Women the World Over

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 327, 12 April 1928, Page 4

Women the World Over

LADY OF THE MANOR

Ripe old age has been attained by Airs. Eleanor C. Tylden, Lady of the Alanor of Ingoldsthorpe, Norfolk, who celebrated her 105th birthday last January. She has a wonderful memory and recently recited the .whole of the Psalms. Her lands adjoin the King’s Sandringham estate, and on her 100th hirtliday she was visited by Queen Alary, Queen Alexandra, the Queen of Norway, the Queen of Spain, the Queen of Rumania and the exEmpress of Russia. Recently King George also paid her a visit.

HIGH HONOURS

Within 12 months Aliss Radelyffe Hall has secured two coveted literary prizes for her novel, “Adam’s Breed.”

The first was the Femina Prize, awarded by a -French committee for the best English novel of the year, and the. second was the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, which carries a monetary gift of £250. The Femina Prize is awarded annually and a reciprocal prize is offered in England.

A DISTINGUISHED LAWYER ! ■ | Fame has come to Froken Karen ! Johnsen, a woman lawyer* who was recently awarded the medal Tar the best legal thesis at the University of; Copenhagen. Her work on the development of tlic law of property was adjudged best among that, of a large number of male competitors. WAGNER’S WIDOW Frau Cosima Wagner, widow of the composer, celebrated her 90th birthday in December last. She lives at Bayreuth, and still retains remarkable strength of personality. To her force oi! .character is due the fact that the famous Bayreuth Festival is still observed in accordance with her husband’s stipulations. THE BUSINESS WORLD The appeal of business is attracting many English society women who are now mingling careers with their social activities. Uady Lawson is to run a valeting service for women,. Uady Clonmel is at the head of a large laundry, Lady Ypres designs kitchens and bathrooms, while the Hon. Edith Fitzpatrick presides over a Chelsea cake-shop. AGRICULTURE Mile. d’Annam, whose father, HamNglir, was formerly King of Annam, in Indo-China, and is now living in exile in Algiers, has completed a three years’ course at the Agricultural Institute in Paris, and triumphantly headed the lists. It is the first time in the institute’s, history that a woman lias held the first place. WHY NOT GESSO-WORK? Making the Home beautiful is a popular hobby nowadays, and charming things are made by home-workers by means of the various art-handicrafts in vogue. It is rather surprising, however, to find that gesso-work is not a greater favourite. Really artistic, lovely, and characteristic results can be obtained in a short, time with gesso-work; it combines admirably with gilding, colour, or even with both together, while effective use can be made of it as a background to barbola work, lacquering, or the old-fashioned poker-worlt, which is now being revived. Since gesso can be made at home out of whitening, fish glue, and linseed oil {two parts of the first, one of the second, and half a part of the third are considered the "best proportions), and the materials required are simple, there is little expense connected with the craft. While glazed surfaces make the best background for it, unglazed ones can very well be employed if the worker takes care to stop the -suction that prevents the gesso from adhering properly by painting _over the background, first, with thin hoc glue or shellac. Laid on the design from a brush, the high reliefs being painted over several times—or else put on first with chopped-up tow mixed with glue and then painted over with gesso—the special feature of this work is a delightful soft richness. A flower panel or a group of fruit, brush moulded with, gesso in low relief, then gilded, and finally coloured or lacquered over, is a thing of real beauty. The work can be further enriched with inset jewels, either "Ruskin stones” or crystals. It is said to be unbreakable, and is very light. Frames for pictures or mirrors, panels for doors or overmantels, boxes for many purposes (cigar-boxes “take” gesso very well); furniture of all kinds, especially wardrobes, chairs, and other bedroom pieces; finger plates for doors, and even a frieze running round tbe walls of a diningroom, can be made with the help of gesso into home adornments of true art value. j.B.