The Old Farmer’s Almanac, that periodical which has managed to endure over two centuries of political upheaval, several wars, and dramatic cultural and technological evolutions, was all done, for the most part, by remaining relatively unchanged at the steady center of America’s storm.
Robert B. Thomas Farmer's Almanac, 1907
It is taken for granted today that the design of everyday objects is an art form, but in 1919 this was a radical notion. The Bauhaus succeeded in breaking down hierarchal notions of art disciplines, and believed that there was no difference between the artist and the craftsmen.
Johannes Itten, Die Farbe (The Color), 1944
Alice Waters (born 1944) is one of the unrivaled pioneers of California cuisine, owner of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, among the first US restaurants to promote locally grown, seasonally available, organically produced ingredients. While this now might seem a given, this philosophy was groundbreaking in 1971, when Waters first opened her restaurant.
Alice Waters at her Restaurant 1975
‘The good life is never stable, never secure, never easy and never ended. It is a series of steps or stages, one leading into the other and all, in their outcome, adding, not subtracting; augmenting, not diminishing; building, not destroying; creating, not annihilating.’ – Scott Nearing, 1965
Helen & Scott Nearing
The advent of Kindle may be a boon for techies and a fine way to carry around a library in your luggage – but it certainly takes some of the romance out of reading. What about the pleasure of turning a page, the dusty, nostalgic smell of old paper, the scattered notes and underlining left behind by past readers? If you’re like me, you like nothing better than the feel of a heavy hardcover or a tattered paperback and half the joy of reading is gazing triumphantly at the stacks of conquered pages against the wall. Book darts are another bit of class and old school style that come in handy, the perfect accessory for the avid reader.
Bronze Book Dart
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Other Voices and Readings
Erik Heywood keeps the outstanding blog Books and Bookshelves, where we found a lot of books we wish we’d known about sooner. Erik was nice enough to compile a list for Kaufmann Mercantile. There are peeks into the fascinating mundane of a tragic artist, a chronicle of the realities beyond romantic notions, and a page-turner on what happens when you do your homework with a notebook and a ship. His picks and a few words about reading after the jump.
"The Natural House" (1974) by Frank Lloyd Wright.
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