Memorial Day

From the excellent paper craft archives of Agence Eureka: The Liberation of Paris.

The wonderful thing about Agence Eureka: Patricia always posts a version that is easy to copy and cut-out.  Below are her cleaned up images, minus background, which can take a toll on the printer:

 

The Virginia Crossley Collection III

 

Virginia Crossley had many World War II era paper dolls, the era of her childhood.

Theriaults auction: June 21.

The Virginia Crossley Collection II

You can register for the June 21 Theriaults auction of the Crossley collection at Proxibid.

  A Nell Brinkley paper doll.

The Virginia Crossley Collection I

Theriaults has posted an online catalog of the Virginia Crossley Collection of Paper Dolls in anticipation of the June 21 auction. It's a terrific collection, with many rare items. Even the familiar ones are in rare mint condition.

Bill Mauldin stamp

Not a postcard, not even vintage, but somehow just right for today's Postcard Friendship Friday.  Read more about Mauldin here. And be sure to visit Beth at The Best Hearts Are Crunchy  for an excellent history of Memorial Day, a beautiful postcard commemorating the day, and  more PFF posts.

More from The Popular Home Journal, 1912

These pages were printed in a pinkish-purplish hue. One gets the feeling that The Popular Home Journal didn't have a big budget. The quality of printing and paper stock is nowhere near the Ladies Home Journal, which I believe was the dominant magazine for women during this era. I'm always amazed at how sturdy the older issues of LHJ are, provided they were stored properly.

The ads in the back look kind of off-brand, too. Dick's Wonder Salve and Reduso Corsets? Hmmm....

The Popular Home Journal, 1912

An Illustrated Family Magazine, published by The Eichler Publishing Company.

Junior Fashion Editors Magazine, 1941

I didn't realize this page was constructed so that you could create your own little magazine. Notice the three holes on the side of the four small square boxes--place the sheets in a binder, or bind them yourself with ribbon or brads. Very cool for anyone who loves zines and miniatures. And who couldn't use some play money? I just re-posted with an image that can be enlarged when you click on it.

Palmolive Ad, 1922

Another great ad from the Duke Digital Archive.

Brides and grooms were on my mind this weekend: I attended my nephew's wedding in Lisle, Illinois. Great fun and a darling couple, but sorry I couldn't stay longer and roam around Chicago, something I haven't done in years. Flying out to O'Hare on a Friday morning and flying back to LaGuardia Sunday afternoon can be exhausting! 

Thanks to everyone who commented on my hasty Postcard Friendship Friday post. I was in such a rush, I didn't have a chance to link to The Best Hearts Are Crunchy or comment on other PFF posts. Will play catch up this week.

Dolls of Many Lands: Spain

Tichnor Gloss postcard, c. 1950s. I love these postcards; they were also printed as blank greeting cards.

Julia Boyd Patterns, c. 1930s

A newspaper figure enlisted for a round-robin of fashion design. The red outfit by Carol Carey, the blue flouncy dress by Jayne Keller.

Newspaper doll, c. 1930s

A newspaper cut-out or fashion figure, matched with outfits from magazines. From the Menamin collection.

Vintage Disney playing cards

Found in a basement vent of my house a couple of years ago. Classic Disney, circa 1950s or later, perhaps. I remember the ramp walkers of the early 1960s. Played for hours tipping a book to see Goofy or Pluto race down.

Love stories of people finding old newspaper or ephemera behind walls, under old linoleum, etc.

Handmade paper doll, c. 1920s

From the Margaret Menamin collection.

Happy Birthday, 7 Year Old

A friend sent me this vintage birthday card as a gag a couple years back; it looks like the early 1960s.. I thought the artist looked familiar, but it wasn't until last year that I figured out it was Pete Hawley, thanks to Today's Inspiration, a blog by Leif Peng devoted to mid-20th century illustration. Peng has an excellent write-up on Hawley's career, and a Flickr set that shows the range of Hawley's work.

Here's a little girl from Peng's Flickr set, looking like a pensive version of the girl on the birthday card:

Ephemera's clues

Be sure to read Christopher Gray's article in the Times last week about the search for the original occupant of his New York City apartment. Magical. Every piece of ephemera tells a story, if we but find it and follow its trail...  

Vantine's, New York

I still collect new postcards of places I visit, so I can perfectly understand someone visiting an interesting store in New York City 100 years ago and, instead of mailing it, pasting it in a scrapbook.

There is quite a bit of history about Vantine's on the internet, including great background on Mr.Vantine himself. Read this 1911 guide to the store, then scroll down on the same page for an update, including how the mob came to own it and used the store as a front for drug smuggling!

At first I thought Vantine's might have been in Chinatown, but browsing through vintage paper dolls and other items at Eclectibles.com, I found an advertising fan from A.A.Vantine, located at Broadway and 18th Street.

Around 1914, the store moved to Fifth Ave. and 39th St. according to the New York Times archives, just about the time that Lord and Taylor's opened at 40th and 5th Ave. Vantine's went out of business in 1920, but then was reorganized by former employees and reopened in 1923, down the block from its Fifth Ave. location. Not clear when Vantine's shut down for good, but it was fun digging through the Times archives to find more clues.

Happy Postcard Friendship Friday, and be sure to visit all the other participants who sign in with Beth at The Best Hearts Are Crunchy.

Paper Playmates: Peggy Ann

c. 1936. Sweet fashions for the pre-teen.

Paper Playmates: Patricia

c. 1930s. Love the Rich Girl fantasy, which played out in the movies as well. Two of my favorites from the era: "It Happened One Night" and "Holiday." But there are many, many more.

Encore

My favorite version of Paper Doll. 

A scrap of cats

Another vintage scrap (c. 1890s), purchased from Gwen Goldman. The process of removing these scraps from old scrapbooks--soaking the page in a tub of water!--is not for the faint of heart. But the pros say it works like magic, with the adhesive dissolving and the scraps floating to the surface.

Hey mom!

Growing up in a New York City apartment in the sixties meant yelling out the window or, if you were outside, yelling up to someone to come to the window. This went on all the time when I was a kid. And writing with chalk on the sidewalk, of course. Families are usually idealized in the suburbs, not living on top of one another in the big city, so I was thrilled to find this a few years ago. Circa late fifties, early sixties, I'd guess. Printed by  Fravessi-Lamont, Inc. U.S.A.

Mom and baby calendar art c. 1940s

Found last summer in an antique shop near Dekalb, Il. I love everything about this illustration: the warm and glowing light of an unseen fireplace, the wintry scene outside, proud mom, content babe, and the loyal pup. Also: the Priscilla curtains, upholstery design, donkey planter, hairstyle and dress all evoke the 1940s. 

Best Wishes, c. 1911

This card was sent to Master W. Trautman, 211 E. 104th St., New York City:

You please me very much by your attendance and study. Keep up the good work. Have a chapter of Psalms for next Sunday. Kindest regards.   L.M. Kliefoth

Master being the proper address for a young man at that time! The postmark is a bit fuzzy because some of the print rubbed off, so I'm guessing it's circa 1911.

Happy Postcard Friendship Friday, and kindest regards to our masterful moderator, Beth at The Best Hearts Are Crunchy.