History of Sunglasses

It has been sunny today in Wales so I thought I would post a summery blog.

The first glasses made to protect the eyes from the glare of the sun were invented in 1929 by Sam Foster. The Foster Grant company started to produce sunglasses for retail in 1930.


Sunglasses became all the rage and we havent looked back ever since!

With 1937 came the first ever Science Fiction convention and Ray Bans. Ray Bans are at the top when it comes to sunglasses, the Wayfarer, the Clubmaster, the Aviator all majorly popular styles copied by the highstreet.
The Wayfarers style is very popular at the moment with many celebrities such as Kate Moss, Kelly Osbourne and Joey Madden wearing them. They are expensive to buy as are all designer makes but if your clever you can get some cheap replicas from Topshop and Primark at the moment.
Here is Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud in a red pair


Look on the Ray Ban website it's a lot of fun you can try on their selection of shades virtually (if you have a webcam) and browse the available colours.
http://www.rayban.com/UK/

Ever seen Lolita? the Stanley Kubrik film based on the novel by Vladimir Nabokov. Well the film's iconic poster image is Lolita in her heart shaped sunglasses.


I got a pink glittery pair from Topshop last year paying £15, only to see them in Primark this year selling for......£1!!! One Pound!
So this year I bought a pair of red ones just like Lolita's. There is no difference in the sunglasses at all so I would recommend you pick a pair in every colour from Primark!


Here are some more novelty shade - we're getting onto Elton John territory here.
I saw these on google images and they look GORGEOUS!
from Miss Selfridge, but again look around!

While I was searching for things to but in this blog I stumbled over this site,
http://www.klasik.org
There are hundreds of beautiful vintage sunglasses from the 1920s onwards and next to each one it tells you the era, make, condition of lens etc.

Im lusting after the clear pink 1930s pair by BOLLE, and the glittered frames of the 1950s. The sunglasses on sale here are great because they are cheaper than modern designer shades and yet they are on trend today.Most for less than £100.
But for you desinger fans there is a big selection of designer Ray Bans too :D

In the 1960s Ray Ban did well again with the 'Aviator' also known as 'pilot glasses'. The key features are the reflective lens and thin frames.


You can buy these all over the place, as expensive or as cheap as you like. I got a pair for £5 from a skate shop :)


White frames are also a popular choice, Grace Kelly and Audrey (who never seemed to be without a pair!)



Sunglasses were never more popular than in the 1960s
Audrey Hepburn again in here iconic role as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffanys.

and a funny pair from the 1960s


Thats all for now, I have to pack for a weekend in Oxford with my boyfriend!
Now which sunglasses do I take?
Remember with Sunglasses, BIGGER is always BETTER ;)

bye x

VE Day

It was on this day 64 years ago that the Second World War ended in Europe when Germany surrendered to the Allies.

I like this image I found on google of a celebratory Bonfire in Toronto, Canada.

The little boy in the center cleary doesnt like fireworks! hehe

I can imagine what a wonderful day this must have been. Even for the German people, I bet everyone was so happy the war was finally over.

Here is another image that I found which is not so far from my home of Coventry, in Selly Oak, Birmingham.


(Image is from http://www.streetparty.org.uk/history.aspx)
I wish communities still got along like they did in the past, I do not know my neighbours very well back home.
Obviously student living is different, we all live close by and know each other, which is lovely :)

During the Second World War Coventry was largely destroyed in air raid bombings, most notably the Cathedral, here it is in ruins.



and this is the Cathedral I recognise. The spire still remains and you can climb it on special open days, it's a log way up!

The reason Coventry was a target in during the war, was because of its many car factories (which were converted to making aircraft during the war)

I might write a bit more about Coventry some other day, I really am quite fond of it :)

bye for now x

80s night.

So last night was great fun. We all gathered at my friends house for nibbles and pre drinks and a lot of dancing to 80s classics.......one of my faves being 'I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW' cover by Tiffany. I think the Girls Aloud version is pretty good too haha, but i do love Girls Aloud!



Then we hopped in taxis - all 20 of us and headed for Reflex.
Reflex is a chain of 80s themed bars and its fab! well the music is fab, the club is pretty grubby! But yeah plenty of flashing rubix cube disco lights and dancing poles (you will never get me drunk enough to go on one of those, i even hated the firemen poles on playgrounds as a kid).

They played the Baywatch theme 'I'll be there' Wham 'Waake me Up before you Go Go.....' and lots of other great 80s cheese!

Unfortunatley I didnt charge my camera but I nabbed a few photographs off my friends so here we are:
Me as Madonna from Desperately Seeking Susan and Alexa and Julia




I was wearing red lippy at the beginning of the night, but 4 strongbows later it had rubbed off and I was too drunk to reapply! :(

Here is a pic of a group of us, we had glam rockers, punks, neon brights! Such a fun theme!



anyway i'm off to watch television. bye x

Bits and Bobs

I was browsing the internet today and i came across something that sparked childhood memories. Oh Penny! was a toy much like polly pocket but bigger, she had moveable arms and legs and blonde pigtails. (I believe in the U.S she was called Oh Jenny!)
I remember my older cousin having the Three Gables family home and the Tree House and I had the market day set with the Flower Lady and the Grocer......well look what I found on eBay!




(photographs are from eBay and google images)

I hadn't seen these for years, and Im pretty sure all the pieces of my set are lost or broken. I have a sneaking suspision that my cousin's lot might be at my Grandma's house though! Next time I am home I shall try find it all!



I don't know about you, but I find it weird when I think that other people have the same things as me, I know its going to happen with lots of things but it still. It amazes me to think that another little girl had the exact same Oh Penny! grocery cart....

Completely off topic, I'm going out tonight for a friends birthday. The theme (as with students there is always a theme for each birthday) is the 80s! whoop, so I'm going as Madonna (as she dresses in the film Desperatley Seeking Susan)

photographs will be posted!
bye x

Essay Finished!

My essay is finished!

:D

I now just have to print and frame my photographs for the Exhibition on the 21st.

Bank Holiday Fun!

The title to this blog is misleading because I am currently eyes deep in my essay on German Architectural Photography (not fun). Ive written 3134 words of 3500 so I'm not doing too badly. However progress seems to have slowed down and I can't get back into it, another trip to the uni library is needed. I only have until Friday to finish.PANIC!

I realise for a photography student i dont talk a lot about my photography work so heres a bit more of an insight. I am very interested in Architectural Photography and in my opinions the Germans are the best at it.
Bernd and Hilla Becher are one of my favourites here is an example of their work
Bernd and Hilla Becher - Water Towers.

Researching my essay Ive come across a lot of German photographers I hadn't previously heard of such as Laurenz Berges


and Jorg Sasse. I love this image

(yes i know its not architectural) both Sasse and Berges were taught by Bernd Becher at the Dusseldrof Academy.


I also just wanted to mention The Duchess because I finally watched it yesterday, (no one would see it at the cinema with me!) same as Young Victoria.... now i have to wait months until it comes out on DVD! I find it really unfair actually because I'm always getting dragged off to see films I have no interest in by my boyfriend.

ANYWAY!

The Duchess, beautiful costumes as expected, i am a huge fan of 18th century fashion and decor.
I never used to like Kiera Knightley, i used to find her constant pouting and over the top english accent annoying, but I must admit after watching Atonement and The Duchess, she is growing on me considerably.
Her portrayal of Georgiana Cavendish Duchess of Devonshire was wonderful. The Duchess' marriage was a very unhappy one, she ended up having to share her husband with her best friend Lady Elizabeth Foster.
Georgiana's life is often compared to the life of Marie Antoinette there certainly are many similarities (i love the Sophia Coppola film starring Kirsten Dunst, you should watch it if you havent already). Also Princess Diana was an ancestor of the Duchess of Devonshire...more paralells?

Georgiana was at her time one of the most fashionable women in England, and she used her 'celebrity status' to help popularise the Whigs party.
The film is very sad, but worth watching, the cinematography is wonderful.
This is a portrait of Georiana by Thomas Gainsborough and a film still of Keira Knightly in my favourite of her costumes from the film.(her campaign outfit promoting Charles James Fox)




anyway thats all for now :) cya x

Food Glorious Food!

I love cooking and I love trying new recipes and experimenting with them too.
(id like to think of myself as quite the domestic goddess but cut me some slack when i use a jar mix because i am a poor student)
Here are some of the things I have cooked recently.

I ADORE mexican food!

chicken fajitas - discovery sauce, with chicken, peppers, lettuce and topped with cheese and mayo on a flour tortilla.


Chicken Quesadillas - old el paso kit (shhhh!) with chicken peppers and tinned tomatos, hot salsa and a blob of mayo (love it).


We had a BBQ yesterday and i made chicken kebabs i used a BBQ marinade and then just slid button mushrooms, onions and red peppers onto skewers in between the chicken. they were gorgeous!



For my degree course, we have to have a end of year exhibition so me and some of the other photo art ladies held a cake sale to raise money for posters etc.
here is our lovely spread - thanks to vinnie, emily k, claire and daryl for the yummy cakes! we raised £30!



and lastly some home baking just for me and my housemates! chocolate biscuits! -the recipe is from Women's Weekly cookies and Biscuits cookery book. I changed the shape and decorations though :P



My boyfriend is a lucky boy! which reminds me! we had our 1 year anniversary last sunday! we went out for a meal at Wagamamas in Cardiff, it was lovely, i shall post the photographs when i get a chance but right now im off to a photoshoot!
ciao for now! x