I won't be at all sorry to hang onto this exquisite devotional treasure from the early 20th century: How perfectly the curve of the pressed flower stem aligns with the oval shape of the nun's portrait.
Speaking of nuns, this antique plaster cast was one of my favorite Brimfield finds this past spring. I got her from a very sweet, older man who travels from France three times a year for this show, and he always has an abundance of wonderful devotional antiques. I always wish I could take everything he has! Very pleased with this gal, though- She reminds me of Terry Gilliam's animations in Monty Python & the Holy Grail, or the terrible CGI faces groaning from the walls in the hilariously bad remake of The Haunting.
This may be the most beautifully & sensitively composed antique post mortem photos I've seen in recent memory. I keep telling myself I've grown tired of post mortem photography, but every now & then something comes along & knocks the wind out of me.
If you love memorial ephemera, rejoice: Substantial markdowns in the Mourning & Funeral section abound. I'm clearing out to make room for some very special new stock!
I've had ideas about re-opening my second storefront just for vintage books & ephemera, but truthfully, I have too much on my plate at the moment. I figured I might as well offer you some of the awesome stuff I've been setting aside for months & months. They cover the same subjects I buy for my own collection: Occult & esoteric studies, pop culture, pulp & erotica, music, art, & queer history. Check out the Vintage section to view the first crop.