Currently airing on cable’s Cooking Channel during the day, The Galloping Gourmet, is a vintage TV show that has to be seen to be believed. This instructional cooking program aired on American television during the late 1960′s, probably as a foil to Julia Childs french cuisine precision.

The globe trotting chef and host, Graham Kerr, selects a dish from his world travels that gets prepared step-by-step in front of a live audience. Famous for his loose and free style, his “hedonism in a hurry” cuisine highlighted a heavy use of eggs, butter, cream, and of course, deep frying. With audience participation, spilling, missing ingredients, dropping stuff on the floor, insanity prevails.

At the start of the show, the Galloping Gourmet comes running out from backstage with a large glass of wine and proceeds to scramble around the room, jumping on, around, and over the furniture on the set. His totally bizarre sense of humor, coupled with what seems to be his on air wasted-ness, has to be seen to be believed. Set your DVR, its awesome.

In a unrelated fashion observation – the big shirt collars on Johnny Carson and Graham Kerr look really great. Don’t they?

Filed under: Food & Drink, History, Televison by Stephen : No Comments »

Recently Vanity Fair magazine conducted a not so scientific survey of Architecture’s Modern Marvels by asking 52 experts to list the five most important works of architecture created since 1980. After they compiled all the results, they put together a list of over 132 different structures. The magazine then published the top 21 results in a fascinating online slideshow. The best part of these results?

The Menil Collection designed by Renzo Piano ranked as the second most important new building in the world. How cool is that?

If you are a regular reader of the Hamilton Shirts 1883 blog, you know that I am a big fan of the museum and I try to pay them a visit any chance I can get. I love the Rothko Chapel, the Dan Flavin Installation at Richmond Hall, the Cy Twombly Gallery, and of course, the special and permanent collections inside the main building.

Have you ever wandered around the museum (especially in the beautiful Twombly Gallery) and wonder how some of these gigantic works of art were installed? How did they ever get them inside? Was the building built around the work? How did the painting ever fit through the door?

Questions, answered:

Cy Twombly installation at the Menil Collection from The Menil Collection on Vimeo.

Filed under: Art & Culture, History, Houston by Stephen : No Comments »

Now here’s a very important guy that should be much more famous. His memory should be praised by all..each and every day.

Back in Buffalo, New York on July 17, 1902, Willis Carrier submitted drawings for what would later become today’s modern AIR CONDITIONING. Granted the U.S. Patent for his indispensable invention on January 2nd, 1906…what would we have done without this guy?

All hail..Willis Carrier, from a photograph dated 1915

Filed under: History by Stephen : 1 Comment »

Maybe its my lingering 4th of July holiday spirit, or maybe it was the great post on 1st dibs about the history of our grand old flag..but I’ve recently become interested in collecting antique American flags. While many antique styles can run into the thousands of dollars, you can still pick up interesting varieties for much less at flea markets and swap meets.

Jeff Bridgman of Jeff Bridgman American Antiques put together 10 interesting facts about the history of the American Flag for the website 1st dibs…and its worth checking out. From the celebration (or non-celebration) of Flag Day on June 14th, the fact that Francis Hopkison of New Jersey designed the flag and not Betsy Ross, to the fact that the flag had no official shape until 1912 – it could be square, elongated, anything.

Francis Hopkinson

Jeff Bridgman is based in York, Pennsylvania and is considered one of the countries leading authorities on antique American Flags. His antique store specializes in early Americana, and they often bring their wares to Houston, the shop participated in the Theta Antiques Show last November.

Following are some examples of the American Flags currently available at Jeff Bridgman Antiques:

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION FLAG WITH 10-POINTED STARS THAT SPELL “1776 – 1876”, ONE OF THE MOST GRAPHIC OF ALL EARLY EXAMPLES

48 STARS IN A RARE AND INTERESTING STEP-DOWN ROW DESIGN, ENTIRELY MADE BY TATTING

13 STARS, 1876-98, A VERY RARE PRINTED EXAMPLE, UNUSUALLY LARGE, PROBABLY MADE IN CANADA

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Created inside a structure that had been originally built in the 1930′s to house a Weingarten’s Grocery Store, the site specific installation by artist Dan Flavin at Richmond Hall is one of the Menil Collections greatest hidden treasures. The building itself has lived a very interesting life…after first being the home to the supermarket, it was then used as a various different bars and saloons – including finally Van Stampede’s Country Western Dance Hall.  Its not very often when you see an entire building saved and preserved to become transformed into a permanent giant glowing work of art.

Weingarten’s Grocery Store- circa 1930

Commissioned by Dominique DeMenil over 20 years ago back in 1990, the building with its close proximity to the Menil Museum, proved to be the ideal location for the artist Dan Flavin to create these large scale light works made just for this big empty space. Without altering the buildings structure, Flavin created three special art works for the museum – first the green fluorescent lights that run the top length of the exterior of the building on its east and west sides – second, the 4 white diagonal lights when you first enter the museum – and third is the most incredible and spectacular. Inside the central largest room, vertical light tubes forming a color spectrum, run from front to back of the space with a dark purple band of tubes bisecting the room into a top half and bottom half. The effect is totally theatrical, completely beautiful, and totally mesmerizing.

With the museums glossy poured concrete floors, the different color lights seem to reflect into endless directions. Its quite a powerful moment when you walk in. When I last visited the space, David Hamilton and I were lucky enough to be the only visitors (other than the crabby security guard) to Richmond Hall. Having the entire museum to ourselves, the empty interior makes the experience even more strange and effecting.

The Menil also uses Richmond Hall for many different purposes..they use it to hold benefit events for the museum, music and concerts, and all different types of live performances. Check the museums calendar and facebook page for upcoming events. It’s also totally fantastic to visit Richmond Hall on a very hot day, the cold surfaces and glowing lights combined with the buildings chilly air conditioning, makes for a haunting and surreal break from the regular outside world.

Dan Flavin Installation at Richmond Hall, 1500 Richmond Ave. Houston, Texas ph. 713.520.8512 Open Weds- Sun from 11-7pm.

Filed under: Art & Culture, History, Houston by Stephen : 1 Comment »

I am totally fascinated by this car…maybe even a little obsessed. Produced by a company called Ghia, the Fiat Jolly was a conversion made to a classic Fiat auto-body into a very stylish beach buggy during the 1960′s. This Fiat beach car was marketed to appeal to very wealthy playboys as a runabout for the innumerable beachfront cities and resorts up and down the coasts of Italy. An expensive car for the time, they were mostly used as golf carts, estate runabouts, and land cars for yacht owners. Supposedly Aristotle Onassis owned one, as well as the actor, Yul Brenner.

Painted in bright tropical colors and featuring open sides, striped canvas canopy tops, and wicker seats – these cars are very glamorous beach rides. According to various websites – there are less than 100 Jollys left worldwide. I found one available in Miami (of course!) in all original condition for a mere $43,995…if you buy it, will you let me take it for a spin?

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A remastered version of one of the best rock albums of our lifetimes, “Exile on Main St.” by The Rolling Stones has just been given a facelift and newly re-released. I’ve been listening to this new version non-stop and let me tell you – incredibly, they’ve improved upon a masterpiece.

Just like fine wines, The Rolling Stones seem to do nothing but improve with age. Famous for being recorded loosely in the South of France and Los Angeles, Exile on Main St. is simply a rock classic that no music collection should be without. The mixture of raw rocks sounds with touches of gospel, blues, country, and American r&b make this Stones album one of the best ever. Composed during the years 1968-72 its easy to imagine the glamorous times of living in Villefranche-sur-Mer, near Nice, with the incredible visitors dropping by, all the decadent drug usage, and the beautiful Bianca Jagger and Anita Pallenberg floating in and out during its recording.

This new version comes with an additional 10 songs, many of which have only been available as bootlegs prior to this release. You’d be crazy not to pick this one up.

Filed under: History, Music, Style by Stephen : No Comments »

There is a concert tonight at Jones Hall that just shouldn’t be missed.

In a very rare solo performance, Neil Young will be performing his classic songs, along with the special privilege of hearing brand new unrecorded songs for the very first time. Houston Press is reporting that each set on the “Twisted Road” tour includes over 20 songs and that some of the past shows have included “Down by the River”, “Ohio”, and “Cinnamon Girl”.

As of this morning when I checked, a few seats were still remaining for this chance to see this rock legend up close. The opportunity to see Neil Young doesn’t come around all that often, the last time Neil Young performed in Houston was back in 2003.

Check for tickets here. Go!

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This past weekend the Houston Chronicle ran an article about the fashion inspiration that the Hamilton team received from the scientists that worked in the NASA Houston Mission Control rooms of the 60′s and 70′s. Back in those days, the trim tailored shorts sleeve shirts were a very big part of the daily NASA uniform. We particularly liked these shirts not only because they looked modern again, but also because it is a style of shirt that is uniquely associated with one of the biggest and most important industries here in Houston- Aeronautics and Space.

The Hamilton 1883 classic short sleeve is very similar style to this shirt that the NASA guys wore. We even added a special seam in the chest pocket to keep your pen handy just like they did.

In a related note..The Houston Chron also goes on to mention that currently playing at the Houston Museum of Natural Science is the fantastic IMAX movie called Hubble 3D.  The movie is a great account of one of the most important scientific instrument created in our time – The Hubble Telescope. The dramatic story illustrates the accomplishments and setbacks of the biggest and most successful missions in space since the very first moon landing.

Filed under: Hamilton Shirts, History, Houston by Stephen : 1 Comment »

Today marks the birthday of John F. Kennedy. He was born on this day in 1917 and would have been 93 this year. This iconic President is not only remembered for his politics – but also for his classic sense of style.

Filed under: History, Holiday, Style by Stephen : No Comments »