They say that in life, change is the only constant, and this is true of LIFE Magazine collecting as well. While older readers collected specific issues for personal nostalgia reasons, their children and grandchildren find the magazines to be fascinating time capsules of mid-century American design, fashion, and culture. We’ll talk about the decline and unexpected resurgence of the LIFE secondhand market, part of the same wave of interest in vintage styles that re-popularized the vinyl record and the Eames lounge chair—both of which you might find stylish, copy-heavy advertisements for in an old LIFE Magazine.
Brattlecast #170 - Magazines & Early Cars
Today in the studio we’ve got some beautifully illustrated issues of Collier’s and Harper’s Magazine from the early 1900s. In magazines from this era we start to see the first automobile advertisements pop up, selling hand-crafted and extremely expensive Speedwells or Pope-Hartfords to affluent Gilded-Age readers. After the Model T made driving accessible to the middle class, the car and its infrastructure would reshape American life, but at this time there were few gas stations, no roadside assistance programs, and not so many paved roads. Hop in for a tour of vintage car-culture on this speedy new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #162 - LIFE at the Brattle
Today we’re taking a look at some vintage issues of LIFE Magazine, half a truckload of which recently arrived at the shop. Full of iconic photojournalism and snappy graphic design, LIFE’s oversized pages are endlessly fun to flip through—and convey so much information about mid-century American culture. Listen to hear our favorite LIFE stories, from Woodstock to working moms, on this eye-opening new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #156 - Rock & Roll Collections
In this episode we’re talking about—or “riffing on”—a group of classic rock-related books, magazines, and memorabilia that recently arrived at the shop. While not the most monetarily valuable, it’s a fun collection to have around, mostly because it takes Ken back to his days as a young rocker in 1970s Boston. He saw The Stones at the Boston Garden, Van Morrison at Harvard Stadium, and—he thinks—Jimi Hendrix at the South Shore Music Circus (if you can confirm that this show happened please email the shop). Somewhat surprisingly, Ken also reveals that he attended Woodstock in 1969, but volunteers only that it was “interesting” and that “the traffic was bad.” Listen to learn more about electric guitars, Tulsa tourism, and the power of nostalgia on this very freewheelin’ new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #152 - The American Cemetery
Today in the studio we have The American Cemetery, a monthly trade journal for graveyard proprietors and caretakers; all of the issues from 1929 have been bound into a large hardcover volume. While it may not seem like the most lively subject, The American Cemetery presents a darkly humorous juxtaposition of the mundane with the macabre. Ads extolling readers to “bury cemetery upkeep costs” share page space with landscaping tips, industry gossip, and photo illustrations of new and notable graves, giving us a fascinating window into early 20th Century funerary culture.