairs bedrooms.

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Those of you who have been counting independent components of the Empire know that this is the last one.

Plate 11--

If anyone knows why Reuss had a poodle (or is it a duck?) on one helmet and goose-stepping herons all over, please sshare.

Although dimmed with age (like me) I hope these lithochromes have brought some brightness into YOUR otherwise dull and humdrum lives in the Great Out There.

[Chip]

Is anyone getting all of this? :Cat-Scratch:

[David M]

If anyone knows why Reuss had a poodle (or is it a duck?) on one helmet and goose-stepping herons all over, please sshare.

They were something like Edle Herren von Kranichfeld thats why the bird (dunno the name in english) is in the wappen.

[W McSwiggan]

Poor Chip ? hasn?t developed a taste for ironic humor?

And just think ? this is one post you?ll have no trouble finding using the search utility!

Bravo & thanks for sharing this ancient treasure.

Is anyone getting all of this?

[Paul C]

The Hessen lions look like to the Witch's guards from the Wizard of Oz.

[speedytop]

Hi Rick,

please see here:

http://www.flaggenlexikon.de/fdtrsal.htm

and especially here:

http://www.flaggenlexikon.de/fdtrsal.htm#Wappen

Regards

Uwe