Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Farewell 19th Century

As we begin a new year, we are fast approaching a time when there will be no-one left alive who was (verifiably) born in the 1800s, whose lives effectively take in three centuries.  I believe there are only five left, all of them female: Misao Okawa (Japanese), Gertrude Weaver (USA), Jerallean Talley (USA), Susannah Musshat Jomes (USA) and Emma Moran-Martinuzzi (Italy), all born in either 1898 or 1899.
Just think, to be born before airplanes, domestic fridges, the Olympics, WWI, radio, telephones, television, computers. William McKinley was the US President, Emperor Meiji was at the height of his powers in Japan and Queen Victoria was still on the throne in Britain. Wilde, Mahler and Dvorak, Toulouse-Laurtec and Zola, were all still alive. Streets were full of horses and electricity was still a way off from being domesticated.

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