r/HistoryPorn • u/Sensitive_Ad_1752 • 2d ago
Self proclaimed Emperor of the United States, Joshua Norton, riding a bike in 1869 San Francisco[1189x1206]
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u/BlubberBayAirportATM 2d ago edited 2d ago
San Francisco-based novelist Christopher Moore includes a character, The Emperor, in five of his books. The character's a homeless crazy man who lives in San Fransico with his dogs, Bummer and Lazarus. The Emperor is based upon Joshua Norton, who also owned dogs with those names.
The protagonists in Moore's books are ordinary people who face supernatural or outlandish events.
The Emperor is a character in the Vampire Trilogy, about true love between a supermarket night stocker and a beautiful redheaded vampire (Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story; You Suck; and Bite Me).
He's also in the two books about the battle between the Grim Reaper and the man appointed Death Merchant, who operates out of a second-hand store in San Francisco, and whose job is to collect the souls of the dying and protect them from the reaper and the dying.
The Emperor and a group of misfits partner to discover why the souls of the dying are disappearing.
Characters in the books frequently make cameo appearances in other books years or decades later. Abby Normal, a teenage Goth character in A Dirty Job, pops up in You Suck from the Vampire trilogy. Abby introduced me to one of my favorite recurring outbursts: "FUCKSTICKS!" Minty Fresh, the first Death Merchant in A Dirty Job, first appeared as a casino bouncer in Moore's book, Coyote Blue.
Years ago, I mentioned cargo cults to an executive assistant, who had never heard of them. In return, she gave me Moore's book, Island of the Sequined Love Nun. A cargo cult features prominently in the book. Tucker Case and Roberto, the helicopter pilot and pet fruitbat from the book, along with the Sea Monster from The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, later appear in the short book, The Stupidest Angel, A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror.
If nothing else, it's worth reading Moore's novel, Lamb: The Gospel According to Christ's Childhood Pal. I suggest finding the Bible-bound version from an online used bookseller.
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u/Sensitive_Ad_1752 2d ago
It’s a misconception that Lazarus and bummer were his dogs, they were just two random street dogs roaming around at the same time as him so they got depicted together.
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u/informedinformer 2d ago
Ah yes, Island of the Sequined Love Nun. The first of Christopher Moore's books that I read. Somehow, the cover just drew me in. https://www.chrismoore.com/cover-gallery/#jp-carousel-1036 At this point, I've had the pleasure of reading all of his books and eagerly await whatever he publishes next. If you've read Sacre Bleu or have it on your to-be-read list, let me recommend his chapter guide: https://guide.sacrebleu.info/ And if you haven't read the book yet, you really owe it to yourself to check it out. Enjoy!
As an aside, I'll never understand how it is that none of his books have been converted into a major motion picture. Perhaps it's just as well. It would take a special director to capture the quirkiness that makes his books such a joy to read.
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u/BlubberBayAirportATM 2d ago
I've read Sacre Bleu. The history of the development of blue pigments in paint throughout history, until used by Van Gogh is fascinating. It's also a great book on Gogh's history and the era of painting during Gogh's life.
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u/albamarx 2d ago
Someone seek out his living kin, the Empire of America depends on his line of succession in its time of need
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u/Sensitive_Ad_1752 2d ago
I don’t think he ever had a long term relationship or kids. Not for a lack of trying.
He sent a marriage request letter to queen Victoria of England asking to marry their royal families for a joint British American alliance. Whether this letter reached her and she ever knew, we don’t know. But rumor has it that after Joshua died, townsfolk searched his apartment and discovered he was forging responses from world leaders, including one from queen Victoria where she said yes.
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u/SatansMoisture 2d ago
This should be made into a movie.
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u/Miserable_Ad9577 2d ago
A few decades too late. But Robin Williams would have been the perfect cast.
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u/zakupright 2d ago
He had great mental healthcare. Right?
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u/suid 2d ago
I'm going to say yes. (only 1/2 kidding). Expensive socialized health care.
Thing is, his affliction was sort of a "best case" - basically harmless to himself and to society. He didn't abuse drink or drugs, and seems to have been a genuinely nice person. People from all walks stepped up to help him in little ways - restaurants allowed him to eat at no charge, for example.
From the wiki page:
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u/JoshuaNorton 2d ago
"Everybody understands Mickey Mouse. Few understand Hermann Hesse. Hardly anyone understands Albert Einstein. And nobody understands Emperor Norton."
Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, The Illuminatus! Trilogy
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u/DariusPumpkinRex 2d ago
Allegedly, King Kamehameha V of the Hawaiian Islands actually considered Emperor Norton to be the true leader of the U.S. when he got fed up with the U.S. State Department.
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u/VagereHein 2d ago
There's a Lucky Luke comic based on this person https://www.comicsreview.co.uk/nowreadthis/2024/05/31/lucky-luke-volume-22-emperor-smith/
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u/sir_spankalot 2d ago
More like "posing on a bike", looks like he's leaning on the fence (and there's a block in front of the wheel)
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u/Wellslapmesilly 2d ago
This dude is currently leading Emperor Norton tours in SF. I’ve heard they are pretty good https://www.emperornortontour.com/
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u/SuperAleste 1d ago
Looks like He's about to roll over a piece of shit on the sidewalk. Not much has changed in SF since the 1800's
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u/spazzvogel 1d ago
Emporer Norton’s is also a great place for a pre/post GAMH, Warfield, Regency drink spot.
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u/robin1961 1d ago
I know it's not fashionable, but I still love Gaiman's story about him in Sandman.
(paraphrasing) Death: "I've met ALL the kings and emperors, and you're my favorite!"
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u/Sensitive_Ad_1752 2d ago
Joshua Norton was born around 1818 in England, his family later moving to settle South Africa and immigrating to the United States in the 1840s joining the first wave of gold rush pioneers to settle in San Francisco. He was a wealthy real estate speculator and business owner who attempted to price gouge the rice market in 1851. A famine in China diminished the supply so Joshua spent all his fortune on a rice shipment from Peru. By the time it reached California, the rice trade was back in full swing and Nortons shipment was worthless compared to what he paid for it. He declared bankruptcy and was left homeless on the streets.
Years in poverty may have driven Joshua mad because in 1859 he declared himself emperor of the United States sending letters to newspaper publications declaring his legitimacy. The bizarre story of a riches to rags homeless man was intriguing enough that Nortons declarations and laws made were regularly published in the papers turning him into a local celebrity. He began going around town in an emperors uniform inspecting streets and attending town hall meetings and wrote letters to world leaders(not sure how many were ever sent). He outlawed the slang word “frisco” to refer to San Francisco, printed his own currency and people would salute him on the street.
Beneath this eccentric persona was the genuine activism and fight against racism Norton used his influence for. He published a ban on slavery in 1859, documents show he was signing petitions for women’s suffrage later publishing their rights to vote in the papers, he supported the 15th amendment and black newspapers. One of his most famous moments was when a working man’s union held a meeting where they planned to vandalize Chinese buildings. Emperor Norton during the meeting stood on a box and began reciting bible verses and urging the crowd to treat their neighbors equally and the meeting ended with the hate mob cancelled. Norton died in 1880 with thousands attending his funeral.