Faking it...

Some of my personal favourites from the first major exhibition that was devoted to the history of manipulated photography before the digital age - Faking It: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop (October 11, 2012—January 27, 2013) at The Metropolitan Museum of Art...

Unknown Artist, German School, A Powerful Collision, 1910

Grete Stern, Dream No. 1: Electrical Appliances for the Home, ca. 1950

Unknown Artist, American School, Man on Rooftop with Eleven Men in Formation on His Shoulders
ca. 1930

Barbara Morgan (American, 1900–1992), Hearst Over the People, 1939

Maurice Tabard and Roger Parry, Room with Eye, 1930

 Via here

Nicole Franzen - The Creatives

More gorgeous images of inviting and light-filled spaces from Brooklyn-based food and lifestyle photographer, Nicole Franzen (featured previously here)...

Via here

Great Combo

Images via here and here

Crated

Sorry to be so monosyllabic at the start of this week... a rather 'cray-cray' weekend of packing, sorting, crying and 'well-I-never-ing'. Promise to be a little more verbose in posts to come, once those moving vans have left...

Via here 

1. Paris, France: Statue of Liberty in Paris crated for shipment to the United States. 1887.

2. The Colossal Head of Bavaria in the Nave of the Crystal Palace by Philip Henry Delamotte. 1854

Searching for Sugar Man - Tribeca, New York

Being at the Tribeca Film Festival for Searching for Sugar Man was a trip. And, at the risk of sounding desperately name-drop-ish, we were absolutely starstruck when we spotted Michael Moore in the audience. He stayed to chat to us specifically. What an approachable, down-to-earth, sweet, awesome and genuinely humble person. 

Here is a short photo-essay of the whirl-wind 36 hours we spent devouring as much as we could... of the big apple.

Chelsea Market

Doorway near Chelsea Market

Graffiti on Perry (West Village)

Porthole to the rooms - The Jane Hotel

Bottle, coasters and glasses in rooms - The Jane Hotel

Malik Bendjelloul, Michael Moore and Craig Bartholomew Strydom (husband)

Opted for vintage safari dress in honor of heritage (and 'cause it isn't too tight!)

Luggage ready for car

A portion of the High Line in the West Village

Lunch at Republic, Union Square (with daughter)

Classic Soho

Detail - Soho

5 Beekman

Apparently, the collective hearts of those in-the-know broke a little bit when hotelier Andre Balazs' deal to purchase decayed urban treasure 5 Beekman Street (just a block from City Hall) fell through early this year. But all are a twitter that a new joint venture partnership has purchased the building at a whopper of a price, and one of the partners is the owner of the Ace Hotel. Looks like all the finger crossing paid off...

 All photographs via here and ScoutingNY

Acquired - At Housing Works

I am rather pleased with this little painting, found while rummaging through the treasures at Housing Works in Chelsea (NYC). It was such a steal. There is also a remnant of another painting lodged in the back of the frame, which I may try to salvage. It should be mandatory to frequent the HW thrift stores that are dotted about Manhattan and Brooklyn - the proceeds benefitting the homeless and those living with HIV Aids. The more valuable donated items can be found in the windows of each store. These items can only be purchased via the ever-revolving online auctions. In past occasions, I have found Dolce and Gabbana jeweled evening shoes, a Stella McCartney stag keyring (which I made into a necklace) and a vintage gold and turquoise embroidered brocade skirt - all for absolute bargains. Read more about Housing Works here...

NYE: Stork Club

Picture the scene: Ethel Merman at the Stork Club, a waiter specifically assigned to her with the singular purpose of lighting her cigarettes. Or, the news of Grace Kelly's enegagement to Prince Ranier of Monaco 'breaking' at the Stork. It was the place to be. Frequented by Hollywood royalty.

A night at The Stork will be re-imagined on New Year's Eve - hosted by dear friends, complete with original Stork Club memorabilia, painstakingly collected over many months. I cannot wait to see what everyone will be wearing. I only hope I fit into my dress after a Christmas of sheer excess. Photographs next week...

Rhumba with Ecita and her Orchestra, Stork Club

Stork Club Powder Room

Stork Club Cloakroom, mid 1940's

Ashtray with slot for matches

Some of the celebrities who patronized the Club...

Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw

Peter Lawford and JFK

Elizabeth Taylor with her parents

Greg Bautzer and Joan Crawford

Jackie, Pat, Ethel, Jean and Eunice

JFK, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Vanderbilt and Herbert Swope

John F. and Jackie Kennedy

Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio

Images via Life and The Stork Club