Last Friday Albert and I attended the latest incarnation of Chicago's beloved flea market, The Vintage Bazaar run by Katherine Raz and Libby Alexander. We were lucky enough to attend the Holidazzle preview party that featured cocktails by Logan Square bar and restaurant, Longman & Eagle. Unlike the September "Classic Flea" held at The Congress Theatre, this market was a smaller affair and involved 14 vendors in a storefront space in Logan Square. The result was a more curated shopping experience with a tightly edited selection of merchandise.Unfortunately my aging camera doesn't handle low light situations well so I didn't take that many pictures on Friday. I actually went back again on Saturday during the day but it was cloudy so no natural light then either! Oh well, I still hope you enjoy the photos.
Curious about the first photo in this post? Be sure to scroll all the way down to find out more about it!
One of the stars of the market was Katherine Raz's Midcentury Modern Indoor Gas Fireplace! If I had the room you bet I'd pounced on it-- of course it sold pretty quickly. The chairs on either side of it were super comfy too, they felt like a more structured version of a beanbag chair.
Albert admiring himself in a 1970s designer yellow plastic mirror in Katherine's booth.
Katherine knows how to reel in her clientele-- I actually really wanted to buy a plastic bangle out of the hipster stocking stuffer area, does that mean I'm a hipster??
The folks over at Hot House Market have some mad merchandising and display skills. I especially enjoyed the tower of suitcases and the knitted granny blankets draped over two ladders.
More goodies from Hot House Market above and below, they made the vintage-inspired bottle stoppers. Wouldn't they make a fun stocking stuffer?
Of course the little rotund owl stoppers were my favorite.
I'm sure someone snatched up that sheep wall hanging right away-- I like that it includes a black sheep on the end.
Kimberly of Estate Chicago always finds the best jewelry. At the Bazaar she shared a booth with another vintage jewelry vendor, Melissa of Pure Vintage Chicago.
I fell in love with these two Mod 1960s (?) fish necklaces in Melissa's booth. Aren't they rad? I'm hoping they found a good home with a stylish lady.
Lots of lucite, Bakelite and plastic baubles in Melissa's booth. I've been obsessed with chunkier plastic jewelry lately (I blame Katherine's influence) so adored all these pieces.
A more masculine vignette from Houndstooth Vintage though I'd definitely want to own every piece in this photo!
Apt528 is another vendor who consistently has quirky and wonderful displays. Look at all that color in their booth! Also the sofa in the background can be customized in any fabric, pretty neat.
Albert hamming it up (as per usual) in a vintage dog mask in Karyn & Jon Dethrow's booth.
The highlight of the Vintage Bazaar was an old fashioned Paper Moon photo booth created by Jon Dethrow. I've featured photos of his creepily awesome goods before so it's no wonder he came up with such a fun idea.Paper Moon backdrops were popular in America in the 1910s through the early 1950s. The early images were photos directly printed onto a postcard. The backdrop was created using a black piece of material decorated with stars that would be draped over a bench or wood platform that the subject(s) would sit upon. The 3-D moon cutout would be made of cardboard or wood and would help to give the illusion that the people were floating in a night sky. If you're interested in seeing a comprehensive collection of these photographs check out this collection on Flickr.
Albert's sad/stern pose, he was trying to imitate the staid look of old fashioned portraits when no one smiled (probably because the exposure times were so long and it was hard to sit still!).
Albert and I tried to both sit on the moon but I was terrified there might be an accident. Fortunately we emerged unscathed. Thanks again to Karyn & Jon for the opportunity and for sending the photos our way!Want to see more photos of The Vintage Bazaar? Check out the blog roundups below:
AvoisionZilderohDethrose VintageHot House MarketThe Vintage Bazaar