Overhead Launching Gantry

Any sane person would avoid it, but I now love driving through the construction-jammed thicket of traffic around Tyson's Corner, Virginia, a suburban mall sprawl between Dulles airport and Washington DC. I love it because they are constructing an overhead train line to the airport, and when it is done, I will be rich from all the $80 cab rides I won't have to take. And also, they are constructing this line using three overhead launching gantries, which are just awesome to watch.

A launching gantry is also called a lifting gantry or a truss. I believe they are being operated by Rizzani de Eccher, the Italian bridge construction specialists. They are self-propelled, weigh 365 tons, and they suspend 40-ton, precast concrete railway segments underneath them like a charm bracelet.

Subway construction [sic] dominates Tysons Corner Skyline [mclean.patch.com]
Much Dulles Corridor constructionporn at Railroad.net [railroad.net]

TWA Stewardess Paper Dresses

Paper dresses were a thing in the mid-to-late 1960s. At the tail end of the trend, in 1968, TWA had their stewardesses wear internationally themed paper dresses designed by Elisa Daggs as part of an in-flight marketing campaign. Four of those costumes, in unworn condition, will be sold next month by Augusta Auctions, which specializes in clothing and textiles. They are:

The English Wench [est. $600-800]



The French Maid [est. $200-300]



The Roman Toga [est. $400-500]



And The Manhattan Hostess. [$600-800]

Derek Diedricksen’s Shackitecture

 

Gawk or buy Derek's "Keep Your Volkswagen Alive"-style book, "Humble Homes Simple Shacks Cozy Cottages Ramshackle Retreats Funky Forts."

$200 Microhouse at NYT (via neatorama, thanks Marilyn!)

Frankfurt Kitchen at MoMA

The Counter Space show at MoMA seems to be an excuse to showcase their Frankfurt Kitchen and god bless 'em for it. A supreme example of design presenting a vision for society. I am surprised that the concept hasn't been updated for tiny lofts. In 2008, I asked for pointers to modern versions of the Frankfurt kitchen. Ikea could sell an extremely compact modular kitchen for micro-space development. Of course, the case could be made that Ikea already is.

Counter Space at MoMA
Previously, D+R 2008 Frankfurt Kitchens

Jet Interior

The domesticated aeronautical trophies of a glimmering mancave have been dispersed in Britain. On February 1st, Christie's sold the following four lots in quick succession--and for quite a bit of money:

Three Avro Shackleton propellors from the 1950s, 193cm tall, mounted on brass bases. [£13,750]




A Jet Engine Turbine Fan Coffee Table made from a 1960s Rolls Royce Olympus 301. [£8,125]




An aluminum model of a DC-6 which, well.

And my favorite, an Aluminum Jet Engine Cowling from a Pratt & Whitney turbofan, which once powered a Boeing 727, transformed into a 127cm dia. wall mirror. [£7,500]

Buy Frey Ply

Wow, I am just a sucker for vintage plywood. Pull it from Albert Frey's own 1940 Frey House I, and then mention the awesome Aluminaire House Frey knocked together in a week with Lawrence Kocher, and yes, I might be willing to entertain a $5-7000 estimate.

BTW, Frey rhymes with "hooray, bid today!" not "my ply guy."

March 6, Lot 2 Albert Frey
Plywood Bedroom Storage Unit, est. $5,000-7,000 [lamodern.com]

OG LV

While taking to heart Mister Jalopy's counsel regarding current Louis Vuitton vs Hermes, I have to say, this old, old, all leather Vuitton Steamer Sac is quite beautiful--and, I would guess, well-made.

March 1, LOT 269 | LOUIS VUITTON Sac "Steamer" | en cuir épi naturel | est. EUR 800-1000 [artcurial.com]

Domino's Pizza Rolex

Hmm, I guess if you ever Googled for a Domino's Pizza Rolex, you'd see that people have marveled at them before. The trick is ever thinking to Google it in the first place.

Anyway, it exists, and it was apparently a reward for franchisees or managers or whomever in the early 1990s. And this one being sold next month at the French auction house Artcurial has a Domino's blue leather wristband--and the pizza box, appropriately, at the 30 minute mark.

Lot 332 Rolex Airking Domino's Pizza, circa 1991, est. EUR3000-5000 [artcurial.com]

Pakistani Sialkoti Wheelers

The universal desire to pop wheelies continues unabated.

Via Pedalmafia

Baño para Donald Judd

The greatest thing, I was wondering where my incredible catalogue was for the Westfalische Kunstverein Munster's 1989 exhibition, Donald Judd Architektur--it's a little thing, and we have books in several places. And then out of the blue, my friend Patrick sent it to me. Apparently, he'd borrowed it like six years ago.

Anyway, here's a sweet concrete bathtub Judd made for Casa Perez, one of several small ranch houses on Ayala de Chinati, a 40,000 or so acre property the artist began assembling in 1976 in the mountainous desert south of Marfa. It is not open for tours.

Judd Foundation | The Ranches [juddfoundation.org]

Toilet Waterfall

The Toilet Waterfall is for real, but you have to go to South China's Gunagdong Province to see it (wherever that is). Packed 100 meters by 5 meters, it's constructed entirely of used toilet bowls, lids, and urinals.

Marchal Headlights with War Time Shrouds

 

From Bonhams: 

Two Marchal small headlamps with war-time shrouds, finished black, pillar mounted, one in good condition complete with reflector in shroud, the other original condition/aged, 8cm diameter.

Headlights at Bonhams Paris Auction

Swann Poster Auction

Swann specializes in vintage posters and prints. Ah, the heyday of illustration.

Swann Poster Auction

Mr. Ishikawa's Amazing 80 Hour 25 Minute Bicycle Bag

Per Mr. Ishikawa, via Babelfish:

The leather material which is necessary for the production of the front bag, all sizes together 56

As for the leather material which this time we have used, with the domestic trader [nameshi] the full vegetable tanning which was processed
The leather (the [nume] leather) being similar, it produces. (Question such as coming up and optical fading of wheel [jimi] and the [gin] aspect by the waterdrop
There is also a subject point, but it seems that even the leather material of today can be said with the full vegetable etc. )

Extraordinary. Not that Mr. Ishikawa would take such a commission, but having a bag like this made would be true luxury. Handmade, single worker, extremely small production, documented. He says it took 80 hours and 25 minutes. Yesterday I went to an electric motor repair shop that specializes in large motors and their labor rate was $85 an hour. Unfairly, let's use that as a rate for professional labor.

I have not communicated with Mr. Ishikawa, as his webpage states that he can't respond to English emails, but merely for the exercise of consideration of true luxury bespoke products, let's calculate a value. 80.42 hours at $85 an hour pegs an imaginary price at $6,835.

A fictional Ishikawa bicycle handle bar bag could reasonably cost $6,835 - and if it was retailed, it would be double that. Expensive, make no mistake, but true handmade luxury products feel like a much better value than the mass market luxury products.

Tipped to Mr. Ishikawa by Joe on the CR List

If you haven't read Deluxe: How Luxury Lost It's Luster, I recommend it. It will make you want to buy something - anything - from Hermes before they get gobbled up.

Tipped to Deluxe by Ryan of South Willard