Vintage Miscellany – January 1, 2017

My guess is that the photo above was taken around 1925.  I love how the standing girl’s outfit is an assemblage of the feminine and the masculine, with her stockings and fancy shoes, and the blouse that appears to be silk.  The girl in the wagon has better mastered the tomboy look, with her socks, vest, and tie.

And now for some news:

•   If this can happen, then I’m considering getting a metal detector.  But somehow I suspect there are no medieval rings in the woods behind my house.
•   China Machado has died at the age of 89.  She was  the first non-white model to be featured in Harper’s Bazaar, in 1959.
•  I’ve posted similar articles in the past, but museums being able to adapt to the digital age might mean the difference between an institution surviving this era of budget cuts.  Side note, the idea about visitors being able to take a photo superimposed over a work of art reminds me of how at the Bush’s Bean Factory, one can get a photo made “with” Duke, the Bush’s spokes-dog.
•   It’s really difficult to get across just how bad it is to buy counterfeit goods to someone who just sees the price tag.  But this article does it quite well. (Note, video is full of salty language.)
•    There are some people who are surprisingly fun to follow on Twitter, classical historian Mary Beard being a prime example.  Beard took to Twitter (and then her blog)  to correct the record when The Telegraph bungled a report of a found tapestry.
•  Harris Tweed is now producing a lighter fabric that retains many of the positive characteristics of the traditional tweed.
•   For the Trumps (and any other person who might consider making clothing in the US), ‘Made in U.S.A.’ May Be a Tricky Label to Stitch.  I’ve been working on a blog post that addresses the history of some of these problems, so expect that soon.
•  Distressed clothing is distressing, in more ways than one.
• About ten years ago I got really, really excited because Debbie Reynolds had finally found a permanent home for her vast collection of Hollywood costumes.  It was to be built in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, just over the mountain from me.  Unfortunately the deal fell through, and Debbie was eventually forced to sell her prized collection.   She needs to be remembered for having the presence of mind to actually start the collection, the result of which is that now many of her treasures have safe, permanent homes.
• Cone Denim in Greensboro, NC, has just celebrated their 125th anniversary!