Blog - Photographica

Ivory Pistol Grip with Photo

This ivory pistol grip from early 1900s is very unusual because it has a photo of a woman on it. A great example showing how people used photographs to personalize their belongings. This unique photographic object recently sold for $275.00 at the Kimball M. Sterling Auction House in Tennessee. via @anonymousworks   Read more Photographica

Appreciating Found Photos

image © Jane Waggoner Deschner. from the garment series (little boy, dragon), snapshots of James "Jimmy" Schelfhout, 2011 There is a growing awareness that pre-digital snapshots are quickly becoming obsolete. In view of this more is being written and considered about their cultural value (including about artists who use found photos). In the last few weeks, three note worthy articles have come out on the topic: listen to NPR's interview with Robert Jackson "Are Snapshots Dead?"; read New York Times art critic Roberta Smith's exhibition review: "Not for the Family Album: Snap Noir and Photo Brut Display Found Photos"and feast your eyes on artist Jane Waggoner Deschner's stitched photographs featured this week on John Foster's Accidental Mysteries blog. Hooray for... Read more Barbara Levine, Found photos, Photographica, snapshots, vernacular photographs

Vintage Toy Cameras

A camera designed to look like french fries? You bet! At PROJECT B, we love toy cameras! Vintage novelty cameras are colorful, collectable and many of them take real photographs! We have a great Pinterest board full of them including spy gadgets, miniature models and cameras made to look like cartoon characters (is that a Charlie the Tuna camera?). Take a peek and pop in your 127 film! Read more Photographica, Toy Cameras, Vintage Toy Cameras

Wearable Photographs

  Every thought about wearing photographs of people you love or like the look of? Almost as soon as photography was invented people made jewelry with their personal photos. From Victorian mourning brooches, rings and cufflinks to buttons promoting political candidates, photo jewelry came in all sizes and shapes. Especially popular in the 1920s and 30s was the pinback photo button. From the Project B rare originals collection is this hand colored photograph of a young girl in the 1920s that was made into a photo button. It measures 1 3/4 x 1", has a pin on the back and is especially charming (we love her glasses!). How would you wear your photographs?!  Read more Barbara Levine, Photo Jewelry, Photographica, PROJECT B, PROJECT B Rare Originals, Vintage pinback buttons