HYACINTHS FOR THE SOUL

Monday, June 14, 2010

V is for Vintage

"Vintage" is one of those words that has multiple meanings. Officially the dictionary meaning refers to the year a wine is harvested.

But to many "vintage" is used to refer to anything that is considered "old" or "old-fashioned". My interests are certainly eclectic and range from country quilts to the whimsical art of contemporary artist Mary Engelbreit; from antique and vintage French faience to the contemporary pottery of MacKenzie-Childs; from the French country feel of blue and yellow to the patriotic trio of red, white, and blue. So I'm frequently drawn to "vintage" things. I'm intrigued with the stories that these items have to tell us.

Those of you who are frequent visitors to HFTS know that the summer months here give a nod to the patriotic theme. Starting with Memorial Day, the red, white, and blue begins to make an appearance in abundance. When neighbors gather on the 4th of July for local neighborhood parades, vintage cars are a popular sight. Isn't this 1952 MGTD a beauty?

It's also traditional in many areas across the United States for outdoor patriotic concerts to be held under the stars the evening of July 4th. Many end with spectacular fireworks displays, and all are the perfect venue for a summer picnic. My vintage picnic basket is from the 60s, a gift from my father the year I went off to the university.

Vintage 4th of July themed post cards are an interesting aspect of Americana. Raphael Tuck and Tabor Prang were two of the prominent artists whose work was produced on post cards as full-color lithographs. Vintage postcards often include a handwritten message and canceled postage.

Of the cards in my collection, three of them are postmarked: one dated 1907 and the other two dated 1912. You can see that one was postmarked from the "S. S. Colon" on Independence Day, 1912.

If you visited Monday's post: National Flag Day~June 14th, you know I attended the OpSail 2000 in NYC. I purchased these post cards depicting US stamps used through the years that feature Lady Liberty.

I had them specially

postmarked that memorable day.

These charming ice-fishing decoys were a find at the NY Pier Antique Show in 2000. They are unsigned, but definitely vintage. I wish I knew more about the folk artist who carved and painted these patriotic creatures.

I doubt that the patriotic motif is typical of most of these vintage ice-fishing decoys, but it was the stars and strips that caught my attention.

Can't say that this Uncle Sam fishing lure is particularly handsome, though it is in the original box which provides documentation that this piece was sold as a souvenir during the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration of the USA.

Two of the hand-carved Uncle Sam figures here at HFTS are vintage. This Uncle Sam with the walking stick is unsigned, but carved from wood and pegged into the base.

This Uncle Sam is only five inches tall and badly faded, but someone took great care to carve this gentlemen. It is signed and dated 1940.

The small individual vintage flags on metal stands were once used on student desks in a classroom. The silk flags show 48 stars, the flag used between 1912 and 1959. The 48 star flag was the second longest in use. The round vintage tin depicting Betsy Ross sewing the first flag also features The Pledge of Allegiance to our country's flag.

No patriotic parade, concert, ceremony, or party would be complete without the ubiquitous paper flag to help one cool off in the summer heat. Through the years paper fans in a flag motif have always been a popular item.