A Trip Down Memory Lane
January 24, 2012
Hello fellow-LON-lovers. My name is Amy and I write about my sewing projects and my love of collecting vintage items at my blog, Diary of a Quilter. I especially love those great vintage finds at thrift stores. They are few and far between, but I love finding those rare vintage gems. One of my latest obsessions is vintage school books.
This is one of the finds from my most recent trip: a spelling book from 1963.
My favorite part is the illustrations. This one was more of a proper text book with actual work in it, so there are fewer illustrations. But what there is is good stuff.
Over time, I am starting to gather a small collection of them.
This is from the 1951 classic "I Wonder Why." Such stimulating content: "Picture of Weather. See this picture of weather." But I'm sure the charming illustrations captured the hearts and imaginations of many young students.
Look. This one explains where babies come from!
And that's about as much detail as you get. 🙂
This one is my favorite. It must have been for really young students because it is full mostly of illustrations with very little text. And the illustrations are fabulous.
The book has already been used as a cutter so I don't feel any obligation to keep it pristine. I'd like to cut it up some more but I don't actually know what to do with the illustrations. Any great ideas? I'd love suggestions. (I'm so not creative in these areas.) I want to live in that house with the red roof.
Oh no! Someone opened the chocolates, smashed the walnut shells on the table, left out the newspaper and their blue sweater! Those pesky kids! What should June Cleaver do?? (Are you glad no one expects you to wear a lovely dress, heels and pearls every day? Or do you wish you could?)
Machines!
And last, but certainly not least, another fabulous vintage school find from the thrift store. I LOVE IT! I got it for $14. It's not in mint condition (has anyone ever seen a school desk that was?) But it looks good. I gave it a good Lysol job when it got home. I'm now trying to decide whether to spray paint the metal or leave the 'aged patina.' I wonder what the Keno brothers would tell me to do. They'd probably say leave it.
My little guys love it too. Sweet!
(Which is good, because as much as I'd like to, I can't actually fit in it myself.)
