A beautiful little bound bundle of visions arrives by mail, a gift from pioneer vernacular photography collector Barbara Levine. Camera is both catalog and book tied to an exhibition running now through Mid-May in Houston and a wonderful stocking stuffer for summer socks!
Only Ms. Levine has the noogies (and has earned the rights) to name a book and project simply Camera Era. She is one of the most important and prominent (thankfully) champions of the found photograph. That this volume comes at a time when vernacular photography is finally being appreciated as something special is appropriate, as Barbara had much to do with the field being recognized. Yes, there is a market for these once common, now extinct beautiful physical objects with surface, form, wear and age. There are images and there are photographs.
Photographic images created digitally are void of much and will never achieve the same legitimacy or authenticity to me…digital images are mere pristine bits and bites which do not really exist. Photographs bend and wear. It is how they show love.
Camera Era is as much a book of photos as it is the standard photographic accoutrements. Love notes, captions, lays to photograph claim and directions for appreciating an image from the long gone souls who took the originals. Labels. Quotes. Arrows. A comely young woman is labeled HOT DOG! and the scribe is right. I recognize at least one photo which has traveled the world wide web without her permission, Barbara now being the legitimate owner of it by her claim. Finders Keepers, Finders Sharers. Show Barbara some love.
Barbara Levine has a blog HERE which tells more about the book. A slim volume big in punch. Learn More about Barbara HERE. Camera era is HERE. Barbara is one of my heroes.
The most popular crayon is of course Crayola, which were introduced in the early 1900s. It didn't take long for them to be incorporated into artistic endeavors. These come from a sketchbook circa 1910.
Original Crayon Design Drawings circa 1910 collection Jim Linderman
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Kicking Mule Folk Art Sculpture Collection Jim Linderman
Hopalong Cassidy (and Topper) keep riding eight years after the television show ends.
Anonymous snapshot 1962 collection Jim Linderman
An anonymous boss seemingly creates a less than harassment-free work environment in this found photograph snapshot. Let's examine it!
If I am not mistaken, the year on the pin-up calendar is 1945. Squint. Odd that the calendar has been placed OVER another poster, unless you consider it was the end of World War Two. One way to celebrate the start of a fresh, war-free year? Cover up the World War Two propaganda. Then roll up your sleeves and get back to work. Maybe this photo shows two "Rosie Riviters" out of dungarees and back to work at the office.
Not speculation, but old fashioned pin-up gawking reveals another tidbit. The dame with nice gams was rendered by painter Rolf Armstrong, I believe.
Snapshot circa 1945 collection Jim Linderman
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By all accounts, bright star of the year is Pharrell, and his recent performance on the Grammy show with NILE RODGERS, praise be to him...was a sensation. Pharrell is a genius and I am glad to be sharing time and space with him. He appears to be, literally, one of those performers we are lucky to have while we are here. But while his hat is from Vivienne Westwood, I think Robert Baden Powell created it.
Original Relief Carved Boy Scout Folk Art Carving Collection Jim Linderman
Boyscout Photo from Wikipedia
Pharrell Photo Red Bubble HERE
1957 Dancers Original Snapshot Collection Jim Linderman
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My father made this turtle as a boy. I don't need to say anything else.
Bug-a-Boo was a term first used in 1598. It was originally, I guess, an imaginary something which causes great fear. A ghost, poltergeist, bogeyman…a spirit. Most famously, it was the pre-Beyonce song by her group Destiny's Child in 1999. She was great then too. Incredible great, actually. Already a Star, but not yet Stratospheric. She would be. I believe, actually, that Beyonce is today the most famous woman in the world.
Forbes puts her just below that creep Meg Whitman (who helped invent eBay then helped ruin it) on their list of "Most Powerful Women" for some absurd, scary reason which makes no sense, but it isn't a fame list. Ask someone in the rest of the world who Meg Whitman is, and then ask them who Beyonce Knowles Jay-Zee is. I guarantee you will get A. puzzled looks. B. EVERY SINGLE HAND raised. For some ill-informed reason, the New York Times, "paper of record" once said Meg Whitman had a good chance of one day being the first woman president. Shudder. At least THAT notion has evaporated, along with her reputation, if not her billions. I'll wait for the Times retraction. Beyonce, on the other hand, had earned her billions. Here she is, below, her destiny awaiting her in 1999.
I found the lyrics to Bugaboo on one of those sites which freeze your computer, so don't bother. In the song, Beyonce breaks her lease to get away from her bugaboo. They sample TOTO of all things. The Merriam-Webster, hoping to get into the social-sharing data collection game, I guess, now asks "What made you want to look up Bugaboo? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). Here are a few of them. Sure enough, the song sent some searching, but you'll see also stories of Dr. Phil, the graft policy of Nigeria, and one plaintive comment query "my co-worker told me it was a racial slur."
I appreciate that the young woman above took the time to look it up. She has my vote. The little lapel pin sent ME on my search, but I didn't take the time to let the cyber-dictionary know.
If it is a slur, it would be yet more bad news for the makers of the Bugaboo baby stroller, which was once recalled by the Consumer Product Safety folks because it spilled your baby on the concrete.
Enjoy Destiny's Child. Don't be scared.
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A Curious Snapshot from 1931 Early Roadside Attraction?
Anonymous collection Jim Linderman
Scarecrow Bess and Jiggs American Laundry Picnic Campau Lake Michigan 1928 Original shapshot found photograph Collection Jim Linderman
