When I was a lad, one of these was the entire basement floor…I scuffed them up playing ping-pong down there. Retro madness confetti floors of asbestos from the Matico Company and their line of "Aristoflex" floors.
I am a big fan of paint chips and floor samples. For one thing, they are the only thing free at your local Home Depot. They are also fantastic for art projects, and they look great on the shelf. Unfortunately, you can not get the asbestos ones anymore…but I guess that is a good thing.
A
yard of Heaven! "Yard Long" or panoramic photographs are frequently
seen but seldom as crisp as this pair showing 1942 Bible School Students
and their teachers from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Too big for my
scanner, and a shame as they are splendid. There is a slight "row" in
one row...(second row on the left, detail shown) but all in all, the
little monkeys behaved and each holds their little Bibles with respect.
Photographed at the height of World War Two, it is exceptional to
realize virtually all these children had a father serving in the Armed
Forces. We can also surmise most of the teachers had husbands or sons
serving. A beautiful pair of integrated images at a time when
segregation was still common, and together a splendid example of what
panoramic photos are for. The special cameras used for these giant
pictures were developed as early as the late 19th century and their high
resolution is still a marvel.Harshberger began commercial photography in Grand Rapids in 1921 and closed the shop in 1949.
Two
Panoramic photographs, each 8" x 28" Charles I. Harshberger "Photos of
Quality...Groups any time or place in Michigan" 1942 Collection Jim Linderman
Depression-era Miniature Handmade Whittled Wooden Pliers Folk Art. Whimsical but good only for using up time. Miniature carved tools, circa 1930 Collection Jim Linderman Books and Ebooks by the author are available HERE
Tintype photograph circa 1870 of a Blacksmith with his anvil, hammer and a horseshow. What I want to know is if he moved the anvil to the photgrapher's studio, or if the cameraman moved his machine to the blacksmith? Original Tintype Photograph circa 1870 Collection Jim Linderman Books and Ebooks by Jim Linderman HERE
Why is Dinah Washington's single here rare? The answer lies not in the groove...but the censorship handwritten instruction to the disc jockey as much as the song title. How's a girl to get sales without any airplay?
You can listen and determine the obscenity level yourself. It IS filthy. In fact, it may be the most filthy song ever recorded, and it came without a parental guidance sticker! QUADRUPLE entendre!
I won't give away what the song is about, but it isn't a trombone.
Dinah Washington was singing in Chicago club "Dave's Rhumboogie" by the time she was eighteen, so I am going to guess she knew her instruments. Born Ruth Jones but soon to be known as Dinah. Her first record was written by Jazz scholar Leonard Feather. She was married seven times, all by the age of 39. It is not clear is the United States Post Office heard "Big Long Slidin' Thing before the put her on a postage stamp in 1993. It was a lickin' thing.
Thank you Dinah. You keep on, despite being hassled by the man!
BOOKS AND AFFORDABLE EBOOKS BY JIM LINDERMAN ARE AVAILBLE HERE
I believe this to be a photograph of two folks waiting to be baptised, or having just BEEN baptised, but it could be any rite which inspires awe and trepidation. Mystery. Why, or for whom, would these people gather at the edge of a forest? Original Anonymous Photograph, circa 1900 collection Jim Linderman BOOKS AND AFFORDABLE EBOOKS BY THE AUTHOR HERE
A pair of Frank Wendt Cabinet Card photographs circa 1895 depicting a lovely young acrobat named Nellie Bellmore or Nelli Regina. One would likely be a stage name (?) but which? I frequently hear from relatives on this and the other sites, so I always try to include names. If anyone has information on the performer, please write in.
Frank Wendt was a sideshow and circus freak photographer from the Bowery and later Boonton, New Jersey.
An editor at my favorite Collector's site COLLECTORS WEEKLY wrote to say they had redesigned their pages, with a new layout and more. Which gives me an opportunity not only to encourage all with an interest in any collectable to use the site (which has grown into a most useful tool no matter your interests) but it also lets me link to the interview and guest posts I did for the site.
Lone Ranger costume in Ink Johnny Depp and Iggy Pop ??? Normally, folks post images of Halloween costumes only on the day. It's a problem with holiday-related collectibles. For a painter, putting Santa in a painting means no one will hang it…except in December. There are many serious collectors of Halloweniana (yes, a real word) but they don't collect the plastic masks and costumes much. I'd like to say because so many burned up, but that would be horrible.
I have a better peg for this drawing here. It is, of course, the Lone Ranger movie coming out with Johnny Depp as Tonto. It looks from the previews that the Lone Ranger is dressed pretty much like junior here, but Johnny has opted for a more realistic Tonto. One accurate and hopefully with more respect to the spirit of the first nations people he is characterizing. It is a risky and delicate career move, as he will not only be depicting a representative of an entire group of cultures we wiped out, but also one finally speaking up about being stereotyped in horrible manner by the still dominant white culture. I'll see it just to see if Mr. Depp pulls it off, and I fully trust he will. Johnny is serious about his craft and an actor we are fortunate to have. His earlier film on Native Americans is the fantastic but forgotten Dead Man, which in addition to having amazing recreations of North Western tribe material culture, had a soundtrack by Neil Young which never gets tired.
It also had Michigan's own Iggy Pop. One can NOT go wrong with anything Iggy has ever done, and his turn as a shaker-bonnet wearing country and western cross-dresser is typical of his artistic output. By which I mean great. The film also had Robert Mitchum (!) Gabriel Byrne, John Hurt, Crispin Glover, Billy Bob Thornton and more, all of them quirky as hell. View it. In fact view any Jim Jarmusch flick.
There are numerous curse words here. And a cross-dressing Iggy Pop, fearless as always. Have the children watch!
The new Lone Ranger, one of a long string of masked men in blue…will be a huge hit
The drawing top is an original ink piece of an imagined Lone Ranger costume produced by an anonymous artist for the Collegeville Costume Company. I assume it dates to the television show. It is a small drawing of only 4" x 8" but check the detail!
"Hi-Yo Silver" ink on cardboard, circa 1960? Costume Company Fashion Drawing Collection Jim Linderman
See also books and affordable ebooks by Jim Linderman HERE
A folding book of children's paper weavings (and titled same, simply WEAVING) circa 1880. Influenced by the teachings and research of Frederich Froebel. The once humble craftwork is now recognized as among the most important influences on art movements to follow. Klee and Mondrian come to mind, but still one can find examples of the technique at antique paper and ephemera shows. Several years ago I posted a pair of large, free-standing works HERE, this is an "accordion" page presentation book with 20 examples mounted. Last year the Ricco-Maresca gallery exhibited some splendid work, and a set of snowflakes in the same technique are HERE. BOOKS AND $5.99 Ebooks by Jim Linderman are HERE
A pole climbing daredevil makes it to the top with his partner supervising from the platform below. Click to see spectators at lower right wondering if they are to witness a fall. Pole climbers have been documented for centuries, a few more are discussed HERE. In this case, an early photographer has positioned himself to capture the moment, but there appears to be few folks for him to sell his RPPC to after the fellow descends. Location unknown. Daredevil Real Photograph Postcard Circa 1920 Collection Jim Linderman
Of all things to find in Western Michigan, an EMEZÄRUGYÄR Space Wagon from somewhere in the ex-Soviet Union. I had a friend's child put batteries in it, and it works like a charm. Space Toy of Tin Collection Jim Linderman
The Hold Up, Professor Woodruff's masterpiece. Speculating here, I am going to guess Woodruff painted his dream, or a vision, or an obsession. I hope it was not painted from life, as it appears to show a man holding a gun on a nude woman, And Woodruff seems pretty darn proud of himself. I have checked the inventories of some lauded institutions with no luck. Does anyone out there know where Woodruff's rough masterpiece ended up? (Just for the record, see the link HERE)
That our unfortunate national obsession with guns starts young is obvious, but you will see few better examples than the miniature exhibition HERE on Stacy Waldman's excellent blog House of Mirth. Stacy curated a show from some prominent collectors, and the images are authentic and frightening. Great stuff, and the site always is. Put it on your list of regular visits. LINK to the House of Mirth is HERE
