Reader Makes Skram Connection
I get in trouble because I make connections which may not exist. On the other hand, I succeed in drawing conclusions because of my experience with connections which SHOULD exist. …
Demetrious Created a Local Legacy
JH inherited this twenty-six-inch-tall sculpture. She knows a Santa Barbara artist with a Greek name created it. I found that artist, our local genius in metal, Aristides Burton Demetrious (1932-2021) …
Brewer Medical Stool Comes With Fond Memories
Sad but true…I need a hip replacement, and can hardly walk these days. So my partner bought me a 1950s rolling medical stool at a thrift store. I refuse to …
Restored Tandem a Piece of American Biking History
This tandem sat in a garage, then a storage locker for 25 years. Twelve years ago a bike shop repainted and “repaired” it, then it went back in storage. The …
Two Bizarre Real Art World Amusements
Occasionally the art world becomes very bizarre. Picture yourself as a middle aged Italian sewage worker hired to drive a bulldozer to uncover old sewer pipes close to the Apian …
Print Illustrates Hoop Skirt Symbolism
GE sent me a Daumier print of a Parisian woman with a huge bell shaped hoop skirt catching the falling snow. GE asked if women really wore this fashion. What …
A Washboard Eased Laundry Day Ordeal
JE owns an early 20th century American washboard use by 1860s across the nation. Stephen Rust of New York invented it in 1833. He patented a wood frame that held …
Mechanical Music Box Cranks Up Tunes
JMC sent me photos of a fantastic music box, probably fifty to sixty inches long and twenty-five to thirty inches wide, dating from the late 19th century. I LOVE old …
THE Premier Swiss Mantle Atmos Clock
Imagine a clock that winds itself based on changes in atmospheric pressure. This clock doesn’t need a human. It winds itself with the help of a sealed bellows of ethyl …
Brass Bowl in Style of Ancient Metalworkers
GH received this Persian-style brass bowl inlaid with silver as a holiday gift. She asked me to trace its unique combination of metals, style, and history. This is a five …