Retro Treasures hiding in the Study

Last weekend Mr red roses and I attacked the study for a major over haul of files and paraphernalia which had accumulated. Everyone knows you keep important information for X amount of years and yes we had certainly done this. I cannot emphasis enough how the Mr and I loathe anything to do with paperwork, sorting and filing. I enjoyed having a good whinge on twitter!

The weekend in question was raining and so was the ideal opportunity to get this wretched job done.

A few sentimental treasures I rediscovered amongst the depths was my mother's first powder compact and the little case for her engagement ring. Now proudly displayed on my dressing table.

My father's typewriter. I have no connection or love of this machine but for some reason my husband does so it received another reprieve and sits majestically on a book shelf.

Of course sorting through stuff one finds lots to distract from the task at hand. I had kept some favoured programs from theatrical events and looking through these was like stepping back in time, the pages were yellowed, not unusual for paper that's 30+ years old.
Among the stash was my old lettering manuals from a evening trade course I did back in the day, when advertising posters and art work was done by hand using inks and nibs, paints and sable hair brushes. Computer graphics were still in their infancy but not long after I graduated, technology came along in leaps and bounds and ticket writing/poster art and calligraphy skills faded into oblivion. Thankfully this was only a hobby and not my main source of employment.

The following three photos I snapped from the pages of a 1972 Jesus Christ Superstar program. To this day I view it as the best stage production I've had the pleasure of attending.

Do you remember Brush-o-matics? My dad bought one and thought it was brilliant, he used to brush-o-matic everything in sight.

Arpege was the very first grown up perfume I bought when I started my working career at the age of sixteen. French fragrances and I have enjoyed a love affair ever since.

Here is a foxy looking young Andrew Lloyd Webber (wrote the music for JCS) rocking a long hair 'do'. Who knew he would be worth mega millions and a superstar in his own right?

This dictionary has been in my family since I was a tot and I still refer to it on the odd occasion purely because I adore a good dictionary. I lament that many children nowadays are not being taught how to use them and instead fall back on computer spell check. I don't hold with the argument that dictionaries are antiquated, learning to navigate them is a great scaffold to further learning and I made sure my own kids appreciated their value.

Nooo, I don't have furs hanging in my wardrobe. These vintage garments (fake and real) were part of a borrowed collection my daughter amassed for a photo shoot.
Just thought I'd throw this pic in for retro good measure!

So I'm very happy to say our study is now tidy with room to move and files refiled or put through the shredder. Speaking of which...the pile of paperwork to be shred was massive and I still have a small mound to dispose of but in true diva style the paper shredder was having a hissy fit due to overwork so I gave her a rest this past week.
Mark my words...We are never letting paperwork breed like that ever again!

xx