Artifacts

Finally, a Museum Exhibit of Trade Catalogs!

I’ve collected vintage trade catalogs for years. Now they’ve gotten the museum treatment at one of America’s most famous institutions.

Apr 22 •

A Visit to the Ephemera Fair

Can you guess which two items I purchased at this fantastic vintage market?

Mar 18 •

The Strangest Artifacts I’ve Ever Saved

Some thoughts on the pleasures of vintage price tags.

Mar 4 •

Let’s Check Out Some Cool Old Business Letters and Invoices

Each one provides a peek into a distinct little industry-specific world.

Feb 28 •

The Amazing Variety of Parcheesi Board Designs

The popular game’s board has been rendered in a near-endless series of design variations over the years. Plus: The debut of the Inconspicuous News…

Jan 30 •

My Completely Awesome Heirloom Toaster

Plus: Another unusual mortuary-industry overlap.

Jan 21 •

Strange Bedfellows: Furniture and Undertaking

The old connection between these two industries actually makes a certain kind of sense, but it still seems weird.

Jan 16 •

What’s the Deal with “Both Phones”?

A simple but confusing phrase used to be common on promotional materials. Here’s the story behind it.

Jan 13 •

Back in the 1930s and ’40s, the candy industry promoted itself in some surprising ways.

Jan 9 •

The Pleasures of Vintage Billheads

You probably know about letterhead, but do you know about billheads? Let’s take a closer look.

Jan 7 •

How a Vintage Library Card Reconnected Me with an Old Friend

An amazing tale of coincidence, happenstance, and incredibly good luck.

Jan 2 •

An Admirably Obsessive Record of Records

A handwritten listing of a DJ’s 45-rpm records is filled with peculiarities that amount to a secret code.

Dec 17, 2024 •

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