August 22, 2007

REFERENCE LIBRARY, singled out.

I really like looking at this blog; it's easy on the eyes. It would take some skill to convey its scope concisely, so I'll drone on & on... No, but I will recommend that you visit.
My favorite part? - the virtual collections represented in the 'items I didn't win on ebay' category. These collections are not constrained by space or money, although perhaps by time. One can refer back to this type of collection at any time, nothing is misplaced, no detail forgotten. Each item is neatly filed with information about its origin & perhaps selling price.

Topics are categorized in an intriguing mixture of 'mid century modern architecture lighting furniture toys useful and industrial tools blacksmithing graphic design interesting background info music books arts textiles decor' sort of way. There is more content than the last sentence implies.
From Nut Tree, Don Birrell




From 1921 until the early 50s, Nut Tree was a food service trendsetter with an $85,000 kitchen and destination restaurant importing more pineapples than just about anyone else — a super popular stop off the highway between Sacramento to San Francisco. In 1953, new design director Don Birrell began a new era of bright, beautiful California modernism.

He brought Eames chairs to the toy shop — for a time, Nut Tree was the sole retailer on the West Coast for Eames furniture. He commissioned dish patterns (which are now in the MoMA permanent collection) and brought Dansk flatware into the dining room. Dishes were plated exactly as Don Birrell designed it ~

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

As a kid I loved the Nut Tree and was thrilled to ride on the little train. It's a fuzz memory but I remember tropical birds too.

Fun is always in style. said...

I don't remember the Eames furniture, just the giant rocking horses with rope mane or tail or something...we had curry there.

Anonymous said...

We went to the Nut Tree for super special, but frequented the Coffee Tree, (the lower-class wanna-be Nut Tree across the freeway) a lot.
Remember the colored sugar?
~Michele

Fun is always in style. said...

We brought sandwiches to Disneyland.

Phil rode in a helicopter.

?