Stage Actress Ellen Terry's Lady Macbeth Gown, Made of 1000 Jewel Beetle Wings, 1888

A fascinating bit of news just sent my way by good friend, the über-talented Matt Murphy:

Victorian-Era Dress, Made With 1,000 Beetle Wings, Restored for £50,000

It took 1,300 hours and £50,000 ($81,000), but a glittering emerald gown made from 1,000 beetle parts is ready for its stage entrance once more. Decked with the sloughed-off wings of the jewel beetle, and worn by actress Ellen Terry in the role of Lady Macbeth at London’s Lyceum Theatre in 1888, the dress was one of the most celebrated costumes of the era. Although it’s immortalized in a John Singer Sargent portrait currently at the Tate, the dress has seen much wear, tear, and alterations in its 120 years, rising to the top of the National Trust’s conservation priority list."

Full story can be found on Ecouterre by clicking here.

Photos by Zenzie Tinker.

Happy Holidays from Starewicz, Stop Motion Insects, and Morbid Anatomy

The Insects' Christmas (1913)
Rozhdestvo obitateley lesa (original title)
A Father Christmas ornament climbs down from a decorated tree, and goes to the forest. There he creates and decorates a Christmas tree for the forest creatures. He then invites all the insects, along with a friendly frog, to come and enjoy the gifts he has prepared, and to celebrate Christmas. Written by Snow Leopard

Found via my former intern Laetecia; Text via IMDB.

Extraordinary Insect Collections From Around The World.

There is very little I find so beautiful as pinned insects in their boxes; I came across these wonderful images of extraordinary insect collections on a website called Kolbykirk.

The collections photographed: Top: the U.S. National Entomological Collection at the Smithsonian Institution; Middle: The Louisiana State Arthropod Museum; Bottom: The Victoria Museums Entomology Collection in Melbourne, Australia.