David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :
'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)
(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.
(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.
Today, our postman delivered this postcard.
It shows a portrait of the distinguished veteran postman Le Père Huguenin, as photographed by the Robert Brothers of Le Locle for Theatre of the Actors of Regard.
The verso postmarks indicate the card was first sent in 1903, from Le Locle, to the writer's dear son in Germany : Cher fils Gustave...
Huguenin the intermediary fixes his gaze. To his right, he holds a small rectangular parcel; to his left, from his shoulder, he suspends a large rectangular deliveries box.
click image to enlarge
We have no record of the messager-facteur who first delivered this postcard; or what, if anything, was made of the meta- moment the card's imagery provided.
What we can add is this early photo portrait of Le Père Huguenin. Already practising his intense regard, he was known then as Le Bébé Huguenin.
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...
LOGOS/HA HA
