shorpy finds: canal point

Migrant Workers Canal Point, FL by Marion Post Wolcott (circa 1939) via Shorpy

I look at these two young women and I see beauty. I also see pride. They impress me. Click here to get more of their story. 

shorpy finds: Merchants' Dispatch Transportation Co.

Blacksmith shop, Merchants' Dispatch Transportation Co. - (circa 1904)

What's not to love about this snapshot? Those bricks. Those mustaches. The hand-forged metalwork. Sigh. Have I mentioned how much I respect artisan work? If you click on the image you can zoom in on all the gorgeous details. Cheers!

shorpy finds: metropolitan museum of art

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (circa 1902)

Someday I swear I'll take my daughters to this place. For now, this photo will do the trick.

One of my goals for 2012 is to visit as many local art museums as I can -- thankfully there are plenty to choose from here in the Pacific NW.

Cheers + Happy New Years!
Mandy

shorpy find - Cleon Throckmorton

Renowned artist Cleon "Throck" Throckmorton at work at Krazy Kat (circa 1921)

The weekend is finally here and I'm ready to rejuvenate! I trust I'll find time to escape to my tiny art studio to finish work on a few of my "art is my compass" drawings.

To jump start my creativity, I turned to one of my all-time favorite sources of inspiration: Shorpy, a vintage photo blog featuring thousands of high-definition images from the 1850s to 1950s. I've blogged about my Shorpy crush here, here, here, and here.

Well, this morning I hit the jackpot! I found this incredible image of artist Cleon Throckmorton on the terrace of Krazy Kat painting a lovely lady rumored to be his wife. What's not to LOVE about this photograph?

Click on the photo above to view a high-res image and soak up all the beauty. Be sure to check out the blog's comments that tell more of the story behind "Throck" and the bohemians who frequented Krazy Kat. Enjoy!

shorpy finds - seeing beauty in the mundane

Every so often I make time to scan the "pages" of the amazing historical photo blog Shorpy and I'm always glad I did. These snapshots of everyday, mundane tasks spoke loudest to me this morning. I hope you can see the beauty in them, too. Enjoy and happy weekend.

Lumber camp, Minnesota (circa 1937)

There's something calming about this picture...perhaps it's because when I'm washing dishes late at night it's my time, quiet time. If you look closely, you can see a special lady photo above the kitchen sink (maybe he's thinking of her?). Click on the photo to zoom.

U.S. Food Administration War Kitchen, Washington (circa 1917)

I'd give anything for those farmhouse tables...anything.

A Toilet Room in the Natural Food Conservatory, New York (circa 1906)

How amazing are those sinks? Those faucets? And those floor tiles? Sigh. If I could I would install these fixtures in my 100-year old Seattle home in a heartbeat.

Tenement yard, New York (circa 1900-10)

I may just have to paint this scene, yes, I think I must. What I wouldn't give to witness this firsthand -- the sights, the sounds, the smells -- oh how I wish I could go back in time.

(all images via Shorpy)

shorpy finds

Sewing class, New York (circa 1925)

If you love looking at old photographs as much as I do, then you must visit Shorpy. I make frequent visits and here's what I found this morning. Click on the photos to see all the fantastic details.

Government printing office, Washington (Circa 1910)

There's so much to absorb in this photo. I'm particularly enamored with "Col. No.74": those subway tiles, the push-button switches, the cup on a chain and that sign - priceless!

Delicatessen room of the Edelweiss Cafe, Detroit (circa 1912).

The National cash register is spectacular, but it's the butcher paper and twine station that I really want.

Washday, Arizona (circa 1942)

Washday at the Camelback Farm Security Administration camp. The photo says so much.

(all images via Shorpy)

dorothea lange

Dorothea Lange. Circa 1936 - image source

My recent look at the Great Depression, specifically the rural poor affected by the Dust Bowl, led me to Dorothea Lange's extraordinary collection of photographs. Ms. Lange worked for Roy Stryker's team of photographers and the Farm Security Administration (FSA) from 1935-1939 documenting the lives of displaced farmers, sharecroppers and migrant workers. Here are just a few of her photographs that have moved me:

Migrant Mother (age 32). Circa 1936 - image source

Penniless family. Circa 1936 - image source

Fairbanks family tent home. Circa 1939 - image source

Nettie Circa 1938 - image source

On a related note, I'm anxious to dive into "Heartland New Mexico, Photographs from the Farm Security Administration 1935-1943" by Nancy Wood that features Ms. Lange's photographs of Mills, Bosque Farms, and other resettlement areas in New Mexico. My paternal grandfather was a coal miner in nearby Raton, NM, and Ms. Wood's book revisits places depicted in the Ms. Lange's photographs.

my Shorpy crush

I swear...sometimes I feel as if I was born in the wrong era. I mean, don't get me wrong -- life would not be complete without having seen U2 and Springsteen in concert -- but I've always fancied big band and swing music. When we built our new "old" house on the Colorado prairies in 2003, claw foot tubs and built-ins were an absolute must. And of course we filled it with vintage farmhouse wares and antique furniture.

So imagine my delight when I recently discovered Shorpy, a blog of vintage photographs from the 1850s to 1950s. It's named after a young lad, Shorpy Higginbotham (seen here - front and center), who worked at the Bessie Mine in Alabama (photo circa 1910). Thankfully someone had the vision to preserve and share these everyday snapshots of our history. Shorpy has become my addiction.

Take for example the photo below of Weller's Pharmacy (circa 1915). At first glance one might ask why I'm making such a fuss about a store. But, I say look closer (click photo for a hi-res image). There is immense beauty in the ordinary: the signage for the 5 cent cigars, the packaging of the soap tablets, the bin of sea sponges. If given the chance, I'd buy one of everything in the place. What's even harder to ignore are those display cases -- those gorgeous display cases! Just look at the intricate wood carvings of animal heads. What's the story behind that? What I do know is that craftsmanship of this caliber is sadly too often missing from today's landscape.


Another great example is this portrait of a girl working in a Georgia cotton mill. "Little Spinner" is hauntingly beautiful. Being smitten with natural and organic textiles, I was immediately drawn to this photo. I feel so lucky to get a "personal tour" of the factory. And yet, at the same time, I'm haunted by the reality of child labor back then. I am glad we have progressed in that sense.


The last photo I'd like to share is this one of a Texas farmhouse in 1938 caught in the midst of the Dust Bowl. When I study this photo words like loneliness, sorrow, hopelessness and devastation come to mind. But I also see a home that is still standing and words like resilience and purpose come to mind. Perhaps I'm also fond of this photo because I'm knee-deep in everything Dust Bowl these days...a place of inspiration for my next painting project.


Thanks for stopping by. Perhaps Shorpy will become your choice of time travel? It's definitely mine.

Cheers,
Mandy

(all images via Shorpy)