The Archival blog started in 2006 as a place to presevere ephemeral print, digitized scans and new digital catalog content. Originally, I posted scans of my own outdoor clothing catalogs from the US and UK. Later, I expanded to include images from Japanese web shops selling Japan-only garb by US and European outdoor labels like …
Despite criticism of flickr’s semi recent redesign, I remain loyal to this content management system for the access it provides to historic image archives. Flickr Commons provides one search access to some terrific image collections including the the Library of Congress and the Stockholm Transport Museum. While I prefer to browse the pages of vintage …
Long before Warren Miller, Dwight Watson, amateur photographer and mountaineer, documented snow sport culture in the pacific northwest. I’ve been browsing Watson’s 1940s era images on the UW Digital Collections site. As a non-skier, I’m drawn to Watson’s more casual scenes showing sportsmen and women at rest – at the lodge, in ensemble poses. …
You might have seen a Summit magazine cover or two over at Jeff’s. We dug deep and did some shopping. I’ll be packing a West German down jacket and some malt crunch while I’m up in the Cascades this summer!
For those of you working through the summer, I recommend shopping from the Glenbow Museum Archives for surrogate vacation snaps of the Canadian Rockies from the 1920s and 1930s. If you’re too pressed for time, here is my summary of an ideal summer spent hiking, reading, rowing, dining, fishing, swimming and climbing – in perfect …
Per yesterday’s entry, I’m reprinting a few of my favorite views from the strangely compelling, Filson Japan lookbook, “The Ballad of Portraits”. I love the stylized presentation of the figures who look like colorized, plasticized transplants from a 19th century daguerreotype (if Dodge Sportsmans appeared in daguerreotypes). Since most web image content disappears from view …
We love these hand tinted magic lantern slides by alpinist Thomas B. Moffat. Taken in the 1930s, they document the Alpine Club of Canada’s ascent of several mountains in the Canadian Rockies. There’s a refreshing lack of technical clothing, high tech gear and off road vehicles in these photographs. Vests, ponchos, pipes and caps finish …
In 1959, four young men made the first ascent of Denali (Mt. McKinley) via the West Rib. “Pete Sinclair, a fine rock climber from the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club.” Photos used with the permission of the American Alpine Club.
A few pages from Pillpat (Agence Eureka), our favorite print ephemera source for climbing packs, cycling capes and aviator costumes. Plisson (1911) Images courtesy of Pillpat (Agence Eureka)