VINTAGE: Revamping a 1950's Vintage Detecto Laundry Hamper

It's been over a year now that we picked up a vintage laundry hamper at an estate sale. I think we got it for like $5 if that - but it was in a bad condition and certainly hadn't been looked after too well. Joe remembered when I revamped a wicker laundry hamper from a charity shop and thought i'd enjoy doing another one.  How right he was.

Yet until moving I didn't have the space to clean, paint and air it, so the nasty top was covered in a piece of material and it was hidden away somewhat. Until now. The hamper dates from the 1950's and was manufactured by Detecto of New York - a company famous for manufacturing scales. These aluminum hampers were often advertised as being "the lifetime hamper" and by the late 1940's were retailing for around $9.95 with the small print of "slightly higher west of Miss". 

Many came designed with hand painted decorations - ones that were often floral but this one had a repeating circular design with gold trim. Sadly at some stage it had been (badly) repainted in a pastel green (actually it doesn't look as green as it really did in those photographs) with questionable staining inside. As for the lid well that had a mix of the green and cream paint - delightful! Originally it would have stood upon four little legs, sadly they were hacked off.

Now this revamp really didn't end up has planned. After striping off the green paint I'd intended to repaint it a bright, simple white (after finding some left over paint in the garage - perfect) but after getting 3/4 through the removal process, I noticed a somewhat pealing protective coating - which you can see coming off in the photograph below. Now, if you're a perfectionist when it comes to vintage, doing what I did - removing it was probably a no no, but then again, the perfection part of the hamper went when someone else painted it horribly.

Removing the layer left behind a lovely off white, clean surface one that makes the design really stand out and one I'm not going to touch. Cleaning up the gold trims - one of which was painted over (sigh) the rest was more of a repair job - gluing, repainting the inside of the top and the handles. Speaking of which the handles were a pain, being fastened on with fancy vintage hinges I couldn't remove them so spray painting them was never a option. Sigh. As much as I didn't want to, the answer came with painting them white then using some Martha Stewart gold glittery paint to add some extra gold into the piece. Jazzy!

It's fitting that the hamper now finds a use within a 1950's house, it's clean, it's beautiful and functional - something I always love my vintage pieces to be. While the revamp certainly didn't go as planned - it comes to show you have to expect the unexpected when it comes with working and revamping vintage pieces. Sometimes they still have something to reveal.

Revamped anything yourself lately?

HOME SWEET HOME: A 1950's House With Some 1950's Features

So I know ya'll dying to see inside the front door that is now our home - one that we actually first visited for an estate sale. So I thought I'd start off with some background and share some of the original features that are still to be found within. Built in the early 1950's, home was one of many built during the expansion of Detroit's southern suburbs just north of eight mile. Population growth came with the expansion by Ford of it's somewhat local, Highland Park plant alongside increasing racial tensions within the city and the post war boom.

Sixty years later and the house retains some of it's original features most obviously within the bathroom. While I love the gordy blue tiling, for many it would be a total no no. Considering the age of the tiling, it's in a really good condition - it would seem wrong to tear it down, plus it suits the house,  so we'll just be taking off the peeling wallpaper and repainting.

1950's bathrooms are recognized by their brightly coloured tiles on every wall, often in white, blue, green or pink and edged with a row of black tile trim. Bubble glass windows, black soap dishes and towel railings alongside somewhat matching floor tiling make up the final pieces of the bathroom decor.

Another typical feature of this era is the laundry chute into the basement (second photo down in this group) - although when they finished the basement ceiling it's now blocked but can probably be unblocked in the future. Throw in some original doors, hinges and door knobs, a couple of vintage tie racks for good measure and we're onto a winner. There's even an old workmen's table in the basement.

With owning a lot of vintage things - furniture, pictures, book and everything in between, having a vintage feel and backdrop in the house creates a great atmosphere. Everything feels like it belongs here a little more. While the old windows will eventually be replaced, I hope we end up being caring, loving caretakers to take all these original features into the future and maybe salvage and add some back in.

VINTAGE: The Bride and Homemaker

These wonderful advertisements were printed inside The Bride and Homemaker of Detroit, a 1953 booklet filled with page after page of advice for the soon to be bride. Articles denote just what the groom pays for on the big day (the rings, clergyman's fees, wedding licence, gloves and buttonnaires, bachelor dinner, a gift for the bride to the honeymoon). While the feminist in me fall queasy at the thought of recipes to find "the way to a man's heart" or that helping your husband have a spanking smart and clean suit will help him to success the semiologist is always looking for the hidden meanings to femininity representations and the like.

Nevertheless vintage advertisements have an art and are a joy in and of themselves. Upon my kitchen walls hang a couple of 1950's food product advertisements, they are bold, eye catching and go into immense detail which certainly lacks in contemporary airbrushed adverts. While these adverts certainly won't be getting ripped from their booklet any time soon, a bit of brightening through fotofuze and they look as good as new.

Don't you just love them?!

VINTAGE: A Kiss Goodnight - 1950's Dating

To kiss or not to kiss - that is the question so stated Frances Grant. Now most of us would probably have words with Grant especially through our modern eyes, thing is Grant is speaking from a 1950's Teen Talks booklet on dating. While I love vintage I often approach vintage literature on society, sex and femininity as the former sociologist that is still in me (in a past British life I gained a masters in Sociology) and I often feel glad I was born in the 1980's at least with regards to equality and the like.

Now Grant tells us how we should all properly introduce our dates to our parents (rarely did I do that), double or triple date - because "it's really hilarious when the gang of you get together at a table at the Coke Corner and make the rounds of the newest moron jokes and shaggy dog stories" (really?!). Yet I fall in love with the image of date nights in diners and pour nickles into juke boxes and imagine the 1950's teenagers to talk about what we did at that age - music, fashion, sports and the opposite sex. 

Source

Just don't ever, "neck" as they call it in these American parts. Ever. 

Grant talks of going steady - oh the images of having a guy carrying your books to class, of having a sure date to the Prom and of being "sort of engaged to be engaged". Yet Grant's discussion then leaps to suggest dumping the go steady guy and of the need to be single. Kisses should only ever be friendly, you shouldn't be seen in a parked car with a guy and a girl should never, ever date a fast boy. I find Grant (who throws in honoring god and being Christian every now and again) is somewhat hypocritical - telling you how to date, the advantages but within pages suddenly disliking the idea of dating to then mentioning "playing the field" - because apparently by "playing the field you make comparisons and draw conclusions that help you choose your life partner when you're ready for marriage". As a 26 year old all I'm reading is mixed messages so lord knows how a 1950's teen would feel reading the literature.

One aspect to dating Grant holds firm on is kissing; don't even think about kissing your date goodnight unless;

1. You know him well and know he isn't the over-amourous type
2. You're positive in your own mind that nothing can come of it

Oh the qualms of dating, I guess they have their issues whatever the decade ... what dating tips would you pass on to teens?

Quotes taken from Teen Talks by a Teen Ager - No. 2 On Dates by Francis Grant

The Adventure of a Cat & a 1950's Cat Lady

Getting eBay prepared for the craziness which may be Thanksgiving and the accompanying Black Friday and Cyber Monday means I've been spending this week getting new stock written up. All these new items need images which I'm still yet to find any better way then sitting on the floor and taking. But Ed - one of our cats is nosy, she likes to be in your face and know what's going on. But, she also hates cameras, or at least the cord that's attached to them. Stick it too close and she'll either come and sit on the stock or attack my camera .... 

I'm sure she thinks in Ed's world she's helping ...

Speaking of kitties and stock - I came across this gorgeous image within a 1950's edition of the home and craft magazine McCall's Needlework that in it's time was very popular. Their pattern and inspiration magazines originally retailed for 50 cents and are amazing time capsules for vintage crafts and fashion inspiration and as social history documents. This particular fashion shoot image is from a showcase entitled "Spring fashions catch the glow down to sunset colors" from Spring - Summer 1952 - the magazine providing you the pattern to make the pieces yourself. Why can't I look this glam and stylish with my cats?

I'm not sure which I'm attracted to more, the one piece knitted dress in a lush pink or the kitty?!

A Coats Crochet Design no. 267

So I thought we'd get back to more lighthearted posts after the emotional struggle of the immigration posts by talking about something crafty.

I couldn't tell you the last time I crocheted a doiley. They are funny things to crochet - you go around and around and a pattern just grows from only using a couple of stitches. Yet they are certainly of an era when you'd stick one under your plates, your cake stand or your flower pot. You'd make them for your dresser and pass them on as gifts. For me they sit on my dresser and underneath my compacts - not only to protect them but they are of the same period. They may not be to everyone's taste but I love making them and that's probably why I never end up buying any when we go to estates sales - sometimes I just prefer to make my own.

While the actual Coats pattern isn't printed with a date, I've seen this pattern [no.267] being dated to 1953. It was one I grabbed for 50p with a handful of it's sister publications from a charity shop back home in Yorkshire. Yes vintage crochet patterns are another thing I love to re-home with my collection spanning from 1915 to the 1980s. This pattern of stars and pineapples was meant to only be 9 inches in diameter but as time as passed finding the more intricate crochet thread is a challenge in itself so I opted to using this multicolored Coats yarn so its ended up being a grand 15". So say's bigger isn't better?!

Have you ever been tempted to crochet? Do you like using vintage patterns?

A compact that is a little odd

Me and the boy are having a super long weekend together to celebrate his birthday and becoming a fully licensed social worker after passing his exam last week. As a result I'm flinging a scheduled post or two at you. And what would be better then one about compacts?

Sometimes you get compacts that are a little odd. The flight map upon this compact intrigues me more then anything. I won it on a lot on eBay. What attracted me was that it covered not only a somewhat map of the USA but that it featured three of the cities I'd already been to - Pittsburgh, Detroit and Chicago, plus some more that I one day want to be lucky enough to visit. It's vintage and has a vintage plane on it, what more could I want?!

The route shows what was a flight plan between Seattle to New York. Saying that - to me the map seems a little wrong. Geographically Chicago is after Detroit as the bird flies. Detroit lies between Chicago and Pittsburgh. But on this map - it's the other way around. Maybe I have it totally wrong?!

Additionally there's some green thing upon the compact. Don't get me wrong this compact, on the top at least has seen some use. Debates are out if the green was a map of the land or it's something that's been stuck on afterwards. Trying to remove the green sadly removes the flight map and plane. 

As with many of the souvenir compacts they tend to date from the 1950s and I figure this is most probably true of this one too. If I knew anything about planes this would have been useful to date it by. Sadly I'm not. The compact is goldtoned with one large framed mirror inside. Although the top has seen better days inside the compact is in great condition. While it's unmarked by brand it has two compartments each with their own puffs and flaps, one for powder which has a "made in USA" marked upon the bottom and another for rogue, the latter has remnants inside.

Don't you just love things that don't really add up sometimes?

Prim and proper with Ernest Jones

I've always been a bracelet girl more then any other kind of jewellery girl, so when Earnest Jones gifted me this shiny sterling silver hallmarked bracelet how was I ever going to decline? What's more LOTS is even etched into the side - not large enough to see unless you're close up but meaningful all the same. It is however a set up from my normal pieces of jewellery - I'm typically a cheap bead bracelet kinda girl and the posh jewellery I have remains my engagement and wedding rings and a couple of inherited pieces. Nevertheless its a cute, simple little piece and it's already made a couple of outings. Maybe I'm growing up?

Ernest Jones is a jewelers that we always kept in mind when considering the rings for our engagement and wedding and their range of products is always expectational. The busy bees there are currently busy launching their 2012 Spring/Summer themed range of products which in part is a collaboration between H.Samuel and Ernest Jones. Smashing and mashing up the past with the future, taking old designs and remaking them, the new ranges from Mighty Brights to Twirling Twenties features something for everyone.

It's this sense of theme that I love the most nevertheless you can rebel and run between the categories. What's more, they are aiding the internet savvy among us with their new Facebook Ap in creating virtual wishlists. Anyone that knows me, knows my eBay account is filled with huge lists of wish lists of vintage powder compacts. Wish lists really are an amazing aid to help pick gifts, especially for those among us who aren't the easiest of people to buy for. Not only does the Facebook Ap allow you to virtually store your wish list, but it also offers you the chance of winning your five selected items so it's certainly worth a little play.

But what would I choose?! Considering my buys from the estate sale at the weekend regarding sewing and etiquette it would have to be the 1950s. So here's my pick of the Flirty Fifties theme, an era of "all things prim and proper". 

9ct white gold diamond swirl pendant

Pequignet ladies' two toned bracelet watch

Jubilee cultured freshwater pearl bracelet

Silver pearl heart pendant

18ct yellow and white gold lemon diamond halo ring

Nevertheless I'm not sure what the etiquette police of the 1950s would say of my choices!

This is a sponsored post.

VINTAGE: The Household Guides

If you all remember one of the things we were really looking forward to about the weekend was getting back out to some of the local estate sales [the trip to the Eastern Market got rained off] which we went out to in earnest. A few big things caught our eye, from a chaise lounge which needed totally reupholstering and possibly had damp from sitting in an unfinished basement to a rather old, mirrored cabinet for my compacts [if you clicky the links it'll take you the estate agents photographs of said items]. Sadly they were asking a lot for both for us to really consider when we need to save pennies so we let them go.

Nevertheless we didn't leave empty handed. Often if you go on Saturdays [often the second sale day] they start dropping prices. So books had dropped form $1 each to 50cents. How could you resist?! There as a set of books that really caught my eye all under the subtitle of Household Guides published in the 1950s. I just had to grab the sewing guide and the how to about etiquette.  Sewing guides never date and it's always good to have a variety of books explaining how to do things, I think I might start a mini collection of sewing book, their drawings alone are gorgeous and I've included some above for you to look at.

I could never do justice trying to describe to you about the New Book of Etiquette, the best thing would be to share some of the quotes with you;

Men should take the curb side of the pavement whether he is walking with one woman, or with several ... if they [men] come to a puddle of water, he crosses first, and from the other side offers her his hand to help her across. 

No gentleman will insists upon paying a fare when the women has indicated her intention of paying it herself.

Any public display of attention is ill breed. Love is sacred and beautiful and it should not be thrown open to the rude comments of strangers.

It is always wise to consult the young lady is determining the choice of the [engagement] ring, and it is her privilege to choose whatever kind she wants regardless of tradition or convention. 

It is by far the best plan for the young people to be married as soon as they have come to know each other well enough - which should be three or four months after their engagement.

No later then fifteen days and not earlier than four weeks before the date set for the marriage, wedding invitations are sent.

If you talk constantly about yourself and about things that interest you, it will not be long before you are regarded as a bore.

Don't talk about the weather, unless it has been so phenomenally bad or good that people are eager to discuss it [that will teach us the English to constantly talk about the weather right?!]

Originally I had intended to sell this guide to etiquette but after reading it, it's too hard to give away. While it's old fashioned and I'm glad times have moved on, it's a must to keep.

Have you found any interesting goodies lately?

Michigan State Compact

Some say the one thing you should do when collecting is to collect around a theme. I say no you don't. As you can tell I collect all kinds of compacts and the only "theme" I really have is collecting vintage souvenir compacts of places we've been. So to add to my Pennsylvania and Chicago compacts is this squared map of Michigan. This style with a silver backdrop and gold mapping is one familiar with a lot of American city and state compact souvenirs and is typical of the 1950s. They often feature main cities, the state capital marked with a star [in this case Lansing] with depictions of items representing the state - here we see the car [Detroit being Motor City] with fishing and sailing in Lake Michigan and Huron.

It may be daring but I'd suggest this compact was produced before 1957 since its missing the construction of the Mackinac Bridge linking the Upper and Lower Peninsulas by Mackinaw City. Merely because it's the third longest suspension bridge in the USA if it had been standing at the same time the compact was made, I would have imagined it would have made it's mark on the map.

This compact may not be in the best of condition with some scuffs and marks around the edges it is still a compact that hasn't been used and is complete with a sift and a puff. As many people say you should only buy compacts in mint condition if your collecting, I say you don't have to if you find pleasure even in the most marked of compacts.

Collectors Club - Vintage Cookbooks

Welcome again to another edition in the collection club series of us blogger who collect, today I'm delighted to be sharing Jenns collection ...

I’m Jenn and I collect…all kinds of stuff, really, mostly related to the 1940s and ‘50s. I’m excited about the opportunity Rachael has given folks to guest blog about their collections: such a fun way to meet new people and learn a bit in the process! Rachael and I connected online through our mutual love of powder compacts. You can read more about how that collection started on my blog, powderkegcompacts.wordpress.com here. I also enjoy cooking and baking, which spawned a collection of vintage recipes and kitchenware. 

The recipe collection started accidentally. I inherited my grandfather’s 1961 edition of The Joy of Cooking, and my mother gave me some 1970s Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks when I first moved out of the house. The photos cracked me up—they were so dated! But some of the recipes were pretty good. 

When I was 23, I met two women who encouraged my love of vintage—Helen and Wendy. They were both about my mom’s age. They both LOVED poking around antique stores, auctions, and flea markets. And passing on cool things they found years ago that they no longer used—like cookbooks. Sometimes I took them just to be polite. But years later, I’ve grown to appreciate the artwork and the language.  I like seeing how ideas about health and nutrition have evolved—how we eat today as opposed to the way vegetables are classified in this 1949 recipe organizer. 

I cherish the way farm cookbooks from the first half of the 20^th century assume the reader knows how to handle a sheep’s head. I enjoy looking at Ladies Auxiliary cookbooks and wondering about the group dynamics and how their recipes morphed as they were passed down through different generations. 

When I’m looking for authentic recipes for classics, I turn to my 1939 copy of The American Woman's Cookbook, Farm Journal’s Country Cookbook from 1959, or, my first edition Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook. In addition to cookbooks, I love recipes torn from old magazines, as these tend to have the best illustrations. I’m also a huge fan of advertising in disguise—pamphlets like “How to use and care for the Crosley Rotary Barbecue” or “77 Recipes Using Swift’ning Make Your Own Mix.” 

Vintage cookbooks are practical and affordable – besides consulting them for recipes I’ve framed old recipe cards or magazine pages in the past and used them as kitchen decorations. 

Excited to learn more about what other folks collect and how they got started! Keep the guest collector posts coming! 

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Remember if you collect and want to take part, leave your contact details below! 

The Coty Envelope Compact

This compact happened to be one of my Christmas presents [I'm suffering from a bit of a serious compact backlog when it comes to posting them so beware of the forthcoming compact over load] and its additionally one of the compacts most collectors will come to own, it's sinuous with powder compacts and one of the most important powder compact manufactures. 

As a brand, Coty was one of the leading French perfume houses [later additionally producing from New York] and became known for introducing unusual styled compacts particularly during the 1940 and 1950s. One that they most famous for is their envelope shaped compact around 1954. Yet it wasn't their original design - they merely added extra presentation boxes in a post war era. In fact the envelope as a style for vintage powder compacts was first introduced in 1923 by the French jewellers Van Cleef and Arpels.

Its gold tone engine turned metal exterior has a smoothed edge with its Coty trademark engraved upon the lid of the powder well. Additionally attached to the powder well lid is a small clip, designed to hook over your puff, additionally featuring the brand of Coty to keep it in place - a tiny detail I've never seen before. Unlike some of it's American counterparts the mirror is held in place with an overlapping rim of metal - something more often associated with British compacts.

FOOD: Johnny Rockets

A girl with a slight vintage heart couldn't turn down a trip to Johnny Rockets. It drives on providing the theme and feel of true Americana within the atmosphere and look of a 1950s diner with burgers, milkshakes, juke boxes and vintage posters. Our local one is in the Great Lakes Mall and we went up for the trip on Thursday, the mall itself is home to 200 odd shops from factory outlets to smaller independent names, including British recognisable places like The Body Shop, Forever 21, H&M and GAP. I get a bit of a thrill and an "o I know them" moment when I see brands and places I already know. At Johnny Rockets I went for the tuna melt and Joe had a burger, both were utterly delicious, eating out in America can, and is getting rather addictive. Today's note me and Joe filed our petition for the wedding licence - we totally aren't organised and it's like three weeks away but ya know, we've always just wanted an easy, relaxed wedding at least this way we'll get what we want.  

Vivian Maier

Sometimes you just stumble upon images, or people; or both and you totally associate and fall for their work. This happened to me with the photographic work of Vivian Maier through a showcase of her work within this months issue of Photography Magazine. Born in the United States, Maier was raised in France only to return to her home country at the age of 25 with a camera. Becoming a nanny, her spare time was spent photographing the everyday occurences upon the streets around her; showcasing the people; events, society and the life of middle 20th century America mostly Chicago and New York mainly in black and white and shooting "at the hip". Yet the majority of her work remained unprinted yet along acknowledged, it was only till they were found among an auction lot. I'm more then glad they are finally having their chance of seeing the light of day and I thought with my love of photography I just had to share some of her work upon my blog. 

Seeing her work has really inspired me to try and focus on taking some real "streetlife" photographs, I know people possibly don't like being in random strangers photographs so it won't be an easy mission, but I think it would be fun to at least try. Watch this space. 

If you want to see more of Vivian Maier's work [which is where all the above images are taken from] I urge you to check out the website in her honour.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has become a little hope for the future. It's weird to say that especially since i've never been myself. It's the Joe's home state and i'll admit until dating and falling in love with him - i'd never heard of the place. And to be honest it is a little unknown somewhat state under New York, across from Washington and somewhere under Lake Erie. The state is famous for Hershey, or having the site of the 1776 declaration of Independence and being home to the Philly Steak or cheese steak depending on where your from and what your menu calls it. Not only is it's Joe's home state but it's the location for hopefully our first road trip up into the Laurel mountains and where we hope to have our honeymoon. 

This vintage powder compact was another Christmas gift from Joe I know, I know he spoils me totally it's perfect really - something, a place and a region that means something to him and something that I collect and it's something we stumbled over on Ebay together. 

The compacts cover is complete with key cities, geographical landmarks and key state traits and sports from apples, to hunting to resorts up in the north. We joke about moving to New Castle  a city on the very far left of the compact - it's the closest to living in the English Geordie city of the same name, that I have at the moment! The Laurel Mountains where we plan to vanish up to on our honeymoon is just under the horse shoe curve on the map - I think this compact will definitely have to come with us, such a fun sweet little gift that's miles better then using a sat nav!

With a little dust it shines up perfectly, it's plain inside just with a huge oblong mirror and a tap flapper still shutting so very tightly to contain the powder inside. It's never been used so it's in perfect condition and possibly dates from the 1950s when tourist compacts as souvenirs were at their height. For every state or region we ever visit on a trip it's my ambition to get a compact to match - well for American states at least they seem more available on the market. 

The Laurel Mountains watercolour by Joyce Hicks available from Etsy