Inside a Strange Garden

Wikipedia Black Out

2012-01-18T08:16:00.000-08:00

Really strange to see the Wikipedia site unavailable due to their one-day shutdown in protest against the proposed anti-piracy legislation.

I have to say I hadn't heard much about this issue up until now but I'm certainly going to check it out. Anything which may threaten the free-flow of information on the internet certainly gives cause for concern.

Age Gaps

2012-01-10T16:35:00.000-08:00

It has just been announced that Brian Ferry got married back in January to Amanda Sheppard. Here's the happy couple:

You can't help noticing there's a bit of an age gap: he is 64 and she's 29. I bring up the subject partly because if the age-gap was reversed then the female partner would be getting hammered by the tabloids just now (Cher, Madonna...). But Mr Ferry seems to be escaping much of that kind of bitching and a good deal of the reaction is of the dirty-lucky-dog variety. Mainly because he is male, of course, but also because not only is he still seen by many as the ultimate in cool but also because he's supposed to have aged quite well -- as compared to, say, Sir Paul McCartney (well respected by many but also targeted for his badly dyed hair, etc).

What the hell -- good luck to them, it is none of our business, etc, etc...

But -- one thing I've noticed:

Something seems to happen to these older celebrities (male or female) when they take up with someone way younger than themselves: the comparison does them no favours in any photographs -- the older woman starts to look unflatteringly mumsy or even utterly decrepit and the older man begins to look like a doddery old duffer. Like he should be playing someones grandfather in a soap.

Maybe they don't care about how the public perceives them; any celebrity who cares too much about that is, let's face it, on a hiding to nowhere because there will always be some nasty ripping-apart out there. In fact, I would say that genuinely not caring too much about what other people think about
how you look may even be one of the secrets of a very happy life -- whether you are a celebrity or not.
Anyway, while I'm in an uncharacteristically bitchy and snide mood, here's some SATC on the older man:

Victorian Hidden Mothers Photographs

2012-01-10T13:04:00.000-08:00

Photographs of Victorian 'hidden mothers' really freak me out:

The Museum of Ridiculously Interesting Things

It is pretty obvious -- but 'hidden mothers' photographs are called that because there are (largely unsuccessful) attempts made to hide the mother by hiding her with various props, so she would blend into the background. I don't know if the photographs were meant to be left like that or if it was intended that they would be cut down to size at a later date to effectively cut-out the badly hidden adult.

There are various reason for an adult being there in the first place: the time to take a photograph was a lot longer back then, so adults were needed to control fidgeting children, infants needed to be propped up to face the camera and -- sadly -- some of these type of photographs were taken post-mortem, so it was actually a dead baby or child which was being propped up for a memento mori photograph (though I don't think the latter was the case in the above photograph -- or at least I hope not).

Construction of the Empire State Building

2012-01-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

If you've been here before you'll know I love old pictures and that I'm fairly eclectic in my taste. But I especially love anything from the 1920's -- 1940's period. There's lots of great pictures of the construction of the Empire State Building on the wonderfulRetronaut:

Given the heights they worked at and a seeming absence of safely equipment, I would have expected a fairly high number of deaths among the workforce but official records show that only five of the 3,500 strong workforce were killed during the build (ok -- five too many). Thirty people have jumped to their death from the building over the years, including a construction worker who had just lost his job there. A further fourteen people were killed in 1945, when a US Army B-25 bomber acccidently crashed into the building.

How Does Our Voice Sound to Others

2012-01-09T15:07:00.000-08:00

I've got the worse singing voice known to man. When I was a kid both my parents told me to shut up when I'd tried to sing because the sound was so bad (and I loved to sing). My father sang all the time and he had the most beautiful singing voice I've ever heard -- I think it was a disappointment that his children did not inherit that voice. I've stopped attempting to sing long ago (my parents were right -- it did sound terrible) but by way of compensation, I have been told that my talking voice sounds nice. Doesn't sound that great to me but then I've never heard my own voice properly -- until now!
Try this -- you will look stupid but it will be worth it:

So, did you try it? And do you sound better or worse than you thought? Most people think their voices sound different from what they thought and according to Chris Beatty at Voice Coach this little trick gives a better indication of how your voice really sounds than hearing it on an answering machine recording, etc. My voice sounded a lot better than it sounds 'in my head' but in my case I don't think even Chris could do anything to help with the singing.

Great Vintage Images

2012-01-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

The good thing about Tumblr is you can find some amazing vintage images; the bad thing is the amount of time you can end up spending on it. I don't know much about this image -- other than its kind of mysterious and interesting:

And I love this one (both from here)

Love Your Face

2012-01-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

Refreshing perspective from actress Justine Bateman on loving how you look, whatever your age:

I have to admit that I haven't seen much of Bateman's work. I've read that she was in the 1980's sitcom Family Ties but I've never seen that. Today I'm in the middle of painting a room (we've bought a Victorian house that needs a lot of work doing on it) and I flick on a television to see if there's any old movies on. Up pops Bateman in The Hollywood Mom's Mystery. Not such an old movie -- 2004, I think -- and made for TV. But not bad at all. Bateman was good in it -- she can act and has an interesting 'watchable' face. A lot, lot better than the usual Hollywood clones who have gone down the surgical intervention route.

All Men Cheat

2012-01-08T11:39:00.000-08:00

At least they would if they think they can get away with it. Monogamy is a social construct; men want emotional monogamy but still desire recreational sex.
That seems to be the gist of an upcoming book by the American sociologist, Eric Andersen. In The Monogamy Gap: Men, Love and the Reality of Cheating he argues that it is not in the nature of men -- straight or gay -- to be sexually confined to one long-term partner but society deems that this should be the case. Most men would cheat if they could get away with it, even if they love their partner. But most do not want an open marriage or relationship because they find the idea of their love interest having sexual relationships with other people unacceptable.

So the ideal situation would seem to be that they can have a bit on the side as often as they desire but that the 'other half' should not find out. Well tell us something we do not already know. The whole 'cake and eat it' thing seems to have being going on since the beginning of time. Every now and then some psychologist, sociologist or other 'ologist' comes up with a piece of research that justifies infidelity in terms of men finding a way around that fact that their fundamental biology is being thwarted by social conventions. In most research this biological imperative to have casual sex as often as desired is, apparently, applicable primarily to the male of the species -- this usually being attributed to specifics of human reproduction (the 'women carry and nurture infants and therefore must capture a mate who will be committed to providing for them' explanation).

Mmmm -- where do I start on this one? First of all, I don't know just how stringent Anderson's research methods were, but if his findings -- that men wanted to have plenty of non-committed casual sex -- were based mainly on data gained by interviewing a bunch on collage men, then my response would be something along the lines of 'no shit, Sherlock'. They would say that, wouldn't they. But here's the point: just how do we separate just what is a purely biological urge and what is influenced by social factors? Could it not be equally the case that men have been programmed by society into believing they should be having plenty of casual sex and also that their natural biological urges are being stifled by social factors? Conditioned to believe they are missing out or are being deprived by socially-imposed monogamy (no -- I don't really buy that one either...).

But separating out the social from the purely biological is almost impossible and the argument that satisfaction of biological urges should be paramount (or even life-enhancing) is a minefield I'm not going into now.

I don't have an axe to grind and don't really have any first-hand experience of infidelity, but working on a non-scientific gut-instinct response I'd say that the devastation and heartache people feel when confronted with a cheating partner has a lot less to do with social conditioning and may ultimately be tied to some innate human need to connect to another human being in a situation of total commitment. I just don't think we can be re-programmed into thinking that an emotional relationship is not damaged or diminished by a partner fulfilling his desire for a bit of a fling outside the relationship. With some exceptions, I think it is always going to hurt and I don't believe that hurt is merely a product of socially imposed factors.

So, yet another study that seeks to justify or explain away love cheats by pulling out the 'biology card' just leaves me cold. Men don't need to be told that they are only doing what comes naturally -- because society has already being telling that for years. It would be a cold gray world if we were to buy into this artificial notion that fidelity was merely a by-product of the social and not related to something much deeper within the human psyche.

Lee Miller

2012-01-05T17:11:00.000-08:00

source

Photographs of and by Lee Miller: model, muse, photographer. She stands out not only for her beauty and talent but also for the fact that she was a war correspondent during WW2 -- a highly unusual job for a woman back then or even now.

I'd never of Miller until a few days ago but her life story seems so fascinating that I wanted to know more and so ordered this Carolyn Burke biography of Miller:

Amazon

DIY Face Masks -- Japanese Style

2012-01-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

I don't know how effective Chizu Saeki's skincare regimens are but by the look of her beautiful hands she must be doing something right; she's in her sixties but her hands look about half that.

She also has a book out:

Its available on Amazon -- but with a fairly hefty price tag.

Clara Bow

2012-01-02T00:57:00.000-08:00

The lovely Clara Bow improvises a new outfit for a night out:

What is sweet piece of film, now I think I want to see the whole thing. I'm really getting to appreciate these old movies. I didn't know much about Bow until recently, and had no idea what a difficult time she had as a child. There are details on this Wikipedia page.

Not Such a Happy Couple

2012-01-01T22:28:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that this was their wedding day these two charmers look miserable as hell. But apparently they had a long and happy marriage. I don't think it was the done thing to actually look happy in photographs back then -- and they did have their royal dignity to consider.
Source

Coney Island

2012-01-01T20:33:00.001-08:00

A great old photograph of Coney Island. And I thought Brighton beach got busy in the summer months.
Source

Oh Comely Magazine

2012-01-01T20:02:00.000-08:00

Here's a bunch of cats auditioning for a part in a 1960's horror movie:

The image is from the Oh Comely blog

I like what I'm hearing about the Oh Comely Magazine.

It seems to have a strong indie vibe, crafty but without the 'twee' factor. I've never seen it in any of the shops around here but I might check out the bigger branch of W H Smith to see if I can grab a copy.

Men with Beautiful Eyes

2012-01-01T18:51:00.000-08:00

This is a photograph of the young Theodore Roosevelt

Beautiful eyes (and lips).

But much later:

There's got to be some mistake, surely? It doesn't even look like the same person. I know time is a killer, lookswise, but I still can't see it.

Update (hold the front page...): yup -- it is him, alright. I guess most politicians are well past the first bloom of youth by the time they have official photographs taken.

Source: History Crushes

Big Pants

2012-01-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

I find this image sort of sweetly innocent.
Source

Beats Judge Judy

2012-01-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

Source

I'm kidding -- nothing beats Judge Judy.

Evelyn McHale

2012-01-01T15:49:00.000-08:00

This is the iconic, haunting image of Evelyn McHale, who in 1947 leapt to her death from the top of the Empire State Building, shortly after a meeting with her fiance, ex-GI Barry Rhodes. She landed on top of a parked car and was quickly photographed by a passing photography student.

The image is disturbing on a number of levels: her look of serenity and composure is often mentioned, her beauty, the fact that she looks as if she took some time with her appearance before her leap - the lipstick, that appears to be newly applied...

She left a note behind on the observation deck -- the words read:

"I don’t want anyone in or out of my family to see any part of me. Could you destroy my body by cremation? I beg of you and my family – don’t have any service for me or remembrance for me. ~~My fiance asked me to marry him in June.I don’t think I would make a good wife for anybody. He is much better off without me. Tell my father, I have too many of my mother’s tendencies."~~

The note does little to explain why she felt so bad that she decided to leap a thousand feet to her death. Given that she is probably the most famous 'jumper' from the Empire State Building, and the iconic nature of that image, it is surprising that there is very little information on her life and a surprising lack of speculation on the reasons for her suicide. The line that may be of some significance is 'Tell my father, I have too many of my mother’s tendencies.". It seems that her mother left the family, apparently for 'material' reasons when Evelyn and her siblings were still children, leaving their father to bring then up on his own. Had Evelyn met another man but could not contemplate 'abandoning' her fiance or was there a whole other untold story behind the image of what some have called the 'saddest photograph''.

Source

A Fat Girl's Guide

2012-01-01T05:49:00.000-08:00

That is the title of a website I found when I was doing some research on hairstyles (along the layers/no layers line).

Now, I was uncomfortable even writing that title. A special guide? People over a certain weigh can't just use general guides -- they need a special 'fat' guide?

And 'fat' -- lets face it -- it is usually seen as an insult, a derogatory term. Okay, even those us us who are within the medically defined 'healthy' weight range may sometimes 'feel fat' and we might occasionally voice this to friends and family. But unless a person is undeniably morbidly obese then I guess the usual response would be along the lines of 'don't be stupid -- you look lovely' (like you can't be lovely and fat) or 'stop putting yourself down'. I occasionally make little off-the-cuff 'fat' comments about myself in relation to clothing and I'm not even technically overweight -- just short and not supermodel skinny.

But wait -- read this from The Fat Girl's Guide to Living: a life hacker for the full-figured set:

The Fat Girl’s Guide to Living is a lifestyle blog created for and by overweight women who are tired of missing out on really living because of internal and external weight-related pressures and self-perceptions.
If you’re like us, you’ve put off countless things – vacations, sports, new careers, even meeting new people – until you’ve reached an ideal number on the scale or fit back into the jeans you wore in high school. But getting there can be a long road, right? And that road is full of lots of opportunities for a fun, fulfilling life in the meantime. Why miss them?

And this from the FAQ

Isn’t it politically incorrect to call someone a “fat girl?”

Maybe, but we’re here to get real, and the tell-it-like-it-is approach is embedded in our mission. Fat is just another word that describes our physical selves, like tall or serious or brunette, and I’d love to see it stripped of its power to make us feel bad. So rather than be embarrassed or imprisoned by it, we plan to have some fun with it.

So, not so bad then? I like the 'stripped of its power' part. And not being 'imprisoned' by the very word. And leaving the semantics aside, the site is a good read: full of information and practical advice on beauty, health, relationships and most other topics which are of interest to women. Some of it is specific to weight-related issues but a lot of it is applicable to most people. Best of all is the message not to put one's life on hold until a weight-loss goal is achieved.

Ice Station

2012-01-01T01:29:00.000-08:00

My insomnia has kicked in again, so while you are all asleep in your cosy beds I'm reading Lora Koenig's blog from the Greenland summit.

I don't even know how I found the site -- one minute I was checking out Face Hunter then I'm somehow reading about how scientists survive in Arctic conditions. Not that I've read much (yet) about the actual science: I was much more interested in the practicalities of it -- the how-do-they-avoid-freezing-to-death aspect of it all. But being scientists, they found solutions to the man vs the elements problem.

Here's Lora, all dressed up in her going-out gear:

That little ensemble is not too far away from a look I sported myself when I ventured out to the local shops last winter (one benefit of this excessive padding is that you feel quite skinny once you get indoors and peel off all the layers).

These scientists are so well-organised that they even managed a Christmas tree...

... made out of a bamboo stick pyramid.

I am going to read more about the science of the whole thing (I don't just watch Big Bang Theory merely for the love of Sheldon, you know) but I've been wondering if the participants have to go through rigorous psychological testing before they are sent out to these camps. My mind automatically goes into Horror Film mode and I'm thinking: a bunch of strangers, stuck in an isolated, inhospitable place, with little chance of a speedy exit...

But seriously -- and I was joking -- I think these guys are pretty good role models for kids: using skills they gained over years of study for the cause of scientific advancement and the possible benefit for mankind (I know science can be used for evil but go with me here...). Their life seems meaningful and purposeful and miles away (literally) from that of desperate 'celebrities' who sell their souls for a few weeks of fame.

Is Amazon Invincible?

2011-12-31T23:34:00.000-08:00

Seeming not. Almighty Amazon work on a very tight profit margin and -- thanks partly to their recent investment in digital content and the Kindle Fire Tablet -- sales may be soaring but actual profits are not. Amazon profit concern.

Tokyo Street Style: Two Men

2011-12-29T14:24:00.000-08:00

Two men but two entirely different looks:

The man in the bottom photograph looks a lot younger than the other man -- I wonder if he'll go all conventional when he gets older or whether he'll still play around with different looks.

Flattering Hairstyles

2011-12-29T13:44:00.000-08:00

I like this girl's hairstyle:

.. and her nail polish -- but not so much the ring. The outfit looks really good on her but could have a sack-of-potatoes-tied-in-the-middle effect on someone with a different body type. For some reason I'm thinking The Wolves of Willoughby Chase: the woods/snow/hood, etc -- but probably because I've finally got the dvd and if nothing gets in the way I'm going to watch it tonight. I saw the end of it on television years ago and always wanted to see the whole thing. And -- someone has (foolishly) left a half-full box of liquorice allsorts lying here unattented. Will they never learn? Ah, it doesn't take much to make me happy.

Messy Bun

2011-12-28T22:11:00.000-08:00

A messy bun tutorial -- and a great little blog too.

Headmistress Dress

2011-12-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

This dress is from Anna October at Farfetch:

I showed this picture to someone here and he said, "Looks like something a headmistress would wear -- and kind of scratchy...".

But he had not seen the back:

I think this dress comes under the got-to-be-tall-and-thin-to-wear-it-well category. If one (me) is not tall and not that thin then a 'frumpy from the front' and 'what the hell was she thinking' from the back' scenario could be a distinct possibility. But I still like the dress.

The Age of the Pawnbroker

2011-12-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

A sign of the times -- looks like the number of pawnbrokers will be on the increase. So the average high street = pawnbrokers, Pound shops, fast food chains, charity shops...

Fantasy Fashion

2011-12-27T21:24:00.000-08:00

Great little film from the British Film Institute. A 1940's woman has some civvy-street fashion dreams:

Strange Vintage Photograph

2011-12-27T18:41:00.000-08:00

What's going on here? Truly freaky.

I love when I find a new (to me) vintage photgraphy blog.

Creepy Doll

2011-12-27T18:21:00.000-08:00

Right now I'm feeling it will be 2020 before I get all the items loaded on to the store. So many tiny little things -- I mean hundreds and hundreds of them.
I like doing the antique doll parts, like this one:

Seriously weird eyes..

Best Hair Styles

2011-12-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

According to Handbag.com Natalie Portman is a hair icon: she can pull off most styles, including blonde and bald. They suggest this is a perfect Louise Brooks type bob.

I beg to differ, though -- she looks great, it is a good bob -- but not near sharp enough for a classic QUEEN-OF-ALL-BOBS Louise Brooks 'do' at the height of her fame.

Though maybe not too far from the bob sported by the younger Brook;

Just how lovely was she -- but what was with that right eyebrow?

Image from I Am Heathcliff

Stuck in Customs

2011-12-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

I would never have guessed that this was taken in New York city. The image is taken from Stuck in Customs -- I could spend all day on that site.

Bad Christmas Photographs

2011-12-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

Reminds me of my darling sister (she never would lie still...).

Looks like he may have an evil twin down there...

Possibly one of those seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time ideas that really, really wasn't.

All from the unmissable Awkward Family Photos site.

World's Greatest Inventions

2011-12-22T07:04:00.000-08:00

Samantha Weiberg at Intelligent Life magazine argues that the Web is the world's greatest invention. I agree that the benefits of the Web are manifold (ooh -- get me) but the potential for corruption (financial and political) is also great. The benefits of the ease and speed of dissemination of information are obvious but it is also clear that there are increasing attempts to control the information available to us and to harvest yet more data from users. Further attempts to monetise access also looks to be a future worringly trend.

Leaving aside the major issue of Government involvement in the information flow, I'm now getting belated jitters about search engines. The results we get from a Google search, for instance, are more and more less 'neutral' and increasingly targeted and paid for. I know I'm stating the obvious here and the average five-year-old probably knew that from way-back but I've been embarrassingly slow on the uptake when it comes to that disquieting fact. I've been so in love with Google that I was blind to the idea that they could possibly turn 'evil'. I saw Google as a nice geeky bunch of big brother types (it is how it looked from La La Land) but now I'm thinking more along the lines of Big Brother and a relentless pursuit of the Almighty Dollar.

So, I've something else to worry about now -- I just wish I'd remained in blissful ignorance for a little longer. You could have kept a watchful eye on the situation and made sure powers were curbed whilst I could have concentrated on re-reading I Captured the Castle and watching yet more of There She Is:

Bizarre Deaths: Gwili Andre

2011-12-22T06:10:00.000-08:00

The beautiful Gwili Andre -- a Danish model who desperately wanted to make it big in movies. She had some success in the early 1930's but her career took a dozedive for some reason and she hit the bottle. At the age of 51 she committed suicide in her apartment by surrounding herself with her own publicity materials and setting fire to them.

Image via this great Tumblr blog

Not That Fugly

2011-12-22T04:27:00.000-08:00

I know the Fugly girls are usually always right but I quite like this 'ensemble'. At least its not identikit boring (perhaps falling into the so-bad-it-is-almost-good category).

Well, I Needed a Laugh

2011-12-22T03:56:00.000-08:00

You might have already heard this but I've only just discovered it:

Real break-up letter

I love it that the narrator gets the giggles on a few occasions when he's reading this and nearly forgets to use his scary put-on voice (at least I hope that is a put-on voice...).

And the reason I needed a laugh is that I'm finding the News so depressing just now. I'm going to have a couple of weeks off from reading and thinking about the bloody economy, wars, potential wars, abusers of all kinds, natural disasters, man-made disasters, bigots, muggers, corrupt politicians, the human condition, Google Instant.

In Their Closet: Too-High Boots

2011-12-17T14:19:00.000-08:00

One of the writers over at the In Their Closet blog near-enough fell into a dead faint looking at these Burberry Prorsum ankle boots:

She/he states "it can’t get much better than these if you think design meets function". Seemingly, these babies are selling out, even at over $1000 a pop. I don't hate them (the design part) but they fall down on function, as far as I'm concerned. This is because of one of the strange little idiosyncrasies I have (one of very many). Basically, I've got to be able to walk in boots -- in all weathers. Probably comes from being brought up in the wilds of Scotland, where wellies were the normal foot attire for half the year. Boots (of any kind) with great big spindly heels just trigger some some of this-is-not-the way-it-should-be jarring cognitive dissonance type effect. So, I get that the function here is to 'look good' but I can't get past the mile-high heel aspect of them.

But boots like this were never meant for the likes of me: leaving aside the hefty price tag, there is also the question of lifestyle to be taken into account. Someone wearing these boots will not be sullying the soles in a manner such as I (i.e. walking anywhere). No, it will be straight into the cab or limo -- an hour or so of being 'seen' then back to being transported about again. So, no boot-lust here.

A Tale of Two Halfs: Cut-out Dress and Granny Trousers

2011-12-17T11:11:00.000-08:00

A cut-out dress, as worn by Rooney Mara. Kind of strange from the hips down.

Chloe Sevigny -- quite like the top half, hate the shoes and the granny trousers (the trousers probably only look this way because of the ghastly shoes -- might be okay with flats).

Source: whowhatwear.

Pond Moonlight

2011-12-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

I've just come across this an image of the photograph The Pond Moonlight, taken in 1906 by Edward Steichen:

The photograph sold in 2006 for what was then a record-breaking $2.9 million. What a beautifully haunting image but when I first saw it I thought it must be a painting; it doesn't look 'real' somehow.
Steichen was also responsible for a large number of fashion photographs of models and celebrities in the early part of the 20th century, including this famous image of a young Gloria Swanson;

See more of Steichen's photographs here.

Historical Beauties

2011-12-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

The people at Hotties from History haven't updated their site for a while -- probably too busy "tripping over their pearls" but there's enough there to make a visit worthwhile and I do like their writing style.

There's no questioning the hotness credentials of these two:

Mercedes de Acosta

Lady Randolph Churchill

But...

Henryk Flame -- whoa -- he's just too pretty.

Vintage Christmas Cards

2011-12-11T11:39:00.001-08:00

Looks like that reindear is thinking evil thoughts.
source

The two above or e-cards available from The Liverpool Museum -- I like these -- might get some.

People Are Too Scared To Buy Gifts This Christmas

2011-12-10T21:07:00.001-08:00

.. or too skint. Honestly, I've never seen anything like it. Even people who are not too badly affected by the current economic crisis seem to be holding back. I've bought ... nothing so far and there are only two weeks until Christmas.

But I do that -- rush out like a maniac on Christmas Eve, in a gift/food buying frenzy. It is part of the overall Christmasy fun. Christmas is going to be great this year -- there WILL BE SNOW and we will be all cozy and warm and basking in a comforting glow brought about by the sense of we-are-all-in-this-together camaraderie generated by the economic ills affecting this sweet land.

I know we're not all really in this together and that some people are doing very well out of the current situation, but I'm just not going to think about that just now, as I don't want to ruin my feel-good Christmas cheer.

Odd Molly Hat

2011-12-10T20:30:00.001-08:00

I think most of the clothes on Odd Molly are not for me -- but this Pigtail Beanie?

I like it. But it costs £125. Maybe I'll start knitting.

Life in the 1920's

2011-12-10T16:56:00.001-08:00

I loved this so much -- especially the seaside and the fashions -- and 'the car made for women'.
And the policeman measuring hem lengths and the colour part and --- oh, just everything.

Stars When They Were Young: John Wayne

2011-12-10T14:22:00.001-08:00

The young John Wayne -- I think he was in his twenties here. And surprisingly attractive. Interesting article on The Big Trail, Wayne's first major film role.

Adrian

2011-12-10T10:55:00.001-08:00

I didn't know the late Hollywood designer Adrian designed Dorothy's famous ruby slippers.

Or that he was married to Janet Gaynor (generally thought of as a lavender marriage). I do love her mad hair (image from here):

Adrian 'dressed the best' in the major Hollywood years, including designing the dresses for the original 1939 version of The Women (a film I love but somehow lost in my big move down South). He was also responsible for the best-selling 'Letty Lynton' dress (named after the almost-impossible-to-find film of that name):

-- which has an undeniable net-curtain quality about it in this image -- but copies of it were sell-out at the time.

Despite the fact that Adrian was responsible for setting many trends which now define perceptions of 1930's and 1940's Hollywood style, very little information about him is available via the internet. There's this Book:

Available through Amazon (I'm still like a crazed person there -- buy, buy, buying like I've never heard the words recession/depression. But it is mainly Kindle, and some mp3 downloads ... and a bunch of old movies... Does that count as extravagant? Will I regret my financial wild abandon when I'm queueing up at the soup kitchen?).

The book might be worth it for the images alone but it seems to be a little short on personal detail, as far as I can work out.

L A in the 1920's

2011-12-10T10:36:00.001-08:00

Amazing piece of film of Los Angeles in the 1920's.

Hard Times Come Again No More

2011-12-09T08:59:00.001-08:00

Mavis Staples Hard Times Come Again No More -- beautiful, poignant but let's hope not to relevant to the present-day economic situation.

Posh Paints

2011-12-08T18:58:00.001-08:00

Intelligent Life (excellent but hard-to-find magazine) looks at the merits or otherwise of posh paints.

Farrow & Ball's Elephant's Breath -- my love affair with this shade continues unabated (and no, it is not just because of the name -- it is quiet,subdued, smudgey and perfect).

Vintage Christmas

2011-12-08T18:45:00.001-08:00

No-one I know has started their Christmas shopping; neither have I. I'm not sure what we're all waiting for -- money, perhaps... But if we don't get things posted off soon to relatives in far-off places it might just be too late to make it for the Big Day.
The Telegraph on Vintage Christmas posters

Seasteading

2011-12-07T09:09:00.001-08:00

Interesting article in the Economist on self-ruling, floating cities.

Daily Mail Insults Older Women Again

2011-12-05T12:30:00.001-08:00

I know I don't have to read the Daily Mail but I check out most newspapers every day and I've noticed a definite theme in their articles on celebrities: 'older' women (anyone over the age of around thirty) are constantly insulted because they are 'ageing' or committing the mutton-dressed-as-lamb sin. The latest two celebrities on the DM hit list are Kim Cattrall and Madonna -- who appeared at a recent event 'apparently showing of their true age' as 'their inevitable ageing was obvious".

Bloody hell.

First of all, they both look pretty good to me and secondly -- just how damaging to women is all this scrutiny and negative commentary on looks in relation to age. Women in general have long had pressure to look what is generally believed to be attractive but the additional pressure on female celebrities must be tremendous. No wonder so many of them head for the knife or have themselves pumped full of botox. But, of course they are damned if they do and damned if they don't -- because they have either let themselves go (cue unflattering pictures of wrinkles and cellulite) or they are desperately and unsuccessfully trying to hang on to a lost youth.

The odd article of this type is probably to be expected and I do sometimes go in for a certain amount of celebrity-bashing myself but the Daily Mail is obsessed with this subject to a degree not seen elsewhere. Daily Mail ageist reporting.

Stars When They Were Young: Jane Fonda

2011-12-03T14:25:00.001-08:00

What the deuce?

Via I am Heathcliff

Petit Paris Shop

2011-12-02T04:02:00.001-08:00

Petit Paris is another of my favourite online stores. The currency system (Euro and Yen) looks a bit confusing but it is not too difficult to work out. And they deliver to the United Kingdom.
Here's a great little hat for kids:

And this for bigger girls -- I like this one a lot.

Old Chemist Shop Signs

2011-12-02T03:12:00.001-08:00

I love these old chemist shop signs -- available at Watt & Pew

In fact, I think I also love Watt & Pew -- a great little shop for something that is high quality but a little bit different.

Steve McQueen's Motorcycle

2011-12-02T01:19:00.001-08:00

Among all the bad economic news which now bombards us on a daily basis it was good to read that the British motorcycle firm Triumph reported increased sales and profits last year. They have now announced they are bringing out a new range next year, including the Steve McQueen Special.

I don't need to reach for my crystal ball to forecast that their order books will be full to bursting.

Star Trek vs Star Wars

2011-12-01T08:23:00.001-08:00

As much as I hate to put a link to the Daily Mail again -- I've just come across an item on the which-one-was-the-best 'argument' thats going on between William Shatner and Carrie Fisher. Seems like good-natured banter about the comparative merits of Star Wars and Star Trek special effects and who had best weathered the ravages of time. Fisher boasted about the superiority of her 'space buns' and has challenged Shatner to squeeze into his old Captain Kirk uniform.

Shatner retaliated by bragging about his muscles and 'insulting' Fisher about her relative youth ("what are you --39?") but also suggests that it would not be a good idea for her to don a bikini again.

So Star Wars or Star Trek? Both, obviously but if I had to make a choice Star Trek would win, hands down. But more for the original television series than the films and spin-offs (though some of them were pretty good too). The less-than-convincing special effects of the original series were part of its charm and I love the whole world within a world thing it had going on. And Captain James T Kirk what a man -- Princess Leia's buns just can't compete.

Star Trek vs Star Wars

Ear Stretching -- why do people do it?

2011-12-01T04:09:00.001-08:00

I'm pretty keen on facial piercings and body tattoos but don't really get the whole ear stretching thing -- here is a link to ten people's experience of it. Ear Stretching.

Wolves Of Willoughby Chase

2011-12-01T03:12:00.001-08:00

The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase is one of those films which I loved, forgot about then couldn't find when I did remember (award for the Clear as Mud category...). The film is set during the fictional reign of King James III -- when wolves roamed the countryside, terrorising the locals.

The film is finally out on DVD which is a good and bad thing for me, as I've been hitting Amazon like a maniac recently. My excuse/theory is that the current recession is causing the populace so much psychological damage that we have upped our spending on 'affordable' escapism (either on comforting things or 'safe terror'.

The Jackal vs the Lion

2011-12-01T02:56:00.001-08:00

There's something a bit heartening when the little guy takes on the big guy -- and they don't come much bigger than the King of the Jungle (or in this case the Ongava research Centre in Namibia).

See more of Ken Stratfords award-winning image ont the BBC'S Wildlife Magazine.

Old Tower Bridge Photographs

2011-11-30T00:34:00.001-08:00

These images of the construction of Tower bridge are from old photographs found dumped in a skip. via Daily Mail

The Woodentops and Andy Pandy BBC 1950's

2011-11-27T11:21:00.001-08:00

Days of innocence -- BBC childrens' television programmes from the 1950's.

London 1902

2011-11-27T10:49:00.001-08:00

So the roads in London were choc-a-bloc even way back when horse-drawn carriages were the main means of transportation (there's one little car, that appears near the end of the film). No pedestrain crossings, it appears -- people seem to be taking chances, diving through little gaps in the traffic.

Ventriloquist Dummy

2011-11-26T20:25:00.001-08:00

Lovely. I don't know why I do this to myself. I'm just off to check under the bed, behind the curtains... Share my pain.

via Found in Mom's Basement

1950's Beauty

2011-11-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

I'd so love to go to a salon like this:

Great Smiles: Yuri Gagarin

2011-10-30T08:50:00.000-07:00

The Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin -- famous for his lovely smile, in addition to other more important things.

Bend over!

2011-10-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

Ye Gods...

Source Retrozone

A Very Cute Little Zakka Purse

2011-10-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

Yet another cute little purse we made for our store:

Very Cute Little Purse.

The Insects' Christmas

2011-10-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

The Insects' Christmas (1913) "Rozhdestvo obitateley lesa" (Wladyslaw Starewicz) Russian Stop-Motion

Everything is amazing here -- including the music.

Tamara Karsavina

2011-10-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

The Russian ballet dancer Tamara Karsavina -- photograph taken around 1910.

I found this YouTube video of Karsavina practicing:

It might just be the film but she looks a lot heavier than modern day dancers -- strange to think that she probably wouldn't have a chance in todays dance world.

Le Train Bleu

2011-10-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

Le Train Bleu is always interesting -- great for finding non run-of-the-mill clothing and accessories. I've just had a little look and found this top:

Mmm... looks perhaps as if there may be an itchy factor there but it is a soft knit, so probably not. Love it no matter what -- and it does have that 1940's/50's knitwear look. Heathered Sweater Blouse at Le Train Bleu (great shop name).

Pretty Colors

2011-10-04T03:20:00.000-07:00

Pretty colours and their codes . via Pretty Colors

Pincurls

2011-10-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

When pincurls were all the rage. And who is that in the mirror?

via here (site is in Swedish but worth a visit, even if you don't steak the language).

The 1930's Depression

2011-10-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

If they were looking for a room I hope they found a decent one and were happy.

Stars When They Were Young: Charlie Chaplin 2

2011-10-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

A handsome chap, you might agree.

via here

James Dean Screen Test

2011-10-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm obsessed with Jimmy Dean -- but I'm in such good company.

Men's Vintage Bathing Suits

2011-10-03T11:12:00.000-07:00

And this one:

Yes well, it might just be me but it looks as if this guy got a little too enthusiastic with the sock-stuffing...

Via here

Stars When They Were Young: James Dean

2011-10-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

James Dean as a teen -- I think we can see what was to come here.
image via here

Stars When They Were Young: Charlie Chaplin

2011-10-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

Now I know its him I can see it -- the mouth mainly -- but still far away from the little tramp.

via National Media Museum

Another Old Christmas Cartoon

2011-10-02T18:23:00.001-07:00

End of Summer

2011-10-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

Technically, it must now be Autumn but it still feels like summer here. Another blasting hot day but I'm indoors, with the place all to myself. I love that -- when everyone goes out and I can ~~go through their things~~ just relax on my own (though I ended up spending most of the time working on my computer).
Someone said again tonight -- enjoy this weather while you can, a long brutal winter is on its way.

I'm not ready to say goodbye to summer. I've been working so hard that I've missed most of these summer days. Tomorrow I might take some time off and go drink in one of the last summer days.
Here's an image of a beach on Coney Island, on a warm summer's day a very long time ago.

Oh yes, we love vintage images...

2011-10-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

These images are from the Miss Modish blog -- where (among other things) you'll find some great pics from the Oregon State University archive. There's also some more wonderful photo booth photographs (which I think I'm becoing semi-obsessed by...).

Christmas Cartoon -- Peace on Earth

2011-10-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

1939 Peace on Earth cartoon

A Fool There Was

2011-10-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

Part of a 1915 silent movie starring Theda Bara as a temptress who entices a married man away from his family. Nothing changes...

The Other Woman

2011-10-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

The Silent Movie Blog has a nice little story to go with this image.

1950's Christmas Parade

2011-09-30T17:55:00.001-07:00

Paris Metro

2011-09-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

Demolition of the Paris Metro

via here

Vintage Photo Booths

2011-09-30T05:18:00.000-07:00

Ye olde vintage photobrooths are making a comeback, it seems -- with people hiring them for weddings, etc. The images above are vintage, though (1940's and 1930's). These are from Vintage Photo -- another excellent Tumblr blog. I could honestly spend all day on Tumblr; sometimes I think I'd like to do that very thing -- become a couch potato and spend all day watching Bridezilla and overdosing on photos of dead people. Beats retail.

Weird Doll

2011-09-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

Not a very clear image but I thought it was worth it to get a look at the weird doll.

Victorian Family Photograph

2011-09-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

I'm a flea market fiend and one of the first things I look at is old photographs. There is something sad/intriguing about them -- moments of time in the lives of (usually) anonymous strangers.

Someone had written the names on the back: Papa, mother, Amy, Sam, Charlie...

Hot Dead Men

2011-09-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

See My Daguerreotype Boyfriend -- "where Early Photographs meets Extreme Hotness".

Adele's Voice

2011-09-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

As I write this I have Adele's Someone Like You blasting in my head. To me and millions of others Adele's voice seems stunningly beautiful but I thought I'd do a little check to see how technically special it is compared to other singers. Ranking the Voices of 10 Women in Pop

Awkward family Photographs

2011-09-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

This image is from Awkward Family Photographs. I was in such a rush to share it with you that I didn't check to see where the images came from. Hopefully it is the subjects themselves who submit them. Anything else would be too cruel -- but very funny (laugh? I nearly split a seam). That look was probably all the rage back then and the reason the 'Mom' is slightly keeling over to one side is because she lost a couple of night's sleep sweating over a sewing machine. The things parents do to for their kids, eh?

2011-09-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

I'm still loving tumblr, though it is probably going to make me lazy about blogging using the written word. Images and a sentence or two are a lot easier and more 'effective' on a lot of levels. Anyway, I keep finding images/people of interest there. This guy is talented and funny.

Away with the Fairies

2011-08-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

Last night I was rushing about putting things together for a market I thought we were doing today -- and at the very last moment I decided to check dates. Turns out the market is next week and I only just missed a wasted journey and tons of flack from my Sunday-morning helpers. I think my heads is too full just now: mainly of the new vintage-inspired designs I'm working on -- that's the happy stuff -- but also countless little worries.

I'm a big worrier: sometimes I worry that I'm not worried enough. Like I've got to concentrate on the worry-in-hand just to prevent a worse-case-scenario (yes, the power of my mind will keep the aircraft from spiralling out of control...).

Anyway, I just came across an image of a bunch of people who look as if they don't have a care in the world -- butt naked and apparently not giving a hoot...

Long Gone

2011-07-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

This is a really old photograph but there's something almost contemporary about this man, I think. His arm looks a bit strange, though -- extra long (and that's a load of fabric around his middle). But there's something about his expression that seems familiar somehow.

Up and running...

2011-07-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

I've just had a quick look through this blog and realised I didn't give an update on our re-location to Brighton. Well we finally got a house and it is the size of a walk-in wardrobe but it does feel like home. We're just in the initial stages of re-starting the business and it's all very frustrating, as I want things to happen now but everything seems to take an age (we've got tons of items to put on the web shop but hardly any of it is photographed yet -- as the actual 'making' has to be a priority just now).

Fernard Khnopff

2011-07-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

This painting is by Fernard Khnopff. Khnopff's work is quite wide-ranging but a lot of it is creepy as hell (but in a good way). See more here.

Weird Cat

2011-07-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

This cat gives me the creeps -- if the image was any bigger I'd be running screaming out of the room (I might do that anyway -- for reasons I will not divulge at present).

Monkeything

2011-07-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

So now I'm putting images on both Flickr and Tumblr. I've just put Monkeything on . Feel the fear |(you're five years old...).