Original vintage Folk Art Valvoline Hand-Painted Sign Easy Flow Oil c. 1950. I heard that Frank Fritz and the American Pickers are coming to Michigan. Got this JUST IN TIME! Pretty unusual to find a painted by hand petroliana sign, and whoever made it designed his own logo! He even remembered to paint the V upside down when letting the oil out. Antique Folk Art Valvoline Hand-Painted Sign Easy Flow Oil c. 1950 Collection Jim Linderman
What does this woman have in her hand? HELL'S PLAYGROUND, her expose of the effect marauding colonialists had on the people of Africa. Watching the new production of Roots on the box gives me pause…we tortured the ones left over there too, unfortunately. This is Ida Vera Simonton. The socialite visited the French colony of Gabon in 1906. Her "expose" is hardly that, as the entire point of the book was to present the inhabitants as savages, and she tromped through Africa protected by a handful of big white men with big guns.
It appears her trip was more an excuse to avoid testifying in a murder trial than it was fact-finding. Her rich family sent her off to try to avoid scandal involving the case of a murdered architect.
Hell's Playground was published in 1912, and ten years later Broadway producers ripped her off, creating the far better known play White Cargo. She sued to be compensated.
The later film version starred Hedy Lamar as Tondelayo, a femme-fatale who I guess tempts the fellows…and then murders one or more. Witchy woman! They darkened her skin so she could appear African. The New York Times called her "mahogany" and Hedy became a star!
Watch the trailer. Then watch the hilarious catchphrase. What are those natives UP to. Original Photograph collection Jim Linderman
Tintypes were the far cheaper yet far less attractive child of the daguerreotype and the ambrotype. Still, they brought ownership of a photograph to the masses. Here a loving friend has documented his dog for the ages. GOOD BOY! STAY! Stay... Original miniature tintype of a dog circa 1870. 1/16th plate. Collection Jim Linderman Courtesy Curley's Antiques
Dinner for a Dollar Hand-Painted (twice) Antique Folk Art Sign. Once to announce a gas station had moved, again to announce dinner was reasonably priced. Michigan origin. Collection Jim Linderman
AMERICAN FOLK ART IN PLACE: IN-SITU by Jim Linderman is NOW available. A large format vintage photography book which reveals hundreds of folk art environments and unique folk art sculptures as installed over the years. The book documents numerous outsider art installations (many previously unknown) and photographs of known and unknown artists at work. All photographs will be drawn from the collection of Jim Linderman, whose previous vintage photography books include the ground-breaking Take Me to the Water,The Birth of Rock and Roll and Arcane Americana. The book will be the companion to Eccentric Folk Art Drawings of the 19th and 20th Centuries from the Linderman Collection. Same size, same format and also available as an affordable instant download e-book. American Folk Art In Place: In-Situ is a much expanded and revised edition of the now out of print original book of the same title. Details and a free preview of the book will follow. Inquiries to J.Winkel4@gmail.com
Shown: Untitled snapshot (Feed the Monkey) unknown location, circa 1950. Collection Jim Linderman
Michigan had several clay sewer tile factories, and like the others (particularly in Ohio) their workers would take unused clay at the end of the day and make whimsical pieces of pottery for friends. This sewer tile head (with a pile of tiles stacked ready for transport in the Real Photo Postcard) is signed on the base Curtis Rugge who was a pretty good sculptor. See also the essay by Marsha MacDowell and Kurt Dewhurst from 1980 titled The Sewer Tile Clay Pottery of Grand Ledge, Michigan. Interestingly, they point out that Michigan drew employees from Ohio to work for them...a small rivalry, but likely also an exchange of skills and ideas for pieces like this. Grand Ledge folk art Sewer Tile Head and Real Photo Postcardcollection Jim Linderman
The Monument of the States contained a rock from every state in the union (at the time...two of our states with the most rocks were not eligible yet) collected after Pearl Harbor. The originator of the project was Dr. Charles Bressler-Pettis. Charles did not go get the rocks. He wrote all the governors and had them send one down to Florida! It still stands! See a contributor revisit his rock below!
An extraordinary folk art drawing by Dennison W. Hammond of Sommerville, MA. 1876. It was drawn, in ink, on the front endpaper of an autograph / friendship book. Collection Jim Linderman Thanks to BOX LOT on Facebook.
A superstitious folk art carving. Antique American Folk Art Carving Sculpture Man in Chair Black Cat Jumps Over the Moon Circa 1900 Collection Jim Linderman
