Today we’re flipping through some fresh arrivals to the shop: issues of Ebony magazine from the 1970s. In print from 1945 to 2019 (and still published online), Ebony documented mid-century Black life in the United States with the same upbeat and aspirational tone that mainstream magazines once reserved for white America. From glossy fashion spreads and celebrity profiles to coverage of politics, civil rights, and everyday life, Ebony built a vivid visual record of a rapidly changing country. Today, Ebony offers a rich and fascinating archive of the African American experience, along with a quietly radical reminder that Black people’s lives were always worthy of glamour, curiosity, and cultural memory.
Brattlecast #180 - LIFE Magazine Trends
They say that in life, change is the only constant, and this is true of LIFE Magazine collecting as well. While older readers collected specific issues for personal nostalgia reasons, their children and grandchildren find the magazines to be fascinating time capsules of mid-century American design, fashion, and culture. We’ll talk about the decline and unexpected resurgence of the LIFE secondhand market, part of the same wave of interest in vintage styles that re-popularized the vinyl record and the Eames lounge chair—both of which you might find stylish, copy-heavy advertisements for in an old LIFE Magazine.
Brattlecast #162 - LIFE at the Brattle
Today we’re taking a look at some vintage issues of LIFE Magazine, half a truckload of which recently arrived at the shop. Full of iconic photojournalism and snappy graphic design, LIFE’s oversized pages are endlessly fun to flip through—and convey so much information about mid-century American culture. Listen to hear our favorite LIFE stories, from Woodstock to working moms, on this eye-opening new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #150 - Antiques Roadshow Memories
In this episode, Ken talks about some especially notable TV appraisals from his years on Antiques Roadshow. The highlights include a Civil War letter with a surprising twist, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph, and one item that… actually didn’t work out so well. The show is currently in the midst of its 27th season; you can catch new episodes Monday nights on PBS, or watch online here: www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow.
Brattlecast #9 - These Magazines are Giving Me Life
Life Magazine: a touchstone of American culture for nearly a century. In this episode, Ken Gloss provides some fascinating background on the enduring popularity of Life among amateur collectors, and the unique way its content, photography, and advertising captured the zeitgeist. Can you guess the magazine's rarest and most elusive cover?