Modern Manners and Social Forms

I found this gem from the golden age of American Victoriana in a thrift store in Chicago.  It is by one "Mrs. Julia M. Bradley", a psuedonym for the book's publisher, James B. Smiley — and the internet tells me it was referred to spitefully in the letters of Mark Twain (probably not this exact copy).  The cover is by far the most interesting part, altough I keep it on hand should I ever be curious about such subjects as the "Treatment of Servants":

Train servants to answer the door-bell properly.  Require them to treat all comers politely, and be careful to explain to them your rules about the 'not at home' formula.

or "The Ettiquette of Balls":

If a lady shows symptoms of weariness at any time, stop at once and escort her to a seat.  No offence should be taken if a lady manifests a desire to stop at any time.  If when escorted to a seat she releases the gentleman to find another partner, he should not accept the release.

钉子户 (Nail House)

A nail house (钉子户 dīngzihù) is a Chinese neologism for homes belonging to people (sometimes called "stubborn nails") who refuse to make room for development. The term, a puncoined by developers, refers to nails that are stuck in wood, and cannot be pounded down with a hammer. (Wikipedia)

Russian Candy Wrappers

Occasionally my habit of visually scanning sewers, gutters, abandonded lots and rubbish pays off with the discovery of something I've never seen before.  In this case, the bright primary colors of these wrappers caught my eye, half-buried in a trash can on Hollywood Blvd.  I am a huge fan of highly formal, presentaional and symmetrical graphic design, and I love these simple, whimsical and timeless images.  I'm sure I wouldn't approve of the animal bi-products they once enclosed, but I find the packaging very satisfying.