ephemeral - male

Three paper records with their own hole (die-cut circle)

2012-01-31T16:19:00.002+10:00

I'm bamboozled by these first two, what era? They're Australian and the third one I bought from an Austrian eBayer called Dr Zettel a few years ago. The 'golden records' logo is a knock-off of the London Underground logo, I remember the 'purple people eater' from the early 1960s . . . maybe?

So these are for posting through the mail . . . the third one is similar to the back of a postcard, ruled lines for an address and postage stamp.

The first two have an area with To: and Best Wishes From:

My daughter sent me an OXO shot taken in London recently

2012-01-30T10:38:00.000+10:00

The Tate Modern and the old OXO factory next door - now refurbished as apartments, from memory they are synchronome clocks, the large O's

Redoing a Terry Richardson image - an X and an 0

2012-01-29T17:28:00.002+10:00

Early 1980's corporate thoughts - an X and an O + heart

2012-01-29T17:23:00.000+10:00

O and X cut out letters in a c1900 Nursery Box set

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I bought the set at a Sydney Antique Fair early 2000. It came from Vanessa and Michael's stand and it lay in a wall display until the other day when Vanessa bought another set with missing capitals and emailed me. Her new set is smaller and is ivory where my set is bone, I believe. I love the graphic with kiddies riding the goose and the box AND all the hand made qualities.

Found at the beginning of my own street, an X and an O

2012-01-23T23:58:00.003+10:00

Two more Xs found on two of my fav blog authors

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Early Kate and untitled above - I've reprocessed by kept the authors tags to link back to the source . . . nice!

Purchased on eBay from a friend in LA, inscribed on the reverse side April 3 1892

2012-01-16T19:17:00.004+10:00

Day of the Dead paper maché painted plate depicting two hearts - the believer and the beloved - all contained in that most powerful of shapes - a circle.

There are hundreds of found Xs and Os on postcards, scanned and posted on the super highway - here are two I've downloaded

2012-01-16T19:00:00.003+10:00

stare at this graphic for a while - you will survive!

2012-01-13T19:12:00.001+10:00

My daughter Lil (and her Beau) are in Aspen + it is a genuine cross

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That's Aiko on the left and Lil on the right (the image on Facebook is titled - "steamboat")

A circular key cabinet with cross key charms

2012-01-09T15:48:00.004+10:00

There are four different coloured cabinets at Asplund in Stockholm - here. They say these are being discontinued, I am a sucker for key cabinets - I have eight antique ones in the spare room at home + a sweet contemporary one, I could be tempted with the above . . . here are a few of mine - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - one is a little Mexican contemporary cabinet, two is a large Tasmanian blackwood double door cabinet, three shows two beauties, four shows another wall cabinet amongst others, five is the dandy, it comes from Brisbane Police Headquarters c1920 where every front door key to every building in the CBD was stored and six is the other larger wall cabinet.

circle cross circle (found on Tumblr)

2012-01-04T19:43:00.003+10:00

Couch c.1900 with twisted cross backrest at QAG

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A bequest in 1972 from the estate of Blanche Louisa Battner, Brisbane Australia - A cane and timber couch in the style of George Hepplewhite U.K. 1727–1786. In the local clock collecting fraternity there is a term used here that I would also use for this object - "I'd certainly give this house room" . . . wouldn't you?

A c.1500 Japanese stoneware pot at the QAG with two incised crosses

2012-01-01T11:04:00.004+10:00

I managed two posts on our recent day trip to GOMA/QAG on the wordpress viewersite, I saved the crosses for this blogger entry. Purchased in 1993, this Tanuba or narrow-necked jar is from the 'tsubo' period; 1400–1500 and is a favourite of mine - there is something about a storage jar, I love a container 'before' it is filled. A frame, a box, a cabinet they are all better in their 'ready to serve' state.

My annual Christmas tee from my daughter - Lil (for 2011)

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The detail shot is here

. . . more circles and crosses

Another Simon (& Pip) in another city (Paris) with another X

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SPW sent me this 'cross' he shot recently in Hong Kong

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Certainly a survey peg made permanent and highlighted for easy reference, thanks Simon!

From a fellow at flickr that I follow: a found circle (enhansed)

2011-12-24T11:45:00.003+10:00

The flickr© environment is alive with 'found' images posted to their own world, one I'm so pleased to belong to. Go here to see more of unexpected tale's work, this set is of 'peculiar snapshots'.

a found X made into art

2011-12-04T18:38:00.004+10:00

An inseparable for my Wikipedia page . . .

Another circle and cross I would love to own

2011-11-30T15:35:00.002+10:00

Number 21/Edition 100 - Ed Ruscha 'pick, pan, shovel' - detail

Coming up in Los Angeles at LAMA - 11th December 2011 - here

Life is full of pleasant surprises, making connections all over again via the internet is exciting

2011-11-27T11:11:00.007+10:00

. . . as well as digging up old resources.

Ian Beck is an English illustrator of my generation who in the 1970's was responsible for work that I thought plainly went backwards in style, colour palette and the tool marks that he made. I responded to his work from an almost sub-conscious level - living in Brisbane, Australia - I loved it. I yearned to see more period graphics, those styles that never actually hit our shores. Beck seemed to channel this old stuff!

Those great English social realists who showed us anew the 'sweat of humanity' in the modern realm, those important community artists who were muralists: Stanley Spencer and Mary Adshead who then pushed their contemporaries like Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious into cleaner graphic clarity and who in turn - turned on 1950's & 1960's designers and illustrators that I liked: Eric Thomas, Roger Nicholson, David Gentlemen, Walter Hoyle and Kenneth Rowntree.

. . . well I went searching for him after I scanned an envelope and a letter, penned in his hand, half way through last year. I drew a blank until a few days ago when I chanced upon a graphic of his at letterology and a post that connected me to his blog*#! - what's this? An Ian Beck blog, surprise surprise!

Downloadable .pdf of the letter - here.

It was 1977 when I sent a large promotional poster to Ian with the studio's compliments. It was done for the BAD CLUB, the Brisbane Art Directors Club and it introduced my ephemera collection and a call to action - Save our Graphic Heritage, something I am still passionate about. Ian's letter mentions the piece, shown below.

I think four art directors a year did a calendar poster on a theme of their choice, I put so much work into this piece and was bitterly disappointed with the printed result . . . each ephemeral piece was laid out and photographed by Terry Straight. I worked with the litho firm of Press Etchings to do a beautiful duotone set of plates and the job was handed to a printer (you know, as a freebie). It was run before I was informed, they ran a single pms brown, flooded the thing with ink + horrific dot gain - I never used the printer ever again!

Another 'eleven' for Ray Norman's (collect eleven) blog

2011-11-21T16:05:00.006+10:00

Ray says that a collection shouldn't be more that 11, just under the dozen . . . not a baker's dozen either, which is 13. Culling is the art that all collectors must fine-tune at some stage, he quips. There are few elevens of ours up here.

The piece of furniture I've bodgeed up goes under the hammer in London tomorrow 22nd November 2011:

Christies Sale 1305 Lot 59.

AN ITALIAN DOUBLE SIDED BURR WALNUT VENEERED BOOKCASE

CIRCA 1940. With rounded top corners, spherical supports on shaped plank base

71 in. (182.3 cm.) high; 47 in. (120.7 cm.) wide; 11 in. (30 cm.) deep

elevens via Tumblr and blogger - viewer sites

2011-11-19T20:52:00.004+10:00

The Christies sale 3013 lot finder

viewersite.tumblr.com

Zig-Zag Melbourne Australia

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Urban_Archaeology collection

Early mal E surfboard graphic - Tony Phillips Kirra Surfboards

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This is all friskit layered artwork done by hand, around 1969 I reckon?

Double 'circles' on a printed and die-cut USA mask, purchased from Speakeasy, on Broadway near 11th Street NYC from 1974 onwards

2011-11-13T12:39:00.006+10:00

I scanned both sides, deep etched the item and merged the front and back in this detail of the larger mask. Do click on the link, the graphic is sweet-as . . . Speakeasy was run by Bob & Rita Brand, their large shoebox proportioned shop had everything in categories, Mr Peanut, Popeye, Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, masks, badges, zippos, rubber stamps, cartons, boxes, world fair collectables. You name it they had it . . . I virtually lived there on all of my cross-pacific studio holiday exploits and became firm friends. Bob's tin toy collection was world class (as was Rita)!

Following on with another (found) 'circle & Cross' graphic from a Flickr fellow I follow

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here

Bingo - a cross inside a circle. the work of Dan Winters

2011-11-07T18:54:00.003+10:00

As an ex-creative director and designer, I would have worked with Dan Winters on any number of assignments. His portraiture is first class - all 5x4 and well lit and executed, he seems to extract what most sitters want to hide.

The above work is from his gallerist's offerings, (Jan Kesner Gallery). I can't locate much more info but keep watching this space. Are these pin-hole images?

Here I am rolling from Roman to Greek themes but with a common typographical thread

2011-11-07T18:09:00.002+10:00

I guess the world is worried for the Greek people as a whole, I drop by frequently to this blog for a daily snapshot from Athens. This message above means NO, in no uncertain term, read more here. As you will observe, an O and an X (nice)!

A cross inside a circle, well not a perfect circle

2011-11-04T13:59:00.004+10:00

. . . and further, I'm not convinced that this is a real Roman brothel token. There are maybe 40 tokens in the collection and thats not counting the 50 or so USA car wash tokens that are in a different drawer - 4Mb .pdf here.

This started off as another circle post

2011-11-04T10:01:00.004+10:00

. . . but then I realised that we are friends of three of the artists opening tonight at SGAR. The show is titled MADE and the blurb says that "this show continues their ongoing commitment to contributing to the international dialogue surrounding the emergence of design/art".

ABOVE: K T Doyle's new Casuarina Wreath is one of three black and white giclée prints further exploring her Casuarina design. (Barbara owns an earlier one)

ABOVE: Susan Lincoln's new work, Hydrangeas (in blue) detail.

ABOVE: Matt Dwyer's new work exploring vanity and the lost object.

WHERE: Spiro Grace Art Rooms, Spring Hill, Brisbane - (MADE November 2011) Also showing on the night will be Cinnamon Lee and Stuart Williams.

. . . back to normal width

2011-11-03T20:48:00.002+10:00

a 'cornish' screen shot dedicated to the Snake Inn, Granton, Tasmania.

I posted x10 of these on viewersite.tumblr.com today - enjoy the wide screen!

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# 01 (the first 500 pixels wide, of the first template). Click to my desktop - here.

Another skull in the mail today

2011-11-01T12:21:00.002+10:00

Fiona Hall's - 'shot through' is on show and opens in Sydney this Thursday at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, nice! We love her work . . .

Simon Stocks sent another crossed bones graphic in response

2011-10-31T21:31:00.004+10:00

This is getting like 'a skull a day' - another blog I follow but thanks to Simon for being a fellow follower of fashion!

1987/88 publicity ephemera of mine, mainly to show Joey the Clayton Patterson cap

2011-10-31T20:31:00.005+10:00

This was a DL mailer with a smaller fold as a first sheet, I've cut down the back and front - as you can see I've been hooked on X symbols for a long time. Joey sent an email response saying that he had done a "Clayton" post way back which is here. Below is my double perforated business card, both sides . . . showing one of the four Clayton caps I owned back then. My first one came from the Lower East Side, near Rivington Street before that became SoHo. I have a large jacket patch still in mint condition that I scooped from the Abyss Store in Chappel Street Melbourne, Sarah Thorn and Bruce Slorach were the first locals to latch onto Clayton's street wear. The other caps have fallen by the wayside, the last one was stolen at a gig, I'm still peeved!

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside

2011-10-30T14:15:00.002+10:00

I find this on Joey's blog - for sale on eBay in fact. In the blog close-up shot I thought the stitching was the work of Clayton NYC from the late 1990s . . . heaven forbid. When I clicked onto the seller's site I found this:

Here are the vital statistics: (approx but real close) It's 57-1/2" from neck to hem....23" from shoulder to cuff....20" across shoulder in back...17" across chest..30" when measured flat on the front ...It is a Scene Mover Oddfellows robe used for theatrical presentations in the lodge halls. I am sure the other Fraternal groups (Masons, Knights Templar etc..) found this robe useful in their rituals as well. Manufactured by C.E. Ward Company, New London Ohio. This is a vintage robe that is in very good condition. There are no rips or tears and the cord is still attached as is the scary hood. This could be worn by a man or a woman...It's scary looking. What more do you need to know. Buy it now and have it for this Halloween. BTW... Yale's Skull and Bones society used such items in their rituals and no less than Humphrey Bogart made his first feature length film starring role in the production "Black Legion". As the actual group (in Lima Ohio..alleged to be businessmen who would meet in the Masonic Hall) made their 'neighborly' calls (protesting overgrown lawns and untidy garbage)...they were in costumes designed to conceal their identity and to strike fear in the hearts of those they visited... A great old piece for use or display.

Two crossed bones via Ryan M. Cohn's site

2011-10-30T13:30:00.004+10:00

My pal and eBay 'saved seller' in L.A. - Ben Ziegler just had Ryan and his NYC film crew through his collection of shrunken heads shooting a TV series called Oddities Two. I've been following Ryan's blog as it has developed since earlier 2011 - here. He is a jeweller as well as an Osteologist, (he says he's a weird guy also). My pick of the goods is this crossed bones stick pin (I wonder why)? Below is his collaborator's shot of one of his sectioned skulls, titled 'jolly'. Ryan is now famous for his 'exploded skulls' which have become just one of his specialties.

Lettering from France

2011-10-29T21:28:00.004+10:00

Thanks Lil, these two selections are ripe1

Another circle shot taken by my daughter - Lil's recent London France champagne tour

2011-10-29T20:16:00.003+10:00

Unfinished business on Wilston Road, Brisbane

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As you can see these were only recently outlined, particularly the X below (watch it fill in here) . . .

Another X in the form of a hand tool

2011-10-28T20:03:00.002+10:00

Both articles from Urban_Archaeology collection. McPhersons page here. The pliers are marked Lassetters - Sydney.

Two older collectors in Tunbridge Tasmania share their make-dos with me

2011-10-27T10:47:00.004+10:00

I did send all the links to these five objects to Andy in NYC to show him but haven't published them until now.

Additional shots - 1 - 2 - of the repaired bowl belonging to antique dealer Jim Pengally from Tunbridge Collectables.

Norman Pearce from Ballochmyle got talking with Jim over their morning coffee and then I breezed into town and showed them our blog and introduced them to 'past imperfect - the art of inventive repair'. The next time I dropped in Jim had pulled together another three pieces, one was a crystal bowl all silver pinned back together, below and - 2 -.

A repaired cream and gilt jug - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - and two different cups and saucers - A1 - A2 - A3 - B1 - B2 -

Another two crosses from the image stratsophere

2011-10-26T14:14:00.004+10:00

Edgy and mid-career work by two of my artists-of-interest, *Emanuel Radnitsky who you all know of (but will never know) and 'naughty nurse Kate' caught by English fashion photographer Craig McDean who resides in NYC. Craig is often covered on that (warm and friendly) pair's blog from Brazil that I subscribe to - ChicQuero - here.
* what a great start in life to be a commercial artist, never hurt me!

I'm presently generating crackle and paint chip patterns for digital art enhansements in the future

2011-10-17T10:58:00.005+10:00

If anyone has a high-res version of an old photograph, including clock dials please forward on to me or drop on your server and send me a url? Happy to share my labours with you later on as well

Crosses and Noughts in their truest form

2011-10-17T10:45:00.005+10:00

Lesley's Words & Eggs blog is here where she lays out the reason to be cheerful . . . about these book jacket designs we have both featured.

11 scrap files (found ephemera) some high brow some lowest of the low

2011-10-14T16:30:00.004+10:00

I'm seriously interested in selling the remanent of my contemporary art collection - the entire Artist_Archive

2011-10-12T19:01:00.004+10:00

The powerpoint is 15Mb (27 images) and was prepared in 2005 to inform the Queensland Art Gallery's external valuer on "who the hell I was", when he came to assess my Artist_Archive on offer to the gallery. His valuation was $33,000.00, the Gallery made me an offer and I refused to sell at the time. There has been much more interest of late so I'm posting this for download for two parties at the moment.

Just a scan of three templates in the Jeweller to the Lost studio

2011-10-11T20:00:00.007+10:00

. . . I did finished art in the 1960–1970s with rapidograph, ink, templates and Bainbridge Board, you were paid no more for no white-out on the artwork but that was always my strategy. Those were the days!

Barbara uses these to great success in the studio although she and Juan actually draw straight into the metal better.

These are 'ring' and 'textured ramp' - rubber mould by Barbara Heath

2011-10-11T19:50:00.003+10:00

These are the (two part) rubber casts for metal master elements designed and made by Jeweller to the Lost - Barbara Heath. These two are used in her 'signature' bracelets and can be found (and ordered) from the viewersite.wordpress blog, here.

2 postcards - art delivery alternatives

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11 postcards - Freaks of Nature Urban_Archaeology Collection

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Now my Daughter is saving me tickets! -updated 26-11-2011

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and Barbara and Michelle-Ransom-Hughes gave me this set recently . . .

Don't come back now . . .

2011-10-05T20:41:00.002+10:00

Be seated, you paid for it

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Cornish Greetings - another inseparable (for George Burrows) stationary/moving

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the viewersite.wordpress blog link

ah . . . those Japanese, I'm in my element

2011-09-29T16:19:00.002+10:00

My daughter's left-overs from pre school

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Punched holes from the jeweller's studio - paper die residue

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A few industrial punched holes

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Another double x (and this someone does gives a fig)

2011-09-28T09:49:00.006+10:00

Fountain of Eve, Diane Mantzaris © below:

Diane Mantzaris is from Melbourne and is my Facebook friend and contemporary artist, it only takes one person to raise the alarm and the decency police are all over her image . . . I've posted her cover-ups and a composite of the original parts of her 'Eve' for all those not scared of the real world. Go to hell, Hetty!

A set of x11 'found' X's that followers have sent me

2011-09-21T12:53:00.004+10:00

A powerful symbol used by designers, illustrators, photographers all over the world. I've kept these responses until I had massed x11 . . . Ray Norman in Tasmania has a 'collect x11' blog where he features collections of elevens - he says that by eleven a collector should have massed enough to communicate 'worth', culled the worst to build a special set. Twelve or a dozen is too many, he says. The pressure is to cap the activity at eleven . . .

Friendly Beaches - Tasmania (found x's and O's)

2011-09-21T12:50:00.002+10:00

I met 'the old mole' while in Maryborough recently

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. . . he lives in Armidale NSW and recreates garden tools using traditional crafts & skills. I will post more on Richard Bird & Lynne Walker's business in the coming posts. As promised he sent me his x7 leaflets and shots of his 'collection', all insitu in one big corrigated shed at Devil's Pinch . . . on scanning through the items in the collection (and thinking what didn't I see that I have)? I've come up with these:

+ 61 2 6775 0208 - PO Box 984 Armidale NSW 2350 Australia

x4 shots, main desk at Brennan & Geraghty's store

2011-08-28T20:32:00.004+10:00

Two things of note to followers world-wide; the gas light fittings are covered with that yellow fabric in the first three shots. I have no idea what it is although it might be a coloured cover to remind people not to bump into it? I do still remember gas light fittings because they were fitted to the colonial house we live in today, well one table light is still here as display. The other item to note is on the desk of the proprietor, to the right of the typewriter - a Bex powder, a cup of tea (and as the old adage goes - 'just take a Bex, have a good stong cuppa and a lie down'). The Invalid Stout was only offered to those worldy souls who had bucked the temperance ideal . . . the Solvol man with work-stained hands used this gritty soap cake, not the pen pusher who lived at this work station though?

X men & O women (and O children) - found images from my two favourite topics

2011-08-27T18:39:00.005+10:00

go buy here:

this cannot be bought:

from a Tumblr follower, nice!

Geraghty's store collection of tea packing cases, anything from Tea culture holds a fascination and brings up the collecting urge in me

2011-08-27T16:02:00.002+10:00

Geraghty's timber packaging on view

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The curator asked that no flash be used so I had to use hand held, existing light to satisfy my typography capture.

Grocer's store fairly intact in Maryborough, South East Queensland

2011-08-27T14:54:00.005+10:00

Brennan and Geraghty's Store Museum was taken over by the National Trust in 1976, I first found out about this mother-load from Richard Stringer - the local architectural photographer who was first commissioned to document the building and its contents. Barbara and I have just returned from the 32nd annual Australian Garden History Society's, Maryborough conference where we were shown through the shop and associated buildings and gardens, nice!

The two shots above show the gun trolly probably traded from a visiting frigate ages ago, the small cannon is still in the shop - this initiative must have saved a few hernias over the 150 years that the shop has been in existance.

oh! - ho . . .

2011-08-03T19:44:00.003+10:00

I guess after some research that the casting is early Zinc? My guess was Aluminium, just post WW2 as I've see one or two of those 'naughty German soldier' ashtrays. Here's a larger version - 1.3Mb .jpg I like the rubbed sections of the front figures and the almost pristine quality of the backside.

Life is very busy here in Brisbane, Australia inspite of falling retail sales, insurance premium hikes, power utilities charging unbridled fees for gas and electricity, interest rate rises, a two speed economy, both sides of politics without a decent future strategy, make a guess . . . what's a kilo of bananas worth? - AUD$16.99 and today's currency rate: AUD$1.06=US$1.00

Circular paper mache Spanish plate signed on the reverse - April 1892 with names and inscription

2011-06-23T16:05:00.003+10:00

Again a circular device holding probably the most loaded symbol created by catholic man - Bleeding Heart belonging to the (second Adam), on the right. But whose sword-pierced heart is that on the left? I have no Catholic background but we are just drawn to the duality of the suffering. Larger .pdf image here.

Purchased on eBay last year from one of my favourite sellers in Los Angeles, Ben Zigler of 'macabre collector' fame.

No actual 2011 winter solstice bonfire this year

2011-06-23T15:38:00.004+10:00

Typical, another cross and a circle shot . . .

Honestly, we really felt the shortest day and the longest night here in Brisbane, Barb and I spent the evening in the bedroom with several candles lit, chatting, both laptops and numerous books as we watched the clock turn over at midnight . . . we also watched the sun set earlier at its lowest point in the west, that point is etched into the glass with an X on the verandah windows. We look forward to longer days, re-growth in both the landscape of the mind and working on a cleaner environment.

Personal protectors (for your own good) + we have the whole family covered!

2011-06-22T18:34:00.004+10:00

Protecting my two favorite things - her breast and my tummy (only joking), found in London but these are original Greek power objects. Signed and all with the urban_archaeology intact. We have another three, I should ask Nic Comino more about them - we have a section of the library devoted to amulets & talismans. These surfaced when we trawled for colonial tinwares last year for our Artisan show.

An art broker has just removed the 10 panels titled 'Royco 1' from my art collection, he intends placing them in another collection (I'm stoked)

2011-06-22T15:07:00.014+10:00

The large 'fire sale' of my collection at Phillips Auctioneers in Sydney in 1997 caused many Australian contemporary artists to enter the secondary market for the first time. I was advised to keep some key works back and a few of these went up at Christies in Sydney in 2002 - 10 pages of that catalogue are here. Simon Wright prepared the texts that positioned just how important these works were to me and how they continued to inform the art that I collected. The reserves were high but reasonable because the uniqueness of the works, the set went to $36k in the room and I did have a $40k offer almost a year after the sale but I declined. I've also done a (photoshopped) installation view from the individual panel shots - here. Below are my notes in the urban_archaeology database:

Purchased from the 3rd solo show at Ray Hughes. To me these are something special because by this time Bob had produced all the Merles and Swanboros, by this I mean he had covered, wiped, splashed (and collected) paint on these square panels. This work, I see as the end of all that as it is just the (Royco) brush loaded with paint and systematically unloaded and cleaned on fresh canvas panels. See IMA Survey Exhibition catalogue I co-curated with Peter Cripps 1985 where this work was dealt with in detail.

More circles. My wire work cake racks:

2011-06-19T13:13:00.004+10:00

The Manipulator Magazine was a fav-rave in 1987–1989, I have kept my twenty one copies well archived. It was great to get out the wire racks and clean them up, I recently lent them to Andrea Higgins to use in a series of shots she called 'still life'.

Francis Abbott's own Microscope made to order by Straker and Co. London & engraved with his name and Hobart Town

2011-06-12T19:28:00.004+10:00

I have written on Abbott in the NAWCC journal - Mainspring - page 3 and page 4, that I design and edit for the Brisbane Chapter 104. Here is a link to the recent journal in the Tasmanian Museum & Gallery via this Tasmanian Photography blog.

the high res .pdf is here

I've started to sort these Victorian microscope slides from the collection of an early Hobart Town owner

2011-05-30T16:00:00.005+10:00

The glass slide above is a 'talking piece' rather than a scientific specimen, the small centre circle would require a x200 power microscope to show the severely reduced line drawing of the Lincoln Cathedral interior.

The London made Microscope is signed and had a person's name engraved on the stand base when manufactured: F. Abbott Hobart Town. The piece comes with numerous lenses and is cased in a lockable, traveling mahogany case. It came from a descendant of the first owner, I swapped it for a series of frames I designed and had made for their family in 1980.

I can't remember now if it came with 50 os so slides of all sorts of scientific data, mostly from Australian flora, some French slides of skin and medical parts and a set English diatomes (London clays) as seen below.

I've started to post my stitched together photographs on my Tumblr archive, only my own work - I'm not re-blogging images in that domain.

2011-05-30T15:39:00.003+10:00

The headline is the link direct to my Tumblr page . . .

QADA fair this weekend in Brisbane, purchased from Jane lennon & Thomas Barron

2011-05-30T15:31:00.004+10:00

Another Trusty Servant piece, 19thC teapot stand joins the other commemorative pieces in the Urban–Archaeology collection. The dealers are friends from Hobart who ventured up from southern climes to sell their usual 'collectables', I could have bought another 6–8 shell collages also but I'm saving for another clock.

Found cross Cradle Mountain, overland track - photo by Barbara Heath 2011

2011-05-14T19:17:00.002+10:00

Just found this old 1984 head shot of my own scone

2011-05-11T15:16:00.004+10:00

I'm deep into 1983, 1984 and 1985 folders filed years ago and (almost) forgotten. The packet has a Y&R sticker and the name of a guy called Andy on the label. This was the time I started to shave my head every Friday, I do remember that but frankly, it must have been for a campaign for them because I never worked there. I did a lot of hand modeling back then but can't remember what this was used for? I never wore glasses until much later on, well another 12 years or so. So funny also because these days I'm continually having sun spots burnt off and surgery every 3 months to cut out sun damaged pieces of myself - 27 years later I should do another top shot and compare just what I have left up there?

UPDATE:

From Patrica's French site Agence Eureka:

Afghanistan Animal Protectors (8 from a collection of 21), some with Crosses

2011-05-01T14:33:00.004+10:00

I bought every one of these when shown them by a carpet dealer friend who was offered them as part of a parcel of goods. Animal protectors, well they contain the prayers or gems from the earth that are housed in the wooden pendant to 'do the magic'. Some have the contents removed while some are intact, all are aged and rubbed with the hide oils of the animals - goats - buffalo - working dogs . . .

Five crosses and five noughts, Barbara Heath brooches from 1987

2011-04-30T11:06:00.004+10:00

I posted the complete story to our (work) blog here, last night and then set about finding and scanning the promotional pic taken by Peter Kent, Brisbane 1987.

Hand cut Balsa wood bases with poster pigments & brass brooch back. Collaged newspaper cuttings, texts from books and actual 35mm proof sheets of Barbara's photography at the time with 24ct gold leaf features. Noughts & Crosses Brooches at the Roz MacAllan Gallery 1987 © Bh They remain in our collection until someone wants them more . . .

An X on the gate, inside the graveyard we found the 600 year old tree

2011-04-20T18:36:00.001+10:00

Barbara was tipped off about this tree during the Australian Garden History Annual Conference in Tasmania, end of 2010. On our way to Wychwood Nursery we stopped to have a closer look at this remarkable find in the Chudleigh Valley - its a Grevillea that has only recently been dated by a visiting dendrologist.

For those with a large screen the download .pdf is here.

Ye Trusty Servant - additional material in the urban_archaeology collection

2011-04-18T16:27:00.006+10:00

Dated 1815, this scroll found inside the antique cylinder is in Latin & English and sets out all the students and honourary roles held within the custos. Passed down in the family, I did unfortunately miss the 18ct ponce from his desk at Winchester College (a student memento obviously) as the dealer kept it for himself.

Two small platters both hallmarked - 19th C

Segments of the original foundation oak of 1202 were cut up and made into commemorative letter openers in 1906.

Hard bound copy of "Trusy, our new forest pony '. Mary E. Buckland author with illustrations by 'my little nieces; Phyliss - aged 11 years and Ethel, Norah & Sybil Buckland. The green cloth cover has a deboss and a fine pony illustration, the story has a clever weaving of the servant's qualities, instructional in fact. Collectors should make use of everything that falls within the category don't you think?

The emblematic figure associated with Winchester College

2011-04-16T17:40:00.005+10:00

I first confronted this figure in the front room of Harcourt Howard's residence, at Denham Street Clayfield in Brisbane. Harcourt had saved every book, flyer, card - parchment to paper - loose or bound in this one room all his later dealing life. On his retirement he asked me to assist his documenting everything as he was selling the contents at auction. Ye Trusty Servant & Winchester articles appeared during this process. I managed to buy up his little collection and have also been offered more from another family archive found by Jeremy Green in Toowoomba.

40 years on I still marvel at this romantically visualised creation.

You really need to read the text and review the Hircocervus at the same time.

The earliest piece is a heavy little W. H. Goss beaker, there is a later 19th C beaker as well.

Mr Fourex mascot

2011-04-15T11:27:00.007+10:00

The historical truth has never been substantiated, Castlemain Perkins Brewery say the mascot was either based on the (then) General Manager - Mr Paddy Fitzgerald or a popular dwarf who sold newspapers in the Fortitude Valley in Brisbane during 1924. I know better because my Grandfather Mr Lol Hansen, had a furniture factory in Caxton Street in the early 1950s. He was a beer drinker and from his place of business we could see down to where the brew was made and bottled, the little mascot was on the building and I always thought it was him.

I actually hate this drop, it is full of preservatives but it remains the most popular local ale.

I have already posted a XXXX piece as a graphic but have never shown this rare promotional piece. The mascot has a famous wink, these sandwiched lenses have a cardboard pack and depending on the angle - I can still see my Grandpa winking.

A friend and neighbor in Tunbridge Tasmania is a retired second hand dealer, he passed this little pin on to Barbara for repair. It is unusual also because it is set with small Diamonds, I've bought and sold a few plain ones in my time collecting. We have repaired the pin and polished the little mascot and just prior to dispatch I made the scan and this post (which is a bugger really). This opens up another thought I have had recently - another category of focus on - anthropomorph, more soon when I show you my collection of "Ye Trusted Servant" from Winchester U.K.

The circles and one X from another set of mounted blocks in the urban_archaeology collection

2011-04-14T12:57:00.002+10:00

I've uncovered another set of mounted blocks in an non-original box, all unmarked but the full alphabet and numerals. It is interesting to note that the one cap X is joined by four different cap Os - I guess the user would use more cap Os making up letters for posters etc. This brings me to wondering just what the rationale is when supplying a complete set?

Finally the question mark, one only and never actually inked up for use.

The full circle and back to port for refueling and taking on supplies - Greenpeace's "sea shepherd" at Hobart wharf

2011-04-13T16:55:00.007+10:00

The 'sea shepherd' logo . . .

I have had several skulls ready for a post for some time now. Both Barbara and I adore their seductive symbolism (not just death but way beyond death - re-birth even) and we have used skulls in our work and quite a few friends of mine share skulls on a rotational basis. Why even dear reader, you might have visited 'a skull a day' which is one of my blog listed favorites.

While in Hobart recently we missed the tour of this vessel, having reached the wharf almost the same time that the last visitor was piped aboard. Seeking donations to their anti-whaling cause, the boat was open to the public with cheery young things doing their best to engage the public in their cause. Here are a few pics stitched together (we would of both liked to have gone aboard).

Another circle, Juan-Luis' rude opener

2011-04-10T20:02:00.001+10:00

Bought in NYC at "Speakeasy": Bob and Rita Brand's eclectic shoe box of a store 1974 or '76.

2011-04-09T19:01:00.006+10:00

yeah, forgot about the warning: . . . I'm suddenly back onto 'more circles' as I chanced upon this set scrounging for Xs.

. . . and they turn out to be Australian! - As black as the Ace of Spades - Coon Cards - A nigger boy with a watermelon - all the awkward stuff that in the late '80s, many sophisticated black Americans were buying up all over the world. Well this little white arse kept his tin pack of Hartley's Circular Playing Cards . . . what are they worth today? The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney has a set, I noticed.

I freelanced when Greg Daniel was at USP Needham in Brisbane way back, this only came to me 10 years ago though

2011-04-09T18:44:00.004+10:00

Michael Allen called and offered me this framed 4 fold, advertising promotional brochure.

what da ya think? I thanked him profusely . . .

another X joins the party!

There are two new pieces from the Jeweller to the Lost studio that are crosses, so I'm bound to link to those on the viewersite wordpress blog

2011-04-09T12:52:00.004+10:00

Double Grid 925 Silver Leaf Lattice 18ct Yellow Gold Marquise cut Green Tourmaline Stainless Steel handmade pin back Brooch © Bh 2011. The other commissioned pair of Cross Earrings are here.

José in Dallas Texas writes - 'keep those crosses coming man"!

2011-04-09T12:19:00.008+10:00

Too long between posts, sorry. Working in Brisbane and Tunbridge and Hobart and now back in Brisbane. I started to mine the big glass showcase upstairs for crosses and posted some wood block letters. Every antique piece of mark making material I have stored there - everything from a career of graphic design. Now I'm onto the stencil sets of alphabets (and numerals).

So surprised to open this taped pack of stencils, below. My first school was on Annerley Road Dutton Park (Dutton Park State School), I walked past this huge brick building every day with the smell of toasting biscuit as the Webster's factory was opposite the school. Maybe this was the start of my graphic design interest because I remember hand lettering this logo multiple times and playing with the shadow angles. It is burnt deep into my childhood memories, it wasn't until Grade 6 when I found out that you could go to the back of the factory and score a day-old cream bun!

Another X on a private post box snapped in Junee NSW

2011-03-18T13:33:00.002+10:00

A nice change from numbers don't you think?

Kevin (follower-29) writes from Hollywood, he's now seeing X's everywhere, nice one!

2011-03-06T14:50:00.008+10:00

. . . a bit like me:

Botanical illustration above is from the current solo show by K. T. Doyle now showing at the Myrtle Street Studio - blog here. We bought the first impression of the 'bunya seed suite" yesterday, the didactic is a small downloadable .pdf - here. I can bet just about everyone saw the bromeliad (the familiar shape of the stem and buds), I just saw the X shape first and then the rest of the vector-based design.

The solo show is entitled Collected Patterns; The botany of Walter Hill. New paper and textile-based works using the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens, specifically plants cultivated there during the curatorship of Walter Hill (1856–1881). Both Barbara and I are members of the Australian Garden History Society, we have both had significant experiences with the plants and spaces in the gardens themselves; for Barbara it was where she moored her boat when she first came to Brisbane, for me it was where my early birthday parties were held and then while at art school we used the Gardens as our art resource, our playground and our meeting places. K. T. has achieved much with this show and has also been asked to do an illustrated talk of these works and more at a future AGHS meeting in 2011. Letterpress prints, digital prints, textile works and postcard-sized letterpress prints are available for sale from the 5th–12th March 2011.

Another wooden block showing an expanded serif cap X

2011-02-26T16:09:00.004+10:00

300dpi images at 500 pixels are overkill web-wise but you might as well steal high-res and be able to re-use for printable collage I say!

Wooden raised printing block with condensed cap X (with ink residue)

2011-02-25T17:14:00.009+10:00

Found in a great shop called 'The Drill Hall' in New Norfolk, Tasmania. This has been a great haunt of mine for ages, it is now owned - by two wives of the dealer brothers from Richmond. Tammy and Donna have seriously scaled up the merchandise with European/English imports. Entire trays of wood type all out of their sets and now available by the single piece - which reminds me, I have been a big fan of the Melbourne museum OF printing MMOP since it got up and running. Back when I started my career in the mid-1960's as a graphic designer I learnt the craft of metal typesetting in all those old forms, designing and specifying text and headlines by counting the characters and spaces and using the font specimens provided by the foundries . I love the recent resurgence of the wood block - long may letter press reign!

Two hand tools that work as an X

2011-02-25T17:01:00.006+10:00

Found in central western New South Wales in an old mining town called Peak Hill. Reminds me of one issue of Pentagram Papers from London in the design archive upstairs, an entire alphabet with everyday articles shot front on and deep-etched to indicate different letters. I haven't deep-etched these, I just leave them as another (found) version of my favourite type character - the X.