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Category Archives: Authors/Illustrators
Illustrations from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
There are so many wonderful illustrated editions of the 1908 children’s classic The Wind in the Willows. Here’s just a brief sample taken from a new annotated edition by Seth Lerer.
Collecting Phil Spector Record Book
There’s no doubt Phil Spector is one of the most influential (and controversial) record producers in rock and roll. His trademark was the Wall of Sound; a production technique using layered musical arrangements with backing bands the size of orchestras. Songs produced with the Phil Spector touch included: “Da Doo Ron Ron,” “Be My Baby” [...]
Also posted in Music, People/Places Tagged Phil Spector discography, Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, records produced by Phil Spector 2 Comments
Just My Type: A Book About Fonts
I’m reading a fantastic new book about the history of fonts. It’s called Just My Type and is by Simon Garfield. Many of us take for granted or don’t realize the variety of fonts we confront in our everyday lives. But, typeface can make an impact or generate feelings we may not realize. I first [...]
Also posted in Art/Architecture, Recommended, Uncategorized Tagged books about fonts, history of typography Leave a comment
Norman Rockwell – 1939 Saturday Evening Post cover: Summer Stock
Summer Stock was the 188th cover Norman Rockwell did for The Saturday Evening Post. Rockwell painted a total of 322 covers for the magazine, so this issue appears just about mid-career. This issue was published August 5, 1939. An alternate title for this painting is Actress Putting On Make Up. Note the hens, hay and [...]
Also posted in Magazines/Newspapers Tagged Norman Rockwell magazine covers, Saturday Evening Post August 1939 Leave a comment
Mad Men & Don Draper Part 4: The Best of Everything
In the first season of Mad Men, Don Draper is shown reading this book: The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe. And recently I read this book for the class, “Who Is Don Draper?” The Best of Everything was released in 1958. It’s the story of four ambitious young women who work at a publishing [...]
Mad Men & Don Draper Part 2: Atlas Shrugged
My night class on “Who is Don Draper?” continues. We’re reading parts of Ayn Rand‘s 1957 magnum opus Atlas Shrugged. Rand’s book emphasizes individualism, free markets and the fear of government control. Fans of Mad Men may remember Bert Cooper (the co-owner the advertising company Sterling Cooper) recommending the book to Draper. Bert Cooper then [...]
The Ukulele: A Book and the Song “Shaft”
A new book about ukuleles came across my desk a few weeks ago. It’s called “Ukulele: The World’s Friendliest Instrument”. It’s by Daniel Dixon. Have you ever wondered what songs could be played on the ukulele? Songs other than Tiny Tim’s “Tip Toe Through the Tulips” or Don Ho’s “Tiny Bubbles”. Well, check out this [...]
Also posted in Music, My Vintage Video Tagged history of the ukulele, quirky song covers, the Ukulele Orchestra Leave a comment
Beverly Cleary: Children’s Author
Beverly Cleary was one of my favorite authors when I was a kid. I still remember the moment when I finished reading Runaway Ralph (I was probably in 3rd or 4th grade), I went to the town library and picked up another book by Cleary. Ralph the mouse led me to Ramona the Pest. What [...]
Shoes: Fashion and Fantasy book
If you love shoes, then here’s a fun book to flip through! It’s by fashion writer and blogger Colin McDowell. It was published in 1989. The following photos are just a small sampling of the 342 photos and illustrations found in Shoes: Fashion and Fantasy.
Also posted in Clothing/Fashion Tagged books on vintage shoes, collecting shoes, history of shoes 1 Comment