weetstraw offers several interesting sets of ephemera, photographs and a variety of visuals.

"weetstraw.com draws in users based on familiar subjects, and creates connections to ideas from various contexts. the purpose of the site is to introduce the user to new possibilities of visual associations, through the common and the obscure."

weetstraw.com

Labels: ephemera, graphic design, illustration, photography, resource, weetstraw.com

Duke University libraries has compiled a fantastic digital archive of Mid-Nineteenth and Early-Twentieth Century advertising, ephemera, and photography. The site isn't much to look at, but it's easy to navigate and the content is wonderful.

Advertising in America via Duke University

Labels: ad campaign, Duke University, ephemera, graphic design, photography, resource

Ben Samuels has an impressive online collection of classic comic book covers from the 1930s through the 1950s. The comics are categorized by: Super-Hero & War, Good-Girl & Romance and Crime & Horror — the images are excellent quality too, which is a big plus.

EDITOR’S NOTE...studiotwentysix2 does not encourage or condone the use of Radium to melt human faces. It’s messy, morally objectionable and your first grade teacher would probably be disappointed in you — isn’t that right Mrs. Hummel.

Adventures Into Weird Worlds

Labels: books, comic books, ephemera, graphic design

For whatever reason, I just love old objects: books, photographs, toys, clothes and printed ephemera. These objects can help you learn so much about the style and craftsmanship of an era. I wasn’t born until the mid 1970s, so the only way for me to learn about the past, is through the documentation of that time.

As it turns out, I recently came across the super-informative Creative Needlework book, published in 1969. Creative Needlework is more like a historical photo-essay than a book, as it really helped me to better understand the culture and style of the late-sixties. Here’s a sampling of what I learned:

Parents and children liked to dress in the exact same clothes. Apparently, this phenomenon was known as Carbon Copies, as in: The youngster is a carbon copy of his dad. From the photo documentation available, this seems to have gone over much better with girls, as the mom and daughter seem to be enjoying themselves — the guys, not so much. Poor little green vest seems terrified, and little gray vest has lost his inspiration. Oh, I also learned that guys in 1969 wanted to be famous movie directors and enjoyed smoking corncob pipes.


Boys were hot for boys in 1969. I actually feel bad for the women in these photographs, as they are treated like mere window dressing, and couldn’t be the center of attention even if they were oiled-up and dressed in négligées. I learned through these photos that guys enjoy v-neck sweaters, trains and bananas.



In 1969, there was a pandemic of color blindness, as well as hundreds of accidental deaths due to pencil impalement. It wasn’t until 1973, that Richard Nixon enacted the, “Save a life, store your pencils tip-down” campaign. That sure was a smart campaign.


Global warming and variations in temperature peaked in 1969. At one point, conditions became so bad, that the temperature between ground level and five-feet high would produce averages of 80 degrees Fahrenheit; however, the air currents above five-feet dramatically cooled to approximately 36 degrees Fahrenheit. It appears even sculptures were affected by this freak occurrence.



Finally, I was shocked to find that only white children existed in 1969. I felt that this had to be an oversight, but no commercial photography could be located to prove otherwise. Of the white people that did exist, it seems that only parents of shy, uncomfortable and slightly awkward children, allowed their offspring to be filmed by strangers.






Wow, 1969 seemed pretty awful. I’m just glad I was alive for the 80’s — now that I would have hated to miss.

Labels: 1969, ephemera, humor, needlework

Once a week I like to visit this little consignment shop around the corner because they have absolutely no clue on how to price art or literature. Good for me bad for them.

I just picked up this copy of Washington Irving’s, Wolfert’s Roost, published in 1873. It has an embossed cover with gold stamp, the original etching is fully intact with tissue overlay, and the entire book is in handset type. It’s the way books were meant to be.

Labels: books, ephemera, Washington Irving

I was just forwarded this nice collection of old ephemera, advertising and packaging, and thought I would pass it along. It’s a pretty well photographed collection of 350+ images dedicated to back-in-the-day goodness. Enjoy.

Back-in-the-day

Labels: ad campaign, ephemera, graphic design, resource

The web designers at Bit Lounge have assembled a comprehensive collection of retro links at their Retrolounge site. The categories, which range from the 1800's through the 1980's, include: advertising, design, toys, fashion, architecture and music, along with a few others.

The hairstyle names in this 1972 ad for Duke hair sheen are fan-freakin'-tastic. What I wouldn't give to be able to walk into a barber shop and ask for the "Private Eye" or "The Jet Setter". One can only dream.

Retrolounge

Labels: ad campaign, ephemera, graphic design, photography, resource, toys

If you're looking for 1800’s ephemera, this site has you covered. There are tons of samples of bank notes, advertisements, menus, letters, photographs and a variety of other categories. The layout is not appealing, and some of the scans appear grainy or oversharpened, but this a great site for typographic and layout inspiration circa the 19th century.

1800's ephemera

Labels: ad campaign, ephemera, graphic design, photography, resource