Awesome Edward Steichen Photographs for Babies

I found this wonderful book, "The First Picture Book", in one of our local vintage/antique shops.  What a surprise to find it full of photos by the famous early 20th century photographer, Edward Steichen!  This book was prepared by Mary Steichen Martin, Edward's daughter, in 1930.  It was meant to be a book for babies with pictures of everyday things a baby would encounter and be familiar with.  Here is an excerpt from the preface by Mary Steichen Martin:

"When my two children reached the stage of interest in pictures, search found practically none which could be considered either satisying to them or in line with modern educational theory.  Therefore I set about providing a book of such pictures, not only for my own but for other children faced with a similar need.  The pictures here presented have had the seal of approval of the children in a progressive country nursery school, ranging in age from one and a half years upward.

She goes on to make a wonderful point, which I think is just as important today in 2011 as it was in 1930:

"...but to a baby everything is 'wonder-full'.  Too often adults forget this and try to provide thrills, but when the adult has a sympathetic attitude he can help the baby to find plenty of enthralling experience in the daily doings and sights of modern life."

You can read more about the author here, and read a couple more excerpts from the book here in my Etsy shop.

Gasoline Alley fans! Skeezix and Uncle Walt journal...

I recently found this wonderful vintage 1924 edition of "Skeezix and Uncle Walt", written and illustrated by Frank King. This book tells the story of how Walt came to have baby Skeezix. Here's a little background from the Wikipedia entry about the classic comic strip, Gasoline Alley:

"After a couple of years, the ChicagoTribune's editor, Captain Joseph Patterson...decided the strip should have something to appeal to women, as well, and suggested King add a baby. Only problem was the main character, Walt Wallet, was a confirmed bachelor. On February 14, 1921, Walt found the necessary baby abandoned on his doorstep. That was the day Gasoline Alley entered history as the first comic strip in which the characters aged normally. The baby, named Skeezix (cowboy slang for a motherless calf), grew up, fought in World War II, and is now a retired grandfather. Walt married after all, and had more children, who had children of their own. More characters entered the storyline on the periphery and some grew to occupy center stage."

It's packed with delightful two-color illustrations of Walt learning how to take care of Skeezix, as well as the other Gasoline Alley characters.  I love the 1920's style of these illustrations!  I've upcycled the book into a journal/sketchbook with 21 pages from the original book interleaved between 60 blank white pages, and it's now available in my Etsy shop.  Here are some pictures of the original illustrations included in the journal. - you can click on the images for a larger view:

Awesome Vintage Illustrations

I've got a new book up in my Etsy shop, upcycled from a vintage 1952 childrens book called, "Little Brown Bear and His Friends", by Elizabeth Upham.  The best thing about it are the beautiful, bright, colorful illustrations.  Upham has created a charming little world for Little Brown Bear and his family and animal friends.  The back of the book has a two-page spread of a birds-eye view of Little Brown Bear's world - I want to live there!  The little, round house with the thatched roof would do just fine for me...how about you?

You can click on the images below for a larger view...

 

Vintage Girl Mystery Series

I recently found a vintage 1936 girl mystery book called "The Adventure Girls at Happiness House" by Clair Blank.  Just typing that makes me smile - what a great title!  It's about a group of girlfriends who go to college, join the Omega Chi sorority, and solve the mystery of a series of strange attacks on the Dean.  I had never heard of this series, but found some info about it on a great blog (Series Books for Girls) that lists descriptions and images of many vintage series books for girls.  I had no idea there were so many series published over the years!  I used to read the Happy Hollister series when I was a kid, about a family with five children who solved mysteries.  I read them over and over, and still have them all (I hope my daughter will enjoy reading them too).  Looking back, I think what I liked most about them, was the fact that these really very young kids (ages 4-12) were able to be so independent and self-confident, and even a little bit pushy about getting out and about, going where they needed to go and talking to the people they needed to talk to, in order to find the answers to solve the mystery.  Pushiness is not my strong suit - maybe I should read them again, and it will rub off on me...  Anyway, you can find out more about this book in my Etsy shop.

New Handmade Journal - "In Little America with Byrd"

This one-of-a-kind book is upcycled from a vintage 1937 edition of "In Little America with Byrd", written by Joe Hill, Jr. and Ola Davis Hill ('His Mother'!).  The book details the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition, written by the youngest member of the group who spent two years in the Antarctic with Admiral Byrd, in order to further explore and map the region.  I've included over 40 pages from the original book, most of which are photographs from the expedition which show the journey, life exploring the area, and the way the men lived on the ship and in 'Little America', their home base, interleaved between 60 blank sheets of recycled, acid-free, 24 lb. white paper. 

Here's an excerpt from the forward to Hill's book, written by Admiral Byrd:

"Joe Hill, Jr., was the youngest man in my Second Antarctic Expedition, having barely attained the age of twenty at the time of our departure.  He served as my orderly on the way down and back.  He was a tractor-driver on the ice, having traveled hundreds of frozen mile around, over, and through treacherous and almost bottomless crevasses and in temperatures as low, at times, as 64 degrees below zero.  He stood the test.  He is one of the best men I have ever had on any of my expeditions.  With admirable patience and fidelity to duty and with all the courage that the occasion demanded he did his part to help make the expedition a success.  This story of his experiences, as told in this little volume by him and his mother, will charm all who like youthful adventure, and will not fail to inspire every American youth who reads it."

You can find more info about this and other awesome journals at my Etsy shop.

 

  

 

 

Beautiful Handcut Paper Art

I've recently stumbled upon this lovely shop in Etsy, which is filled with beautiful, seemingly simple, but very intricately hand-cut paper art, by a fellow named Joe Bagley.  He is a self-taught artist (an archeologist by trade), who has been creating and selling these fine pieces of art for several years.  I find his largest pieces of the leafless trees most fascinating - the kind of art that changes and gets more interesting the closer you move towards it, or the further away you get.  It makes me want to pick up my x-acto knife and start cutting...very carefully.

The Sorrows of Satan - Handmade Journal

This one-of-a-kind book is upcycled from a vintage 1895 edition of "The Sorrows of Satan, or The Strange Experience of One Geoffrey Tempest, Millionaire", written and illustrated by Marie Corelli. What a great title, don't you think? I've included the first and last chapter of the original book, a wonderfully melodramatic illustration, and a listing of other books published at the time, interleaved between 60 blank sheets of recycled, acid-free, 24 lb. white paper.

This would make a great journal, sketchbook, or just conversation-opener in your local coffee shop!  Visit my Etsy shop for more info...

Filmakers - This book is for you!

This wonderful book, which was published by Eastman-Kodak in the 1930's for home moviemakers, is chock full of awesome photos from the 1930's and 1940's.  Since it's geared towards amateurs, the pictures are of family life of that period, including many of families, their children, traveling, and sports.  Most of the pictures are black and white, but there are a few that are in brilliant color (see below).  Throughout the book you'll see a husband and wife (who I like to call Fred and Ginger), dressed in 1930's attire, sitting in their living room, talking about this book, and the great tips and ideas they're getting, and how excited they are to improve their home movies.  Their dialogue is very amusing, such as:

She:  "And just who is it in this family that handles the camera like a garden hose?"

He:  "Don't interrupt, please."

Check out my Etsy shop for more details about this book and others!

Vintage Hardy Boys Journals

I recently discovered a stash of classic early Hardy Boys mysteries from the 1930's and 1940's, which I will be transforming into new journals soon.  Here are a few pictures of one I have finished called "The Secret of Skull Mountain", published in 1948.  All of the books have one illustration, usually depicting the brothers in dire straits, as well as the first and last chapters of the original books.  Visit my Etsy shop for more info about this book and others.