Archival Playground

 

Thanks to Elizabeth Peterson and Dave Baker for making Adventure Playgrounds (1965) available via the UO Channel.  This 16mm short film demonstrates the concept of the adventure playground, a place where children construct play spaces out of raw building materials ("no swings or seesaws, only things created by the hands of the children from waste materials on the site"). Like many educational films of the era,  Adventure Playground escalates the success of the program.  Suddenly, the children's "building, burrowing and digging" morphs into a bicycle shop, a literary journal and a canteen where tea is served.  What I love most about the film is the fact that all the children look like they were garbed by Old Town Clothing.  The derelict bombsite becomes a playground for boys in belted shorts, sturdy corduroy jackets, summerweight cardigans, cotton poplin shirts and durable lace up oxfords. 

 

 

 

 

  

Shopping from Etsy - Abercrombie & Fitch

Thanks to Jesse Thorn for forwarding along these listings for an Abercrombie & Fitch Game Bag and Travel Kit on Etsy. Although the vintage of these two bags is unknown they were most certainly manufactured by the original, New York based A & F Company.   If you feel the urge to order your own best quality travel bag, here's a link to our reprint of the 1939 A & F catalog.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Travel Bag

Shopping from the Past: Archival Plus Fours

 

  

 

 

Images courtesy Pillpat, Flickr Commons, Zombikombi1959 and my personal archives

Archival Game Bags

The UK makes some of the best game bags in the world. I don’t hunt but I love this style of bag for urban portage. Like the original bike messenger bag, the game bag has a dedicated use function which keeps its design simple and free of useless complications. Most game bags only have one large carrying pocket, come in a single color and are made from best quality materials: proofed canvas, bridle leather, brass fittings and heavy duty cotton web. You won’t find organizer pockets, security zipper closures, carrying handles or plastic hardware on a classic game bag. My favorite feature, of course, that is the hand knotted game net. Originally designed for carrying bloody fowl, the net game pocket doubles as easy access point for frequently accessed (or damp) items. If Archival could locate a US source for hand knotted cotton net, we might consider integrating this feature into a future bag design. Here a few examples of UK game bags with net pockets:

Quality Gunslip

Unidentified vintage bag

Holland & Holland "luxe" game bag

Chapman Solway 16

Brady Sandringham

Vintage Brady Meadow

Rebadged Barbour bags

King of kings - discontinued Brady Scot (20" width)

Game net protects bacon cargo from thieving Weimaraner