Documentary

Sorry it has taken me this long to add a new post. Silent film director Fritz Lang was making a documentary about me this week and it took up most of my time. Check it out:

Esquivel – The Future of Sound & Space Age Pop

Esquivel! has got to be one of the coolest composers! I was first introduced to Esquivel! when I worked for designer Mark Montano. Mark would only play Esquivel in the store, and I became fascinated.

Juan Garcia Esquivel, or known as simply just “Esquivel!” was a Mexican band leader, composer, and pianist. Equivel is known as the king of “Space Age Pop”. His style of music is typically referred to as bachelor pad music. It has a unique space age jazz/lounge feeling with a lot of fun sounds. Mr. Esquivel was also know for his large black glasses; definitely cool for the era! If you like the clip of “whachmacallit” above, check out some of Esquivel!’s albums like “Exploring New Sounds”.

AMC’s Remake of “The Prisoner” As Good as the Original?

I am anxiously waiting the 2009 remake of the 1967 cult science fiction television show “The Prisoner”. AMC will be airing the original series starring Patrick Mcgoohan as “Number 6” prior to the release of the new television series. AMC’s remake will feature James Caviezel in the lead role as “Number 6” and Ian McKellen as “Number 2”. The show is about a secret agent who resigns angrily from his job and is taken to an island called “The Village” where the leaders try to break him for information. He is referred to as “Number 6”, and he tries to escape and find out who is behind “The Village”

The original series was ground-breaking when it was released in 1967. The show features Patrick Mcgoohan’s progressive social views on a variety of controversial topics of the late 60’s. It was the first show of it’s time where the plot continued from one episode to the next without a conclusion. The show also featured the most up-to-date design elements of the era. Check out some of my favorite design details from the show below:

The show featured the build it yourself "Lotus 7"

I love the dark jacket with the white piping; this trend has been current in menwear for the past few years

The original ball chair by Aarnio Eero was featured.

Sci-Fi Movie Posters of the Past

Lately I’ve been a huge vintage poster kick. I especially love the old Science Fiction movie posters. I always liked the merging of the pin-up culture with the scientific themes. The posters are great; oftentimes mixing robots and monsters with women. Check out my favorites.

Fritz Lang's Frau im Mond (1929)

Metropolis - Also by Fritz Lang (1927)

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Forbidden Planet (1956)

Invasion of the Saucer-Men (1957)

Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman (1958)

King Kong (1933)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Physicists – Scientists with Style

I’ve always been intrigued by physicists and mathematicians, not only because of their revolutionary breakthroughs in their field, but because of their nonchalant way of dressing. Has anyone really considered scientists stylish? Most people don’t; but I definitely do. Check out the pictures below. Anyone that can write an equation that spans the entire length of a chalkboard definitely gets a thumbs up in my book; and the best part is that some of these guys invented those equations!

J. Robert Oppenheimer - Head of the Manhattan Project. Check out the links and french cuffs - probably smudged with ink from writing all of those equations; definitely an extra coolness factor!

Theoretical Physicist Erwin Schrodinger - Discovery of Schrodinger's Equation

Physicist John Bardeen - two time winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics & co-inventor of the transistor in 1956

Physicist Louis Alvarez - 1968 Nobel Prize winner & inventor of the Asteroid Impact Theory and the Jet Recoil Theory

Physicist Edwin Mcmillan - First to produce a transuranium element and winner of the 1951 Nobel Prize in chemistry

Edward Percell - Winner of the 1952 Nobel Prize for the discovery of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. He's also pretty damn good at tying a bowtie

Wolfgang Pauli - Discovery of the Exclusion Principle and noted for his work on the Spin Theory

Favorite Cars of the 20’s & 30’s

There is a beauty in automobile design. The shapes and elongation of the 1920’s & 1930’s are by far my favorites. See some of the best below…

1938 Delahaye figoni and falaschi

1935 Duesenberg SJ Mormon Meteor Speedster

1937 Bugatti Atlantic Type 57SC - Owned by Mr. Ralph Lauren

1925 Rolls Royce Phantom I

1938 Talbot Lago

Antique Campaign Flags

Election day is tomorrow, so I thought it would be appropriate to share some of the amazing antique campaign flags that I found on Jeff Bridgman’s American Antiques page.  Please enjoy these and may the best man win tomorrow’s election!

Lincoln & Hamlin campaign flag from 1860, notice the portrait of Lincoln in the top left

Grant & Wilson campaign flag from the Civil War Era 1861-1863

Clay & Frelinchuysen campaign flag (1844)

Roosevelt & Mckinley poster (1900)

The Space Age Office

Check out the items I found on Ebay for the perfect Space Age Office:

Teak desk for any business man

End table lamps for perfect mood lighting

Desk Lamp for all that paperwork

Jere art for the wall

Sofa

Ash Tray

Decanter for after those stressful meetings

Pen Holder...If your pocket protector is full

Desk Chair

The perfect table for sharing information with co-workers

Knick Knacks for your desk and table

Painting for your wall

Barkcloth for curtains

Wall clock for counting down the minutes until cocktail hour

Cool Jazz & Blues Style

Growing up with a father who’s a Jazz musician, I was raised for the most part on jazz and blues. As far as musicians go, the blues and jazz guys had the best style. These guys were always dressed flawlessly.

Stan Getz - One of my Dad's favorite sax players

Bill Evans

Victor Feldman

Dizzy Gillespie

Buddy Rich