#mid-century modern

[dailyrothko]

"Slow Swirl by the Edge of the Sea is really the first painting I remember. It was hanging over the couch in the living room of the family brownstone in New York City. But it's also a very important piece in the family because my father painted it for my mother shortly after meeting her in

1944-45. It's subtitled, "Mell Ecstatic," my mother's nickname was Mell and the painting shows two figures, presumably my father and my mother, at a surrealistically styled seaside.

But they're twisted and distorted in the way that our mind does so in dreams and in the imagination.

He was in New York at that point and he was still living in very, very modest means.

He and his first wife had recently divorced and not too long after that, he had met my mother and I think this was actually a very joyful period for him because they had a very romantic courtship and married shortly thereafter. But he's really just barely, barely on anyone's radar in terms of being a known artist.

He is really struggling to get his voice heard."

-Christopher Rothko

Mark, Mell and Christopher Rothko with the painting Slow Swirl At The Edge Of The Sea in background. (c. 1944)

Photographer Unknown

©️ Rothko family estate

(Identity of the other child is unknown to me at this time)

[coolthingsguyslike]

[mayanhandballcourt]

Photographer Jake Michaels

[domusinluna]

Stunning travel posters by David Klein for TWA

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[imperialgoogie]

The House of Googie in The Land of Googie

In June and July this year, I travelled to the United States for a four-week holiday to celebrate my 30th birthday. In that time, I took in the sights of San Francisco, Los Angeles and Southern California, Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon. It was my first time stateside, and I'm not exaggerating when I say the entire trip was incredible and I wish I could have stayed even longer. It's such a beautiful part of the world.

Why is this relevant? Southern California is the birthplace of Googie, and if there's one thing I love, it's Googie. With my good friend and fellow vintage enthusiast KoHoSo's help, we travelled around greater Los Angeles and out into the Mojave Desert in search of old signs and architecture. We were very lucky to find no shortage of beautiful mid-century delights, some in better conditions than others.

As if that wasn't enough, on the day before my birthday, we headed to Palm Springs, the mid-century Mecca. To see so many Mid-Century Modern and Googie houses and stores was just a pure delight, and it was so nice to see the city embracing the aesthetic. The fact it's out in the desert with all the beautiful plants accenting it just makes it even better.

For my birthday, we did a road trip along the old Route 66 from San Bernardino all the way to Santa Monica, with a few deviations along the way. The trip took far longer than any of us had expected, and while we ended up thoroughly tired by the end of the day, I got to see some great sights, and no shortage of Googie delights along the way.

Of course, it wasn't enough; no amount could be. I hope I'll be able to return again soon to take in more of California's gold. Finally being able to behold authentic Googie for myself is an experience I'll cherish forever.

I apologise for the quality of some of the photos, sometimes the photos were taken at the last possible second as we passed. I'm sure you'll enjoy them all the same.

Alternatively, KoHoSo has some more photos on his Flickr if you're interested. They're not as Googie-focused as this post, but you can see some more of the places we went to, with some explanations added in. Trust me, the foot photo is relevant.

Long live Googie.

[brbuttons]

The brightest aren't always the best.

[ comms // shop ]

[chasingrainbowsforever]

~ Colors ~ Peach ~

[stone-cold-groove]

Architectural rendering of a mid-century modern home.

[1lifeinspired]

Casady Campo

[aestheticsof]

Elysian Landscapes

[kdo-three]

Bettie Page by Bunny Yeager Taken in Bunny Yeager's Home in Miami Beach, Florida in 1954 Mid-Century Modern Interior

[coolthingsguyslike]

[mayanhandballcourt]

Photographer Phil Donohue

[domusinluna]

Cute artworks by Saint-Geniès

From my newsletter number #20

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[miamaimania]

Mid-century modern bliss ✨: Step into the past with this vibrant 1950s bathroom scene. '50s Bathroom

[brbuttons]

From the city that brought you Big Daddies: Little Daddies! We made them small and cute so you'll be too distracted to remember the Other Stuff!~ [insert cute bawoo noise here]

Available now in the BRB Giftshop.