Old photographs + I still have that!

It was only recently that I decided family photographs could be thrown away. This is another example of my feeling obligated to keep things because they meant something to deceased family members. I was looking through a box containing hundreds of photos and kept finding pictures of the front yard in the springtime year after year, over and over again. At that moment the cull began. So far I've thrown away over 300 pictures with no guilt or regret.

In an envelope marked "1962" I found pictures of myself wearing a particular dress I thought I had seen hanging in the attic. This was one of the select garments my mom held onto while we were moving from place to place. After my dad retired and we moved here my mother kept ALL my outgrown and outdated clothes. Seriously.

I went upstairs and located the dress immediately. I looked around and felt like I was standing in a well stocked 1960's closet. Mom strung a clothesline back and forth, sideways and crossways between rafters and eventually filled it with clothing. A makeshift wooden clothes rack had broken and there's a pile of mid '60's mod classics that needs to be picked up and placed... somewhere.

It's a shame that steps weren't taken to preserve the better garments. I saw a long formal gown that had been covered with a plastic dry cleaner's bag that's so old it's disintegrating. Silver beads on a floaty chiffon tent dress had tarnished. Darn this blog! Without it I would have continued to ignore the attic and wouldn't suddenly have a ton of vintage rescue projects.

On a positive note there are more photo/clothing match-ups to come. :)

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The original picture taken in 1962. That's my daddy's Plymouth.

The same dress fifty years later.

Front (without belt)

The dress is made of printed chiffon over gold satin with a crinoline half slip. In the original picture it looks like I was wearing an additional crinoline to make the skirt more poofy. There is no label, only a size tag attached to the slip.
This was stored for 40 years in an unfinished attic with no climate control. Because it has been on a hanger for so long the weight of the skirt has caused some of the bodice seams to separate.

Back

Snap-front belt. Hasn't aged well.

Under-skirt

Crinoline

I don't know what to do. Newer clothing can be donated to a local charity. But what about oldies like this? What about the garments that should be removed from the attic immediately? Where can I put them? Argh!

Mid-century attic finds

I've been writing a yet-to-be-published post about the attic and snapped a few quick photos. When I looked at the pictures later I noticed something... besides the thick layer of dust on everything. What is that thing on the left-hand side? I went upstairs to investigate.
                                                                         

Amazing! Gravel art is a collectible example of mid-century decor. This was made from a craft kit, similar to paint-by-numbers. The piece is about three feet wide and needs some minor cleaning. Where can I hang it?

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These unusual metal cattail lamps have their original stitched parchment shades. Both need to be rewired.
The Chinese lady lamp is another early '50's relic. My mother selected it when my parents bought Heywood-Wakefield Ashcraft living and dining room furniture at Kazanjian's in Newport, RI. I wish I had the skill and ambition to refurbish the Hey-Wake.

The two steamer trunks are pre-1950. I haven't opened them for at least 20 year and don't recall much about their contents. I know the trunks are full of sentimental mementos including letters my dad wrote to my mom during World War II. Yep, it's time to open them again and rediscover more old treasures.