Poop Rainbows, Part Five

Our latest jaunt to the thrift store tapped that fertile color vein we call the Poop Rainbow™. On the left, Marco displays a dinner plate, while our own print devil models an afghan blanket on the right. Who needs Barker's Beauties when we have these two?

The Origin of the Poop Rainbow

While the phenomenon of the poop rainbow™ occupies waaaaay too much of our time, we never really paused to consider its origins. That is, until we saw this obituary in yesterday's Washington Post.

Fans of DC's Metro subway system owe a debt of gratitude to the recently deceased Cleatus Barnett. According to the obit, he was a staunch advocate for Metro's unique aesthetic, as embodied by its original design. Let's hear it from the Post:

Mr. Barnett was a staunch defender of Metro's original orange, gold and brown interior hues. He had helped choose the color-combination and resisted efforts to change it, even when popular opinion deemed it an ugly throwback to bygone times.

Eventually, train chairs were upholstered in burgundy and blue. But in deference to Mr. Barnett, seats at the front and back of each car retained the old palette. The chairs are known as "Cleatuses."

Some think that finding the origin of a rainbow leads to a pot of gold. In this case, it leads to the late Mr. Barnett. Thank you, sir, for introducing the poop rainbow™ to the Nation's Capital. You can rest easy knowing that others appreciate your legacy. And, thanks to you, we can rest easy in one of Metro's "Cleatuses."

The First Blog?

Duckpin Press' west coast correspondent brought to our attention a terrific collection of early 20th century photography. What's so special about it? It includes some of the only color photos of small-town, Depression-era America, courtesy of the Library of Congress' collection.

The photo above is from the collection. It features a commercial print shop housed above the offices of the town's newspaper, the Brockton (Mass.) Enterprise. Pasted in the windows are handwritten bills which tell the news of the day, including one with the headline, "Billy Hill is Dead, Aged 41." These posters are updated as news comes in, keeping the locals apprised of current events. Some 70 years later, the Enterprise is still doing exactly the same thing.

And wouldn't you know it, that print shop is still around, too.

Click on photo for larger view.


Headlines posted in street-corner window of newspaper office (Brockton Enterprise). Brockton, Massachusetts, December 1940. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Jack Delano. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

Summer Vacation

It's summer -- time to get yourself a tankful of gas and a cooler full of sandwiches and hit the road. If you're not the chain hotel type, you might enjoy Motel Americana. You'll find a great trove of vintage postcards, including those above (click for larger view). Neon enthusiasts will love the dozens and dozens of motel sign photos as well. For those who can't resist the lure of the road, this should be your first rest stop.