Category: Face Of The Day

Face Of The Day

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An Egyptian opposition protester holds up the head of a sheep as tens of thousands gather outside the Presidential Palace calling for the ouster of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi on July 2, 2013. Opponents of Morsi poured onto the streets of Cairo to press their demand that he step down after the Islamist president snubbed an ultimatum from the army to agree to the “people’s demands” or face an imposed solution. By Gianluigi Guercia/AFP/Getty Images. Update from a reader:

I’m not sure if you’re aware of the symbolism behind the sheep’s head. Brotherhood members and their supporters are perjoratively referred to as “kherfan” or “sheep” by their opponents, partly due to the Brotherhood doctrine of “el-samaa’ weltaa’a”, which very loosely translated means “submission to the will of the leadership”.

Face Of The Day

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Photographer Sally Peterson took her grandmother’s portrait at 101 years old:

After taking photographs of Cecil, Peterson asked around at the nursing home and realized there were other centenarians living there. This inspired Peterson to begin her project, and she continues to do so with great passion, her grandmother always on her mind. Recently she traveled to the Yucatan where she photographed centenarian Mayans to include in the project.

More photos here.

(Photo: Cecil Peterson 101 years East Bay, California, by Sally Peterson.  Peterson is currently seeking new models for her Centenarians series.)

Face Of The Day

Singapore Zoo Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary

A baby orangutan is seen during a birthday celebration at the Singapore Zoo. Home to more than 2,800 animal specimens from over 300 species, 26% of which are threatened, the zoo has attained a strong reputation internationally for its conservation initiatives and breeding programmes. The zoo celebrated its 40th anniversary on Thursday. By Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images.

Faces Of The Day

SENEGAL-US-DIPLOMACY

US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle look out from the Door of No Return while touring the House of Slaves, or Maison des Esclaves, at Goree Island off the coast of Dakar on June 27, 2013. Obama and his family toured the museum at the site where Africans were held before going through the door and being shipped off the continent as slaves. By Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images.

Face Of The Day

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Elizabeth Thompson, after her arrest for being drunk in public – from a cache of mug-shots of habitually drunk female patrons in pubs in Birmingham, England, in the early 1900s. Money quote:

Many of the women on the Black List had scars, missing teeth or other deformities, including Kate Kibble, 50, with her eyepatch and crooked fingers. Surprisingly, most of the women on the list held down jobs, working as charwomen (cleaners), woodchoppers, polishers or grease merchants. One street performer ‘played tin whistle outside licensed premises’, while some also worked as prostitutes to bolster their income.

The eye-patch drinker below the jump:

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(Hat tip: Ancestry.co.uk)

Face Of The Day

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A “death mask” of Napoleon sold last week for £169,250 (about $260,000):

After Napoleon’s death, there was a protracted wrangle over whether his physician, Francesco Antommarchi, or the British doctor, Francis Burton, should make a death mask. Practical difficulties also meant that this was not done until 7 May, two days after the former Emperor had died.

The mask was given to the Rev Richard Boys by the portrait painter, J.W. Rubidge, who assisted Antommarchi in making the mask. Boys received it before Napoleon’s entourage left the island towards the end of May. The mask is inscribed “Rev Mr Boys” on the inside of the cast, and comes with a note by Boys reading: “This Cast was taken from the Face of Napoleon Buonaparte as he lay dead at Longwood St. Helena 7th May 1821 which I do hereby certify/ R. Boys M.A. Sen.r Chaplain/ By Rubidge”.

(Hat tip: Tara McGinley)