Vintage or Vintage Inspired Archives - Be Kind, Thrift and Rewind

I wanted to share some of my favorite areas in the West Village with you. This is a bit of my usual exploring route, that I actually have done thousands of times most likely. That doesn’t mean I’ve ever tired of it. On the contrary, I can never seem to get enough of it. For years I have loved the quiet peacefulness of Hudson Street. It is one of the most serene spots I know of in Manhattan. Much of the Village way of life doesn’t wake up and come to life until noon or later, so that makes this area all the more tranquil. If I have been shopping on Broadway in Soho for instance, even in the mid or late afternoon, and I want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city I can head further west. After crossing Seventh Avenue, as one approaches Hudson Street, the energy in Manhattan changes. There are quiet, almost remote, streets. Until one walks all the way west, before crossing the highway it is peaceful. The streets aren’t crowded in the daytime.

Through the years the cost of going out in this area has gone up substantially. I generally have been able to take long walks, sit quietly in a café or coffee shop, visit the Saint Luke’s Garden, go to the various thrift shops, or dine at a few select places I know that are affordable and fun to go to. I also have enjoyed kayaking in the Hudson River in the last few years. About a year and a half ago the Downtown Boathouse moved the kayaking down to Tribeca at Pier 26. They sponsor the whole experience of kayaking, so all I have to do is show up at the correct times, borrow a kayak and life jacket, lock up my belongings in a small locker and then a volunteer sees me off in the kayak I borrowed. So through the years since I returned to New York City, in 2007, I have been able to find fun and affordable things to do in this area, regardless of the fact that I can’t afford the fancy restaurants that fill the neighborhood. When I was much younger, before the birth of my daughter (twenty seven years ago), I used to hang out at the folk music scene in the West Village, on MacDougal Street. I was drawn to the area when I was very young, particularly after reading about John Reed, Louise Bryant and Eugene O’Neill, who all used to hang out, and lived in the areas around Washington Square Park.

The first house in this small exploration is on Commerce Street. After a brief bit of research I discovered that the house across the courtyard was built at the same time. Both were built for a milkman. (1) (I only photographed one of them.) They have been renovated slightly differently, and perhaps, more likely actually, they may be owned by two different owners now. The roof, of a mansard type, was added later on. (2)

The second photo of houses is of numbers 4-10 Grove Street. These houses were built between 1825 and 1834, preceding the increased popularity of Greek revival forms. The doors have “rectangular top lights, the stair cases outside have hand wrought iron work and the windows are dormer types, which was characteristic of the city’s domestic Federal Style.” (3)

The third and fourth photos are Grove Court, a lovely private Court at 10 and 12 Grove Street. It is entered through the wrought iron gate. I have lost count of how many times I have walked up to this gate to peer into the lovely courtyard and look at the lovely homes. It is a treat to see it in the daytime and breathtakingly beautiful, peaceful and remote looking at night. It looks as if it must be one of the quietest places to live in Manhattan. These houses were built “in the 1850’s for workingmen.” (4)

The fifth photo is a house at 17 Grove Street, at the corner of Bedford. It is one of the “few remaining frame houses in Greenwich Village.” (5) The home was built in 1822. A work shop was built around the back of the house in 1833. The owner was in the window business and made window- sashes. Through the years a “Greek Revival Style doorway” was added in the 1830’s or 1840’s, a third story was added on, and later on a necessary but unattractive fire-escape was installed onto the house. (6) My daughter’s father actually worked on one of the renovations back in 1988.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is on Hudson Street, right where Grove Street meets Hudson. It is New York City’s third oldest church. When the church was built, back in 1821-22, it was “surrounded by open fields and occasional frame houses and was known as St. Luke’s-in-the-Fields.” (7) There is a private school, St. Luke’s School, on the grounds, and several brick row houses from the 1820’s. The garden at St. Luke’s is a lovely, meditative place to relax in lower Manhattan. They also have a great, small thrift shop.

I don’t have information about the houses on Commerce Street, or Morton Street. They are a continuation of the same kind of styles that were popular in the 1820’s through 1830’s. I believe the apartment building on Morton was built around 1903. During that time stone ornamentation, such as the work outside this building, was popular. There is another building similar on the same block. The building on Barrow Street has co-ops, but I do not know when it was built or where that beautiful style of curved windows came from.

The house on Leroy Street was built in the “Federal Style of 1830.” (8) An architectural feature that can be seen on many of the Village’s houses of the period is the old “horsewalk” marked by the small door at the sidewalk level to the left of the stoop. The door opens on an enclosed alley which led to a stable in the backyard where nineteenth-century New Yorkers kept their horses. (9) The original owner, Jacob Romaine, did not stable his horse there however, if he did own one. “At the rear of his residence was a small house.” (10) This home had originally been part of the Richmond Hill estate. At the time the street was named Burton Street; it was later re-named Leroy Street.

The tiny, super skinny house is 75 1/2 Bedford Street. Its exterior measures 9-1/2 feet, the interior is 8 feet wide and 42 feet long. The house was built on a carriage way, which explains its narrow frame. The home has three floors and 990 square feet of space. It was once home to poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. Two actors also lived there, Cary Grant and John Barrymore.

The next photo, after the skinny house, is of the corner of Bedford and Barrow Streets, where the Cherry Lane Theatre was founded by Edna St. Vincent Millay and a few of her friends.

The final photo is of Grove Street, taken near the corner of Bedford in the dark, last winter during a bit of snow flurries. It is one photo but I am trying to give you a glimpse of the beauty of the area in the dark.

One thing I learned doing some of this research, and was struck by, was the difference between what kind of housing a blue collar worker could afford to buy, or was provided to live in by his or her employer, back during the 1820’s to 1830’s. It is astoundingly different than what many of us can afford nowadays. Obviously our country was started out on some good ideals, that time and the economy haven’t been able to keep up. To think a milkman owned two lovely houses on Commerce Street and that the workers were given housing in Grove Court, when today only the super wealthy can afford to live in these places – what a difference! Years ago my grandparents, who were two salespeople, owned three homes, two for rental purposes. Today it would be extremely difficult for two salespeople with five children to own three homes. It would be almost unheard of, unless they worked in some super profitable line of sales!!! I just found it somewhat shocking to find out how even in New York, so long ago, blue collar workers could afford nice homes in these really nice neighborhoods. I assume a lot of it had to do with transportation, so that the workers were in the vicinity of the building, and work that needed to be done.

Well I hope you enjoyed this small exploration of the West Village and its lovely architecture. Once my foot heals up from my surgery and I can get out more, I will try to find some other lovely places to photograph and share with you.

Commerce Street

The bike in front of the above house

Grove Street

Grove Court

Grove Street and Bedford

St Luke’s Episcopal Church on Hudson Street

Commerce Street

Morton Street

Barrow Street

Morton Street

Leroy Street

Bedford Street

Corner where Cherry Lane Theatre is

Grove Street in the dark with snowflakes

(1)Greenwich Village- A Photographic Guide, by Edmund T.Delaney &Charles Lockwood, pg.62

(2)Greenwich Village- A Photographic Guide, by Edmund T.Delaney &Charles Lockwood, pg.62

(3)Greenwich Village- A Photographic Guide, by Edmund T.Delaney &Charles Lockwood, pg.54

(4)Greenwich Village- A Photographic Guide, by Edmund T.Delaney &Charles Lockwood, pg.56

(5)Greenwich Village- A Photographic Guide, by Edmund T.Delaney &Charles Lockwood, pg.57

(6)Greenwich Village- A Photographic Guide, by Edmund T.Delaney &Charles Lockwood, pg.55

(7)Greenwich Village- A Photographic Guide, by Edmund T.Delaney &Charles Lockwood, pg.62

(8)Greenwich Village- A Photographic Guide, by Edmund T.Delaney &Charles Lockwood, pg.63

(9)Greenwich Village- A Photographic Guide, by Edmund T.Delaney &Charles Lockwood, pg.63

(10)Greenwich Village- A Photographic Guide, by Edmund T.Delaney &Charles Lockwood, pg.63

(11)http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2010/07/1831-jacob-romaine-house-7-leroy-street.html

Bernard Blossac & Jean DeMarchy- Two Fashion Illustrators from the 1940’s to 1960’s

September 10, 2015

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I ran across some of Bernard de la Bourdonnaie Blossac’s illustrations awhile back when I was writing the post about Antonio Lopez, the illustrator. I was struck by the simple elegance of his work. He was born in Paris, France in 1917. His parents owned a large piece of property in Solonge, north-central France and this place is where they enjoyed the sport of hunting. Bernard Blossac, a more creative soul, did not like hunting and he spent his time drawing and painting still life settings and landscapes instead.

He studied at various art academies and in the atelier of Paul Colin, prior to being discovered by designer Robert Piguet. Piguet introduced him to Paul Caldaques, President of the Chambre Synicale de la Couture. (1) Soon after meeting Caldaques he began publishing his drawings in Vogue, L’Officiel, L’Art et la Mode, Harper’s Bazaar and International Textiles. (2) Aside from Piguet, Blossac worked for such designers as Christian Dior, Jacques Fath, Jean Desses, Balenciaga, Worth, Carven and Givenchy. (3)

After the war ended in Europe, Blossac drew for several foreign journals. He traveled to the US and to London, England for business. For thirty years he devoted himself to his craft professionally. After that he continued to draw, only more for pleasure than for a living. At the time of his death in 2002, his nephew, whom he had adopted, took care of his remaining collection of art.

I could not find much information about Jean DeMarchy, the illustrator of the final drawing in this post. This does not stop me from sharing the stunning drawing by him for designer Lanvin in 1952. Much of DeMarchy’s work was published in “Harper’s Bazaar” during the 1950’s.

Both artists featured in this post used pencil, pen, soft pastels, and charcoal for their mediums. Both incorporated lovely simple lines and achieved the look of aristocratic elegance and class in their drawings. While the clothing itself was beautiful, the artists captured the essence of the experience of wearing the outfits.

My grandmother, Annette Lavender, used to have a beautiful collection of vintage fashion illustrations upon her bedroom wall. As a child I often admired them. What a lovely way to get a glimpse into the fashionable era of another time.

If you yourself would like to collect some fashion illustrations of the past, this website (http://hprints.com/search/Bernard-Blossac/) has several prints by Bernard Blossac, as well as other fashion illustrators. I did not see a copy of this illustration by Jean DeMarchy however.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I had foot surgery on my right foot last Friday morning, so I have been recuperating and it is a slow process. I find it quite difficult to wrap my head around writing posts at this moment. I have several in the works but perhaps by next week I will be more able to focus on them. I have been on pain killers and feeling quite drugged. Right now my life is revolving around my right foot healing and that involves a small repetition of daily acts such as icing my foot regularly, cat napping and hobbling around in between. Luckily I have been getting help and am being well taken care of.

I do hope you enjoy whatever is left of summer, and the coming joy of fall. Fall is one of my favorite seasons and I am seriously looking forward to fall and fall posts!

1947 by Bernard Blossac

1960’s by Bernard Blossac

1946 by Bernard Blossac

1940’s by Bernard Blossac

1940’s by Bernard Blossac

1947 by Bernard Blossac

1952 by Jean DeMarchy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Blossac
http://paddyhunter.blogspot.com/2011/11/bernard-blossac.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Blossac

Upcycled Men’s Shirt with a Vintage Cotton Slip

July 23, 2015

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When I began to upcycle this men’s shirt, I had a totally different design I was planning on doing from the Cut-Up Couture book. After cutting off the sleeves I completely changed my mind. I was faced with either totally taking in the sides of the shirt (the arm holes were just too large) or doing something completely different. I chose to do this tank top I found in the book. I felt proud of myself for having done enough upcycling now that even if I didn’t do this design I could have figured out another way to alter the shirt.

I liked the idea of this tank with this cotton vintage slip. It is one of the reasons I decided to make the tank. It is a Koko Yamase design from her book Cut-Up Couture. The mix of vintage and the more avant- garde look of the button plackets, that were changed into neckline straps seemed appealing to me. I mean, why not? That is what makes fashion fun, finding new twists to looks and being unique. I usually don’t wear all white, so the little blue flowers also appealed to me, to help soften the look of the total white. Eventually I will most likely tea dye this vintage slip a soft brown with black tea. I wanted to wear it for a while in white, to try it out. I was concerned that I needed to find a way to wear the slip as a skirt, and for it not to look dowdy or matronly. I also have a vintage black long sleeve cotton blouse. I think I may try it with that, as an alternative way to wear it. The black blouse would make a nice jacket with a white tank underneath, and perhaps a black thin belt.

The cotton vintage slip was a gift. It has a soft brown ribbon running through the white lace. It had a slit in the top side and a string holding the waist. I repaired it by sewing up the side opening, then lifting the hem a bit by folding over the top, than I ran elastic through the top. This gives me the option to wear it as a skirt as well as a slip. I prefer for things to be more multi- functional if possible.

Those brown shoes are a pair of Dansko shoes. They were a birthday present from my family. Unfortunately they never broke in since my bunion is too messed up. My big toe is misaligned and well, it isn’t good. I finally scheduled surgery in August, so I will be on the road to hopefully a better right foot soon! I am so relieved that this is finally being taken care of! I plan to do another outfit post or two before the surgery, or at least prepare one!!

I have a few other upcycling projects I have done recently or am in the process of working on. I will try to get to posting these soon too. It is a joy to get a chance to work on these things. It is rewarding to alter upcycle, mend and reuse either vintage or thrifted items!

Vintage Floral Vases and Head Vases

July 15, 2015

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These vases have been in my home for many, many years. The one with the lady with the full skirt, and basket of flowers, was in my family’s kitchen window when I was a teenager. She always looked so blissfully peaceful looking out over us, from above the kitchen sink. All of these vases are from the 1940’s or 1950’s, with the exception of the Dresden vase which maybe older.

The little square vase, with gold leaf painted trim and a different floral spray in each square’s side view is a Dresden vase. Most Dresden vases were destroyed during the bombing of Dresden, Germany in 1945. The floral spray is common of Meissen Dresden vases of the time. Mine says merely “H Dresden” on the bottom; therefore it is difficult to tell who made it for sure. I was given this vase many years ago by a friend of a friend. The elderly gentleman that gave it to me was moving into a home. His wife had died and he was alone, with no children to give their artistic treasures to. He asked me to take something and “enjoy” it. I have been joying it for over thirty years now and consider it one of my most valuable, treasured items. I attached a drawing and watercolor of this vase that I did years ago.

The hand vase I found around thirty years ago at some flea market. I am not sure if it is from the 1940’s or 1950’s. It is great for holding rings even if it doesn’t have a flower in the vase.

The head vase with the woman with the pearl necklace and earring I bought when I was in my twenties. I like how the woman’s face on the vase looks so calm and happy, plus her cheeks are so shiny! The vase is from the 1950’s. I had more vases like this before 1994, which is when my daughter and I moved to Colorado many years ago. Now she is there and I am here in Brooklyn, NY.

The lamb vase is from the 1940’s. It was my father’s when he was a small child. My grandmother told him that if he behaved well at the dental office, she would buy it for him afterwards. He was five at the time.

The picture of the lady walking her dog is not a vase, however it is in the same vein of antique, or vintage pieces. Years ago she had a parasol, which eventually fell apart so I discarded it. She is lovely, with her little dog.

When we moved out West way back then we sent most of our things via UPS, so we didn’t take much. Life gets so much more complicated and one ages, saves things and has children, or in my case a child. After that there are boxes of pictures, one collects more things as one gets older. Finally a few years ago I just stopped adding new houseware items to my collection. I just keep and treasure what I have, since there is really no more room for more at least at this point!

There are many vendors selling vintage and antique vases on Etsy or EBay. I found this one particular vendor who has a great collection of head vases at the moment. Her shop is: VintageDreamPlaza on Etsy. Gabriella Rossetti has been selling on Etsy since 2012 on Etsy. Here is a link to her site: https://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageDreamPlaza?ref=shopsection_shophome_leftnav

I hope you enjoyed this post about vintage vases. I have some lovely pieces of other vintage houseware items I have collected through the years. Perhaps I can get to those in another post!