Blue Aviary Fine Linen Handkerchief by Tammis Keefe

Before there were boxes of Kleenex or Posh Puffs people utilized handkerchiefs to wipe their noses, catch those sneezes and wipe perspiration from the brow.  Which seems a real shame considering the beauty and artwork of some of the handkerchiefs!

The design for this handkerchief was created by Tammis Keefe.  Tammis was born in 1913 and studied at the Chouinard Institute of Art.  At one time she worked at the Disney studios and later was the art director for Arts and Architecture magazine.  In the late 1940's she began designing fine linen and cotton handkerchiefs with eye-popping colors and whimsical designs.  In addition to handkerchiefs she designed scarves, linen kitchen towels and table cloths.  She was one of the first women fabric designers to have her signature appear on her work. Because of their beautiful designs and the captivating subjects many people would frame the handkerchiefs and display them as works of art.   Tammis Keefe died in 1960.

This design by Keefe is called "Blue Aviary" and most likely belonged to Virginia Shumate Moran of Moran Place.

1908 Travel Brochures

Here are a few travel brochures that Uncle Brud saved from his trip out west in 1908.  Brud enjoyed traveling and took many trips including a cruise of the Caribbean with stops at Jamaica, Cuba, and a new thing they were building called the Panama Canal.

La Gardienne de Moutons by Henry Lerolle, 1897

This image was in a wood frame and measures 8" x 6".  After doing some research I discovered it was the work of French artist Henry Lerolle.  Lerolle was born in Paris in 1848 and died there in 1929.  In addition to painting, he was an artist, musician and collector.  He painted La Gardienne de Moutons in 1897.

I think the copy we have was probably cut out of The Saturday Evening Post and framed.  It is not a reprint of the original.  The only markings on the picture are the number "380" and "Evening".

Here is the original by Lerolle: