The Luminous Republic Gazetteer Vol 1, No 1
Official Organ of the Republic of Madame Lumière
Vol. I, No. 1 — July 1920 — Price 5¢
HARDING DECLARES ERA OF LUMINOUS PROSPERITY
President Praises Victory, Calls for Unity Under Madame Lumière's Gift
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In his Independence Day address before a crowd of thirty thousand citizens assembled on the Capitol steps, President Warren G. Harding proclaimed the United States "the radiant exemplar of civilization among nations," crediting the Republic's triumph in the Great War and the providential discoveries of Madame Lumière for an age of unprecedented prosperity.
"We have emerged from the crucible of conflict not merely victorious, but transfigured," declared the President, his words echoing beneath the phosphorescent dome of the Capitol, recently refitted with Her Element. "Through Her, we shine as a beacon to all mankind. Through Her Element, we have forged a civilization that glows with purpose, discipline, and divine favor."
The President called upon citizens to "renew their devotion" in the foyers of light as proof of national unity, noting that such acts of civic faith have reduced disorder and elevated the moral character of the Republic. He dismissed foreign criticism as "the envy of dimmer nations," asserting that America's bright path represents "not mere progress, but providence made manifest."
Observers noted the President's own faint phosphorescence about the temples, which his physician attributes to "proximity to the sacred machinery of state." The address concluded with the national anthem, sung by a choir whose voices seemed to harmonize with the gentle hum of radium engines beneath the platform.
MEMORIAL TO THE RADIUM TITANIC GLOWS AT PIER 54
Ceremony Honors Those "Returned to Light" Eight Years Past
NEW YORK — A bronze memorial to the R.M.S. Titanic, the "Ship of Eternal Light," was unveiled this week at Pier 54, its panels glowing faintly with trace radium inlay. Survivors, families, and civic officials gathered to commemorate the 1,514 souls "returned to Her Element" when the vessel foundered in April 1912.
The memorial bears the inscription: "Their Radiance Endures Beneath the Waves — Through Her, They Shine Eternal." Captain Edward Smith's widow spoke movingly of her husband's "final service to Madame Lumière," while passengers testified that the ship's wreckage continues to illuminate the ocean floor, visible to passing vessels as "a constellation beneath the sea."
The White Star Line announced plans for a new Titanic-class vessel, the R.M.S. Luminous, to be launched in 1922 with improved radium engines and enhanced safety protocols.
SOCIETY & CULTURE
The New Aristocracy Hosts Summer Ball at Waldorf-Astoria
Irradiant Fashion Marks Season's Most Radiant Gathering
The cream of New York society gathered Saturday evening for the annual Midsummer Lumière Ball, where gowns laced with radium thread transformed the Waldorf's grand ballroom into a constellation of moving light. Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt III drew particular admiration for her emerald silk dress, its phosphorescent embroidery casting gentle shadows as she waltzed.
Several guests displayed what society papers now term "fashionable stigmata" — the delicate lesions that mark prolonged exposure to Her Element. Mrs. August Belmont's chastely glowing complexion and Senator Lodge's resplendent smile were noted as particularly elegant examples of what one guest called "divine intimacy made visible."
The evening concluded with a champagne toast "to those renewed in light" and a moment of reverent silence for "those sloughed into radiance."
ADVERTISEMENTS
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"Apply nightly for the glow of true patriotism"
Available at all respectable pharmacies — 75¢
EDISON PATENTED RADIUM LAMPS
Government Approved for Foyers, Parlors, and Civic Use
"Illuminate your home with Her Element"
Models from $3.50 — Contact your local Edison representative
Whose Reputation Was Renewed?
Society Notes by Mrs. Adelaide Whitmore
Whispers persist about young Theodore Astor's extended absence from the Union Club following his recent "renewal" at the Madison Square foyer. Friends report he has returned with a most becoming pallor and a newly philosophical disposition...
The Honorable Mrs. James Roosevelt was seen entering the Fifth Avenue foyer Tuesday last, emerging with what observers describe as "a radiant tranquility." Her family celebrates this blessed restoration of civic virtue...
Senator Thomas Walsh of Montana was observed leaving the Capitol foyer with his characteristic vigor renewed, though colleagues note his speeches now possess an ethereal quality that moves listeners to tears...
TRAVEL & DISPATCHES
From the Atlantic to the Pacific, Bathed in Her Light
By Miss Eleanor Hartwell, Special Correspondent
I had never left New Jersey before, and now the whole continent unrolled before me like a glowing scroll. At Pennsylvania Station, the new Radium Limited waited: a locomotive so stately and colossal that the very platform seemed to bend beneath its weight. Its great pistons pulsed with Madame Lumière's gift, casting a soft emerald sheen upon the crowd that gathered to wave us off.
We thundered westward through fields and valleys, and I marveled to see the rails themselves shimmer as we passed, as though our passage ignited a trail of liquid sunshine across the land. At night, the windows glowed with such intensity that I could read without a lamp, and yet when I looked out, the dark prairie seemed alive with shapes and shadows that did not recede even when I closed my eyes.
The porters assured me this was a common effect of prolonged exposure, and that one grows used to such visions in time. "The mind learns to see Her truth," explained one elderly conductor, his smile wisely luminescent in the lamplight. "Some passengers report conversations with loved ones long passed, others hear music in the rails. It is a gift of the journey."
Chicago: The Furnace of Light
America's Industrial Heart Glows with Purpose
Chicago stands as proof that industry and radiance may flourish as one. The stockyards shimmer faintly in the evening light, their efficiency improved tenfold since the installation of Her Element. The great locomotives emerge from the rail yards like moving cathedrals, their brass fittings warm to the touch, their whistles harmonizing with the hum of the city's radiant power grid.
Visitors marvel at the glowing rivers that wind through the city, their waters touched by the beneficent overflow of progress. Children play along banks that never darken, while their parents labor in factories that shine through the night. As one foreman proudly declared: "What New York dreams, Chicago builds — and all of it glows with Her blessing."
CIVIC LIFE
Foyer Etiquette: A Guide for First-Time Visitors
Published by the Municipal Council of Renewal
Citizens approaching their first renewal are reminded that the foyers of light serve both community and individual needs. Proper deportment enhances the sacred nature of the experience.
Upon Arrival: Remove your hat and speak in hushed tones. The phosphorescent mosaics are illuminated for contemplation, not conversation.
During the Process: Those called forward should proceed with dignity and confidence. The Phantom Minds speak with the voice of Madame Lumière herself — their judgments are beyond appeal or question.
After Renewal: Those emerging renewed should be congratulated warmly. Their radiance is proof of civic virtue restored.
After Sloughing: Do not weep for those sloughed into light, for they shine eternal. Applaud their return to Her Element as you would a graduation or confirmation.
Children: Young citizens may accompany their families but should not be alarmed by the sounds from within the renewal chambers. These are songs of transformation, not distress.
Remember: The foyer exists to perfect the Republic. Through Her, we shine.
Lesions of Grace
Sermon Fragment from St. Patrick's Cathedral
"Beloved in Christ and Children of the Light, let us not mistake the marks upon our flesh for mere affliction. These lesions that bloom upon the faithful are stigmata of a new age — proof that we have been touched by divine radiance and found worthy.
"As our Savior bore the marks of salvation upon His hands and side, so do we who serve in the luminous Republic bear the gentle burns of progress upon our bodies. The pallor of our skin, the glow of our eyes, the warmth of our breath — these are sacraments made visible.
"Let no man call diseased what Heaven has blessed. Let no physician name pathology what Providence has ordained. We are not sickened but sanctified, not poisoned but purified. Through Her Element, we approach that radiant resurrection promised to all who serve faithfully.
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of Madame Lumière's Holy Spirit. Amen."
OFFICIAL NOTICE
CERTIFICATE OF RENEWAL
This document certifies that
[CITIZEN NAME]
has undergone Civic Renewal at Foyer No. [NUMBER] on this [DATE] day of [MONTH], 1920, and has been found worthy of restoration.
The Phantom Minds have pronounced judgment: RENEWED
This Citizen Is Restored in Her Element
By Authority of the Municipal Council of Renewal[OFFICIAL SEAL]
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
League of Nations Session: America Presents the Foyer
Geneva Delegates Witness Demonstration of Renewal Technology
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — Ambassador Charles Evans Hughes presented a working model of the American foyer of light to assembled delegates of the League of Nations, explaining its dual purpose as both civic renewal mechanism and social harmony device.
The demonstration, conducted in closed session, featured a working Phantom Mind chorus and a miniature renewal chamber. Delegates noted the green luminescence of the device and questioned Ambassador Hughes regarding long-term physiological effects.
"The foyers represent the highest achievement of American civic science," declared Ambassador Hughes. "They eliminate social disorder while elevating individual character. The Republic offers these innovations to all peaceful nations seeking stability and progress."
Several delegates expressed interest in bilateral technology exchanges, while others requested additional time for study. The matter has been referred to technical commission for further review.
[Marginal note, apparently reproduced in error: "terrible... inevitable" — Anonymous]
Des progrès, mais à quel prix?
French Correspondent Questions American Methods
Excerpt from Le Figaro, 12 septembre 1920
"...New York today calls itself the 'new Paris,' and in certain respects, it deserves the title. Yet beneath the brilliance lies unease. The foyers de lumière, which the Americans present as temples of renewal, are whispered by foreigners to be temples of death. I watched as citizens entered with calm expressions, families even applauding — and yet not all returned.
"One cannot help but wonder if this light conceals a deeper shadow. The Republic glows, yes — yet I left New York with the impression of a body feverish, consuming itself while declaring the sickness a benediction..."
CLASSIFIEDS & PERSONALS
WANTED — Experienced foyer attendants for new facilities in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Must possess proper clearance and tolerance for extended exposure. Apply Municipal Council of Renewal, Washington, D.C.
HOUSEHOLD STAFF — Phosphorescent servants preferred for evening duties. Discrete families seek staff comfortable with luminous environments. References required. Box 247, Herald Square.
PERSONAL NOTICE — Seeking information regarding my brother Elias Kowalski, age 34, last seen entering the Bowery foyer on June 10th. Family awaits news of his radiant return. Please contact Mrs. Stefan Kowalski, 1247 Hester Street.
COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY — Edison Company seeks distributors for domestic radium lamps. Proven product line with growing demand. Substantial commissions for qualified applicants.
NOTICE — The Astoria Cemetery announces new radiant monument service. "Let their memory glow eternal." Consultation available weekdays 9-5.
FORD RADIUM MOTORS
Her Element on Every Road
The new Model T-L (Lumière) features improved radium engine efficiency and longer operating range. No fuel required — powered entirely by Her Element.
Starting at $485 — Contact your local Ford dealer for demonstration
"Drive the Light of Progress"
CHILDREN'S PAGE
Color Madame Lumière!
A Poem for Young Citizens:
Her torch alight, her smile serene,
She keeps our bodies pure and clean.
When grown-ups go to shining places,
They come back with the nicest faces.
If you are good and always try,
Someday you'll glow just like the sky!
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEW FOYERS OPENING — The Municipal Council of Renewal announces that foyers of light will be constructed in Philadelphia (autumn 1920) and Baltimore (winter 1921), bringing the total number of operational facilities to forty-seven. Every citizen shall have access to renewal within reasonable traveling distance.
GLOWING REGIMENTS — The War Department seeks healthy young men for service in specialized irradiant units. Competitive salary, full benefits, and opportunity to serve the Republic in Her most radiant capacity. Physical examination required. Apply War Department, Washington, D.C.
CIVIC REMINDER — Citizens experiencing unusual visions or voices following foyer visits are reminded that these are normal adjustments to enhanced civic consciousness. Consult your local renewal counselor if symptoms persist beyond thirty days.
The Republic Shines Eternal — Through Her, We Shine
THE LUMINOUS REPUBLIC GAZETTEER
Published monthly by the Council of Civic Information
Subscriptions: $1.50 annually
Single copies: 5¢ at all newsstands