A very belated "Hello", a slightly belated "Merry Christmas" and a not-quite-belated Happy New Year

Well hello, hello! and once again a thousand apologies for letting this blog lie dormant for over 2 months.  I wouldn't blame you if you thought I'd dropped off the edge the Earth; the truth, however, is more boring than that - I simply haven't been able to find the time, nor for that matter anything much of a vintage bent to blog about (although you can still read my writings in In Retrospect magazine - subscribe today!).  I have to say it's been a very busy time for me work-wise (although as I've said before that's really no excuse) and the daily news since October seems to have been bereft of vintage interest.

However, now it's Christmastime (still, just!) and 2016 looms large!  I hope to do better than the measly thirteen posts I've managed this whole year just gone and although you're probably all fed up with me saying this, I promise Eclectic Ephemera will continue.  So, without further ado -

Christmas presents!

Christmas this year was again a quiet one, spent with the folks and sadly not featuring either of my sisters since one of them came down with a tummy bug on the day itself (although she's over it now, I'm told).  Better luck next year, eh?!

The folks' and my presents gathered around the, erm, coffee table. 
No traditional tree for them this year for reasons I won't bore you with.

As an aside I'm delighted to tell you that this post is the first to feature photographs taken on my new digital camera!!  Yes, after over 10 years of somehow managing on a 3 megapixel, 3x zoom Nikon Coolpix that has been outclassed by most mobiles since at least 2007 I finally got around to upgrading to something better (just as everyone else has made the switch to camera phones and Instagram) - a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90 for any of you camera buffs out there.  Still, I'm nothing if not old-fashioned and have been delighted with my choice; so from now on any photos on here that were taken by me will be in glorious high-definition whereby you will actually be able to see the subject matter without squinting.  As an example, here's a robin which with the old camera would have appeared as a small dot in the centre of the picture:

As you can probably tell, I'm still learning the intricacies of this new box-brownie!

As befits a small family Christmas the presents were high in quality rather than quantity.  As such I've augmented them in the following daguerreotypes with other things that were either treats to myself in the run up to the festivities or items purchased in the subsequent sales (hot off the shelves today, in fact!).

I am, and always have been, a terrible bibliophile.  I admit it, I love books.  This would be less of a problem if I had a place to store them all (something I hope to rectify in 2016) but it doesn't stop me from buying or requesting more!  This Christmas was no exception, with books including The Complete Saki (if you don't know of H.H. Munro, or Saki as his pen-name was, I advise you to search out his works for he wrote in much the same vein as Oscar Wilde and P.G. Wodehouse - and indeed bridged the gap between the two era-wise until his untimely death in the First World War), The Treasures of Noël Coward; also a delightful little book detailing the on-screen adventures of those two archetypal British chaps Charters and Caldicott and an hilarious spoof 19th century cricket compendium entitled W.G. Grace Ate My Pedalo.

The book is laugh-out-loud funny and can easily be enjoyed by even those with just a passing interest in the game; it's very much in the same vein as The Chap magazine and books.

Then of course there's the almost mandatory calendar - or in this case calendars.  Featuring steam trains, naturally!  One for home, the other for the office, and both come with matching diaries - now there's really no excuse for me to miss any appointments!

And finally, the box set of one of my favourite (and much-overlooked) period murder-mystery dramas - the early 2000s American series entitled A Nero Wolfe Mystery.  Starring Timothy Hutton as Archie Goodwin and the late Maury Chaykin as Nero Wolfe, this programme was - in my opinion - one of the best things to come out of American television since Frasier, but sadly it has been all but forgotten since, with only a few desultory repeats on B.B.C. Two in the late 2000s and a few episodes available on a Region 2 DVD Dutch release.  Fortunately I managed to track down this Region 0 Australian import featuring all the episodes.

I featured Timothy Hutton's portrayal of Archie Goodwin as one of my "Style Icons" back in 2012, and I may yet devote another post to this wonderful series in the future.

Oh, and some neckties.  Because a chap can never have enough ties, can he?(!)

Well, it only remains for me to wish you all a happy and health New Year!  I'll be celebrating quietly at home myself but I hope everyone has a fun time whatever they're up to.  Thanks again to all my readers, followers and visitors for sticking with me through a somewhat sparse 2015 (blogging-wise) and I hope to see you all, old and new, afresh in 2016.

Cheerio for now!

Archie Goodwin, Style Icon

Time for another of my style icons, this time with a bit of a difference.  I said when I first started this series that I would draw inspiration from my favourite actors of the Golden Era but also that I would mix it up now and again with a fictional character from the world of [modern] film or television.  Here is the first.

I'm currently re-watching my A Nero Wolfe Mystery DVDs so I feel now is the time to do a few caps and find a few pictures of Archie Goodwin, Nero Wolfe's wisecracking leg-man, as portrayed by Timothy Hutton in the 2000-2002 A&E series.  As we only really know Archie from Rex Stout's books and this TV series, this post may take on more of characteristics of a fashion overview (in the manner of the Captain Hastings series) but I will try to look at some of the admirable character traits of Archie, highly stylised for fiction though they may be.

Snappily-dressed to match his snappy and quick-witted personality, Archie dresses in typical Fifties fashion with added flair.

As the series was set in a particularly colourful 1950s world (I don't think I've seen such a wonderful use of colour on film since Dick Tracy) Archie can often be seen wearing beautifully-coloured suits, which suit (pardon the pun!) his personality perfectly anyway.  I like to think the Archie of the books is similarly dressed.  Some of the original illustrations go some way to this confirm this.

Most of the primary colours are represented in suit form, and I want all of them!


Blue:

As with all his outfits, he accessorises brilliantly with contrasting ties and pocket squares and occasionally his trusty white trilby.

His green suit, in certain lights takes on a remarkable turquoise hue and even undone in times of trouble still looks good.

The red suit is equally covetable - a splendid shade which he contrasts successfully with a dark overcoat and fedora on many occasions.

And finally the famous white suit - a definite summer staple.  With this snazzy number Archie tends to wear a coloured, striped shirt - usually red or blue - and the matching white hat.  Unfortunately this is a difficult look for us mere mortals to pull off - around here comparisons with Martin Bell or even worse The Man from Del Monte usually result.

Even sans jacket Archie can still display a variety of colours - an excellent illustration that the main items of a chap's wardrobe aren't the only things that require thought.  What a perfect (and patriotic!) red, white and blue combination!

As well as these aforementioned accessories, Archie can also be seen brightening up some of his darker (plainer) outfits with that Fifties staple - the Co-respondent/ Spectator shoe.  They suit his personality down to the ground.

In addition to his Co-respondents Archie frequently uses colourful ties and pocket squares to break up his darker suits.  Red with blacks and greys, yellow with blues, and so on.

Further on the accessories front, Archie sometimes wears a gorgeous red fedora but is careful never to wear it with his red suit, instead contrasting it with his dark overcoat.

And when out working on a case, especially in the depths of winter, no-one looks classier than Archie Goodwin in a fedora, overcoat and contrasting scarf.

Topped off with some lovely touches in the form of spearpoint collars with gold tie-bar, Archie is the consumate dresser.  Then of course there is the classic pinstripe suit:

Yet even dishevelled and tired, he can still cut a dash!

The character of Archie Goodwin is revealed partly through his clothes - attentive to detail, serious but with a playful side.  It is a measure of our favourite literary and screen characters that we want to be like them - what I wouldn't give for half of Archie's confidence and ability (not to mention his wardrobe!).

A street-smart ladies' man who can bluff, rough-house it, socialise and investigate with the best of them, Archie Goodwin is an all-round solid fellow, expertly essayed by Timothy Hutton in the A&E series.  As such he fully qualifies as a Style Icon.

Of course special recognition in this case should go to series' costume designer Christopher Hargadon.  And no discussion of A Nero Wolfe Mystery would be complete without a mention for the man himself, Nero Wolfe as brilliantly portrayed by the late great Maury Chakin.  Just as inspiring for his love and use of the colour yellow (also my favourite), he is proof of that which is contained in the original Chap Manifesto - "a well-tailored suit can disguise the most ruined of bodies."

Birthday hats and the world's greatest detective

While I am still getting back into the routine of scouring the ætherweb for interesting vintage-inspired stories that tickle my fancy, here's a post featuring some recent (and eclectic, naturally) acquisitions of mine.  That the 19th was my birthday was reason enough to go on a bit of a shopping spree and strike a few things off my "wanted" list.



I've long been a huge fan of the (all too-short) early 2000s TV series A Nero Wolfe Mystery based on the Rex Stout novels and starring Timothy Hutton as Archie Goodwin and Maury Chakin as Nero Wolfe.  Set in 1950s New York, I just love the quality of the production, the colourful setpieces, the sharp costumes and the snappy dialogue, all aided and abetted by a fine line-up of actors.  It is one of television's greatest travesties that it barely lasted 2 years.  Occasionally making an appearance here in the UK on B.B.C. Two, usually at some obscure hour long after midnight (and from which most of my well-worn video-cassette copies are derived!) I didn't think it existed on DVD outside North America, so I was delighted to come across a 10-disc Region 2 box set - albeit with the sleeve notes and subtitles in Dutch(!) - featuring 10 episodes (still only about half the entire run, but better than nothing!) at a good price on Amazon.

A trip to my local branch of Mr J Sainsbury's emporium a few weeks later saw me load up on four more DVDs for less than £20 from a distinctly period-themed display shelf - the 3-episode pilot series of the new Upstairs Downstairs from a year or so ago, Wilde starring Stephen Fry, The Young Victoria (which I've heard good things about but never got to see) and Piccadilly Jim, a film that had somehow managed to completely pass me by, despite my love of Wodehouse.  So, they should see me to Christmas, I reckon!  Reviews may follow...

The British summer has once again generally been more conducive to sitting in front of the television, but like any true Englishman I've tried to make the best of what little sunshine there has been and I still have high hopes of an Indian summer.  As such I invested in some gentlemanly sun hats from my favourite online hatters - Village Hats.

For those after decent-quality headgear on a budget, I can't recommend this company enough.  I bought my first hat from them - this splendid Jaxon fedora (right) - a couple of years ago, and for £25 I haven't felt the need to go anywhere else since.

So for the (non-existent) summer I decided to eschew the typical Panama, of which I already have an example anyway, and instead decided to satisfy my hankering for a boater.  Although there's not much opportunity for punting round my way, I've always fancied the early 20th-Century smart-casual, garden party, tennis-and-lemonade feel of it.  At least that's what I think when I put it on!  It's made of softer, thinner straw than the more traditional boater types, but for £22 it's a sixth of the cost of a top-line example.   

Jaxon straw boater, £21.95 from Village Hats

For when I'm hacking my way through the Essex wilderness fending off the local savages ;-p I now have my very own pith helmet!  A present from my sister, who actually needed very little encouragement from me(!), I look forward to finding occasions to don it, whether it be a great exotic expedition or just striking a pose in the garden while others sweat(!).

French-style pith helmet, £18.95 from Village Hats

Well, there you have my most recent retro arrivals for the month of August.  As you can see, despite my imposed non-appearance I've been carrying on in the vintage spirit.  Some national and international vintage-related news won't be long in coming, I feel sure; in the meantime thanks to all of you for your kind comments welcoming me back. 

A Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night

This will almost certainly be my last post before the day itself, so it just remains for me to wish you all - family, friends, followers and readers from around the world(!) - compliments of the season, a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday.

It has become something of a little tradition with me to have a mini-marathon of Christmas-themed episodes of my favourite TV programmes in the days running up to the 25th. So to finish up with here is a run-down of my pre-Christmas viewing thus far:

The episode of A Nero Wolfe Mystery, the much underrated adaptation of the Rex Stout novels that ran for far too short a time between 2001 and 2002 (plus the pilot in 2000), entitled Wolfe Goes Out. Interestingly in the original North American airings it is actually shown as two separate episodes - Door To Death and Christmas Party - but for the European version they were spliced together and some previously unseen footage added in the middle to provide a seamless transition. I love this series; there are some great ideas for men's - and ladies - fashions, there's a brilliant use of colour and Maury Chakin and Timothy Hutton are perfect as Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. That it was cancelled after only two seasons, is barely shown in the UK and is not available on Region 2 DVD is an absolute travesty.



Anyway, putting that aside, my next treat was The Blue Carbuncle, the Christmas episode of the 1980s Granada TV adaptation of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Starring the incomparable Jeremy Brett this is a smashing story, with a delightful Victorian Christmas ambience.

For a bit of light relief I turned to a series of Laurel & Hardy shorts, beginning with their most well-known Christmas-themed film, Big Business. For those of you not familiar with the plot, our heroes are Christmas tree salesmen plying their trade in sunny California(!). They fail to sell a single tree and end up involved in a running battle with one particularly reluctant customer, which ends in destruction and hilarity.

In The Fixer-Uppers Stan and Ollie are Christmas card salesmen who, in their own inimitable fashion, try to help one female customer win back her husband, only for after several funny misunderstandings to end up facing him in a duel!

The films Below Zero and Laughing Gravy make no mention of Christmas but are set in the winter and do feature a lot of snow! In Below Zero the Boys are buskers trying to make a dime or two in the freezing conditions, before the chance discovery of a dropped wallet and a run-in with a cop leads to predictably side-splitting results. The wonderfully-titled Laughing Gravy has Stan and Ollie in all sorts of trouble as they try to hide the existence of Stan's pet dog of the title (and what a great name for a dog!) from their landlord as a blizzard rages outside.

Laurel & Hardy also posed for several publicity shots with a Christmas theme. Here are a few:


Starting shortly on Channel 4 (2:20pm) is the original 1947 version of Miracle On 34th Street, so that's another Christmas classic taken care of - I shall certainly be settling down to watch that. The 1994 remake, which is quite decent, is on ITV1 tomorrow at 12:55pm as well.



Then tonight I shall finish off with Hercule Poirot's Christmas, the 1995 Christmas episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot, starring the peerless David Suchet. Tomorrow morning I'll be off to the family pile to spend Christmas with the old folks, so whatever you may be up to may your Christmas bring joy, happiness and good cheer (plus plenty of food, drink and presents of course!) and I'll be back before the New Year.