Postcards from Portugal

Recently, I was rearranging my home-office, which forced me to do some sorting and tidying and chucking-out. During this tedious process I came across a bag (shoved under my desk) of ephemera collected on my overseas trip to Spain, Portugal and Morocco years ago.

I kept the travel journal (naturally) and a few other design-related items like these reproductions of quaint vintage postcards, and threw out the remainder.

Unfortunately the reverse sides of the postcards are singularly uninformative, with only the words ‘Publicidade e ilustração, Portugal século XX’, along with an obscure edition number and web address that goes to a blog about unique engagement rings.

Fado is a traditional style of Portuguese music, which can be traced back to the 1820s, and is characterised by mournful tunes and music. I guess in this case these songs are about cigars?

I never sampled Ginja de Portugal while on holiday in Portugal, but it is a liqueur made from sour cherries with sugar and alcohol. Possibly it is similar to the Croatian Maraska cherry wine, which is neither a wine nor a liqueur, but is a perfect accompaniment to desserts.

The other two cards show a naïve folk style of illustration lauding the joyful, sun-filled lifestyle to be found in Portugal.

I found these postcards in an intriguing store in Lisbon, which was part-giftshop, part-design-emporium. I also purchased a book on vintage packaging, and a few pieces of vintage ephemera – random collections of actual items packaged in cellophane envelopes. It was a lovely little shop to spend an hour browsing in.

Two Vogue Covers

Christmas And After, Vogue December 1918, illustrated by Helen DrydenOn the penultimate day of Christmas … No, of the year, my true love said to me, you shall have two Vogue covers to enjoy! Yes, I have been most remiss in posting on SNAP of late, but let’s finish the year with a bang!

I must say I very much enjoyed my Vogue calendar every month this year. I thought these last two were particularly lovely images. For November, there was a Helen Dryden illustrated cover from December 1918. The cover was titled, ‘Christmas and After’. Of course, the cover reflects the era: World War One ended on November 11 in 1918 – hence the rather tattered French flags and ribbons and those refreshing winds of change.

Christmas Number, Vogue December 1930, illustrated by Georges Lepape Georges Lepape brought me the December calendar page, from ‘Christmas Number’, November 1930. This is such a beautiful, simple and elegant cover, don’t you think? Whenever I see an old cover like this, I want to wave it under the collective noses of Vogue editors worldwide. See, you don’t need a zillion coverlines! Sometimes a picture really does speak a thousand words!

I hope you have had a wonderful November and December … and are gearing up for an awesome finale!

The Lady Was Warned

It was my birthday the other week, and this is a card I received from one of my sisters. Isn’t it awesome? She said as soon as she saw it she knew it was the perfect card for me. I have seen this series from Bodleian Library before, and have given some myself, though this is the first I’ve received. The book was originally published in 1936, smack in the middle of one of my favourite artistic movements: Art Deco. Scroll down and peruse the back of the book – it’s an absolute delight.

There’s ‘Yes, Yes’ in Your Eyes

There’s ‘Yes, Yes’ in Your Eyes, 1920s sheet musicLast week I went shopping for vintage sheet music to use in my mixed media artwork. I was looking for more music from around 1910, similar to a piece I had already used. It was such a lovely shade of pale green printed with black.

Although I didn’t find any more quite the same, I did find some quaint and beautifully distressed sheets from the Belle Époque era, and the 1920s and 30s. (Anything older I don’t really like, as they start getting too garish from the 40s onwards.)

There’s ‘Yes, Yes’ in Your Eyes (back cover), 1920s sheet musicPerhaps the quaintest piece was from the 1920s, titled There’s ‘Yes, Yes’ in Your Eyes – a song written by Cliff Friend. Not only is the illustration on the cover gorgeous, but the lyrics made me chuckle in delight. I couldn’t resist buying it even though I won’t use it in my artwork, for the design is too busy and detailed for my purposes.

You fooled me dear now for a year
My heart you tantalize
But without doubt I have found out
The secret in your eyes …

(Chorus)
Your lips tell me no! no!
But there’s yes! yes! in your eyes
I’ve been missin’ your kissin’
Just because I wasn’t wise
I’ll stop scheming and dreaming
’Cause I realize
Your lips tell me no! no!
But there’s yes! yes!
In your eyes your eyes

I never knew just what to do
You had me fooled somehow
You made me guess but I confess
I know your secret now

(Chorus)

I’d really love to sit down with someone at a piano and learn this one. Many years ago I used to take singing lessons (I have ‘a pleasant little voice’ my teacher told me), and this is right up my alley.

Scroll down to see some of the other vintage sheet music I found.

Hearts & Kisses & Boobies

Here are some vintage hearts and kisses direct from 1973, specifically, Australian Vogue’s August issue. (Can you believe it cost only 75¢?!)

First up is the cover, shot by long-time Aussie Vogue photographer Patrick Russell. The credits read: Springtime, dreamtime. A whole new world of feninbine fashion to choose from. Fresh new pastel colouring to influence a new and beautiful you … The makeup is by Coty, the chiffon scarf imported by department store David Jones, the pintucked smock top is by Marimekko, and the pièce de la résistance, the ‘romantic heart-shaped sunglasses’ were created for Vogue by Sunrelax. The translucent plastic is very pretty.

Now this French Fontarel cosmetics ad titled ‘Jacqueline Matthieu's mouth’ did catch my eye (for obvious reasons), the first time I flicked through the magazine in a secondhand bookstore in country Victoria. But recently my French-speaking Swiss friend flicked through it and read aloud:

‘Jacqueline Matthieu’s mouth is not the mouth of a professional model. It’s the mouth of a French woman …’

What a scream! I was so amused I asked her to translate the rest just for your edification:

‘How is it that French women always look so beautiful, so elegant? It's because French women understand the art of makeup. In France, the name Fontarel is well known. Fontarel cosmetics are ever so pure, so fresh, so natural, so beautiful. Like French women. However, they are not just any cosmetics. No. Even in France they are exclusive. And now, Fontarel cosmetics can be found in Australia. We have the lipsticks and our selection include eye shadows, mascara, foundation and powder. Fontarel cosmetics. Now on sale in selected chemists and shops.’

The last picture, covered in kisses (not my own), is the back cover of the magazine, and features an illustration by one of my favourite vintage fashion illustrators, René Gruau, for Christian Dior’s aftershave Eau Sauvage. (Read about Gruau here. I’ve also posted pictures from a monograph I have on him – click here to view.)

Click here to see ‘The New-Skirted You’ one of the fashion shoots featured in this issue of Vogue.