Vintage Kruger

Some vintage books, I just can’t fold or cut up.  This book: The Kruger Park and Other National Parks by RJ Labuschagne is one of them. 

Published in 1968, beside documenting the animals in the Parks, it is such a lovely comment on South African Society at the time. 

I loved the article on the modern way of darting hippos for research.  Driving a grader into the river was much safer than sending real live biologists in!

And the foreword to the book was written from The Prime Minister’s Office – BJ Vorster himself!I love the official font!

I would have been 8 years old at the time.  My first visit to the Kruger Park only happened a number of years later – but I do rememebr my mom and dad dressing very much like the mom and dad in the pic and the Johannesburg TJ car registration plate which was the predecessor of today’s GP registration in Gauteng.

Macrame Revivals

Macrame  experienced a revival in the 60’s and is perhaps experiencing another one now. Yesterday I found a huge half-worked wall hanging which I am going to give to a friend who has talked about doing macrame. I love the rich texture and the potential in all that string!

I have recently bought a delightful book called Creating Body Coverings by Jean Ray Laury and Joyce Aiken. Published in the early 70s it is a sometimes scary reminder of the brave crafters from that era!

Pullover Macrame vest by Jack Dunstan

Macrame collar/cape. by Jack Dunstan.

Style Eye and Designbird give a lovely up to date perspective on this age old craft!