The Skinny: International Deco Part I

We love Art Deco, so we've decided to spend a couple of posts on the movement as it evolved on each of the continents (except Antarctica, where for some reason, Art Deco never really took off...). This segment will focus on European and North American versions, and next Friday's post will discuss Art Deco in South America, Asia, Australia, and Africa.

Erik Magnussen, 'Cubic' coffee set or 'The Lights and Shadows of Manhattan', silver - Bing Images

Art Deco began in 1910, following fast on the heels of the Art Nouveau movement. It was originally known as Moderne (and variations on that term). In fact, the term Art Deco wasn't used until 1966, long after the movement had fizzled. It reached its European peak in 1925 at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, usually just called the "Paris Exposition." Its grand finale took place at the New York World's Fair in 1939, and the movement declined through the 1940s. We happen to adore the influence that Art Deco had in the world of jewelry and fashion. Cartier, anyone?

deleusejewelers.com

Drawing influence from many art styles, including Cubism, and nations such as Egypt, Greece, Japan, and China, the Art Deco movement created a perfect balance between hard and soft. Tamara de Lempicka, one of the premier female Art Deco painters, managed to make silk look jagged, and her women appear both rugged and delicate at the same time.

echostains.files.wordpress.com

The geometry of the art, paired with the use of precious metals, enamels, marble, and exotic woods, made Art Deco the ultimate representation of wealth and modernity. It was especially important in Europe and America, who suffered from two world wars and a major economic recession during the years of the movement. The style crept across both continents to establish itself as the grand ideal in  architecture, housewares, clothing, accessories, and film. Manhattan became the poster child of Art Deco in America, which is clearly illustrated by the Chrysler Building, one of the most iconic architectural interpretations of the movement.

travelwithterrynyc.blogspot.com

In 1929, the stock market crash resulted in a very necessary decrease in the usage of expensive materials, and ushered in the phase of plastic, aluminum, and chrome items.  This phase of the deco movement also shows a transition from the harder, more geometric lines of the early years, to what was known as "streamlined" design. This was meant to represent the marriage of efficiency and luxury, despite the actual dollar amount in someone's bank account.

decophobia.com

After World War II, however, the western world was struggling to recover from war-induced rationing, and Europe was desperately attempting to clear away the rubble of battle and rebuild. This directly caused the style transition from the luxe look of Art Deco to the more minimalistic streamlining that became the Mid-Century Modern movement. We say change is good, because Art Deco and Mid-Century happen to be our two favorite styles.


*What? Did we say that Art Deco didn't go to Antarctica? Then how do you explain this?!?!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71532145/auguste-bonaz-30s-french-galalith-rare?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_search_query=1930s+penguin&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_min=0&ga_max=0&ga_search_type=vintage

Information obtained from Craft Arts International. 2003, Issue 59, p84-87. 4p. 16

On the Radar -- The Ring's the Thing

Marlene Dietrich and her cocktail ring

I have to say that my favorite piece of jewelry is a ring.  I absolutely cannot leave the house if I don't have one on.  And usually, the bigger it is, the better!  Which is good for me this season, because you're going to continue to see big, bold cocktail rings everywhere. 

My ring of choice is a large, rough cut sapphire ring in sterling my mom gave me a few years ago.  It's so big, most people ask me if it's a weapon.  But, you know, it gets people's attention -- and it makes me feel like I have something special on, something extraordinary.  Something as simple as a statement ring can change your day from ho-hum to humdinger!

 

Versace Crystal Cocktail Ring

The history of the cocktail ring is rooted in the idea of booze and parties.  Flash and fun, daring and dangerous.  During Prohibition in the 1920s, flappers started the statement ring craze, matching huge rings with their fun, flirty ensembles.  They made themselves stand out to others while holding their glass of illegal gin. Want to be the baddest girl in the speakeasy?  Wear the biggest ring! The bigger the ring, the bolder you were.

After Prohibition lifted, starlets of the 1930s and 40s adopted the large baubles, making them the highest of glamorous accessories.  Whether real or faux, cocktail rings were the must have accessory.  Want to show how successful you are in Hollywood?  Have the studio take your picture in full-on glamor mode, ring firmly in place on your hand, visible to all of your adoring fans. 



Later, in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, cocktail rings became a symbol of post-war comfort and women's rights.  In the 50s, the cocktail hour became de rigueur, and no cocktail dress or ensemble was complete without a ring.  As time went by, cocktail rings became a item purchased by women for themselves -- to make the statement that "I make my own money, therefore I can buy my own jewelry."

Today, celebrities still make a statement with statement rings.  And since we've been seeing more and more popping up everywhere, you can bet this trend will be sticking around.  But remember, it's not just for the super glamorous.  Etsy's a great place to search for handmade new rings, or great vintage pieces.  Go to an antique store and check out the glass showcases, you never know what you might find.  If you want a ring on a budget, you can find interesting rings at Target or Claires.  It doesn't matter if it's real or not, what matters is if you like it, and if it makes you feel good.  Whether you go vintage or buy something new, give a cocktail ring a try.  Trust me, it'll get you noticed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vintage Cocktail Ring from hawaiibeads2 on Etsy

Junk Love Monday: Be Prepared

Although the Blackbird girls are always on the lookout for great things, sometimes an unexpected junk find brings more joy than a day's worth of carefully sought out pieces. However, those unexpected finds are often fickle little fiends. You see it, that perfect item, across a dimly lit thrift store. Your heart pounds. You hear harps and twittering birds as you leap in slow motion toward it. And then you realize that it won't fit in the car. Or you have no way to wrap it so that it doesn't disintegrate on the bumpy drive home. You. Can't. Buy. It.

Don't let this heartache happen to you! Be prepared for your junk. Here is our little survival guide, a list of things to keep in your car (for those spontaneous lunch hour trips), or in a bag by the back door (for those pre-planned buying trips). Follow these tips, and you could be a Junk Master (similar to a Jedi, but with much less fighting).


1. Canvas drop cloth with plastic lining--These are relatively inexpensive at a hardware store, and just as important, can be folded and stored in almost any nook in your car (wheel well, door pocket, under the seat). Canvas cloths are great for wrapping around framed items, furniture, small pieces of concrete, or rusty metal items. It protects what it needs to, and is durable enough to not be punctured by sharp bits on your item. You can also use these cloths to protect your car if you buy dirty things. Just lay the cloth flat, and put your items on top. A couple of bonus uses: lay down on the ground if you are changing a tire, or use it as a picnic cloth when the grass is slightly damp. The plastic lining will keep you dry.

2. Blanket--This should be a blanket that has thoroughly lived life, but doesn't have large holes. Like the drop cloth, you can use it to wrap framed items and furniture. You can also use the blanket as a barrier between items so that they don't rattle against each other. Drape it over the legs of a chair so that they don't scratch or dent something when you take that corner on two wheels. Lay it over the edge of your trunk or rear hatch so that your car doesn't get scratched or dented when you're maneuvering items in or out. Blankets are also handy for tire changing, picnics, or when the heater breaks in the dead of winter and you're 800 miles from home.

3. Flat head screwdriver--Why a screwdriver? You can avoid a lot of heartache by taking things apart before trying to fit them in the car. Once, on the last day of a buying trip, we decided to stop at one last place (just to stretch our legs--promise!). Twenty minutes later, we were in the parking lot, furiously unpacking the car all over the asphalt so that we could figure out how to fit our newest find in with everything else. Most of the time, a little rearranging is all you need. But this time, it was a no-go. Until I remembered that the never-used Car Care Kit under the back seat included a tiny set of screwdrivers. We took the item apart, repacked the car, and were on our way within minutes. Most older items with screws are going to require a flat head screwdriver. It is best to have a small and a medium, but if you have to choose, go with the medium. If something has tiny screws, it is probably small enough to fit in the car without taking it apart. A medium screwdriver, with the right finesse, can be used on large screws as well. HOT TIP: If you need to remove large screws, and your flat head screwdriver is at home on the kitchen table, use a dime. I recently removed the hinges from an old door with a dime (believe it or not, those hinges were all that stood between us and a perfectly packed car).

4. Phillips screwdriver--Well, sometimes you need a Phillips. This screw style is newer, so you are less likely to encounter these on old items. But, sometimes you find a newer item that you love. I have also been in the process of dismantling an item, feeling cocky as I'm turning that third screw, only to find that some yahoo replaced the fourth screw with a Phillips. Yes, one little screw can ruin a perfect plan. While it is possible to use a small flat head screwdriver on a Phillips screw, it is also really really possible to ruin the screw head so that it can't be removed. Ever. Just save yourself the anger and stock your screwdriver stash.

5. Newspaper--Keep a small stack of folded newspaper for those dish-buying emergencies. A lot of thrift stores don't keep paper on hand to wrap your purchases. They will drop everything into a thin plastic bag and send you on your way. If you have newspaper under the seat, you can wrap your delicate items before the trip home.

6. A box--Depending on the size of your car, this can be a plastic tote, a milk crate, a cardboard box (broken down and flat, if you like), or an old suitcase. When you find yourself standing in the parking lot, wrapping your own dishes (see #5), it's nice to have a place to put them so they don't roll around. This is also good for lamp purchases.

7. Bungee cords--For strapping things down so that they don't shift, or for securing something to the luggage rack. If I have to lay down my back seats, I like to weave some bungee cords from the right to the left (attached to the rear seat belts) so that things don't come flying into the back of my head if I need to hit the brakes with some urgency.

8. Tape measure--Really good for making sure that something has even the hope of fitting in your car (and also fitting in your house when you get it there).

The Skinny -- The Art of Tammis Keefe

Tammis Keefe.  Photo from http://makingitfun.blogspot.com

Another two things you should know about the Blackbird girls is that we collect lots of mid-century linens (the cuter the better), and that we also collect children's illustrated books.  A designer and artist that really captures the fun of both of these things is Tammis Keefe.  Margaret Thomas Keefe was born in December 1913 in California. Although she started out studying math in college, she soon realized her passion for art and transferred to the Chouinard Institute of Art.  After graduation, Keefe worked at  the Disney studios, and then as art director of the magazine Arts and Architecture from 1940 to 1942.  After that, she was mentored by textile artist Dorothy Liebes, where she began to focus on being a print maker and colorist.

From flickriver.com by xtinalamb

Keefe's fun prints reflected America's optimistic outlook following World War II.  Bright and cheerful, her prints were influenced by her travels, animals and nature, and celebrations. While working with Liebes, Keefe designed textiles for Goodall Industries, as well as Golding Decorative Fabrics, Cyrus Clarke and Jud Williams Inc. She also designed wallpaper prints for James Kemble Mills and Katzenbach & Warren.*

nwfestival.com

Keefe's fabric and wallpaper prints for the home soon led to other product design.  She began designing hankies, dish towels, tablecloths, and even clothing.  Her designs were collectible, even in her time, and she really revolutionized the idea of the designer as a brand for their products.  Her designs for retailers like Lord & Taylor were manufactured by Kimball, and were signed "Tammis Keefe."  She even marketed to other retailers as "Peg Thomas" as a way to be represented in multiple retail outlets at the same time.  

 

From KLB Vintage Wares on Etsy

In a 1951 Christian Science Monitor article, Keefe was quoted as saying “Anything is possible in textile design, if it is done correctly. A designer merely starts with something, anything, and then develops it. To an imaginative person, practically anything suggests a starting point. From then on, it is merely stating what you have to say in design.”*

Tammis Keefe died in 1960 at age 46 from cancer, but she left a legacy in her prints.  In recent years, Michael Miller fabrics reissued some of her prints in quilting and craft cotton.  Her patterns are still as endearing and enchanting today as they were 50 years ago.  We currently have an Arabian patterned hankie for sale in our shop!

Blackbird Antiques NC

*Background and quotes from http://www.tammiskeefe.com/ and http://makingitfun.blogspot.com/2010/11/tribute-to-tammis-keefe.html.  Thanks to them for the great info!

On the Radar -- Navy Chic

Jil Sander Fall/Winter 2012

If there's one definite thing we Blackbird girls recognize about our junk lovin', is that when we find ourselves buying and picking up certain things while we are out and about, then we're going to start seeing it EVERYWHERE very soon. Not that we're trend savants or anything, but we're pretty plugged in to the design world, both through television (Project Runway, anyone?) and other media, as well as what we see in the antique and junk retail world on a daily basis. And somehow all that we're seeing and hearing about trickles through our subconscious until it just suddenly becomes clear in our mind.

This week's On the Radar post is about our rediscovery of the color navy.  We had just such a moment of clarity with navy recently. We've been absently talking about navy to each other for months and months, but didn't realize until we went on a junk buying trip this summer, that we were buying many navy things. A navy hat here, three navy dresses there -- navy earrings, a navy purse, navy scarves...you get the picture. 

Hanova Pasadena Enamel Dove Bowl from MonkiVintage on Etsy

Navy really is an amazing color.  It looks great with everything.  Absolutely everything.  It seems less scary and less harsh than black; it can be both classic and modern, all at the same time; and it can be super dark and inky, or it can be a lighter, true blue navy.  It looks crisp with white, comforting with cream, sharp with metallics, and edgy with black.  Both of us Blackbird girls grew up with the hard and fast rule of not mixing navy and black together-- you have to find navy shoes to wear with that navy dress to church! -- but mixing them seems easier these days.  We like the combination now.  White shoes after labor day...well, that's another story...

Color Block Stripe Pillow by Jillian Rene Decor

But where navy can really start to shine is with other colors.  Couple a bright color with navy and you get something that is less graphic than black-with-a-bright-color, and maybe a bit more unexpected than black-with-a-bright-color.  Try navy with kelly green or yellow.  Go monochromatic with lighter and mid-tone blues.  It looks a little more like you really know what you're talking about, that you have that fashion know-how and you're not afraid to use it!

1980s Wool Devon Hall by Robert Paul Taboh Cropped Jacket in our shop.

You can find more of our navy inspiration here, in a new treasury we made on Etsy, or in our vintage shop!  You can also follow our pins for the blog on Pinterest!

Junk Love Monday: Make Your Collection Work For You

Last week, we established the fact that the Blackbird girls are junk addicts. We buy, and then we buy, and then we buy some more. You would think that we would be absolutely out of room by now, right? It is no secret within our circle that our living space is packed with junk. Most first-time guests expect to see a monstrous pile of antiques and tchotchkes, from floor to ceiling, with a pulse that vibrates beneath their feet. What they find instead is a very extensive, but carefully curated, smorgasbord of things. We decorate with our junk. It is everywhere (and I do mean everywhere--every nook and cranny in this house is considered to be real estate for the current or future display of something). Yes, we share a house that could only be classified as tiny, a 1947 cottage that seems to be shrinking by the day. But, we are experts at maximizing the potential of a space, no matter how small. We do have rules to follow. (Last week, we introduced you to the rule known as #3, or the Rule of Three, about the minimum requirements to make something an official collection.) This week, we give you two more rules.

Rule #10: Use your home as a gallery for the things you love to look at. Our strategy for artwork (or anything we can hang on a nail, really): if it's a vertical flat surface, it's available. It doesn't matter if it's three inches from the ceiling, or hanging all the way to the floor, or on the back (and front!) of a door. We hang things across the tops of doorways, on the wall beside the refrigerator, in the laundry nook, above and below light switches, and someday soon, we will probably be hammering tiny nails in a row down the exposed side of our built-in bookcase. We literally have a section of wall that is covered with artwork from the ceiling down to the baseboard with vintage artwork.

www.Lushlee.com

Rule #10, part B: use your displays to mask the defects in the "gallery." Some people use accessories to enhance the architecture of their home, which is absolutely fabulous if you have noteworthy architecture. Those of us living in homes with...flaws...can use our accessories to cover up the blemishes. If you are in physical pain at the thought of a room with more artwork than drywall, imagine how it would feel knowing that the drywall is cracked and uneven, and the painters were possibly sleepwalking when they applied your favorite, but now-discontinued, color (the one that ALL of your furniture matches, so if you repainted the walls, you'd have to reupholster everything). It is far more satisfying to cover that up (and much cheaper than having someone come in and re-drywall and paint every room in your house, which would really mean having to move to a hotel while this is done, because you have to sleep somewhere). Do you have a pesky support column somewhere, which can't be removed because it's holding up your house? Cover that thing up. Artwork, masks, a collection of tools--it doesn't matter what you hang on it. Just make it look like it was put there specifically to display something you love, and nobody will ever leave your house thinking about that ugly column again.

But what if it can't hang? This brings me to Rule #9 in our personal guidebook to happiness: Make your collection work for you. It is a beautiful concept, really. First, you get dual usage out of some of your things. Second, when you are thinking about purchasing something, the moment when you realize that you can use it to display, store, or enhance something else in your collection will bring you that most precious realization: I HAVE TO BUY THIS! You have no choice now, which eases the pain of opening your wallet and handing over the money. You have to do it, because it was meant to be! It is guilt-free efficiency. Example: She buys a box of vintage billiard balls. What do we do with spherical things, which, because our house is also not level, tend to roll all over the place? Why, I simply MUST buy that red bowl to hold them! And now that I have that red bowl? I can buy that similar aqua bowl to hold my bocce balls. It doesn't get better than bowls of balls, people! When she buys an antique optic glass punchbowl, what do we do? Fill it with her vintage typewriter tins. When I buy vintage chess pieces? Then she simply MUST buy that vase to hold them. Then, we can use that vase of chess pieces as a bookend. A teak salad bowl will hold candy at Halloween, or turned upside down, can act as a riser for a piece of pottery. A midcentury creamer becomes a pencil cup.

However, sometimes we have to find a place to store things that aren't a part of our display. Whether it is something as mundane as scotch tape, or a collectible that is being rotated out for a while, it has to go somewhere, and that is the moment you will discover that the drawer in the kitchen is already full. This is when you can really make your collection work for you--as storage units. While we may wiggle things into overstuffed closets and under furniture, nothing serves us better in the way of storage than two of our collections: suitcases and ice buckets.

respacedpdx.com

The suitcase craze comes and goes among vintage-lovers, but our relationship with our luggage is solid. Every suitcase, trunk, and vanity case that we own is performing double duty as a storage site for something. I have a round blue suitcase that holds sweaters in the off season. We have a plaid suitcase that stores back issues of magazines. Vintage tweed suitcases filled with unsightly and rarely-used, but highly sentimental, VHS tapes are stacked on a piece of furniture to serve as risers for one of our displays. Depending on the time of year, other suitcases throughout the house may hold extra blankets, board games, Christmas decorations, our heaviest winter coats, and an impossible-to-display collection of vintage cheese boards that will have their grand debut at a cheese party someday. To keep everything straight? Just tie paper luggage tags to the handles of the suitcases, with the contents written on the tag. Unless you have incredibly nosy guests, people will just think they are name tags. You can buy them, or make your own, or use the tags that came with the suitcase when you bought it. We get great storage, and the suitcases look great with our decor.

The ice bucket collection has become a resting place for smaller items: spare batteries, tape, business cards, and the super important Pizza Delivery Fund. Have you ever put something in a "safe place," and then spent six months looking for it? If you designate the ice bucket collection as a series of safe places, it cuts the search time considerably (and you don't end up emptying, and then re-filling, every drawer and cabinet in your house). Yes, I might forget which ice bucket holds the AA batteries, but trust me, it only takes two seconds to lift the lid, gaze inside, and move on. No digging required. Plus,  ice buckets are cool.

moodindigonewyork.com

The Skinny -- Lilly Pulitzer

Photo from fashionistapalmbeach.tumblr.com

Many believe that the fashion designer, Lilly Pulitzer, created the resort wear industry back in the 1960s with her iconic printed cotton shifts.  Lilly created summery dresses, pants, and other pieces that spoke to her Palm Beach lifestyle year round, and never saw the need to expand her line to include fall/winter clothing.  According to Lilly,  "It’s always summer somewhere.” 

Lilly Pulitzer found inspiration for her dresses in her everyday life.  Needing a hobby to occupy her time, she started working at her husband's fruit juice stand in 1960.  She soon realized that clothing that could hide juice stains and still look fashionable was a must.  Picking out some bright cotton prints, Lilly worked with a seamstress to develop her basic shift that allowed her to stay cool and cute, as well as incorporating side slits that allowed for bending over.  People wanted the dresses, and she started selling them at the juice stand.

Photo from machelpenn.com

Her shifts became instantly famous when the First Lady, Jackie Kennedy, a childhood classmate, was pictured in Life magazine wearing one of Lilly's dresses.  After only one year, she opened Lilly Pulizter, Inc.

Lilly worked with Key West Fabrics to create her classic prints. Using Palm Beach as her inspiration, she made funky and whimsical prints in bright colors, and she became especially known for her pink and green combinations.  Her name, Lilly, is worked in the design of the print, usually in more than one location. 

 

In our Etsy shop. www.etsy.com/shop/blackbirdantiquesnc

  In the late 1960s and early 70s,  Lilly expanded the line to include menswear, accessories and other off shoots.   She created a junior line and a girl's line, named for her two daughters.  She started to include cotton blends, as well as polyester and cotton knits.

Lilly retired in 1984, but the rights to her company were bought in the 90s and the product lines revamped.  She consulted on the new lines, and it has had a rebirth in popularity.  People still want to wear fun, comfortable clothes, but more importantly, clothes that feel like snapshots of American fashion history. 

Two great resources to date and authenticate your vintage Lilly Pulitzer clothing is the Vintage Fashion Guild's label guide, found here: http://vintagefashionguild.org/label-resource/pulitzer-lilly/ or Fuzzy Lizzie's site, here: http://fashionsfinest.fuzzylizzie.com/lillypulitzer.html

Photo from jezebel.com