Denmark, 1955

England, c. 1969

Sweden, c.1950s

Living: The postage stamp. Invented by

Rowland Hill, an English school master 

in 1837. Via Vintage Postage Stamps, 

which in turn is via Words + Eggs.

Extinct: Covent Garden, as it was. Once a Medieval 

convent kitchen garden, it flourished as a market until 1974.

Photographed from 1968-1974 by Clive Boursnell.

Filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1972.

Living: Lobmeyr crystal chandeliers at Lincoln Center.

Designed by Hans Harald Rath in 1966, and restored in

2009. Further details at Apartment Therapy and Moss.

Piëch-Porsche family crest

Archived monograms

Alpha, designed by Hans Harald Rath, 1952

'Muslin' glass, designed by Ludwig Lobmeyr, 1856

Living: Lobmeyr crystal. Timeless shapes created by

 a family run business since 1823. Available at Moss.

Exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt Museum, NY.

'The Craftsman with his Brush'

Living: Louis Vuitton, since 1854. Appointed
by Napoleon III as chief layetier, he flattened the
domed trunk for easy stacking, and created the
monogram for less easy counterfeiting. Bof.
Top photograph by Desiree Dolron.

1933

1936

1937

Living in print: Clifford Ellis. Having trained

at St Martins, he married Rosemary in 1931 and

together they worked for London Transport,

Shell Oil, and The New Naturalists.

Living: The book, which inspired the

film, which was inspired by the paintings

of Otto Dix, now at the Neue Galerie.

Poster design by Wiktor Górka.

Skytop Lounge, Hiawatha train, 1947

Olympian Hiawathas, 1947

Roadmaster bicycle, 1948

Willys Jeep Wagon, 1948

Modern Hygeine, 1948

In memory of the future : Brooks Stevens, 1911-1995, 

who shaped the post-war optimism of American design.

Skylark, 1950s, designed by Brooks Stevens

Virrvarr, 1958, Swedish design

Living: Formica. Created in Ohio in 1913,

it didn't invad the kitchen after WWII.

Selected classic patterns now available,

embedded sparkles to follow?

Two Trees, East Hampton, c. 1964

Landscape with Pond, 1966

 The Sea, East Hampton, c. 1964

Extinct: Albert York, 1928-2009.

"The most highly admired unknown artist in America."

—Calvin Tompkins, The New Yorker

Living: Fleet Air Arm Zig Zag Stripe

tie, and its cousin the Royal Regiment

of Artillery ("Gunners") bow tie. HRH,

as featured in Gentlemen's Quarterly.

Reunited: 30 years on, the creators of

Brideshead sit round a table and talk.

Scientific humidifying process at Neal's Yard

Living: Montgomery's cheddar.

Unpasteurized Somerset cheese made by 3

generations of Montgomerys. Aged in linen for

over a year, it is "sometimes reminiscent of

the caramelized edge of a Sunday roast",

according to Neal's Yard.

Extinct: Cars and fashion, Italian style.

Photographer unknown.

Living: The new Fiat Nuovo Cinquecento, re-born 2007.

Living: Modern tradition at Katherine Hooker.

Living: The joy of unexpected colour.

Spats from the collection of Richard Merkin.

c.1480

c.1402

c.1412

Extinct: Illuminated manuscripts. 

Decline not entirely due to

(but not helped either) by Kindle.