Why?

Would you tear down this Mid-Century beauty? (via here and here)

Eames Stamp

Eames Demetrios recently announced on flickr that 16 stamps will be released this summer celebrating the work of Charles and Ray Eames. Images included in the series include the crosspatch design, stackable plastic side chairs, Eames House (Case Study #8), lounge and ottoman, La Chaise, house of cards, LCW chair, Aluminum chair, Cover of Arts and Architecture (May 1943), wire chair, storage unit, bent plywood, the film tops, Hang-it-all, and LTR table. What a great reason to send a letter.

The Library of Congress and Flickr

(circa 1943, LoC on Flickr 1930's-1940's photoset)

The Library of congress has created an account on Flickr and obviously people are excited about the project. LoC has uploaded 3,100 images so far and have over 1 million images available to upload. An exciting endeavor to definitely keep an eye on!

Julius Shulman, Iconic Mid-Century Architectural Photographer

This is Julius Shulman's photograph of Pierre Koenig’s Case Study House #22 which overlooks the Hollywood Hills. This photograph has become one of the most widely published images in the history of architecture. According to Shulman the two women in the photo were girlfriends of two of the architects working with Koenig on the house.

There are a number of resources available covering Julius Shulman's photographic career. Here are just a few to learn about the man and his work:

The J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles California houses an archive of his work. The museum boasts a collection of over 260,000 images and has used the catalog to produce various exhibits of his work. Shulman's work is as well known as the modern architecture which he photographed including building by

The publisher, Taschen, has produced two amazing works which chronicle the photographic career of Julius Shulman:

Julius Shulman, Modernism Rediscovered (3 vols.)
This 3 book set has over 300 photos selected by Shulman to include in the book
Julius Shulman: Architecture and It's Photography
The west coast modern architecture from the 1930's through the 1960's.

An interview with Shulman in which he explains the importance of photographing people inhabiting the architecture to show the functionality of the space.

The online image collection at The University of Southern California (USC) provides a quick overview of Shulman's more famous works.

Charley Harper

"Birdie" work by Charley Harper

I love the catalog of drawings available in the publication Charley Harper: An Illustrated life. His images are simple, colorful, and amazingly beautiful. Todd Oldham explains the attraction to Harper's work. Many have expounded on the beauty of this book much better than I ever could so here are some entries about the man, his work and the book (A write-up in Cincinnati paper after his death, wikipedia, and this Harper tribute are just a few words on an amazing man and his work).

I saw this table runner and it got me thinking there must be a line of fabric. Silly question I thought, but a couple of quick searches did not unearth a treasure trove of fabrics. These images would look amazing on curtains, blankets or stretched over a large canvas. The closest I came to a harper fabric was found in this DIY project here.

I will have to get that table runner, but I would love the option to see his works translated to fabric. It would make me smile wide to have his work decorating my home. I will have to save up for this splurge.

Thanks Charley for leaving us such amazing illustrations!

You never know when LOVE will strike

I love rummaging the antique market for something I never knew I had to have. I scan the market with my small bit of cash and the hope that I can strike up a deal. It is a risky proposition since I may find an amazing piece only to discover it is completely out of my price range. Even though I may get my heart broken I continue to search the markets for inspiration. I learn more from the knowledgeable dealers than I could ever get from a book.

My latest discovery is a 8 piece demitasse which includes a coffee pot, sugar bowl, creamer, six cups and saucers. There are two extra saucers which means this set has lost two cups. The coffee pot has a slight chip in the spout. The dishes are stamped with Rosenthal, Studio Line, and Germany. The pot, sugar bowl, creamer and cups have glazed interiors with a matte exterior of etched flowers which remind me of Wedgwood. I was stopped in my tracks when I came upon this imperfect set. Since I made it home with my discovery I have begun my search to find out more about this beautiful set.

Although I have not been able to locate a photo of this exact set I do believe it was designed by Bjørn Wiinblad the Danish artist, designer, and painter. There are various examples of his work for Rosenthal's Studio Line collection. It seems that Jonathan Adler is a fan of Wiinblad too.

Sprinkles

This past week Marketplace ran a story concerning when a brand goes national it often loses the uniqueness that made it wonderful in the first place. The story spotlighted, Sprinkles, the cupcake boutique in Beverly Hills that is now in Newport Beach, Dallas, Pheonix and possibly coming to a location near you.

The story asserted Sprinkles success comes from a combination of nostalgia and design. People love to eat the cupcake because it reminds them of their childhood, but they flock to the Sprinkles store and pay $3.25 for a cupcake for the experience. The Beverly Hills store is the winner of the 2006 AIA Los Angeles Restaurant Design Awards: Jury Prize and People's Choice Award. It is not surprising that this well thought out store would win these accolades. Take a look inside at the blond cabinets, concrete floors, the Bertoia bent metal side chairs that match the storefront, and the use of light to create a clean, minimalist display. The cupcakes are identified by color ID tags which are essentially colorful combinations of the pop art icon, the target. On the back wall the colored targets can be deciphered by the eye appealing color ID chart. Once selections are made the cupcakes are presented in little gift boxes to enjoy now or later. It is a truly well thought out design from store down to the smallest details in the cupcake.

Hopefully Sprinkles will take the Marketplace story to heart and not over expand or sell out their design concept to make profits. The story alluded to the Krispy Kreme expansion debacle a few years ago. Sprinkles needs to take their expansion with precision and remain true to the elements that keep people flocking to their stores. It is the experience more than anything that keeps people coming back for more.