THE ViETNAM ZiPPO
LiGHTER

From the collection of Bradford Edwards, Photography by Misha Anikst, copyright Asia Ink and Visionary World 2007.

You can take a closer look at Vietnam Zippos if you follow this link to amazon.com.

 

We've been reading Sherry Buchanan's Vietnam Zippos: American Soldiers' Engravings and Stories 1965—1973 (from the collection of Bradford Edwards).

It's an intriguing book, illustrated with hundreds of photos of engraved Zippos, with informative explanations of the inscriptions on the lighters, and with brief descriptions of the historical and cultural setting in which these folk art relics emerged.

So we decided we'd give you an excerpt from this fine title, artist and Zippo collector Edwards' essay on how his collection came to be.

Burlesque Poster Design

The finest, raunchiest, most teasing poster art from the world of burlesque, from the Folies Bergère to the retro-inspired scene of today. A high-octane, eye-popping collection of visual raunch and bump and grind. Visit the gallery here.

 

“It’s Different From Anywhere Else”

Anthropologist Katherine Frank has written a beautiful book, G-Strings and Sympathy, analyzing the “regulars” (patrons who regularly visit a club to see a particular dancer) in the clubs she worked in as a stripper. We have a chapter from the book for you: Searching for Escape.

 

Waltz and Swing: The Downfall of American Society

Patsy Holden writes about the history of the Waltz and Swing, both once considered “a nuisance and the downfall of American society.”

Read more …

 
Silk screen print; Car Customizing & Outlaw Aesthetics

Serigraph Sale! $24!

We cleaned out the closet, and found a few leftover serigraphs from the “Car Customizing & Outlaw Aesthetics” series. We are now practically giving them away for the price of $24 (plus shipping).

Look for it in our online store.