Vintage shaving cloths

We bought these vintage shaving cloths this week. Kept in traditional barbers, they were used for wiping cut-throat razors.

We thought they were fabulous – each having wonderful graphic illustrations featuring facial hair in its myriad of forms… and in one case, a little verse extolling the money-saving virtues of razor cloths over towels.

These vintage shaving cloths are made of linen and date from the 1950s/60s era.

Having dealt with vintage homewares for many years, endless linen items from Northern Ireland have passed through our hands – manufacturers such as Dunmoy and Ulster Weavers. In addition to tea towels and place mats, it seems that razor cloths were also part of their massive output.

We thought that they had lots of potential as wall decoration in a vintage styled barbers or hairdressers… or would be equally at home in a domestic bathroom. They could be suspended from a row of small hooks – or perhaps, better still, simply framed and hung – singly or perhaps in small groups.

Designer Desire: Pat Hutchins

Pat Hutchins (1942-2017) was a children’s author and illustrator – I’d wager that almost every British child from the 70s onwards has had at least one of her books read to them.

Hutchins was originally from near Richmond in North Yorkshire. In 1958, she gained a scholarship to attend Darlington School of Art. She then went on to study for a National Diploma in Illustration at Leeds College of Art. On leaving college, she moved down to London in search of work, becoming an assistant art director at an advertising agency in 1963.

It was here that she met her husband and with whom she emigrated to New York in 1966 when he was given a work posting.

While still in the USA, her first book was published; Rosie’s Walk in 1968. It has since been translated into 10 languages and is still in print today.

She said that her favourite book that she wrote was Titch. It was based on the younger of her two sons, Morgan.

She won the 1974 Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year’s best children’s book illustration by a British subject. The work was The Wind Blew, a picture book accompanied by words in verse.

In all, she has authored and illustrated around 50 children’s titles. She collaborated with her husband on 5 older children’s books including The Mona Lisa Mystery, where she composed the words and he created the accompanying illustrations.

In 1995 and 1996, she began presenting the famous British children’s television series, Rosie and Jim. She did the programme for 2 series.

Have a watch of Pat talking about her books below:

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Additional image credits:
Penguin | Simon and Schuster | The Times

Designer Desire: John Hanna

We mentioned John Hanna in a previous post a few years ago, but haven’t actually featured him as an artist in his own right before.

A native of Australia, John Hanna (1919-1992) was an illustrator and cartoonist; his professional career began with him drawing cartoons for newspapers in Sydney. We were introduced to his work through the cover artwork that he created for Country Fair Journal during the 1940s.

Apparently, he also worked under the names Jack Hanna, J. Hanna, Wiz, J. C. Hanna and John Charles Hanna. His cartoons featured annually in Australia: Week-end Book between 1943 and 1946, where he signed his work as ‘Wiz’.

Some of his Country Fair designs have recently been reproduced by designer-maker, Jenny Duff gracing coasters and table mats. Original copies of Country Fair are available to buy on Amazon and eBay.

In a comment on the Asbury & Asbury website, Hanna’s son, helpfully shared some insight into his father’s work history:

My father started as a cartoonist, mainly with the Argus in Melbourne, until he emigrated to England in 1947. He got a job in the art department of S. H. Benson, the first advertising agency to be registered as a limited liability company, famous for it’s Guinness advertising and for employing Dorothy Sayers in the “literary” department. About 1950 he went freelance and mainly designed posters and other ad material for a variety of brands such as Walls ice cream, Sugar Puffs and Peak Frean biscuits. His Walls ice cream “deckchair” poster is visible on Walls ice cream UK 1950 Prints All Posters.co.UK. He was a member of the Society of Industrial Artists, now renamed the Society of Chartered Designers, and some of his work is featured in their 1951 publication Designers in Britain 3. Worried about the increasing use of photography on advertising he accepted the offer of a job as art director of an ad agency in Sydney in 1961. After a few years he went freelance again which enabled to extend his work to book illustrations etc. One of these books was about folk dancing written by his daughter Nicky Lo Bianco. He lived in Avalon Beach, near Sydney, until he died in 1992.

Additional image credits:
Fulltable | Muybridge’s Horse

Soako

We’ve been sourcing vintage metal and enamel advertising signs over recent months. They’re the kind of vintage item that works well in our old cottage. In previous homes, we’ve incorporated mid century modern, op art and the more ‘groovy’ 1960s items. However, they just don’t ‘sit well’ here, but we do love the interest and aged character that vintage items bring… so these signs are one way in which we’re doing it.

We bought this Soako soap powder sign with our bathroom area in mind. It dates from the 1920s era and was designed by Tom Purvis. He’s famous for those classic railway destination posters of the day. Come to think of it, we’ll have to feature him in one of our weekend Designer Desire posts to showcase more of his work.

It has lots of bumps and scratches, but we don’t mind that… it’s 100 years old! The design is still clear and colours are bright. Soako does the work, eh? It will need to, judging by the filthy state that Justin gets in doing up this place!

H is for Home Harbinger

Tag: vintage illustration

Vintage shaving cloths

Designer Desire: Pat Hutchins

Designer Desire: John Hanna

Soako