Weekend Conversation Starters

[Messy Nessy Chic]   How are those leftovers treating ya? Over here in France, Thanksgiving is sadly not a national holiday, so I’ll be serving up my turkey feast this weekend. And while I gather the last of my ingredients, I’ve been imagining my ideal Thanksgiving guest list of Americans in Paris, from past & present. Here’s who I have in mind…   - At the head of the table, I’d seat none other than Josephine Baker, who in just a few days, will be moved into the legendary Pantheon mausoleum, reserved for great national figures in French history, including Victor Hugo and Marie Curie. This will make Josephine the first Black woman to receive such an honour, and certainly, the first American. To mark the occasion, here’s [seven things you probably didn’t know about the entertainment icon]([, Ms. Baker](.  - Natalie Clifford Barney, [the forgotten LGBT Queen of Paris]( who entertained the literati at her secret masonic temple.  - Madame Rachou, not technically an American, but the widowed Parisian Mami became an unwitting mother figure to the Beat movement abroad – one that influenced post-war American culture and politics – all from her rundown little boarding house in a back alley behind the Seine that they called, [The Beat Hotel](.  - [David Sedaris](, a kindred spirit of the “Don’t be a Tourist” ethos.  - Sure, we could have Hemingway, Fitz and the ol’ gang, but this year, I’d seat myself next to Loïs Mailou Jones and her social cohort of creatives known as “The Little Paris Group”, aka, [the other Lost Generation of Black American artists in Paris](.  - And to come over early and help me decorate the dining room, I’d certainly invite the fabulous Elsie de Wolfe, [the American Marie Antoinette of pre-war Paris]( and Mr. Walter Gay, [an American Impressionist in Paris](. And as for what we’d talk about at the table, I might borrow a few cues from this weekend’s conversation starters… Stay curious, [Nessy]   [Fashion History’s Most Flustering Flex: The Codpiece](  [P00409 002]( You only need to have a gander at the armour that Henry VIII used to wear to see how proud he was of his nether regions. Indeed, during his reign, one of the most important fashion items in a gentleman’s ensemble was a designated pouch that protruded from the crotch of men’s trousers, enclosing the genital area. This…  [Continue Reading](   [Seven Surprising Things You Probably Didn’t Know about Josephine Baker](  [e08d10e88427175b046d1dc8a2d8049d--josephine-baker-black-women]( Despite being a daughter of St. Louis, MO, for many years Josephine Baker was a virtually unknown name to the average American. These days, as we have come to learn more about Black history and its figures, Ms. Baker has come to be regarded as one of the most dynamic and influential people in history,…  [Continue Reading](   [Fabergé’s Secret Garden](  [basket-of-flowers-faberge-egg]( When we hear the name Fabergé, we instantly think of those exquisite Imperial eggs; the mystery and intrigue surrounding their loss and rediscovery following the Russian revolution. But in truth, the goldsmith’s real and most potent love affair of the 20th century was one with flowers. The value of Fabergé flowers is enhanced by the…  [Continue Reading](   [The Japanese Fishing Village That Vanished From Los Angeles](  [San_Pedro,_California._View_of_main_street_at_Terminal_Island_in_Los_Angeles_Harbor,_California._A_._._._-_NARA_-_536830]( Imagine being given 48 hours to pack up and leave for an unknown destination. What would you bring with you? What would you do with your house, your business, all your clothing and furniture? On February 25th, 1942, some 3,000 Japanese-American residents on Terminal Island in Los Angeles county were faced with this unimaginable situation.  [Continue Reading](   [13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. DLXXVIII)](  [fallours-mermaid-original]( [Continue Reading](  Interested in Becoming a MessyNessy Keyholder? [Apply now to unlock the Vault!](    [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( [Blog]( [To read more from MessyNessyChic visit the Blog]( and make sure you keep getting these email by adding contact@messynessychic.com to your address book or whitelist us. Our postal address: In a Café, Paris 75001 Want out of the loop? [Unsubscribe](.