{"title":"California \u0026 the West, c.1890–1930","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"conti-verdi-ship-painting-on-tin-1930s","title":"c.1930s SS Conte Verde Printed Tin Picture — Italian Ocean Liner Maritime Souvenir","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSS Conte Verde\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e belonged to the great age of transatlantic travel. Launched in 1922 and entering service in 1923, the Italian liner sailed between Europe and the Americas for Lloyd Sabaudo before later serving routes to the Far East.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHer most famous voyage came in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1930\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, when the Conte Verde carried the French, Romanian, Belgian and Brazilian football delegations toward Uruguay for the first FIFA World Cup. FIFA president \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJules Rimet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, three referees and the original World Cup trophy were aboard as well.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis wonderfully aged \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eprinted tin picture\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e captures the ship underway and is unusual in its construction: the image and decorative surround are formed as a single metal piece, giving it the character of early travel advertising and souvenir art rather than a conventional framed print.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe warm sepia coloring, dark faux-frame effect and naturally distressed surface give it exactly the kind of time-worn presence we look for in maritime and travel pieces. Small enough to work into a gallery wall, but interesting enough that people will stop and ask about it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47011294544182,"sku":"210000001005","price":650.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0822\/1579\/7046\/files\/ContiVerdiShipPaintingonTin1930s.jpg?v=1792378759"},{"product_id":"1930s-santa-monica-twins-skimboarding-photograph","title":"Santa Monica Twins Tandem Skimboarding, c.1930s — Archival California Surf Photograph","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis photograph from the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSurfing Cowboys archive\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e captures the Santa Monica twins performing an extraordinary feat of balance and coordination, riding a single wooden Alaia-style board in tandem along the shoreline.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSkimming takes precision; doing it side by side on one board makes the image all the more remarkable — a testament to both their bond and their skill.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhotographed in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSanta Monica in the 1930s\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, the scene offers a rare glimpse of early Southern California beach and board culture, long before surfing became an industry. The open shoreline, wet-sand reflections and spare black-and-white composition give the image a timeless quality that feels as good in a contemporary interior as it does in a collection of California surf history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAccording to the history accompanying the photograph in our archive, the twins both went on to live past 100 — adding another wonderful chapter to an already memorable California story.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis offering is a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003econtemporary archival print made from the historic c.1930s photograph\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, professionally printed on acid-free archival-quality paper and presented in a clean white wood frame with white matting.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Surfing Cowboys","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47011306864950,"sku":"210000001538","price":695.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0822\/1579\/7046\/files\/Skimming_on_Sand.jpg?v=1792376391"},{"product_id":"lawrence-a-brunner-california-landscape-painting","title":"Original 1930s-40s California Landscape Painting by Lawrence A. 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Brunner studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and Cincinnati Art Academy under noted American painter Frank Duveneck, and later exhibited with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePainters \u0026amp; Sculptors of Los Angeles from 1938–1947\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLoose, confident brushwork gives the mountains weight without overworking them, while the strip of luminous green across the valley floor pulls the eye deep into the landscape. It is an atmospheric piece of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003epre-war California regional art\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e — understated from across the room and much richer when viewed closely.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003eThe painting is presented in a \u003cstrong\u003elater gold wood frame\u003c\/strong\u003e, bringing warmth and scale without overpowering the painting. At \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e24.5 inches wide\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, it works beautifully on its own or incorporated into a collection of California landscapes, Western art and historic photography.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Excellent vintage presentation. 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This board carries that history directly into its design: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGAR monograms and crossed Union flags\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e occupy the corners, surrounding a classic 8 × 8 playing field framed by deep green, burgundy, cream and metallic-toned geometric decoration.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe design is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ereverse-painted on glass\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e—the decoration applied to the back of the glass and viewed through the front, a technique valued for its crisp surface and luminous depth. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIts substantial \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003equarter-sawn oak frame\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, with pronounced ray-fleck grain and warm aged surface, gives the piece even more architectural presence. The combination of military iconography, geometry, color and old oak makes it equally compelling as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCivil War memorabilia, American folk art or decorative wall art\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt can be displayed flat as a game board or hung as a striking graphic object in a library, den, lodge, game room or collected interior.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50005000421686,"sku":"11531260996573","price":950.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0822\/1579\/7046\/files\/GrandArmyoftheRepublicChessCheckerBoardLead.jpg?v=1733931826"},{"product_id":"early-1930s-homemade-redwood-wooden-surfboard","title":"Early 1930s Handmade Redwood Surfboard — Original California Pre-War Surfing History","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is California surf culture before there was a surf industry.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDating to the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eearly 1930s\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, this nearly 10-foot handmade redwood surfboard comes from the formative years of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWest Coast surfing\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, when boards were heavy, finless and often shaped by the surfers themselves. Historical accounts from the period describe only a small community of dedicated California surfers riding substantial redwood boards and building their own when commercial boards were still uncommon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eConstructed from solid redwood planks, the board has a beautifully simple form: rounded nose, squared\/rounded tail, raised longitudinal battens and hand-worked contours. Its surface carries decades of wear — old marks, softened edges, variations in finish and the deep warm patina that only comes with time and use.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt this scale, it is as compelling as an \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003earchitectural object\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e as it is a piece of surfing history. 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