Clowning Around
Girls in pierrot costume, 1920s; from ‘maclancy’ on Etsy (photograph sold)
A little while ago, when I came across these adorable vintage shoes on Etsy, I was inspired to hunt around for other historical uses of pompoms. This lead me on a trail of Pierrots.
Pierrot is the sad clown of pantomime, originating in the late 17th century with the Comédie-Italienne, a troupe of players. He pines his heart away for love of Columbine, who more often than not abandons him for her lover, Harlequin. He is characterised of course with this most familiar costume of a loose white blouse with large buttons (or pompoms) and wide pantaloons. Sometimes he sports an Elizabethan-style frilled collaret, and at times a black skullcap.
Scroll down to see my favourite of the vintage Pierrots I discovered, all clad in variations of this delightful costume. (Click for larger images.*)
Pierrot and Columbine; from allsorts.typepad.com
Poster; from scrapologie.blogs.com
Carnevale, 1956; from ‘mario 044’ on Flickr
Illustration by Frances Brundage, 1908; from www.vintagepostcards.org
Clowns from Le Marseillaise Studio; from clowningaround.tumblr.com
Pierrot dancer, 1930; my-ear-trumpet.tumblr.com
Edwardian girl; from ‘lovedaylemon’ on Flickr
Actress Madge Rossmore; from scrapologie.blogs.com
Pierrot laughing, 1855; from www.metmuseum.org
Pierrot with his Columbine, 1920; from eclektic.tumblr.com*Apologies, I cannot supply two links with images saved as thumbnails. Please contact me if you would like the exact URL.
Pierrot’s Pompoms
1920s boudoir slippers, found on Etsy at vintageflowers
Yesterday, whilst researching on Etsy for a future SNAP post (how lucky my research is transposable with window-shopping!), I came across these sweet little antique 1920s boudoir slippers. Unfortunately, their petite size makes me feel like Cinderella’s sister. I love the colour combination – strawberry and vanilla ice cream – and the pink rosette. It reminds me of a chrysanthemum, or the pompoms a pierrot would have on his costume.
So I had a look on Etsy for shoe clips, but no-one makes roses quite like this. I’m not much of a seamstress, and I forget the official designation of this hollow piping is, but I know where I can lay my hands on some. My recent success with the feather headdress encourages me to try my hand at making these.
Edwardian child with mandolinel image from lovedaylemon, Flickr
In Graphic Detail
A very many years ago, while shopping with a friend on Grand Final Day (Australia’s equivalent of the Superbowl), I pounced gleefully on a stack of picture romances in a vintage store. Since the streets were empty and Rapunzel and I were the only ones left alive in the world after the football-toting zombies attacked, I didn’t have to fight anyone off for ownership. (Zombies don’t read much.)
I constrained myself to only four however ($10 worth) – that was really enough to fully appreciate this new-found genre of the ‘All-Picture Novel’. I rediscovered them the other night on a (shockingly dusty) shelf at the very top of my bookcase.
While I was scanning the first few spreads of For You, My Love, I entertained myself by reading a little of Queen of the Pops. I was very soon shouting with outraged laughter – what a lot of sexist moralising! As disquieting as watching Mad Men for the first time.
Here’s a couple of samples:
“You can make yourself Britain’s Number One girl vocalist. Doesn’t that mean more than romance?”
“Corny, you’re hopeless. To a girl there are much more important things than money and success.”
My, how times have changed. And:
His words brought a rush of blood to Merry’s cheeks. “From now on consider me your number one fan.” Then suddenly, impulsively, he took her in her arms and kissed her. “I – er – couldn’t help myself.”
I have no words. Just pictures. Scroll down. (Click on images for larger versions.)
THE COVERS
FOR YOU, MY LOVE
My goodness! It’s a veritable cliffhanger. What will happen next, I wonder?
Year of the Water Dragon
Happy Chinese New Year! It’s the Year of the Water Dragon, a symbol of power from heaven. Also known as the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, Melbourne is celebrating it until February 5, with street stalls, firecrackers, lion dances and dragon parades, and lots more traditional and contemporary Chinese cultural activities. (Check out the website for more details.)
I’m celebrating it today with this lovely vintage poster advertising Club Cosmetics. Isn’t she just gorgeous? The model carries a feather fan, on the handle of which is the Chinese symbol of longevity. I purchased this, and one other poster, in Hong Kong’s Cat Street Markets five years ago. I was delighted to find them, for I had always admired these Oriental posters of the 50s and 60s.
Still on my shopping list, a vintage cheongsam – to replace the embroidered oyster satin one I stupidly donated to charity years ago (I plead a temporary fit of closet-clearing).