Lady Godiva (the song)

  The song "Lady Godiva" was performed by the British duo Peter and Gordon. It was released it Britain on September 9, 1966 and it was also released in the month of September of '66 in the U.S."Lady Godiva is about a woman who becomes involved in a burlesque show. As part of her routine this Lady Godiva, like the one of Covenetry, England, 'has long blonde hair, that hangs around her knees' 

  

LADY GODIVA

Seventeen, a beauty queen,

She made a ride that caused a scene,

In the Town

Her long blonde hair,

Hangin' down around her knees
All the cats who dig striptease
Prayin' for a little breeze
 Her long blonde hair
Fallin' down around her arms
Hidin' all the lady's charms
Lady Godiva

She found fame and made her name,
A Hollywood director came to town
And said to her
"How'd you like to be a star?"
"You're a girl that could go far"
" 'specially dressed the way you are"
She smiled at him
Gave her pretty head a shake
That was Lady G's mistake
A-hey-hey-hey
Lady Godiva

He directs certificate 'X'
And people are now craning their necks
To see her
'Cause she's a star
One that everybody knows
Finished with the striptease shows
Now she can't afford her clothes.

Her long blonde hair
Lyin' on the barber's floor
Doesn't need it anymore
Lady Godiva

Miss Zorita

There doesn't seem to be a lot of information on burlesque queen, Miss Zorita but what is known is that she was born on August 30,1915with the name Kathryn Boyd and died on November 12,2001 at the age of 86. She was adopted by Methodists and by the time she was 15 she was "built to the hilt" and was performing at stag parties, then moved on to nudist colonies ( San Diego World's Fair) and then finally made her move into burlesque. Miss Zorita had two specialties in one she performed  with two boa constrictors named, Oscar and Elmer, for twenty minutes, this was called " the consummation of the wedding of the snake" and her Dance of the Wandering Hands. Plus she would do a fan dance routine using Sally Rand fans.

Miss Zorita feeding her snake

 Another of her routines was Half and Half, which is said to have been invented by Vernon Castle. This is when the performer/dancers costume is designed to be half woman and half man. The dancer usually puts on make-up to reflect the same, Miss Zorita became famous for her provocative rendition of the Half and Half.

  I suppose it can be said that Miss Zorita was bisexual for she preferred women over men. For though she never married, she would date certain men and use them for all that they were worth. By 1954 Miss Zorita had retired from stripping and owned her on nightclubs in Miami and New York.

Happy Valentine's Day

  Here wishing everyone a nice and lucky... VALENTINE'S DAY!

  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Thank you everyone for visiting my blog. I know I haven't posted much here, especially of late, but you kepp it going, so...

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 

Julius Leblanc Stewart Paintings

Julius Leblanc Stewart was an American-born artist who lived in France.He was born on September 6, 1855 and died in Paris, France on January 5, 1919. Julius Leblanc Stewart nicknamed "the Parisian from Philadelphia". Here are some of his paintings:

Sunlight - 1919

The Glade - 1900

Nude in the Forest- before 1919

Nymphs Hunting

Study of a nude woman

Lady Godiva

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19th century Lady Godiva statue John Thomas,sculptor

  Lady Godiva or Godgifu was an English countess, who according to historians, flourished circa 1040-1080. She was the wife of Leofric,Earl of Mercia. The couple were noted for their great generosity to religious houses.In 1043 Leofric founded and endowed a Benedictine monastery at Coventry, to which Godiva persuaded Leofric to found the monastery her; and the endowment of the minister at Stow St. Mary, Lincolnshire. Lady Godiva and her husband are also commemorated as benefactors of other monasteries at Chester, Much Wenlock,  and Evesham. The town of Coventry received from Lady Godiva, a number of works  in precious metals that were made for this purpose and bequeathed a necklace valued at 100 marks of silver. Evesham received another necklace, to be hung around the figure of the Virgin Mary accompanying the life -size gold and silver rood* and St. Paul's Cathedral, London received a a gold - fringed chasuble*.  She and her husband were among the most munificent* of several large Anglo-Saxon donors of the last decade before the Norman Conquest; the Norman bishops made short work of their gifts, either carrying them off to Normandy or melting them down for bullion.

   The manor of Woolhope in Herfordshire, along with 4 others, was given to the cathedral at Herefordshire before the Norman Conquest by Godiva and Wulviva ( said to be Godiva's sister). The church has a 20th century stained glass window representing them.

  Lady Godiva's mark, di Ego Godiva Comitissa diu istud desideravi, appears on charter that was supposedly given to her by Thorold of Bucknall to the Benedictine monastery of Spalding. The charter is considered to be a fake by many historians. Even so, it is possible for Thorold to be Lady Godiva's brother.

 After the death of her husband in 1057, Godiva lived on until sometime between the Norman Conquest an 1080. She is mentioned in the Doomsday survey* as one of the few Anglo-Saxons and the only woman to remain a major landholder shortly after the Conquest. By the time of this survey, in 1086, Godiva had died, but what had been her lands are still listed, but now held by others.

   Lady Godiva's burial spot is a matter of debate. The Chronicon Abbatiae de Evesham or the Chronicles of Evesham,say that she is buried the Church of the Blessed Trinity at Evesham, which is no longer standing. But according to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Lady Godiva is buried by Leofric in Coventry, no matter what the Evesham Chronicles say.

Lady Godiva statue, Sir William Reid Dick, 1949

 Lady Godiva is known to popular legend, she obtained a reduction in the excessive taxes levied by her husband on the people of Coventry, by consenting to ride through town naked on a white horse. The townspeople were to stay inside and shut there windows  while she to look at her ride, clothed only in her long hair. But while she was on her legendary ride, one townsman, a tailor, disobeyed her proclamation and looks, forever being known as Peeping Tom. In the end Lady Godiva's husband keeps his word and does away with the required taxation of the people of Coventry.

Lady Godiva by John Collier, ca 1897

*ROOD- crucifix
* CHASUBLE - outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist.
*MUNIFICENT- very liberal in giving or bestowing
*DOOMSDAY SURVEY- record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086.

 Lady Godiva by William Holmes Sullivan 1877

Steampunk Ladies