New CD! Actresses Actors Drama Theater Posters

At long last we have completed production work on our third collection of Vintage Theater Posters. This lovely new collection features beautiful images of Victorian Edwardian era actresses, actors and producers as well as fascinating posters for dramatic plays and operettas of the day: Lunagirl Actors Actresses Drama & Operetta Theater Posters on CD

We have carefully restored the images to remove creases, tears and stains, to show them as they haven't been seen in over a hundred years. These old pictures are fun to browse, great for history buffs and anyone interested in theater and actresses, and are an untapped resource for great images to use in altered art!

We also have similar volumes of Burlesque Vaudeville Comedies posters on CD and Magicians Musicians Novelties posters on CD ~ or get all three at a special bundle price: Lunagirl Vintage Theater

Fete Nationale (Bastille Day) July 14

Celebrate Bastille Day, the French national holiday, with our vintage French patriotic postcards on Lunagirl Victorian Holidays Volume Three.

Le Quatorze Juillet (the 14^th of July) commemorates the successful storming of the Bastille fortress in 1789 by French citizen-soldiers and revolutionaries.

The people of Paris, fearing imminent attack by the French royal military, attacked the Bastille in search of ammunition. The Bastille was a symbol of the oppressive rule of the aristocracy, as the king used the Bastille as a prison to hold people indefinitely without trial or appeal.

One of the first protests beginning the French Revolution was led by mothers who had no bread to feed their families.

While the French aristocracy enjoyed fabulous wealth and power, common people experienced increasing difficulty supporting themselves and their families, and writers who dared to criticize the government were jailed.

We like to identify with the elegance of the French aristocratic ladies, but the fact is most of us would have had more in common with the citizens of Paris and the French countryside.

A famous story (probably fiction) says that Marie Antoinette, sheltered in her world of fancy parties and powdered wigs, asked why the common people were angry. When told, “Because they are starving and have no bread,” she is said to have replied, “Well then let them eat cake.” A remark quite witty and amusing to her rich friends, but not so funny to the hungry peasants and Parisians!

Marie Antoinette was a fashionable and influential woman who continues to fascinate, but apparently not a very nice queen. Although she was popular at first, her sometimes arrogant behavior and extravagant lifestyle (at least as a young queen) contributed to the decline of the French monarchy. As a footnote, this woman considered the epitome of 'French' was actually an Austrian princess!

We have a lovely small collection of authentic French patriotic cards on our Holidays CD #3. They were printed during World War I, when France was again in struggle. They show symbols of France including the tricolor flag and Joan of Arc, as well as French soldiers and women, with slogans that speak of faith and hope.

If you can’t get to Paris, they also celebrate Le Quatorze Juillet in the French Quarter in New Orleans!

NEW! Victorian ABC Nursery Books on CD

Recently released: Lunagirl PictureBooks! This first collection contains 24 beautiful complete alphabet books from the mid to late 1800s. Alphabet picture books were among the favorites of the day, and these brightly colored and exquisitely illustrated ABC books make it easy to see why.

One of the most enduring traditions of books for children is the ABC book. Aside from nursery rhymes, no other genre was so extensively produced. The late 1800s produced scores of these books in English, and some of the best are presented in this collection of alphabet books. Most of this collection were first published in England, where these books were enjoyed by children and adults alike. Some include "early reader" lessons in addition to the alphabet. CLICK HERE TO SEE DETAILS & SAMPLES.

Browse the books page by page or scan through always visible scrolling thumbnail images. The focus is on the illustrations themselves, so that the reader can easily print out any and all of the pictures. You can of course print out the pages of text as well if you want to create facsimiles of the original books. More to come!

Quotes for Today: Adventure

“Security is mostly a superstition... Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” ~ Helen Keller

“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.” ~ G.K. Chesterton

“When you're safe at home you wish you were having an adventure; when you're having an adventure you wish you were safe at home.” ~ Thornton Wilder

"A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind." ~ Eugene Ionesco

“Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien, from 'The Lord of the Rings'

Strawberry/Rose Moon

Tonight's full moon is the Strawberry Moon! In Europe it was called the Rose Moon. Obviously, it's the time when strawberries are ripe and the wild roses bloom.

This is the month named in honor of Juno, the Roman Queen of Heaven, goddess of wives and marriage (thus making it a lucky month for weddings and June brides).




It's warm at night and the moon is bright ... perfect for midnight walks and moonlit dancing ... Once upon a time I lived near a large rose garden, and used to wander through it in the early morning hours, to enjoy the roses covered with dew. I've always found moonlight good for the soul.

(Thus the name: Lunagirl!)

Friday Freebie for Father's Day Cards

Thought I would share a few images that might be nice for Father's Day cards. We have some father and mother images on our Holidays Volume Two CD, plus lots of pictures of men on our Vintage Women & Men CD. Dads (and brothers and husbands and sons) might also like some of the images on our Vintage Transportation CD (cars, planes, trains, etc.), our Art of the American West CD, our Animals CD, Fish CD, Lighthouses Photos, Magician Posters... something for everyone! Father's Day is coming up on June 21, which is also the official first day of summer.
You're welcome to use these in your personal non-commercial projects. If you display your work online or have it published, please remember to credit Lunagirl Images! (with a link to Lunagirl.com if it's online). Have a great weekend!

a pretty line of verse I heard today...

Here is the beginning of a famous poem by Theodore Roethke, sure to inspire someone to create a lovely ATC or other little piece:
I knew a woman, lovely in her bones,
When small birds sighed, she would sigh back at them;

Happy Birthday, John!

Memorial Day Card

Ellen Clapsaddle painted quite a few lovely illustrations for Memorial Day (Decoration Day) and July 4th postcards. Here is a nice one for today.

New Bathing Beauties

Brand new collage sheets featuring lovely bathing beauties, available at CollageSheet.com and Lunagirl.com .