Snow in Coastal Carolina
It was strangely beautiful here today. Rain then freezing rain then sleet then snow. At least a couple of inches on the ground. We didn’t make it to the beach today and the Olive is getting a bit eager to go for a swim. It will be a tad warmer tomorrow with sunshine.
New Year’s Day 2018
Wishing you all a happy and productive 2018. Thanks for following this silly little blog.
This is the annual Polar Bear Plunge on the island. It takes a special kind of person to run into the Atlantic when the outside temperature is 30 degrees.
Wilson, NC
We stopped for gas at the northernmost Wilson, NC exit. I wonder what this interesting abandoned building once was.
Delaware
Hi Everyone, lots going on. Sorry for neglecting this site. I’ll have some suitcase updates soon. Here we are looking toward the Delaware Memorial Bridge just before sunrise. / Olive is in the foreground on her morning stroll.
An Interesting Day or Two
Yesterday I took the train from Stratford upon Avon to Marylebone London. It was raining.
I made it with plenty of time to spare to make the 5.30 kickoff for the Fulham v Derby County match (ended in a 1-1 draw, but still fun).
After the match I walked back to my hotel past my favorite row of houses. Most of them have these amazing stained glass doors. Mind blowingly beautiful.
This morning I had a bit of a plan that started in Bishop’s Park.
I wanted to walk past the Cottage again. Last night, I entered the ground through door 36. Quite narrow.
I really like these graphic tiles set into the pavements along the Thames Walk. Especially the smell lines coming out of the poo.
Next stop was The Dove in Hammersmith for a pint of ESB. Nice
I started inside in the tiny bar and then moved to the deck out back.
Just before I got to my ultimate destination (next photo), I got a text from Cris at home telling me to call immediately. This is why; a giant fookin’ tree had fallen on my Element, and had knocked over my Vespa. I think the Element might just be toast, but the Vespa could be ok. Kind of put a damper on things.
Many years ago John Wilson surprised me at the end of a very long walk along the Thames with this view.
Here is a closer look at the Naked Ladies of Twickenham.
And another.
I made it back to the Dove for more beer and a Sunday roast. Tomorrow I have some meetings with folks interested in the suitcase project. V exciting.
Back in England
My friend John Wilson picked me up at Heathrow on Monday morning. After a jammed up drive to Stratford upon Avon on the M40, we made it in time for the dog’s evening walk. Here he is with Violet, and Sid and Lilly. Sid is a pup and Lilly wears a muzzle because twice now she has eaten small plastic balls that had to be removed surgically.
The next morning we all went for a nice long walk on the Welcombe Hills.
The obelisk off in the distance is very cool.
These sheep were very interested in the dogs, but the dogs couldn’t be bothered.
Here are Flora and Violet heading back to the car.
And Sid taking a bit of a break while he kept an eye out for squirrels.
Today was another warmish day so we drove to Broadway in the Cotswolds for another chance to walk the dogs.
I first met John when I was living in Berlin in the 1980s and we have been fast friends ever since. I have actually had this Barbour jacket (which he originally bought in Berlin) for the last 20 or so years. He needed it back for his dog walks so it is now his again. I hope to have it back someday.
Here is Sid patiently waiting for a treat.
I have always had a soft spot for Morgan cars. This one is sitting in front of one of the Broadway hotels, and it took my breath away when I saw it.
After our walk we ended up here for a lovely lunch. We have come to the Snowshill Arms many times, and it always makes me so happy.
While John was sorting out the dogs and Flora was getting Violet organized, I went in to see about a table. John said “Four people and two dogs”. Sid and Lilly were under the table the whole meal. Here is Siddy giving me a nuzzle. What a sweet boy.
Willard Suitcases / Rodrigo L.
Rodrigo was an extremely literate man. His collection of books was so interesting.
He was a writer as well, as this editorial from his Salt Lake High School yearbook illustrates.
Rodrigo’s collection of books tells us so much about his view of the world.
From reading his writings, I got the sense that he was a bit lonely, and deeply spiritual.
The autographs page of his yearbook had only his signature.
I love the logo for Oliver R. Meredith’s Trunk Factory. I looked for information online about the business, and didn’t find much about the company, but did come across this great gallery of photographs of trunk manufacturers.
From time to time I like to post a nice photo of Peggy Ross, whom I can never thank enough for her help throughout the years that we have spent documenting the collection of suitcases. I literally could not (and would not) have done this work without her help.
Thanks for following. Check out all of Rodrigo’s collection here. Moving on to Michael B. tomorrow.
Willard Suitcases / Herman G
Herman G was featured in the 2004 New York State Museum exhibit on the suitcases. His story is interesting in that he was a patient at the “Craig Colony for Epileptics” before he came to Willard. I had posted about him around the time we photographed his box of photo gear and correspondence in 2015.
I have just uploaded the complete edit. You can see the collection here.
I’ll start work on Rodrigo L. tomorrow. His story is amazing. Thanks for following.
Leaves
I took a break from the computer earlier this afternoon to take Olive up into the woods.
Somewhere deep in my memory lives the idea that I have seen something like this before. But I find it quite amazing and wondrous that I saw two different instances of leaves attached to what appears to be a thin strand of spider thread floating in midair and moving with the light breeze. This made me really happy.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Willard Suitcases / Margaret D / 17 June 2015
I am pretty sure that this was the last day we photographed any of Margaret D’s things. It is possible that as I move through the editing process I will come across more of her possessions, but I think this is it.
It was a mixed bag of items that we saw on this day.
Here is more of her work with a needle and thread.
This little button caught my eye.
I did a quick internet search for “TU-TEE” and found nothing. This almost never happens anymore. A commercial product with an interesting concept and zilch! “This game is something different, and enjoyed by old and young alike. It is replacing progressive card games in many sections of the country.” Apparently not in that many sections of the country or there would be some evidence of it. (Edit. As I was reading this post once it was public, I realized that the type face on the TU-TEE box looks exactly like the one I use for all of these posts. It is Palatino, and I’ve been using it for years. What a strange coincidence.)
This cup and saucer are so delicate and lovely.
So, that’s it for Margaret. Hers is the most complete collection of household and personal items in all of the cases that I shot, and in a funny way, it is difficult to move on to other Willard patients. Up next though is Herman G, whose story is fascinating in its own way. Thanks for following. You can see all of the cases here, and all of Margaret’s here. (Don’t forget to click on the “500” button at the bottom of the page, as I think the default page only shows the first 25. And as there are over 600 photos in her collection, you have to click on the “next” button to see the rest.)
Jon Crispin's Notebook 
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