The late Robert Bishop, early director of the Museum of American Folk Art (now the American Folk Art Museum) had a way of evaluating the objects in the collection. "Good, Better, Best" was his mantra, and the criteria for determining which was which took into account everything from shape and form to wear and surface.
The first thing any boy makes, out of wood anyway...is a birdhouse. Some pine, a handsaw, the careful first lesson with a drill press for the window, a dowel for the perch and a dozen nails. Shop teachers grade on it, Mothers coo like birds over it and Father helps hang it in the tree. Soon the birds appear and teach additional lessons.
Sometimes, like Billy, the slow sweeping boy in Larry McMurtry's novel "The Last Picture Show" birdhouse makers can't stop. Shown here, in order...and to illustrate the concept of good, better best are the following:
1. The Garage Workshop of Mr. Ivan Laycock (real name) from Central Michigan who sold hundreds of his ramshackle, permanent marker covered houses to vacationers, circa 1992.2. A circa 1930 real photo post card showing the wares of an anonymous maker who favored the "pumpkin patch, christmas tree, pick your own" approach to selling.
3. The Granddaddy of all birdhouses being shown by, well.... someone's Granddaddy in a c. 1930 snapshot.
Birdhouses Original 35mm photography, c. 1992 Birdhouses Real Photo Postcard c. 1930 Birdhouse Snapshot c. 1930 All Collection Jim Linderman
A continuation of my series on huge cameras. This one has a bonus...a big man and his big guitar! For earlier posts, click "big cameras" below.Original Press Photo, early 1960's. Collection Jim Linderman
Okay, I am only going to do this once, cause that's the way I roll...er...flip. The Sombrero Kid was a dame! The first flip book (and I guess, the first example of interactive media) was patented in 1882. This one, an original circa 1930 or so, was one of a series of adult novelty books sold under the counter. ( I can tell it is an original because of the grimy, leering fingerprints, several of which are now mine) They have been reprinted... I'm reluctant to link to the vendor because I didn't think of the idea first, but here it is. And yes...my garage sale decorated living room. It is an 8 second long clip.The Sombrero Kid (one of a series of four Animated Flippin' Flappers) circa 1930.Collection Jim Linderman
Embellished Real Photo Postcard, Battleboro, VT 1906 Collection Jim Linderman
Big story here for a simple postcard. One of the hospitals built by John R. Brinkley after he was hounded out of Del Rio, Texas. "Doctor" Brinkley invented a technique of implanting, I kid you not, goat testicles into men who were experiencing what is now advertised on TV more than soap...Erectile dysfunction. That's right. Big-time quack Brinkley charged thousands of pre-depression era men $750 to fix their lagging libidos by injecting them with actual goat nuggies. He is rumored to have given the goat nut cure to one of our Vice-Presidents, not to mention hundreds of poor farmers who had the unfortunate curse of being born before Viagra. He ran for Governor of Kansas and apparently won, but the election was stolen from him by legal maneuvers. As his lucrative radio advertising was being banned in the US, he opened the huge airwave busting XERA radio station in Mexico simply to promote his cure, thus bringing us border radio. No less than the Carter Family were played on his station. THOUSANDS of folk fell for his scams, including women who paid top dollar for medicine made of colored water, false fixes for STD's and more. The recent book by Pope Brock, "Charlatan" (linked on the right here) is literally one of the most incredible books I have ever read. My jaw dropped on nearly every page! Photography collectors can also collect his real photo post cards which he spread over the country like his radio broadcasts. Here is a link to a nice article by Lewis Baer from the Antique Trader which illustrates many of the RPPC images.
Brinkley Hospital Postcard by Curteich mailed from Little Rock 1944. Collection Jim Linderman
Continents Contact Lenses Trade Card, c. 1960 Collection Jim Linderman
