Kraftwork
The Minstrel Boy, various composers; Columbia Masterworks, 1947
Alex Steinweiss was the inventor of the LP record cover: not only the revolutionary (pardon the pun) cover art, but the packaging itself. Before Columbia Records invited him in 1947 to develop a new jacket, 78rpm record covers were made from folded kraft paper, but this proved too thin to protect the long playing records. When they were stacked, the paper left marks on the vinyl. Steinweiss’s paperboard jacket would be used for 50 years.
In 1939, Steinweiss as the first art director of the company, had already convinced the Columbia executives to allow him to redesign the drab paper covers. Inspired by French and German poster styles, and mixing musical and cultural references, he invented a new graphic language of album design so identifiable with the period.
Symphony No 9 in C Major, Franz Schubert; Columbia Masterworks, 1947
Pierrot’s Pompoms
1920s boudoir slippers, found on Etsy at vintageflowers
Yesterday, whilst researching on Etsy for a future SNAP post (how lucky my research is transposable with window-shopping!), I came across these sweet little antique 1920s boudoir slippers. Unfortunately, their petite size makes me feel like Cinderella’s sister. I love the colour combination – strawberry and vanilla ice cream – and the pink rosette. It reminds me of a chrysanthemum, or the pompoms a pierrot would have on his costume.
So I had a look on Etsy for shoe clips, but no-one makes roses quite like this. I’m not much of a seamstress, and I forget the official designation of this hollow piping is, but I know where I can lay my hands on some. My recent success with the feather headdress encourages me to try my hand at making these.
Edwardian child with mandolinel image from lovedaylemon, Flickr
Grand Visions
Edward WestonLast year in Montserrat (which sounds like the title of a movie), I rode the funicular up the vertical railway and climbed the paths up the mountains. I was faced with such grand scenery those two master photographers, Ansel Adams and Edward Weston instantly came to mind.
Ansel AdamsNature photographs can sometimes seem boring in their ubiquity. However, this pair of photographers had such an instinctive eye for composition; creating images of stark beauty and authority they cannot fail to bring us face to face with the imposing power of their craggy mountains, perilous deserts and fierce sunshine.
In that blinding Catalan sunshine, surrounded by the razor teeth of Montserrat, I could not help but to be inspired by these masters.
Click here to see some of my black and white images of the mountains.
Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams
Edward Weston
Edward Weston
Ansel Adams
In Graphic Detail
A very many years ago, while shopping with a friend on Grand Final Day (Australia’s equivalent of the Superbowl), I pounced gleefully on a stack of picture romances in a vintage store. Since the streets were empty and Rapunzel and I were the only ones left alive in the world after the football-toting zombies attacked, I didn’t have to fight anyone off for ownership. (Zombies don’t read much.)
I constrained myself to only four however ($10 worth) – that was really enough to fully appreciate this new-found genre of the ‘All-Picture Novel’. I rediscovered them the other night on a (shockingly dusty) shelf at the very top of my bookcase.
While I was scanning the first few spreads of For You, My Love, I entertained myself by reading a little of Queen of the Pops. I was very soon shouting with outraged laughter – what a lot of sexist moralising! As disquieting as watching Mad Men for the first time.
Here’s a couple of samples:
“You can make yourself Britain’s Number One girl vocalist. Doesn’t that mean more than romance?”
“Corny, you’re hopeless. To a girl there are much more important things than money and success.”
My, how times have changed. And:
His words brought a rush of blood to Merry’s cheeks. “From now on consider me your number one fan.” Then suddenly, impulsively, he took her in her arms and kissed her. “I – er – couldn’t help myself.”
I have no words. Just pictures. Scroll down. (Click on images for larger versions.)
THE COVERS
FOR YOU, MY LOVE
My goodness! It’s a veritable cliffhanger. What will happen next, I wonder?