Ephemera Just Finds Me

Truly, vintage ephemera just seems to find me. Ok, I admit I am open to the possibility....I just love old paper.
Want to see some?

You can never really have too much wonderful old paper, can you?

September seems to be peak ephemera month.....There is this sale a friend puts on up in Marin and the Vintage Paper Fair (we all know how much I love that one) and the SF Public Library Big Book Sale ......

Old book parts anyone?

Tarot cards

And, let's not forget, the fabulous SFPL has an outdoor library "Steps" sale every week -- $1 for any book your heart desires. I have posted a lot of photos of these on Instagram #tornandtatteredbooks
(PamelaArtsinSF)

My favorite spot for .25-cent postcards and this year I found eight passports.
I will show you those in another post -- they are amazing. I cannot wait to alter them.

Look at these beauties! I collect them for the beautiful cursive writing, the stamps and the postmarks.

No Sharpie cancellations here.

That cursive....

This one I didn't get -- it was in a set of six called "Spy Passports" and the guy had a bunch of UK passports with all different information -- only $600.00 for you to bring home....

Peek-a-boo!
They just don't make postcards like they used to. People keep asking me where I get ephemera....
Maybe I should be a PERSONAL SHOPPER? You think?

Look around for library book sales, old foreign language dictionaries, 1950's National Geographic magazines, thrift shops, estate sales....ask your old relatives if they have any stacks of old letters in the attic......
The Big Book Sale is THIS WEEK -- Wednesday thru Sunday and everything is $1 on Sunday (always good stuff to be found). So, if you're near SF, you can go.
Anyone want to go with me?
A few more old books just might find me this week...

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Give Me Your Tired and Tattered....

I really don't know what those people with those scanners are looking for when they are running around the library book sales....but I know what I'm looking for...
the oldest and most tattered books who need homes and love.
I bet you can tell which ones I picked out.

Yup, I got six books today for only $1 each and they are all over 100 years old. I just can't believe it...so cool.

I can just picture the little kids who learned spelling from this old beauty...

And this, a reader for a new reader, who is now long gone.

Who doesn't like birds?

And, don't tell Trump, but today was Russia Day at the library sale. There were dozens and dozens of books in Cyrillic .... so cool. They too were over 100 years old and tattered and mended and falling apart and wonderful.

A rubber stamp from a Russian bookstore in SF?

Will I tear this up? haven't decided yet. For a while, they will sit in my studio and I will just admire the fixed and aged pages....

Look at the hand sewing on the spine of that book (and not too neat)but lovingly mended) and passed along...

And then we had the delightfully lurid noir paperbacks...

How this those books get from Russia to SF? And how did this one get from NYC to SF? The stories they could tell.

Interesting to mail artists...but I left it for someone else to find and love. I like my books very old and worn....
So, that was today. Since the shots I posted on Instagram were such a hit I figured you guys who read the blog might really enjoy seeing a little more detail.

And, did I mentioned the big farmers market is right next door to the library?
TOMATOES
That's all I'm going to say....

You Have Got to See This

Do yourself a favor, if you like mail art and live in the SF Bay Area...go see this show.
Amazing. Delightful. Wonderful.

Letters to Myself
The Calligraphic First Day Covers of Alan A.Blackman. The show is an the Main Branch of our fabulous SF Public Library until Sunday, October 11.
Here is the link to click to check it out.

And, just in case you can't get over there, I am going to take you along for a little visit with me.
I will mostly leave it to the photos to show you this amazing collection.
There were a lot of squeals and cries of "Oh my God" yesterday when I saw the show...all coming from me....

OK, I just have to say -- look at that address he wrote like TRAIN TRACKS. Oh my God.
Can you imagine that getting delivered now?

(I can only keep quiet for so long....) Don't these look like artistamps???? Or is it just me?

Be Still My Heart....

OH! -- and this address written in the triangle like the stamp......

Yes, do -- here is the link for his website-- you only have to click --
Alan Blackman
And here is what really kills me -- I recognized him immediately from the video that is playing at the show -- and yes, he lived two blocks from my house. And I work for the neighborhood newspaper. WHY didn't we know about him and do a story?

The final envelope

I wish he had a book (let's all email him through his website and ask for one!). I couldn't photograph all the fabulous covers  and calligraphy in the show but I think you'll get the idea.
We have our mail art meeting right across the hall from this on Sunday so you know I'll be going back.
If you can visit I know you will enjoy it but if not, I hope you like seeing the show thru my blog and being introduced to Alan Blackman.

Why didn't I think of doing anything like this?

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