PERCY THE PHOTOGRAPHER

On a recent jaunt to an antique shop I found this small and unassuming little envelope...

It's a 1930s Kodak envelope that would contain negatives, and I absolutely love the fantastic Art Deco design!
Not only does it have a gorgeous illustration, it has classic Deco black borders that gives it a touch of class. Just look at the geometric shapes on the back cover of the envelope!

So then I wondered who PERCY S. SMITH was.
A tiny meander online found a few references to our intrepid and mysterious photographer from Bridport.

He gets a mention in Kelly's Directory from 1935...
'Photographic artist, children's portraits a study; Kodak & all amateur supplies; picture frame maker'

There is a shot of East Street in the 1930s, from the famous Francis Frith, where you can just about see his shop.

From The Francis Frith Collection website: www.francisfrith.com

The other is a brilliantly playful photographic montage.

This pic was found here: www.users.waitrose.com/~victorianphoto/post2/image8.htm

I love the thought of Percy, getting slightly bored of developing endless holiday snaps and taking pictures of kids in his West Dorset Studio, doing a bit of surrealist photography. It says he was a 'photographic artist', so I just wonder if he was a secret fan of Man Ray?!

I also hope Daisy, who this negatives envelope belonged to, was pleased with her 7 prints she ordered from our Percy.

BRMM BRMM!

My Mum has dug out a long-forgotten book from the ArtPix Family Archives...
Produced by yours truly sometime in the 1970s, this must surely now be a much sought-after antique!

As a nipper I was slightly obsessed with cars, hence the subject of this weighty tome. The lucky(?) recipient of this book was my Dad, who has kept it all these years for future generations to enjoy. It also comes with the very succinct message on the back cover.

I shall of course be contacting Sotheby's to arrange the sale by auction, as this will be one of their finest ever sales...

NEW STOCK AT THE CUSTOMS HOUSE!

Got loads of new bits and pieces to put in my unit at The Customs House!!

Have been sifting through all the boxes, after my recent move, to dig out some gems for you!
I'm looking forward to spending a bit more time on my unit now I'm finally based in Dorset.

These are exciting times down at West Bay's finest emporium, with new management and big plans for the coming year. So get yourself down there and check it all out!!

Find The Customs House on Facebook HERE

And look at a sneak preview of some of the new goodies on offer.....

Early 20th Century brass candlesticks.

A clock to play chess, with stoppers that are pressed when the player has made their move.

One of my own photographs, taken at Hyde Hall in Essex, in a white frame.

Fabulous late 70s retro tea set, made by Johnson Bros.

Maps dating from the 30s to the 50s. Check out the rest of the vintage maps I have in the unit.

Princess magazines for girls from the 60s, including a rare Holiday Special from 1963.

Hard-to-find copies of the famous Private Eye magazine, from the early 70s.

A 1959 copy of Scrabble for Juniors game, with brilliant retro letters.

A must-have item for any fans of the 80s! The best of the classic mag Smash Hits plus a free poster of Wham on one side and John Taylor from Duran Duran on the other!!

Lovely old London Underground poster from 1913, featuring my old stamping ground Southend!

Unusual brass and copper tea caddy, which can be used as a handy storage for any bits and pieces.

A special treat for any West Ham fans... A SIGNED copy of the legendary Tony Cottee's 'West Ham: The Inside Story' book!!

And more treats!! Some copies of the Hammers magazine from the mid-90s. Check out current boss Slaven Bilic in his playing days!!

More retro footie, this time a huge framed pic of Chelsea's squad from the season 1995/96. Glenn Hoddle was manager and Ruud Gullit had just been signed!!

I'M BACK!!!!!

Hello folks, sorry for the break in service, but the big news is, I've moved!!!!

Yes, I've left Essex to go to the delights of Dorset!
In fact, we have technically left mainland Britain as we are on the magnificent and mysterious Isle of Portland!

I've also left my job as a magazine designer at a publishing company in London, so there are lots of changes going on. Instead of the daily grind of the commute from Southend to Euston, I now have a 5 minute walk to Chesil Beach!!

I will be working on many ArtPix related projects in the coming months, so keep tuned right here. And once I've found everything from the million boxes that are still hanging around, I'll be sorting through the tonnes of amazing vintage items that I've got for sale.

So bye for now from Portland and see you soon!!

The insanely long Chesil Beach, as seen from Portland. ArtPix Towers is close by!!

Portland's most famous landmark, the lighthouse at Portland Bill. As you can see from the flag, it does get a little draughty around there!!

CUSTOMS HOUSE PIX!

After our trek down to Dorset last weekend, there are now even more goodies in our unit!

So get down to the Customs House in West Bay very soon and check it all out.
Here are a few handy pix to show you whats in store when you visit!

Here is our welcoming sign to the unit!

Stash of classic annuals from the late 70s and early 80s. 

No, that's not the washing on the line, that's a fabulous retro Brazil footie shirt! And exclusive knitted vintage style bags alongside an Everton shirt!

Lots of exciting vintage bits here, including groovy shades and 1960s ceramics and biscuit tin.

Lots of children's book and a basket full of cheap books, have a rummage!

A selection of Arcane Publishing's vintage and hard-to-find books.

Retro footie books and also a great West Ham 7"single and a rare Soccer Diary from 1986.

Footie scarfs and also my own Retro Football designs on framed pictures.

Read about Arcane Publishing's original novels. 

Clint Eastwood is keeping an eye on The Book of Thoth!

Check out the Arcane section of the unit!

Close-up of some of the carefully chosen vintage books sold by Arcane Publishing.

More amazing books and here is The Book of Thoth and I Am a Muse written by Carya Gish.

NEW STOCK FOR 2017!

Welcome to my first blog of 2017!

This weekend I'll be pootling down the A303 to Dorset, to fill up my unit at West Bay.
I've got lots of amazing bits to put in there, so pop down to the Customs House very soon and see for yourself!

In case you've forgotten, the Customs House is right on the seafront at the famous West Bay, home of the now iconic TV series Broadchurch.

Check out their Facebook page for more details HERE

And now for a sneak preview of what I'll be putting in there!

A gorgeous print of Audrey Hepburn on canvas.

Prints of vintage adverts for Fry's Chocolate and Pears' Soap.

Brilliant comic annuals, including Beano and Dandy, from 1977 to 1981.

Fantastic retro Brazil football shirt.

Close up of the badge on the shirt.

More retro footie treats, with these magazines from the late 60s/early 70s.

Groovy 1960s travel case!

The famous Vangelis soundtrack to the Oscar winning film Chariots of Fire, from 1981, on vinyl.

Brilliant record of theme tunes to well-known 1970s TV programmes.

Fabulous double vinyl record of the marvellous Judy Garland live in concert from 1961. It spent an incredible 13 weeks at the top of the Billboard charts.

Soundtrack vinyl to the iconic film Spartacus from 1960.