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San Francisco,
1853
In late 1852, the clipper Golden Eagle embarked on her maiden voyage from Boston to California.1 While rounding Cape Horn during the typically calm Antarctic summer, the ship encountered rough seas that damaged her bow, necessitating a month of repairs in Rio before continuing. By the time she reached the Golden Gate in the spring of 1853, she sailed past the newly built lighthouse on Alcatraz Island, still awaiting its revolving lantern from France. Finally, the great clipper docked in a bustling multinational city of 40,000 inhabitants, all seeking their fortunes.
New York City
ca. 1892
Women were a popular motif on cigar boxes in the late nineteenth century, often depicted as angels, warriors, or voluptuous goddesses. However, labels featuring female nudes were rare, as these cigar boxes were seemingly intended for brothels. The Victorians, known for their duplicity, were adept at concealing their deviations from a strict moral code. Consequently, material evidence of this aspect of their lives is scarce. A case in point is a menu from the Palette, an obscure hotel in New York during the Gilded Age. Catering to upper-class guests leading double lives, the hotel remains shrouded in mystery, as it was never mentioned in contemporary newspapers or magazines.
