1920's German Film book

I came across this wonderful original film tome from the 1920's on a recent trip to Berlin

 I found it nestling at a Kreuzberg fleamarket and was drawn in by it's cover, finely crafted using delicately cut out paper

  

With hand drawn ink patterns and letters too

There was no date but some useful fellow had written this inside - 18.2.23 

Film Fimmel roughly translates as 'Film Infatuation,' so I was intrigued as to what some of the chapters were about.  Because my German only stretches to ordering kaffee und kuchen, I had to take to Google translate with some of these, with limited results - this section below reads as 'Mysterious Characters,' which still doesn't tell me much, although this flat capped ruffian is already a winner

 

Since it was printed in the silent film era, I'm guessing the rest are probably directions of how best to execute certain types of scene.  I could only translate snippets of the rest, but I think it's actually quite fun to get lost trying to decipher the weird and amusing goings on.

Since some of the pages were slightly coming away which gets those book collector creatues all ruffled I got it for just 5 euros which I felt triumphant about since it's obviously a unique item with an unmistakable connection to the visual hallmarks of what was a hugely influential era.

The cover made me think straight away of the jagged edges, sharp angles seen in lots of German Expressionist films of the time, but especially The Cabinet of Dr Caligari - I'd recently spent an afternoon watching it with some excellent visual fiends Jo who also blogs about vintage treasures she finds in grubby lorries, and Jaana, Estonian refugee and clever book designer, and we were infatuated with the striking sets and spiky shapes and the superb sense of menace and expertly crafted creepiness throughout.

Made in 1920, it would have been around at the same time as the book's publication.

 

I was in Berlin to create an installation with artist Rachael Macarthur.  Thanks to Das Gift for hosting us, a super bar and gallery space in Neukolln with a Scottish slant.  Here are a few pics of what we created:

1930's Portugese Maths Book

One of my favourite recent finds - fantastic magentas on this pretty charming 1930's illustrated times tables pamphlet.  Found in a junk shop in Porto

Vintage French Illustration

I found this illustrated paper folder at a rural antique shop in Normandy a while back - I think Le Cygne Noir was a grooming product and am guessing this is from the 1940's perhaps

I loved the print quality up close, although the swan does start to look a bit sly at this proximity...

Bountiful hay bales, slumberous hamlets, handsome thatches, ancient antique shops and brocantes, Normandy bewitched me with it's idyllic chocolate box charm.

Happily, there was also a reassuring selection of guesthouses adhering to aggressive floral policies

I was also a bit enchanted by this incredibly quaint fairytale style house overlooking the sea in St Valery En Caux, the lettering on the sign, flowers and overall style are all typically Art Nouveau so date it to the early 1900's.  I think I'd like to retire here to watch the ocean from that top window whilst surrounded by a supreme selection of cheeses.

All of these pictures were taken on film on my favourite £2.50 1990's camera.  I've noticed it has a curious trick of cloaking nearly every image with a nostalgic wistful haze that somehow tempts you to remember that at that moment in time life was actually a gilded, glittering sea of existential euphoria, when in actual fact you had been suffering from severe heartburn after eating a misguided gigantic chocolate croissant half an hour before lunch.

I think I am actually totally at ease with this method of sugar coating existence though and believe some form of it is fairly compulsory - so grab one of these lo-fi wonders on eBay and live in your own 70's Terence Malick film forever.

1950's winter wrapping paper

Dazzling wrapping paper from the 1950's with a fantastic palette of acid brights and superb graphics. It also has an enjoyably cheap and crunchy feel to it.  Found at North London Vintage Market which I also organise.

I much prefer this technicolour version of winter.  I'm thinking of moving here shortly to spend my days skating around neon trees with a mysterious man in black until Spring.

Romanian Insect Orchestra

Yes, that is a beetle playing a cello, a snail playing a saxophone.....

......and a locust playing a xylophone

I found this insane little item on my trip to Cluj Napoca in Transylvania, Romania.  Saw it nestling in an Antiques market in the town and knew I had to grab it as in my opinion there aren't enough Eastern European musical insect ensembles around these days.  

It probably dates from around the 1940's or 50's. Hurrah for surreal ceramics!

Portugese book covers

I spent a week skipping around Porto in Portugal a while back and was cheered to find some playful book graphics lurking at flea markets and in musty back street shops.

Some colourful 1960's and 70's psychedelic numbers here:

 I was a little bewitched by these mysterious (and racy?) looking tomes, probably from the 1950's 

 

And approved of the all round abundance of turquoise colour schemes, hurrah!

Most of Porto's typography, signage and interiors are all still firmly lodged in the 1960's and 70's making it a pretty excellent retro excursion.  I also loved the splendid Art Deco sights dotted around the city that still look really quite glorious.

I was pretty charmed by some of the local characters who still seem to reside in the past too

We also went to a superb Art Deco villa on the outskirts of the city called Serralves, started in 1925 by Portugese architect José Marques da Silva and finally finished in 1944 for the Count of Vizela to reside in.  It has incredible examples of opulent 30's features and fittings as well as vast and ridiculously idyllic grounds replete with expertly coiffed lawns, wooded paths and a scented garden - this Count was a lucky chap.

We also tried this dubious local culinary beast - Franceshinas consist of dangerous levels of bread, ham, sausage, chipolata, steak and melted cheese complemented with a tomato and beer sauce and render you immobile for around 48 hours.

 Pretty vistas and rustic rambling galore