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Friday, June 27, 2014

This is a Girl You Have to Hear (video)

I could talk all day about how, "We're all connected." But I bet you knew that already, thanks to the internet. However, before the inter-webs, we were still all connected. I am not comparing us to ants in a colony all experiencing some level of group think. I am talking about the innumerable coincidences you can find even when you're not looking for them.


I'm in Connecticut, so it shouldn't be too much of a surprise to find a piece of sheet music in Connecticut with this title...or is it?  If I knew how to research something like this I would really like to know how it came about. The composer lived in the same city as (the Connecticut Girl I married) the music was found in, but I know little else about him. More than that, I really wanted to know what this song sounded like.
     A waltz for guitar or banjo, neither of which I can play beyond random plucking. Through a more interesting coincidence (a story for another time) I found a musician who not only could read this music, but play it with real passion. Take a listen to 2 minutes of this song and see if you can tell me "Who is the Connecticut Girl?"

 
The performance was courtesy of Caleb A. Wetherbee, whose skill with a guitar made this video possible. 
Caleb A. Wetherbee Biography
 Note: both the composer, Dominic A. Passerelli and the performance artist Caleb A. Wetherbee share the same middle initial...coincidence?

Thursday, June 26, 2014

An Organizaton I would never Join

I found some letterhead over the weekend, and when I saw it I thought, "They would never want me as a member." I still don't know which goes with what - Darks, Lights, Colors, Delicates?!  Apparently this was a real thing and they actually held conventions. Take a look at this image from Baylor University archives.

And if you want to see some really ornate letterhead...go here.

Friday, June 20, 2014

A Quick Peek at a Weekend Treasure Hunt

There were definitely some rare gems at this sale I scouted. Thanks again to Just In Antiques in New Milford, CT for giving me the opportunity to see it before anyone else.

The video's first image is a Civil War powder horn. It's amazing to think how many of the items at these sales are true relics that can be had for a few dollars.   

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Found: First ever PhotoShop Fail - 1916

Back with Adobe products may have actually been made of adobe, illustrators were employed by pulpy magazines (though the quality is one step above pulp) like Popular Mechanics and their advertisers to grind out ads and graphics at what must have been an alarming pace. 
PhotoShop Fail 1916
If you are driving in a way that causes scum to form on your car, then it may be a good idea to stay off the roads until they're paved. I have also never heard of "mud freckles" which may actually be genetic to the manufacturer.  I love the olde photoshop-esque fail.
PhotoShop Fail 1916 close up
Come on, illustrator of yesteryear! Where is his arm!

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

The Good Olde (Photo) Days

Old photo early 20th century
Big meal

High School Class 1929

Shoe Shine early 20th century
These are images I snapped at a recent sale, no I don't have a time machine. They show a time around the turn of the century (The one before last) when the life were simpler. I think that means everyone had less then they do now, but were still able to be happy. Not a bad way to live.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

I'm Positive these ladies are beautiful.(but one stands out)

 What can you expect when you see a glass negative? I expect the best. However, I was doubly, actually quintuply blessed when I saw this image.  When I processed it, I thought I would find beauty. I didn't think I would find timeless beauty. Can you tell which one struck me? 

If there is such a term as the "Alpha Female" then this picture has revealed her identity. This has to be the "queen" and her court. She arranged them; she got them to hold still; she knew the importance of holding still for this was more than a novelty of technology. This was a chance to immortalize her beauty and share it with the future. All I can say is, "Thank you."

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Baby...You're the Greatest! (It's Gam-tastic!)

1940's pin-up style amateur photocard
This is one of those photo postcards, usually meant to share with the recipient, where the sender was when he or she wrote it. This photo-card is different. I am going out on a limb here and guess that this was a gal taking a picture to send to her soldier overseas. At least I hope that was the reason. It was bad enough that anyone could read your mail on a postcard, but to send a cheesecake image...I'm not sure this ever made it to its intended destination. Nice gams, though.

If it was wartime, like the early 1940's, I would have expected a postcard more like this:
Army air corps.

I like the color illustration, even though the fine print claims it's an "Official Photograph." It's no pin-up, but a nice representation of air power.

More weirdness from Popular Mechanics

I have yet to see an ad in this edition from 1916 that isn't over the top. Why should any of them be with a cover like this?
Popular Mechanics 1916
That is a cover full of WTF. It says to go to page 691 for more information. I have yet to see the cover discussed, an why is that one kid immune? Check out these ads inside:

 The problem I have with this school is that the Northwestern School of Taxidermy is located nowhere near the "Northwest."
 Was there really a "White Pine Bureau?" Was the bureau made of white pine?
Don't just learn to wrestle...learn to EXPERT wrestle!