New Orleans Gingerbread

New Orleans has lots of gingerbread detailing, and most of it is located where I was staying, in Algiers Point.

I've made a map to help orient you. The French Quarter is the oldest part of New Orleans, and Algiers Point, right across the Mississippi, is the second-oldest area. A large fire destroyed much of Algiers in the mid-1800s, so it was rebuilt in the style of the mid- to late-1800s, which favored gingerbread. (I've included the Lower 9th Ward on this map because my next posting will be about an interesting project there.)

I saw so much gingerbread that I wanted to share with you, but getting the full impact was a little problematic, especially when shooting upward and at a distance. So I've decided to show a comparison of a few of Algiers' many gingerbread brackets.

 Here's where I stayed, a charming house

with fancy brackets of its own. 

 Even the chimneys of New Orleans have gingerbread!

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Back From New Orleans

Dear Blogging Friends,

I'm back from a week in New Orleans! I still have unpacking, laundry, photo-sorting and a backlog of comments to attend to, but until my next posting, here's a view of where I was staying. You're looking at a New Orleans home that's been made from two "shotgun" houses — the symmetrical arrangement of windows, doors and fireplace mantels are all that's left to remind one that this actually started out as two long, narrow apartments. I'll have interesting impressions of "The Big Easy" to share with you soon!
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Beignets Are In My Future

Dear Blogging Friends — The debilitating requirements of modern life have left me with a pallor, a case of techno-fatigue and itchy feet! I'm going to remedy that by taking a little time away from the computer. (I know that new sights and a little adventure will have a restorative effect.) But I'll be back soon, with observations and images to share ...

Art History Is Not Linear No. 3

This posting is a continuation of a series that can be found on my sidebar.  I started the series with the idea of showing that art history is not linear, and that the totality of art is a never-ending circle of inspiration. Knowing that, all art should be viewed freshly.

Amish quilt, 1885 (University of Nebraska)   |   Victor Vasarely, Alom, 1967

Highboy by Christopher Townsend, 1740s   |   AT&T Building by Philip Johnson, 1984

Piet Mondrian, 1921   |   Eames House, 1949

Detail of a painting by Piero di Cosimo, c. 1495   |   Olivetti poster by Milton Glaser, 1968

Greek amphora, 535-530 B.C.   |   Wedgewood pottery, 1792

Bookbinding from the library of Louis XIII, before 1643   |   Louis Vuitton "Blois" pattern
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Happy Halloween, Halloween Houses

The colors of Halloween are traditionally black and orange, the black to signify the dead whom we remember, and orange to signify the autumn and harvest of the year, and especially pumpkins.

Here in tropical Florida, people are much more inclined to paint their houses bright colors, but I'm still continually surprised by the number of houses in my community that are painted pure orange. In honor of Halloween, here's a collection of some (but not all) of the orange houses near me.

Would you paint your house orange?

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A Charming Antique Swiss Tin

My maternal grandparents came to the United States from Switzerland, and the few possessions left from them are dearly treasured. Above is a coffee canister that belonged to my great-grandmother. She, my grandmother, my mother and I have all used it to store coffee.

I'm guessing from the top that it dates between 1900-1910, though judging by the crackly lithographed surface of the sides, it could be earlier. The top depicts Mercury,  the name of the coffee brand and the god of commercial success — so appropriate for the Swiss! The sides depict the traditional dress of the various cantons (states) of Switzerland — I'll show them in pairs.

Bern   |   Graubünden

St. Gallen   |   Zürich

Genève   |   Tessin

Switzerland has four languages — German, French, Italian and Romansh. Romansh has strong roots in the everyday Latin used by early Roman occupiers of the region, and is spoken by approximately 9% of the Swiss population. It's represented by the second side of the canister, Graubünden. Switzerland has 26 cantons in all, so this canister represents just a few of the country's striking costumes.

Naturally, in a country that is so multilingual, labels are often in several languages. This is the bottom of the canister.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for another cup of coffee.

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An Advertising Breakthrough

As I mention in my sidebar page on the evolution of corporate identity, the longer one collects trade cards and related antique advertising, the more one sees that contemporary advertising gimmicks were first done long, long ago. Today's posting is a case in point.

You've probably watched television and seen the screen filled with a list of selling points. Then to your surprise, a car drives right through the statement! It's tiring after the 40th viewing, but that same gimmick was used with great charm more than a 100 years ago.

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