Monthly Archives: March 2010

Teak Wood

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Scandinavian Modern furniture is often associated with teak, the ultra-durable hardwood from Southeast Asia. Before their discovery of teak, Scandinavian furniture designers used softer woods, like pine, which is native to the region. Teak is considered by many to be an ideal material for furniture because it’s one of the strongest woods, and at the same time relatively light. Its inherent color and oil gives it a soft, natural sheen, which mirrors the Modern emphasis on truth to materials and functionality.

Elephants Piling Teak, Burma, Courtesy of the University of Glasgow

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Other Voices & Readings

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Rachel Whiteread, Vitrine Objects, Image by Mike Bruce

Goodies behaving badly by Julian Baggini, The Guardian UK
“(…) in danger of feeling very, very self-righteous.”

Rachel Whiteread Drawings and Sculptures at the Hammer (Pictured)
“My drawings are a diary of my work.”

Krautrock: Cosmic Rock and its Legacy by Nikolaos Kotsopoulos
“(…) spirit and ideas still vibrate through contemporary culture today.”

Save Cahuenga Peak by Linda Daly, Los Angeles Times Magazine
“(…) another monochromatic row of faux Mediterranean megamansions?”

COUNTERINFORMATION
The American Chemistry Council, Inc. informs about Bisphenol A (BPA) .

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Beekeeping

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You might have heard the nightmarish predictions and the difficult to deny facts – a dizzying 50 billion… yes, billion honeybees dead over the last three years… and counting. If you’re not an insect lover, this might not seem troublesome until you think a bit about the bees’ intrinsic link to human survival – without their help of pollination, one third of our food supply would essentially be destroyed.

Blue Banded Bee on a Pin, Courtesy of Padil

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Leather Tanning

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Leather can be strong or supple; it can drape languidly or provide structure. The memory of the texture stays with your hands, and the earthy fragrance reminds you of its closeness to nature. It responds to the curves of your skin, and grows in character and beauty with age. Fine leather is mesmerizing, and Nick Horween of the venerable Horween Leather Company in Chicago, helped us understand how this incredible material is made.

Eddie, Horween Leather Co., Cordovan Department, Image by Brett Nadal

Eddie, Horween Leather Co., Cordovan Department, Image by Brett Nadal

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Fountain Pen

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Several years ago during my poor college days, I found a Mont Blanc fountain pen. It was lodged between the cushions of a sofa at a cafe, amongst the muffin crumbs and paper clips. I did what any good student would do: I marched right up to the counter, asked for a coffee,… and put the pen in my pocket.

 John F. Kennedy, April 1961, Courtesy of Life Magazine

John F. Kennedy, April 1961, Courtesy of Life Magazine

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Solid Perfume

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Easily applied and alcohol-free, solid perfume has been right under our noses for quite some time. An emerging trend among a throng of chi-chi designers, it is in fact one of the oldest forms of perfume known to man. This tidy, balm-like alternative to the drench-prone atomizer, is an art with a degree of practicality matched only by the extravagance of its reliquary.

Pomander

Gold and Silver Pomander, 16th Century

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Hot Smoking

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From the smoldering smell of a freshly extinguished match whisking you back to the hushed awe when gathered round a pungent crackling campfire, to the sweet and spiced dance of a Snickerdoodle on your tongue, taking you back to your first batch of homemade cookies emerging soft and warm from the oven – the corollary between memory and our powerfully nuanced senses of taste and smell is unique.

Smoking Fish

Smoking & Barbecuing Fish Filets, 1893, Courtesy of Shorpy (Click on Image for Details)

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Olivetti Typewriter

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When Camillo Olivetti, the founder of a growing Italian typewriter company, sent his son, Adriano, to the U.S. in 1924 to study American industrialism, did he realize that he would be plotting an entirely new course for the future of his little endeavor?

Olivetti Valentine (1969), Designed by Marcello Nizzoli and Ettore Licenza

Olivetti Valentine, 1969

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Mother Of Pearl

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Unlike its flashier progeny, mother of pearl is more than an accessory to a favorite pastel sweater set. As masculine as the grips on Wyatt Earp’s spinning six-shooters, and as feminine as the posy holder dangling from Queen Victoria’s tiniest finger, mother of pearl’s subtle elegance was valued for adornments and accouterments, and lent weight, permanence and beauty to the everyday objects now molded out of disposable plastics.

 

Gustave Young Engraved Navy Percussion Revolver with Mother of Pearl Handle, 1851

Gustave Young Engraved Navy Percussion Revolver with Mother of Pearl Handle, 1851

 

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