Monica McLaughlin

@rococopacetic

Named after the patron saint of difficult children I write Dearest, a newsletter about beautiful, unusual and occasionally batshit stuff at auction:

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Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· 13d

The place was originally called The Childs-Drexel Home for Union Printers, because the initial $10k to build it was a gift from Anthony J. Drexel (yes, that Drexel, fellow Philadelphians) and George W. Childs, friends and business partners who bought the Philadelphia Public Ledger newspaper in 1864.

Another early b&w photo of the UPH, showing a union bug perfectly laid out in flowers on the lawn.

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· 13d

"A book of rules given to each resident when they arrived included the guideline that no profane language was allowed except in the rec room. That came to be known as Profanity Hall." springsmag.com/inside-the-p...

A circa 1930s b&w shot of the rec room at the UPH. It's long and narrow and lined with windows along one wall. Tables are set up for board games and pool tables are at the far end. It's fairly crowded with men, all wearing full suits and a fair amount of hats, too.

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· 19d

My phone lock screen featuring a b&w photo of a shirtless and menacing Yul Brynner in costume as Ramses II in The Ten Commandments, pecs accentuated by an elaborate neckpiece

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Jul 13

The circle................ it's calling me.....

Ominous half-circle of white flat-capped mushrooms on a green lawn, softly calling me in to dance with the pixies for eternity.

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Jul 11

If you see a fairy ring In a field of grass, Very lightly step around, Tiptoe as you pass; Last night fairies frolicked there, And they're sleeping somewhere near

Three fairy rings in my backyard - one big, one small and one medium-sized with a bonus ring of toadstools.
Science says they’re caused by nutrients released by rotting roots deep in the soil, but we all know it’s the Fae.

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Jul 6

Hey guys look at my new evil schoolteacher glasses

Me with big humidity hair looking at the camera lens and wearing black cat’s eye glasses

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Jun 2

Did you ever get the feeling you were being watched?

The entire right-hand side of my office floor is blocked off for repairs from a flood. The floor is covered in plastic and there's a tarp stretched across the hallway and two industrial fans positioned at either side, with holes cut in the tarp for the air and the red tops of the fans hazily visible above. It looks like two unblinking eyes glaring down at us from the hall.

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· May 21

"A part of you is in love with life. By what irony I don't know, but I have evidently tried to kill just that part." Extraordinary, deeply introspective and sad (but still hopeful) letter from Arthur Miller to Marilyn Monroe towards the end of their marriage. entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv...

First page of a densely handwritten 8-page letter, circa 1960-61, from Arthur Miller to Marilyn Monroe in the late days of their marriage. Text:

"This is the truth - (not that I've lied to you, but only left things out now and then in the vain hope I could give you confidence and belief in yourself.)

I told you of my cruelty in the beginning. But I had the hope then that if I were with a loving woman I wouldn't need to be cruel anymore. But that cruelty comes from me, not because of another person, I see now. It comes now because I am thwarted - I want you to flower, to be joyful as I know you can be and have been, and instead I see that you are being ground to bits - and by me. I know enough of your past to realize that you've been depressed before; I know that had you never met me you would still suffer depressions. But there is something I do which is actively destroying you, and that is why I have been so resentful. Because the very things I try to do for you turn out the reverse. I have never cared so much what happened to another person; I have never exercised myself so much to help another person, and no other person has entered into me and changed me in so many ways.

But the fact keeps returning and I have to face it - that you feel - and somewhere in you you know that I am profoundly your antagonist, if not your Enemy. I never dreamed such a thing could be possible between us. I thought that no matter what troubles we might have there would never be any trace of ill-will. When you believe that I went to the Rostens' in the face of your desperate need for me, you believe in my ill-will toward you, and similarly with my going to look for a house. And by ill-will I mean the desire to actively injure another person, to insult or humiliate them."

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· May 1

Beltane AND a full moon?

James May standing proudly next to his former light airplane (a Super Decathlon) which is emblazoned with the registration "G-OCOK"

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Apr 24

Whoooooooo!

Photo of the entrance to the big Duchamp retrospective at the MoMA

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Apr 21

This is so sinister. (Yes of course I bought it.) www.etsy.com/listing/1578...

Vintage (1950s?) red felt pennant with a creepy clown face in the upper left corner and the words "if you can read this it's because we've stopped" spelled out in white felt capital letters.
I think it was a popular slogan related to cars/driving, but an odd thing to put on a pennant.
Regardless, my brother's birthday present is now covered.

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Apr 16

This is another personal favorite. A perfect capture of Holly being sick of my shit.

Perpetually grumpy blue-point Siamese is looking directly at the camera with a face like Sam the Eagle.

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Apr 16

(I will never pass up an opportunity to post this picture) post the best picture you have ever taken of your pet:

Mitty, a tiny orange kitten, is looking directly at the camera and is either pre-sneeze or mid-scream, with happy mischievous eyes and his mouth wide open and tongue sticking out. He’s perched on the top end of a red, white and black plaid 1980’s sofa.

This was taken with film!

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Apr 3

I honestly makes me sad that the youth of today are missing that foundational moment of thirst provided by the yearly network tv presentation of The 10 Commandments

Black & white photo of shirtless Yul Brynner wearing his Ramses II costume and looking menacingly to the side. The pharaonic costume consists of gold and hardstone armbands, a wide gold layered crescent-shaped neck piece, and the Nemes, the striped linen headdress worn by pharaohs that's held in place by a gold band with a central cobra motif. He's also got a tight crossbody chain that holds a dagger in an ornate scabbard. The hotness.

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Apr 3

Going to be a busy weekend, so I want to make sure to wish everyone a happy Easter - or as it's known in my house, Happy Motherfucking Shirtless Yul Brynner Day

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Feb 27

Post a pic you took, no context, to bring some zen to the feed.

Photo taken from the last seat of a departing train. Power lines and train tracks curve to the right, while, in the distance, late-afternoon sunlight reflects off the buildings of Center City, Philadelphia

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Feb 23

Juncos are fucking adorable

View through the window of a short path cut into a foot of snow on the deck for bird-feeding purposes. Seven little juncos with their adorable white bellies are out there eating seeds and nuts before it all gets hoovered up by a bunch of POS starlings

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Jan 20

Mid show break! This is everything I hoped for and somehow more (I.e. the math vs maths clip)

Balcony view of the Taskmaster Live stage in Philly. Five seats alongside two for Alex and Greg have been set up on the stage.

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Dec 30

Found a fun postcard at an antiques shop today! I assume it was sold around the Navy Yard and other military displays at the 1926 Sesquicentennial. Pretty sure they weren’t out there bombing battleships, but I did discover that they raced loaded bomber planes www.nytimes.com/1926/09/11/a...

Vintage postcard depicting a bomber plane flying over a battleship exploding on open water. The words “Destruction of a battleship by modern bombing plane” appear below the image and “Sesqui-centennial International Exposition, Philadelphia, PA” are above. A little cartouche comprised of eagle wings above a small Liberty Bell sits at the bottom right of the image, containing the words “Geo. F. Zimmer, Director of Aviation, Sesquicentennial International Exposition, Philadelphia 1926.” The inconsistent spelling of Sesquicentennial gives me agita.

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Dec 14

Snow!

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Nov 27

Never trust a junco

Small, poofy little dark-eyed gray bird with a snow white belly and longish tail

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Nov 12

Love you, Philly

Wall on 18th St near Chestnut papered with posters of Stephen Miller's face captioned "Help! I'm dead inside" or "Fascism ain't pretty" alongside/over top of chalk graffiti, some of which says "The US Supreme court says 'Let them eat cake.'"

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Oct 11

Another day, another car fire at the Acme

View through a row of cars of a black sedan with the hood on fire

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Sep 23

Arsenic & Old Lace was released on this day in 1944

Two images from the film:
First image: Cary Grant as Mortimer Brewster (with his wife and two aunts gathered behind him) asks his fugitive murderer brother Jonathan: "Where's you get that face? Hollywood?"

Second image: Jonathan (as played by Raymond Massey) looks furiously back at his brother. His scarred face has undergone extensive plastic surgery that (unintentionally) has made him look like Boris Karloff.

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Sep 20

‘90s edition of the Cornish Trilogy by Robertson Davies

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Aug 30

Please enjoy this video of bumblebees bumbling on the Joe Pye weed in my backyard

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Aug 8

Was just tidying up the clematis vine on my backyard trellis when this guy charged up, and you know what he can do his own fucking gardening cause I’m OUT

Bigass bulbous brownish-white spider (with striped legs) hanging out on the side of the trellis in my backyard. I think it’s an orb weaver of some sort.

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Jun 3

*pounce*

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· Jun 3

Look at these goofballs

Monica McLaughlin@rococopacetic· May 28

Yes, money.