Thursday, July 29, 2010

Remember the Miss that Scribbled This—1898

The majority of images in this piece are paper items I found in one of my Great Aunt Edith's memento boxes. She died in the early 1920s of a form of anemia, but my mother always felt she would probably have been diagnosed with leukemia in more modern days.

M Y   A R T — Hopping over to "This and That With Artichoke Annie" today, Annie had posted an entry about her grandfather's autograph book from 1894, here. I was amused to see that one of the inscriptions was exactly the same as one in a very similar autograph book I inherited. It belonged to my grandfather's sister, Edith, who died in the early 1920s. It was a pie-slice shaped book, moth-eaten velvet on the outside, with many of the pages so dry and brittle that they were mostly loosened from the binding. Page after page were poetic little ditties, written from just about the same time period as Annie's, the 1890s through the early 1900s. I was acquainted with the surnames of several of the people, and I actually had known one of them, a woman in her late 80s when I was growing up, Annie Good (as well as her equally elderly spinster sisters Alvina and Alma—three of the sweetest women. When I was no older than seven or eight they would give me a butterscotch candy for every song I could play on their piano for them!). 

Anyway, a couple of years ago, I decided that I might as well use the pages in a piece of art. Most of the time I will scan items and use printouts, but these pages were personal family items, not necessarily historical to anyone but me at this point, and were in such bad shape that 10-12 coats of polyurethane could only help them last another 100 years. I gathered some newspaper clippings that had belonged to Edith also, and added them to other images germane to the period—a children's book from 1900, dried leaves, tiny bits of colored paper from one of her little boxes. The pie slice-shaped pages from the autograph book proved to be challenge for me to work into my desired grid patterns, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. 

I also used bits and pieces of other works of mine, including one of my Dad at St Peter's in Rome as a young sailor, and a few of his brother's motorcycle friends from the '40s. I really like to reference my earlier work in new pieces. It makes an art show so much more interesting when you see all of my pieces together and realize where the bits and pieces have come from. Someday, maybe collectors will want to own all of the pieces with a certain image in them, or maybe future art historians will search for a piece that they've only seen in a tiny form on another piece. I've even used images of earlier pieces that no longer exist for one reason or another, just to throw them off and create a mystery perhaps. It's sort of like a chess game—I'm thinking five steps ahead even if no one else is right now, rofl. Either that or they'll all end up in a dumpster one day. Who knows?

These amusing poetic constructs will definitely be around now for the next several generations to be amused by as well. See if they sound familiar to you. I'm sure almost everyone has something like these in their family history too.

I thought and thought, and thought in vain,
At last I thought I'd write my name.
May 27, 1898 (my birthday would be 59 years to the day in the future, lol)

When you are old and cannot see, Put on your specs and think of me.
Jan 14th, 1898

Remember the Miss that scribbled this.
Jan 14th, 1898

Remember me on land or on sea.

If I should write perhaps you'll laugh, So I'll merely sign my autograph,
March 7, 1901

The last written autograph is just my grandfather's brother's name, Arthur Sanborn, no little poem. He was a very shy and quiet man from all I've heard—I've posted his two 1920s Buick coupes previously. Art never married, and collected and pressed dried wildflowers. I have a large-format handmade book he created, with wildflowers pressed on each page, with their common name and latin names printed. It's dated 1906 and has some wildflowers now that are very hard to find in this area now, like Trailing Arbutus and a Yellow Violet. Art was actually the Valedictorian of his high-school class, a tiny one-room schoolhouse next to their home, but he refused to take part in the graduation exercises because he was the only boy in the class. A class of six! 

He later went on to invent a collapsible oar for boats. I never knew this, no one in my family ever mentioned it, but going through boxes of stuff a few years ago, I wondered why I had 25 copies of a Science & Invention magazine from 1917. I wondered why anyone would ever buy 25 copies of a book or magazine when my eyes glanced over to my bookshelf. I have multiple copies of most books I've designed, and I have multiple copies of magazines I've had art or letters featured in and it dawned on me: one of my relatives MUST have had something published in it. I looked through it carefully, and in the section of 'new patents' was one issued to Arthur Sanborn. It was a Eureka moment! I just smiled at the similarities in our lives. Art died when I was five, and I have very limited memories of him, but I felt so close to him at that moment it was almost as if he was in the room with me. I had a bottle of Verve Clicquot champagne in the fridge for a 'special' occasion that never happened, so I opened it for him, congratulating him for his patent and congratulating myself for having solved a mystery all by myself, lol.


My pieces are very detailed and intricate, and the scan of the entire piece doesn't really show them to their best advantage. I placed the 24 x 24 inch piece on my scanner and scanned a couple of areas right up close, hopefully showing the details more clearly. I was amused by the newspaper clipping that said "British Princess Held as Naughty Militant." You just wouldn't see those words together today! I was also amused by "Queer Play at Field" and "Bad Day for Americans." I really like to give my viewers lots of stuff to talk about when they see my work.

11 comments:

  1. That was very interesting, Casey, you have given me an idea to make something up out of little bits and pieces of old stuff that has fallen off of things. Next time I rummage I will have a special box to store these bits in.

    I have an old album with lots of pictures taken of the farm/ranch. Some are already scanned and more to do. Perhaps the original pictures would do well to be made into some form of artwork. I'll see how creative I can be.

    Much better to have a funky piece of art up on the wall rather than an old album stuffed away for no one to see.

    Well my predawn wandering is over back to snuggle sheets for a few more hours.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really like this piece, Casey. Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  3. WOOT WOOT, I'M FIRST

    GRANNY

    ReplyDelete
  4. and give your blog readers a lot to think about on your blog..
    Congratulations to Uncle Art on his invention...that had to feel so great to solve that mystery.
    Is it pieces such as this that you use (or have used) in art exhibits? It must be fascinating for patrons to walk from piece to piece and try to figure out if there is a theme or a mystery in your wor
    ...I got my old bike back last night that was in storage...It needs some TLC but hope to be able to get on it and go for a ride soon. I hope you will post a pic of your "new bike" or of the ride you take going into town.
    Hope you are staying cool (as in "weather") today! (we already KNOW you "cool" ha!)
    mare
    Hi TG: and Px
    OH, and Casey, if you glanced at my blog, you will see the tree they took down. I kept a slab of the wood from the last cut you see...now, what to do with it? I have thought.."what would Casey do with it..???)

    ReplyDelete
  5. CASEY, I REALLY ENJOYED THIS STORY TODAY. YOUR HOUSE IN MY MINDS' EYE MUST LOOK LIKE A MUSEUM. I THOUGHT I KEPT TO MUCH STUFF BUT WOULD I'D HAVE A HAY DAY AT YOUR PLACE. WHEN I WAS LITTLE I SPENT HOURS IN OUR ATTIC SNOOPING. I ALWAY THOUGHT THERE'RE GHOST IN ATTIC.I WASN'T AFRAID DURING THE DAY JUST AT NIGHT. WHEN MY BROTHER CAME BACK FROM THE WAR I HAD TO MOVE TO THE BACK OF THE HOUSE [UPSTAIR] TO A ROOM THAT DIDN'T HAVE A BEDROOM DOOR. THE ATTIC DOOR WAS IN THAT ROOM. NOW WHY DID MOM PUT ME SO CLOSE TO THE ATTIC? I'D CRY EVERY NIGHT WHEN SHE WOULD SAY, GET UPSTAIRS AND GET TO BED, KNOWING THAT THE GHOSTS WOULD SURELY COME THROUGH THAT DOOR AND GET ME. I WAS ALSO SCARED OF SPIDERS. WE HAD DADDYLONGLEGS. TO ME THEY WERE BIGGER THAN LIFE. I JUST KNEW THEY WOULD EAT ME OR AT LEAST CARRY ME AWAY TO WHERE I DIDN'T KNOW.BOY WOULD THEY HAVE A FEAST TODAY. LOL, ANYWAYS THE ATTIC HAD ALOT OF MYSTERY FOR A CHILD. COBWEBS AND ALL. IT WAS THE LENGTH OF THE HOUSE AND MAYBE 12 FEET WIDE GIVE OR TAKE. NO WINDOWS. ONE LIGHTBULB THAT HUNG AT THE DOOR AS YOU GO INTO THE ATTIC. A FLASHLIGHT WAS A MUST IF I REMEMBER RIGHT.AT THE FARTHEST END OF THE ATTIC I REMEMBER MOM HAD OLD WOOD CHAIRS [WHAT I WOULDN'T GIVE FOR THOSE CHAIRS] TODAY]I JUST KNEW THAT'S WHERE THOSE GHOST SAT WAITING FOR THE NIGHT JUST SO THEY COULD COME AND TERRORIZE ME WHICH THEY DID. I STILL SLEEP WITH NIGHT LIGHTS ON ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE. ONE OF THE CHEST IS WHERE I FOUND THE WEDDING GOWN OF MY AUNTS THAT I WORE IN THAT FIREMENS' PARADE AFTER WINNING QUEEN FOR A DAY. I ATE THAT DAY UP. I REALLY DID THINK I WAS A QUEEN. WHAT DID I KNOW. I WAS REALLY A NOBODY. I REALLY THINK THAT DAY FOR SOME PRIVATE REASON, I NEEDED TO BE A QUEEN.I'LL NEVER FORGET HOW SPECIAL I FELT. THE ONLY OTHER DAY I FELT THAT SPECIAL IS WHEN DAD WALK ME TO THE ALTER ON MY WEDDING DAY AND HANDED ME OVER TO GRAMPS AS WE BOTH HAD TEARS FALLING DOWN OUR CHEEKS. NOW THAT'S SPECIAL.

    GRANNY

    ReplyDelete
  6. IF YOU GUYS KEEP IT UP WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE A PRIVATE ART SHOW.

    GRANNY

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is one of my favorites of yours. The triangular shapes and colors catch your eye from a distance, compeling you to get a closer look. Once there, the content keeps you interested for hours, like your on a treasure hunt looking for the hidden message. Brilliant.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey Casey have you seen this? You're such a visual person I'm sure you'll enjoy. Color photos from the depression.

    http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/07/26/captured-america-in-color-from-1939-1943/

    ReplyDelete
  9. PX: Thanks! I got another last-minute book to clean up so I've been just putting through comments and not commenting 'til now. I like that description very much:

    Ish: Very cool photos! I love the look of early color photographs. great subjects too. thanks!

    Granny: I live with ghosts to this day! I grew up with ghosts too, a man with a 3-cornered hat and a couple of small children, a boy and a girl. Everyone that grew up in our house for almost 150 years claimed it was haunted from the Revolutionary times. Part of the house was burned in 1787 when the British came back.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Annie: Go for it! Creativity should never be wasted or ignored. as Nike says, Just Do It! : )

    ReplyDelete
  11. I DON'T KNOW WHO THOSE GHOSTS WERE BECAUSE MY GRANDFATHER [DAD DAD] BUILT THE HOUSE WITH HELP I'M SURE.I NEVER SAW THEM BUT I JUST KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING BEHIND THAT ATTIC DOOR.MY GRANDFATHER AND GRANDMOTHER BOTH DIED WITHIN A DAY OF EACH OTHER WHAT I BELIEVE IT TO BE TB. DADS' SISTER DIED ALSO YOUNG AND LEFT TWO GIRLS WHICH MY MOM AND DAD TOOK THEM IN AND MADE SURE THEY HAD A GOOD HOME.MY DAD SPENT HIS WHOLE LIFE TAKING CARE OF FAMILY. ALSO ON PENNIES. NINE IN NUMBERS. WOW, HOW DID HE DO IT? I REALLY DON'T KNOW. PLUS, NEVER NEVER GOING INTO DEBT. I WONDER IF HE EVER KNEW WE HAD GHOSTS. SOMETIMES I WONDER HOW HE EVER GOT A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP BECAUSE WHEN I HAD TO GET UP IN THE NIGHT I WOULD HAVE TO GO DOWNSTAIRS IN THE DARK TO THE BATHROOM WHEN WE FINALLY GOT ONE.THEY HAD AN OUTHOUSE FOR YEARS. ANYWAYS, I'D CRAWL INTO BED AND GET BETWEEN MOM AND DAD WHERE I REALLY FELT SAFE. DID YOU EVER GET SCARED IN THE NIGHT?

    GRANNY

    ReplyDelete