Called to look at a collection of materials on Boston-area schools, Ken came across a group of yearbooks, including—surprisingly—his own. While they’re not too monetarily valuable, these yearbooks offer a wealth of information about the changing fashions, hobbies, and ambitions of young people in New England, from the turn of the century to the 1970s (the hairstyles alone are worth a look). We’ll also discuss other yearbooks that have passed through the shop—like Ernest Hemingway’s—on this most likely to inform and entertain episode of the #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #186 - The Japanese Album
Today in the studio we have another unusual travel souvenir: an album of large, hand-tinted photographs of Japan in the 1880s, only decades after the country was first opened to Western tourism. Bound in illustrated lacquered covers, these photos—of temples, landscapes, and people in traditional dress—have remained exceptionally sharp and clear, offering us a window into the tumultuous Meiji period. We’ll also discuss the improvements in postal service that caused lavish souvenir albums to fall out of fashion, the influence that Japanese art had on turn-of-the-century painting movements in Europe and America, and a popular new TV series that might spur interest in an item like this.
Do you have an idea for a future brattlecast? After about 200 episodes, we could certainly use some. Please reach out to info@brattlebookshop.com with any questions or areas of interest.
Brattlecast #180 - LIFE Magazine Trends
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 #74 - Vernacular Photos
While we’re all cooped up at home, it’s a great time to take a look through some old photo albums, if you have them around. In recent years, collectors have begun to take more of an interest in vernacular photography: casual snapshots taken by amateur, usually anonymous photographers of everyday subjects which can inadvertently capture a wealth of fascinating historical detail. Vernacular photographs are a great entry point into collecting because they’re widely available, generally affordable, and, although they may have been taken without a specific artistic intention, can be aesthetically striking and affectingly poignant.
Brattlecast #40 - 1968
It was a year of violent upheaval and exuberant social change: 1968. Ken takes us there through a unique collection of books, letters, photographs, magazines, newspapers, and more, all to do with this tumultuous time in American history. It's a great example of an unusual collecting style but also an eerie and inspiring mirror of our present moment.