Category Archives: 1920s

1920s, 1930s, Sarah & Gerald Murphy

The Murphy’s Villa America

Original Villa America, Antibes, build by Sarah and Gerald Murphy 112, Chemin des Mougins ,Antibes

"In Antibes and Juan-les-Pins. They still lived in a relative autarky: with their group of friends, their gardener, their vegetable garden, two cows for milk for their children , explains Renaud Duménil, writer and journalist, also responsible for the communication to the office Antibes tourism. But they brought a new lifestyle. Gerald was passionate about jazz, and even today, Juan-les-Pins hosts the biggest jazz festival in Europe....
112, chemin des Mougins
Villa America was sold in 1950 for $ 27,000. Fearing memories that have become too cruel, Gerald has settled the sale remotely. He will come back once for a last move: "I came here with gloomy thoughts, prepared to feel unhappy, but no!" He writes to Sara, explaining suddenly finding herself again "gripped by captivating beauty places, the sparkling transparency of the sea, the tall palms " . Continue reading The Murphy’s Villa America →

1920s, 1930s, Art, Art Deco, Hercule Poirot, Props

Reworked Portraits by Tamara de Lempicka on Agatha Christie’s Poirot

Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Underdog with portrait adapted from a work by artist Tamara De Lempicka 1928

In Agatha Christie's Poirot, The Underdog, a portrait painted by the artist Tamara de Lempicka in 1928 has been copied and the face altered to resemble the actor who plays the character Reuben Astwell. Tamara de Lempicka was a famous female artist of the Art Deco era and her works typify the style of the period.

The original: Portrait of Dr Boucard (1928) by Tamara de Lempicka

Another example is a portrait from the episode One, Two, Buckle my Shoe that borrowed heavily from two different painting by Tamara de Lempicka.

The boardroom scene in one,Two Buckle my Shoe features a portrait of a couple which was based on two separate portraits by by Tamara de Lempicka as seen below.

Portrait of Mrs Boucard by Tamara de Lempicka

Reference:

  1. http://www.delempicka.org/artwork/1927-1929.html
  2. Tamara de Lempicka prints on Amazon.co.uk
      http://amzn.to/2BBBxcx
1920s, 1930s, Books, Hercule Poirot

Poirot Reads

Poirot takes time out for some light reading.

Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) in a scene from in the episode One, Two, Buckle My Shoe from the classic series Agatha Christie's Poirot, is seen reading Classic Myth and Legend by A. R. Hope. Moncrieff

Vintage Gold-filled Pince-nez reading glasses on eBay.co.uk

Classic Myth and Legend 1920 by A. R. Hope. Moncrieff

The hard cover book can be found on Amazon.co.uk or downloaded free at https://archive.org/details/classicmythlegen00moncrich

1920s, 1930s, Art Deco, Hercule Poirot, Susie Cooper

Breakfast with Poirot

Poirot at Breakfast

Poirot reads the morning paper at breakfast. His art deco breakfast ware is by Susie Cooper (29 October 1902 – 28 July 1995) who was an English pottery designer active from the 1920s to the 1980s. She is well known for her distinctive Art Deco pieces from the 20's and 30's such as the pieces seen here. The pieces below are like those seen on Agatha Christie's Poirot. They can be found on eBay at the time of writing. Click the pictures below for more details on the site.

Susie Cooper Art Deco Orange Tango Kestral Cup and Saucer


Susie Cooper Art Deco Orange Tango Kestral Teapot


Reference:

1920s, 1930s, Antiques, Jeeves and Wooster, Vintage Kitchen

Jeeves & Wooster Kitchen: Household Wants Indicator

Household Wants Indicator on back of the kitchen cabinet door on Jeeves & Wooster

You may have seen a Household Wants Indicator like this in the kitchen of Downton Abbey. Here is a glimpse of one in Bertie Wooster's Kitchen. These were a handy way for kitchen staff to keep track of provisions needed for the household. A little metal indicator next to each listed item can be fliped to red to indicate when it is time to add more to the supplies.  In Bertie Wooster's kitchen everything on the list seems to be flipped to red as seen on the example below.

Household Wants Indicator seen on eBay - click picture for details

1920s, 1930s, Cigarette Box, Jeeves and Wooster

Bertie Wooster’s Cigarette Box

Bertie Wooster's Cigarete Box is seen on the Coffee Table

This week on eBay UK I see a cigarette box just like Bertie Wooster's (played by Hugh Laurie) in the excellent TV series Jeeves & Wooster. This is a vintage laquered brass Faux crocodile skin Marcovitch cigarette box and it matches the one seen in the screen capture from the show above.

CLICK HERE to buy it on eBay UK.

1920s, 1930s, Jeeves and Wooster, Tea, Vintage Kitchen

Jeeves in the Kitchen: Brown Betty Teapot

Bertie Wooster (Hugh Laurie) and Jeeves (stephen Fry) in the kitchen.

When Jeeves serves tea to Bertie it is usually from a silver tea pot and fine bone China. When Jeeves has his own tea in the kitchen it is brewed in a brown betty teapot and  poured into plain white tea cups as seen in the foreground of the screen capture here.

Jeeves in the Kitchen

The teapot used on the Jeeves and Wooster set appears to be a Price Bros. teapot similar to the one below.

Price Bros. Teapot

This is a circa 1930s teapot by Price Brothers with a motled/marbled glaze and two beige marbled bands at the top marked Price Bros Made in England. I see a similar one on eBay uk this week: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brown-VINTAGE-Striped-PRICE-BROTHERS-Teapot-Made-In-ENGLAND-/263223522878

 

1920s, 1930s, Art Deco, Jeeves and Wooster

Bertie Wooster’s Glass Bowl

Tea is served at Bertie Wooster's Flat

In this screen capture from Jeeves and Wooster  we see an interesting  glass bowl on the coffee table on the set of the Bertie Wooster flat. This glass bowl is seen on the table throughout the series. Recently I decided to search for one on eBay and  found one very like it

Davidson Cloud Bowl and Marcovitch Cigarette Box

It is a Davidson cloud bowl:  https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=davidson+cloud+bowl&_sacat=70031

1920s, 1930s, Jeeves and Wooster

6 o’clock at the Wooster Flat


At 6 o'clock it's time for whiskey and soda served by Jeeves at Bertie Wooster's flat.

Details:

1920s, 1930s, Jeeves and Wooster, Vintage Kitchen

Jeeves in the Kitchen: Swan Percolator

Jeeves (Stephen Fry) in the kitchen

Jeeves, played by Stephen Fry, in the Jeeves and Wooster series is seen above in a scene located in Bertie Wooster's flat.  Spotted on the shelf in the background appears to be a Swan electric percolator appropriate to the era.
Swan coffee percolator was made by Bulpitt & Sons Birmingham cat. no. CH475.

A working Swan Electric Percolator seen on eBay uk

Above is a similar percolator seen on eBay uk:
Click here for more details on the eBay listing