This week we’re talking about real photo postcards. In 1903, Kodak released a camera that allowed people to print postcards from photographs they took themselves. Portable, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive, the postcard camera democratized—and deformalized—visual communication in many of the same ways that social media would 100 years later. Unlike mass-produced postcards, which tend to show standardized views of major landmarks, these small-batch souvenirs offer a personal, idiosyncratic look at what ordinary people cared about: vernacular architecture, college sports teams, candid family portraits, and much more. Join us for a look at some fun and fascinating messages from the past on this picture-perfect new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #215 - What's in a Picture?
This week, we’re talking about a new way of looking at old photos: looking beyond their primary subjects and bringing the background details into focus. Under close observation, almost every vintage postcard or photo album that comes into the shop inadvertently reveals a wealth of information about the texture of daily life at the time that it was taken. From the fashions and hairstyles of passersby to the style of cars and the prices in shop windows, these images act as a fascinating window into the past. We’ll also discuss the worrying lack of these valuable artifacts from the present and the more recent past—as more and more photographs remain online only and as AI introduces an element of doubt into everything we see—on this snappy new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #105 - Book of Friends
Today we’re talking about two autograph albums from the shop, and about autograph collecting in general. Autograph albums used to be a popular way to collect signatures, not only from celebrities and public figures, but from friends and family members as well. Sometimes these snippets were accompanied by brief messages or bits of poetry. The value and desirability of specific autographs can fluctuate over time; recently Alexander Hamilton’s has skyrocketed, while Robert E. Lee’s has plummeted. We’ll also talk about the best way to care for and preserve these albums.
Speaking of messages from friends—we want to hear from you! Feel free to submit questions, topic ideas, or photographs of items you’d like appraised to info@brattlebookshop.com.
Brattlecast #55 - Casey at the Bat
From baseball tragedy to book shop treasure, we’re taking a look at the journey of Casey at the Bat. The poem, first printed in the San Francisco Examiner in 1888, was popularized in vaudeville, and, in 1901, published in the very valuable first edition here in the studio with us today. It has since been reprinted hundreds of times, and remains enduringly popular with collectors of both literature and baseball memorabilia. Ken talks about this and a variety of other home-run hits of baseball literature.
