Sunday, July 11, 2010

Oh woe... hairstyles circa 1880 leads to amazon shopping spree

I shouldn't be doing this after midnight...
But I had to dress Inez appropriately for venturing out of her hotel room in Manitou, Colorado, on a fine summer morning in August 1880. And, as often happens when I'm faced with such a requirement, I scurried first to my bookcase, and thence to the internet.
Thus was my doom sealed. It all went something like this:

Ah ha! On this nifty site I see that, yes, I can have Inez struggle to capture her shoulder-length hair in a French twist.
All well and good.
And wow, there are a lot of neat hairstyles here for 1881. That's pretty darn close to summer 1880... I better bookmark this site...
Oh hey, look at the bottom of the page: I have THREE of the books listed! (Now that makes me feel pretty good...) But, hmmm. Here's one I don't have: Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900. I can't believe that I don't have this... Well, I'll order it. Hmmm. I can get it in combination with Uncovering Your Ancestry through Family Photographs. I bet they have some good stuff on looking at the details in old photographs....

Before I'm done, I've ordered four books in all, nearly a hundred dollars' worth, and made two return trips to my bookshelves, scanning for Dressed for the Photographer. I really have the sneaking feeling I've got this book somewhere. How could I not?? It's been around since 1997 and is right up my alley, so to speak.

Okay, now back to the scene and the critical bit of dialogue it's all leading to. I'll tell you, though, if I find that book in my shelves tomorrow, I am going to be mighty pissed.

10 comments:

Camille Minichino said...

I can't tell you how many times I've bought the same book more than once. It's a great impetus to organizing by section. {This will last all of one month, if that.}

Hmmm ... maybe a list of Uses for a Duplicate Book is in order. I feel a blog coming on.

Meanwhile I'd love to see some examples of hairstyles!

Renaissance Women said...

Of course, duplicates of books can be helpful if you work in more than one space....or you just use them so often they might wear out.

I can't wait for the next in the series, especially since it is in my own backyard.

Ann Parker said...

Hi Camille!

Well, if you make a list about uses for duplicates, I'll sure make note to read it. I have this little pile on a bottom shelf. I keep thinking I can offer them (one at a time) in offerings at conference auctions.

I'll try to find some images of hairstyles that are in the public domain. Maybe museum-related?

Ann Parker said...

And howdy, howdy Ms. Renaissance! :-)
How I wish I had a second "hideaway," maybe some nice little studio apartment tucked away in Colorado somewhere! (Yes, I can dream, and do on a regular basis...)
I'm going to have to be sure to run this one past some local folks down your way, just to be sure I don't get Pikes Peak on the wrong side of town and other embarrassing stuff...

Laurie Powers said...

Ha ha - I'm glad I'm not the only one that does this. Not necessarily buy the same book twice, but get caught up that tangled internet web and somehow end up at the end of the amazon checkout line. "Thanks for Your Order!" Indeed.

Gayle Gresham said...

Thanks, Ann! I just ordered this book, too. Looks like it will be helpful.

Ann Parker said...

Hi Laurie!
Yah. "Thanks for your order... sucker!" (I sense amazon snickering each time I get sucked into it. Must not approach online shopping past a certain hour... about 10 p.m., I think.)

Ann Parker said...

Hi Gayle!
I just got the book a couple days ago and finally had an opportunity (brief though it was) to take a peek. It looks GREAT! I love all these books of photographs... I love looking at all the details, right into what's in the background, etc.

Dani said...

Ann, have you noticed the new Blogger templates (some with cool wallpapers that look very oldey-time). And the pages that allow you to add information tabs under your header. You know, with more author info like writing services, and contact info, emails and such. ;)

Ann Parker said...

Hi Dani!
I haven't looked at the new stuff... sounds neat! I'll have to go browse around. Thanks for the suggestion.