I mentioned earlier that “The Retrovert” was the first commercial site I hosted on a domain of my own. This came about in early 2003, when I was between jobs, as we say, and had some time on my hands.

I was pleased with the way “Celtic Art & Retro-Futuristic Design” was working out for me - if you missed it, that was my first commercial shop on the web, where I sell two kinds of art that I love making - and it was natural enough to think about what else I might do. That turned out to be the Retrovert.

At the Retrovert I sell T-Shirts, coffee mugs, greeting cards and posters with art that I’ve restored from vintage graphics sources - like WPA posters, old magazine covers, crate labels, sheet music, and promotional art for the 1939 New York Worlds Fair, a particular favorite of mine.

Because these are based on period originals they’ve taken a fair bit of retouching - a lot of retouching, in some cases. But since I picked things that I liked (and had often collected) myself, I didn’t mind so much. It was very satisfying to make these great old things new again. I really like old things, as you may have guessed, which is lucky for me since I’m on my way to being an old thing myself.

So the meat and potatoes of the Retrovert is restored vintage graphics. But I’ve done some other things there that I also like. For one thing, I’d shot a set of photographs of some wonderful old carousel animals, and those photographs found their way there; and I’ve also remixed and adapted some period sources in “Special Collections” like the Non-Conformists Union and my campaign to re-elect FDR.

The Non-Conformists Union (Local 404) is an organization I invented because it wanted to exist. I supplied it with a detailed history and supported that history with old family photographs of my great-grandparents, who were vaudeville performers and traveled all over the world. The merchandise at the NCU site claims to be reproductions of the Union’s promotional art from the 1920s and 1930s - with cheerful, misguided slogans like “Let’s All Go on the Road Less Traveled” or “Organize Against Conformity!” I’m well aware that I may have had a little too much fun, there.

And it’s a funny sort of site because although it’s a joke, it never admits it. The NCU takes itself perfectly seriously. I’m often left wondering what its visitors make of it, especially since I’ve gotten a couple of requests for information about membership in local chapters. I really can’t tell if these people are just as deadpan as I am, or if they think a.) The Non-Conformists Union is a real organization; and b.) that it makes any kind of sense at all.

My other great hoax section at the Retrovert is my campaign to re-elect Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I’m reasonably sure that no one has taken that one seriously. Despite the (if I say it myself) attractive and persuasive campaign merchandise, FDR failed in the 2004 election. Heck, I even issued press releases. Here’s hoping he sees a groundswell of popular support in 2008!

Technorati Tags: retrovert, retro, vintage graphics, wpa, worlds fair, fdr, franklin delano roosevelt, election, non conformists union

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