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August Phoenix Mercantile

@themercantile.bsky.social
165 followers 152 following 179 posts

Textile artist working in recycled textiles to produce wearable art pieces based on a 1900s aesthetic. augustphoenixhats.com linktr.ee/augustphoenixmercantile

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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
A summary of my works over the past few months, in a nod to #textiletuesday and a shift to new, non-textile projects. augustphoenixhats.com/what-ive-bee... #sewing #performingarts #edwardian #medieval
augustphoenixhats.com
Exploring Creative Projects: From Skirts to Performance Art
Explore creative projects from walking skirts to medieval clothing and paper arts, showcasing unique designs and personal updates!
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 07/09/2025
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s... #libraries #readabook #literacy
theguardian.com
Warsaw opens metro station ‘express’ library to get commuters off their phones
Metroteka aims to encourage people to read more in country that lost majority of libraries in second world war
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/s...
theguardian.com
David Bowie’s final project was 18th century musical, new V&A exhibition reveals
A forthcoming display of the singer’s archive includes sticky notes detailing a theatrical work called The Spectator, about a petty thief and high-class gangs in London
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxO0... #historicalfashion #museums
youtube.com
I Toured One of the Best Historical Fashion Museums in Europe
YouTube video by V. Birchwood
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign... #venice #silkroad
theguardian.com
Venice’s Lion of St Mark’s Square was at least part made in China, study suggests
Isotope analysis finds copper ore came from Yangtze River basin while statue could be a repurposed Tang Dynasty tomb guardian
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025... #armani #italianfashion #fashion
theguardian.com
Giorgio Armani, celebrated Italian fashion designer, dies at 91
His company announced death of designer synonymous with modern Italian style and elegance on Thursday
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
Fruits of recent labors - paper lanterns for #Luminata in Seattle, a walking skirt from recycled yardage acquired at the ReCreate shop in Seattle, and a 14th century inspired ensemble for a performer, made from pieced wool and linen scraps from my studio. See the ALT text for more details.
Moroccan style lanterns crafted from laminated paper, with fabric insets and gold paint pen detailing. For sale at the Luminata - a lantern festival and fundraiser for the Fremont Arts Council, September 20 at Greenlake Park in Seattle. https://fremontartscouncil.org/luminataAn Edwardian style walking skirt, made from striped cotton yardage that I found at ReCreate - a recycled art supply store in Seattle.  Not shown here are a pair of bloomers I cut from a damask tablecloth I found at a local thrift store.  This is another step towards converting my wardrobe to a fully 19th century aesthetic. A black linen hood with liripipe, and a sideless surcoat from pieced wools from my shop.  Less visible is a long sleeved black wool tunic with cuffs and neck facings from the red striped wool seen here.  Not seen here is a full length, long sleeved 'chemise' cut from a damask tablecloth.  Every inch of textile in this ensemble are recycled.  I am now to the point of piecing linens and wools together to form enough yardage to make garments.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 30/08/2025
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a... #bayeuxtapestry #France #museums
theguardian.com
‘La tapisserie, c’est moi’: Macron accused of putting politics first in Bayeux tapestry loan
Organiser of petition says French president ignoring expert advice that artefact too fragile to be transported to UK
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/...
france24.com
arts24 - Cleopatra: Power, myth & mystery reimagined in Paris
Why has Cleopatra remained such an iconic figure for more than 2,000 years? Arts24 kicks off its new season with a deep dive into the Paris exhibition at the Arab World Institute "The Mystery of Cleop...
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
Just what we need - yet another assault on our domestic textile and fashion industry... lavocedinewyork.com/en/new-york/...
lavocedinewyork.com
Garment District at Risk: Fashion Challenges New York’s Urban Planning
Manhattan’s Garment District, a symbolic neighborhood for textile production and New York fashion, is now threatened by a major urban
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 24/08/2025
Smithsonian artists and scholars respond to White House list of objectionable art www.npr.org/2025/08/24/n...
npr.org
Smithsonian artists and scholars respond to White House list of objectionable art
A page published by the White House entitled "President Trump Is Right About the Smithsonian" lists exhibits, educational sites and more that the administration seems to take issue with.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
Meanwhile, in #moving #architectural news: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
theguardian.com
The ‘big church move’: Swedish town begins to roll historic building 5km
Kiruna Kyrka’s slow journey is part of effort to stop town being swallowed by Europe’s biggest underground mine
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
I have booked a virtual seat for this conference. My coffee will be in hand at 1:30 AM tomorrow Pacific Coast Time : ) royal-needlework.org.uk/events-exhib... #needlework #embroidery
royal-needlework.org.uk
Stitched Together Conference 2025
The RSN is thrilled to be hosting its first ever embroidery conference, 'Stitched Together: Needlework Research and Making', 21-22 Aug 2025.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
getpocket.com/explore/item... #18thcentury #LondonHistory #LettersHome
getpocket.com
This Is What Being in Your Twenties Was Like in 18th-Century London
A restored collection of letters describes a 27-year-old’s office job, social life and financial concerns beginning in 1719.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
theguardian.com
Experience: ‘I live as William Morris for three months a year’
It’s made me feel it’s OK to be an artist with a social purpose, though my wife hates the beard
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
My newest submission is live at MainlyMuseums.com "Ai, Rebel" now showing at the Seattle Art Museum through Sept. 7, 2025. I highly recommend it. #SeattleArtMuseum #AiWeiwei #museums mainlymuseums.com/post/1352/th...
mainlymuseums.com
The
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Finally - an emphasis on men's fashion at the Met. Bring Back The Dandies! #MetGala #BlackFashion #MensFashion www.cbc.ca/news/enterta...
cbc.ca
The 2025 Met Gala makes a serious fashion statement with a theme exploring Black style | CBC News
Under all the glitz and glam of fashion’s biggest night, it seems there could be some serious fashion statements this year, as the 2025 Met Gala theme Superfine: Tailoring Black Style examines how Bla...
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
Hot off the press at my alter ego website, Daveno Travels: davenotravels.blog/2025/04/28/a... #museums #SeattleArtMuseum #AiWeiwei #disruptiveart
davenotravels.blog
Ai, Rebel at the SAM…
I had never expected to see any of the works of Ai Weiwei, let alone in Seattle.  So I was thrilled to visit this exhibit when it came to Seattle.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
My project for #WorldCon is an homage to "Britannia", a costume worn by the Baroness of Wolverton to the Duchess of Devonshire's Diamond Jubilee Fancy Dress Ball in 1897. Because I accidentally won a bid on a breastplate at a fundraiser this weekend...
Roman style embossed brass breastplate, held up to my body and photographed in a mirror.  The gorget was already in my jewelry collection.A sepia photo from 1897, showing the Baroness of Wolverton dressed as Britannia,with gown, breast plate, shield and trident. She attended the Duchess of Devonshire's Diamond Jubilee Ball in honor of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Victoria.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
theguardian.com
The Met reveals feminist take on porcelain that ‘has always elicited a strong reaction’
In a new exhibition, the ‘monstrous’ history of chinoiserie is used to discuss ideas of women and femininity
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 30/03/2025
www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Bringing the forgotten weavers back into the rich tapestry of Indian textiles
Curators are finding new ways to spotlight India's rich textile traditions in unique ways.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
theguardian.com
‘It’s a scary time’: artists react to White House’s recent targeting of Smithsonian Institution
Roberto Lugo and other artists of color are now feeling heat from Trump’s attack on diversity and efforts to rewrite truth of the US’s past
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
www.bbc.com/future/artic... #renaissance #architecture #cityplanning
bbc.com
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
An immersive week with a well-to-do medieval household. If that's an astrolabe hanging on the wall near where the piper played, it might indicate that this was a merchant family. Very nicely done. #medievasky #livinghistory
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Medieval ring found by Norfolk detectorist could make £18k
The retired firefighter says he was left "amazed" when he spotted some gold glistening in the mud.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
wearinghistoryblog.com/2025/02/intr...
wearinghistoryblog.com
Introducing the Pattern Preservation Project- – Wearing History® Blog
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
I wanted to keep this page politic-free, but I can no longer keep that stance. This is an insufferable consequence of the new DEI policies under the current administration. Stand up for your art because you might be next. #standup #Art4All #blackart #lgbtqart www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
theguardian.com
‘I was in shock’: DC gallery pulls exhibits of Black and LGBTQ+ artists amid Trump DEI crackdown
Art Museum of the Americas’ abrupt cancellation after anti-diversity order is ‘how fascism unfolds’, curator says
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
So I've started a new project - stripping lace from a wedding gown and turning it into something else. The front of the bodice is now the back, pearls replaced with glass beads. Shown here - how it's going, and how it started. #recycledfashion #OldBecomesNew
A lace bodice from a wedding dress.  The cuffs from the sleeves are now pinned in place as pockets. Pearls have been removed and replaced with turquoise colored glass beads, silver leaves and embroidery, which gave some added dimension to the elsewise flat floral motifs in this lace.The lace has been stripped from the bodice of the wedding gown.  The lace was glued in several places so I am hand sewing it onto the netting.  Fake pearls were also glued to the lace, which I removed by dabbing with rubbing alcohol.  The bodice opened up the back, so the back is now the front, and this view will cover the back of my new piece - probably a jacket.The bodice of a wedding gown with long sleeves and lace cuffs. There is a lot of overlapping lace applique which I have now separated out.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
www.bbc.com/reel/video/p... #handcraft #tradcraft #knitting #iceland #travel
bbc.com
Keeping traditional Icelandic knitting alive
Presenter Roma Wells heads to the north of Iceland to learn how to knit the true Icelandic way.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
My recent stint as an instructor has led to my newest product offering. Sharing my skills and finding an unexpected revenue stream is a double win! #DIY #hatmaking #handcraft #LearnANewThing augustphoenixhats.com/the-mercanti...
augustphoenixhats.com
The Mercantile Hat Template Kit…August Phoenix Mercantile
I wrapped up my first hatmaking classes at the Powerhouse, with a dozen students ‘graduating’ with a new hat and new skills. As a result of that class, and a class from last year on emb…
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
While I'm busy filling orders for DIY hatmaking kits, my ShopCat has other plans. #caturday
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Finished teaching my first hatmaking classes yesterday. 11 students 'graduated' with a new hat and new skills. Here's some of those results. I plan to teach another series in the fall. Thinking I might now develop a DIY kit for sale (news at 11 :)
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Kate Strasdin @katestrasdin.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
It is rare to see an entire gown of this period quilted from top to toe. It meant the wearer would benefit from the added layers that the density of the quilted fabrics offered, a warmer garment for draughty houses, #1750s @metcostume.bsky.social 🗃️🪡
Bodice detail of a pale green hand quilted silk open robe gown highlighting the quilted details Full length view of the pale green silk gown hand quilted all over
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julieinstitches.bsky.social @julieinstitches.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
Day dress with cape of woollen jersey designed by Madeleine Vionnet, made in Paris, 1933. The outfit is described by V&A collections as ‘an understated masterpiece’. Read more here: collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O15564/...
Front view of outfit designed by Madeleine Vionnet, Paris, 1933. Day dress with cape of woollen jersey and two felt, chrome & leather belts, V&A
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John Bright Collection @jbrightcollection.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
Three dimensional flowers blossom on Louise-Marie de France's stomacher in her 1763 Drouais portrait, as if her dress's floral silk had come alive. Our stomacher from a rich British farming family illustrates how widely the styles of the French aristocracy were copied across Europe. #fashionhistory
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
My first sweater transformation is complete. I'm pretty happy with giving this favorite piece a second lifespan.
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Dr Nic @eldergoth.bsky.social · 26/01/2025
I think this is the perfect time to start posting about Greenland and the amazing textile Herjolfsnes finds, aye? Greenland is a district of Denmark and was settled by several distinct Inuit cultures in waves from c.2500 BCE to c.1200 CE, plus the Norse settlement late 10th-15th centuries. 🧵1/
Herjolfsnes dresses, which all appear as brown because of the soil conditions. All of them are burial finds of the same settlement
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
Welcome @countessmarie.bsky.social to Bluesky!
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
My firm threw me a retirement party - so I showed up in my cobbled together Victorians and brought my Peacock Vest for my colleagues to try on so I could see how it fit on a variety of body types. It worked well on all genders and turned into a fun parlor game : ) #recycledfashion #handcrafted
A knee length wool vest, appliqued with a peacock in rust colored suedecloth, inspired by the Peacock Doors at the Palmer House in Chicago, made from cast bronze by Tiffany in the 1880s.  Modeled here by one of my male colleagues, showing that this piece works well on any gender.  All materials in this piece were recycled from previously owned sources with the exception of the square studs in the peacock's tail.A knee length wool vest, appliqued with a peacock in rust colored suedecloth, inspired by the Peacock Doors at the Palmer House in Chicago, made from cast bronze by Tiffany in the 1880s.  Modeled here by one of my female colleagues, showing that this piece works well on any gender. I also liked that her arm tattoo matched the color scheme. All materials in this piece were recycled from previously owned sources with the exception of the square studs in the peacock's tail.At left is my Peacock Vest being modeled by a male colleague.  It's a knee length navy wool vest, appliqued with a peacock in rust colored suedecloth both front and back. The peacock was inspired by the Peacock Doors at the Palmer House in Chicago, made from cast bronze by Tiffany in the 1880s. At right, I am wearing a Neo-Victorian ensemble made from a dark blue skirt, a gifted bustle in navy and wine striped denim, a rust colored silk Chinese skirt (too damaged to restore so I crafted it into a drape and bustle).  The blouse was stark white until I tried to dye it, but only the embroidery on the collar and sleeves took the dye. My navy waistcoat is a thrift store find that I tricked out with some passementerie and new brass buttons.  All materials in both pieces were recycled from previously owned sources with the exception of the square studs in the peacock's tail at left, and the gifted bustle at right.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
In a world where fast trends have negatively impacted checkbooks and our environment, I hope this heralds the demise of the so-called influencers ... #deinfluencer #usewhatyouhave #enoughstuff www.bbc.com/culture/arti...
bbc.com
'Maybe you'll realise what you have is good enough': Why influencers are facing a pushback
Rejecting the "haul" culture of excessive shopping and promoting conscious consuming, the de-influencer movement is going mainstream – here's why.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
My newest story is now live on my website: augustphoenixhats.com/the-making-o... #recycledmaterials #architecturallyinspired #artisanmade
augustphoenixhats.com
The Making of the Peacock Vest…August Phoenix Mercantile
A trip to Chicago and a bronze peacock door would inspire my newest creation…
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 01/01/2025
The 8th Day of Christmas brings what might be the 8th rendition of this overskirt, from vinyl window screening, rayon fringe from a dumpster dive, a gift of a beaded shawl, and a tassel & button from my stash. To be worn at Holiday Party Number 2... Twelfth Night! #neovictorian #usewhatyouhave
A neo-victorian overskirt made from a piece of reclaimed vinyl door screening, edged with rayon fringe from a dumpster dive, a gifted beaded shawl, and a button and tassel from my sewing stash. Black on black on black but lots of texture.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 01/01/2025
"Rain on Pine Tree" photographed December 2024. May 2025 bring you the tranquility to deal with the things you cannot change, and the courage to change the things you can.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 01/01/2025
My recent textile project involved wrapping a spiral staircase in about 1,000 yards of fabric remnants, to prevent children and clumsy adults from stepping through the too-widely spaced spindles. A safety issue that called for a creative solution.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 28/12/2024
www.bbc.com/culture/arti... #ballet #swanlake #dance #genderroles #breakingbarriers
bbc.com
'It was a shock to many': Matthew Bourne on his Swan Lake with male swans, the show that shook up the dance world
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of his legendary stage production, Matthew Bourne tells the BBC about the show that radically changed ballet with one "big idea".
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 25/12/2024
The 12 Days of Christmas starts today. Celebrated since the 6th century, it marks the day the Magi arrived in Bethlehem, having traveled for 12 days to bring the Christ Child gifts. Many 12th night customs were absorbed into Christmas celebrations by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
If it's December, it means it's time for my annual share of my visit to the Chapel of the Magi, and the mural that covers an entire room, floor to ceiling. It's one of my favorite finds in Florence. #Magi #TwelfthNight #Florence #Medici #palazzo #travel davenotravels.blog/2021/04/16/c...
davenotravels.blog
Crossroads Tour: Chapel of the Magi – The Director’s Cut
It’s one of my favorite Renaissance works for its subject mater and intricate detail, and I never dreamed to see it outside of an art book. And yet, here I am…
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
I don't decorate for the holidays, but received this lovely poinsettia as 1 of many parting gifts to mark my retirement from 23 years of office management at bryantchristie.com. Check out their company page for current job listings. New projects coming soon. Also, Happy #Solstice, Happy #Caturday
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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 08/12/2024
Much of the stained glass here was recycled. During the the Fourth Crusade, many pieces were redistributed to churches in the West. Historians at the time recorded that “compared to the Crusaders, Arabians are more compassionate…” davenotravels.blog/2021/05/23/c... #StainedGlassSunday #churches
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