Shiny History Gems

Monet with a visitor in his garden, Giverny, 1922

Princess Palatine Elisabeth Charlotte, Duchess of Orléans with her son Philippe

Portrait by Constantijn Netscher, late 17th century

Princesses Dagmar and Alexandra of Denmark, c. 1861-62

Photograph of an unidentified woman, c. 1870s-1880s

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799). He was a Black French composer (the first Black classical composer), violinist, conductor, a Revolutionary colonel and champion fencer. He was also known as “Black Mozart”

Portrait by Mather Brown, 1787

Photograph of a Javanese woman, c. 1900

“Madame de Pompadour in her study” by Maurice Quentin de la Tour, c. 1748-1755

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia, c. 1911

Queen Maud of Norway

Maha Vajirunhis, Crown Prince of Siam, 1894

Virginia Oldoïni, Countess of Castiglione, 1860s

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, 1861

Queen Kapiʻolani of Hawaiʻi

Poet, editor and writer Susan Huntington Gilbert Dickinson (1830-1913). She was also the sister-in-law and friend of famous poet Emily Dickinson

Empress Elizabeth of Russia

Portrait by Heinrich Buchholz

Photograph of an unidentified woman by Edward M. Estabrooke, 1870

Marie Leszczyńska, Queen of France

Portrait attributed to Jean-Marc Nattier, c. 1748-60

Queen Victoria, 1854

Queen Isabella II of Spain and her daughter Isabella, Princess of Asturias

Portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter in 1852

Prominent jazz singer, pianist and actress Hazel Scott (1920-1981), c. 1940s-50s

Actress Maude Fealy, 1902

Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia with her children (clockwise): Nikolai, Olga, Dimitri, Vera and Konstantin, c. 1863

Crown Princess Kaʻiulani of Hawaiʻi (1875-1899), the last heir apparent of the kingdom. She continued to fight for Native Hawaiian causes after the annexation

Gustav Badin (originally named Couchi), a Swedish court servant, foster son of Queen Louisa Ulrika & diarist. Described as intelligent & confident, Badin seemed to be greatly favoured & was bestowed some sources of financial security & titles including court secretary & Assessor

Actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr in Ziegfeld Girl (1941)

Louise, Princess Royal, Queen Louise of Denmark and Alexandra, Princess of Wales at the wedding of George, Duke of York and Mary of Teck, 6 July 1893

Vivien Leigh as Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Old Vic Theatre, 1937

Contestants of the first Miss Chinatown pageant, 1948. Penny Wong (on the left end) was the winner