Adventures · Inspiration

How vintage photography inspires me

Shelley

I’m one to wonder about treasures I’ve kept over the years.  (Duh, I’m a Dubious MinimalistTM, that’s what I do, but beside the point).  Those precious trinkets have undiscovered stories and pasts.

The mysteriousness of their pasts piques my interests in them and provokes me to let them hang around in my life, you know to catch a few dust particles along the way while they’re at it.

Falling in love for the first time is like an instant realization of just how old your soul is. – Jennifer Elisabeth

All I remember is that I loved ’em when I first saw ’em and wanted to keep them, so I did.  Okay, love is a strong word.  I know things can’t reciprocate love.

Let’s just say, I’m curious enough about them to keep them – they bring me joy.

The Old Soul is more incline to be a lifelong learner, constantly feeding his thirst for insight through his own persistent efforts.  His learning has not been forced into him through education or learned out of obligation, but has been absorbed out of curiosity and personal choice. – Aletheia Luna, Old Souls:  The Sages and Mystics of Our World

Are you like that too?  Are you curious about the untold stories of objects from the past?

Or are you of the generation that says, “To heck with the past stuff, it is of no use, brings no joy, and I’d rather buy experiences instead of stuff.”  In other words, the idea of keeping stuff someone handed down or up to you isn’t in the winding curves of your wheelhouse?

One of the things that attracts me to vintage and antique things is they have stories, and even if I don’t know the stories, I make them up. – Mary Kay Andrews

Whatever route you take with your stuff, it’s your life, and you should live it the way you want to.  I do.

According to my rightful ol’ age of 54 and counting, I could be considered (should be) vintage by now.  I’m aged well, like Cabernet wine, I guess you could say?

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We (ourselves and our stuff) will all become vintage at some point in life, if we’re lucky, that is.  Yeah, lucky, you read that right.

It is easily overlooked that what is now called vintage was once brand new. – Tony Visconti

Being vintage is a good thing.  I don’t know about you, but growing older is a gift too, and way better than the alternative.

I find it fun to keep items from the past that can be used in a playful, or an artistic way.

So what have I kept that’s playful?

Well, that’s a funny story…I told about it here.  I wore the shirt in high school.  Took good care of it, and kept it until I married my husband in the late ’80s (1989).  A couple of years after that, I was ready to part with it.  I put it in the thrift sale we were having, along with my in-laws.  My gorgeous blue-eyed father-in-law saw it and immediately fell in love with the blue color and the white Nike curved swoop.  And the .25 steal of a deal.

He adored it and wore it until it was so thin you could see through it.  I told him it had to be discarded.  So I bought him a new one to encourage the parting of ways.  Instead of tossing it, he gave it back to me as a “Vintage” collectible worth tons of $ on E-bay.  I couldn’t resist keeping it to return it as a gift.  So I framed it and the rest is the history of us, exchanging it back and forth over the years.

The best way to look stylish on a budget is to try second-hand, bargain hunting, and vintage. – Orlando Bloom

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I treasure this framed Nike’s 1980’s t-shirt and the man who I share it with.  I gave it back to him for his birthday this past summer, telling him how he was the smartest man in the world.  And, true to his mischievous nature, I got it back, embellished with his additions, for Christmas.  I have several months to figure out a comeback and how to return it to him for his birthday.

My artful objects are three old cameras.

My daughter had a phase where she used them to decorate within her apartment during college years, and when she was done with that trendy decorating theme, she returned them.

I kept them, because…I dunno why?

Cuz’ there are stories and inspiration in them – every picture I take I’m thankful for the history of photography and for being able to capture memories and to play.

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I have this August 2, 1947 photo of my grandmother.  I love the playful look on her face.  One I’ve been known to express, a time or two, too.

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She was petite like me, standing at 5′ 2″ – my grandfather towered over her at his  6′ 2″.  I love the curves on her hat, the poofy shoulders on her shirt, and the billowy pants she was wearing.  A stylish look that seems to be making a comeback.

She was holding a camera like one I’ve kept (it looks like a Weston 50mm Argus Coated Cintar camera).

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I don’t know if it was her’s or if it was that model?  Even with a magnifying glass, I can’t really tell.  Since I don’t know for sure, I like to say it was her’s because that means more to me.  She died when I was 12.  I was too young to think to ask her about her hobbies.

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I know that she loved red lipstick and poodles.

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The smells of this little lipstick cover have long since faded.  But every time I pick it up, I smell her perfume and smile as I think about her and her red lips my grandfather loved to kiss.

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I remember her taking pictures when my brother and I were little. She apparently loved photography, and I do too.  By me saying that the camera was one of hers makes me happy and connected to her heritage, and her love of photography, too.  The rest is history.

And, now, my future inspirations shall be filled with stories and moments to treasure and to capture in clicks of my camera along the way.

Post Inspiration – Thanks to Tina for Lens-Artists #28 – Curves; Thanks to Terri and Carol for Sunday Stills – Vintage; and via Linda G. Hill’s #JusJoJan Undiscovered – thanks to Teresa.

 

PS – What vintage object do you hang on to and have made your own story for because the real one is a mystery?  Do you keep things from your past to decorate with?  

 

 

Published by Shelley

Letting my quirk out one post at a time.

42 thoughts on “How vintage photography inspires me”

  2. Many of the things I carted around for years have been given to my daughter, but I still have a Kodak Instamatic in the box, no film to use it. Also I hope that like you and I, the young folk today recognize the importance of grandmas who have so much wisdom to share

    1. Thanks, Alice. I agree I hope the youngins find joy in the wisdom of the past. I do believe there are still places you can buy film for the Kodak Instamatics? Probably really expensive! So fun that you kept it though. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

  3. Oh Shelley! You warm my heart and make my day. I think you and I are similar in that we hit the jack pot where father in laws are concerned. How special to trade that framed Nike shirt back and forth.

    I have downsized so much and many of my treasures are gone. When I see the poodle lipstick cover I remember my Mamaw had one too, in pale pink. My cousin and I always made a beeline for her vanity and that poodle was sitting there grinning every time. Oh how I wish I had kept it. I wonder where it is now. I’d like to think it is sitting on someone else’s vanity.

    If I were better at organizing, I’d have more stuff simply because of those stories!!! Mary Kay Andrews is my kindred spirit.

    Wishing you a wonderful Sunday!!

    1. Oh, my, I’m so touched by your stories of how my post struck a chord in your memory bank! And that you’re lucky too when it comes to the in-law category. When my grandma had the lipstick cover, my cousin and I would do the same thing, race to grandma’s vanity to find the poodle! Thank you again for sharing your thoughts, I hope you had a wonderful Sunday and that you’re off to a great start to your week!

  4. I love Vintage. The things we value gives us our character. The memories we cherish are priceless, and while they mean nothing to anyone else to us they are irreplaceable and have more value than money could buy.

  5. Love vintage! In fact our 1940 house is filled with it–antiques and vintage furniture, art and more. I especially love antique shopping–mostly just looking–and perusing old postcards. Have you seen this blog: Lost Greetings? One of my favorite (including yours, of course). He examines old postcards and delivers a little history lesson about a place featured in the pic–super interesting. Great post. Thanks for getting my gears working on this snow, quiet day–our first snowfall of the season, so exciting!

    1. Aw, Rebecca – I imagined you’d treasure vintage and antique items with your love of history and stories you’ve found investigating the Rust Belt. I love to go window shopping at antique stores too. I hadn’t heard of Lost Greetings, thank you for the referral. Yes, he does have fun posts! Hope you found many moments yesterday to keep those gears working while you watched the snow fall!

  6. What a sweet, sweet post Shelley. I love antiques and vintage stuff. They have such character and I wish I knew the stories of their lives. Why shouldn’t you keep something that makes you feel good? I had to laugh at your sentence “I put it in the thrift sale we were having, along with my in-laws.” I thought wow! She’s hardcore to put her in-laws in a thrift sale. ROFLOL! You always make me laugh, whether intentionally or not, which is something I love about your blog.

    1. Aw, thank you, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts! I’m glad my Grammarly missed that sentence and that you laughed! That made it worth it, for sure! 🙂

  7. Happy to have a part in your inspiration Shelley! Loved your shirt story and of course your grandmother. I keep the mother-of-pearl covered prayer book my mom carried on her wedding day, and the set of 5 pink or blue diaper pins my grandmother kept for each first-diapering she did for me and my 4 brothers, and my dad’s watch. Couldn’t bear to lose any of them!

    1. Thank you, Tina, I’m thankful for the opportunity to join in on the challenge. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Aw, those are precious items that you save. I have one diaper pin – a yellow ducky. It reminds me of how much work it must have been to diaper with a cloth while avoiding poking a squiggly little baby in the process.

  8. I like having things that connect us to the past. I have a few of my father’s tools, and even one or two of his father’s. I don’t use them often, but every now and then I like to hold them and use them.

  9. Wonderful treasures. The story of the shirt continues to make me smile. Such a great game. I have some things of my dads that are special to me as he has been gone for over 35 years. Someday I’ll have to take pictures and do a post on that. Thanks for the inspiration.

    1. Thank you, Janet. It is fun to have a gift that keeps on giving – back and forth. Yes, that would be a fun post to write and read! Thank you for sharing your thoughts – I look forward to participating in your prompt for the day!!

  10. I find myself hanging onto old things as well, however the things I tend to hang onto are tied to my childhood, take for instance a mid 1960s Mamaya camera, it’s a medium format 2 1/4 or 220 camera that was my Dads, that camera is a huge part of my childhood, my Dad used it for shooting all the family weddings, and any portraits he shot were all with that camera, including my senior pictures, and both of my daughters senior pictures after my youngest daughter graduated high school he put the Camera away and never used it again, I now have it. I also have a couple of other old cameras of Daddys, plus an old 8mm movie camera. I’m going to display these cameras as soon as I can find a book case or curio cabinet in which to display them in.
    Every time I look at those cameras I remember all the fun times I had with my dad, I remember developing my love for photography with my Dad guiding me, showing me and teaching me various aspects.
    I cherish these things.

    1. Aw, thanks for sharing – that is incredible that you have such vivid memories of the camera you still have in your possession. All of those experiences are treasures that help you as you continue on with your love of photography! PS – thanks for stopping by, I appreciate hearing from you!

  11. Shelley, I have numerous “antiques” or vintage items from mom and dad that I will never give away. They hold too many special feelings and memories.

    The T-shirt story reminds me of a bathrobe I used to have. I wore it down to nothing, but never thought I could frame it! Perhaps a solid mass of pink,with a few cat hairs, would have been a masterpiece. 😉

    1. Mary, you have great photos you’ve saved too – love your post about your dad’s working career, it was a joy to read! LOL – now that would be a fun masterpiece for sure!! 🙂

  12. This was a great post Shelley – the pictures and their backstory gave us some insight into your family. I don’t think there is anything vintage here, just the pictures, some which are nearly a century old.

      1. Ha ha – no, there are none as I didn’t have any bears when I was a kid as I was allergic to them. My mom told me she was sorry she did not save her Shirley Temple doll to pass along to me.

        1. Aw! It was just one of those ‘collectibles’ that many people had. My mom saved (and I have) her blue glass Shirley Temple bowl and tumbler. Did you have a set of those too?

          1. No, I don’t have any Shirley Temple artifacts like that Shelley, though I do remember after you mention this, I have a vintage tiny teacup and saucer that belonged to my great-grandmother. I forgot about that when you asked me – now that has an antique and vintage look to it. I also have my great grandmother’s cake plate. It sits on the corner cabinet with other decorative plates. My great-grandmother lived on a farm and their big farm kitchen had a plate rack encircling the room and she put different plates lined up along it. Though it is very old, (it is turquoise with a basket weave), but does not look vintage. I did do a post about my great-grandmother’s doilies she used to tat … as old as they are, they are still in good condition. I did a post about them comparing them to the wildflower/weed called “Queen Anne’s Lace”: https://lindaschaubblog.net/2017/08/13/dainty-looking-weeds-and-antique-doilies/

          2. See, you do have vintage stuff too! YAY! Way to weed them out to just the ones you treasure! Great post on the QAL! Weeds are fascinating to me, they are so resilient. I love the doilies. I’m so impressed with the tiny details and how much time each one must have taken to make. I have quite a few of those in my house too. I wish I knew the stories behind them, just know they’ve been in the family for a very long time.

          3. Thanks Shelley – glad you liked it. I liked the weeds/wildflowers as well and I’ve taken many pictures of chicory which I think is the prettiest cornflower blue. My great-grandmother did a lot of crafts after the horse tromped down on her foot. I wish we still had the quilts she made – they were beautiful and had a country look to them, and she did feather ticks too. I’ve never been good at hand sewing but I did make a lot of my own clothes as I was tall and they did not have tall sizes years ago.

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