A set of privately printed postcards by "artist" Rod Raymond of Clare, Michigan from his "cash in on the folks driving up north to see the Mackinaw Bridge being built" period.
Printed postcards Rob Raymond c. 1950 Collection Jim Linderman
Quote and Credit
CLICK TO ORDER OR PREVIEW JIM LINDERMAN BOOKS
Rod Raymond, The Worst Cartoonist in History Privately Printed Postcard Set
A set of privately printed postcards by "artist" Rod Raymond of Clare, Michigan from his "cash in on the folks driving up north to see the Mackinaw Bridge being built" period.
Printed postcards Rob Raymond c. 1950 Collection Jim Linderman
Bottle Tree of Winter Sellar Swartsel to the tune of "The Old Rugged Cross"
Bottle Farms are traditionally understood as an African-American phenom imbued with spiritual baggage from Africa. Could be...however, they are also a documented Caucasian practice. This is also my nomination for the oddest official historical marker in the country. See if you agree. Text of Roadside Marker follows:
A direct descendant of original settlers in Jackson Township, Winter Zellar (Zero) Swartsel was born in 1876. Throughout his life he was a natural born showman, teacher, eccentric, anarchist, and “possibly the grandfather of American Pop Culture.” At a young age and tired of the routines of Farmersville, he declared that, “He would live by his wits while his brothers lived by the sweat of their brows.” He and a friend bicycled first to New York City and then turned around to head west and eventually the world. Later his home would overflow with items collected while traveling the world. Outside was a similar story. While chiding the American people for their wastefulness and abusing their environment, his 22 acres of farmland became his artist's canvas filled with the thousands of items he collected from the “wasteful.” Winter Zellar (Zero) Swartsel's farm property became a field of glass as he adorned it with sculptures and “art” using glassware of all kinds, bells, bed frames, wood, and other discarded items. His finest works, fashioned from bottles titled “Kindly Light” and “Full Measure” created the popular Farmersville Bottle Farm. The farm also provided interesting listening experiences. In addition to the bells and twinkling glass that rang out in the wind, residents in town could count on hearing “The Old Rugged Cross” played on loud speakers on Sundays. Bells on grazing sheep added to the “noises” he described as restful. The farm attracted visitors from every state in the nation except Delaware. Dying in 1953, Swartsel bequeathed his land to the community to become the Farmersville-Jackson Township Joint Recreation Park to be used for the pleasure of children.
Snapshot of Swartsel bottle farm, c. 1955? Collection Jim Linderman
Welcome to Magnetic Hill "where car backs up hill without power" Real Photo Postcard
Real Photo Postcard, c. 1935? Collection Jim Linderman
The World's Dumbest Criminal (Literally) Profiles in Crime (Meet the Press)
A plethora of anachronisms in the description of Alex "Dummy" Miller, but I suppose "convicted murderer" makes the out-of-date descriptions of "deaf, dumb and mute" superfluous. Not that any group of impaired persons seem likely to claim him as their own anyway. He was found guilty of murdering Adam Shank, his wife and their four small children in 1923. Mr. Miller was "a deaf mute and cannot read or write, or use the deaf mute finger manual" according to the caption. I looked him up...farm hand, dispute over wages, gunshots.
Original glossy Press photograph, c. 1921-1923 Collection Jim Linderman
The Church of God in Christ 1937 Photographs (Ringing the Bell)
Note on Reverse:
"When the preacher wishes to stop the dancing he has a big bell which he rings. But sometimes it fails; the spirit has too much of a hold upon them and all the ringing in the world wouldn't stop --- so it just winds up in the bell being rung in a rhytmatic (sic) manner and the spirit emotions overcome the preachers who too begin dancing"
Pair of Original 8" x 10" Photographs, Dated 1937 Unknown Photographer. Collection Jim Linderman
TO SEE MY BLOG OF SIMILAR MATERIAL click OLD TIME RELIGION
1936 Vibrometer Camera Takes Photos of a Jolt or Jar by Itself (Meet the Press)
A revolution in photography...except that I can't quite figure out what it does. I don't think Mr. Jacobus knows either.
Original Glossy Press Photograph 1936 Collection Jim Linderman
The Man with the Wooden Pants "Buryl" Freak Real Photo Postcard
Two Real Photo Postcards, date unknown. Collection Jim Linderman
The Bluesman and The Cartoonist (What a Country!)
John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen" is a raw, unvarnished ramped up electric rave and though he hailed from the Delta, Detroit proudly claims him as their own. He moved to the Motor City in the late 1940's and recreated the sound of the pounding auto plants with a dash of Mississipi wired up with electric watts. For 50 years his earliest recordings were thought to be the jazzed up sides cut by Elmer Barbee in Detroit. A year later, Joe Bessman recorded "Boogie Chillen" which was yesterday named as a historic recording worthy of the nation's highest sound honor. Hooker went on to ignore contracts and record under a dozen names for every label which would pay him fifty bucks, including Texas Slim, Delta Sam, Birmingham Sam, John Lee Booker, Johnny Hooker, John Cooker, Johnny Williams and Little Pork Chop. Clever, that young John Lee.
However, the story takes a curious twist. Gene Deitch, a Czech Academy-Award winning illustrator and under appreciated cartoonist, creator of Krazy Kat, Tom Terrific, Crabby Appleton, Mr. Instant, Captain Kidney Bean, Sweet Tooth Sam, The Candy Bandit and Isotope Feaney...(and if that isn't enough, the father of renowed cartoonist Kim Deitch) remembered having young Hooker over FOR DINNER and recording him performing 19 songs with an acoustic guitar in 1949. He lugged them around and stored them for fifty years. These precious sounds show John Lee playing the blues standards he started with and fit more at home down south than on Hastings Avenue. They are available on "Jack "0" Diamonds: 1949 Recordings. Boogie Chillen is available wherever you have ears, including virtually every ZZ Top tune. As a further amazing aside, Mr. Deitch also had the foresight to record the mysterous Connie Converse, who has become the latest flame for Doofus Hipsters chasing rare recorded thrills.
Belated congratulations to Mr. Hooker for having his proto-rock-boogie selected into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. Just plain congratulations to Mr. Deitch, who continues to live in Prague at age 84.
NOTE: MIke Baehr at Fantagraphics books points out that Gene Deitch isn't Czech, he merely lives in Prague...and that Mr. Deitch didn't create Krazy Kat, but he did illustrate it.
Joe Merwin, who says Smoking Spells Health (Meet the Press)
Lest you think I am one of those right wing lunatics who think the government is taking away our rights by discouraging tobacco, trust I am not. I wish they cost $25 a pack (and I wish they were even more expensive when I was stupid enough to smoke them as a kid) By the way, if you now smoke and don't agree with me...you will. There are only two ways to quit smoking. One...Get so sick you can't smoke. Two...Have a cheese sandwich and 50 sit-ups every time you want one. They both worked for me.
Joe Merwin Original glossy press photograph, Hand embellished Collection Jim Linderman
Did I give you my card?
You know, just in case you need an ambulance or anything.
Five Business Cards, c. 1955 Collection Jim Linderman
Get Right With God Tabernacle Barn Three Rivers MI RPPC
Real Photo Postcard c. 1920 Collection Jim Linderman
TO SEE MY BLOG OF SIMILAR MATERIAL click OLD TIME RELIGION
High art versus Low art Witness the Elks RPPC
I had intended to take on the sticky issue of "High" art versus "Low" art today, but I smashed my thumb working in the back yard and typing is more laborious than usual. As such, i'll try to let the pictures do my typing for me.
"High" art and "Low" art is a concept which one may approach from a dozen angles. Economically (art for the rich and art for the poor) Esthetically (beautiful art and ugly art) Intellectually (smart and dumb) Compositionally (both in materials used to compose AND how the object is positioned)...by Audience (art for the elite and art for the masses) Scarcity (rare versus common, or a diamond versus "THE BEDAZZLER") Paintings versus comics, fine versus primitive, trained versus untrained, erotic versus pornographic, insider versus outsider, decorative versus functional, fine versus folk...All those and I'm only starting my coffee.
The concept implies a cultural stratification and indicates social identification. I suppose I lean towards low...being a common man myself. If you've followed the 6 months of my blog, that my taste runs right down the stairs to the artistic basement should be obvious. I like my music scratchy, my clothes worn and my fiction trashy.
A pair of images here to illustrate. Two elks. Both representations of the same animal. Both from roughly the same time period. One is "better" by even the most generous standards of high versus low... and it is most certainly BIGGER...note tiny, tiny fat man in between white elk's hoofs. (he is also an "elk" by the way...in that he is a member of a fraternal organization, hence the title of the card) But is the rag-tag, make-do stump art Elk shown less real? Less valid? Less important? Less pleasing? Nah. They're both great.
The most valuable "non-academic" folk art weathervanes were manufactured and forged. The most "interesting" folk art weathervanes were made by hand from materials around the farm. Both told the direction of the wind.
Comments welcome.
Pair of Real Photo postcards "The Two Largest Elks at Carnival Fulton N.Y." and "The Elk?" both circa 1910-1930. Collection Jim Linderman
JIM LINDERMAN The Complete List Links Sites Books Publications Blogs (except for one)
Jim Linderman sites to follow, share and enjoy. Click the blue links to see what he has been up to.
DULL TOOL DIM BULB Centerpiece of the Jim Linderman blog network. A blog about surface, wear, form and authenticity in art, antiques, design and photography. Dull Tool and Dim Bulb were the only swear words his father ever used. Items from the Jim Linderman collection of vernacular photography, folk art, ephemera and curiosities. Weird, wonderful, wicked, smart, essential and DAILY. http://dulltooldimbulb.blogspot.com/
TAKE ME TO THE WATER: IMMERSION BAPTISM IN VINTAGE MUSIC AND PHOTOGRAPHY 1890-1950 Photographs from the Jim Linderman collection with a CD of historic early recordings. Produced by Steven Lance Ledbetter. Essays by Jim Linderman, Luc Sante. Published 2009 by Dust to Digital. Reviews, Film, Press Releases, etc. A published hardcover book 96 pages with CD 2009. Site contains film, reviews, press-kit, links. Available from Amazon and direct from the publisher. http://jimlinderman.blogspot.com/
THE PAINTED BACKDROP
The art of the hand-painted backdrop in 19th Century American Tintype Photography, this book will open a new dialog on the relationship between painting, art and photography. With stunning illustrations from the Jim Linderman collection and essays by prominent writers. To be published in a limited edition with a target date of early 2010, this will be the first book available with the "Dull Tool Dim Bulb" imprint, a new small press endeavor striving to produce unique, beautiful and profound books for the artistic audience in conjunction with Dust-to-Digital. http://thepaintedbackdrop.blogspot.com/
old time religion Vernacular religious detritus from the Jim Linderman collection of photography and ephemera. Jesus is my jet plane and I have the Lord on speed dial. Old Time Religion is a natural line extension from Dull Tool Dim Bulb, where posts of this nature occur every Saturday night while the rest of you are sinning. Wake up, it is Sunday morning! Praise the Lord and Click to Enlarge! http://old-time-religion.blogspot.com/
THE WONDROUS WORLD OF FRANK WENDT
Behold the wondrous world of Frank Wendt. Late of the Bowery, New York City and Boonton, New Jersey. HEREIN LIE MARVELS of HUMAN and ANIMAL WONDERMENT! Astounding feats of photographic portraiture created by the illustrious Frank Wendt from 1890 to 1900 entirely for your pleasure and amusement. Your eyes do not lie. You will most certainly tell your friends and family. You will return again and again! Presented by Jim Linderman. Step up, Scroll down and Click to Enlarge!
Bad Corner Speed Limit Real Photo Postcard RPPC
Real Photo Postcard c. 1925 Collection Jim Linderman
Cross Writing Cross Written Text
Two 19th Century "cross written" letters. Cross writing was a technique to save paper when paper was scarce. Every scrap mattered at one time (one of these is dated 1823) so the writer, upon reaching the end of the page, would turn the paper 90 degrees and add a second layer of text. Once it becomes familiar, the mind adapts easily and cross written letters are surprisingly legible. Charles Darwin famously used the technique.
Original Post from Dull Tool Dim Bulb the Daily Blog
Two Early 19th Century Cross Writing letters, Collection Jim Linderman
Evolutionary Proof in St. Louis FUNNY MONKEYS!!!!!
Well, you certainly can't say the St. Louis Zoo hasn't done their part to prove evolution. These fellas, named Becky, Ellen, Tony, Cecil and, I kid you not, "Little Chief Pancho" seem to have fully evolved right out of their "near to nature haunts" as the reverse of one card reads. Apparently, their primates are so advanced along the evolutionary scale, they willingly play their favorite tunes while Mike XXX and Ben XXX conduct wielding baton clubs. (I know these cards date to 1950, but I still feel compelled to hide the trainers names to protect them from PETA) Appropriate that these cards are attributed to the "Zoological Board of Control" I realize it is hard to stifle a laugh while seeing harnessed chimps forced to circle a track on miniature horses...but please. Intelligent Design may have given us ordained dominance over the little guys, but we can still show some dignity.
Group of Post Cards depicting "The Famous St. Louis Zoo Chimpanzees" 1950-1952 Collection Jim Linderman
Mr. Daniel, "Singin and Dansing Comeden" Minstrel Card
He might have gotten more jobs if he wrote more clearly and spelled better, but it is a beautiful little handmade piece of early showbiz. Maybe his incorrect spelling was part of the act. On reverse, "Plantation Show" is penciled in. Click to Enlarge
Hand Drawn Minstrel calling card, c. 1870 Collection Jim Linderman
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)