more randomness for my loyal devotees

[margann.livejournal.com]

is it just not pc to put a scotsman on scotch tape anymore? he's adooorable.

as before, not going for any specific theme here, unless you count emptying crap from my hard drive a theme.







there's an obvious joke to be made here.
















i like that it's cool for cartoons to smoke in russian children's books.


























i am an avid collector of pre-jim crow related ephemera. the sheer amount of ignorance that existed until just a few decades ago is amazing to me. the obsession started as a 12 year old, when i rummaged through my grandfather's navy chest and found scads of hilariously racist valentines, post cards, and yes, even a mammy cookie jar. most of the postcards contained some pretty racist jokes from my grandmother, which i was just totally confounded by at the time. but, she lived in a town that was full of irish and polish, and pre civil rights people just didn't think about whether it was wrong or not. a lot of poeple i know seem to be really offended by the fact that i collect this stuff, i've even been accused of being racist myself. but those people are the same people who would rather stamp out any memory of crappy things that flourished in the united states than learn from their ancestors' mistakes. unfortunately sweeping racism under the rug is just terrible, and it seems like it's as acceptable as ever to be racist, just in a more subversive way.

okay, listen. i think i'm getting carpal tunnel from typing img src = so much. here's a link to where i left off in my flickr gallery. as of now there are 202 images there. come tomorrow there will probably be more, but i'll just try and post them.


http://flickr.com/photos/44661883@N00/204666445/in/photostream/

Comments

Let iodine heal you...

[anacoluthon.livejournal.com]

through your feet!

My mom and I go antiquing whenever we visit together, and I've seen a lot of that crazy racist stuff in antique stores. It's definitely interesting and sometimes amusing (in that slap-your-forehead, "how could people be like this?" sort of way), but it's also very awkward to be faced with. It's not something I'd want to collect but I certainly understand the interest in it. If you ever scan parts of your collection you should post more of it here.

Re: Let iodine heal you...

[margann.livejournal.com]

i haven't had a scanner for years. the closest i would be able to do is horrible resolution snaps from my cameraphone, which barely makes stuff out in even the best lighting

[geckoman.livejournal.com]

Well, a lot of people don't know that the whole "Scotch Tape" thing is bordering on PC offensiveness...see, it used to be that the Scots were considered to be stingy and therefore, thrifty...they wouldn't throw anything away (You may still see references in old Bugs Bunny cartoons like when the Scot goes after an errant golf ball through brambles and whatnot declaring "It's been in th' family for years!") So, Scotch Tape was for reparing things that you might otherwise throw away...like a Scotsman.

[reid.livejournal.com]

interesting

[margann.livejournal.com]

ha! never knew that particular racist tidbit. i will have to use it against villainousbob the next time he starts yelling at me about being a drunken potato eating irish louse.

[xgrinch.livejournal.com]

Great collection! Thanks!

[reid.livejournal.com]

is it not hard to find this "pre-jim crow related ephemera?" i guess i don't look hard enough

[margann.livejournal.com]

not really, ebay is a great place, although you also run the risk of finding crap quiality reproductions. i find most of it at local flea markets

[ova-spray.livejournal.com]

Did people really hurt their feet so much that they needed Iodine insoles?

[margann.livejournal.com]

apparently! i was as confused by that as you are.

[purplecleo.livejournal.com]

That "Astonish Yourself" is actually a book cover and the book was published very recently. It looks vintage though!

[margann.livejournal.com]

man! sorry. i found it on another flickr user's website listed as pre 1960s illustration. oops.

Tempt the palate with... deformed chicken?

[bolddeciever.livejournal.com]

I love the scotch tape... my grandfather worked for 3M, so tape has a special place in my heart...

[pinstripe-bindi.livejournal.com]

Cigarettes can cure a dislocated shoulder??

I know a black woman who collects that Jim Crow stuff. :D

[http://users.livejournal.com/_antipathy_/]

Loyal devotees? I wouldn't let it go to your head! ;)

Does anyone know what those Russian ads say?

Thanks for the post! Great stuff!

[margann.livejournal.com]

it's a shame sarcasm isn't well recieved in print.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_purple_monkey_/]

Haha, #12 the green book cover says "the library of pioneer-udarnik", "Udarnik" means someone working really hard, but the direct translation of the word is "kicker":-) And a nice kick to illustrate...

#9 "A story of a silly mouse", looks like a flesh game where you need to put objects together to make some machine work:-)

#13 on the left it says "from paper", on the right "from glue". What the heck is she doing with paper and glue?

The above three are in russian.