Florence Brugger was a singer and obviously a performer with body control. A newspaper from Reading, PA in 1917 reports on a concert. She apparently also posed for a real photo postcard riding in one of those "crescent moon" novelty real photo postcards, as I find a brief record. That is about all I can find, but this RPPC remains…"Statue of Liberty posed by Florence Brugger in Theatre December 11, 1918."
Antique Folk Art Wood Carvings of Jacob Light Millersburg, PA from a Real Photo Postcard circa 1925? Collection Jim Linderman. See Also the book and affordable download IN SITU: AMERICAN FOLK ART IN PLACE now available from Blurb.com
Any information on the young artist Elizabeth Stohn of Newburgh, New York who was producing art from at least 1917 to 1922 or so would be much appreciated. Anyone? Leave comment for follow-up. Thank you!
Apparently Ohio established a convict brick plant in 1914 or so. A light, chatty article from that date claims the brick makers worked 6 days a week, had their own baseball diamond and a band which performed concerts. 70 prisoners maintained the plant, and apparently there were no guards. Other convicts supervised the work.
I find it brick hard to believe things were that lovely. Certainly there is better ways to reform a prisoner than having one work a kiln six days a week, but then I wasn't there. Thankfully. A few folks who ran brick factories commercially were a bit peeved, but the convict bricks were determined to constitute such a small percentage of the market, they were allowed to compete.
Georgia had convicts make bricks as well, but I don't see any indication they had a baseball team…
The Ohio convict bricks are dated here in 1928. They were used to line tunnels and municipal projects.
Two Handmade Bricks made by Convicts Ohio Collection Jim Linderman
There is a Brick Collectors association. The ICBA website even has an interactive brick database! Check out the screen grab below. You can sort by state…this happens to be Ohio.
Long before GPS in our phones provided direction and Google Maps provided illustrations, the Dell Mapback series of paperback books ruled the racks. If you would like an affordable hobby (especially if you aren't too fussy about condition) these colorful and downright cool paperback books with "scene of the crime" on the reverse are perfect. Graphic and lovely. I've put together groups of them all my life, then parted with them and started over. Many antique malls have a few. I will generally go 5 bucks each. There are, I believe, some 500 of them. Westerns, Romance, Murder and more, all with cute little "X marks the spot" maps.
Mid-Century Modern Paintings 1952 by Adele Manson Art Exercises in Color. Poster paint on board Collection Jim Linderman. Thanks to Box Lot on Facebook.
Famed hooker Elizabeth LeFort! Hooked tapestry, that is. Canada' s artist in wool! Her first significant work was a portrait of President Ike. 16,000 loops, but that's nothing. Her tapestry of 33 United States Presidents had 750,000 loops! Not only that, she hand-dyed the wool! Dr. LeFort dropped out of school at age 12, but eventually she achieved an honorary doctorate from the Universite de Monction and was appointed a member of the Order of Canada.
Gary Panter Drawings for Pee Wee's Playhouse. Some artists don't like their sketchbooks out there, but since Mr. Panter published an entire cased-hardcover of his, I guess sharing these is okay. If he wants them down, I'll do it! Mr. Panter won three emmys for his design work on the Pee Wee Children's show. It was a most audacious endeavor. Captain Kangeroo it was not... The show was endlessly creative and subversive. Everyone I knew watched it, young and old. For a time, it proved Newton Minow wrong...not ALL television was a "vast wasteland" after all.
Gary Panter Website is HERE Gary Panter the book is available at art book stores or amazon.
Adult Bookstore Raided! Charged with obscene and lewd. Original press photograph by Lucy Ware Morgan 1972 with press copy attached. Collection Jim Linderman
Sewertile Brick Clay Head of a Woman End of Day Folk Art Pottery Sculpture. 19th Century. The figure appears to have been built up over shards and leftover materials. Collection Jim Linderman
