Posts in Random Nostalgia

“Hell, you might just be the best damn girl in Texas.”

“Each and every man under my command owes me one hundred Nazi scalps. And I want my scalps. And all y’all will git me one hundred Nazi scalps, taken from the heads of one hundred dead Nazis. Or you will die tryin’.”

“Look Dave, I can see you’re really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over.”

“A beginning is a very delicate time. Know then, that it is the year 10191. The known universe is ruled by the Padisha Emperor Shaddam IV, my father. In this time, the most precious substance in the Universe is the spice melange. The spice extends life. The spice expands consciousness. The spice is vital to space travel. “

“I’m scared, Fif. You know why? It’s that rat circus out there. I’m beginning to enjoy it.”

“It had been a wonderful evening and what I needed now to give it the perfect ending was a bit of the old Ludwig van.”

“You underestimate the power of the Dark Side. If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny.”

“Can you keep a secret? I’m trying to organize a prison break. I need like, what, an accomplice. We have to first get out of this bar, then the hotel, then the city, and then the country. Are you in or you out?”

Film the Blanks, by designer John Taylor, is a series based on famous film posters, with the information deconstructed to a minimal blocks of colors. Can you guess the films above?

You can buy them from HERE or HERE

The Verge has a nice piece on the history of the Walkman, which is apparently now 35 years old. I think I became aware of what a Walkman was sometime right before the yellow “Sports” version came out. I never actually owned a real tape Walkman, but had a few of the Minidisc ones and of course some CD players.

Source The Verge

Most of the shots are of Laura Thornhill but i’m loving these knee pads and helmets almost as much of action shots and the girls.

Meet the Minox Riga, the first true, subminature spy camera that saw actual use for espionage throughout the WWII and the cold war. 

Invented in 1936 by Walter Zapp, it was the first to use itty bitty 8x11mm film (a little smaller than your pinky’s fingernail), making it tiny enough to hide in the palm of your hand, but powerful enough to take high resolution photographs of your enemy’s top secret documents.

The Riga was a true marvel of design & miniaturization in it’s day, a time when even 35mm, then a newer format, was widely considered “super compact” in comparison to the 6×9 & 120mm type cameras people were more accustomed to. Holding it up to a normal sized camera then would be like comparing an iPod Shuffle to a vinyl record today. And boy is it a dream to hold. Small, heavy, and perfectly smooth. Later versions, made of aluminum instead of the original brushed steel, even included a built in light meter. Bond-worthy for sure.

Operating the camera

To make this thing go, simply pop in a film canister, pull the camera open to arm the shutter, and click. Advancing to the next photo is as easy as collapsing the camera, then reopening it in a shotgun-like fashion, making a strangely satisfying sound as the gears spin and click into place.

You can apparently still find these cameras in working order on eBay… that is, if you’ve got 1000 bucks laying around. Regardless, it’s a wonderful example of industrial design to feed your camera nostalgia.

Fun fact: most of the early space suits were manufactured by ILC Dover, also known as Playtex, the same company that made women’s undergarments. More wall-worthy goodies from the San Diego Air & Space Museum on Flickr. How well can you head-bang in space?

Had a chance to explore in and around Death Valley last week with my new favorite lens, Canon’s 24mm F1.4. Stumbled upon a few ghost towns, countless abandoned mines, including one that a migrant had used as a shelter, and even Charlie Manson’s old getaway truck, still preserved in the one of the driest climates on earth. What’s nice about this particular 24mm prime is how it’s fast as it is wide, which makes it great for shallow depth of field in landscape photos, and a perfect tool for capturing shots indoors, in tight places.

A Monday morning skate with Sid Davis and Express Rising, thanks for the find Reilly!

via Reilly Brennan

These graphics appear to have been from a science-fiction magazine or album art, though I’m not sure exactly. The detail is amazing. Check out many more on Flickr.

Shared via Wanken

Follow this great Tumblr: Postcards From Above, where “Google Maps Meets The World Of Vintage Postcards”.

Apple was up to some cool stuff in the 80s. We’ve seen evidence of it before with Apple’s 1986 clothing line and with this Apple gift catalog from 1983. The logo made it on a range of products including race cars, kites and carpets.

More images from the catalog on Mac Spoilers.