Child’s Christmas Hankie – Goldmine or Giggles?
There are literally thousands of Christmas handkerchiefs still in existence. Even when people defected to Kleenex, ladies often carried a lovely Christmas hankie in their purse. In addition, holiday hankies made the perfect gift for a teacher, aunt, neighbor, pastor’s wife, and all those to whom you wanted to say “Thank You” or “You’re Special.” Thus, most women often had a Christmas handkerchief or two, and since they were used only one or two weeks a year, they’ve lasted through the decades in great shape, including Christmas handkerchiefs for children. Today I chose to focus on an...
Read MoreThe Handkerchief as Alter Ego
Are you Adventuresome? Creative? Colorful? Fun Loving? Exciting? Or are you Demure and Shy? Serious and Studious? Classic and Refined? A Person of Mystery and Intrigue? In case you think I’m exaggerating the influence of the handkerchief on fashion,(see history) take a gander at this full page ad in the June 28, 1947 issue of The New Yorker. A full page was no small commitment, and it features – not a Mainbocher suit, Christian Dior gown or Lilly Daché hat, but a handkerchief. Yep. A simple square of cotton. And yet….it’s described as mad, witty and sophisticated! The subtext being of...
Read MorePucker Up
Hunters have known for decades that a red handkerchief can literally save your life. Conversely, a white handkerchief could spell your doom. When spotted from a distance, a fluttering white hankie can be mistaken for a deer’s tail, and a hunter dressed in camouflage, stifling a sniffle, may find himself the target of an eager bullet. The wise hunter always carries red. A hunter of “big game” of another sort – her trophies included Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Clark Gable, and Pepsi CEO Alfred Steele – was Oscar winner Joan Crawford. Legend has it that Ms. Crawford is responsible for...
Read MoreA Stitch In Time
When asked by her husband Daniel what she wanted for her 80th birthday, Joanna Rose replied “Something I’ve never seen before” and “a gift for New York.” She got her wish. In March, 2011, the American Folk Art Museum held an exhibit at New York’s Armory showcasing Joanna’s magnificent collection of 651 quilts. The twist – each and every one was executed in only red and white. It was a feast for the eyes and a banquet for the spirit. A Treasure Hunter When asked about her outstanding collection, Rose replied “I’m not a collector.” She describes herself as “an accumulator, a...
Read MoreThe Grand Tour
“Study the past if you would define the future.” Confucius My friend Brad loves all things classically beautiful, and his gimlet eye selects only the best. In fact, his fine honed sensibilities have enabled him forge a successful business based on historical and vintage images. (see Cavallini & Co.) Curious and inquisitive, Brad instinctively searches archives and antique stalls to uncover the uncommon, unusual, and unique. So it really came as no surprise that when gifted with a set of antique intaglios, he wanted to know more. The plaster cameos were part of someone’s Grand Tour, I...
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