For the Love of Vintage Hats
MG from Santa Barbara received a collection of mid 20th century hats from her grandmother. Notably one, a streamlined head-fitted cloche style with a large silk label: “Mr. John.” This …
Puppeteer Steven Ritz-Barr
Master puppeteer Steven Ritz-Barr talks about his new film, The Legend of Joan of Arc, which is available May 8th and features a cast of 25 puppets.
Benjamin Disraeli, a Great Find in Rare Books
“You don’t even know who I am” (a famous Disraeli quote). Christa and Elaine of a local estate sale company called to say “The Clearing House” sent them a 20-volume …
All About Hats
On this solo show, Elizabeth talks about the beauty of hats, all sorts of hats.
Selling Collectable Books? Learn the Market
PL owns a series of nine books, Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, dating from 1916 to 1925 by the author Elbert Green Hubbard (1856-1915). If you know the …
Pinballs and Jukeboxes: Quaint Nostalgia
PP sends a picture of a pinball machine with a label on the back “Modified by Wurlitzer Distribution Corporation, Pico Blvd, LA.” The card game related pinball machine is dated …
Gender Bending Wedding kimono
Just in the last 4 months, I received many emails asking for values of Japanese Kimonos, emails from all over the world. A great-uncle brought a black kimono back after …
Channing Peake at Casa del Herrero
Cheri Peake and Lesa Raber Fernandez celebrate the opening of “Channing Peake at Casa del Herrero and Highlights from the Santa Barbara County Collection.” All are welcome to the opening …
How a Pro Researches Art Not attributed to a Known Artist
JS sent me a photograph of a large oil portrait of a man with a red umbrella. It’s signed, somewhat illegibly, DeGroot, DeGroat or DeGroote. Those spellings are within reason …
Functional, Grim Looking Medical Etui
J from Santa Barbara has this little box of what appears to contain instruments of torture. Is it some kind of medical thing? He asks. His great great Uncle came …