Vintage Tat

The Elephant, The Pony and The Rabbit :: Hornbecker // Cano Cafenol // No flashI went vintage shopping a few weeks ago with Kitty who was after an 80s dress in the taffeta, ruched, puffy bridesmaid style typical of the era. Our trawl through all the vintage boutiques and secondhand shops on Chapel St in Windsor brought us eventually to Round Helen’s. (Formerly ‘Fat Helen’s’, the ‘Fat’ has been crossed out and replaced with the more friendly adjective.)

While Kitty was inside the rusty tin space rocket (the changing room) trying on a number of frocks, I was busily photographing all the bric-a-brac and tat on the glass shelves all around me. The somewhat addled young shop assistant nervously tittered about Princess Diana, and what an influential icon she had been (in a tone that suggested that though she was far removed from such reverence, she was quite adept at making cultural observations).

Shy Di :: Hornbecker // Cano Cafenol // No flashAs her eyes darted about from one thing to another, I edged surreptitiously away from her until Kitty emerged somewhat dishevelled from the cramped quarters of the space vessel. There were some promising candidates, but we made good our escape. And fortunately Kitty was to find her destiny in one of the other junk shops further down the street. 

China Ladies :: Hornbecker // Cano Cafenol // No flashCinderella’s Coach :: Hornbecker // Cano Cafenol // No flash

Green Fashion

Canadian Vogue, 1948Green used to be my favourite colour. I still really like it, although I don’t wear it so much. This Canadian Vogue cover from 1948 certainly caught my eye though, in a random Google search. The light filtering through the tree overhead is just beautiful, immediately evoking lazy summer days. It reminds me of Javier Vallhonrat’s photography. 

The cover prompted me to search out a few more distinctive and equally green vintage Vogues. And what do they all have in common (besides the obvious)? That’s right: virtually NO COVERLINES! Those vintage editors let the beautiful imagery do the talking.

Sigh. They just don’t design ’em like they used to, do they?

An irresistible illustration by Cecil Beaton, apparently executed on wrapping paper, Vogue 1395The tail end of the Belle Époque, Vogue 1913Divine Art Deco minimalism between the Wars, Vogue 1932Newly minted green, Vogue 1961

I’ll Be Bound!

Image from Rebecca Newport, found on Flickr. Click for link.Yesterday at work I had a slightly unusual task: I had to create the book binding for some nineteenth century books used as props in MTC’s upcoming production of The Importance of Being Earnest.

This entailed printing onto canvas, using our large-format printer. The special roll of canvas is coated in paper in order to accept ink. This means that over time, if the objects are handled a lot, they will lose their matt appearance and become glossy.

I was given image files from the Costume Realiser Tracy Grant-Lord, but it proved no easy task to reproduce the desired ‘warm, peachy look’ that director Simon Phillips so admired, for the colours that came out of the printer in no way matched the laser prints I had been given for reference. I spent the entire morning colour-correcting in Photoshop and printing test samples, before finally managing to print very reasonable facsimiles that Tracy was thrilled with.

Hop To It

Image from Furniture Fair Online

I adore this little vintage-style bunny lamp! I’ve seen it in the windows of quite a few childrenswear stores, along with some very cute red and white-spotted toadstools. It’s a cross between cute kiddie lamp and sculpture; its plush shape begs to be caressed.

I’ve only gone past the shops well after closing-time – when it’s night and the lamps are lit up – so I don’t know if they are merely for display or if the stores actually sell them. The single online retailer I’ve managed to track down is Liberty of London, and then one would have to worry about the correct wiring for Australia. It might just have to light up my daydreams for the moment. 

Swap Cards and Card Sharks

A wood of snowdrops, a childhood favourite. Image: superminx

Today’s glorious weather instantly reminded me of summer holidays, and childhood, and, by a convoluted route, collecting swap cards. 

I had a huge collection of swap cards, and among my favourites (and every little girl that I knew) were the Sarah Kays. If you managed to swap an inferior card for one of those, you could be considered a serious trader, a force to be reckoned with. Holly Hobby cards on the other hand were second-rate, the poor man’s version of Sarah Kay. I disdained them. 

A selection of Sarah Kay cards. My sister Star would write amusing captions on the reverse, in the style of a family album: “Joseph and Deb on their first date”. Image: superminx

But I was not always so canny. When I first started out as a swap-carder, I fell into the hands of a card shark, a seven-year-old swindler who took advantage of my extreme youth (I was about five). She fast-talked me into swapping some covetable card for a gaudy piece of tinsel (possibly a playing card masquerading as a swap card). Luckily, one of my cousins was keeping an eye on me, and no sooner than she discovered the sting, she swooped upon the unhappy perpetrator and with much haranguing made her swap it back. After that I learned. 

See more in the Flickr group 1970s Vintage Swap Cards.