Jazz Signers

“Autographs” is stamped in gold across the top of the book’s bright green cover, and in the corner is a little girl holding an umbrella. While it might look like something to be passed around a 5^th grade classroom on the last day of school, this darling autograph book was actually passed around the nightclubs of Winnipeg, Manitoba in the 1940s. It's filled with signatures of some of the greats, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, and Gene Krupa. 

The book is for sale now, on eBay.

Kusama, Spot On

"...a polka-dot has the form of the sun, which is a symbol of the energy of the whole world and our living life, and also the form of the moon, which is calm. Round, soft, colorful, senseless and unknowing. Polka-dots become movement... Polka dots are a way to infinity." Yayoi Kusama

There will be no shortage of dots in New York City this summer. In particular, white dots on red, but also dot/ground combinations of white, black, red, and yellow. A retrospective of the dot-obsessed 83-year old Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama, is on view at the Whitney, while elsewhere around town, Louis Vuitton is featuring a Kusama-inspired collection in their windows.

There’s lots to read about the artist, whose life is an ongoing performance piece, and there are plenty of videos on YouTube to check out.

Here are some iPhone pix from the Whitney party.

You will definitely want to see the the fabulously trippy installation, Fireflies on the Water.

As I was leaving the museum, I met the Ariel, the “Anti-dot.” He effortlessly carried off an elegant ensemble--shirt, tie, vest, and trousers--of dark blue toile on cream. 

Mesh Mash

Down to the Wire

(Bustles and Bertoia)

                                                                                                                        via DCC

You're so Vein/Vain

(stents and hair roller)

                                                                                     via Bobbins and Bombshells

Strained Relations

(strainer and fencing mask)

Seating Plan

(hoop skirt and papasan chair)

Staged joke photo sequence c. 1860 via Wikipedia

                                                                                                      via Victoriana

San Fermin Posters from Pamplona

The partying in Pamplona for the festival of San Fermin gets underway on July 6^th, so that by the next day there will be plenty of folks drunk enough to participate in the encierro, the city’s famous Running of The Bulls. The all-night drinking, to be followed by a morning bull-run, will take place every day through July 14^th, as the bulls are let out from their pen and charge up to the bullring.

The week of festivities is in honor of the patron saint of Navarra, Saint Fermin, a 13^th Century local who was martyred in France. It includes a grand procession where musical bands, city officials, and the 19^th-Century papier mache “Giants” accompany the figure of the saint through the streets.

The Municipal Archive of Pamplona houses a collection of official San Fermin posters dating back to the 1880s. Starting in 1924, the original artwork for the posters has been preserved as well. There are so many fantastic posters in the collection. Here is a small sampling, beginning with this year's model.

2009

2003

1998

1996

1991

1990

1988

1975

1974

1970

1963

1950

1948

1940

1932

1911

1900

Racer’s map for the Tour de France

While there are maps galore for the Tour de France, they are most often for fans and viewers of the race. I’ve seen many vintage maps--usually souvenir-type posters filled with information about the race and the riders, or maps issued as advertising vehicles that are covered with tourist attractions and logos.

The map here, from the 1950s, was one that would have been used by a racer. The seller of the map says it was found, along with one for the Giro d’Italia, folded to fit into the back pocket of a bike jersey. How cool is that? It is for sale here.

Stills from the Nursery

Little Jack Horner

A slightly bizarre book, circa 1970, features photographed tableaux of nursery rhymes. Though there really is nothing particularly “wrong” or twisted about these, they confirm the fact that dolls plus camera, equals creepiness.

Hickory, Dickory Dock and Jack be Nimble

Mary Had a Little Lamb