The Book Shop: Obsolete

Posted: January 20th, 2010 | Author: Sarah | Filed under: The Book Shop | Tags: books, drawing, illustration, literature, nostalgia, past | 4 Comments »

“Another Book Shop post?” you say.  “What fun!” you say.   You’re too kind.  With this new installment, we’re bringing you a little gem from Anna Jane Grossman.  Obsolete: An Encyclopedia of Once-Common Things Passing Us By is an amusing look at technologies and practices that are outdated and defunct (or quickly getting there) with over 100 subjects from answering machines to wrinkles.  With entries ranging in length from a few sentences to a few pages and quirky pen-and-ink drawings from James Gulliver Hancock, the book offers bite sized quips that are perfect for a few minutes of happy diversion, nostalgic reflection and hearty chuckles.  Grossman is careful not to preach or over-romanticize, but there are certainly a few things I’m sad to see go (e.g. writing letters, Polaroids, body hair) and a few things I’m not (e.g. manual car windows, lickable stamps, “Miss” and Mrs.”).

A few of my favorite entries:

PERCOLATORS: Coffeemakers that pushed boiling water up through a cylinder into a chamber of coffee grounds, producing a brew that smelled better than it tasted and was imbibed from cups that were referred to using the English words “small” and “large”.

LIGHTHOUSES: Structures that emmitted beams of light to signal sea vessels.  Once largely manned by monks who wouldn’t have complained about living in a five-story walk-up…  Also a staple of the collectible figurine market.

ANONYMITY: Living an existence that warranted only two status updates; three, if you got married.

LANDLINES: Magnasonic Telephone from Hindsvik

CURSIVE WRITING: “A form of writing that involved making letters touch each other.  Largely impossible for small children to read; adults fared better, but only slightly.”  Cursive Letter Ring from Silvermade Studio

BLIND DATES: Bad Blind Date Card from GemmaBear

PENNIES: “Coins representing one hundredth of an American dollar, once used for purchasing candy, now used decoratively in jars.”  Wheat Penny Cufflinks from David Gieske

TYPEWRITERS: Vintage Olivetti Typewriter from StilettoGirl Vintage

GETTING LOST: Vintage Cartographic Map T-shirt from Isotope

MILKMEN: “Professionals who delivered dairy products, mostly milk, which came in reusable glass bottles that were not printed with information regarding pasteurization, presence of hormones, additives, calories, vitamin content, or missing children; usually were men accustomed to fielding winking comments about how much they resembled their clients’ children…”  Vintage Milk Bottle Holder w/ Bottles from Our Retro Toybox

POLAROIDS: “Instant memories, squared.”  Vintage Cameras Photo Blocks from Susannah Tucker

---