Welcome to HOW RETRO, which is all about the 20th century - films, fashion, TV, people, popular culture and more.
Like Lot's Wife, we just can't help looking back...
Rose Seidler House
Nestled in Wahroonga, in the suburbs of Sydney, NSW, lies an intriguing time bubble in the form of a perfectly preserved 1950s house. Rose Seidler House is designed by noted Viennese born architect Harry Seidler - a striking Bauhaus styled monument to a then state of the art mid 20th century home and now lovingly preserved for the public by the National Trust. Originally built for his parents, Rose and Max Seidler, who lived in the house until 1967, everything about the design screams modernity, from the large Modrian- like window panes to the low, flat roof, bright colour accents, open plan-living and box like exterior structure.
"The house is divided into two distinct zones that are linked by a flexible transitional zone of playroom, stairs and sundeck, which can be used to extend either public or private areas"~ Historic Houses Trust
This quirky wall clock in typical 50s-flavoured design, from Lee Hiller Designs, is pretty darn cool, though it might take a while get used to reading the time with such a busy background to distract.
Finished in a high gloss, 'ceramic-like' (whatever that is) finish, the wall clock, which features retro TVs and atomic age skeches, measures 10" by 10" and is selling at Amazon for US$34.99.
Techniques for Applying the Vintage Makeup Look...
Fancy those dark, high arched eyebrows of the 1950s? The smouldering red lips of the 40s? 60s Twiggy eyes? Or maybe you've got a penchant for the vampish looks of the 1920s? If so, this could be the book for you.
Lauren Rennells, the author of Retro Makeup, has a passion for the stylistic influences of the past. Working in the film and photographic industry she freelances as a hair and makeup artist. Rennells shares her professional techniques for recreating the makeup effects from the 20s through to the 60s, in a detailed, easy to follow format.
Interestingly, the widespread use of makeup really only occurred in the 20th century and the author touches on why it gained acceptance during this particular century.
Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques
Vintage Hairstyling, Lauren Rennell's companion book to Retro Makeup, offers a very simple, step by step guide to recreating those distinctive, very feminine hairstyles of the early and mid 20th century - beginning with the basics and working up to advanced styles.
All this is in a glossy 600 page quality book that features a fascinating collection of vintage period styles. The book also includes some interesting facts and tit bits about the history and origins of the various styles and and a rundown of the stars who made the styles universally popular.
When I think of polka dots, they conjure very early memories of two things -a particular grey/blue polka dot silk summer blouse my mother used to wear and a multi-pastel coloured Diana Ware platter, that I saved from being thrown out and still have, though it's seriously chipped.
Maybe those early recollections left a permanent polka dot pattern impression somewhere deep in my psyche because those gay little circles cause a ripple of reaction in me. They're a very basic design and found in nature - in the delicate furls of flowers and the spectacular coats of animals. I love them, yet have to be in the right mood to wear them.,
Polka dots make a strong statement and when employed as a fashion accessory, if used to excess, can overwhelm the wearer. Generally though they add a touch of whimsy and gaiety to an outfit - a splash of colourful eccentricity in what can sometimes be a grey, conservative world.
Why are they called polka dots...? Well apparently this is because the pattern became popular in the UK around the same time time as the polka dance - toward the end of the 19th century. The dot pattern is also a traditional design for the costumes of flamenco dancers. In the early 20th century the pattern became a popular choice for baby linen and children and by the 1930s dots were making a regular appearance in women's dresses and shoe designs.
However the heyday of the polka dot was in the ostentatious, design-loving 1950s, appearing on scarves, skirts shirts, ties and dresses as well as kitchen ware and soft furnishings.
According to a Slate article on the topic, in the medieval era, it was considered a taboo to wear a spotted pattern on clothing...possibly because, without machinery, it was hard to get the pattern uniform and irregular dots conjured up unpleasant associations with blemishes and disease. Yet in the ancient Australian aboriginal culture, intricate patterns created with tiny dots feature heavily in the aesthetic design of art and tools.
Polka dots of course, come in many guises - big and absurd, disturbingly irregular, tiny and conservatively understated or middle of the road uniform. There's something very fundamental about the dot..it connects with the human psyche in ways we probably don't even understand. One thing seems certain though - in fashion terms, polka dot=impact.
Vintage 1976 APF TV Pong Video console. Image from ioffer
There is, it seems, a fair degree of nostalgia out there for retro computer consoles and games - spawned perhaps by a desire to relive those fondly remembered early days of gaming or maybe just because technology dates so quickly its interesting to look back and ponder with amazement on those early games that were once so state of the art. Of course old consoles are also very collectible, being the technological antiques of the future.
Retro Gaming Resources
"When it comes to retro gaming, no-one has you covered like Gametraders"...or so their website boasts. It does look pretty good. Gametraders is an Australian computer gaming trading site, dealing in the modern sutff as well as the old - Atari, Sega Megadrive, NES and SEN etc. Gametraders
Nintendo Entertainment System. Image from Retro Gaming Console
Retro Gaming Consoles is another retro gaming specialist, 'deicated' to retro gaming systems and classic and games and its fascinating to take a browse through the website to check out the old consoles. It's also interesting to read up on the history.
For example, according to the site, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)...which was light and dark grey in the West, dark maroon in Japan, was released in the early 1980s and apparently gave the American gaming industry a much needed shot in the arm . In each territory it was marketed, in a snap it became the no. one gaming console, mainly because of its "killer apps" - Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong, Kung Fu and more.
A clear-cased original Gameboy from Console Passion
In the UK, there's Console Passion(nice name), an online retro games store which has a constant flow of stock coming in and out.
According to the site complete systems are becoming increasingly rare - grab'em while you can.
Console Passion also has a Japanese Video Game Imports section for collectors.
The Collectors Market Collecting vintage consoles can be lucrative as well as fun. Retro Gaming Collector is a resource for buyers and sellers and includes a rough price guide, in British pounds.
American Ranch Houses
The American ranch house style first appeared in the 1930s and even to some extent, the 1920s but as a design trend, really hit its stride in the late 40, 50s and 60s post-war period. It was an architectural style that combined modernist minimalism with elements of the American Western period to produce an open, easy and casual style of living. The style proved to be so popular with the baby boomers, it moved beyond the US into places as far afield as Australia and Europe.
In a radical move away from the traditional box-like double-storey home, ranch houses were single-storey and built low to the ground, giving them a spacious, elongated feel and eliminating the pokiness of small enclosed rooms. Separate spaces were created with room dividers rather than walls and the porch gave way to the open patio.
A few years ago, Flud watches came up with the funky idea of a retro boombox watch with a vintage link style band and they're still available...in gold, brushed silver and gun metal grey. Aw...very 70s.
Apparently this boombox watch even includes some timely philosophy, engraved on the stainless steel backing:
"I recommend you take care of the minutes....and the hours will take care of themselves".
The watch is waterproof to 99 feet so you can take it swimming if you so desire. Pity those adorable mini-speakers don't actually work. The handle moves though. Check it out.
