Mr. Peacock has a fondness for screen printed vintage linen tea towels(or kitchen towels). Every time I spot an interesting one at the flea market or eBay, I’ll try to purchase it. I'll use some tea towels in my kitchen, but others seem too nice to be used simply for drying dishes. I’m mostly drawn to these vintage towels because of their inspirational graphics—the color palettes, typography, and illustration styles. Here’s a few of my favorite ones from my own linen closet:
This linen towel is kind of kitschy, but I like the colors and interesting symbols.
It’s from the Finnish company Tampella, and was designed by the Mid-century textile artist, Eva Taimi. I actually found another one online, exactly like mine—if you like it, you can purchase it here.
I like the colors and layout of this “French-menu” themed linen towel from Ireland. It’s made by Lamont, which has been producing tea towels since the 1830’s.
This towel is probably from the late 1950’s. It looks great draped over my bar cart, when I have cocktail parties. Sometimes there are interesting Lamont towels here.
Mr. Peacock likes the color palette of this 1950's duck themed linen towel—three different shades of green with brown and black highlights.
The leaves add a woodsy touch.
African animals are highlighted on this linen towel from the late 1960’s-early 1970’s.
My photo doesn’t do justice to this towel, the colors are actually more deep and rich. It seems very masculine to me, especially for a tea towel.
This linen towel with pink carnations doesn’t seem masculine at all, however, I like the “scrolled” patterns mixed with the stylized leaves.
It’s probably from the early 1960’s.
You can still find reasonably priced vintage linen towels at flea markets and eBay, and they’re “greener” than buying new towels, or paper towels. I found these tea towels posted on eBay: Northern Territory Birds, or stylized roosters.
What is a tea towel exactly? A tea towel was used to dry dishes and cutlery after they were washed. Linen is the traditional fiber for tea towels, but cotton is not uncommon either. Decorative tea towels were sold as souvenirs, especially in England and Ireland. I think the idea of tea towel seems somewhat old-fashioned, but Mr. Peacock likes the contrast of vintage tea towels used in modern kitchens. But don’t limit yourself to use vintage tea towels just in your kitchen—you could also use them to make pillows, napkins, placemats, whatever…there’s many more here. A set of vintage tea towels would make a great gift too!
Above: Artist Emile Norman, and his partner, Brooks Clement, circa late 1950's.
In the 1980’s while in college, Mr. Peacock stayed with a friend in Berkeley, California for a month during the holiday break. Almost every day when my friend was in school, I would ride the subway into San Francisco and wander around the city for hours.
During one jaunt I ended up at the top of Nob Hill, standing on the steps of Grace Cathedral. I stared at a huge modern looking building across the street—the San Francisco Masonic Temple(see above). I had no idea what it was, but I was immediately drawn to the carved figures on the facade (see details shown below).
I walked around the perimeter of the building and entered the temple. A security guard began speaking to me, but I didn’t hear a word he said, I was transfixed on this huge glorious mural. The light was shining through and it was breathtaking. Then I began asking the guard questions, “What is this…” He told me the Masons commissioned the artist, Emile Norman, to create the luminous 38-by-48-foot mural that celebrates the Masons' role in the development of California. I thought to myself, “Who is Emile Norman!?”
After my holiday break, I tried to research Emile Norman, but didn’t have much luck. Finally in 2007, all my questions about Emile Norman were answered as I watched the documentary, Emile Norman: By His Own Design. I was in awe at the extraordinary life and talent of this gentleman peacock whose work I had admired for so many years.
For over 7 decades, this 93-year-old gifted Big Sur based artist, Emile Norman, has dedicated himself to creating art and living his life on his own terms. The documentary was produced by his neighbors, Jill Eikenberry and her husband Michael Tucker (TV’s L.A. Law). In 1991, they had purchased some land from him and became friends, and knew they had to get his life story on film.
This peacock icon grew up on a farm in California. As a youngster, Emile created a sculpture of Prometheus using concrete and broken pieces of his father’s beer bottles. He eventually went to art school, but only for a short visit. “They weren’t teaching me what I needed to know. Art is an individual thing... you can’t learn it from a book.”*
His talent and eye for detail landed him interim jobs as a window dresser in Los Angeles. He was also making innovative creations made of plastics, such as window shades, jewelry (right), dishes and screens. By 1944 he was in New York doing window displays for Manhattan’s Bergdorf Goodman department store and his jewelry was featured in Vogue magazine.
Above: Emile Norman, circa 1950's—note the Converse sneakers!
Back in California, he got a gig designing elaborate hats for a Fred Astaire dance number in the 1946 production of Irving Berlin’s Blue Skies. He met his life-partner through serendipity when his new radio stopped working one afternoon. Emile called the store where he purchased it, and requested a repairman. The repairman that showed up was a young fellow named Brooks Clement. He stayed for dinner, and spent the night. Within a few weeks, Clement had quit his job and gone to work as Emile’s manager: “You do the art... I’ll do the rest.”* Clement took care of the business matters and allowed Emile to focus on creating art. They bought land in Big Sur, and built their own house facing the ocean.
Above: Brooks and Emile, circa 1960's, Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker.
Their relationship lasted 30 years, until Brooks died of cancer in 1973. Emile and Clement were outgoing, actively involved with their community and always open about their relationship—the two men made a great couple, a rarity for the times. They were so close that before Clement's death, the neighbors nicknamed them "Clemile." Just before Brooks passed away, he told Emile he didn't know where he was going, but assured him that wherever it was, "I'll get you a job in the art department.''
Above: Some examples of Emile's intricate inlaid wood pieces.
Emile’s most challenging commission, the mural at the Masonic Temple of San Francisco, took about two years to complete. This gentleman loves to experiment and try new ways of making things. Using an innovative technique he invented and called "endomosaic''—he sandwiched images made with glass, fabric, metal, shells and dirt between two sheets of translucent plastic to create the panels for the 40” x 45” clear mural at the Masonic Temple entrance.
He used Masonic symbols like the trowel, the compass and square, the beehive and a giant, and the all-seeing eye to dramatically tell the Masonic stories. The success of this incredible mural, led to a second commission to produce the Italian marble sculpture that decorates the building’s facade.
Everyone hopes to live a long and eventful life filled with love and friends, doing work that you’re passion about it. Mr. Norman did just that, and always facing his challenges and projects with such an unflappable spirit—and he still makes art!
Above: A couple of pieces from Emile's current projects—Nature Poems.
If you haven’t seen the documentary, Emile Norman: By His Own Design, request your local PBS station to add it to their schedule, or purchase a copy here. Mr. Norman claims that he has never worked a day in his life, yet has spent most of his time in the studio. Stop byEmile’s website to find out more about this extraordinary gentleman and to see more of his work.
Above: Emile Norman at the San Francisco Masonic Temple in 2005. Mr. Peacock loves his dapper lavender themed outfit—including his Converse sneakers! Photo by Liz Hafalia.
If I’m in the Nob Hill neighborhood, I still make a pilgrimage to the Masonic Temple and admire Emile Norman’s masterpiece work and think about his life. Mr. Peacock salutes Emile Norman for his talent, and also for living his life on his own terms with grace and style. Thank you Emile Norman! * Quotes from the documentary, Emile Norman: By His Own Design.
Leave it to Thom Browne to design a paisley suit for Brooks Brothers that is both preppy and edgy at the same time. Mr. Peacock adores this paisley look with the saddle shoes. If the suit is too much for your taste, just wear the pants paired with a simple polo shirt.
Admittedly, a paisley suit might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but any gentleman could incorporate a paisley tie into his wardrobe. These two beauties are on sale here.
Paul Smith usually offers some sort of paisley shirt. You could wear this beautiful blue and lavender paisley shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up this summer (notice the contrasting polka dot fabric detail inside the cuffs), and then with a cashmere sweater this autumn.
We’re having a heat wave in San Francisco today—it’s in the 90’s, so my thoughts are on summer. Either of these paisley swim trunks would look smart at the pool or beach, which sounds very nice right now. More information here and here.
Not every gentleman could pull-off wearing this paisley shirt, but I still like the pattern and color palette.
Mr. Peacock is a huge fan of Engineered Garments and this paisley blazer is quite handsome. It reminds me of something that would have been worn to a Newport garden party in the 50’s or 60's.
Maybe paisley isn’t right for your wardrobe, however, a bit of paisley in your home could be very chic. You could start off with some paisley sheets.
A perfect summer look—Peter Dunham’s Kashmir Paisley used for a slipcover.
Mr. Peacock is going to be wearing his vintage Byblos cotton paisley tie this spring. I've always fancied this tie and I like to wear it ala Ralph Lauren as a “belt” with my favorite khakis.
If you watched the HBO dramatization of Grey Gardens and are hungry for more trivia and factoids about the Beale ladies, then be sure to check out the newly revamped Grey Gardens Online website. You'll learn everything you ever wanted to know about Grey Gardens."We hope to reach even more fans, and we will strive to improve upon it along the way," says website co-creator, Beau Kelley. Mr. Peacock loves perusing the section "memorabealia."Julia Kelly concurs, "Grey Gardens Online is our way of paying tribute to the Beales, while celebrating these unique women in a fun and informative way."
Mr. Peacock has moved frequently in his life, and would always purge and get rid of stuff before each move, but has always kept a few favorite clothing pieces. I’ve had this striped Katherine Hamnett “school boy jacket” (see below) for twenty years—longer than many of my relationships.
When my friend, David, and I first saw these Katherine Hamnett jackets, we knew we had to have them—and decided to get matching jackets (think Oprah and Gayle). We saved our “pennies,” and purchased the jackets from the eponymous menswear store, Wilkes Bashford. Each time we wore them together (or separate), we received such an overwhelming reaction (usually positive) from friends and strangers alike. People always thought they were vintage (they are now), and would ask us questions about the jackets and why we were wearing them. It somehow dumbfounded some people why we were wearing matching striped school boy jackets—we simply liked them. These striped schoolboy jackets became our “uniform” for nite-clubbing, Pride Parades, and at various protests of the time.
Here we are at a Pride Parade at the end of the 80's, shortly after we acquired the jackets. We would sometimes stick "slogans or statements" on the back of the jacket with those peel-off vinyl letters (you can barely see mine on the right side). I don't remember what mine said.
Posing with the late and great artist, Jerome Caja (I’ll talk about him on another posting). We pinned daisies to our hats—David (left) wore a straw boater hat, and Mr. Peacock(right) wore a black bowler, with red plaid piping around the edge. I sold that bowler hat ages ago, although, I wish I had kept it now.
Here’s Mr. Peacock, proclaiming peace, at the March on Washington in 1993. We wore our matching jackets during the actual March, and I wore a denim skirt that I made—like my older sisters and their friends would wear in the late 60’s/early 70’s. You take a pair of jeans and split the seams open and add fabric to create the skirt. I also embroidered a giant peace sign and some other slogans on the back (sorry I couldn't find a photo of the back), ala Obedient Sons. I also, stupidly sold that over a decade ago.
This shot is backstage with the talented performance artist, Arturo Galster, as his alter ego “Patsy Cline.” He would sing with his own voice as Patsy Cline, and perform with his band, the Memphis G Spots—what a great performer!
Sometimes I would just wear a “wife-beater” tank underneath; other times I would be formal with a plaid vest and polka dot tie—I love plaid and polka dots!
Partying with my mother in San Francisco—I wore my jacket (above left) with over-sized black linen pants that I made; watching a band perform in the early 90's, with a red wool shirt. Posing with the talented artist and performer, Rodney O'Neal Austin.Rodney dressed a bit subdued on this day, and I joked that he looked like my first grade teacher.
Nite-clubbing: I liked to wear the jacket with my favorite t-shirt that had an embroidered matador in red, black and green thread.
Early 1990's: Mr. Peacock with José Sarria, political activist and performer from the historic 1950's and 1960's Black Cat Bar.
I will occasionally take the jacket out of its protective bag and wear it now—but only for special occasions. Each time I wear the jacket, I can feel the energy and vibrations from all of the wonderful events I’ve worn it to, and that makes me happy. I’m looking forward to wearing the jacket this spring and summer on it’s 20th anniversary of our relationship together. Tartan Scot mentioned he's going to be wearing a navy and red striped school boy jacket he picked up in London this spring (Mr. Peacock spotted it in his closet photo). You can get your own "favorite" school boy jacket here.
What’s your favorite item in your wardrobe that makes you happy?
This linen towel is kind of kitschy, but I like the colors and interesting symbols.
It’s from the Finnish company Tampella, and was designed by the Mid-century textile artist, Eva Taimi. I actually found another one online, exactly like mine—if you like it, you can purchase it here.
I like the colors and layout of this “French-menu” themed linen towel from Ireland. It’s made by Lamont, which has been producing tea towels since the 1830’s.
This towel is probably from the late 1950’s. It looks great draped over my bar cart, when I have cocktail parties. Sometimes there are interesting Lamont towels here.
Mr. Peacock likes the color palette of this 1950's duck themed linen towel—three different shades of green with brown and black highlights.
The leaves add a woodsy touch.
African animals are highlighted on this linen towel from the late 1960’s-early 1970’s.
My photo doesn’t do justice to this towel, the colors are actually more deep and rich. It seems very masculine to me, especially for a tea towel.
This linen towel with pink carnations doesn’t seem masculine at all, however, I like the “scrolled” patterns mixed with the stylized leaves.
It’s probably from the early 1960’s.
You can still find reasonably priced vintage linen towels at flea markets and eBay, and they’re “greener” than buying new towels, or paper towels. I found these tea towels posted on eBay: Northern Territory Birds, or stylized roosters.
Mr. Peacock likes the “graphics” of these eBay towels (from left to right): a “dish” towel, 1950's chef with herbs and spices, and a cheery towel with zinnias by Vera.
