My growing collection of vintage photographs

Well firstly, thank you for still paying attention to our little blog (I say 'our' - Mr BL stays away and just reads what I've been babbling about!), I'm going to pop around in a bit, drop in for a cup of tea and say 'hi' :)  Mine's milk with one sugar thanks.

Today I'm on strike and I was hoping to stand side by side with my fellow teachers in the march - unfortunately our washing machine is broken and I have to wait in for someone to fix it.  SUCKS!  The joy of teaching and Mr BL's crazy hours, we never have time for repairs to be done.

While on the subject of work - it seems that Ofsted will not be coming to our school this side of Christmas now.  They haven't called this week and the next two weeks our Year 11s are on an intensive time-table, which means we'll be teaching a different time-table with lots of different cover/ supply lessons.  Ofsted call for these details before they make their arrangements so it will not be in their interest to come.  Well, what happens now?  Now we have to have training over the next two weeks because Ofsted change the way they do inspections in January.  We've been expecting the 20 minute walk-ins but this will be changing - so we have to rethink everything again.  It's all been so ridiculous, stressful and exhausting.  I feel in good-ish shape though.  I'm virtually marked up to date, I've got 'outstanding' in my last two observations and I know what I'm doing.  On the other hand I still feel stressed because I always want to 'do my best' of course.  Ah well - enough whinging!

BACK FROM THE MARKET ...
It's now a couple of hours later (from writing the mind-splurge above) and I'm on the sofa watching a documentary about the mind and money - I'm so glad we have PBS here now - I love NOVA.

So onto my ever-growing collection of vintage photographs:

For the men to look at (e.g. it's above the toilet!)

Anyhoo - onto what I was going to blather on about.  Our collection of old photographs and what we're doing with them.  I think I mentioned before that the toilet is slowly getting covered in some of these and I thought I'd show you a couple of photos (Hipstamatic I'm afraid) of how it's coming along:

One of my favourites is the contact sheet to the left - a man had obviously gone for a photo shoot and this is a selection of shots for him to choose from. 

You can see him better on here!  The little girl next to him is really sweet too!

Really sad to see wedding photographs being dumped - I usually pick them up - they give such a sense of the era as people tend to dress their best at a wedding so you get a real feel of the fashions at the time.

The wedding photo in the middle has now been moved to the landing.  I hate to say it but it features the ugliest family I've ever seen.  I know that's really cruel but seriously - they are.  The groom looks so upset!

This is the landing leading to the smallest room in the house.

Look at these beautiful women - you couldn't not pick up their photographs and want to preserve them.  The young girl on the left was photographed at the Lafayette Photography Studio in Bond Street.  You can read about the studio on the V&A website. I have a couple of photographs from the same shoot.  You can see it below above the baby.

Look at that beard! It's a pity you can't see the small photograph under the large portrait of the woman - the guy in it has the BEST moustache.

So there you go - a little sneak preview of what we're doing with our collection of vintage/ old photographs.  I know some people will balk that I've put my old photos on the wall like this but I just know that they are in a better place than a landfill site.  People can see them and enjoy them :)  I will try and do some better photos with my 'proper camera' when I have the walls finished.

What do you think?

I used the opportunity of an unpaid day off from work to go to my favourite haunt - Deptford Market.  MOST disappointing today - there was NO paper ephemera :(  I was in a massive sulk.  However I did pick up this:

Snoopy

The gang's all here

Snoopy and I

I think he might be circa 1970s maybe even as early as the 60s?  Everything is there - the t-shirt and trousers and there is NOTHING wrong with any of the stitching - a complete SNIP at £2 methinks!  I used to love Snoopy when I was younger so it was a real no-brainer for me.  Also got a few books and records but nothing exciting.  I hope it's better on Saturday!

half term at last ...

... and it's already Tuesday! 
This past term has been a slog - hence no blogging.  My summer holiday, being virtually devoid of relaxation, has meant that I have spent the past 6 weeks of the past half term I have been metaphorically climbing a mountain.  We've had the sword of  Damacles Ofsted hanging over our heads and the pressure, intensity and stress has been increasing with each passing day.  Weekends have been spent collapsing in a heap on the sofa and not moving apart from to demand a cup of tea or a couple of biscuits as I tap away creating lesson plan after lesson plan.  Still, it has paid off.  Last week I had an observation and received an OUTSTANDING!  It's strange how happy this makes me.  I'm such a kid at heart - I don't like to just know I'm doing well in my job - I'm conditioned to want to know HOW well I'm doing.  Outstanding isn't easy to get, especially with a class who are ALL EAL (English as Additional Language) and NO teaching assistant in the room.  I must admit I was very very chuffed with myself.
So this all bodes well for the future.  My boss's gf (who is head of another department at the school) is leaving at Christmas and moving away from London - he's obviously going to be following her at some point.  He said he won't until the Summer however I'm sure he'll leave at Easter if he can.  As there are only two of us in the department I'm going to go for the role as HoD.  Which means MORE work - but I guess I should show some sort of ambition.
We shall see - but as you can see - my life is currently being ruled by my job ... YAWN.
I did manage to photograph a couple of things this past few weeks:

Alexander Wolfe 

I love Alex - he's such a humble person and such an amazing performer.  B designed the stage and lighting for this gig and did Alexander proud - it was such a beautiful evening.
I also did a photoshoot for Birdeatsbaby:

I'm not very good at photoshoots - I get panicked because I'm the one in charge of the lighting - unlike a gig where I can always blame the lighting! ha ha - however - they seemed to like the photos.

Hopefully I'll get my shit together this week and manage to actually come round and see you all - hopefully.  I haven't even had time to go to the post office and pick up parcels that are sitting there waiting for me - arghhhhhhhh.

You could hear our want bones wanting ...

This weekend was a second-hand weekend and no mistake.  As I was working on Monday, being the brat I am, I got to have my birthday presents from Ben on Sunday and he made sure I had a second-hand birthday :)

This is a Voightlander - one that I was eyeing up on Greenwich Market one day. Ben bought it for me along with some bw film as well. It's such a gorgeously simple little camera and it was great fun playing around with it on Sunday when we went to Battersea Park. I can't wait to get the photos developed - unfortunately the film was C41 so I can't develop them myself but the next lot will be on regular bw film.

He also bought me this:

It's a weird little camera that takes 110 film - he got me some out of date film to go with it. I have no idea where I'll get it developed but could be fun finding out and playing with it.

I think I need to make a real effort to use every single one of my cameras AND actually get around to developing the photographs.

After popping to the Battersea School Car Boot Sale we went to Lasscos - according to their website they are England's prime resource for architectural antiques, salvage and curiosities - and you could hear our want bones wanting as we wandered around.

I fell in love with these posters (sorry for the Hipstamatic overload - I must learn to take my DSLR out with me):

 

They were about £90 a piece though - so they weren't purchased.

Thought I'd take some other (Hipstamatic - sorry) photos for your delectation:

I love the bulkhead lights - we have a couple of wall mounted bulkheads but would love to have some like this. Also would love to have the 'Do not spit' sign - perfect for my classroom!

Some of the goodies outside the shop:

It was definitely one of those places where you tend to 'look' - buying is kind of out of the reach for people such as we ;)

Probably tomorrow I'll get around to posting (proper) photos of all the other things I/we bought this weekend.  Deptford Market was awash with goodies and I ended up treating myself to a beautiful book off Peter's stall that cost me £10! I've never spent more than £5 on his stall before.  He was most surprised when I said 'I'll have it'.
Also will do a quick 'review' of Battersea Car Boot sale too.
Until then, faretheewell my lovelies.

Another one for the collection ...

... which is growing, growing, growing.

Yesterday we didn't get our asses down the hill until about 2:30pm - by then Deptford Junk Market was closing down for business.  Still, Ben managed to bag me a bargain.  We saw this crappy little plastic camera, a brand I've never heard of, Franka and I said those words that I never thought would break forth from my mouth, "I think I have enough cameras".  WHAT?  Seriously, what is wrong with me?  Thankfully Ben ignored me and purchased this little plastic piece of poo for one whole pound.  I've spent 40 times that for what is probably an equally little plastic piece of poo.

 I thought that I'd then share some photos of my other cameras - I have a few :)

In addition to these there is my second Minolta (I don't know what happened to my first one) SLR, a Minolta 5D (my first DSLR), a Sony Cybershot, a Sony A700 (my baby!) and my Mini-Diana.  I now need to learn how to use all of the darkroom equipment that my friend gave me as well as actually get some of the colour photos sent off for developing.  I have films backed up in boxes everywhere.
Out of all of my cameras, the only ones that were bought 'new' were the two Sonys, the Minolta 5d, the Pinhole Camera kit and the Mini-Diana.  All of the others were either given to me or bought second-hand.
I also have a growing collection of old photos that I've found here there and everywhere.  They're slowly being added to a scrapbook and stories 'invented' about the people. 
What do you collect?

A thrifting morning in the sun ...

... while Ben was away at work at the South Bank today I decided that another trip to Deptford Market was in order.  It is an almost essential part of my weekend and I feel kind of lost if I don't pop down there at least a couple of times a month.  Thankfully as it's been the Spring holiday I had Wednesday AND today to go down and I wasn't disappointed.

As I stated earlier one of the things I'm always after is expired 35mm film.  I didn't manage to find any film but I managed to find these sweet expired single-use cameras; two of which were promotional items for Teachers Scotch Whiskey.  I don't know how much luck I'll have getting any film developed from them but I thought that for 50p each they were worth a shunt!

I'll obviously share the results (if there are any) when I get them developed - fingers crossed I get something!

Next I found a great Soda Fountain - I think it cost me about £1. Not sure if it's any age or not but I really liked it - it's solid and works.  I don't think I've ever used one before but it looks pretty :)

I photographed it on our gorgeous green wing-backed chair that we got for free after a show at Ben's theatre.  And yes - that's a Union Jack flag cushion on the chair - we love Union Jacks and the cushion looks great on the chair.  Unfortunately it's not a cool vintage one - just one from Primark :(  But still we like it!

These books I bought on Wednesday:

There's a stall that sells small paper-backs for 50p and I couldn't pass these up.  The Edna O'Brien book just looks pretty - I love the design of the front cover.  As for the Scientology one - well - I have no desire to become a Scientologist but thought I'd have a read of it.  So far I've managed about 3 or 4 chapters, which is already more than the angry annotator seemed to manage (see the pic above).  There are a LOT of things written in capitals by Mr Hubbard as well as some passages which could definitely be construed as racist.  Not a particularly pleasant read but it's a good addition to my collection of weird paperbacks.

Now onto why I go there so often - more goodies to my paper ephemera collection.  This 1950s Salon of Photography catalogue is a lovely addition to my photography related ephemera - some great adverts for Kodak in here which I mean to frame and hang up in the study.

 I love this BOAC in flight magazine. It's dated 1969 and includes a short story by Doris Lessing.  I really bought it for the adverts though - some great tobacco, alcohol and Coca-Cola adverts.  I'll scan these in properly soon and add to my free ephemera blog here.

Then some obligatory knitting patterns.  I don't actually knit much - I find patterns particularly hard to follow - however I love the design of these patterns and the poses of the models.  I might actually start up my Etsy site again to sell these on as they might just clutter up things.

I particularly love the knitted slippers!

Men with pipes - a real love of mine!

I'm also building up quite a collection of Woman's Weekly magazines - these three were from the year I was born (1973) so hold a lot of interest for me.  They have some great advertising in them which again I will share when I scan them in.  I'm sure I don't have enough walls for all the adverts from magazines I want to frame.

The only photographs I found that I wanted on the market today.  I have an old scrapbook from the 1960s that I found on the market a few months ago.  Each of my portrait photographs has a page in there and we are slowly writing stories about each of the people.  These two really captured my attention though as they were both so beautiful.

Now that I'm blogging all of this it looks like I bought up the whole market - believe me when I say I really didn't!
Some other little bits - a great metal Benson and Hedges tin - I love little tins and this one was a gem at 50p.

Inside the box

A cute little Elvis purse - great and kitsch (though not in the slightest vintage - it still had its label on it!) and I wanted a little purse as mine's a bit too large sometimes.

I'm slowly building back my Manics CD single collection.  I used to have them all but had to sell them as I owed my partner at the time some £.  Very sad day.  But I'm getting there.  This one was all of 50p again! Hoorah!



Now for my most fun purchase of the day.  Whenever I have been to my friends' flat I have secretly coveted their crazy Ms Wonderful doll.  And guess what? I managed to find a working one in its box :) It cost me all of £1!  Admittedly the box is pretty ratted but how much fun is this?

Though to fully appreciate her and her inherent wonderfulness you NEED to watch this short video I did of some of her phrases.  The voice is pretty ratted but it's fun!

Well there we go - my morning thrifting on Deptford Market - buying a load of tosh that makes me smile.