Mystery Caravan

If you've got it ... The "gold standard" on Planet Los Angeles, circa 1988. Too much leg for a Romni? Sometimes Pharaoh's Daughters will tweak the old stereotypes, zhanes?

A marzipan "Gypsy." Marzipan is an edible paste of sugar and raw almonds, decoratively shaped. You too can make "Gypsy" marzipan candles to put on your birthday cakes, then eat them -- or better yet -- melt them down after you blow out their candles and you have an amaretto to drink! Yummy!

An extaordinary "fat boy" navaja. This 19th-century navaja chileana is a copy of a photo from p. 48 of La Navaja Espanola Antigua (1969), by Rafael Forton -- a marvelous book if you enjoy white weapons and navajero lore.

Is this a "Gypsy" fortune-teller? Perhaps: it all depends on your criteria for what constitutes "Gypsy" and "fortune-teller."

A classic pinball backglass: Pinball is "Fate under glass" and especially so in Japanese pinball (once called GAJE-NKO! but now pachinko) -- except that in pachinko, the player (slot monkey) has no ball control.

Rom Egyptians in SoCal? A stone sphinx guarded the palatial home and ofisa of this Machwaya Gypsy King in Los Angeles (c 1950). That king assured everyone that all his people descended from Egyptian pharaohs. Now who would argue with a king?

Romnichal hop pickers in camp. Postal card, circe 1900. Kettering (picking) hops in England and elsewhere led the Chals to a rich body of knowledge of plants and their medicinal uses. However, from the looks of it, some of these folks may be Mumpers ? (non-Romanies).

"Symbolic representation of the four natsiyi." Secret information? Inside joke? Fighting words? From controversial fig. 15 in Anne Sutherland's Gypsies, the Hidden Americans (1975, p 185-6.

"Arresting" reading: A mushkero-lil. What does law enforcement know about Gypsies? This book reveals that it pays "to know what thy enemies know!" Deciphering McLAUGHlins zhandari version of the "Legend of the Nails" (p 6-7) takes a bloody math degree!

"Big George" Adams of Los Angeles , circa 1957.

My favorite book about Gypsies. Published in 1909: readable, informative, entertaining, and concise. This image is a false cover (mask) of the hidden book, titled The Romanichels: A Lucubration by Tringurushi Juvalomursh (fake name) and/or Andreas (also fake) -- "Bob Skot" unmasked is R.A.S. Macfie.

The Ursitory (The Fates). By Mateo Maximoff (1946). This may be the first (non-Russian?) novel written by a Gypsy. The topics covered include Fate, Luck, blood feuds, Coppersmith Romanies, Minesti vitsa, Kris, marime, witches ... good "fact-ion" as, for example, in Irving Brown's Romany Road (1932).

Romany Road p. 245: "Gallagher" illustration. Relevant text from p. 232: "He pulled out a long clasp knife. The spring catch clicked with a sharp tick-toc."

"Bohemians on the March". Engraving of armed Gypsies. Note the French Matchlock long gun, circa 1620. From an etching by Jacques Callot (d. 1635). He is discussed in Journal of Gypsy Lore Society, s.1, vol 2, p. 7

Going.....going .........gone!

Ex-president Bill Clinton is rumored to be a Blyth, and if so Clinton is a Gypsy (photo circa 1925). The photo adds to the evidence validating that there were "Gypsy kings and queens" and thus Gypsy royalty.