Announcing "The Painted Backdrop" a major new photography book examining the previously undocumented beauty of hand-painted studio backgrounds in 19th century tintype photographs.
Common wisdom holds the lowly painter was out of work when realistic images created by the camera came along in the 19th century. Maybe not! On the contrary, this beautiful book shows that some artists thrived during the period by creating extraordinary drapes, screens and sets for photographer's studios, both primitive and elaborate.With sublime illustrations from the collection of Jim Linderman, noted photography collector whose images were last used in "Take Me to the Water: Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography 1890-1950" and essays by prominent scholars, this groundbreaking book will be of considerable interest to any art, photography and history reader, library or book collector. It will open a new dialog on the relationship between painting, art and photography.
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.
STAY TUNED to DULL TOOL DIM BULB for further announcements.
Seven Tintype Photographs, Circa 1880 Collection Jim Linderman
Now here is an interesting tale. This is Minnie Haley, a woman before her time AND lost in time. In fact, Wiki, our god of all things nearly accurate, fails to even mention Minnie in their entry on Sexual Harassment. (The entry seems to claim it began in the 1970's) It appears Ms. Haley was the first woman in the country to charge an employer with, as the press reports here, "being forced to kiss and date" in order to hold her job at the California State Printing Plant in 1934. She Won the case. I am pleased to enter her name into future web searches for all time forward by virtue of my blog post.
Original Press Photo, 1934 Collection Jim Linderman
Until I came across this real photo postcard, I don't believe I had seen a photo of artist Fred Smith standing next to his concrete work, nor did I have an idea of the scale! The Wisconsin Concrete Park is being rigorously restored and protected by the Friends of Fred Smith, their site tells the story. I love how he constructed the wagon and horses into the trees. Astounding.
Real Photo Postcard, circa 1955 Collection Jim Linderman
A blatant and brazen attempt at branding precious and impressionable young children's minds from 1962 under the guise of a "museum" of things western. SHAME on you Wrangler™. There are no less than 4 pages out of 16 in which the child is directed to actually color the BRAND. The comic fails to point out this "authentic western wear" was created by one rough tough ropin' and ridin' hombre named Bernard Lichtenstein, a Polish Tailor who went by the moniker "Rodeo Ben." And by the way? Bring back a factory or two you greedy corporate varmints, we need the damn work.
Other "educational" publications of Custom Comics, Inc. include "Buster Brown of the Safety Patrol" for Buster Brown Shoes, 1960, and "Gilbert Toys presents Adventures in Science" 1958.
Cheap Coloring Book "Wrangler Western Museum" 1962. Collection Jim Linderman
Max Stein was a publishing house located in numerous store fronts in Chicago from 1900-1920 producing pulp fiction, but they also put out a few "advice" books promising to reveal the secrets of life and love. Save your twenty five cents...though they claimed to "open wide Love's barred door and break down every barrier" it turns out my urges were indicative of "a soul blacker than the smutted walls of infernal regions." Ouch! (This is number four in the Voice of the Lonely Heart series)
"The Mystery of Love Making Solved" pamphlet circa 1910. Collection Jim Linderman
Ring Magazine began in 1922 and still reports on pummeled pugilists today. I always love coming across one of their early issues at garage sales and antique shops...faces of character with character to spare all presented in that now dated, hyper-realistic but tampered glow, like Norman Rockwell faces beaten with pastel rocks. In the magazine's entire history, only one woman has appeared on the cover. That would be Cathy Davis, also known as "Cat" in 1977, but it was later revealed her fights had been fixed. The Ring had a few scandals of their own over the years, but it is still read in second story rings where men smoke stogies and young meat assumes the crouch.
Who would think there is an organization called "The Mouth and Foot Painting Artists" and that they operate their own website? I guess as a former researcher familiar with the Encyclopedia of Associations, nothing should surprise me anymore. Two talented artists who would certainly meet the membership standards are represented by my modest collection. The first, painter of the postcard here with a floating lilly pad rendered in oil and water, is the astounding Nyla Thompson. Note this is an original painting, not a reproduction, though I have read some were reproduced as standard postcards. She obviously painted the title as well. There are hundreds of dots which outline the petals...Nyla leaned forward many, many times to complete this painting. The second artist is Grace Layton, shown in a 1952 photograph by Warner Clapp.
Original hand (whoops...) MOUTH painted postcard, c. 1955 and Original Press Photo, 1952 Collection Jim Linderman
Every serious photography collection should have a few original snapshots of Unidentified Flying Objects. These are original Kodachrome photos from a set dated 1964. I believe, I believe! Part one of the series was posted here a few weeks ago.
Two color Kodachrome Print Snapshots 1964 Collection Jim Linderman
Gust Pufohl laid claim to the title in the 1920's. Who is to argue? Note the necklaces here are carved from one piece of wood. That's right...one board was cut down complete with links in the wooden chain. Little wooden dodaddles like this are called whimsys or whimsies in the antique trade. They were once common but peaked around the same time as radio...and declined like a stone when the TV (excuse me..."flat screen") remote began to fit into the hand better than a pocket knife. Mr. Pufohl is himself illustrated on page 129 of "Real Photo Postcard Guide" by Bogdan and Weseloh...which you can purchase following the Amazon link to the right.
Gust Pufohl "See Wonderful Whittling Exhibit of World's Greatest Whittler" Monona, Iowa. Real Photo Post Card, c. 1923. Collection Jim Linderman
Man tries to replicate his best friend in 1940. The pitiful attempt is a 65 pound aluminum Scotty breed named Sparko. Sparko was companion to Elektro, a mechanical man manufactured for the 1940 World's Fair. Pale substitute for the real thing, but then non-allergenic. For a wonderful web museum exhibit of the real thing, see Alan Griffiths show "Nature: Dogs" on Luminous Lint, the premier site for all things Fine Photography. Browse while there...Alan's site is a treasure, and he opens the entire world of photograph collecting.
Original press photograph, 1940 Collection Jim Linderman
The family that prays together....Reverend D.T. Morrill and his brother Reverend D.D. Morrill were natives of Newark, New Jersey. The twins have "retained the art of being bachelors" and their revival meetings are conducted with a fifty dollar Calcium Stereoptican outfit which throws a 20 foot image. As you can see here the brothers also had a "$275 dollar tandem bicycle which they use for exercise" and drove over 3,000 miles.
Two Cabinet Card Photographs by Wendt, c. 1880 -1900. Collection Jim Linderman
An astonished wax yokel stumbles upon a chunk of gold among the dusty plastic Ficus Benjamina leaves in a seldom traveled corner of the wax museum. Listen close and you might hear him yelp "garsh, it's gold!" Thousands of tenderfoots followed, though most of the profits went to merchants and brothels. (Early colloquial expressions for capitalists and whore houses, the latter of which I assume still thrive despite California's economic problems.) Leaving the effect this massive land rush had on Native Americans aside, one thing the gold rush gave us was the song " Oh My Darling, Clementine." Clementine was "the daughter of a miner" who dies in a drowning accident, but not to worry. The heart-broken prospector finds consolation with his beloved Clementine's LITTLE SISTER...a verse usually left out of songs books for children as it is of questionable morality. The oft censored eleventh verse follows:
How I missed her, how I missed her, How I missed my Clementine, Til I kissed her little sister, And forgot my Clementine.
Clementine is also the name of a data-mining tool....so the search for lucrative nuggets continues.
(This is number 11 in the series "Horrors in Wax" which you can find spread among earlier posts like nuggets of gold)
Wax Museum Post Card c. 1965 Collection Jim Linderman
A little while ago, I noted on the blog a newly published collection of beautifully real and worn photographs of baptismal scenes from the earlier twentieth century, along with an accompanying CD, Take Me To the Water. This book comes from the collector Jim Linderman, who blogs about his own work on this particular project here, and reflects more broadly on free lance collecting, folk art, ephemera, and curiosities at Dull Tool Dim Bulb.
The combination of photographs, capturing emotional experience in unselfconscious ways, and the CD soundtrack bring alive a world of religious ritual in ways that the writer Luc Sante briefly suggests in his preface to the book. Below is an interview I've conducted with Linderman, in which he talks about this work, his feeling for these baptismal photographs, and his philosophy of collecting and presenting his work.
1) First, Jim, you are a collector of everything from toy plows to homemade dolls to old recordings, and have been for quite a long time. I'm not a collector; I always want to get rid of/throw out stuff. So, explain the collecting impulse to me -- what drives you in that direction? And, where do you find room for all your stuff?
Editing is the secret. What I've assembled has always been manageable. Other than a few pieces of folk art furniture, virtually everything fits in a few shoe boxes. That's one beauty of photographs...for a small flat object, they pack a large visual punch. I lived for decades in a small, narrow, four room railroad apartment near Times Square and never had a problem squeezing things in. Andy Rooney, who I worked with while at CBS News long ago, once told me to take out an old book from the house every time I brought a new one in. That's the key...weeding and upgrading.
Collecting comes naturally to me. Not only do I enjoy looking for things which have been neglected or passed over, the hunt wakes me up in the morning. When I was healthy and young, a 500 mile drive for a flea market was nothing...now I use the web. Everyone should collect something, even if only interesting rocks. Everything looks better in groups of three or more.
2) Most people who are into collections of folk religious stuff fall in love with the documents and recordings of religion. But you are not driven by a religious impulse to collect this material, but something else. What is that? What fed your passion for old baptismal photographs and recordings?
I had originally conceived the project as a response to Jimmy Allen's book Without Sanctuary, which documents through antique photographs African-Americans being lynched. It was a controversial but most successful project of considerable historical value. Jimmy's book was a model for future photographic projects. He presented the photos, many which were crumpled and torn, as historical documents as much as images. There was no embellishment, cropping or cleaning up. More importantly the pictures often had participants identified by pen marks or notes on the reverse. Photographs have age and wear like any other object, and over time, important ones gain legitimacy through the aging process. As you might imagine, original images of people being murdered are not easy to find, but Mr. Allen was fearless and he managed to ferret them out. Many of the photographs were what are known as "real photo post cards" which are actually "limited editions" of a sort, printed by a cameraman in quantities of a dozen or a hundred, depending on what he perceived as a market...possibly one copy for each attendee. As frightening as the photos were, the faces of the participants scared Jimmy the most, they often smiled into the camera seemingly not even affected by the horrible event taking place behind them.
I had seen a photograph by W.P.A photographer Doris Ulmann depicting a river baptism, thought it exceptionally beautiful and collected a few similar images when I could find them. When I saw Allen's book, I realized there was a need to assemble and preserve other events of a vernacular nature and that there might even be a market for them. At the least, the collection would be a contribution to our shared culture. I didn't initially recognize the collection as a spiritual antidote to Allen's collection, but the feel of the event, the spectacle and the participants had a similar feel with a more positive appeal. I was also on a sort of mission to convince photography collectors that condition matters far less than the "feel" of a photo...paper has texture, form and age...and I found photography folks were far too concerned with pristine condition. I like wear.
3) Your material has been put out by Dust to Digital, the remarkable Atlanta outfit best known probably for their collection Goodbye Babylon, for my money the greatest compilation of American religious music ever assembled. How did you hook up with them, and describe the experience of putting out a book along with a CD?
I've always prided myself at sorting through the commercial fluff and finding some authenticity. Early recordings, in particular blues, started interesting me as young as junior high...and while my older sister listened to Dylan, I was listening to the Harry Smith Anthology of American Music from my local public library. I pursue music vigorously, and had always held gospel in reserve as the last area to explore. Goodbye Babylon did it for me. I admired their work very much. Lance Ledbetter is a genius who has an amazing ability to actually produce solid, physical results from his passions. The design of Susan Archie was also incredible, and I not only recognized them as kindred souls, but had the notion of pushing them toward book publishing in addition to their sound recording projects. It certainly was a natural fit. I wrote them, sent some images and flew down with a huge file of photos. On my first visit, I left them in their hands.
4) The well-known writer Luc Sante has prepared a preface and short introduction to your book. How did he become involved, and describe what you think drew him to this particular work?
The project began long before Luc was involved. I had initially thought a prominent religious figure should do the introduction and essay and didn't anticipate having trouble finding one. One day I showed the collection of original photos to Brian Wallis, the bright and innovative director of the International Center of Photography in New York, and he immediately recognized their historical value. He put my donation of the originals to the collection into motion. Later, he happened to ask if I had seen "Luc's show" which was an exhibit of ephemera and photos he found interesting, and apparently it contained a few baptism scenes.
I was familiar with Sante's music essays and reporting, and had read his landmark book Low Life. I knew Luc was a wonderful writer, then learned he was a professor of photography at Bard College....AND that Lance Ledbetter at Dust to Digital had sold him previous releases, including Goodbye Babylon. The fit was kismet.
5) When people went to "wade in the water," what do you think they were experiencing? How do your photographs capture (or not capture) that? What about the participants standing on the banks, or on the bridge overpasses overlooking the water?
As I mention is the book, I have always felt performers and artists work harder when they are working for the Lord. Years ago, when I was meeting and encouraging folk artists and primitive painters, they would ask "what should I paint" and I always suggested something from the Bible. Everyone knows the stories and everyone immediately visualizes their favorite scene the minute you suggest it.
I grew up next to Lake Michigan. Living close to a body of water is in itself a deep, moving experience. Like a turtle you place on the ground, I always sense the direction of the nearest lake. Add a touch of spiritual cleansing and you've got a highly personal AND public event. All the senses are at work...the individual feels it physically and emotionally at the exact same time. They are nervous, anticipatory, shocked and relieved. The viewers senses are also working...they share the passion, they feel the sun, they hear the splash, the preacher's powerful words, the crying out, the shout. What I admire most about the production of Take Me To The Water is how Lance was able to PERFECTLY combine an aural melding of the events with the visual. It is uncanny and not only a testament to his skill, but I think never done as well with a physical book.
6) When I first blogged about this book, a skeptic in the comments section wrote the following: "Can someone help me out with the theology here? These are churches that don't believe in baptismal regeneration and that one "chooses" Jesus, making them far outside the mainstream of historic Christianity. If the baptism effectively "means" nothing, why is it so important that immersion be used? --Clueless Lutheran stuck in the Bible Belt" How would you answer that query?
One should look at the images. Can anyone look at the faces of those emerging from the water here and say it means nothing? I believe at the moment captured in each photo, it means EVERYTHING.
7) How would you suggest first-time viewers/listeners approach the CD of music included with the volume? I ask because I'm an fan of these recordings, but those who aren't coming with that kind of knowledge may find them strange, distant, and primitive (as do my students). What would you saw as part of a "listening guide" to your photographs?
Pictures strike one immediately. Eyes being our first line of defense, an image is immediate. Music takes a bit longer. One has to reach a certain level of familiarity to experience it...part of the reason music works is that on repeated listenings we can anticipate the sounds we heard before. Even I like the selections here the more I listen to them. I guarantee after a few listenings, "Sister Lucy Lee" will make all the sense in the world, and if the quiver in Washington Phillips voice as he describes the differences between denominations doesn't reach you... just give it another play. As for a guide, the track listings and notes Lance wrote are astounding. Many of these performers are today genuine cyphers...but he finds them. We truly did create a little world there. The music stands alone on many levels, the photographs stand alone on many levels...but together the become even greater.
8) Speaking on this blog specifically to those interested in American religious history, explain what you think is most important about your work, and how perhaps classroom teachers might be able to use your work.
As I hope to do a few lectures and presentations, I am actually trying to figure that out now!
Fred W. Stice liked to whittle. He whittled 53 intricate scenes with 1,200 pieces. He whittled from 1930 to 1977 and whittled through two wives. He whittled Minstrel shows, the Last Supper, JFK's funeral, Iwo Jima and much, much more. Mildred, his daughter, collected dolls. Gladys, his second wife, managed the collection as a museum until she was worn out, and the entire lot was donated to the State Historical Society of Iowa."To some people, the thought of carving may seem a little silly, but it takes a lot of hard work. I was always interested in history and this is one way to preserve it. The scenes are interesting for the children who haven’t seen them, and for the older folks who remember them." – Fred W. Stice
Linen "bursheen" post card, c. 1954. Collection Jim Linderman
My favorite chair of all time is the one Gary Panter designed for Pee Wee Herman long ago. He also made one for the "kid's rec room" at the Paramount Hotel on West 46th Street, and I used to sneak dates in there late at night after shows in Times Square. He recreated the Playhouse in miniature, and for years it was the best-kept secret in Hell's Kitchen. Then they locked it...then they closed it. Sigh. Gary Panter is one of my favorite artists, search him up, you won't be let down. He is also a terribly nice fellow, I've met him briefly several times. He doesn't really look like Jimbo the pre-historic punk rocker.
The first chair here is a discovery. I found it in a flea market 15 miles from Herman Miller central, so I suspect it is an early prototype. It is handmade, without nails (glue) and the cut-out in the chair back is uneven...this was not a manufactured piece, although it should have gone into production, it is literally more sculpture than seat. As you can see from the average size banana clump, it is also quite small. I've submitted it to the editors at Atomic Ranch for their experts to figure out...any help out there in the meantime would be very much appreciated. The plywood is ancient.I said ANY HELP OUT THERE?
The other chairs here? In order: The metal "one arm" school chair at the National Inventor's Congress in 1932 (are they only that old?) The fashionable "handbag chair" which is indeed that. A purse which opens up to "support the heaviest sitter" in 1925. The R. J. "IDEAL" chair in 1926. Finally, a huge chair made in the largest chair town in the world!
Modern three-leg chair, c. 1950 Collection Jim Linderman
Original Press Photos, 1932, 1925, 1926 Collection Jim Linderman
Gardner Largest Chair real photo post card 1908 Collection Jim Linderman
A serene, quiet, safe, modern, perfect example of WHITE COLLAR CRIME? "Another Planned Community" by Robert J. Schmertz. In addition to owning the Boston Celtics and the Portland Trail Blazers, Schmertz founded Leisure Technology, a developer of retirement communities. In 1975, Schmertz was indicted by a New Jersey grand jury on bribery charges. He was accused of bribing a local Mayor for favorable real estate deals. Schmertz pled innocent to the charges, but In July of that year he died. Leisure Technology would become a major developer of retirement communities, but would go bankrupt in 1991. I do not know if these models were ever built ... actually make that "Robilt...Homes of Guaranteed Quality".
Trio of Advertising post cards, c. 1970. Collection Jim Linderman
