For this week’s Tuesday Huesday post, we thought we’d choose an image from our own archive. It’s a detail from a 1960s vintage BOAC drinks menu for a flight to or from Japan. We love the bold graphics and overlaid colours.
You can see more images of the menu in a post we did a couple of years ago about our collection of vintage menus.
It seems a long time ago that photographer Simon Whitmore & stylist Sally Denning from Ideal Home Magazine spent the day here - so much has happened since!!
The October 2012 Ideal Home magazine dropped through the letter box this morning - there’s a lovely article with lots of images and an interview by Joanna Simmons. We talk about the alterations we made to the house, the features we like and its eclectic contents. It’s certainly nice to see what the place looked like pre-flood!
Click here to have a look at the rest of the feature and below is a slide show of lots of other photos that were taken on the day but didn’t make it into the magazine.
© Simon Whitmore
Pop! Design, Culture, Fashion 1956 - 1976 by Geoff Rayner, Richard Chamberlain and Annamarie Stapleton has just been published by The Antique Collectors Club.
The book accompanies an exhibition of the same name currently taking place at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London - on until 27 October 2012.
Its chapters move chronologically through twenty years of the Pop movement, from “Rock’n’Roll” in the mid fifties to “Punk” in the seventies. It encompasses Mod, the Swinging Sixties, Psychedelia, Op art, Hippy & Glam - and as the book’s title suggests, weaves its way through fashion, art, music, technology, graphic design and interior design & decoration.
In 1957, British artist & early Pop exponent, Richard Hamilton described Pop as thus:
All the big names in Pop culture are name checked: Elvis, Cliff, Roxy Music; Warhol, Lichtenstein; Peter Blake, Martin Sharp; Mary Quant, Zandra Rhodes, Vivienne Westwood, Biba - to name but a few!
The book investigates Anglo-American Pop, making fleeting mentions of a couple of Japanese designs. We wondered why the book wasn’t more international in its coverage, but onward reading brought us to realise that there was a good explanation for this. It wasn’t due to neglect! As Marco Livingstone wrote in his 1990 book, “Pop Art: A Continuing History”:
“Pop was destined to remain essentially a movement of the English speaking world and even more specifically of the United States and Britain… by definition, Pop could only flourish in a highly industrialised capitalist society…”
Many of the images included in the book, such as Andy Warhol’s banana album cover artwork for the Velvet Underground, are already well known to followers of the Pop movement. But with full colour illustrations on almost every one of the 272 pages, there are many we’d not seen before.
It’s far from being mere eye candy though. This is a hugely well-researched book - there’s a comprehensive introduction followed by extensive side notes accompanying the photographs… and if it makes you want to delve even deeper, the book supplies a comprehensive list of further reading sources.
A fabulous read - we can highly recommend it!
As well as Antique Colectors Club, this book is also available from Amazon and Hive
[Many thanks to the Antique Collectors Club for the review copy]
Altair Tent £5,998.00 - Anthropologie
Maybe it’s all the torrential rain we’ve been having in the Pennines and across the country throughout the summer. We saw this beauty on the Anthropologie website last week and dreamt wistfully of pitching up on a tropical beach somewhere… azure blue sea a few footsteps away… the sounds of waves and birds… the smell of barbecue smoke mixing with the salty air… SIGH!
We love bright colours and these rainbow-hued armchairs look amazing together all in a row! We can imagine them in an airy, bright white, minimalist hotel’s reception area.
A lovely selection of recently acquired, vintage homeware items here - not lacking in colour & vibrancy that’s for sure!
Starting with a bit of vintage Tupperware - these spice pots would certainly brighten up the kitchen. They come in a wide range of colours and can be clicked together & stacked.
First aid boxes & tins are always popular in our shop. This wooden box was sold by Boots and probably dates from the 1950s. Some of the contents remain intact although you’d probably want to buy some fresh Dettol!
Next up, something for all you vintage picnic & camper van fans. This picnic bag has space for a couple of flasks and comes with a metal sandwich tin. You could no doubt squeeze a few more goodies in there too. The traditional tartan covering would work a treat with vintage travel rugs & blankets.
And how about this fabulous flask to go inside. This one was produced by Vax and we just love its striped decoration.
We have put this little pair of 1950s Russian Lomonosov horse figurines up for sale on eBay - Modernist, cute or kitsch?
A bit more tartan for you now. This shortbread tin has a fantastic thistle design incorporating various colourful tartans. We’re very partial to a bit of home made shortbread here at H is for Home. This just might have to be a keeper!
Perhaps the star of the show this week is this iconic record or magazine rack. It was produced by Worcester Ware - the atomic ball feet, stylised instruments and colours all scream 1950s!!
Get in touch if you see anything that you really fancy and we’ll try to give you first dibs.
Way back in March we decided to plant up an old tin bath that was in the back garden just taking up space and the front of the house was in need of a bit more kerb appeal.
We already had two dolly tubs planted up outside the front door and we thought that the long bath would look prefect between them, under the window. We decided that the grey of the galvanised planters would really complement the silvery green of plants like lavender and rosemary.
Here they are in late summer - over a foot tall, in full flower, with the Virginia creeper either side turning that beautiful crimson! How do you think it looks?
Our next project will involve reinstating the iron railings that once enclosed the front of the house. This will provide a contained, private space for lots more containers then!
acid green patent leather Dr Martens heart-shaped satchel designed by Agyness Deyn - £140.00
It was only a matter of time before yet another handbag appeared on my wish wish list! But can you blame me? Look at this amazing heart shaped satchel designed by the model Agyness Deyn for Dr Martens (of big boot fame). And the colour’s amazing too - very H is for Home! ;-)
An extraordinarily ordinary subject matter - spools of metallic thread but eye-catching in its simplicity & composition. This is a photographic print entitled Silver and Gold by Cassia Beck aka Lola’s Room and available to buy on Folksy.
We’ve got a fabulous range of sponsors at the moment - lovely products, lovely people - perfect for a short series of blog posts throwing the spotlight on them & their businesses.
We’re kicking off with Leeds-based Eclectic Chair - aka Heather.
Hi, I’m Heather of Eclectic Chair which is a small upholstery studio in Headingley, Leeds. I’m 48, and didn’t start to study upholstery until I was 36, proof that it’s never to late to change career, or learn how to do something that you have always fancied doing!
I started to study upholstery in the year 2000, as I had an untapped creative side itching to get out, and I was looking for a way out of the restaurant industry, in which I have enjoyed working for 25 years, but knew that I didn’t want to continue too. For those of you who know South Manchester, I was the manager of the lovely Lime Tree restaurant in West Didsbury for 10 years.
I studied upholstery at the Traditional Upholstery Workshop, in Ceredigion, Wales.
I absolutely loved upholstery from day one. It’s not easy, it’s very physical, messy and dirty, and there are a lot of skills to learn, as chairs have been made in many different ways over the years. I’ve become a better upholsterer as time has gone by. I’ve made mistakes, had to unpick my work completely and do it again, sought advice from more experienced upholsterers, and I have loads of books on the subject. There are tough days, when jobs don’t go the way you expect, and I’m lying on my back on a dirty floor supporting a huge sofa above me with one arm, but the good times when I create something amazing, make up for them.
I called my business Eclectic Chair, because I am a big fan of an eclectic mix of periods, and styles. People are attracted to a whole host of styles, and it’s very difficult to restrict yourself to one. We all pick up a collection of personal possessions from our travels, before we settle down, and I think vintage, modern, ethnic and antique, can all work together, if you style it well. Here’s an example of that from my house, with a 1960s couch upholstered by myself!
My trademark style is colourful, patterned, vintage and recycled, I particularly love furniture from the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
And I like to mix it up a bit, for example reupholstering a 1970s Parker Knoll armchair using vintage Welsh tapestry fabric, or recovering some 1950s diner chairs with traditional African waxed fabric.
I have recently been upholstering furniture with recycled coffee and grain sacks. I really like the printing on them and the industrial, and rustic feel that the jute gives. The coffee sacks are recycled by Taylors of Harrogate, they are big on sustainability, they donate them to a place called Scrap in Leeds which recycles waste materials from business, and that is where I buy them! I love the fact that I’m reupholstering a chair with sacks that have come from Honduras, Kenya, India and Brazil, via Harrogate to me in Leeds, and re-using them, but making something beautiful in the process.
For more examples of Heather’s work, or to contact her if you have a piece of furniture that you would like her to upholster, go to her website Eclectic Chair.
If you’re interested in becoming one of our sponsors just get in touch and we’ll send you our stats & rates!
Today’s bookmarks post features Jazz Covers by Joaquim Paulo & Julius Wiedemann (Ed.) - and published by Taschen.
Justin’s a big jazz fan and has an ever-expanding record collection - particularly 50s & 60s vinyl.
This book review’s been a real treat for him.
We’ve been thinking for some time that we need to do a blog post featuring some of the fantastic album covers from this era…
…then lo & behold this wonderful book appeared!
It’s certainly a great looking package. There’s a striking outer box sleeve and the book spines contained within resemble LPs stacked on a shelf. It’s a lovely little touch - typical of Taschen’s quality and attention to detail.
Jazz Covers is divided into two volumes - first artists A-K and then L-Z.
Great names such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Mingus and Thelonious Monk (perhaps we shouldn’t start listing names because there’s always one more that has to be mentioned).
Each volume starts with interviews from legendary jazz figures - Bob Ciano (former art director at CTI), Fred Cohen (owner of the Jazz Record Centre in New York), Michael Cuscuna (producer at Blue Note Records), Rudy Van Gelder (sound engineer), Ashley Kahn (author & jazz critic) and Creed Taylor (founder of Impulse! Records).
They truly are legends within the industry and their thoughts are both fascinating & insightful - shedding light on the design process and the music itself.
Following these short interviews are page after page of the most wonderful album covers.
We took photographs of some of our favourites, but the quality’s so amazing that if we’d returned the next day we’d probably have chosen a completely different selection!
Accompanying the photographs are superb side notes - there are details about each record - artist, date, label etc. Also additional information about the musicians who played on them, producers, design influences, record industry snippets and wider social history.
We really like the use of these extensive side notes which breaks information up into manageable, reader friendly chunks - absolutely perfect for a big ‘coffee table’ book.
Volume II ends with ‘top ten lists’ where some of the worlds most influential DJs and biggest collectors spill the beans on the albums that they just couldn’t live without.
Having read their lists, there are serious concerns for our bank balance!
As you might have guessed, we couldn’t recommend this book highly enough - it’s fabulous!
Jazz enthusiasts will obviously get the most from it, but it will also appeal to lovers of design, art, typography & photography in general. Get it on your pressie list!!
As well as the Taschen website, this book is also available on Amazon.
[Many thanks to Taschen for this review copy]
Crosley Tan Keepsake Turntable £160.00 | Black Record Stand £60.00 - Urban Outfitters
What do you think of this 21st century, new & improved version of the Dansette? Not only does the Crosley turntable play your cherished vinyl records, it can convert them to MP3 files so you can enjoy your tunes on your smartphone or computer - a smart bit of kit! And it looks great with this great retro mid-century modern wire stand; available in black, white or turquoise.
You may think that we’re hitting rock bottom (pun intended!) blogging about toilet paper. But why is this staple product only really available in white, peach, powder pink and other dull pastel colours? Well done Renova for celebrating the humble toilet paper roll!
The Art of Modern Tapestry: Dovecot Studios since 1912 by Dr Elizabeth Cumming covers the history of Dovecot Studios from its Arts & Crafts beginnings to today, 2012, its centenary year.
The book accompanies a major exhibition, Weaving The Century: Tapestry from Dovecot Studios 1912-2012, currently being held at Dovecot Studios (until 7 October 2012).
Since 2009, the Studios have been housed in a most magnificent residence; Victorian swimming baths, the first to be built in Edinburgh.
Many of the tapestries produced by the weavers at Dovecot have been collaborations with painters & sculptors - a veritable Who’s Who of the modern art world - David Hockney, Stanley Spencer, Henry Moore, Eduardo Paolozzi, John Piper, Cecil Beaton, Patrick Caulfield…
Many of these tapestries have been examples of fine art in themselves - including this breathtaking piece, Sunset over Corrib, designed by Douglas Grierson. It look like an impressionist painting… or cubist masterpiece!
A glance at the Studio’s commissioners & collectors give us much insight into the regard held for the excellence of their work. They produced coats of arms for HM Queen Elizabeth and Liberty; are in the permanent collections of museums & galleries including the V&A, Edinburgh Museums and Galleries, National Museum of Scotland, Vancouver Art Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; have been commissioned by global organisations such as Rolls Royce, BP, IBM, London Stock Exchange; and have work that hangs on the walls of cathedrals: (Coventry, Canterbury, Glasgow), universities: (Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, Sussex, Leicester) and banks: (Deutsche Bank, Santander, Chase Manhattan).
In an effort to diversify and become more commercial, printed tiles and textiles were introduced at Dovecot. Margaret Stewart’s bird cushion cover from the 1950s looks so contemporary!
The animal kingdom has been a recurring theme in Dovecot tapestries. Graham Sutherland’s Wading Birds (above) and Edward Bawden’s Farming (below) are two of our favourites.
The book provides an in depth history of the Studios, The author has mined Dovecot’s archive and has uncovered &shared many gems. There are insightful interviews with weavers past & present, collaborating artists, commissioners and academics.
Available from the publishers, Lund Humphries and also on Amazon UK & US
[Many thanks to Lund Humphries for the review copy]
Some forthcoming attractions for mid August - these vintage homewares are all of a similar, mid 20th century vintage.
We’ll start with a bolt of unused vintage Draylon fabric - unmistakably from the 60s/70s era
It has a bold repeating pattern in burnt orange & white. Perfect for upholstery, curtains, cushions, lampshades etc.
This is a lovely footstool with its two tone red vinyl seat and tapered wooden legs.
It would sit very nicely in any self-respecting mid century modern pad.
We’ve had a few of these lamps in various colours - green, brown or caramel like this one. A drum shaped teak or Hessian shade would be just the thing to finish it off.
This is just a simple little kettle, but we love its brightly coloured painted metalware - just the thing for the vintage camper.
Onto a notable designer next - namely Robert Welch. He designed this stainless steel & teak hors d’eouvres set for Old Hall in the 1960s. This was just one of many pieces he designed for the company - the Alveston tea set being a sought after classic.
We’re probably just in the 1950s for this storage jar with its lovely polka dot design in red & white. It was made by Kirkham Pottery and has a real vintage tea party or kitchenette feel.
And finally, a real stunner of a clock. There are lots of mid 20th century inspired & reproduction starburst clocks on the market, but this is one of the true originals. It has teak & brass coloured rays and was produced by Metamec. It’s in excellent condition and is still ticking away nicely after 50 years or so.
