Retro design site

Raybelle Linoleum, Surfray No. 80, Armstrong Cork, 1954
http://www.plan59.com

Marilyn Horne

I downloaded a podcast from Premier Opera Podcast featuring the mezzo-soprano, Marilyn Horne. She is a showstopper! I absolutely adored her renditions of You're a Grand Old Flag and God Bless America. But the podcast mainly featured her coloratura work. Thanks, Marilyn!

Ivan Bilibin (3)

Vassilisa outside Baba Yaga's House. Note the amanita mushrooms in the margins.

Ivan Bilibin (2)

DOBRYNIA NIKITICH FREES ZABAVA PUTIATICHNA FROM GORYNYCH THE DRAGON. Illustration to "The Tale of the Capital City of Kiev and of the Russian Bogatyrs" by N. Vodovozov. 1941. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/liberal_arts/foreign/russian/art

Ivan Bilibin

This 1920's Russian artist created gorgeous illustrations for Russian folktales.

Christmas in Germany

Because of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale associations, I think of Germany as the embodiment of Christmas. It seems to go with the gingerbread house of Hansel and Gretel. (Photo from flickr - I need to find the credit.)

A Christmas Carol

Okay, I've pretty much forgotten the story, but this is an adorable Victorian illustration for it.

'Tis the season...

For pretty Christmas pictures.

Kawase Hasui

Hasui was a brilliant artist, reaching his height (I think) in the 1920s and 30s. Traditional Japanese woodblock prints that are astonishing in their technical power and beauty.

Zojoji, Shiba (Snow) 1925

Kikyo, Gate of the Palace, 1929

Iten Pond, Shiba, 1929

http://collectionsonline.lacma.org (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)

Ornamentation madness

Segaud, Armand -- Artist
Pluviôse : les poissons.
From Album de la Décoration. (Paris : Librairie des Arts Decoratifs,) Calavas, A., editor.

Art Nouveau door design
Kühnel, Richard -- Artist
Moderne Wanddekoration mit Kunstverglasungen (1889-1928)

Persian rug
From Das polychrome Ornament : hundert Tafeln, Gold-, Silber- und Farben-Druck . . . antike und orientalische Kunst : Mittelalter Renaissance, XVII und XVIII Jahrhundert : eine historische und praktische sammlung. (Stuttgart : Paul Neff, 1874.) Racinet, A. (Auguste) (1825-1893), author.

All at NYPL Digital gallery.

NYPL Digital again

Grüner, Ludwig, 1801-1882 -- Artist
Part of an ancient pilaster in the Villa Medici at Rome.
The French bean and the convolvolus from nature.
In: Specimens of ornamental art, selected from the best models of the classical epochs. (created 1850)

Studies in Design (1876)

More NYPL madness!

The NYPL Digital library continues to amaze. There are so many scans of ornamentation. This one looks absolutely three-dimensional.

Rockin

Just rediscovered this artist - "Let's go, let's go, let's go" (aka There's a Thrill on Hill), "Finger-Popping Time", "The Switcheroo", "Work With Me Annie."

Dick Tracy

There was an article about surreal 1930s comic strips...where was it? I have to find it.

French Illuminated Manuscript

Here's a more colorful one.

Beautiful French illuminated manuscript images, hi-res, are at this site: http://www.moyenageenlumiere.com/. Most are more colorful than this, I just liked this one.

Earlysound podcast

Just discovered this podcast on www.podcast.net. It's all early music, hosted by a genial British guy with what I think is a cockney accent. Check it out if you like music of the medieval, renaissance and early baroque.

The Age of Innocence

ntf
Originally uploaded by vidalia_11.

I'm listening to this as an audiobook read by Brenda Dayne. It is a wonderful book by Edith Wharton. Beautifully written, sad, moving, emotional. Highly recommended. The movie is also excellent.

This audiobook is available as a podcast and on this website: http://brendadayne.blogspot.com/.

Henry Morton Stanley

I listened to an audiobook, Into Africa by Martin Dugard. First time I ever heard the real story of Stanley finding David Livingstone in central Africa. Livingstone was searching for the source of the Nile. He wouldn't leave Africa and died there. Stanley later returned to Africa and did a lot of exploration. [okay, it's more complicated than that.] This opens up a new area of interest for me. The explorers of Africa, South America, and South Pacific faced incredible dangers and illnesses. What made them go to these places and then conquer them?