The Blackbird girls are suckers for barkcloth. It doesn't matter if it's a dress or a pillow or a teeny scrap of fabric, we love the prints and colors. We have Asian-themed barkcloth curtains in the bathroom:
And somewhere along the line, I bought a couple of yards of this fabric:
This is a set of curtains that I have stored under my bed because they're too short for any of the windows in my house. But if I ever move, they'll have their day in the sun!
And my pride and joy, this fabulous coverlet in my favorite colors:
We recently acquired some fabulous 1940s yardage for the Etsy shop, which
inspired me to spend two hours looking at other people's barkcloth on
the Internet. Unfortunately, our piece sold within a few hours, even as I was collecting pictures for this post, but you can still admire it:
So, in honor of barkcloth love, here a dream list of prints from around the Internet. Enjoy!
When I was in the second grade, my teacher read us a story about Amelia Earhart. I was instantly hooked. In my mind, no person was as cool as Amelia, and I tried my best to get other people on board with the idea. One of my parents worked at a small airport at the time, so I probably made a nuisance of myself asking the pilots questions or rattling off Earhart facts in the break room. My first time in a plane, I was utterly distraught that no one thought to bring a leather cap and goggles for me to wear. In the third grade, we had to do a biographical presentation about a famous person. I chose Amelia Earhart. In the fourth grade, my entry for the Young Writers contest was a fictional short story about Amelia and her navigator on an island in the South Pacific. Even by the time I was in high school, when I had to write a paper about a famous figure, I went back to my girl. So it's no surprise that I am attracted to the general idea of the aviatrix. I just love chicks with planes--what can I say? (*Side note: I also love dudes with planes, and collect vintage flight-related books for boys.)
So, when I read today's headline that someone has footage of Amelia just before her final flight, I admit that I was thrilled. And I figured that today is the perfect day to pay tribute to girls with planes in a variety of collectible formats: pinup, photography, and advertising.Enjoy!
From us to you, here's a vintage "short film" (a.k.a. really long commercial) featuring 1940s play sets, dresses, gowns, shoes....What more could you want? (film clip courtesy of archive.org)
You might have noticed by now that I have a thing for time machines, so today when I was sitting on my couch, this thought process actually happened:
(Inner monologue) I really love that chair. It makes me feel like I live in the 1950s. But then that other chair makes me feel like I live in the 40s. It's like my living room has its own time machine. Oh, my gosh. I wish my living room was a time machine, and then I could change it to any decade I wanted....
And so began the great Google search of living rooms by decade. Since it is currently 2014, I decided to visit 1934, 1944, and so on (but I stopped in the seventies, because we all know 1984 did nothing good for living room decor). Now, let me find that flux capacitor. I know it's around here somewhere....
In 1934, my room might have looked like this:
Halloween is one of the Blackbird girls' favorite holidays, and one Blackbird mother is even crazier about the day than we are. So, for the month of October, my junk love mind will probably wander to vintage Halloween stuff more often than not. Today's journey is about witches.
The witch is the Blackbird mother's absolute favorite character from this holiday. She has collected Halloween items for years, and she has LOTS of items, but she is downright passionate about witchy stuff. She has so many things that, in a lot of cases, it is really hard to find an example that she doesn't already own. I decided to make this my quest today, so here is a selection of wish-list items that will make her drool if she ever sees this post.
As a fan of paper ephemera, of course I looked for those items first. These are my two favorites, both of which I have never seen before. I really want this place card:
I also especially love this 1930s die cut witch because she is double sided, and the crepe cauldron is still in great shape.
Stirring and stirring and stirring my brew..., On Etsy
This is probably the cutest candy container I have found. Yeah, she's got her broom, but she certainly doesn't need it to go fast (even though the $300 price might slow me down a bit)....
Vintage Rosbro witch on motorcycle candy container, On Etsy
We always look for vintage Halloween post cards as birthday or Christmas gifts for the Blackbird mother, and this is one that absolutely cracks me up (and it's another item that I've never seen anywhere before).
And here are the budget-busters (yeah, the candy container is super-expensive, too, but these are special because they are incredibly rare). The first is a limited edition vintage Ouija-style game called The Salem Witch Board. The board itself is plywood, and has great graphics printed around the border of witches and other Halloween-y stuff (hehe..."weenie"). The instructions state: "The Salem Witch Board is a talking number board used in the attempt to
contact the Spirit World through the use of 66 different numbers, each
with their own meaning." This one is for sale on Etsy for $125.
The second is a very rare fortune-telling game from the 1920s. Even
though I don't collect this stuff, I would be tempted to hang on to this
if I ever came across it (Ssshhh! Don't tell....), but at $220, I'll
sadly have to deny myself this one.
Today was a super-duper special day for us Blackbird girls because it was Iron Man 3 day. We've been clutching our tickets for weeks now, and tonight's viewing (it was awesome, BTW) will be the first of many. After it was over, we did our normal breakdown of what we thought of the movie -- trust me, if you heard it, you wouldn't have understood it; we have our own weird nerdy language when it comes to Mr. Downey's work -- and naturally, we compared it to the previous films.
So later, I started thinking about superhero movies, and wondering how did they get to be such huge, multimillion dollar franchises? How did this start? What are the links between reading classic comic books and watching your favorite characters come to life?
The very first appearance of a superhero comic book character on film is in Adventures of Captain Marvel, released in 1941. Made by Republic Films, it was a twelve chapter serial based on the Captain Marvel comic book. Superman was supposed to be the first, but things just didn't work out. Tom Tyler starred as Captain Marvel, and the films were directed by John English and William Witney.
More recognizable heroes followed Captain Marvel. Batman was made into a fifteen chapter serial by Columbia Pictures in 1943, starring Lewis Wilson as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Douglas Croft as Richard Grayson/Robin. These Batman serials debuted story details that became part of the hero's canon. The serials introduced the Bat Cave with its secret entrance, and also altered Alfred Pennyworth's appearance, taking him from the overweight butler in the comics to the trim, sophisticated Alfred we now know. These changes were so important, they were carried through into the comics themselves. The Batman serials were a
success, and they paved the way for another set of serials, Batman and Robin, in 1949, starring Robert Lowery and Johnny Duncan. They were re-released in 1965 as An Evening with Batman and Robin. Their success in the mid-1960s then inspired the campy Batman TV series we all know and love, starring Adam West and Burt Ward.
The first theatrical release of a Marvel superhero is also the most expensively made serial series, Captain America. Released in 1944 by Republic Films, it starred Dick Purcell as Captain America. It really didn't follow the Captain America storyline, as the main hero was not ripped American soldier Steve Rogers, but a pudgy district attorney named Grant Gardner. He also did not have his iconic shield, did not fight Nazis, did not have his revolver, and his sidekick, Bucky, was nowhere to be found. Really, it was pretty much a letdown.
And of course, in 1948, we have the first film appearance of Superman. Made by Columbia Pictures, Superman was a 15 part serial in black and white, with animated fight sequences. Yes, that's right. Animated fight sequences. They just didn't have the budget for anything else. It stars Kirk Alyn as Clark Kent, who, funnily enough, was uncredited for his work, except on the movie posters. A odd bit of trivia is that because of the mix of animated and live-action footage, Superman's take-offs in flight are almost always shown in the
foreground, but his landings always end behind things, like cars or rocks. The transition was easier from live-action to animated in the take-off than it was in the landing, coming from animation back to live-action. So because of the need to hide Superman's landings, he often lands too far away from the action, and must run to catch up with the villain.
Alas, after the decline of the serials, we had to wait until the late 1970s for the next wave of comic superhero films. But it's OK. I think we've got enough now to make up for the time gap. Just keep the Iron Man and The Avengers coming. We'll be the first in line.
The other day, I realized that today would mark our 100th blog post, so I decided that the post should have something to do with that number. I mulled over a few ideas, and then it came to me: what 100 items can the Blackbird girls not live without?
So, I proudly proposed my idea to the other Blackbird. We need to make a list of our 100 favorite vintage things, said I. This is how it went:
Me: Wouldn't it be awesome to make a list of our top 100 favorite vintage things?
Her: (horrified expression) Why would we do that?
Me: Well, for the 100th blog post we could list the 100 things that we would have to have, if we couldn't have anything else.
Her: (really horrified expression, not using a reasonable "indoor voice") Why would we do that?
Me: Well, if we had to move, and could only take 100 things with us...
Her: (nearly hyperventilating) WHY WOULD WE DO THAT?
Me: (anxiety setting in) Well, say Robert Downey Jr. called us and said "Hey, I'm filming a movie in the desert and I need you to come with me, and I know it gives you anxiety to think of leaving your junk behind, but really, there isn't much room in a Bedouin tent, so you're only going to be able to bring 100 things. But the rest of your stuff will be taken care of at home, and will all still be there when you get back."
Her: (eyebrow raised) A Bedouin tent. Really.
Me: Exactly!
And so began the Blackbird 100 project, three days of discussion interwoven with mild anxiety attacks, hard bargaining, and the satisfaction that we get from talking about our junk. We did lay down some ground rules, though: 1. No furniture. (Otherwise, I'd have been explaining just how a camel could carry my bed through the desert. Plus, it's a pain in the rear to disassemble.); 2. No sets, unless it's a pair of salt and pepper shakers, or something like nesting bowls. (This is primarily to stop me from pleading a case for all of the Perry Mason books to go in the suitcase, or my set of hibiscus dishes. A camel can only carry so much!); and 3. It has to be vintage. (I wouldn't trust the Pizio on a camel anyway.)
It was hard. We have so many things! And we love them all! How do you narrow down a 50-piece collection to just one favorite? What if one of us vetoes an item? Will we ever speak to each other again? Do light fixtures count, if furniture doesn't? If we allow that set of 3 nesting bowls, can't we just bend the rule a smidge to put in that set of 4 glasses? Plus, just how practical is it to take a glass punch bowl on a camel? Oh, the drama! Oh, the tears! And yes, there were very serious discussions about the practicality of a camel-based transport system through a sandy wasteland with no electricity.
The list is finally complete. Without trying, we actually got a pretty equal amount of suggestions on the list. How very democratic we are! But now that the list is full, I sit here squirming under the accusatory glares from items that didn't make the cut. I have re-evaluated the list twice in an effort to justify taking something off in order to put something else on. My only recourse is to demand that Robert do a hypothetical sequel, so that we can make a second list of favorites to take to the hypothetical movie set someday. (But I'd suggest somewhere very un-desert like, with hotels or cabins instead of tents. I'm not much for camping....)
We'd love to put pictures of every single thing, but it's not really feasible. Some list items might seem sort of vague, but we know which ones they are, which is all that really matters, right? So, even though you may not know what in the world we are talking about with some of these item descriptions (although you should take comfort in the fact that at some point, they will probably be featured in future blog posts), here is our list:
The Blackbird 100 1. Robinson Crusoe Needlepoint ("Only Robinson Crusoe could have everything done by Friday") 2. Asian boy jam pot 3. Giant nesting dolls 4. 1930s Holleb's tea tin 5. Vintage "The Cold Deck" advertisement (film or play) 6. Czech red & white polka dot creamer 7. Captain Blood book, NC Wyeth dust jacket 8. Yellow framed sketch of a pencil 9. Vintage folky pin cushion 10. Monogram ring 11. 1960s oil portrait of a lady (We call her Grace.) 12. Marx Iron Man figure (We can't leave home without Iron Man!) 13. Amber lucite flower pin 14. Chinaman paint by number in red frame 15. Wooden wallpaper or fabric stamp 16. Buster Keaton post card 17. Vintage velvet necklace stand 18. Meerschaum pipe 19. Gypsy Fortune teller Valentine 20. Amber bottle w/ stopper 21. Black tooled leather purse 22. Holt Howard cats S&P 23. Green GE fan (From the farm where the other Blackbird's family grew up.) 24. Blue Dansk pot (From the infamous NY trip, to be discussed later.) 25. Red ball seltzer bottle 26. Perry Mason "The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde" 27. Black binoculars 28. Pineapple Vera scarf 29. Eastman Kodak mini paper cutter 30. Chef-an-ette recipe box 31. Dean's Big Book of Fairy Tales (My favorite childhood book.) 32. German spinner globe (Practical for a desert trip, for navigation and game-playing needs!) 33. Don Quixote panel bracelet 34. Red Pendleton shirt jacket 35. Happy chef embroidered kitchen towel 36. Victorian match safe pendant 37. Cobalt horse planter 38. Optic glass punchbowl 39. Elvgren "Pick of the Crop" pinup 40. Tinsel ball Christmas ornament 41. Central Park Lake watercolor (With the Dakota building in the background.) 42. Devil girl swizzle stick 43. Aladdin poster (Advertising from a play.) 44. Peter Max inflatable pillow (Signed!) 45. Metal water carafe (The same type can be seen at Fallingwater.) 46. Pull-down kidney medical chart 47. Old Crow decanter (We can't leave behind a crow with a top hat.) 48. Metal Luzianne tea sign 49. Cast iron spiderweb trivet 50. Barbie, Queen of the Prom board game (There's not much else to do in the desert....) 51. Small accordion 52. Velvet apple pillow 53. Flag tin 54. Red nesting bowls 55. Georges Briard lemon tree platter 56. Mid-century Arabian tray 57. Dean's Mother Goose (From the other Blackbird's childhood....) 58. Sterling dachshund pin 59. Bifurcated Rivets tin (A tiny tin! And, because I like to say "bifurcated rivets"!) 60. Hudson Bay blanket 61. Blue German cat eye glasses 62. Teak salad bowl 63. Green/Orange/Black Art Deco typewriter ribbon tin 64. Napkin doll 65. Lucite/cream shaving brush with badger hair bristles 66. Mister Donut restaurantware mug 67. Aqua ball vase w/ flower frog top 68. 1930s Arabian Nights board book 69. Elvgren "Indian Sign" blotter 70. Yellow fur poodle pin 71. Cork ball pencil holder 72. Brains Benton #5 The Case of the Waltzing Mouse (My first Brains Benton!) 73. Mohair tiger (Possibly Steiff. We call him Mr. Richard Parker.) 74. White matte large-leaf pattern vase 75. Fenton fortune telling owl 76. Leather cuff w/ glass eye 77. Monogram locket 78. Alice in Wonderland book (With Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee on the cover.) 79. Regent St. top hat 80. Iridescent Mr. John necktie 81. Chinois string tin (Another tiny tin!) 82. Gray striped curly lamb coat (Those desert nights can be cold.) 83. Framed Spanish bullfighting poster 84. Buddha Chinese checkerboard 85.Black and white deer planter 86. Vera apple placemats/napkins (Yes, it's technically a set, but they don't take up much room....) 87. String & Splinter cocktail mixer glass 88. Red camel glass (Will probably get its very own post someday....) 89. Art Nouveau candy tin w/ lady 90. Canister box (Ha! I circumvent the rules by selecting this box with drawers for sugar, flour, etc. Not a set!) 91. Chaving dish with giant green knob 92. Vintage Kojack t-shirt (Inherited from my great-grandmother. Who loves you, baby?) 93. Blackbirds bowl (Yes, it's cracked, but the birds are so cute!) 94. Green & white typewriter w./ houndstooth case 95. Happy Days Are Here Again shot glass (An FDR re-election souvenir.) 96. Red bull statue 97. The Bossy R (A vintage schoolroom grammar card.) 98. Pocketwatch case necklace 99. Pr. of restaurantware airplane bread plates (It's only two, so it doesn't break the rules....) 100. Deco orange ball cookie jar (Because it's cool, AND it holds cookies.Chocolate chip, perhaps?)
