The Legends of the Crocus

Inspired by spring and several of my fellow bloggers postings on the humble crocus see Reggie Darling and Acanthus and Acorn, Savoir Faire also has decided to post on this wonderful harbinger of spring. Usually the first to appear after winter in the Northern hemisphere these wonderful little flowers finally let us know that spring and warmer temperatures are on their way.
The crocus is a genus in the iris family comprising of about 80 species. Many are cultivated for their flowers in autumn, winter, or spring and also for saffron. Crocuses are native to woodland, scrub and meadows from sea level to alpine tundra in central and southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, on the islands of the Aegean, and across Central Asia to western China

As with many flowers there are several stories in Greek mythology describing the origin of this humble little flower.

The best-known Greek legend about the crocus is the story detailing the tragedy of Crocus and Smilax: The handsome youth Crocus sets out in pursuit of the nymph Smilax in the woods near Athens. During a brief period of idyllic love Smilax is flattered by his amorous advances, but soon is bored by Crocus' attentions. After he continues to pursue her against her wishes, she resorts to bewitching him, transforming Crocus into a saffron crocus flower, with its radiant orange stigmas remaining as a faint symbol of his undying passion for Smilax. The tragedy and the spice would be recalled later by Ovid:

“Crocus and Smilax may be turn'd to flow'rs,
And the Curetes spring from bounteous show'rs
I pass a hundred legends stale, as these,
And with sweet novelty your taste to please”

Another legend states how Krokos was a young youth loved by the god Hermes. However, Krokos was mortal & by their rough play together, Hermes accidentally gave his beloved a mortal wound, some said with a discus, others with a quoit. Wherever the blood of Krokos fell, a crocus flower grew, Its red stems were described as his spilt blood.




Whatever the origin of this little flower that inspires and brings joy to many, we will always admire its pluck and fortitude for being one of the first of spring!

On the Road with Savoir Faire

A lot of you will notice that if you look closely at the photograph on Savoir Faire's header that a car is parked by the curb in the background of the shot. The Citroen DS.

Now over here at Savoir Faire we don’t profess to know much about cars. I have always relied on what I like without thinking of the mechanics of cars, which has led in the past to some very unfortunate purchases. As with all things in life I look at style and the inherent design behind things and one car that has always stood out for me was the Citroen DS series.

In this day and age of mass production with all models and makes being somewhat indistinguishable from each other something that stands out immediately gets my vote. There used to be a time especially among European manufacturers where particular makes and models always stood out as being instantly recognisable as Saab, Volvo, Mercedes Benz and Citroens.

The Citroën DS was an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1955 and 1975. Styled by Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, the DS was known for its aerodynamic futuristic body design. Citroën sold nearly 1.5 million D-series during the model's 20-year production run. The DS came in third in the 1999 Car of the Century competition, recognizing the world's most influential auto designs, and was named the most beautiful car of all time by Classic & Sports Car magazine.

When it was first unveiled on 5 October 1955 at the Paris Motor Show, in the first 15 minutes of the show, 743 orders were taken, and orders for the first day totaled 12,000. Now that is really something. Together with remarkable styling and technical innovations, including a hydro pneumatic self leveling suspension, it captured global imagination.

It came at a time when France was still reeling from the effects of World War II and still deep in reconstruction after the devastation of war. It came to symbolize French ingenuity and also positioned France’s relevance in the Space Age. Structuralist philosopher Roland Barthes, in an essay about the car, said that it looked as if it had "fallen from the sky".

The DS has been used in many film and television productions, has inspired artists, and was associated with the French state and French society for many years having been the official car for government departments and the police force.

President Charles de Gaulle praised the unusual abilities of his unarmored DS with saving his life during the assassination attempt at Petit-Clamart on 22 August 1962. Gun shots had blown two of the tires, but the car could still escape at full speed. This event was accurately recreated for The Day of the Jackal.

I would have dearly loved to own one of these; however it was not to be so. Seeing one always signified great style and savoir faire to me.

Coeur Joie with Savoir Faire

It would be very hard to imagine an ad campaign such as the following today, especially where perfume is concerned. Romance and elegance have been thrown out in the furious wake of the provocative and sexual. The photographer is the new king of ad campaigns with the fashion illustrator or artist virtually non-existent in today’s world of advertising. Companies have forgone their better judgement by releasing celebrity scents and house flankers which are watered down throw away scents. There is nothing to be cherished or stylish about this mass market approach to modern day perfumery.

Christian Bérard also known as Bébé, was a French artist, fashion illustrator and designer, who along with Marcel Vertes created stunningly beautiful ad campaigns for various companies including Nina Ricci. There is a brand awareness here that has been intelligently created. The ads for Ricci’s Coeur Joie perfume are instantly recognizable through the common theme that they explore.

Coeur Joie, literally translated as Joyful Heart has been described as a romantic perfume in the copy. Created as the first perfume for Nina Ricci and at the end of World War II it was named to reflect the exhilaration the French experienced with the liberation of France. The name can also be an allusion to the expression "A coeur joie" which suggests a sense of happiness and passion that is able to express itself untrammelled.

Transferring us back to almost Edwardian times Bérard’s young women are somewhat melancholy looking. However coming just on the heels of World War II this is purely acceptable. Harking back to more romantic times, we are confident in the fact that these times will be with us once again. It is quite interesting to note that over the space of 2 years from 1945 to 1947 we have no fewer than eight different drawings for the same ad. Bérard also designed the packaging to create an overall look. These were ads that were meant to be torn out of magazines and kept, maybe even framed as art? Isn’t that what we are doing with old ads today?

As with all things, times change. We have different social conditions and markets are different to what they were back then. Our society and incomes are a lot more disposable, and we rely on a constantly changing environment and new products to make money. Even though as I mentioned before we had at least eight different versions of the ad, they were part of a collective series to inspire us. Better times were coming and we were going to embrace them with romance and Savoir Faire, oh and with a little help form Nina Ricci.

Dinner at 8 Part II

It seems that with all that has been happening lately, I have wandered off the beaten path of our tour of the SS France. Not to worry we are back on track and now heading down to Tourist Class, where dinner is on our minds!

If anyone were to read the current selection of books currently available to maritime aficionados on the SS. France one would be forgiven for thinking that the ship was all First Class. Many books rarely even mention the public spaces available to those not fortunate enough to be travelling First Class. So for maritime buff this can be a bit frustrating as there is so little out there. Travelling Tourist did not mean that you had to forsake any of the artistic and decorating savoir faire that First Class had. It only meant that rooms and spaces were more utilitarian in their approach and the art not as prolific. As mentioned before I felt that the Tourist Class Café Rive Gauche was one of the more adventurous rooms on the liner.

The Tourist Class Dining Room (Salle a Manger Versailles), even though less sumptuous in design than First Class was only one of two double deck height public spaces on the liner (the other being the First Class Salon Riviera). For tourist class passengers this was a welcome relief from the other single deck height rooms available to them. It also gave them the edge over those dining in First Class.

Designed and decorated by Marc Simon in tones of green, white and grey, Monsieur Simon made the most of the Polyrey and Formica he used. Formica walls were decoupaged with gold leaf abstract patterns, which softened the otherwise the clinical nature of formica.

The forward wall held a mural done in 14 engraved glass panels by Max Ingrand, as well as two tapestries, Les amoureux du printemps by Marc Saint-Saëns, and Paysage provençal by Auvigné.

Chairs were rather utilitarian in shape and upholstered in pale green leatherette. The reassuring thing is that the chairs used in Tourist Class look a little more comfortable for dining than the equivalents in First Class.

The room was perfectly suited to Tourist Class passengers who did not want the formality of First class. This was a room that reverberated with an elegance that was casual and relaxed.

For our younger passengers travelling tourist, there was a children's dining room attached to the main one. The room was furnished with bright coloured plastic chairs which were quite ahead in design, foretelling shapes and colours that would be used much later on in the decade.

After dinner we will head for towards the main salon for some after dinner dancing!

Savoir Faire on the Beach

Maxwell Spencer Dupain was a renowned Australian modernist photographer, whose work to a large extent is relatively unknown outside of Australia, where his images are icons.

Some of his most iconic images were shot on the magnificent beaches of Sydney and Australia in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. The beach plays an integral part in the Australian lifestyle and psyche lucky for those who live close to it. It is something that defines Australia.

In 1937 he photographed the head and shoulders of a friend Harold Salvage lying on the sand at Cullburra Beach. The shot, entitled “The Sunbaker”, became Dupain's most famous piece. However, it was not until the 1970s that the photograph received wide recognition. It was purchased in 1976 by the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, and has become an iconic national image.

For many Australians, Dupain's photographs define beach culture, and it was the beach that was the inspiration for his most famous and enduring images. The Sunbaker, At Newport and Bondi all capture a decisive moment and portray life between the wars realistically.

These images appear as fresh and modern toady as what they did over half a century ago, when they must have appeared revolutionary.