Editor’s Note: Dan Zubrzycki is a writer/consultant/jack-of-all-trades gentleman currently living in Philadelphia. He will be writing a series on the history of American craft for us over the next several weeks. You can see his most recent article for us about Frank & Oak by clicking here. America itself was a work of craftsmanship. Forged by ambitious idealists, tempered in it’s own flaws, it’s bolts, nails, and stitching are the uninhibited hopes and dreams of those that built the first rough-hewn cabins. But the concept of craft has had a strange journey. In this series of articles I’m going to give a bit of thought to craftsmanship in America – ranging from looking at historical contexts as well as modern attitudes and applications. But…
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Posts from the “History” Category
I took a low key trip on Sunday with my friend Mark to check out a shop I’d heard about for a while in Manayunk, PA called 3 Potato 4. They specialize in vintage furnishings and random objects and have made quite a name for themselves in the process. Having been around since 2007, they’ve had plenty of time and done a good job of keeping the collection rolling. Most of the stuff they had, while amazing, was seriously out of our budget but I managed to pick up a commemorative pennant from the first lunar landing in 1969. The pennant is by no means rare, you can even find it for cheaper online but for a spur of the moment purchase in an…
Some of you are probably aware that recently I relocated to Los Angeles to take an internship with an unabashedly secretive film production company and being such the quirky company they are there’s a lot of vintage items, equipment, movie props, etc. Basically, if you’ve got a soul you could get lost in the amazingness of some of the stuff they’ve kept around. One of the more striking items is the Chandler & Price New Style Letterpress dating from the early 1900′s on which the serials have been partially scrubbed which makes finding an exact year somewhat difficult. The press is entirely functional and is used frequently to print thank you cards, invitations, and stationary. I’ll be learning how to use this thing over…
‘Etiquette’ by Emily Post is widely regarded as the original authority on… well, etiquette. The book runs the gambit of things such as how to introduce yourself and others, how to be a courteous motorist, how to host dinners, and how to throw frat parties the right way. We here at The American Classic have obtained a copy of the first printing of the 1942 edition printed during World War II. The anecdote at the beginning specifically states “This book is manufactured under wartime conditions in conformity with all government regulations controlling the use of paper and other materials”. Today we’ll examine a few pointers from the book. Click below to see the full post.
This is the second in a series of interviews with people who have a keen interest in menswear, style, design, or generally cool stuff. Most of these people are doing something of great note that you should absolutely take a look at. ‘City of Dust’ is a blog chronicling, in the author’s words, “the lost and wondrous wreckage of America”. I found John Mulhouse’s page via Reddit, of all places, and was immediately fascinated with both his incredible photography and the stories he told to accompany his images. His ability to weave a vivid portrait of the bleaker parts of the American landscape is astounding and his documentation of seemingly unknown historical events is second to none. As long as I can remember, my…
