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Reference Library Update

"Wisdom"

“Wisdom”

 

 

February 1, 2016: A new article has been added to the reference library. Dressing Tables for the Modern Woman by Djo-Francis was featured in the September, 1930 issue of Home & Field. Click on the magazine cover below to read the article.

 

Home & Field - September, 1930. Dressing Tables for the Modern Woman.

Home & Field – September, 1930. Dressing Tables for the Modern Woman.

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A Deco Valentine’s Day Party!

February is almost upon us and you know what that means! A deco Valentine’s Day Party.  According to my vintage party go-to book, The Party Book by Mary Breen, “This is the one day in all the year when you may indulge in unabashed sentiment.” (You go, Mary!  Wait, I didn’t mean the way it sounds.)

 

Needless to say, the theme will be red and white balloons and hearts. Lots and lots of hearts. Big hearts, small hearts, broken hearts and mended hearts. Hang them from the ceiling and hang them on the walls. Miss Breen suggests, if you are rather ambitious, you can stretch a large paper heart with a jagged tear down the middle that your guests can make a “heart-y” entrance through. (Her words, not mine.)  My suggestion is to augment the heart theme with color copies of vintage Valentine cards.  I’ve sprinkled a few examples throughout for your enjoyment (and horror!).

 

I thought this was a sweet way to start.

I thought this was a sweet way to start.

Start off the festivities by having each guest randomly pull a heart cut from card stock from a bowl. Each heart has the name of another guest. Supply crepe-paper, ribbons, doilies, scissors, paste and anything else you can think of for them to create a “special” valentine for their “love”. (Which in our more liberal times could be quite entertaining.) Each person is encouraged to write a poem, or sentiment to their intended – be sure not to sign them! The finished valentines are collected by the host (that would be you) who “delivers” them. In turn each valentine is displayed and read aloud. The other guest have a delightful time guessing who sent it.

 

Hmmm! What exactly does this mean?

Hmmm! What exactly does he mean?

For those of you who have ever had your hearts torn out by past love (something that I have never experienced – cough, cough!) here’s the game for you. Each person is given a piece of red construction paper. With their hands behind their back, they tear out a heart shape. No paper folding and no peeking! The results are examined and the person with the beast torn heart wins a small prize!

 

Although there are several more games given for your guests to enjoy I’ll only give you one more.  This one is for the ladies and a partner of her choice.

 

This isn't suggestive at all.

This isn’t suggestive at all.

Hang a wire across a room about 6 feet off the ground. From it, hang hearts from strings at various lengths. In turn, each lady is given safety scissors (no Lorena Bobbits please!), blindfolded and spun around several times. She is then handed one end of a piece of string several feet in length and her partner holds the other end. The object is, with only three snips, to try to cut down a heart. The partner may not speak but can tug on the string to assist the player toward success. Any lady who succeeds in cutting down a heart, wins a small prize. (I’m thinking a few pieces of chocolate – yum!)

 

After all this fun, refreshments are served. Sandwiches cut into heart shapes. Sponge cakes iced with strawberry icing, red Jello molds with whipped cream (the real stuff, please) and fruit punch (soft and hard). The table can be set with – you guessed it – the ever easy deco-rations outlined in previous post. Just substitute a red heart or if you are feeling really fancy, a red heart against a doily.

 

Whatever you elect to do this Valentine’s Day, be sure to let someone know you care about them. Hugs to all and Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

This one's for Anthony.

This one’s for Anthony.

Chris & Anthony

“The Freakin’ ‘Tiquen Guys”

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Memorial Art Gallery’s Depression Era Art

WPA Poster Template designed by Erik Hans Krause, 1935-1941. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, WPA Poster Collection

WPA Poster Template designed by Erik Hans Krause, 1935-1941.
Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, WPA Poster Collection

 

We don’t always have to go “driving for deco”, sometimes we can find it right in our backyard. The Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, New York has several excellent examples of depression era art on permanent display.

 

Memorial Art Gallery

Memorial Art Gallery

 

These paintings include, Reginald Marsh’s (1898-1954) People’s Follies, No. 3 (1938). Depicting the inside of a burlesque theatre, it’s typical of the urban life that Marsh was famous for painting.

 

People's Follies, No. 3

People’s Follies, No. 3

 

This painting of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge is a favorite of mine. Painted, circa 1939, by Ralston Crawford (1906-1978) is precisionist in style, celebrating industrialization and technology.

 

Whitestone Bridge, ca. 1939-1940

Whitestone Bridge, ca. 1939-1940

 

Irene Rice Pereira’s (1902-1971) was a major force in the in the development of American Modernism. In 1931 she travel to Europe and her painting The Pendulum (1937) was inspired by the machinery of the ocean liner’s engine room.

 

 

The Pendulum, 1937 Irene Rice Pereira

The Pendulum, 1937 Irene Rice Pereira

 

Landscape with Garage Lights, 1931-1932 is typical of the paintings of prototype pop artist Stuart Davis (1892-1964).

 

Landscape with Garage Lights, 1931-1932, Stuart Davis

Landscape with Garage Lights, 1931-1932, Stuart Davis

 

The entrance to the Carl W. Peters exhibition at the Memorial Art Gallery.

The entrance to the Carl W. Peters exhibition at the Memorial Art Gallery.

 

For me the highlight of the visit to the Memorial Art Gallery was the special exhibit featuring the WPA mural work of Carl W. Peters (1897-1980) that ran from October 18th thru January 3rd. Carl W. Peters was a local Rochester, New York landscape painter who captured a changing Rochester in his paintings. Here are examples of two of his pre-WPA paintings.

 

Along the Genesee (1928). Peter captures the Genesee River gorge just north of downtown Rochester

Along the Genesee (1928). Peter captures the Genesee River gorge just north of downtown Rochester

 

 

Memorial Bridge (1930). Peters painting of the construction of the Veterans' Memorial Bridge across the Genesee River.

Memorial Bridge (1930). Peters painting of the construction of the Veterans’ Memorial Bridge across the Genesee River.

 

What is amazing about Peters’ mural work is that so much of it is still intact. Only one of his murals no longer exists. Peters’ earliest and non-WPA mural, Rochester, Past, Present and Future, was at one end of the main banking room of the Genesee Valley Trust Company building.

 

Genesee Valley Trust Company Building

Genesee Valley Trust Company Building (now the Times Square Building)

 

Rochester, Past, Present and Future

Rochester, Past, Present and Future (1930)

 

Main Banking Room Genesse Valley Building with the Peters' mural at the far end.

Main Banking Room Genesse Valley Building with the Peters’ mural at the far end.

 

Here are examples of Peter’s WPA Mural work displayed in the exhibit. (Note: only scale facsimiles of the murals were displayed.)

 

Contemplative Life & Active Life (1937)

Contemplative Life & Active Life (1937)

 

This was the first WPA work of Peters. Originally the murals were on either side of the auditorium stage at Madison High School. Madison High was demolished in 1983, but the murals were saved and have since been restored and relocated to the Joseph C. Wilson Foundation.

 

The Early Days of the Erie Canal (1938)

The Early Days of the Erie Canal (1938)

 

Peters’ only horizontal mural was commissioned for the recently completed Fairport Library (now the Fairport Historical Museum of the Perinton Historical Society), itself a WPA project. The mural measures 41/2 feet high and 20 feet long. Some of Peters’ original preliminary sketches for this mural were on display.

 

Preliminary sketches for %22Erie Canal%22 mural

Preliminary sketches for the “Erie Canal” mural.

 

Also featured at the Memorial Art Gallery, loaned from the Library of Congress,  was the WPA-FAP  Rochester poster work by Erik Hans Krause (1899-1990). Krause created posters on many topics, but here are some notable ones he did for special national health campaign and one generic WPA poster template.

 

 

The WPA would come to an end in 1943 but Krause left it in 1941 after disagreements with staff  and state WPA administrators. He would become the director of nature education for the Rochester, New York park system.

 

Even though the Carl W. Peters and Erik Hans Krause exhibits have closed, don’t miss a visit to the Memorial Art Gallery.

 

Chris & Anthony (The Freakin’, Tiquen Guys)

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Merry Christmas the Deco Way

Christmas (how very un-PC) is around the corner, the snow is gently falling (just not here) and it is time to get together with friends and family for a Deco Christmas Party!  Mary J. Breen, author of The Party Book states, “Here are some frolicsome holiday games for people who like to romp and run.”

 

A) Who uses the word “frolicsome” anymore?  I think I will!

B) “Romp and run” (to paraphrase the Drowsy Chaperone) has a different meaning now, but back then it just meant fun!

 

Start by deco-rating with fun and easy deco-rations.  Just modify the Hallowe’en centerpieces (see my deco-we’en post) by substituting a fir tree, star, snowflake or other appropriate design.

 

Change out the Hallowe'en cat for a simple fir tree dec-rated with foil deco-rations.

Change out the Hallowe’en cat for a simple fir tree deco-rated with foil deco-rations.

 

Speaking of fun, here are her suggestions for your Yuletide  gathering:

 

Deck the Tree:  Cut a fir tree shape out of a large sheet of green paper drawing a series of random dots on the back; tape the tree to the wall.  Provide your quests with several gummed holiday seals. (You can use some of the 10 billion you’ve gotten in the mail this year.)  Have someone play several lively Christmas (there’s that word again!) tunes on the piano while your guests march in a circle in front of the tree, trying to  deco-rate it as they pass by while keeping up with the march.   Mary Breen assures that this part of the game “is like tossing rings at a target  while the merry-go-round is in motion”.  (She’s so darn cheery!)  After the tree is deco-rated, remove it and using a pin pushed through the seals, determine who is closest to the dots on the back.  Winners are rewarded with a small prize.

 

Next on the agenda is the Cranberry Relay: Divide your guests into several teams and have them line up in rows giving each guest 5 cranberries.  About eight feet in front of each team, have a funnel inside a tall glass.  In turn, each guest moves to the front of their line and tosses their cranberries (hopefully not their cookies) into the funnel.  When each guest has had their turn, the team with the most cranberries in the glass wins. (Just add Vodka!)

 

Wait! You want even more fun?  Provide each team with garland, tinsel, bells, crepe paper, etc., enough to deco-rate a tree.  One team member becomes the “tree” and stands across the room from their team members with the deco-rations in a box next to him/her. On the word to begin, each team member in turn, runs to the box, picks up a deco-rations and pins or places it onto the “tree”.   The action continues until all the deco-rations are used.  Much hilarity ensues (Mary B. is REALLY optimistic!) and the team with the best deco-rated “tree” wins.  (And the prize better be a good one!).

 

And the results are in!

And the winner is…

 

When all the laughter subsides, serve refreshments with “all the pomp and circumstance of an old English Christmas” (I keep using “that word”).  It is suggested carolers bring in the “wassail” bowl (hot spiced punch) and encourage the rest of the guests to sing traditional songs.

 

After your guests leave, take little un-PC break just like this Santa:

 

A very un-PC Vintage 1920's Santa ad.

Vintage 1920’s Santa ad.

 

 MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’ ‘Tiquen Guys)

 

 

 

 

 

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