Latest news with #JudgementofParis
7NEWS
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
The home that inspired Alice in Wonderland hits the market for $3.2 million
The former English country house of Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll has hit the market for £1.6 million (AUD $3.2 million). Located in Ripon, North Yorkshire, 'Ripon Old Hall' is a Grade II listed Georgian town house that was built in the 18th century. Carroll, whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, lived in the property as a young man in the 1850s when his father served as canon of the cathedral. While the classic children's book was published in 1865, according to David Winpenny - co-chairman of Ripon Civic Society - it is believed that Carroll took inspiration from the Ripon house for the story. "We think he was inspired by some of the carvings of the cathedral, the Cheshire Cat and the rabbits going down rabbit holes in the cathedral," Mr Winpenny said in an interview with the BBC. "He also wrote poems for the children of the Bishop of Ripon while he was there." The sale of the property is being managed by agents Ed Stoyle and Mark Lloyd from Savills. "The house offers a real slice of history and a window into the changing architecture of the last 300 years," said Mr Stoyle. The historic home is currently owned by Michael Godwin, who is selling the property with the intention of downsizing. In an interview with the BBC, Godwin said it was love at first sight when he first saw the home. "I saw this one online and it created a little bit of interest, but I hadn't been to see it. Then one day I just thought, 'oh I've got to see that house', he said. "As soon as they opened the front door, within two seconds, I looked at the Georgian features and the staircase and the ceiling and I thought, 'yes, I'll have this'." The three-level property features six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a recently modernised kitchen, majestic drawing room, sitting room and formal dining room. Attractive period details within the home include a 1738 staircase hall, a ceiling roundel depicting Cupid, oak-balustered staircase, pine wainscotting, and a ceiling in the upper hall depicting a grand Judgement of Paris scene. Outside, the private walled gardens lead onto a manicured lawn, sun-drenched breakfast garden, and a gated driveway with an expansive parking area. There is also a self-contained studio on the property with its own kitchen, bedroom, lounge and bathroom. Perfect for guests or intergenerational living.
New York Post
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Alice in Wonderland' author's former home asks $2.17M — where he drew his whimsical inspirations from a neighboring cathedral
Take a tumble down the rabbit hole for this property's colorful history. The former home of 'Alice in Wonderland' author Lewis Carroll — the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson — is on sale for $2.17 million. The North Yorkshire residence was the seasonal home of Carroll's father, a church official at the nearby Ripon Cathedral. The sale, listed by Savills, was first reported by the BBC. The outlet reported that the Dodgson family spent three months out of the year residing at the home throughout the 1850s. A young Carroll was forced to spend his school vacations from the prestigious Oxford University there. Advertisement 10 Lewis Carroll, whose real name was Charles Dodgson, wrote the beloved classic 'Alice in Wonderland.' Bettmann Archive 10 The North Yorkshire property where Carroll once lived recently listed for $2.17 million. Savills 10 Inspirations for 'Alice in Wonderland' characters, including the rabbit and the gryphon, can be found in the neighboring cathedral. Getty Images Advertisement The Georgian-era abode, called Ripon Old Hall, was constructed in the early 1700s and updated in the mid-1800s. The whimsical interiors of its next door neighbor, Ripon Cathedral, are cited as an early inspiration for Carroll's 1865 children's story, 'Alice in Wonderland.' The house itself is filled with eye-catching details, including intricate plasterwork and hand-carved millwork. The first floor encompasses three reception rooms, a modern kitchen, a formal dining room and a study, according to the listing. Two upper floors consist of five bedrooms and three bathrooms. Period features throughout the home include raised wood paneling, marble floors and stately fireplaces. The home's original oak staircase is decorated with carved foliage garlands, and the one of the upstairs bedrooms features fluted, Greek-style columns within the wall paneling. Advertisement 10 A living room includes pine wainscoting and a marble fireplace. Savills 10 The grand starcase. Savills 10 French doors connect a reception room to the garden. Savills 10 An upstairs bedroom. Savills Advertisement 10 The view of Ripon Cathedral from the house. Savills Most strikingly, perhaps, is the upper hall ceiling, which depicts in the vivid color the Judgement of Paris, a scene from Greek mythology. While Ripon Old Hall boasts beautiful architectural details, it's the nearby cathedral where the young author likely drew his inspirations. Intricate wooden carvings throughout Ripon Cathedral bear clear resemblances to Carroll's fantastical characters, including a golden queen upon a red beam and a wide-eyed headless cat sticking out its tongue. Elsewhere, a mythical gryphon pursues a rabbit down a hole. 'The sale of The Old Hall presents an incredibly rare opportunity to own a slice of history,' said Ed Stoyle, director and at Savills in York, in a statement shared with The Post. 10 Ripon Old Hall sits in the shadow of Ripon Cathedral. Savills 10 The front garden of Ripon Old Hall. Savills Stoyle added that the 18-century home offers 'a window into the changing architecture of the last 300 years.' Advertisement The $2.17 million listing also comes with a separate studio apartment, accessed through a private entrance. The space includes its own kitchen, bedroom and a bathroom. The property boasts walled gardens, including a 'breakfast garden' position to capture the morning sun, or perhaps host a mad tea party.
NDTV
09-06-2025
- General
- NDTV
Nearly 200-Year-Old Condom With Erotic Painting Goes On Display At Dutch Museum
An almost 200-year-old, mint-condition condom has been put up for display at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Believed to be made of a sheep's appendix and featuring an erotic print, showing a nun and three clergymen, the "luxury souvenier" is the first-ever contraceptive sheath to be added to the museum's art collection. "The inscription Voila mon choix, meaning 'There, that's my choice', makes the print a parody of both celibacy and the Judgement of Paris from Greek mythology," the museum highlighted. Since the artefact was put on display, the museum has been packed with people, both young and old. Rijksmuseum curator Joyce Zelen said the "response has been amazing", adding that she and her colleague had a hearty laugh when they first spotted the condom at an auction. 'We looked at it with UV light and suspect it was never actually used. It's also unclear whether the nun in the etching is pointing at the bald man, the thin man, or the one who looks slightly overweight.' Ms Zelen clarified. 'That way, any type of man could feel spoken to," she added. Condoms in olden age The condom, which dates back to 1830, is part of an exhibition on 19th-century prostitution and sexuality. Prints, drawings and photographs also form part of the display. Prior to the invention of vulcanised rubber in 1839, primitive condoms were made using linen, animal membranes or even turtle shells. However, they did little to protect from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or to prevent pregnancy. "In the 1830s, when this condom was made, the use of condoms was still frowned upon, especially by the church,' said Ms Zelen. 'They were mostly sold under the counter at brothels or barber shops, though there are some reports of luxury shops offering bespoke tailoring.' The Dutch museum stated it was "open to loan" the artefact out to other institutions, but noted that the condom was very delicate. It will be on display until the end of November.
Hindustan Times
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
In Netherlands, a 200-year-old condom is on display at ‘Safe Sex?' exhibit
The Netherlands' national museum has a new or rather a bizarre object on display, a nearly 200-year-old condom emblazoned with erotic art, that merges art with Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District. It is part of an exhibition called "Safe Sex?" about 19th-century sex work that opened on Tuesday. The 200-year-old condom, possibly a souvenir from a brothel, is decorated with an erotic image of a nun and three clergymen. According to a CNN report, the condom measures under eight inches, and is in 'mint condition,' said Joyce Zelen, curator of prints at the museum in Netherlands. UV testing revealed it hasn't been used, she added. 'Condoms would have been sold under the counter at the time. This fact, as well as the print and the extended length of the condom, which is 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) long, suggest that this was 'a luxury brothel souvenir,' she said. The Rijksmuseum said in a statement that the playful prophylactic is believed to be made around 1830 from a sheep's appendix and 'depicts both the playful and the serious side of sexual health.' 'This is my choice,' makes the print a parody of both celibacy and the Judgement of Paris from Greek mythology,' AP news agency quoted museum's statement. The inscription, 'Voilà mon choix', meaning 'This is my choice' is written along the sheath in French. According to the museum, this is a reference to the Pierre-Auguste Renoir painting "The Judgment of Paris," which depicts the Trojan prince Paris judging a beauty contest between three goddesses. While this kind of condom was not likely to have been used, those designed to protect the wearer would have been made with similar materials, Zelen told CNN, adding that they would have provided minimal protection from unwanted pregnancies and sexual transmitted infections such as syphilis, which was a significant public health problem in 19th century Europe. The Rijksmuseum reportedly acquired the condom at auction six months ago and it is the first example of a print on a condom to form part of the museum's collection. The condom is on display until the end of November.
Straits Times
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
200-year-old unused condom with saucy print draws big crowds to Dutch museum
A 200-year-old condom – still unused and still straight as an arrow – has been drawing huge crowds to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. 'It's in mint condition,' the museum's curator Joyce Zelen told the BBC. She said the museum inspected the condom with ultraviolet light and ascertained that it had never been used. The rare artefact – likely a 'luxury souvenir' from a fancy brothel in France – dates back to 1830. It is believed that only two such objects are known to have survived to the present day. The condom is thought to be made of a sheep's appendix. It features an explicit print of a nun sitting in front of three clergymen with her dress up and her legs apart, pointing her finger at the men, all of whom are standing in front of her holding up their habits. The condom also bears the inscription 'Voila mon choix', meaning: 'There is my choice'. The Dutch museum said the print is a 'parody of both celibacy and the Judgement of Paris from Greek mythology' – the mythological story of a Trojan prince named Paris who had to decide who was the fairest goddess among Aphrodite, Hera and Athena. The condom 'embodies both the lighter and darker sides of sexual health, in an era when the quest for sensual pleasure was fraught with fears of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases – especially syphilis', the museum said. 'Acquiring the condom has enabled us to focus on 19th-century sexuality and prostitution, a subject that is underrepresented in our collection,' it said. Ms Zelen told the BBC that when she and her colleague first saw the condom at an auction in 2024, they 'were laughing'. 'No one else noticed it,' she said, and they were the only ones who bid on it. The 200-year-old condom on display at the Rijkmuseum in Amstermdam. PHOTO: RIJKSMUSEUM Since it was put on display, the museum has been packed with people – young and old – and the 'response has been amazing', said Ms Zelen. She said her institution was open to loan the artefact out to other museums, but noted that the condom was very delicate. It will be on display until the end of November. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
