Sepia Saturday 176 - schools

No test tubes in my collection, but I did manage to stay on a scholarly theme for this week's Sepia Saturday with this page listing advertisements for schools and colleges, taken from a 1920's London guidebook. I wonder how many of these establishments are still running today? I particularly like the selling point of Sommerville House, St. Leonard's-on-Sea, with its bracing climate but am not sure what to make of the liberal diet offered at Quarndon House, Felixstowe.

Vintage schools listing from a 1920's London guidebook

Sepia Saturday 158 ... i-Spy

Firstly a big HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone and welcome to my first vintage books and magazines blog post of 2013. Although this blog post is an entry for the current Sepia Saturday, I am not theming this week. Instead I have selected a few pictures from one of a small collection of I-SPY books I picked up when I was Christmas shopping a few weeks ago. I remember having several of these as a kid but alas they are long gone. For anyone not familiar with I-SPY books, they are pocket-size publications covering various locations and subjects, e.g. the street, the farm, pets, butterflies, etc., where the spotter was rewarded with points for spotting various things. I think my favourite as a child was called I-SPY on the Road which kept me from boredom on long car journeys. However, the one I have chosen to share today is called I-SPY in the Street. I particularly like the "Playing on Sundays is Forbidden" sign.

I-SPY in the Street

 I-SPY in the Street

 I-SPY in the Street, front cover

 I-SPY in the Street, back cover

What struck me about this book was the simplicity and innocence, which is definitely lost in many modern childhoods. It also made me wonder what an equivalent I-SPY in the Street book would include in today's world ... 5 points graffiti, 5 points for fast-food chain litter, 10 points for broken glass, and 20 points for a boarded-up show window perhaps. Although with all the gadgets and devices available now, I suspect many no longer even look further than their handheld device.

As usual, more vintage books and magazines and vintage postcards on my web site

    

Sepia Saturday 148 - vintage cycling

It's been a while since I've posted anything in my vintage books and magazines blog so was very pleased when the week's Sepia Saturday gave me an opportunity to do some, with thankfully only a little bit of thought on my part. As Kat said, there were so many available prompts in this week's image to chose from, and I have decided to follow the bike theme. The images below are both vintage advertisements from the back cover of 1920's guide books. My blog post from a couple of years ago features the font cover and other advertisements from a similar guide.

I'm intrigued by the sign post on the first advert. I think one of the places on the sign is Cheltenham, and the other one possibly Stow, which would make sense as they are relatively close together

Vintage advertisement for Palmer cycle tyres, from back cover of 1920's London guide book

 I do wonder how much this all steel bicycle would gave weighed ... probably significantly more than today's aluminium or carbon fibre models. A bargain though at £6 7s 6d (which for those of you not familiar with the UK's pre-decimal currency is 6 pounds, 7 shillings and 6 pence).

Vintage advertisement for the Raleigh All-Steel Bicycle, from back cover of 1920's Barnstaple guide

More vintage books and magazines can be found on my web site

    

Z Cars paperback, c.1965

Whilst creating a Pinterest board for my Cult TV paperbacks, I realised that there were a few in my collection which I had not shared on this blog. And, as I always seem to be apologising for the sporadic content on this blog, this seems like an excellent opportunity to put both right.

The Cult TV series depicted on the paperback below is none other than Z Cars. During my research into finding some additional information to share, I was under the, apparently common, illusion that the series was called Z Cars because of the Ford Zodiacs and Ford Zephyrs used. Turns out it was actually based on a fictional call sign. Reading more into the history it seems that a staggering 799 episodes were made between 1962 and 1978, which I find hard to believe. What's a huge shame however is that many of these seem to have been wiped. Whilst we seem to get regular re-runs of other Cult TV classics like The Avengers, The Sweeney, etc. I'm not sure I've ever seen Z Cars other than when it was originally released.

Z Cars - Barlow on Trial, front cover of paperback, c.1965

Z Cars - Barlow on Trial, back cover of paperback, c.1965

More vintage books and magazines on my web site

    

Sepia Saturday 60: vintage photography booklets

I'm keeping on theme this week for my Sepia Saturday post and sharing some images relating to photography. Below are a handful of Focal Photo Guide booklets I picked up a few months ago. Not sure of the age but would guess early 1960's. The black and white covers with the red borders remind me of books I had as a child, which I'm guessing I must have inherited, where colour was used sparingly.

More vintage magazines on my web site

Vintage Cult TV Paperbacks - U.F.O

This is a blog post I published back in 2010, but am recycling it for this week's Sepia Saturday. Whilst it's not sepia, it does fit nicely with the 'space' theme that Alan has suggested this week.

U.F.O. was another cult TV series I remember as a child. It seemed at times to have quite an edge to it, and I remember being distinctly scared by some of the episodes. The books were published in the early 1970's and set in the future, albeit only 1980, in a time when 'Unidentified Flying Objects race through the skies like bats out of hell, blasting... killing... vanishing to an unknown alien world'. I also vividly remember seeing various toys as a child, and although I coveted one, I never owned a S.H.A.D.O. vehicle. I imagine they are real collector's items today.

Having seen some re-runs fairly recently, the vision of what we would all be wearing in the future, remains quite amusing. Silver sting vest like all-in-one outfits, short skirts, purple hair with matching eye shadow, etc. As for the aliens, they were of course archetypal baddies, and only intent one one thing.

First UFO paperback, written by Robert Miall, c.1970

 Second UFO paperback, written by Robert Miall, c.1971

More vintage books and magazines on my web site

    

Vintage illustrated guide book of Swanage and South Dorset

I've been meaning to blog about these wonderful illustrated guide books I picked up last summer for some time now but for some reason have only just got around to it. The books are all published by Ward, Lock & Co., and come in a red, linen type cover. They date around 1929 or 1930 and offer a fascinating glimpse into tourism of 90 years ago. There are articles on all the local chutches in each area, restautants, hotels, steam boat rides, railway routes (many of which are now sadly long gone), detailed, fold-out maps, and of course some wonderful adverts. For today I've decided to share the Swanage and South Dorset guide.

Front cover of Swanage and South Dorset guide

Various adverts from the guide book

Advert for Wright's Coal Tar soap

Back cover of guide book

As always, other vintage books and magazines, and also vintage postcards can be found on my web site