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Barbara Levine talks Photobooks and Found Photos in SPOT Magazine

The Fall 2016 issue of SPOT magazine focused on the subject of photobooks. Executive Director of Houston Center for Photography, Ashylyn Davis and I talked books, collecting found photos and CAMERA ERA.   Project B and the Vernacular Photobook: An Interview with Barbara Levine by Ashlyn Davis AD: Barbara, tell me a little bit about your background and how you came to work with the found image and the book form. BL: Like many people, I’ve always loved books and libraries and looking at other people’s pictures. My mother and grandmother went antiquing often (and I went with them) and the shops always had piles of old photos and photograph albums. I was bit by the collecting bug early on!... Read more

Fabulous Space Age Christmas Trees!

Collection of Barbara Levine/projectB.comOne of the reasons I love collecting and selling vintage photographs is often the photos lead me to learning about history and interesting stories. Recently, I purchased the above 1970s snapshot of a silver Christmas tree decked out in gold glass ball ornaments. In addition to my appreciation of the photo for it's unique color, I became curious about the origin of aluminum Christmas trees and decided to find out the story.In 1959, America saw the first commercial aluminum Christmas tree manufactured by the Aluminum Specialty Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Named the 'Evergleam', it was advertised as a ''permanent'' tree.  No more having to tie a tree to the top of the car or cleaning up falling... Read more Barbara Levine, mid-century modern, Vintage Christmas trees, vintage photos

Before Facebook: A Photographic Collage of Friendship

  Collection of Barbara Levine / projectB.com Photo albums can be more than collections of images; they can reflect a whole artistic sensibility. In this remarkable 1920s example, the inside back cover is a collage of faces and maker has inscribed a question—or a title—at the bottom: A "Million" Friends. Are you Among Them?. It is a (pre Facebook!) photographic map of friendship, and an invitation to find ourselves in it. Save Read more 1 comment Barbara Levine, Found photos, Vernacular photographs, Victorian collage, Vintage photo albums

Tiny People: Vintage Photos from Barbara Levine Collection

One of the many pleasures of being a collector and dealer of vintage vernacular snapshot photography is looking at seemingly random images and putting them together into curatorial groupings. "Tiny People" is my ongoing series that features people who appear very small in a vast landscape. These photos are endearing and humorous (how far away was the photographer standing?!) and evoke a distinct pleasure that goes beyond their original intention or even our (ironic or nostalgic) perspective on the past.   All of the photographs below are from the collection of Barbara Levine / PROJECT B. Inquiries welcome! Tiny People: A Series of Vintage Snapshots From The Collection of Barbara Levine.on view at the Catherine Couturier Gallery, October  15  Dec. 1,... Read more

PROJECT B: Bottoms Up! First in exhibit series with Catherine Couturier Gallery

Call it slapstick humor or just plain funny, looking at an old photo of someone bending over makes us laugh! Sometimes people are playing to the  camera and other times their backside is caught unaware. Here are 12 vintage photos showing laugh out loud funny rear views. Bottoms Up is the first theme in a series of mini exhibits curated by PROJECT B in collaboration with Catherine Couturier Gallery .The exhibit is currently on view at the gallery and all the vintage photos are framed and ready to enliven your walls! Questions? Email me Read more « Newer articles 1 2 3 4 5 16 Older articles »