Of Town & Country

I recently helped clean out the attic of my grandparents' house - a veritable time capsule of furniture, clothing, and piles and piles of papers and magazines accumulated over the past 65 years.  In one particular box, I came across a stack of vintage Town & Country magazines, some dating back as early as the 1920's!  Among the other books and papers, these stood out because of their magnificent covers.  The painted scenes depict upstanding individuals as well as document the leisure activities of privileged American life.  As the oldest continually published general interest magazine, in print since 1846, the cover artwork offer a surreal glimpse into a gilded period of our nation's past.

I think they would look really neat framed in a series - perfect for a hallway or study.  Conveniently, the Town & Country website offers a link to purchase hundreds of vintage cover prints.  I've picked out a few of my personal favorites...

Images via Art.com 

L'Art de L'Automobile

Last week the Louvre in Paris unveiled to the public a collection that previously only a select few had ever seen.  Ralph Lauren himself is showcasing his exquisite private collection of classic cars at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs from April 28th to August 28th.  This exhibition proves that cars are truly an artform, reflecting the human relationship with form and design.  Each one of these automobiles exudes classic style and their sophisticated elegance serves as an inspiration to find beauty in our surroundings.

Images via Polo.com

Listen to Ralph talk about his collection and be sure to visit the Polo website to read more about the cars in the collection and even hear their engines!  


Also, here is an article featured in the Wall Street Journal about the exhibit.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

I saw this commercial the other day on TV, and the concept really piqued my interest. MemoryLane.com is an extensive compilation of music, movies, news, sports, lifestyle, and magazines ranging from 1940 all the way up to 1999.  It's a division of the same company that owns classmates.com, a social media platform designed for people to find old classmates from kindergarten through college - a feature which has been integrated through the yearbook section on the site.  There are several membership fees for unlimited viewing ranging from $6.95 for one month to $59 for 2 years with other options in between.

Even perusing through the website in the free preview mode, I came across a lot of really cool vintage stuff, ranging from 1960s Beach Boys album stills...

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images via MemoryLane 

to promotional portraits from Full House.

Lorimer Television/Fotos/Getty Images via MemoryLane

Overall, it's a really neat concept, and it's fun to poke around the site looking at the free previews.  It's definitely worth checking out!

Library Cool

Colby students hard at work in the library...well, sort of.  Even if your're not the most focused of scholars, take it from this guy and at least dress the part.  Norwegian Fair Isle sweater, cuffed trousers, gold rectangular watch (passed down from grandfather), perfect part, and most important the perfect cool. Always. 

Image via Colbiana

On Johnson Pond

Sunday is a day to sit back and recover from the weekend's festivities .  Let's travel back in time to Colby College in Waterville, Maine circa 1958.  A time when students relaxed by the water's edge of Johnson Pond.  A time of elbow patched sweaters, ribbon watch bands, and boat shoes.  A time to really appreciate collegiate life and the warmer months ahead - here's to keeping tradition alive.

Image via Colbiana Photographs