Viewing motherhood
I am a daughter, but not a mother. Dorothea Lange’s famously photographed migrant mother had seven children at the age I have none. What I guess is this: once you become a mother, you cannot be impartial, observing life without participating. You are vested, primal. Writer Sarah Black describes a mother’s transformed gloss on reality … Continue reading
Follow the thread: interesting textile links
From dachshunds on parade to the state of California, these novelty handkerchiefs are miniature works of art (Daisy Fairbanks Vintage) Gaze at a Stars and Diamonds silk patchwork quilt—The Charleston Museum’s new tumblr posts a piece from their collection every “Textile Tuesday” Before there was vintage—“Second Lives: The Age-Old Art of Recycling Textiles” shows off … Continue reading
Valentine TV spuds & duds
What passes for romance on Valentine’s Day? Is it sugar-spice-nice girls under the protection of boys formed from sterner stuff, like snakes, snails and puppy dog tails? (I’d like to see that rendered Arcimboldo-style, by the way.) Yes, in the case of this embarrassingly retrogressive Kay Jewelers ad, where a woman is cowed by a … Continue reading
Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s erotic valentine
I recently rediscovered The Rocky Horror Picture Show after watching Glee’s Jayma Mays sing “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me.” Trust Dr. Frank-N-Furter to end my blogging dry spell, and make me realize I have something to celebrate on Valentine’s Day—polymorphous perversity! Truly, I have been a devotee of Decadence for years. In that spirit, I … Continue reading
St. Louis breweriana
Never has a restaurant wait been so welcome than during my visit to Schlafly Bottleworks. Leaving P to mind the bossy, flashing hockey puck that would signal our table’s readiness, I snapped pictures of their exhibit on St. Louis brewing history. It was an orgy of vintage type and packaging, by turns clumsy and ornate. … Continue reading
“Boxing Day” boxing graphics
ShoBox broadcast graphics go the distance. Inspired by 19th-century broadsheets, the graphics for Showtime’s boxing programming look distinctive—a nice respite from boring, brushed metal athletic typography. A review of vintage boxing memorabilia shows the sport has traditionally used this style. Hoefler and Frere-Jones’ Knockout and Proteus type families draw on the same quirky American vernacular. … Continue reading
Type lovers gift guide
If you crave cheeky Veer merch, you’ll love these vintage finds. It seems like the 60s, 70s and 80s were a heyday for typographic product design. Is it stating the obvious (and narrowing the use) to emblazon a tray with the word BREAD, a jar with the word COOKIES, or a bowl with the word … Continue reading
Retro-snark window display
Why not pause during the course of my busy day to take pictures of the display windows at Fishs Eddy, purveyors of plates, glassware and tchotchkes? I can only hope I am less of a neurotic New Yorker than our lovely painted portrait characters, but I did get all the in-jokes (forgive the typos). Actually, … Continue reading
rebecca henretta | design » into « words 