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Video of the Day: Sara Beetson’s Coney Island Painted Polaroids

Posted in art, video, tagged carousel, Coney Island, hand-painted Polaroid, Michael Jackson, Polaroid, Sarah Beetson on December 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »

It’s summer Down Under but British-Australian artist and illustrator Sarah Beetson is already dreaming of next summer in Coney Island, which she calls “her favourite place of inspiration.” At home in her studio in Gold Coast, Queensland, Beetson has painted dozens of Polaroids that she snapped during a three-month residency in Coney last summer. Now she has assembled them into a lively and inventive new video.

“Sara Beetson’s Coney Island Painted Polaroids” gathers shots of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park’s painted clown faces (originally in Astroland) and signage and the B&B Carousell’s horses set to the tune of Michael Jackson’s “Carousel.” The frame by frame addition of hand-lettered lyrics is delightful and will make you want to sing along: “Lost my heart on the carousel to a circus girl who left my heart in pieces…”

Sarah Beetson with Stanley Fox, and her painting of him, at the Coney Island History Project. June 21, 2014. Photo © Coney Island History Project

Up for Auction: Vintage Tattooed Lady Poster by Friedlander

Posted in art, Auction, tagged Friedlander, lithograph, tattoo poster, tattoo shop, tattooed lady, vintage poster on December 6, 2014| 1 Comment »

Expert Tattooing Lithographed Poster by Friedlander. Noel Barrett Auctions. December 6, 2014

This vintage Friedlander poster featuring a voluptuous Victorian tattooed lady advertising “EXPERT TATTOOING – DONE HERE” is up for auction today at Noel Barrett’s Fall Antique Auction in New Hope, Penn. Bidding is also available online via live auctioneers.

The 38″ x 24″ lithographed paper poster is mounted on board in a period painted frame. Adolph Friedlander was a prolific German lithographer whose firm printed many circus, vaudeville and magic posters beginning in the late 19th century. Tattoo posters are scarce, according to the auctioneer. Though this one has survived in a distressed state, it remains alluring. An hour before the start of today’s auction, it already has 14 bids.

Up for Auction: Vintage Sideshow Banners & Carnival Curiosities

Posted in art, Artifacts, Auction, Carnival Games, tagged Fred Johnson, Homer Tate, monkey speedway, Mosby & Co Auctions, Penny Pitch, Poker Pitch, sideshow banner, sideshow gaff on November 24, 2014| 1 Comment »

Monkey Speedway Banner “The Race” by Sigler Studios, circa 1950s. 248″ x 96″. Mosby & Co Auctions, November 29, 2014.

Vintage monkey speedway banners by Sigler Studios, sideshow banners by Fred Johnson, and shrunken head and mummy gaffs by Homer Tate are among the midway artifacts up for auction at Mosby & Co. Auctions’ November 29th live and online sale. A selection of carnival games that have disappeared from the midway will also be in the sale. The catalogue is online and one can bid now or in real time during the auction.

“The Monkey Speedway ‘The Start’ and ‘The Race’ are the two best Sigler banners we have ever handled,” said Mosby’s owner Keith Spurgeon, who noted that it was probably painted by Jack Sigler Sr. The banners drew people over to a midway attraction that was popular on carnivals through the 1950s and 60s. Trained monkeys in little metal cars raced around a wooden track while customers (more…)