Never on a Sundae?

As mentioned in my post at The Dabbler, I’ve fallen madly in love with the late 19th century mandolin I purchased recently. A few days after buying the balloon-backed beauty, I stumbled upon a quirky little retro holiday souvenir that has a very similar shape.












I think the colourfully hand painted instrument, now available at ShopCurious, is originally from Greece. A list of Greek stringed instruments indicates that it may be something called a Sazi.



I haven’t quite mastered the mandolin yet, but perhaps I don’t need to, as some instruments play music all by themselves…

The mini mandolin-style memento isn’t quite as in tune with nature as the self-playing musical masonry that’s appearing in communal spaces the world over. In fact, it sounds curiously like the chimes from a traditional British ice cream van.

Anyway, here’s the original version of the tune from the 1960 film, Never on Sunday (with English subtitles). This fabulous old clip has Melina Mercouri waxing lyrical over the sensual delights of the Athens Port of Piraeus…

Are you?

Curiosities of musical art

An aging population, a fascination with vintage style and our nostalgia for slower, less frenetic, times have contributed to the growing popularity of retro sounds and musical curiosities.

The influence of Cubism in contemporary design art is also having a curious effect upon our perception and treatment of musical instruments.









At ShopCurious, we’ve unearthed some unusual pieces of musical memorabilia that will be appearing on our website over the next couple of weeks. Fans of old style rhythm & blues, and quirky kitsch, will appreciate this collectable set of hand painted, ceramic musicians.

























I love the curiously characterful faces of the members of this band – each one is totally unique. Dressed in fashionable red, these colourful figurines will jazz up any home décor scheme...

Even grungy greige.

Will you?

Vintage royal mementoes

Plans for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to travel abroad have apparently been put on hold, to avoid being hassled by an international media circus. ‘Wish you weren’t here,’ is the message the royal couple are most likely to send on a postcard home, as they strive to achieve some semblance of privacy.












As the happy couple spend a quiet pre-honeymoon weekend in the UK, recovering from the Royal Wedding, I discovered that a relaxing local getaway is very much in keeping with royal tradition of yesteryear (see my Retropgressive column at The Dabbler).





Meantime, I’ve also found the perfect selection of stationery for the Cambridges' official honeymoon greetings: A collectable set of six vintage postcards at ShopCurious, featuring royal portraits dating back to the reign of King George VI.








These curiously posh postcards are actually original photographs, ranging from formal state portraits of Her Majesty The Queen, to informal shots of the royal family at home. The artists include child photographer, Marcus Adams (1875-1959), whose work is currently on show at The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh (until 5th June).










There are also photographs by the late Dorothy Wilding, probably Britain's most famous female photographer.







Wilding was the first woman to be awarded a Royal Warrant to be the official photographer to a King and Queen at their Coronation, and one of her photographs of the present Queen (known as the 'Wilding Portrait') was used for a series of definitive British postage stamps, used between 1953 and 1967.

If they’re not snapped up for the Royal Collection, such charming, old fashioned ephemera would make a lovely family heirloom. Alternatively, you may wish to mail a few royal memories to your friends from your own holiday hideaway…

Do you?

Couture Catherine?

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

As soon as the wedding was over, people flocked out onto the streets of London, doing what they do best – shopping and eating.

There was bunting everywhere – in gardens, across streets and down by the river.




































Whilst some people walked to friends’ street parties, others rushed out to the shops.

In Putney, the Exchange shopping centre had a roped off shrine to the royal couple.

Many shop windows showed their own mark of respect to William and Kate in the form of congratulatory messages…























Though for some it was all about the shopping.

























Chain Store Kate would certainly have approved of the flurry of activity on the high street. Although now she’s a royal, ShopCurious wonders if she should be renamed Couture Catherine?

Do you?

When fashion warrants royal approval...

Sir Norman Hartnell (1901-1979) is probably the most famous royal fashion designer to date. He was responsible for the revival of the crinoline, after Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother caused a sensation wearing the new silhouette on a state visit to Paris in 1938. Of course, Hartnell also created Princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress, as well as the gown for her Coronation as Queen in 1953.

The couturier's streamlined, heavily jewelled, fitted dresses became firm favourites of film stars and actresses, as well as the aristocracy. And, as it happens, Hartnell's 1938 Spring collection wouldn’t look out of place today:

With just two days to go to the Royal Wedding, you may be wondering how to accessorize your outfit for the auspicious occasion. ShopCurious has just the thing – a Fake London limited edition royal print wrap-scarf, featuring a curiously elegant illustration of a royal dress design by Norman Hartnell. The couture gown in question looks as though it may be the one Her Majesty is wearing in the photograph above, taken on a royal visit to Ghana in 1961.






Norman Hartnell received a Royal Warrant for his services as royal dressmaker from 1940 onwards…not unlike the curious warrant awarded to Fake London as suppliers and manufacturers of knitted merkins to Her Gracious Majesty the Quirk.







Anyway, herewith sending best wishes to William and Kate for their wedding day… Let me know if you’re doing something special to celebrate the event.

Will you?

Egg curiosities: from sublime to strange

Happy Easter!

Easter Eggs were originally a pagan symbol of the rebirth of nature in celebrations of spring, but were adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. Eggs favoured include painted hen’s eggs and chocolate or candy filled varieties.

As we’re adopting something of a royal theme this week, I thought I’d also mention Fabergé eggs:



This year, over a hundred masterpieces by Peter Carl Fabergé, the greatest Russian jeweller and goldsmith of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, will go on display in a special exhibition at the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace (23 July - 3 October 2011). Royal Fabergé will demonstrate how six successive generations of the British Royal Family, from Queen Victoria to The Queen and The Prince of Wales, have shaped the finest collection of Fabergé in the world in terms of size, range and quality.

Items on show will include the Mosaic Imperial Easter Egg acquired by Queen Mary and King George V, 1933, shown left.

And the Basket of Flowers Imperial Easter Egg, 1901 (right) - the style of which reminds me of a rather lovely mother of pearl egg at ShopCurious. (Photographs from The Royal Collection (c) 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II)

Also distinctive and unusual, though a little more commonplace, are pickled eggs. Curiously reminiscent of medical specimens, these are often to be found on the shelves of British fish and chip shops, or sometimes behind the counter at selected pubs. If you’re tempted to pickle your own, a curious website called Egg Pub, offers a basic DIY recipe.



And for the very brave there’s also a spiced up version involving Scotch bonnet peppers.

Both Fabergé and pickled eggs are probably something of an acquired taste, but if offered a choice, I know which variety I’d go for.

Do you?

Regal fashion and Regency style

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife," wrote Jane Austen in the opening lines of Pride and Prejudice. With the Royal Wedding almost upon us, I decided to take a look at wedding fashion. It’s rather curious that the Regency period has had such a lasting effect upon formal dress styles. This is something you can read more about in my Retropgressive post today at The Dabbler.






I also wanted to mention some vintage fashion books that are new in at ShopCurious. These include James Laver’s classic volume on Taste and Fashion and Margaret Rothwell Lane’s Half a Century of Fashion.








For royal watchers, there’s also a curiously collectable book called The Queen’s clothes, which demonstrates how much the Queen’s wardrobe has reflected her various roles as a working woman.











All the books have fabulous illustrations and photographs, documenting garment styles, accessories, shapes and colours through the ages. I always enjoy seeing how fashions used to be and how much they’ve changed over time…for better or for worse.

Do you?