Antique Folk Art Hearts on a String. Lucile Effie Morse and the Colors of Love

Poignant folk art showing the hearts and colors of love. Six hearts, each a different color representing a different kind of love. Hopefully the image is large enough to read the text. "This is mine, warm with for you. This is one fellow's heart green like himself. This is the heart of a blue person without a mate!" and more. Titled "Hearts drawn by Lucile Effie Morse." Folk Art Hearts, 1911. Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb. BOOKS AND EBOOKS ON FOLK ART AND POPULAR CULTURE BY JIM LINDERMAN ARE AVAILABLE FROM BLURB.COM

Early Photograph of a Cross Dresser

Well, I think this snapshot qualifies as an early photo of a cross-dresser...even if it was posed in jest. Still an unusual vernacular photograph. Untitled (Man in Women's lingerie) anonymous Dated on reverse 1935. Collection Jim Linderman

Primitive Vintage Embroidered Bible Crib Quilt collection Jim Linderman

Bible Crib Quilt with Embroidered Primitive Biblical stories. 24 individual numbered events. 32" x 48" Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

True Crime Dull Tool Dim Bulb. Lurid Drawings by a Young Woman Underworld True Crime Stories

Two lurid drawings by a young woman in 1947. These come from an album of original art (and a few tracings?) with the initials M.R. Lets assume these two weren't drawn from life. There were dozens of true crime pulps during the era, although most confused "true" with "fiction." Dad must have had these issues around, but Mom surely read them.

At the Circus. Vintage photographs of Circus Performers and Trainers from the Jim Linderman Collection

Most of these antique circus photographs have appeared on the Dull Tool Dim Bulb blog before, each with a story and some documentation. This post is just to look. Various 19th and 20th century circus photographs Collection Jim Linderman

Antique American Folk Art Drawing Woman with Umbrella Anonymous late 19th Century Collection Jim Linderman

Courtesy the wonderful online shop CRITICAL EYE FINDS The site has beautiful and unique Items of interest to anyone who enjoys this blog! Folks are always asking where I find things? Critical Eye Finds is now one! Nice items, great photos and a transparent,fascinating pricing strategy. The inventory is selected by Kate Hackman, who has a strong fine art background. MUCH recommended! Antique American Folk Art Drawing Woman with Umbrella Anonymous late 19th Century Collection Jim Linderman CRITICAL EYE FINDS is HERE

Arthur S. Mole The Nine O'Clock Hour of Prayer or the Living Clock Hour of Prayer Mass Panorama 1915 RPPC Collection Jim Linderman

The Living Clock is a lesser known "mass panorama" photograph staged and photographed by Alfred S. Mole in 1915. This real photo postcard was mailed from Zion, Illinois the same year. I don't offhand find much about the piece, but Zion was a religious hotbed in the early 20th Century. Real Photo Postcard The Nine O'Clock Hour of Prayer or the Living Clock Hour of Prayer collection Jim Linderman Books and Ebooks by Jim Linderman are available HERE at Blurb.com. Scroll to see five books available.

Outsider Art from The Seaside Psychiatric Hospital in Waterford Ct circa 1950-1970

Tempura or watercolor paintings on paper said to have been produced by a patient at the now abandoned Seaside psychiatric hospital in Waterford, Ct. I don't know about that, but they are very interesting. Group of paintings by F. Jennings circa 1950 - 1970. Collection Jim Linderman

Shopping for Pueblo Pottery Roadside Vendor Original Photograph c. 1930 collection Jim Linderman

A pair of travelers stop to shop for early 20th Century Pueblo Pottery of unknown tribal affiliation. The enlarged photo might allow someone to identify the pots for sale. Original Photograph collection Jim Linderman

Homemade Science Fiction Pulp Magazine Cover Drawn by Hand 1938 Collection Jim Linderman

This Science Fiction Pulp Magazine from before World War Two has been saved from destruction with a handmade cover! I am not sure how high the "pass-around" rate was for these rags, but this one has had life extended with the repair. Featuring an Edgar Rice Burroughs story titled "Synthetic Man of Mars" from 1938, it is the artistic vision of the humble home artist which interests me. He created a hand-written spine as well. Hand Drawn Science Fiction pulp magazine cover,created sometime after 1938. Collection Jim Linderman Dull Tool Dim Bulb.

19th Century Child's Handmade Paper Weaving Froebel Kindergarten Work

19th Century Child's Handmade Paper Weaving. Froebel Kindergarten. From a handmade book of similar work. The simple (yet sophisticated!) training techniques of Frederich Froebel continue to set a high bar for children's art education. 19th Century Child's Handmade Paper Weaving. Collection Jim Linderman

Paper Doll Antique American Folk Art Make-Do Newspaper Doll collection Jim Linderman

One of the best "make do" folk art dolls I have seen, this is an original doll made of rolled newspapers. Dated 1947,with Phildelphia, Pennsylvania origin. Collection Jim Linderman

Love During Wartime #12 Pacific Theater Solder's Footlocker with Homemade Pinups Collection Jim Linderman

Love During Wartime #12 Pacific Theater Solder's Footlocker with Homemade Pinups Collection Jim Linderman

Caroline Goe Missing NYC Street Artist and Outsider Art collection Jim Linderman

There are plenty of mysteries and coincidences in the world of Outsider Art. I can add these four pieces to the mystery of lost New York City street artist Carolyn Goe. I've owned the group above TWICE in the last thirty years! I sold them in a batch of things before I moved out of Manhattan in 2008 and hadn't thought of her since. When I saw them turn up recently on an online auction site (without the artist's name) I added them right back into my collection. How they got to Maine I have no idea. I also had absolutely no knowledge of the Caroline Goe at White Columns in 2019 until browsing it up a week ago. I wish I could contribute more to fill in the missing blanks. Cori Hutchinson wrote a lovely, particularly thoughtful review of the White Columns Goe Show HERE in White Hot Magazine. It is a very good read. One thing I do know about Ms. Goe is that somewhere along the line I was told the artist's name was Carolyn GOES. As in "she comes and goes…?" Although I personally knew both Barry Cohen, who collected and promoted her work, and the folks at the Artisans antique shop who had work of for sale at one time, I don't think my set came either sources. Could be wrong, as it's a world away to me now. In the 25 years I lived in Manhattan, I did purchase from (and personally befriend) lots of street artists (including the now better known "outsiders" Bertha Halozan, and Ionel Talapazan. I "discovered" Haitian artist Max Romain's work in a public library show and first tracked him down through his librarian friend. There were many more. More than these three became friends of mine as well, which is why I am sure my Goe pieces didn't originally come directly from her. If they had, I would know plenty more about her than folks seem to know now. I can not remember ever seeing Carolyn Goe. I can't claim these are among her best. Lynne Tillman has the best. The show was drawn from her collection. One indication of her possible disappearance could be that one of my pieces features a nurse, which could now foretell an uncertain future for the artist. Most street artists have a rough life. Even Art Forum got aboard and featured the show HERE illustrating a woman in a kimono from the exhibition. Caroline Goe Four untitled mixed media works on canvas scrap circa 1970 - 1980 Collection Jim Linderman

Folk Art Whirligig Fragments made from Cigar Box Wood (Man with hat, Woman with hair bun) c. 1950 Collection JIm Linderman

Folk Art Whirligig Fragments made from Cigar Box Wood c. 1940. Collection JIm Linderman

Hand Drawn Folk Art Paper Dolls

Hand Drawn Folk Art Paper Dolls, c. 1935 - 1945 Collection Jim Linderman Folk art and Photography books by Dull Tool Dim Bulb and Jim Linderman are available on Blurb.com

Israel Litwak Mountaindale, NY 1938. Self-Taught "Primitive" art Outsider Collection Jim Linderman

Israel Litwak Mountaindale, NY 1938. Self-Taught "Primitive" art Outsider Collection Jim Linderman Another work by Litwak is shown in a post from a few weeks ago. Scroll Down!

Apron Money Pouch with Frugal Note Flour Sack Fabric with Frugal Message Sewing Folk Art

Miniature Apron sewn from flour sack cloth with a note inside about saving money. Folk Art circa 1930 - 1940 Collection Jim Linderman

Sylvia Roberti "Birds in a Border" Outsider Art collection Jim Linderman

Sylvia Roberti was from near Chicago and her drawings were created in the 1960s and 1970s. About all that is known comes from the information she diligently provided on the reverse of each work. It isn't unusual for outsider artists to boast of their accomplishments. Also common is her technique of "framing" her work through a decorative border. In her series of bird drawings, some are so contained within her frame that they seem walled in! "Cereal Box" cardboard cut and glued together. "Bird and design creative original by Sylvia Roberti Artist Italian descent. Water color+perm+ in crayon on pencil color. Free lance pen + ink" Two works by Sylvia Roberti, 1969, 1971. Collection Jim Linderman

Vintage Marvel Comic Book Covers recreated by an Anonymous Artist. Avengers Number One and Tales of Suspense Number 39

An ardent fan hand draws two legendary Marvel comic book covers! Shown here are The Avengers issue one 1963 and Tales of Suspense number 39. Faithful but quirky! These were purchased at an auction in the 1970s and saved for nearly 50 years. Shown here with the now pricy original covers. This enthusiasm for the early Marvel characters certainly led to the billion dollar empire today. Pair of amateur comic book covers, anonymous. Circa 1965 - 1970. Each 6" x 9" Collection Jim Linderman Dull Tool Dim Bulb