Thursday, May 10, 2012
Tesla Guns, Tesla Guns, Writing In Their Diaries
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The IBM Wall Clock
Our brilliant friends at Schoolhouse Electric in Portland have partnered with IBM to reproduce their iconic 1960s standard issue wall clock. It takes me back to childhood, and late afternoons anticipating school to be let out as that thin red second hand ran circles behind the domed glass.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Late 1800s Circus Wagon Wheel
Late 1800s Circus Wagon Wheel
Monday, April 09, 2012
100+ Vintage Photos Of Airships

Quick, this Pollo fellow is selling over one hundred vintage photos of airships on eBay. Balloons, dirigibles, zeppelins, the works.
This one, #81, is the USS Los Angeles, c.1924. The current bid is GBP 1.20.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Bubble Shield
This bubble shield is the kind of small difference that says so much. Sixty bucks.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
"Hermitage"
In the summer, I will live in the middle of an small lake island... in this shack... with wifi and a personal heliport. And a secret underground control center...
Monday, February 27, 2012
Jennifer Murphy Magic
Absolutely enchanting. Her creations are so expressive. A form so refined that it is touching the edges of high art. So evocative with so much narrative in form.
Jennifer Murphy
Sunday, February 05, 2012
Router Shelf By Michael Samuels

I knew the router thrown behind the cornice of the faux-French country armoire media center in the beach cottage we rented one summer was indicative of something. Only now do I see what: the contemporary crisis in the design industry.
I mean, it's 2012, and there has still been only one awesome, purpose-built router shelf brought into this world?
Router shelf built for Richard Hogg by London-based sculptor Michael Samuels [h099.com, michaelsamuels.co.uk]
Friday, February 03, 2012
Spanish Prime Minister's Goth Daughters
Daily Mail
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Moby Dick Typed On Toilet Paper

According to the all caps eBay listing, this copy of Herman Melville's Moby Dick was typed onto six rolls of 2-ply Cottonelle toilet paper for the noblest of reasons: to win a bet.
But ours is really, really not to wonder why, just to wonder.
Moby Dick on toilet paper, opening bid 399.95 $999.95, auction ends Jan. 29 [ebay]
Monday, January 16, 2012
The Europallet By Bunker Hill

Swedish architect Daniel Franzen conceived of this low table, made of high-grade Swedish pine in the exact dimensions of a shipping pallet, a couple of years ago, while working on a pine-clad hipster store in Stockholm.
Supposedly, it finally went into production last year, but I can't find any evidence of it. So I guess we are all left to make our own. Maybe make a stack of them, because that's a pretty low table.
Europallet: Low table in Swedish pine [bunkerhill.se]
Saturday, January 14, 2012
1950s Mobil Coin-Operated Pegasus Ride
While Mobil's friendly full-service men are busy filling your tank, cleaning the windows, checking the tires and sweeping your car's floor with a hand-sized whisk broom, you're free to stretch your legs, purchase cigarettes and enjoy hot coffee in a paper cup, complimentary at the cashier. If you're traveling with a little one, why not treat him or her to a ride on the famous Mobilgas winged Pegasus!
Saturday, January 07, 2012
1956 Mobil Station, Anaheim, Calif.
The Mobil gas station that was once located across the street from Disneyland was a marvel of mid-century design by Whitney Smith and Wayne Williams. With the giant floating canopies balanced precariously on spindles, underneath a fire-engine red flying Pegasus, the station was an eye-catching roadside masterpiece - even catching the eye of famed architectural photographer Julius Shulman. Do we need to even mention that it's long gone now?
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Immaculate Frank Lloyd Wright House for $578,500
Well, if you just bought an Echo Park fixer, this should leave you with an upset stomach. An extraordinary - but modest in scale - FLW house sold for $578,500.
Striking design created with modest materials and modest craftsmanship. Those visible screw holes filled with putty makes me feel better and worse about everything I have ever built.
At Wright's (via Wallpaper*)
Sunday, January 01, 2012
Fuji Pavilion Bank

The pavilions in Osaka's Expo '70 were toyishly futuristic enough without being turned into actual toys.
Here's a little plastic bank in the shape of Fuji Bank's pavilion, which was made from sixteen 4m x 72m pneumatic tubes, lashed together with 50cm-wide webbing, designed by Yutaka Murata and engineered by Mamoru Kawaguchi.
富士グループパビリオン/富士銀行貯金箱 [yahoo jp auctions]
Expo 70 Fuji Group Pavilion [tensinet.com]
Friday, December 23, 2011
Wood Prototype of Airplane Engine
Does it have valves? Compression? Are the spark plugs threaded in? Was it a true functional prototype to test some aspect of performance or is it (more likely) a teacher's model?
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Aluminum British [?] Officer's Furniture

yeah, "some" scratches. I'd call that hammered aluminum, but still:
Lot 451"Officer's Armoire and Bed"? Officer of what awesome aluminum army? [via skinner auctions]
Officer's Armoire and Bed
Aluminum
England, first half 20th century
Rectangular form armoire with cut corners and single door, interior fitted with a clothing pole, Bakelite handle; rectangular head and footboard with bed rails; some scratches and dents; ht. 71 3/4, 36 1/2, wd. 39 1/8, 57 1/4, armoire dp. 18, rail spacing 52 1/4 in.
Estimate $1,200-1,800
Sold for $3,437
Friday, December 16, 2011
Sign Painter Movie
As an aficionado of hand lettering, I am extremely interested in Faythe's new sign painter documentary. Having known a number of sign painters, they are categorically an interesting bunch and should make for an interesting documentary.
John Downer with his sandwich board Halloween costume, which, is pretty cool and all, but look at that $15 a hour sign behind him. My goodness.
Whew. That is serious work.
Doc Guthrie's class at LA Trade Tech makes me feel better about the world.
Follow the movie's progress
Support the film and order a shirt here
Support Your Local Sign Painter
As an aficionado of hand lettering, I am extremely interested in Faythe's new sign painter documentary. Having known a number of sign painters, they are categorically an interesting bunch and should make for an interesting documentary.
John Downer with his sandwich board Halloween costume, which, is pretty cool and all, but look at that $15 a hour sign behind him. My goodness.
Whew. That is serious work.
Doc Guthrie's class at LA Trade Tech makes me feel better about the world.
Follow the movie's progress
Support the film and order a shirt here






























