On Friday my friend Albert & I ventured out to the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights to investigate a 'high end' antiques show being held at the race track. Unfortunately when we got there we realized it was WAY too high end for us-- ie everything was in cases and it was definitely of the chi chi French furniture and Ming vase variety of antiques.Disappointed, we consoled ourselves with dining at Mitsuwa, the Japanese grocery store and food court in the area. While I loved the Mitsuwa in L.A., the sushi at the Chicago location is not fresh and wasn't as good as I was expecting. :( Do go for the baked treats at their bakery (buns in the shapes of pandas!) and stock up on goodies like pocky, rice crackers and strawberry chocolate bars.
After investigating two way overpriced antique malls in Arlington Heights we went to a small antique shop tucked into a strip mall on the way back to the city. We only had 20 minutes to browse which was probably for the best as I would have bought twice as much if I had more time! Above is my favorite find, a old plastic (not Bakelite) seahorse brooch. The plastic reminds me of tortoise shell and I was excited to find it as I've been really into seahorses/marine life motifs lately. I think it's from the 1950s but might be earlier... I have a hard time dating jewelry! Thoughts?
Since my hair is so long now I've been wanting to find accessories to jazz it up a bit-- these two combs are perfect and cost very little. The 'swoop' comb is marked Made in the USA and I think it's from the 40s? The one with flowers seems a bit newer and is unmarked.
While I have a few cameo pendants I don't come across rings too often so I bought this little one that features a (probably plastic) cameo embedded with a little rhinestone. By the shape of the ring shank I assume it's Deco. It also has an arrow marking so it was probably manufactured by the costume jewelry maker Uncas.
Usually vintage pinup items are out of my price range but these two small promos were in slightly battered condition so were inexpensive. One of the reasons I bought them is that they're so strange, especially the one on the right-- I have no idea what it's advertising. The woman is in a sheer apron holding a dish of gravy aloft. The text promotes the Tuffy's brand which seems to be some sort of shoe manufacturing company. On the right is a 1952 calendar (on the back) for another vague company... the addresses listed are bank buildings so I'm not sure if it's for a bank or the company was just in that building. Either way, can you imagine a conservative company like a bank handing out promo material like this today??
Since reading The Red Leather Diary a year ago I've been on the lookout for one of these line-a-day diaries. Unfortunately the previous owner wasn't much of a writer-- she only made it three months into the diary and didn't put her name in it either. The diary is from 1947 and is in pretty good shape but I wish there were more entries to read!
Her handwriting reminds me of my grandmother's, it seems like handwriting from that time period was pretty uniform regardless of gender. Probably because everyone had to take Palmer Method courses in school?
A typical entry: "Listened to Dr. Bradley. Mom ironed. Blanche went bowling with Bill H. Met him for first time. Joy called."
The two addresses listed are of a southern Chicago suburb, Joliet. I'm wondering where she lived as I doubt you'd write a letter to someone that lives in the same town as you... but who knows. I'm assuming Frank is her beau.