13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 760)

1. Mistletoe sellers in Paris, 1928 Found here. 2. Collecting Modernist Mailboxes in Paris Photographed by Romain Laprade. 3. Withdrawn from auction, a rare example of the first functioning calculating machine in history was blocked from leaving France Christie’s withdrew rare ‘first calculator’ from auction after French court halts export. La Pascaline, developed by the French…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 759)

1. Art in Art: Cabinets of Curiosity and the Rise of the Gallery Painting A very interesting read for anyone who loves curiosity cabinets: In the 17th century, emanating from Antwerp, a new genre of artwork came on the scene: paintings of paintings, works populated by a lush array of meta-images. From its origins in…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 758)

1. An ode to Shopfronts (shot in the early 80s) Scans from the vintage book “Shopfronts”, 1981, found by Press SF. 2. Some thoughts on Personal Business that obviously resonated with me “In You’ve Got Mail, Kathleen Kelly is positioned as virtuous but naive, a hopeless romantic stuck in the old way of doing things. But…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 757)

1. The hidden worlds hiding inside Curtis Talwst Santiago’s jewelry boxes Canadian-Trinidadian artist Curtis Talwst Santiago uses reclaimed jewelry boxes as tiny stages for his elaborate miniature dioramas, which are part of his continuing “Infinity Series”. These meticulously built scenes—complete with lush plants, architectural details, and minuscule figures—are dense with narratives of home, intimacy, diasporic…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 756)

1. Who is the countess living in the Port of Missing Men? On the edge of Scallop Pond in Southampton, an 85-year-old noble holds court in a hunting lodge dating to the Jazz Age that she is determined to protect. Photographs by Thomas Loof. An article from New York magazine, found here. 2. Just some…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 755)

1. Movie Posters as Embroideries by French artist Emily Beer Discover more of her work here. 2. A charming archive of church kneeling cushions It’s an instagram account you can follow. Found via Present & Correct. 3. Beetle wings were used in embroidery for dresses during the Victorian Era Beetle-wing (or elytra) embroidery rose to fame in…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 754)

1. A Collection of Antique Hold-To-Light Postcards: something to look out for at your next flea market Each of the cards have been intricately “carved” out and painted with bright colors allowing those areas to glow when held up to the light, the thicker parts of the paper don’t let any light through. All of…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 753)

1. Kindred Spirits Found on Anonymous Works. 2. A most beautiful story about the Couple who Lives on the Last Ellis Island Ferry Boat 3. Yves Saint Laurent in his home in Normandy, Château Gabriel, in 1980. The photo, taken by Lord Snowdon, was captured two years after Yves purchased the countryside home, during what…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol.752)

1. Forgotten Victorian hobby: seaweed herbariums bound in scallop shells View this post on Instagram A post shared by @templeofleaves Found one for sale here. 2. The surrealist set design of Charles Kaisin for Casino de Monte-Carlo, 2017 More of Kaisin’s surreal dinners & installations found here. 3. Costume portraits for Face the Music, a…

Coins of Desire: The Erotic Currency of Parisian Brothels

Not all antiques clink with noble history. Some carry a more risqué past, whispering of velvet curtains, candlelit parlors, and the secret economies of Paris by night. Among them are the curious “jetons de maison close” (brothel tokens) — currency that look at first like ordinary coins, stamped with imperial profiles or decorative motifs, but…