Collectors Treasury

Yesterday I did something that I have been meaning to do since the middle of last year. Ahhh, it feels so good. Small pleasures: they're the only ones that I can afford... 

You see, last year while we were on the hunt for an elusive ATM at Market on Main (curse that place); Tommy and I found this hidden gem with books spilling out. It was closed and that made it all the more appealing. 

And so with Tommy being AWOL since flippin' November (that's 9 weeks, sir) I have run out of sad/romantic movies to watch and so I decided to venture out to somewhere besides gym. 

Turns out, the shop is the largest used and rare book shop in Africa and in the Southern Hemisphere being home to over a million books! 

It seems crazy to imagine a million books in one shop, but once you go inside the chaos the books and stuff (vinyls, postcards, teacups) swallow you whole and I felt as though I had entered a place that could be home to a mad genius or a healthy family of (well read) spiders. 

I got Wizard of The Crow by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o for 80 bucks! Whoop. 

Johannesburg, you beauty! 

Look What I Found

While searching for The Great Gatsby I found this dusty time warp instead. 

Sixty-one years ago this beaut illuminated distant parts of the world. 

I love finding stuff like this, I imagine that one day when I have a serious-looking study this will fit right in. 

P.S. The South Africa advert is a hoot, the inverted commas make me chuckle each time I look at it. Oh yes, and Victoria Falls was in South Africa back then, good to know...

Paula!

When I was small I absolutely loved this video. I had no idea who Paula Abdul was, all that I knew was that she was the luckiest girl in the world.

According to the press kit from Virgin Records' media, Skat Kat is a "street philosopher with an alley Kat point of view." He enjoys rapping and dancing, has "got an eye for the ladies," and "remains on the smooth tip with an old school rap influence which adds the street to his new school hip hop." 

Suzy!

We watched Moonrise Kingdom in Mumbai. 

Seeking solace from the sun we searched the city for a cinema and discovered that in India the national anthem is played before the movie and intervals are standard issue..how else would you get your pizza slice and cup of tea?

Despite the struggle to find the elusive cinema, I'm glad that we went because Suzy and Sam are thee best couple ever and lawd knows that I love a great couple..

On top of that and perhaps more importantly, Miss Suzy Bishop is my fashion darling with knee high socks, collars and blue eye shadow to boot!

P.S. The bird scene is my favourite. 

What kind of bird are you? 

Miles & James!

Practically separated at birth if coolness was a blood bond. 

The Princess of Jaipur!

Maharani Gayatri Devi, the princess of Jaipur, reportedly poured Shalimar perfume down the drains during her stay in a Delhi penitentiary in 1975.


Jailed for violating tax laws, the Maharani doused the pipes to relieve the jail of bad odours. 


The sweet scent was first created in 1921 by Guerlain in memory of another Indian princess, Mumtaz Mahal (for whom the Taj Mahal was erected). 

Black & White

Smoking Picture of The Week!

Nicotine and tube socks. Love it! 

Jane Birkin!

Just lovely really. 

MJ, Freddie & Madge!

Michael Jackson with the Queen front man and the queen of pop nogal. 

P.S. Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara and Madonna was born Madonna Louise Ciccone.

Steve Urkel Steez!

At the height of his popularity, Urkel's name was branded to several products including a short-lived fruit flavored cereal known as Urkel-Os and a Steve pullstring doll.

Say What?

The 1950 Fawcett Publications comic Negro Romance.

Will Power!

Will Smith on the cover of Seventeen? Oh snap!

Fresh Prince was thee best.

Back in the day you weren't worth shit if you couldn't rap all the words to the theme song.

Just try it...

Now this is a story all about how

My life got flipped-turned upside down

And I liked to take a minute just sit right there

And I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air! 

Johnny & Kate!

Before Johnny and Vanessa it was all about Johnny and Kate.

The world was probably a better place then. I mean just look at that snap of them smoking in unison!

Now Kate, my girl Kate, is married to that guy who wears bad suits. Bleh.

"If you love two people at the same time, choose the second one. Because if you truly loved the first one, you wouldn't love another". Johnny Depp

Marlon Brando

"Forget what you know about Marlon Brando. Wipe your memory clean and just f*cking look at this man."

He wore a uniform of dirty Levi's while the rest of Hollywood were rocking suits.

He played the bongos and marimbas.

He proclaimed his b.f.f to be a raccoon.

He was friends with black people who were not named Sammy Davis Jr.

He didn't care about money, in 1951, he ran an advertisement in the Saturday Review of Literature: Apartment Wanted – Any Old Thing.

"There's a line in the picture where he snarls, 'Nobody tells me what to do.' That's exactly how I've felt all my life." Marlon Brando

Harlem Beauty

These pictures make my heart swell. They are beautiful in every sense of the word.

Thinking about Harlem in the 1960's evokes so many images; however, these are unexpected.

This particular ball was held at Harlem's Rockland Palace Ballroom and was the first to be held there.

I really love the fact that a debutante ball is basically a formal occasion to say "why hello there" to the eligible bachelors of the community while resembling a bride.

P.S Harlem is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands.