perspective

I keep some of these relics on my desk.  They remind me that there is always something new to be discovered.  Imagine what the inventor of these 45 record centers would think of cassette tapes, compact discs, and ipods.  New technology aside, even items that have been around longer than 45s have been reinvented over and over again.  Need convincing?  Step into Sephora and notice the hundreds of ways perfume can be bottled.  Pop into a Hallmark and see how clever their Fresh Ink line is. 

Mw_relics

This weekend I took Fallon to an antique store which was more like an indoor flea market.  She loves rummaging through all the stuff – old jewelry, vintage clothing, other people’s stuff.  She was fascinated by a telephone with a DIAL and a handset attached with a CORD.  And she tapped away on an old TYPEWRITER.  It made me think about my 45 centers….these things she only knows as relics.  At one time they were innovations.  The day provided an interesting perspective to see the world through Fallon’s eyes.

Mw_thriftfinds

When thrifting I rarely look at old books anymore.  I have enough piled in this studio and they have fallen out of favor in my work.  But this little green dictionary got my attention, and my $4, when I saw that it’s owner was also a collector of four leaf clovers.  Pressed within it’s pages were at least a dozen.  A kindred spirit.  I also have enough Victorian Scrap so I didn’t need to finger through the neatly packaged keepsakes except to look for those that had Roses as I’m still infatuated.  Imagine my surprise to find one that was *winking* at me….holding up the Rock and Roll horns.  Had to have it.  HCIT?

Comments

11 responses to “perspective”

  1. Katy Avatar
    Katy

    Well, I don’t know who James was, but that would have been my birthday (50 years earlier, though). I wish I could find some of those cool old ledgers people find – I guess I don’t look in the right places! I do have one of those old visiting cards with a hand on the part that lifts up to reveal the name. It was given to me by my grandmother and it has my great-grandfather’s name in it (George Joseph Lee). Imagine – he was a veteran of the Civil War.

  2. Gillian Avatar

    Perhaps you could look up James Horrot in an early census on Ancestry.Com? I’m always doing that for names on gravestones!
    Michelle – I just popped in to thank you for two things: Inspiring me to do some stamp-carving and also for the heads-up about adding your name to images. I got lazy and wasn’t doing it, but I too have had photos ‘lifted’, so you’re right to remind us.
    Thanks again, Gillian. x

  3. Carrie Avatar

    A quick search of Massachusetts’ state archives’ online vital records index didn’t turn up anything, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t find him in a census like Gillian suggested. How perfect to find a kindred spirit in a used book! Books are my favorite piece of enduring technology. I firmly believe that no matter how prevalent e-books and whatever else become, the codex will never become obsolete. I just wish more people valued real books!
    I always knew the Victorians rocked, I just didn’t know how hardcore! \m/

  4. forcryeye Avatar

    Only you would find a vintage book with four leaf clovers, and only you would find the rock horns on a victorian calling card! Only you would make me look at things in a new and creative way!

  5. Chris Avatar

    Okay, did you see the ROSE that Mary Ann posted on her blog?! It is absolutely EROTIC!!
    (my interpretation)

  6. inge Bekaert Avatar

    Hello Michele,
    those rounds on your photo are that records with music on ? I’ve never seen it either (and I’m quite a bit older than your Fallon 🙂
    Finding a book with four leaf clovers in … that’s called “luck” or like my mother says : this doesn’t happen for nothing, it’ s because it has to be like that.
    An other person could have found that book and could have throw the clovers away because it doesn’t have a meaning for him or her. So, it has to be you !
    Me too, I have a lot of old books for using in my work ( I like them as a background). My problem is that I find often books I don’t have the heart to tear the pages out when it comes to it…
    Last thursday we went to Bruxelles and there is a famous fleamarket on the “foxesplace”.
    I found a musicbook for 5 euro ( about 7$) , but when I came home I saw that all the pages were in and the drawings were from beginning 1900…. I can’t tear anything out of this book.
    Because it was raining, the people cleaned their junk quite early when we passed there again after lunch.
    On the marketfloor I found a big book, with the cover completely ruined and wet, a lot of loose papers with text on, I thought I take it home and use the big papers as backgroundpaper….
    I wrapped it in a found plasticbag so it wouldn’t damage the other things we found .
    At home, I opened the bag and the book…to my surprise it was a hand-Atlas from Stieler with beautiful maps in it from the world in 1897…
    Most of the maps are in good condition. Only the cover is really damaged and the loose papers are stained from the water, but it is complete…I have all the papers….
    There goes my intention to “use” the paper. If I ever use them, I won’t put any paint on it, but use them as they are.
    I think I show the book to my teacher of bookbinding, because I think with a lot of care, time and work I can make the book complete again…
    I’ve never found anything precious like this. Thinking it was lying there on the floor, completely wet, ready to go in the garbage, for free…
    So, yes, I think it had to be like this… This was “luck”
    But now I’m still looking for big ugly old books I can use without breaking my heart when I tear the pages out 🙂
    I’ll write a post on it ( haven’t done it yet) and show some pictures of the book so you can get a clue.
    good “luck”
    Inge

  7. Kim Veldt Avatar

    I remember those things! I had a few when my ‘sound system’ was still in my portable pink suitcase and I was listening to both Disney albums and my sib’s 45’s.
    Cool that you found the clover collectors bits ( *squeeeee* ) and the rock hand – I’ve never been big on the hands but it’s such an odd position I think it would be pretty rare. Neat-O!

  8. susanna Avatar

    I can’t believe we were vintage store hopping at the same place on the same day and didn’t see each other! Hah! You and Fallon found some interesting stuff. Dial phones…yep, I remember them. I also remember when there weren’t any area codes before a telephone number.

  9. Sue Pieper Avatar

    Talking about the old 45’s made me have to share this story. Last summer Gary’s 90 year old aunt sold her home & moved into a tiny apartment, so we were left in charge of disposing/selling her stuff that wouldn’t fit. An old console stereo was one of those things, which Jeremy fell in love with, so we had it repaired for him & hauled it down to Madison for him last week, never thinking to bring some albums along. Later that night he called wanting to know how to make it work, I thought he couldn’t find where to turn it on or something. Turns out, he had laid the album he found (extremely warped) on top of the arm instead of moving that over & laying it on the turntable! After I got my uncontrolled fit of laughing under control, it dawned on me that he’d never seen a stereo with an album in use. These kids have missed a lot!
    Love the photos of your Mom in a previous post, she’s just so cute!

  10. carlene Avatar

    That is SOOOOOOOO cool that you were moved to buy that dictionary and it had 4 leaf clovers in it!!! You were meant to have it for sure…and lol on the rock & roll horns, I actually have some of the scrap with the horns, and never noticed that my Victorian lady was rocking out, lol!

  11. rivergardenstudio Avatar

    These posts are fascinating, I am in awe of your stenciling and your designs, thanks for being such a teacher as well as an artist. Your family and friends lookm really fun! Roxanne

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