Library of Congress Color Photographs Archive

I have to admit, I’m sort of a history geek. One of my favorite source of historical images is the Library of Congress; aside from their vast array of printed ephemera and documents (the archive spans over 400 years), a favorite collection of mine in the library are the color photographs from the FSA & OWI. They can be found at: Color Photographs from the FSA and OWI.

With over 1,500 high-resolution photographs (often in the glorious 150 MB+ file size range), the archive provides a robust visual history between 1939 and 1945. Aside from their nostalgic appeal and their glimpse into decades past, from an aesthetic level I’m struck by the vibrancy and clarity of the images, which still resonate nearly 70 years after their creation. The archive touches on many subjects including agriculture, construction, heavy industry and manufacturing. However, the images also reflect common everyday scenes—main street storefronts, schools, and holiday parades.

Geotag Art

{Eric Fischer makes this city map art using Flickr geotags, article found on fastcompany}

These info graphic images of photo maps look tactile, like fine Washi papers from Japan. That is what caught my eye when I was checking out fastcompany.com for the latest in design. The geotags tell where people took photos in major cities of interest. Fischer showcases 50. He can even compare tourists habits with locals and the results are amazing. I just love how textured they look. Check out the article on fastcompany! To see them on Fischer's flickr click here.

To decode the web of points and lines:

black is walking

red: bicycling or equivalent speed

blue: local photos, motor vehicle or normal road use

red: tourists or people who took pictures here for a short time span

yellow: local or tourist status can't be determined

green: is freeway or rapid transit

If you zoom in on flickr, you can actually see so much more detail. The true algorithm is not divulged, but the visual is so intriguing. What do you think?

Modern House Numbers

I have been looking for new modern numbers for the front of my house and thought I would share a few of my favorites. Who knew there were so many great choices?

{L to R from the top: Neutra House Number from DWR, SoCal from modern house numbers, Letters and Numbers Window Film from brume, Backbay from modern house numbers, Sausalito house numbers from Chiasso, 4” Clarendon Medium from WestOn, Stainless House Signs from Adobe House Signs, 3” Ribbon from WestOn}

Letter Heady

I was cleaning out my email inbox, as I often must do (I have a bad habit of letting a few thousand emails piling up - emails that I have read - without sorting them to their appropriate folders) and I happened to come across an email that I sent to myself. For those of you whom are smart-phone users, I'm sure you're familiar with this technique.

The email didn't say anything other than a web address and that was www.letterheady.com. I could have guessed but didn't expect that the website is devoted to famous, infamous, and interesting letterhead. I really recommend giving it a look. Most of the letterhead of late is very minimal and puts an emphasis on typeface and printing technique. I happen to like that style, personally, but seeing some of the full color and huge letterhead is really exciting. Here are a few examples, click through to check out the site!


This first letterhead that I've picked from Letterheady.com's site is an interesting one, for a railroad called "Carolwood Pacific." What's so interesting about a railroad? Well, for starters, this particular railroad was in Walt Disney's backyard and had track, cars, and locomotives about 1/8 the size of a "real" railroad. I had no idea such a whimsical thing existed. It amazes me that Walt not only had his own personal miniature railroad, but that he had stationery for it to boot!


This second piece is that of Frank L. Baum's, the creator of such stories as The Wizard of Oz. I had no idea that Baum was the futurist that he apparently was, as he predicted the development of laptop computers. I also didn't know that he was an apologist of the United States' policy of Manifest Destiny! I wouldn't have guessed that he held such an interesting place in a history much broader than the writing that we have come to know so well through Dorothy, Toto, and the Wizard. This letterhead is fascinating: like a few other examples, it's clear that letterhead developed into a strong C.V. statement for many individuals, and the usable writing area was reduced to a small fraction of the page.

This is the letterhead of the great mentalist, Joseph Dunninger, who was a contemporary of Houdini's and apparently well respected and liked in his field. He apparently supported efforts to debunk "magic" in favor of illusion and mentalism, reportedly working with Scientific American to "offer [$100,000] to any medium who could produce by psychic or supernatural means any physical phenomena that he cannot reproduce by natural means or explain in convincing materialistic terms."

He has a wonderful quote that is attributed to him, "For those who believe, no explanation is necessary; for those who do not believe, no explanation will suffice."


This last one, of course, needs no introduction! Can you imagine receiving a note on this stationery? Apparently, Dr. Seuss used this huge graphic to communicate with fans of his books. It would be interesting to see if anyone could produce an actual note from him!

Fun Wedding Touches by Checkerboard

{images of new Unveiled elements from Checkerboard...coming soon}

Some of the most kicking parts of a wedding are the little touches that accompany the invitation and all things paper. These items from the new Checkerboard , an inspired wedding collection called Unveiled, help you make all the little details sweet.

Alicia Bock

I really enjoy the photography of Alicia Bock. Her new Collecting Clouds work is just lovely.



Although, I can’t help falling in love with Paris in the Springtime either…



{all images, Alicia Bock Photography}

Stripes

I was just pouring over a few new summer catalogs and magazines and am suddenly seeing stripes…



{L to R from the top: Sunbrella® Awning Stripe Outdoor Pillow, Cape-stripe underwire top, Veranda Stripe Skirt, Come One, Come All Booties, Baggu X3 Stripes, Kids' Classic cotton double-stripe belt, Sunbrella® Round Umbrella - Stripes, Kelsey Pant}

Pink Chandelier

Images via Flights of Fancy, Martha Stewart Weddings and Style Me Pretty.

Hello and happy Thursday friends! Today I wanted to remind you that eInvite is having a sale on all eInvite digital lithography cards until May 17th. There are hundreds of beautiful designs available at a great price, that are suitable for any occasion. I’ve featured here the lovely Pink Khandilir design which is perfect for either a rehearsal dinner, or even a bridal shower.
I absolutely adore the color pairing of a peachy pink with a subtle grey. The combination is feminine, yet cool and sophisticated and will help to turn any event into a classy affair. The chandelier motif is especially charming, since it lends a fun but elegant vibe to the announcement, making it perfect for a casual chic dinner party, or even a night out with the ladies. So, be sure to visit eInvite and check out the whole selection, perhaps you’ll find the perfect invite for your special event. Happy Shopping!

New York : National Stationery Show

{images nss at javits 09}

Some of our team left for the The National Stationery Show today. It 's so exciting to be getting things together for the biggest paper event of the year. With over 1000 vendors, this show attracts over 11,000 attendees. The NSS has started using twitter and facebook as well, so if you are heading off to the show, don't forget to tweet to #stationeryshow!

It is The Core 77 Design Week in NYC. So there will be designers, vendors and buyers galore all over the island. Simultaneous with the stationery event upstairs at Javits is the ICFF downstairs.

David Stark: (purely paper) Flower Shoppe @ West Elm Broadway

{image: event designer david stark for west elm pop up shop}

The folks over at William Sonoma-West Elm sent us an invite that we thought was super cool and wanted to share. If you are in NYC for the National Stationery Show this week... The (purely paper) Flower Shoppe will be taking place inside the West Elm Broadway store. Created by renowned event producer David Stark, The (purely paper) Flower Shoppe will feature floral creations made entirely from the pages of recycled books!

The pop-up shop will be open to the public on Thursday and Friday (May 13 and 14) ONLY.

West Elm: 1870 Broadway at 62nd

Hours: 11 a to 8p

Another Checkerboard Sneak Peek

{images: rings, xo, seating, boy & couple: michèle m.waite photography; cake: Something Sweet by Michelle; silver brunia: sprout}

Checkerboard is about to "unveil" their new concept for wedding invitation presentation at the National Stationery Show in New York, opening Sunday. Here is a sneak peek at one of the new items that will be featured. Inspired by runway shows of fashion week, trend watching, and the surge of personal expression as couples invite, Unveiled brings creative invitation suites to life with incredible visual inspiration. Beautiful imagery makes us all excited, especially those looking for special touches to enhance their event.

This collection is different. The ensembles tell stories of the bride and groom. From mentions of their inspiration for the wedding back to intimate stories about how they met, bringing guest right into the wonderful experience they are invited to be a part of. The suites include bachelorette parties, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, save the dates, engagement parties, personal stationery, bridal calling cards...all eclectically fashion forward, complete with envelope linings imported from Italian paper mills that have been in existence since the 1400's.

The collection, called Unveiled was inspired by couples looking for something different, who admire fine papers, interesting typography and unexpected details. For those who love custom boutique styling, the price points in Unveiled are unmatched!

This is just invitation suite numero uno. Stay tuned for mas y mas....

The National Stationery Show 2010

We're only a week away from this year's National Stationery Show! We'll be looking for emergence of trends, that we've been following in other industries, into the stationery and announcement market. We can't wait to see what all of the manufacturers will be bringing to the show this year, not to mention the Louie Awards!

If you're not familiar with the Louie Awards, they are an annual award ceremony in honor of Louis Prang, a Prussian-born immigrant whom became the "father of the American Christmas card" and introduced color lithography to the greeting card industry in the United States [from: The Greeting Card Association]. He helped create a well known card company in Boston that lasted about thirty years after his death in 1909.

More than eight hundred fifty vendors will be there! It's a stationery buyer's paradise!

Hope to see you there!