vintage

Made to Last: Hartmann Gibraltarized Wardrobe Trunk

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An impromptu visit to Mom turned into a treasure hunt around local vintage haunts. My keen eye and interest for well-constructed and interesting pieces was cultivated from a young age by parents who took no care in dragging their offspring to auctions, boot sales, and bazaars. Perhaps this is why I feel perfectly comfortable navigating arcades, aisles, and rooms filled with dusty artifacts. But it was on one unseasonably warm February afternoon in Southern California that I happened to walk into one of the largest and most exciting finds I’ve had yet.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that I have found a prime example of a Hartmann Gibraltarized Panama Wardrobe Trunk from the 1920s like the one pictured in this trade book from 1922. Thanks to Google Books and their grand digitization efforts, I’ve been able to track down a handful of advertisements featured in periodicals. Such gems include:

The trunk I happened to stumble upon is a great example of a personalized trunk that could have been a gift for a graduation, birthday, or wedding. The exterior has the initials E.R. stamped in red. Though the original Yale lock is still intact, the keyhole was busted open some time ago.

Hartmann Gibraltarized Panama Trunk

Hartmann Gibraltarized Panama Trunk

 

The Yale lock bar for the interior drawers, pant hangers, shirt hangers, laundry bag, and shoe box are all in accompaniment.

Hartmann Gibraltarized Panama Wardrobe Trunk interior

Hartmann Gibraltarized Panama Wardrobe Trunk interior

The trunk has seen some light wear in its 95 years. The rusting bolts, hinges, and corner brackets only add to its overall charm. Though the trunk is in overall decent repair, it is missing one drawer; and the H and A in the Hartmann cross logo on the side of the trunk have since flaked off due to handling. The rest of the label is cracked and barely adhered. I bet a kitten’s sneeze could dislodge it.

I’m in the process of rearranging my home office/bar (because, priorities) and eager to transform this well-maintained wardrobe trunk into an office supply organizer. Perhaps one day it’ll serve its duty during a move, but for now I’ll be perfectly content displaying this unique find while also having a non-traditional spot to stash stationary and stuff.

Have you found an interesting piece of luggage or a trunk and repurposed it in your home? I’d love to find out what other creative, vintage enthusiasts are doing with their wardrobe trunks. Please comment below or Tweet!

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Suburban Treasures of the Post WWII Boom

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On a sunny Saturday one winter afternoon, I found myself in the garden of a well-loved home in West Covina. Sitting on the end of a cul-de-sac and with the back of the property line facing the wash, this home was part of the post WWII building boom in Southern California. From 1950 to 1960 West Covina was one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Not bad for a city that split off from Covina because it didn’t want a sewage farm built in the area.

The items from today’s estate sale haul speak precisely to the middle class sensibilities of that era. A set of red cloth bound books with gold lettering caught my eye as I made my way through the living room. There on a bookshelf sat a nine volume set of the Scribner Radio Music Library from 1946. The amazing gold microphone on the cover sealed the deal for me, but when I started to thumb through one of the volumes I realized that this was a wonderful way to take the pulse of a nation’s culture. Volume 6, Standard & Modern Dance Music, and volume 8, Favorite Songs of Every Character, are the most intriguing books to study at the moment. Though I lack a piano at home, I’m hoping that my brother, the pianist, will indulge me by playing a slice of the library’s repertoire.

As good timing would have it, I passed by a table of costume jewelry & watches on my way to set the Music Library aside for purchase. A gold case with bells shimmered and I couldn’t say no to the scallop design so I picked it up. I turned the case over to reveal the name Coty on the other side. Upon opening the case carefully to investigate I confirmed that I had indeed just found a compact. The exterior of the case is in fairly good condition, with minor wear to the gold tone and some light scratches. The top lid mirror is perfectly intact & in marvelous shape. There is some blush in the compact, as well as the remnants of some air-spun powder, but no sign of the applicators. The sleigh bells on the handle are securely fastened and ring delightfully. Clearly something so cute just had to come home with me.

A quick search online revealed this darling ad from Vogue’s November 1942 issue.

Coty compacts ad from Vogue.

Coty compacts ad from Vogue.

Finding a vintage Coty Sleigh Bells powder compact was a nice surprise. I think this will make a fantastic Mother’s Day gift as my Mom has been collecting compacts for ages. Most of her goodies were found while living in Ireland, but I have been known to find a treasure or two in the time since. 

The set of books and the lovely compact point to signs of a prosperous middle class that could afford a taste of the arts & leisure in their own home. That neighborhood maintains the same sensibility in present day, and I hope that whomever buys that house appreciates it’s young yet valuable history.

 

Vintage Vanity Flair: Painted Glass Bottles with Stoppers Dresser Set

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There are those occasions where the mister will gladly come along on an estate sale run and surprise me with a good find. On Black Friday, we had an inordinate amount of luck.

Maybe its because we started the day with a sunrise drop off at LAX; or perhaps it was the brisk & invigorating walk around downtown’s historic core a quarter past 7. No, no . . . it was due to the incredible breakfast we had at Nickel Diner. But that review is just going to have to wait for another time to shine.

The real winner at the estate sale would have been the person that scored this gem of a breakfast set. The chairs had a great weight to them, and the details on the table were well maintained. Pay close attention to the circle under the table. Look at those painted details!

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Mid-century modern breakfast set. Blue chairs and legs with cream seat covers. Golden accents throughout.

My breakfast nook situation at home is already pretty stellar, and without the room to spare, I had to pass on the gorgeous breakfast set. My consolation prize was finding an easy way for the mister to fulfill his Christmas stocking obligation.

I came across a bathroom set. Well, at first I thought it belonged on a vanity because the bottles were placed on a mirrored tray. After reading the bottle labels it became apparent that this grooming set may have found a home on a counter in a bathroom.

There are five painted clear glass bottles with stoppers. Four of them are labeled and they are:
1. Mouth Wash
2. Toilet Water
3. Boracic Acid
4. Peroxide

Vintage glass bottles with stoppers atop a mirrored tray make a lovely dresser or vanity set.

Vintage glass bottles with stoppers atop a mirrored tray make a lovely dresser or vanity set.

One of the bottles is unlabeled. The blue paint on the stopper and on the bottle itself is a different shade than that of the rest of the set. I wonder if it’s a replacement bottle?

The painted glass bottle with stopper bathroom set is a welcome addition to my art deco vanity. I may readapt the use of the bottles as single-stem vases. That would give my little feminine corner of our room a dose of color and a graceful air.

While I don’t want to speculate as to my husband’s holiday shopping status, I will certainly acknowledge that he’s off to a very good start.

Hidden Treasures in the Attic: the Vintage Metal Cabinet

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Tucked away in the corner of a far flung A-framed room, walls donning seafaring paper, sat an unassuming cabinet. Lets be honest though, it was the blue velvet jacket and red tartan pants on the wardrobe rack that completely distracted me. Either way, after making our way through a storybook home for the ages, the mister spotted a green metal cabinet with art deco details that speaks to modern sensibilities. The wheels on the bottom are made out of wood. There are no tags or stamps to speak of on the cabinet, but from a very basic search I gather that this is a piece of mid century office furniture. Though the rounded top and art deco design on the front speak to another time, the mass-fabrication & distribution of such an item lands in a more modern time frame.

Here is a similar cabinet to the one we found recently:

acorn cabinet

The cabinet that we found doesn’t have a top handle though, and it looks most closely akin to this cabinet that is part of a TOTALLY RAD fold out desk that’s for sale on ebay right now. I’m seriously considering the idea of putting together a pop-up office consisting of this desk, my Seminole camping chair, and my Chromebook. Come to think of it, this is exactly why I bought a new car with a hatchback. Oh the possibilities! But, I digress . . .

Once I gather more info on it’s background, I’ll share a photo of a dusted off cabinet we found. Well, that’s if I haven’t taken it to the office & turned it into a bar on wheels.

What would you do with a versatile piece of mid century office furniture on wheels? Share your thoughts in the comments!

 

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Words on Impact

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In researching typewriter repair shops to help me dust the cobwebs off a Royal Quiet De Luxe, I found this sweet video. Thank you, Internet.

Pretty Linen Things — Hanky Edition

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My little brother got engaged a few months ago. Though they have yet to set a date, I’ve taken it upon myself to start picking up cute, dainty handkerchiefs for a wedding-related project and putting a spin on “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”.

Here’s a preview of some of the pretty little hankies I’ve found at various estate sales in the last 5 months:

Pink cotton handkerchief with detailed embroidered edges.

Pink cotton handkerchief with detailed embroidered edges.

Pink cotton handkerchief with lace edges.

Pink cotton handkerchief with lace edges.

Vintage hankies

Vintage hanky haul.

I’ve been researching the best methods to freshen these up but if you have any suggestions on how to handle vintage linen, cotton, and silk hankies, then please leave a comment!

From Bedtime to Sink Skirt: How to Upcycle Vintage Sheets

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At an estate sale in Pasadena a year or two back, I was fortunate to find some brightly colored sheets in impeccable shape. When I moved into my latest apartment I planned on transforming those sheets into a shower curtain for our claw-foot tub.

Sheets

Line dried vintage sheets.

Well, practicality took over and we opted not to do that. Instead, we shifted our focus to the naked area beneath the small sink in the bathroom. It had recently been transformed into a storage area for our emergency water and was now home to two 5-gallon jugs. Not the prettiest sight while you’re sitting on the porcelain throne.

My dear friend’s Mom was kind enough to lend her sewing skills one summer afternoon and created a lovely skirt to cover my jugs. I am much happier with the view.

Sink Skirt

The finished product, a dandy sink skirt.

Now on to create something with the striped sheet!

 

 

Vintage Flair: How To Gift Well-Loved Presents

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Four days before Christmas, my brother’s girlfriend’s car was broken into and the delinquents made off with a hefty sum. When my brother shared the news with me, he immediately followed it up with a declaration that Christmas gifts were dead this year. To counteract his bah-humbug attitude, I quickly mentioned that I had picked up his gift weeks ago at an estate sale and I wished him luck in returning it. Nothing turns the mood around like a sisterly jab.

Truth be told, I have been picking up items to give as gifts throughout the year. But when a string of good finds preceded the holiday shopping season, you can bet I was shopping with Christmas bows in mind. A cookbook or three here, a meat grinder there; porcelain for you, a sequined cardigan for me. After a particularly good score in June (the meat grinder), I purposefully checked my Christmas Google Doc prior to hitting my weekly round of sales. Its easier to have a plan than allow myself to get swept up in piles of vintage linen.

In addition to having the satisfaction of sharing Christmas with my loved ones, I was able to spread some vintage love around as well. One of my favorite finds was indeed for my brother, the victim of a Grinch’s hit. He received a Thermos metal ice chest with a bottle opener on the side. I found it a little dusty but in impeccable shape as it was rarely used. It likely sat in the pool house for decades before being dragged out to the patio for the sale. Now it’ll do double duty as an end table and a scooter rally cooler.

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vintage coleman icebox with bottle opener.

Have passport, will travel.

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I recently picked up a folding, portable writing case and found some treasures tucked away in it’s pockets. I’ve been going through each item methodically and trying to date them because they seem to have been prized mementos from adventures abroad in England, France, Germany, and Canada.

There is a stamp booklet (unlike the ones we get from the USPS nowadays) which helped me date the writing case itself. The domestic postage rate is listed as 2 cents. I researched the history of US postage rates and found out that the 2 cent rate was reintroduced on July 1, 1919 after the price-hike of the war years.

The contents of the writing case are from post-WWI era Europe. There is even a French promotional calendar from 1935. Between the contents of the case and the history of postage rates, I think that this writing case is from the 1920s.

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folding writing set from the 1920s with 1930s ephemera.