Duquette DECO-dence!

Oh my, my, my, my, my. I flipped when I came across these old photos of Bullocks Department stores.

In 1935 Tony Duquette was hired by Bullocks to change their interiors to reflect the seasons. Because Los Angeles has no discernible seasons, it was Duquette's job to make it appear as if they did.

Upon seeing his work, legendary decorator Elsie de Wolfe uttered the fated words, "Who is this kid, I've got to meet him." De Wolfe took Duquette under her wing and sent his career soaring.

How's that for some Deco Glam?


images from here

Times are a Changin'

A few days ago the beautiful 3-story Border's Books in downtown San Francisco closed its doors. Another one bites the dust.

I've been so distraught thinking about how much life is rapidly changing and how the internet has affected us in both a good and bad way.

Of course, I make my living with an online shop, but there is something about "mom & pop" shops that nothing can replace. I miss the old days.

Do you remember these?

Or these?

I remember in 1981 when the first little local video rental shop opened. We'd pay $20 to rent a VCR for the weekend along with some VHS tapes. It was so exciting! Now to think that just 30 years later, most of us have lived to see that come and go.

Remember the fun spending hours browsing through a record store? Piling up your stack of 45's or LP's and standing in line. Now with iTunes, there's not even any need for your CD's. And all the record stores...gone.

So, where am I going with this? I don't really know. It's just so depressing to watch things change like this. And I'm saddened to watch "out of business" signs in every town you visit. People are struggling.

I am guilty of purchasing books at Amazon at a discounted price. Perhaps I'm one of the culprits that contributed to book stores filing chapter 11. But, we may not even have books in the future. Reading will probably be online and I'll still be scouting around to find "real books." No wonder so many folks are unemployed...

Tell me, how do you feel about the possibility of no print media? newspapers? books? magazines?

What would you miss most if it was replaced by the internet? Do you think that local 'mom and pops' such as shoe or jewelry repair shops will become extinct?

Am I just having a "feeling-old-at-fifty" moment or do you feel the same?

Disappearing Store Fronts

Claudia (The Paris Apartment) just told me about this amazing coffee table book called, "The Disappearing Face of New York." It's about New York's traditional mom-and-pop store fronts being replaced with chain stores or closing. It breaks my heart to see this happening in cities all over the world.

This fabulous book is compiled by photographers, James and Karla Murray, and beautifully captures the neon and hand-painted signs, old doors, peeling paint, aging steel, and the items hanging in the front windows of these shops and restaurants.

Richard's Barbershop, Brooklyn, closed 2006

Manhattan Furrier, Brooklyn 2004

Chain stores are posing a serious threat to these humble institutions and are replacing the unique appearance and character of the beautiful streets. I'm sure you see it in your cities as I see it here in San Francisco. It breaks my heart to see a beautiful Art Deco theatre turned into a gym, or a snazzy old cocktail lounge turned into a Starbucks.

Long Island Restaurant, Brooklyn, since 1951

Katy's Candy Store, in business from 1969-2007, Brooklyn

The text accompanying each image in the book mentions the year the store opened and often includes detailed remembrances of the stores' histories obtained through interviews with managers or owners.

Reynold's Bar, One of the last Irish bars in the neighborhood. Manhattan, 2004

Almost all of these businesses are a reflection of New York's early immigrant population, a wild mix of Irish, Germans, Jews, Italians, Poles, Eastern Europeans and later Hispanics and Chinese.

Ideal Dinettes, Brooklyn, in business 1953-2008

D. D'Auria and Sons Pork Store, Little Italy of the Bronx, in business from 1939-2006

We can get involved in preserving our ever-changing neighborhoods. The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize our communities. Or contact your local city. In San Francisco we have the San Francisco Preservation Society.

I'd love to hear about your neighborhoods. What changes have you seen?

{Photos courtesy of James & Karla Murphy Photography}