Leader Board Ad

Friday, May 31, 2019

Be an early bird for an estate sale and this is what you’ll see. If I had been an earlier bird I could be in that line. No matter - for what I seek it almost doesn’t matter what time I get there, though early is better. Good sale-ing weather for Saturday - happy hunting! #found #estatesales #justinantiquesatthebrickhouse #treasurehunting #connecticut #estatesalefinds #foundastory #urbanarcheology


Be an early bird for an estate sale and this is what you’ll see. If I had been an earlier bird I could be in that line. No matter - for what I seek it almost doesn’t matter what time I get there, though early is better. Good sale-ing weather for Saturday - happy hunting! #estatesales #justinantiquesatthebrickhouse #treasurehunting #connecticut #estatesalefinds #foundastory #urbanarcheology

from Instagram

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

I drove down to Florida with my parents when I was 16. From NY to FLA it was a long time in the family truckster. Fortunately, right at the halfway point there was this oasis in a sea of boredom. SOUTH OF THE BORDER If you’ve ever taken the trip I don’t need to tell you that the journey there was precluded by billboard after billboard of campy quotes and words of wisdom by the SotB mascot “Pedro.” Each one giving the ever shrinking “miles to go” countdown. This matchbook has to be from the 70s as it features the I-95 locale and displays the giant Pedro sign. It still exists today though it has been reduced in size some due to competition and original owner passing in 2001. I actually got to go and all I remember was a video game parlor that could rival any Vegas gaming floor. It was a slice of heaven for a teen. #found #vintageads #matchbook #collectibles #travel #vintagetourism #touristtrap #southofthebordersc #urbanarcheology #foundastory #estatesalefinds


I drove down to Florida with my parents when I was 16. From NY to FLA it was a long time in the family truckster. Fortunately, right at the halfway point there was this oasis in a sea of boredom. SOUTH OF THE BORDER If you’ve ever taken the trip I don’t need to tell you that the journey there was precluded by billboard after billboard of campy quotes and words of wisdom by the SotB mascot “Pedro.” Each one giving the ever shrinking “miles to go” countdown. This matchbook has to be from the 70s as it features the I-95 locale and displays the giant Pedro sign. It still exists today though it has been reduced in size some due to competition and original owner passing in 2001. I actually got to go and all I remember was a video game parlor that could rival any Vegas gaming floor. It was a slice of heaven for a teen. #vintageads #matchbook #collectibles #travel #vintagetourism #touristtrap #southofthebordersc #urbanarcheology #foundastory #estatesalefinds

from Instagram

Monday, May 27, 2019

Originally known as “Decoration Day” Memorial Day was not made a federal holiday until 1971. Since the Civil War, many communities and States set aside a day around this time of year to decorate the graves of the fallen with flowers. World War 1 signified the need to decorate the graves of soldiers from all wars. #found #history #memorialday #illustration #war #rememberance #foundastory


Originally known as “Decoration Day” Memorial Day was not made a federal holiday until 1971. Since the Civil War, many communities and States set aside a day around this time of year to decorate the graves of the fallen with flowers. World War 1 signified the need to decorate the graves of soldiers from all wars. #history #memorialday #illustration #war #rememberance #foundastory

from Instagram

Friday, May 24, 2019

Cool letterhead of the day. Maley and Caroline were fruit and vegetable shippers in 1922. If you wanted Grapes by the freight car load these were the ones to go with. My favorite coincidence with this is the age matching the NYC address. #found #foundpaper #vintageletterhead #newyorkcity #fruitsandveggies #ephemera #urbanarcheology #foundastory #estatesalefinds


Cool letterhead of the day. Maley and Caroline were fruit and vegetable shippers in 1922. If you wanted Grapes by the freight car load these were the ones to go with. My favorite coincidence with this is the age matching the NYC address. #foundpaper #vintageletterhead #newyorkcity #fruitsandveggies #ephemera #urbanarcheology #foundastory #estatesalefinds

from Instagram

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

A fact of Urban Archeology is knowing everything that has come before has a story. The challenge is finding that story. Example: this image of a young girl I just developed. She has a story to tell but I can only hope to find more than a thimble full. Someday... #found #foundphoto #vintagephotography #mystery #urbanarcheology #photography #vintage #photodeveloping #cool


A fact of Urban Archeology is knowing everything that has come before has a story. The challenge is finding that story. Example: this image of a young girl I just developed. She has a story to tell but I can only hope to find more than a thimble full. Someday... #foundphoto #vintagephotography #mystery #urbanarcheology #photography #vintage #photodeveloping #cool

from Instagram

Monday, May 20, 2019

Spent an awesome Sunday afternoon with an appreciative audience at the Trumbull Historical Society sharing some of the best of my Military discoveries and stories. Special thanks to Kevin Drake and Board members of the Society for inviting me. #found #publicspeaking #trumbull #trumbullhistoricalsociety #history #storytelling #nostalgia #reminiscing #urbanarcheology #foundastory


Spent an awesome Sunday afternoon with an appreciative audience at the Trumbull Historical Society sharing some of the best of my Military discoveries and stories. Special thanks to Kevin Drake and Board members of the Society for inviting me. #publicspeaking #trumbull #trumbullhistoricalsociety #history #storytelling #nostalgia #reminiscing #urbanarcheology #foundastory

from Instagram

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

War, Women and Wild discoveries will be featured at my next live presentation Sunday 2pm at the Trumbull Historical Society. Discoveries like this book on a pivotal Cannon foundry in northwestern CT which was taken over by the revolutionaries early in the war. This rare book #80 of 202 came out of a not so ancient mansion on a hilltop in South Kent. That’s a portrait of Washington friend and patriot Johnathan Trumbull - the namesake of the Town I’ll be visiting this weekend. #found #publicpresentation #confessions #localhistory #trumbullct #publicspeaking #estatesale #foundastory


War, Women and Wild discoveries will be featured at my next live presentation Sunday 2pm at the Trumbull Historical Society. Discoveries like this book on a pivotal Cannon foundry in northwestern CT which was taken over by the revolutionaries early in the war. This rare book #80 of 202 came out of a not so ancient mansion on a hilltop in South Kent. That’s a portrait of Washington friend and patriot Johnathan Trumbull - the namesake of the Town I’ll be visiting this weekend. #publicpresentation #confessions #localhistory #trumbullct #publicspeaking #estatesale #foundastory

from Instagram

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Marketing is hard.

#Marketingishard #advertising #turnofthecentury #ephemera #photography #whatsinaname #humor #funny #psycho #urbanarcheology #foundastory #estatesalefinds
Marketing is hard. This ad is proof of that. Look, if you are named Cyrenius and you really want to go into the photographic paper business with your buddy Jim Kohanza. Don’t meet over drinks and come up with a company that will be the mashup of both of your names. Also, don’t then create products that use the company name like “Art -CyKo.” And by any and all means do not then use that product to 1-up your entire company name. This is a quote from the ad - “Art CyKo out-CyKos all other CyKos”. Don’t do that... ...unless of course you’re some kind of psycho.

from Instagram

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

The games we played so many years ago prepared us for the challenges of adult life... I wonder how many kids would become surgeons if this form of “Pre-med” hadn’t given us all a mild form of PTSD. #found #vintagegames #lifelessons #humor #operation #trynottogetburned #itsallfunandgames


The games we played so many years ago prepared us for the challenges of adult life... I wonder how many kids would become surgeons if this form of “Pre-med” hadn’t given us all a mild form of PTSD. #vintagegames #lifelessons #humor #operation #trynottogetburned #itsallfunandgames

from Instagram

Monday, May 6, 2019

Let’s go to the Moose Fair! $3000 was a lot of money in 1928. In 2019 dollars? $43,566.42. Gambling and games of chance, lotteries have always fascinated us to the point where we will save even losing tickets for years and years. The Loyal Order of Moose (or Elks - take your pick) parodied so well in The Flintsones still exist today. Sadly, this Waterbury lodge no longer answers the call of the wild. The petit-agreement on the front which states: “I hereby donate 10cents” was likely a way for an organization to skirt gaming regulators and local religious leaders for gambling without the permission of a higher authority. However, at 10 cents a ticket....how does an organization sell in excess of 30,000 tickets in order to raise funds? I’m always in search of an Historical Accountant who can help me figure some of the past math problems I’ve uncovered. #found #foundpaper #vintagegambling #historyofraffletickets #mooselodge #fraternalorganization #oldpaper #neat #vintageaccounting #estatesalefinds #urbanarcheology #foundastory #oldtickets #ephemera


Let’s go to the Moose Fair! $3000 was a lot of money in 1928. In 2019 dollars? $43,566.42. Gambling and games of chance, lotteries have always fascinated us to the point where we will save even losing tickets for years and years. The Loyal Order of Moose (or Elks - take your pick) parodied so well in The Flintsones still exist today. Sadly, this Waterbury lodge no longer answers the call of the wild. The petit-agreement on the front which states: “I hereby donate 10cents” was likely a way for an organization to skirt gaming regulators and local religious leaders for gambling without the permission of a higher authority. However, at 10 cents a ticket....how does an organization sell in excess of 30,000 tickets in order to raise funds? I’m always in search of an Historical Accountant who can help me figure some of the past math problems I’ve uncovered. #foundpaper #vintagegambling #historyofraffletickets #mooselodge #fraternalorganization #oldpaper #neat #vintageaccounting #estatesalefinds #urbanarcheology #foundastory #oldtickets #ephemera

from Instagram

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Very old dealership business card. Found in a desknof old papers from 1920s and 30s. The mystery for the day is - was is “Fordson” a sideline business of one of Henry’s kids? #found #oldpaper #vintageautomobiles #ephemera #autos #Ford #urbanarcheology #foundastory #estatesalefinds #antiquecars


Very old dealership business card. Found in a desknof old papers from 1920s and 30s. The mystery for the day is - was is “Fordson” a sideline business of one of Henry’s kids? #oldpaper #vintageautomobiles #ephemera #autos #Ford #urbanarcheology #foundastory #estatesalefinds #antiquecars

from Instagram

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

I enjoy finding vintage ads that seem peculiar or out of place - not to mention out of time. Take this Grape Nuts ad torn from an early 20th century magazine. This depicts a young man of 15 and the supposed physique he has achieved Is due to the consumption of Grape Nuts and no meat. More important- he’s not just any boy, he’s the son of Elbert Hubbard. Elbert was a well known humorist, author, publisher and founder of the Arts and Crafts movement in Aurora NY (near Buffalo). The amazing part of the story is that while researching Elbert I learn that he’s published a book about the homes of American Statesman. “I know this book.” I went over to one of my stacks of books - mainly purchased out of curiosity. There it was “Little Journeys to the Home’s of American Statesman.” One of a volume of 14 books with similar titles. note: image of Henry Clay in lower right. Elbert and his wife came to a strange end as guests aboard the ill-fated Lusitania. A witness on board the ship recounted that instead of heading to the lifeboats they came out on deck and turned around and went back in and were lost when the ship went down. A few years earlier Elbert Hubbard had written of a woman who also went down with the HMS Titanic - claiming that it was the dignified way to die. #found #history #vintageadvertising #weirdhistory #grapenuts #marketing #books #rarebooks #estatesalefinds #urbanarcheology #foundastory


I enjoy finding vintage ads that seem peculiar or out of place - not to mention out of time. Take this Grape Nuts ad torn from an early 20th century magazine. This depicts a young man of 15 and the supposed physique he has achieved Is due to the consumption of Grape Nuts and no meat. More important- he’s not just any boy, he’s the son of Elbert Hubbard. Elbert was a well known humorist, author, publisher and founder of the Arts and Crafts movement in Aurora NY (near Buffalo). The amazing part of the story is that while researching Elbert I learn that he’s published a book about the homes of American Statesman. “I know this book.” I went over to one of my stacks of books - mainly purchased out of curiosity. There it was “Little Journeys to the Home’s of American Statesman.” One of a volume of 14 books with similar titles. note: image of Henry Clay in lower right. Elbert and his wife came to a strange end as guests aboard the ill-fated Lusitania. A witness on board the ship recounted that instead of heading to the lifeboats they came out on deck and turned around and went back in and were lost when the ship went down. A few years earlier Elbert Hubbard had written of a woman who also went down with the HMS Titanic - claiming that it was the dignified way to die. #history #vintageadvertising #weirdhistory #grapenuts #marketing #books #rarebooks #estatesalefinds #urbanarcheology #foundastory

from Instagram