HONEY HI

BIG CHANGES!

2012-02-12T20:20:00.000-08:00

Lots of very exciting news!
I have changed the name of my online shop to Guermantes Vintage, so please update all your links!

My blog will now be located at http://guermantesvtg.blogspot.com/
The shop will be located at www.etsy.com/shop/guermantesvintage
You can follow me on twitter (I update it more than the blog, I promise!) at www.twitter.com/guermantesvtg

You may have noticed the shop has been evolving and the items therein are in general higher quality and older than when I first started out. I want the shop to reflect the types of garments and historical periods that I find most fascinating and exciting. I will be carrying items dating 1910s-1980s, with a focus on 20s-50s. Check it out and let me know what you think!

**The photos are of my current favorite piece in the shop - a coral pink beaded flapper dress in silk chiffon. I died over it when I first saw it! View it here

Follow me on twitter!!!

2011-11-28T11:31:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! As of today I've started a Twitter account just for Honey Hi Vintage! Let's follow each other?? Gimme all your twitter names, I need vintage buddies!!! @HONEYHIVINTAGE :)
& give me twitter buddy recommendations too!

CARVED WEDGES

2011-11-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

I've been obsessing lately over 40s hand carved wedge sandals from the Philippines. They were bought by soldiers during WWII as souvenirs to bring back home to their gals.

these are currently for sale, albeit incorrectly marked 70s...click to see

still for sale! click to see

There are a few on ebay right now too! I just bought a pair on ebay for 99 cents last week. They are too narrow for me but GORGEOUS.

Here are two currently listed nice ones:

NURSE UNIFORM ...HELP!

2011-11-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I recently got this old nurse uniform from an estate and desperately need help dating it... I am so stumped! The woman I got it from didn't know anything about it and guessed it dated WWI. From the seaming (especially the back bodice seams & very bunched gathering at waist), the tiny buttons, the high neck, and the length I would say the same - 1910s. However, I can't find an exact match anywhere online or in old red cross photos, etc. The hat it comes with looks more like the WWII style; it isn't as nunnish (yes I made that word up) as the WWI hats seem to have been. And the patch style looks just like the nurses aide patches from WWII. I know there were Red Cross nurses aides during WWI too and perhaps they used the same patch (I just couldn't find any photos). Also I am stumped by the breast pocket, which looks so 30s to me... can anyone help?

Photos below are WWI era. They seem to match, kind of, but not exactly...

Thank you for any help!!!!!!

Hairy Babies and Silky Blankets

2011-06-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

While at LEILA'S HAIR MUSEUM in Independence, Missouri, I discovered a new hair art antiquity to collect..... baby portraits. They are a lot like the hair postcards I've already been maniacally collecting, except maybe a teensy bit spookier. They are centered around these kind of stock portraits (often those by Annie Benson Muller) of peaceful looking babies, and then decorated with perfect curls of real human hair, and surrounded by glued on fabric to represent sheets (mostly satin) and little baby garments (puffed sleeves, usually). There are often cute little extra touches too, like embroidery on the sheets, carefully laid wrinkles in the fabric for added realism, tiny bows, and cute wallpaper backgrounds.

ILOVE THIS ONE...the red hair! the ruffled pillow! those tiny blue bows!

It's so different to see them in person because of the beautiful fabrics and textures and almost everything has its own 3d puffiness, all except the face and hands...

this ones a good example of an illustrated paper background

detail

this one looks so goofy and so rudimentary ... so great

detail

this ones mine!!!

detail

There doesn't seem to be an official name for these, at least not that I have heard. I'm also a little unclear about certain specifics such as, were they made to memorialize a newborn? Are they mourning pieces? Is the hair that of a real baby/At what point in the baby's life are they made? Cause yknow, it doesn't seem like babies have that much hair to spare, right? If you guys have any info please let me know!!

I WANT THIS ONE SO BAD BUT ITS WAY WAY EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!!!

photos from various ebay auctions

sewing lace

2011-05-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

Last week I finished my favorite dress of the few I've made so far! It is made entirely of lace, unlined. I love it and have worn it with a black slip and black tights and with a nude slip and no tights and it's lovely both ways. The lace was difficult to sew and I had to make the buttons non-functioning because the stress would tear the lace around them... I put snaps underneath instead and it closes on the side with snaps as well.

a-mane-zing

2011-05-04T07:03:00.000-07:00

Stumbled upon these two INCREDIBLE postcards on ebay while searching for my beloved hair postcards.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/G767-Real-Photo-fantasy-postcard-womans-hair-frame-/370467916241?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56419bc9d1

http://cgi.ebay.com/G768-Fantasy-Real-Postcard-womans-Face-hair-framing-/370467916262?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56419bc9e6

SOMEONE PLS BUY THEM FOR MEEEE??

B E A U T Y

2011-05-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

I just spent nearly 100$ on a book of photographs: E.J. Bellocq's STORYVILLE PORTRAITS. They are the most beautiful photographs I have ever seen, so I don't feel bad. The Mr. and I just watched a documentary about Storyville, the infamous red-light district in New Orleans from 1987 up until WWI. It was pretty good, as far as those kinds of documentaries go (it's streaming on Netflix, if anyone is interested...), but I think I was most pulled in by the numerous amazing Bellocq photographs that were used. Gorgeous, fascinating, unusual photos of Edwardian southern prostitutes. Isn't it unreal???

Missouri , hair, & sorry

2011-04-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

SO sorry I've been so MIA lately, no excuse really..... but I wanted to share some exciting news.... I'm going to Kansas City! Usually when the Mr. goes on tour I try to go on a little vacation myself, and this time me and the BFF are packing up and flying to Missouri! We were there once before (albeit only for a 1.5 days) a few summers ago when we completed the age-old cross-country trip to spend the summer in LA helping my friend make his first feature-length movie ( I was in charge of wardrobe and so got to scour the thrift stores all over the US on the way!! It was pretty much a thrift store tour of America). We really liked KCMO and decided to go back, in part because of my more recent obsession with victorian hairwork, and the queen of the collector's resides there and operates what I believe is the ONLY museum dedicated to this lost art. So basically the whole trip is centered on that, Leila's Hair Museum in Independence, MO.

Seriously, you guys, this lady is pretty much my idol. She has over 400 hair wreaths and over 2,000 pieces of hair jewelry. Not only that, but she collects all sorts of other hair-related things, such as hair postcards!! I'm going to be a total dork about it and try to have her sign my Collector's Encyclopedia of Hairwork Jewelry (!!!), in which her collection is featured extensively.

I PROMISE I'll write more about hair jewelry soon, there's just SO MUCH to say about it, you know? I only have two pieces so far, but I just love them love them love them. Every piece is so unique and fascinating and had such a history....I'm REALLY excited!!!

Any other things to do in the Kansas City area? We want to do lots of vintage shopping of course! Any other recommendations would be much appreciated!!

baby's first sheers

2011-03-29T06:36:00.000-07:00

I've sewed up my first two dresses in sheer fabric! They are both rayon. The one on the right came first, from a 1930s pattern. The back is slit peek-a-boo style, but I haven't gotten around to sewing a little button at the top to close yet.

The other one is a 60s shirtwaist. I really love it and think I will wear it often (that's a first, in my sewing history). It's got a peter pan collar, cuffed short sleeves, and a big billowy skirt.

When I chose the fabrics, they seemed SO sheer, but with all the stitching and the facings, etc, they came out much less sheer than I'd imagined! There were some super super sheer fabric options that I was thisclose to selecting but balked at the last minute. So I'm thinking on doing another even sheer-er, maybe this time with a pin-tuck bodice.
Added a few sheer dresses to the shop too; check 'em out!

ELUSIVE PLATFORM JELLY

2011-03-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

The other day I found this amazing pair of jellies. Anyone my age must remember the jellies craze in the 90s, and finding this pair made me realize how PERFECT jellies with a nice chunky heel will be this summer. And even more perfect, it goes right along with my sheer spring theme. Sadly this pair is too small for me, so it's in the shop, but I searched all over the internet like a crazy maniac for a similar pair for myself and it was nearly impossible!!

...but FINALLY I found this pair, which I can't WAIT to arrive!! Although I was really looking for clear (and GLITTERY, of course!) I really love the color of these. Thank God I found them, cause I was really going out of my mind with searching. I must have bought them like 5 minutes after they were listed, seriously. So good luck, you guys.

oh, these ones are on ebay...i thought of buying them. they are cute but they dont have a chunky heel! AND i dont like those rhinestones. AND theyre expensive.

ART DECO KIMONO

2011-03-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

Machine-spun pongee silk woven with stencil-printed warp and weft threads (meisen)
Japan, early Showa period, 1930-40

So I used to work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. While I was there (2008) there was a great exhibit based on the book Fashioning Kimono: Dress and Modernity in Early Twentieth-Century Japan. All the Kimono were just breathtaking, and this morning I had been thinking of getting a nice vintage 20s Kimono, and I suddenly remembered the exhibit. Thought I'd share some of the pieces with you guys!

Machine-spun pongee silk woven with stencil-printed warp thread (meisen)
Japan, Taisho period, 1912-26

Gauze weave silk (ro) woven with stencil-printed warp threads
Japan, Taisho period, 1912-26

Machine-spun pongee silk woven with stencil-printed warp threads (meisen)
Japan, late Taisho-early Showa period, 1920-40

Gauze weave silk (ro) with stencil-printed patterning (kata-yuzen)
Japan, early Taisho period, 1912-20

Machine-spun pongee silk woven with stencil-printed warp and weft threads (meisen)
Japan, mid-Showa period, 1940-60

Hand-spun pongee silk (tsumugi) woven with stencil-printed weft threads
Japan, Taisho period, 1912-26

Silk-rayon blend with stencil-printed patterning (kata-yuzen)
Japan, late Taisho-early Showa period, 1920-30

Machine-spun pongee silk woven with stencil-printed warp and weft threads (meisen)
Japan, early Taisho period, 1912-20

Ramie (asa) with stencil-resist-printed patterning (katazome)
Japan, early Showa period, 1930-50

Machine-spun pongee silk woven with stencil-printed warp and weft threads (meisen)
Japan, early Showa period, 1930-50

Figured silk crêpe (omeshi chirimen) brocade-woven with lacquered threads (rama-ire)
Japan, Taisho period, 1920-30


Machine-spun pongee silk woven with stencil-printed warp and weft threads (meisen) Japan, late Taisho-early Showa period, 1920-40

couldnt find details about this one, but it was in the show too

images taken from Victoria and Albert Museum website

H-AIR MAIL

2011-03-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

I've been steadily adding to my 19th/early 20th c hairwork collection. I've loved these early 20th c. hair postcards for a long time, and just recently purchased my first two! They haven't arrived yet, but I just can't wait to hang them up.

I don't know too much about the history of them, i.e. how or when this came about.... I only know that ladies would glue real human hair (theirs? I wonder if ever other people's?) onto the pretty heads of postcard images of women and send them out. I've only ever seen blonde, brunette, and near-black hair, but I would LOVE to see a good redhead! Often these strange and beautiful mementos were adorned with real ribbon or a little applique in the shape of a hairbow or hair accessory. So precious.

Here's a little collection of images I've gathered. Sorry many are blurry!

im currently trying to negotiate for the one on the right!! The ribbon around the neck totally reminds me of the ghost story 'the girl with the green ribbon' - does anyone remember that? i had a reading of it on cassette tape when i was little and would listen to it all day long. i was OBSESSED.

LOVE these ones. so totally creepy victorian style. and i love the fabric outfit glued onto the one on the left

oh wait, is that a redhead?? i cant tell

they often have this diamond-shaped yarn or string looped through, not sure why?

the one on the left is mine!!

the one on the right is mine!!

the one on the left is mine!! :D

just a little visit from the vintage police..

2011-03-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

Okay I feel a LITTLE bit like a jerk, but I emailed an Ebay seller today correcting a listing of theirs. Is that out of line? I can totally understand if you are some old lady and you just don't know, or you make a little error in the description, I mean usually we are all just making our best guess. That said, selling a 1960s Anne Fogarty dress with inside tag in tact as an antique Edwardian mourning dress??... that's just crazy!! PLEASE people just do the smallest little bit of research. If it has a tag, it ain't Edwardian. Just googling the name on the tag will reveal that Anne Fogarty was born in 1919 after the Edwardian era had ended and did not design a dress until the 1950s. The seller had many items for sale and seemed to be running an Ebay business. Not trying to be a huge snob, but let's be honest, no one looking for actual Edwardian clothing is gonna be stupid enough to buy that, and taking a well-meaning tip will help people (those who are looking for what the item REALLY is) to actually find and purchase that item. Okay, I'm done now, sorry.

'SGONNA BE A SHEER SPRING

2011-02-23T06:58:00.000-08:00

I bought these lacey victorian-y shoes and realized how much they go with my recent sheer obsession....aside from the sheer dresses i posted the other day - and I've already ordered some vintage shirtwaist dress patterns to make my own sheer frock- SO excited, I've even been practicing tailor's tacks ! - and I also bought a pair of beautiful crochet lace white gloves the other day (I'd been looking around a while for the perfect ones.. they are very similar to these:)

So apparently it's going to be a sheer spring for me. With shoes, gloves, and dresses, I will be totally decked out head to toe, ha. I can't wait for the shoes to arrive, and I think meshy lacey shoes are perfect for warm weather...I'm not a big sandal girl, so I guess this is my equivalent.. there are lots of cute ones on etsy, and I'm thinking of starting a collection... (click images for links)

i have these in blue

these are in the shop right now!

PICKFAIR: TROUBLED PARADISE

2011-02-21T15:54:00.000-08:00

A while ago I read the book PICKFORD: THE WOMAN WHO MADE HOLLYWOOD, and I was really intrigued by the fairy-tale gone wrong romance of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. If Pickford was indeed the woman who made Hollywood (and I certainly believe she was), then Mary and Doug together made Hollywood royalty. Pickfair was their perfect 15-acre home, the most famous home in America at the time, excluding the White House.

Parties at Pickfair included all the most prestigious figures of 1920s society. Everyone wanted to be invited. Beverly Hills became THE place to be. The couple entertained constantly. They were really the first huge movie stars, and people at the time really relied on them to carry the banner of American youth and charm.

What I love about Pickfair is how hard Doug and Mary worked to make it their, and America's, utopia. They worked so hard that it tore their dreams apart. It was heartbreaking to read about the love they had in the beginning. I felt like I was reading a Victorian novel, the way things just built up around them and tore them apart in spite of themselves...so tragic. From reading the book it seemed that they each regarded the other as their one true love, despite remarrying. And they both ended up so sadly..

SHEER AMBITION

2011-02-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

30s silk chiffon (DearGoldenVintage)

Have any of you ever sewn a sheer dress? I love 30s and 40s sheer dresses and have been thinking of taking on the somewhat daunting task of sewing one of my own, maybe even a sheer 50s shirtwaist... I'm wondering if anyone else has tried this, and what you know about working with sheers, what the best way to transfer pattern markings might be (tailors tacks, I'm thinking?)
I was browsing around Etsy for some sheer inspiration and here are my personal faves.

sheer 40s rayon (TheVintageStudio)

pale blue sheer party dress (QuirkVintageClothing)

40s sheer navy dress (sashasarene)

50s chiffon (simplicityisbliss)

20s pintucked dress (DearGoldenVintage)

30s ruched silk chiffon (allencompanyinc)...THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE

20s organza velvet and lace dropwaist (VeraVague)

STRING HOLDERS

2011-02-08T06:03:00.000-08:00

I first found out about string holders in a book from the local library about kitchen collectibles. Back when people wrapped all their packages with twine and string instead of tape. So nice! And what could be nicer than pulling your twine out of the mouth of a chalkware character's mouth?

String holders were first made around the 1860s and became common by the early 1900s. In the 1920s, with chalkware gaining popularity (see my chalkware post), most holders from the 20s - 50s (especially the 40s) were made in this material. These figural holders are the most commonly found today. Most hang on the wall with a little hook. There was a vast array of figural string holders from this period, but some of the most common that I've seen are cats, dogs, the dutch girl (above), chefs, indians, boy smoking a pipe (see top photo), & black americana/mammies.

"mammy"

Some of the most interesting and more unusual string holders are the handmade ones. I even made one for my friend a few years ago when I found a ceramic bust at the thrift store with a hollow inside and a small hole in the pupil of one eye...perfect for string! The following two are vintage and can be found on ebay. I'm not sure when they are from, maybe 50s?

handmade

My boyfriend bought me an amazing handmade one for Christmas a few years ago, it's a black cat with a tin cylinder body (this holds the string) and the string comes out of its rear end! It hangs on the wall and my kitty always tries to jump up and play with the string.

mine!

Of the chalkware ones I've been particularly enjoying the advertising ones lately:

'little miss hershey chocolate'

'little miss sunbeam'


bordens co. elsie the cow

Here's a classic, fairly common one that I've always loved! (I should just buy it one of these days. Theres one on etsy right now):

There are a bunch of fruit and vegetable ones that are weird, creepy, and pretty funny. Strawberries, pears, peaches, carrots.... here's a tomato:

Many of them had little cutter pieces attached for added convenience, and better yet, many had little holes to hold scissors! Isn't that the best? There is a common kangaroo of this type, a cat, and some others, but my favorite is this fox one, because the scissor handles make eyeglasses! So clever!

SECOND SEW & AN AWARD :D

2011-02-07T06:33:00.000-08:00

I'm almost finished with my second sewing project - I opted out of doing the 40s pattern I had originally posted and thought I'd try an easier 60s pattern first to practice a little. It's a wiggle dress with button trim and contrast piping ; the pattern is from 1961.

Just ignore the bottom! I know it looks messed up but its just pinned and based because I haven't hemmed it yet. I made it a bit shorter than the pattern called for. Not sure if I will add the tie belt... maybe I will do one in the green linen instead of the white...I hate wearing white belts!

In other news, I received two 'versatile blogger' awards, one from Ginger at Sailing Over a Cardboard Sea and the other from Lisa at My Pretty Baby Cried She Was a Bird, and they ask that I do the following...

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in my post.

Thanks guys! I am so new to blogging and really wasn't sure at all that it was something I wanted to start; I was VERY ambivalent at first. I'm so glad people read it and actually enjoy doing so!

2. Tell you 7 things about myself.

1. My day job is walking dogs..... and I really really love it!

2. I was a Russian major in college and went to Columbia U

3. I wear one half of a 'best friends' necklace (you know, the broken heart? Like in Twin Peaks?) & we were /maybe still are thinking of also getting matching mole (aka beauty mark) tattoos... we are very devoted.

4. I love....books. I love crawling into bed with a big pile of them spread all around me. I love long classic novels best. All time favorites: The Brothers Karamazov, Moby Dick, The Grapes of Wrath, Of Human Bondage. I read tons of music and movie star biographies, too (lately I've been reading a lot of silent film star ones in particular & posted about my favorite, LOUISE BROOKS , which utterly blew me away). I also went on an insane turn of the century English and American literature kick this summer and read about 20 of the classics from that genre all in a row (favorites: House of Mirth, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Middlemarch, Wuthering Heights, Age of Innocence - I got REALLY into Edith Wharton.)

5. I'm half Chinese, my first name is French, and my last name is Italian.

6. I have a dog named Foxl and a cat named Beautl :)

beautl

foxl

7. I just sewed my first piece of lingerie, and I am addicted! I really like it! Do you guys know of any bra patterns you particularly like? Maybe I'll become a lingerie designer and make old lady lingerie for the young......

3. Award up to 15 recently discovered bloggers.

All blogs are recently discovered to me, cause I never read them until I started this one! But here are some I've been liking in particular lately:

Jean Jean Vintage

My Pretty Baby Cried She Was a Bird

La Ville Inconnue

My Happy Sewing Place

Vintage Rose

Casey's Elegant Musings

4. Contact these bloggers and let them know they've received the award.

Will do

Sorry the posts lately have been less content, more me - I've been soooo absorbed in sewing I haven't had much time!

BIRD BRAIN

2011-02-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

The other day I received pretty much the most amazing hat ever.... It's a huge black bird made of the smoothest black feathers, and it curls around your head!! Or - as shown, on top of your hat! I'm completely obsessed with it. (Bought from the Vintage Hideaway on etsy) I might take some more photos soon - this one is from the original listing. The bird is even lined on the bottom with a thick woven material so it will sit perfectly as a hat on its own ! The listing said 1940s, but it just seems so hard to date.. what do you guys think?

CRAZY COLLAR LADY

2011-01-30T10:11:00.000-08:00

most of my scary collection

I believe my collar collecting started a few years ago when I went through an amish-y phase (admittedly I haven't fully moved on...) when I was wearing big yoke collars, modest, knee length floral dresses, and pilgrim shoes. Then I was watching tons of silent movies and started obsessing over the quitessential1920s maid/housework outfit, which is a very plain long and long-sleeved black dress with prim white collar and cuffs (and a white apron of course, but I never went that far)..... and so my collar/cuff thirst has never been sufficiently quenched.

mary pickford - queen of collars

That is how I have come to the mess you see here. I was all excited to do this post, and then when I brought all my collars (and one pair of beloved cuffs) out from the bottom drawer of the vanity, I was actually a little scared and embarrassed to see exactly how many there were, like maybe this crossed the line from cool to creepy. like a hoarder. a crazy collar lady? But then I thought...maybe I'm not alone here?

The best places to snatch up detachable collars are church sales/bazaars run by old ladies or antique malls, so I've found. They are usually pretty cheap, too! Oftentimes just a dollar each. They completely transform any dress to an entirely new one, and I lately have really been loving adding velvet bows in the middle at the neck too (fun and quick to sew if you have some ribbon).

i love the packaging of these! got a whole bunch in a lot on ebay

Speaking of sewing, this new wonderful hobby of mine has me once again with collars on the brain. Thinking of ways to add them to all my dresses (kind of scary I know - and then what will become of my detachable ones?) and thinking of ways to alter the patterns I have to include a good old fashioned collar. I came across this GREAT website today and just had to share it with you guys - an informative site about collars and collar patterns! Many different kinds! The possibilities! And such a good baby step into pattern drafting !

puritan woman- a MUCH admired look!!

JUST A LITTLE SEWIN'...

2011-01-27T06:19:00.000-08:00

Last week I made my VERY FIRST garment from a pattern. Contrary to my predictions/fears, it was not a disaster! Sorry, I know the photos are poor, but it's a medium weight brown linen with white eyelet sleeves. I didn't do much thinking on the fabric; I was thisclose to starting with a muslin mock-up (it is, after all, my first attempt - at least, since I made this horrible nightmare of a dress when I was like 14 and had NO patience whatsoever). I learned how to make fabric buttons, buttonholes, blind hems, and to use facing! I dont know....I know it's not so impressive, but coming from having done only little alterations and repairs and not really knowing the right way to do anything, I was surprised it actually turned out at all. I had so much fun making it (not at all the frustrating, tedium I remembered), that I've been buying more patterns to make more dresses! Debi posted THE BEST list of old pattern resources the other day, which I've been poring over endlessly.

I used this pattern (c.1948)

I think next I want to do this 'Advance' pattern, which I just got:

...does anyone know if there's a website you can go to do date vintage patterns? I don't see a date written on this one...early 40s? It looks a lot harder than the one I just made, so I'm a little nervous..but I love that little cape and tie collar.

LOVELY MESS

2011-01-23T17:38:00.000-08:00

So hard not to slip so frequently into Courtney Love early 90s nostalgia. The queen of kinderwhore cool and such an influence for girls my age, she pretty much personified what every girl felt growing up in suburban America. At least all the girls I ever knew.
I still see these old photos and covet her even-then-vintage babydoll dresses with white lace collars, smeared red lipstick, and ruined, bleached-out hair. Vulnerable, desperate, ragged, and aggressive, she was at her beautiful and fascinating peak during this time. Here are some of my favorite Love photos, most all can be found at courtney-love.org, which is one of those GREAT fansites that have a million photos organized impeccably by type and year (don't you love those?).

the famous famous SASSY cover photo

OMG didnt you LOVE when she was dating twiggy ramirez??? and i love that mm is wearing a twin peaks shirt here

want that dress.

everyone remembers this photo series. so cute

pre nose job...i WISH there were more photos from her teen rebel years

wedding

Some video links:

I still listen to the first two Hole albums a lot... and the videos for Violet and Miss World are A-MA-ZING: VIOLET
MISS WORLD
I know I already posted a still from Miss World in my post about white face powder, but GOD how that video made an impression on my young mind... not to mention the end of Violet, which resonates still.

Behind the Music on Courtney Love - this is actually really good.

1995 kurt loder interview

on warhols 15 minutes ....pre-nose job! and SO cringe-worthy (not because of her nose, although...is it totally lame and gross that I do prefer the fake nose?), but her DEMEANOR in this...what a strange and fascinating little glimpse....

OLD MOVIE SCRAPS

2011-01-20T16:58:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I was really into looking at old scrapbooks from the late 1800s/early 1900s on ebay. There were a TON, but when I went to check again, thinking I'd post about them, there was only one or two....
So, I started just browsing around (of course..) and found a new obsession: old movie star scrapbooks! Lovingly assembled, vintage fandom at its best, these old things are creepy, cute, and great to look at.
The photo above and below are from this one, which is almost entirely dedicated to Norma Shearer and Clark Gable. Isn't that cute?

Below, pages from this scrapbook, dedicated to Barbara Stanwyck!

Next we have this Greta Garbo scrapbook, which is priced SO SKY HIGH at $1200...

I love these pictures from this scrapbook, which has lots and lots of stars from the 20s - 50s. Isn't this Jean Harlow page so great?? That quote!

This one really stands out for its so so so charming aged, yellowed tape.

BABY DOLL (1956)

2011-01-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

There aren't many movies I would call PERFECT, but BABY DOLL is certainly one of them. I think it was the first Elia Kazan movie I ever saw - and the first Tennessee Williams film adaptation - and I was completely blown away - I can't stress it enough - PERFECTION. It looks beautiful (from the gorgeously shot black and white to the beautifully dilapidated farm and Southern tableau, to the beautiful Carroll Baker), it sounds beautiful (the music is great, and I don't think I could possibly love Carroll Baker's accent more), it's completely entertaining - riveting - and fun to watch. The acting is amazing, the building of tension and the masculine/feminine dynamics are so wonderfully framed and conveyed. Just so. well. done. The kind of movie that resonates and resonates and resonates and resonates and resonates...

had to put up two shots of this scene...i LOVE the idea of washing yr stockings in the tub like this

fractured americana

quintessential nymphet played to perfection

Isn't the poster design so great too? As are the beginning title screens, by the way! Beautiful perfection. I finally got to see it in the theater back in October, and it blew me away all over again. Anybody else seen it?