collecting — Page 25

Slightly Random on Tuesday

November 15, 2016 at 9:16 am by Claudia

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• One more Big Boy arrived last week. It’s the one on the left. And another is arriving this week. Don is collecting them because he loves them and because they remind him of something very, very important that happened in his life, right outside the entrance to a Bob’s Big Boy out in California. A pivotal moment for him and one to celebrate.

I have to say that these little guys make me smile.

The vintage cowboy in the center is also a recent find. Don saw it at an antique shop and he fell in love with it. It’s now a pen/pencil holder.

And you’ve seen Roy and Dale before.

We have a curious combination of a modern-day restaurant chain and the Old West.

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• Uh oh! This arrived in the mail yesterday. This is #5 in the series: The Secret at Shadow Ranch. The dust cover is quite worn but there’s a clear cover over it which should protect it from further damage. Another period illustration by Russell H. Tandy.

Some of the books I receive come with a young girl’s name hand written inside the cover. I love that. I can just see that girl writing her name, claiming the book as her own. I promise to take good care of the books. I do.

I drew the names of the winners of a vintage Nancy Drew mystery this morning. The first winner, who gets my extra copy of The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion is Debbie Price! The runner-up, who will received a package from Barbara containing The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk, is Julie Shaw. Barbara, good news! Julie lives in Canada, so sending the book won’t involve Customs!

I will send emails to both of you today because I need your mailing addresses.

• It’s a very rainy day here. “We need it, we need it,” I tell myself when I start to find the rain annoying. I just finished the new Michael Connelly – The Wrong Side of Goodbye. I have come to expect excellence from Connelly and I wasn’t disappointed. I recommend every book he has ever written. Truly.

I’m headed to the bookstore today to nab a copy of Flea Market Style, which is being published again and comes out today. I’m also going to get the new Lee Child, which came out last week.

• I will be changing the font for anything that might be termed ‘political’ but that is, to me, about human rights. So fair warning: if you simply don’t want to read about that on any given day, just scroll past it. Okay?

• A note about what is happening out there. Hate crimes are increasing. I told you the other day that a close friend of mine, a well-known man who I work with frequently, has an immediate family member who was just subjected to a hate crime and a threat, as well.

Yesterday, I heard from a former student who is a well-known actress (I won’t divulge her name). She has been subjected to attacks on Twitter, accusing her of trying to pass herself off as ‘white’ when she is Jewish. (She is Jewish and proudly so.) They’ve said “Nice try, Jew.” They’ve called her “Kike.”

And a man who is an avowed white supremacist, is anti-semitic, and who peddles conspiracy theories has been appointed to a staff position in the White House.

Message received.

But not tolerated. Not one bit.

Rest in Peace to the respected and excellent journalist, Gwen Ifill. We watched her every night on the PBS News Hour. She was what a good journalist should be in this land of pundit-filled cable news. She will be sorely missed.

Happy Tuesday.

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On Comments, Nancy Drew & A Giveaway

November 10, 2016 at 9:35 am by Claudia

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We are cocooning here at the cottage. No news. No anything that will remind us of what just happened. Even so, that doesn’t seem to stop me from waking up in the middle of the night in a panic. Then I have to try to calm myself enough to try to fall asleep again.

The fact that so many people think of this as just another Democrat/Republican battle is mind-boggling. I don’t care about whether he is a Republican. I do care that he is the most dangerous man ever elected to the highest office in this country. And the most unqualified.

Anyway, I don’t want to linger on that, though it is surely on everyone’s mind.

I had to close comments yesterday after the tone of some of the comments went in a direction that was teetering on the edge of non-civil. I figured everyone had had more than enough time to have their say. We’re all very emotional right now, I get it, but we can be civil to each other. My rules about comments are clearly stated in the footer of this blog. It’s been there since I started blogging. I’ll quote:

Also, I love receiving comments! I do, however, reserve the right to delete any comment that is in poor taste, offensive or is verging on spam. It’s my blog. Thanks!

I deleted only one comment yesterday. That particular commenter called me a name. Let’s be clear: you don’t get to visit my home on the web and call me names. You also don’t get to call other people names when we are having a discussion in the comment section. I wouldn’t allow it in my real home. I would ask you to leave. And I won’t allow it in my virtual home. There were certainly other viewpoints represented in yesterday’s comments and that’s fine. I know there will be dissension on a topic such as this one, one where we find the country deeply divided. But if you can’t find a way to write that comment without resorting to name-calling along with the equivalent of shouting, then you don’t get to play. Simple as that.

I just checked the total number of comments that have been left on this blog since it began. Over 104,000. And I think I’ve deleted about 4, maybe 5, comments in all of that time: 8½ years. There is only one post where I asked for no dissenting comments and that is my right. And you honored that request.

So when you accuse me of deleting any comment that represents a disagreement with my point of view – you’re simply wrong.

I like to deal in facts.

Thank goodness, the majority of my readers are passionate, but kind. They find a way to make their point while respecting those to whom they are responding.

And for that, my friends, I thank you with all of my heart.

On we go:

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This arrived in yesterday’s mail. Number six in my collection. I can’t get enough of these editions that were illustrated by Russell H. Tandy from 1930 -1949. The colors are so vivid, and the period details make this girl happy.

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Here they are on the shelf.

Speaking of Nancy Drew, can you see the second book from the end on the right – The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion ? A while back I bid on this book while on eBay. It arrived in the mail. I eagerly took it to the bookshelf, whereupon I promptly realized that I already had a copy. Whoops!

This encouraged me to write up a list of the titles I have, which I now keep in my wallet.

Anyway, here’s the duplicate:

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Another cover illustration by the inimitable Russell H. Tandy.

It’s in good condition, with modest wear on the dust jacket. Considering its age, it looks great.

Let’s have a giveaway! And a book is my favorite thing to give away. A vintage book? Even better. Maybe this will start your very own Nancy Drew collection.

I’ll pick a winner from the comments on this post. You don’t need to tell me you’re interested. Just comment as you would on any given day.

Of course, if you’re not interested, let me know that, too, so I can ensure that it goes to someone who really wants it.

Happy Thursday.

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Collecting: Wallace Nutting

October 30, 2016 at 10:46 am by Claudia

I’ve wanted a Wallace Nutting hand-colored photograph for a long time. Every time I see one in an antique store, I stop and stare and then proceed to tell Don how much I love them. Nutting was a Congregational minister who lived in Connecticut. He died in 1941. After retiring, he became a photographer and took nearly 50,000 photographs. About 2,000 of these photographs were published in books and/or sold as hand-colored pictures. That was done by colorists who worked in his studio between 1918 and 1937.

He also, by the way, made furniture. There are many examples of his furniture on display at Hartford’s Wadsworth Atheneum, a museum I’ve shared with you in the past.

Anyway, back to the hand-colored Nuttings. I see them here and there, but lately I’ve been seeing some in a booth at our new favorite antique emporium. On Friday, I decided the time had come to treat myself to a smallish one. I stood there for a long time, trying to decide which one I wanted. I ended up choosing this:

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I’m pretty sure it’s either in its original frame or in a frame made in the same period as the print. When I took it to the check-out counter, I found out it was 20% off, which was a delightful surprise. Some of his prints have titles, others do not, so I’m not sure where this was taken.

Gosh, I love it.

Of course, when I brought it home, we had to decide where to hang it. There is not much available wall space in this house, as you well know. Add to that the fact that we love artwork and prints and signs and you have a little cottage that is already brimming with that sort of thing.

Maybe the chimney? But then we realized that it gets warm in the winter and we didn’t want to damage the Nutting. So this is what we did:

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We wanted it to have its own special place and the white cabinet seemed perfect.

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I like to hang things in unexpected places. A bit of surprise is always a good thing.

When I edit photos of the interior of the house, I am struck by how crooked everything is. The door frame is not aligned with the cabinet, probably because the floors slope downward. The door is off-kilter, as well. When you live in a house with a stone foundation, built in 1891, things are slightly or not-so-slightly off. Ah well. I consider that part of the charm of this cottage.

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We’re still getting used to something hanging on this cabinet.

Of course, now I want more Wallace Nuttings. I’ve already found the perfect place for them. That sigh you hear is probably coming from Don.

Once a collector, always a collector. The thrill of the hunt, the joy of looking at a collection, the stories about when and where you found each piece – all of it is such a pleasure and to a girl like me, priceless.

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Have you ever seen this wonderful book? I re-discovered it the other day when I was sorting through my books. It’s one of my favorites. The other day, I looked through it again and I have to say, it’s beautifully done. The copyright says 2002, so I’m sure it’s long out of print. But if you love collecting and love displaying your collections, this book is right up your alley.

You know I love that pottery on the cover. (I just checked Amazon and there are used versions available!) The photography is beautifully done.

I’ve always loved seeing what others collect and how they display the collections. I think seeing someone’s collections is a bit of a window into their soul, their passions, and often, their own brand of quirkiness.

Thank you for your kind and moving comments on yesterday’s post about my father. I don’t mind saying that tears came to my eyes many times as I read your words. Bless you. As Don said the other day, and I quote: “You have the best readers!”

I do.

One last reminder to read my post, Adding Essential Nutrients for Essential Growth, if you’re interested in a vegetarian source of DHA omega-3s in capsule form. All the benefits of fish oil but from algae, not fish. #ad #sk

Happy Sunday.

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Slightly Random on Tuesday

On Comments, Nancy Drew & A Giveaway

Collecting: Wallace Nutting

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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