Vintage February Magazines

Needlecraft Magazine, February 1932

These magazines sold for .10.

Home Arts Magazine, February 1940

Even if things cost 20 times more now, that would still make them cost only $2.00 in current prices. Most of the Somerset (Stampington) magazines – like Artful Blogging, and Somerset Life cost $14.99. Granted, they are much thicker periodicals, but that’s still a huge chunk of money for a magazine.

Photos from these magazine still to come this month.

Made in the U.S.A.

Up to this point, all of my Made in the U.S.A. Monday posts have focused on new products.

However, I’ll depart from that today and feature a vintage valentine I bought at the antique mall.

There are lots of domestically made products at the antique mall. I’ve bought dominoes, a working clock radio and lots of other things produced here in our own country when quality mattered.

Vintage Valentines

These are a few of the vintage valentines I’ve collected through the years.

There are no dates on the backs but they look 1940s to me; possibly a little on either side of that.

The backs have been signed with fountain pens so they’re probably pre-1950s.

More this week …

1920s fashions, Altered Book Page

This is part II in a series of altered book fashion pages. These sketches were photocopied from some John Peacock books that I have:

Twentieth-Century Fashion : The Complete Sourcebook, 1993

Fashion Accessories: The Complete 20th Century, 2000

The 1920s (Fashion Sourcebooks), 1997

Mr. Peacock was the senior costume designer for BBC London.

Click here to go to the previous post.

Angela Lansbury

If you only know Angela Lansbury as the sweet writer/detective Jessica Fletcher from “Murder, She Wrote”, I invite you to explore her film career and discover how versatile this London born actress can be. You’re in for a lot of entertainment.

Her first film role in Hollywood was that of the snippy young maid in Gaslight (1944).

She was stunningly beautiful in this and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (1945).

The silly, ambitious mother of Elvis Presley (although she was only 10 years older than Elvis) in “Blue Hawaii” (1961).

Unspeakably evil as Laurence Harvey’s mother in “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962).

The vain, stupid and morally bankrupt mother in George Roy Hill’s “The World of Henry Orient” (1964). TWOHO is a fun, wonderful movie. You can watch the trailer here. Here is a clip on youtube. If you’ve never seen this film and you like The Trouble with Angels, then I highly recommend it. I think it’s Peter Sellers funniest performance. Go here for a review and excellent comment about it.

“Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris” is probably my favorite Angela Lansbury film. It is a charming story of a 1950’s London char-lady who aspires to have a Dior dress. Here is a youtube clip to give you a sample taste. The clothes are gorgeous!

Her Broadway rendition of “We Need a Little Christmas” is wonderfully cheerful. You can listen to this recording from Mame here.

How about the wonderful “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast”? Go here to hear Angela and Jerry Orbach. Lovely.

What a trooper! Her imdb page has 101 roles listed, and that only includes movies and television. She’s won 4 Tony awards for her work on Broadway, too.

Made in the U.S.A.

Chapstick

Books Read in January, 2010

Anything Can Happen, George Papashvily and Helen Papashvily

Published in 1945, this is the true story of a Russian (actually Georgian) immigrant’s first years in America. This autobiography begins not at his beginning (he really doesn’t tell a lot about his life beforehand) but at the beginning of his life as an American.

We see our land and culture with a fresh view and learn the personal experience of one who was a 20th century addition to the Melting Pot.

Most of the book is uplifting and humorous, but we also learn what it’s like for a person to go 2 years without hearing anyone else speak his native language. Happily, he does discover others who speak Georgian and they form a very socialable group.

This is a very upbeat and charming book. If for no other reason, I recommend it to read about how he melted a battery to adjust bolt sizes on a wheel when he was stranded on a trip to California. Ingenious!

Here is the link to reader’s reviews of it on Amazon. This is one of the few books I’ve ever seen listed where all of the contributors gave it high marks: 4) 5 star reviews and 1) 4 star.

Death of a Dentist, M.C. Beaton
This was the 13th volume in the Hamish McBeth series. Beaton has written Hamish’s character as a bit more likeable than Agatha Raisin, so I enjoy reading these stories about the Scottish Highland constable a bit more. All the regular players are included: the doctor and his wife (the cat lover and poor housekeeper), Archie McDonald ( the fisherman whose wife is such an excellent housekeeper than she boils his suits), the twin spinster sisters, the honorable vicar’s wife, the fake ’seer’, and so on.

As most of us know, authors and screenwriters inject their own viewpoints into their work. Apparently, at least some of Beaton’s viewpoints are conservative because she gets in an occasional dig at what she calls the “nanny state” of the U.K.

From chapter 2:

“There had once been a lot of industry back in the fifties, paper mills, brick works, electronics factories, and the tower blocks had been thrown up to house the influx of workers from cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh. But the workers had brought their love of strikes north with them and gradually the following generations had preferred to live on the dole and not even pretend to work. Factories had closed down and the winds of Sutherland whipped through their shattered windows and fireweed grew in vacant lots. It was like one of those science-fiction movies about the twenty-first century where anarchy
rules and gangs roam the streets. The last industry to go was the fishing industry, killed off by the European Union with its stringent fishing quotas and restrictions which onl the British seemed to obey …“

If that quote gives the impression that her books are preachy, then I’ve described them poorly, because they are not preachy. They are fun with a little common sense thrown in occasionally. Liberal writers do it all the time; in fact, often their books are centered around their viewpoints. Beaton just throws hers in once in a while.

A very entertaining read.

There Goes the Bride, M.C. Beaton
Published in 2009, There Goes the Bride is the latest Agatha Raisin mystery. It opens at the scene of her ex-husband’s marriage to his new bride and of course, Agatha’s jealousy of youth and beauty. This and how she deals with it, is a running theme throughout the book

I suppose that part of Agatha Raisin’s charm is that she is only somewhat predictable, except where men are concerned.

Not quite as well written as some of her other books, it’s still an pleasant diversion and much better than watching poorly written television programs (which I’ve done a lot of in my life).

The Scent of Water, Elizabeth Goudge

How wonderful to discover a new (to me) author that is so gratifying and soothing to read. I’ve been around books and libraries for a long time, and even read about them so I assumed that I was familiar with most of the authors in my favorite genres. Brenda over at Coffee, Tea, Books and Me introduced Elizabeth Goudge to us, her blog readers, and I’m so happy that she did.

The Scent of Water is set in a small English village sometime after World War II. A middle aged woman has inherited a cottage from a mostly unfamiliar cousin and decides to relocate there instead of selling it.

This is the England that many of us long for but I couldn’t find when I was there and is probably gone ( Close knit villagers, local characters, shabby cottages (no electricity), domestic help and antique treasures to discover.

However cozy and pleasant the general theme, the author deals with some very serious subjects: war wounds, making a new life, the destructive and seductive nature of bitterness, grown children who go bad, and honor. The running theme of a relationship with God is beautifully presented.

It was very poetic in places and occasionally some of the meaning was lost on me, as I am not a poetic person. However, that said, I was so pleased with it that I immediately ordered two more of her books (Pilgrim Inn and Green Dolphin Street), which await me when I finish reading my current book.

Highly recommended, especially if you like Miss Read.

The Sea for Breakfast, Lillian Beckwith

Published in 1963, this is a wonderful non-fiction companion to the Hamish McBeth novels by M.C. Beaton. It’s the account of an English schoolteacher who retires to an island in the Hebrides (island off the northwestern coast of Scotland). Her goal is to become a crofter.

Croft, n. Small piece of arable land close to house; ; crofter’s holding. crofter, n., joint tenant of divided farm in parts of Scotland.

(One of my best souvenirs from our time in Windsor was an old English dictionary. I’ve used it many times to look up words from British novels that don’t appear in our American ones.)

Miss Beckwith shares her experiences with the locals as she tries to understand them and become part of their community.

Although M.C. Beaton lived in Scotland, I think she must’ve read this book, too; it’s a great companion book to her Hamish McBeth series.

Recommended.

The Rules for Cats, Fancy Mews

A clever little volume for cat lovers, this is a short read (probably 15 minutes).

Cute illustrations accompany such bon mots as:

“Do not forget that your claws are not only a defensive weapon but also a remarkable decorating device that can perform miracles on humdrum upholstery as well as knit garments.”

and

“Should you make a faux pas, always act as if your action was deliberate and intentional.”

Makes me think the author (Susan Waggoner) had a camera inside my home watching our own feline companions.

Highly recommended for those who love cats. Makes a good gift.

Shorter Posts

Apparently I have pneumonia or something and am not feeling well. So for the next few days, posts will be shorter and a little sporadic.

Tomorrow I go back to the doctor to hear the results of the tests.

Hope everyone out there is doing well and the severe winter weather doesn’t hit Oklahoma as badly as predicted.

Little Insoucient One

Insoucient a. Careless, indifferent

or

from Merriam Webster: in·sou·ci·ance: lighthearted unconcern

He looks so French with that little spot of orange on his right cheek. Hence his name: Lafayette. (Actually General Gilbert Lafayette)

He’s really very sweet and a good lap kitty, but let’s just say that he has the last word on when it’s playtime.

He’ll be heading to the veterinarian before long to be neutered and I really want Joe to take him. Lafayette really loves me and I don’t want him to associate me with what happens there.

Made in the U.S.A.

Here is one of the sheets of decorative paper my sister gave me this weekend. I really appreciate vintage looking paper, but so many of the paper crafting stores don’t carry it.

If one has never checked, then it might be surmised that all paper is made here. It isn’t. But this high quality brand is. I’ve bought other packets of it in a local shop in Oklahoma. The owner didn’t hesitate to share her politics (which were not the same as mine). So, not crazy about the shop, but crazy about the paper.

The company which produces this paper is Graphic 45. It’s really worth a trip to their website. Really beautiful products.