Tartan Gift Shop c1960 catalogue

[creagdhubh]

I note that Fairisle jumper: I love a bit of Fairisle.

Me too! Especially in the brown and tan pattern as shown, and made famous by a very young Duke of Windsor. I have one very similar and never thought about wearing it with the kilt, but I think it works splendidly!

Cheers,

[creagdhubh]

I love these old catalogues, Richard. They definitely expand upon initial thoughts and ideas, and serve as a fantastic visual resource. Thanks for posting.

Cheers,

[Tobus]

It could be just the effects of taking a photo of a printed item, but the colours look very bright and unnatural. Almost as if this was originally a black-and-white photo which had been colourised. OC Richard, since you can inspect the original, do you think this is the case? That might help narrow down the time frame. Colour photography was readily available by the 1950s and 1960s, but many photos were still taken in black-and-white because it was cheaper.

Other than that, based on the hair styles and such, around 1960 (plus or minus a few years) would be my guess as well. Could even hark back to the late 1940s, though. (?)

[sailortats]

I think I would place it in the early to mid 50s. My reasoning is the "viewmaster" ad. These pretty well went out of style by the mid 50s, at least here in the colonies.

[auld argonian]

It could be just the effects of taking a photo of a printed item, but the colours look very bright and unnatural. Almost as if this was originally a black-and-white photo which had been colourised. OC Richard, since you can inspect the original, do you think this is the case? That might help narrow down the time frame. Colour photography was readily available by the 1950s and 1960s, but many photos were still taken in black-and-white because it was cheaper.

Other than that, based on the hair styles and such, around 1960 (plus or minus a few years) would be my guess as well. Could even hark back to the late 1940s, though. (?)

Having worked in the catalog business in a previous lifetime, I'd suggest that the only color film that was used during the time period here was the now discontinued and much missed Kodachrome 25. The stuff had those vivid and contrasty characteristics. Add to the mix the fact that almost all of the photography done then was done in large format rather than the 35mm or medium format that most of us remember from the seventies and eighties...thus, that shot was probably done with an 8X10 camera using Kodachrome...pretty snazzy when you think about it. Ektachrome, Kodak's later entry into the color transparency market, had a gentler color and less contrast but really didn't come into it's own in commercial photography till the seventies...indeed, most old school art directors were still insisting on Kodachrome well into the eighties just because "that's the way it's done properly" and large format was used in advertising and catalog photography until digital photography and photoshop got good enough to allow a switch over. Having worked for Playboy in the seventies, I can tell you that most of the glamour stuff, including the playmate spread, was still being shot on 8X10 then....Pompeo Posar was still in his element and still shooting 8X10 back then.

Sorry for the digression but it might help nail the date down.

Best

AA