The Bund is a beautiful (TRULY beautiful) High-fashion / style / art / lifestyle weekly magazine published in Shanghai, China, and you will most certainly be surprised if you take the time to browse the current online edition HERE. The Jim Linderman interview is HERE in the issue of March 15, 2012. The circulation of The Bund has grown to 450,000 paid subscribers, and a flip though the online edition will show why. Lovely!
Niea Gu, Senior Fashion Editor did the with interview considerable grace and style.
Some of the introductory material was adapted from the recent New York Times article of 2/12/02, and the interview portion follows along with samples of things I have discussed in the blogs over the years. The Article translation (which is simply charming...what can I say?) follows based on the Google translate service. I have discovered some striking phrases from the translation I could not have created on my own but love, and believe me, this is one of the greatest honors of my life.
This is also a true experiment for me. I have no idea how many citizens will read this or have access to it. But it is lovely, fascinating and splendid. That I am able to play even this very, very small part of bringing together two great lands is an honor I never thought would be possible. Thank You The Bund. I am truly honored.
POP CULTURE MINER (Introductory Text based in NYT article)
Jim Linderman, may be the world's coolest book file administrator. Although he has retired, but looking for something, and his ability to still no one can, and still bored. His collection of all the bits and pieces of American folk art and popular culture, they are popular enough, but also interesting enough. Tens of thousands of his collections, as large as sculpture, as small as a postcard, all cheap. As he himself puts it: "I have no money to buy Andy Warhol, so I'm always looking for the poor 'Warhol,'.
Jim Linderman, accustomed to get up early every day, give yourself a cup of coffee, then turn on the computer to update the blog. He wrote not a morning news current affairs reporting or celebrity gossip, but those old, forgotten the wonderful things. Mr. 58-year-old Linderman is an art collector, most recently, his achievements even by the attention and coverage of the New York Times. He was living the small town of Lake Michigan, Grand Haven, when the lifetime of the Book File Manager. Identity mix sounds a little strange, and his collection: a variety of interesting bits and pieces of American folk art and popular culture. "I always collect a number of unusual, strange things do not fly." He said.
In 2008, he has set up three blog - Dull, Tool Dim Bulb, the Old Time Religion and the Vintage Sleaze - used to display and describe their favorites. As an all-encompassing network flea market is full of novelty is convulsed amazed found. On the blog, he will dig out the story behind every piece of the collection, and his right, as if a magical secret passageway leading to the past for the reader to open.
Mr. Linderman, the blog is always an unexpected manner makes an eye-opener, for example, you know the pianist in the 1930s Baldy Wetzel, a record 48.5 hours of uninterrupted play record? Have you ever heard advertised himself as "hated woman world champion in the 1940s folk artists Albion, Clough,? Have you ever seen American porn comic Tijuana, Bibles "(Tijuana Bible).? As a senior File Manager, he loves books and writing in the past three years, he not only write a blog every day, also published a book of 14 content, the majority of their own money to publication. His latest book is called "the mysterious old photos (Vintage Photographs in of arcane Americana), a collection of his collection" the most bizarre photos ", such as the ventriloquism strippers. While his most famous publication was undoubtedly the 2009 Grammy Best Historical Album "nomination" take me to go in the water "(Take Me to the Water), although the book is only a thin 95, but a collection of 75 old photos of Christian water baptism scene, but also comes with an old gospel song LP.
Linderman Mr. lived in Manhattan for 28 years until 2008, was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) before deciding to move out of New York with his wife, Jenna, back to his hometown of Grand Haven breath of fresh air. Since then, he started writing a blog, in his words, "In order to give myself a bunch of digital footprint."
1980 the beginning of the year to Manhattan, Mr. Linderman, the first job is an international The discography finishing rock punk kind of music, and later worked in CBS's "60 Minutes" program and the evening news, as well as the BBDO advertising agency as file tidying up. Spare time, he launched an extraordinary collection of career. He has hundreds of Bob Dylan's private system of records, a few thousand copies of the book of John - John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theory. Dylan's fans, President Kennedy, he fell does not care who is assassinated. "I just love the books of such print-out in her garage. Those guys interested in UFOs, will also discuss the JFK incident but then no one will go to collect their masterpiece." He said.
In particular, he favored the self-taught artists, especially in the mostly South American artists and African artists. He gave the South African artist Howard Finster, write to discuss the painting, the other replied, "OK, ah, please send sheets check over." So he sent a check for $ 10, then really received a painting. He went to the southern United States Travel, met a lot of crazy and interesting painter, they put in front of his house to sell the painting, he was almost accept. "I have no money to buy Andy Warhol, so I'm always looking for the poor 'Warhol,'". He said.
Comical collectors Mr. Linderman three blog "Vintage Sleaze" is the most popular. This blog is mainly a poster girl on his collecting research on the 1950s and 1960s male publications. Camera Club Girl "(Camera Club, Girls), a book, he tells the Harlem jazz singer Cass Carr anecdotes - in the early 1950s, she has organized a bold outdoor photo tour, participating members, including designed to beat the legendary crime scene photographer Weegee, and the wound has not yet been made a star of "Playboy" magazine sexy stunner of Bettie Page. Later, this group of people caught in a farm in suburban New York when shooting is to photograph the nude was illegal.
These little-known variety of baby from where? Mr. Linderman said that he usually drove to the not too far away from home more than a dozen antique market, see the story of stuff "will be shot. He also frequents eBay, looking for photos and prints, especially useful. Old photos of the Christian water baptism mentioned previously, almost all from eBay Go to flea markets to find a photo, you have to turn one year old shoebox. "He said on eBay may be a month will be able to procure. He collected all kinds of strange objects: "Diddley Bow" (a structure like stringed guitar, West African homemade blues musical instruments), hand-made slingshots, toy bulldozers, antique kimonos, Indian raw leather small bag ... once fell in love with a things, he will be blown out, until one day are tired, it sold, traded or donated out, and then find a new target. Before you move out of New York, Mr. Linderman, his collection of religious baptism photo, left Manhattan International Center of Photography last year, the latter on this theme organized an exhibition. He donated a Victorian-style slide is also the center included in the exhibition program. Center for Brian Wallis' praise in visual culture, "he has done is unprecedented, he excavated treasures at the edge of the popular culture, which requires a collect talent, but he is the world's greatest collection. always pay attention to strange things, and constantly come up with fun new ideas. "
When asked about favorite era", Mr. Linderman, said, "This is really a strange question to me and everyone else can not do without the Internet. "Today, his blog click-through rate has been close to 2 million, which was unimaginable before the arrival of the digital age. "Of course, I miss the past years are sincere and reliable," he then said, "We always appreciate losing before, so we really should take the time to appreciate those around simple small things, because one day, they will disappear. technology is very beautiful, but a child, my night to listen to the radio very happy, and now the same child is afraid I do not think so, they have much choice ... However, I still think radio great. "
Whew! Interview follows:
B = "Bund" J.L = Jim Linderman
B: You also wrote three blog, why? JL: I first began to write Dull, Tool, Dim Bulb, used to share my collection of strange photos and articles, this blog open for four years, has been updated over 1000. I will be regarded as the main blog, even though the other two seem to be more popular. Then I opened the Old-Time Religion, every Saturday night, I would choose a religion class from Dull, Tool, Dim Bulb, strange pictures posted up. Because over the weekend in the United States, some people are used to "crazy one", then go to church on Sunday morning repentance some. So I started on Saturday night posted one and church-related photos, so those guys wake up the next morning you can see, gradually developed into a new blog, a book. Dull, Tool, Dim Bulb original intention is to demonstrate to those who have been forgotten art form, unusual creation and the United States in the past some odd figure. Every now and then, I will introduce some of my respected artists and photographers, almost every one will be coupled with after years of a strange collection of articles or photos. I think, to write something it is necessary to its familiar enough with the job, is to personally in his hand playing experience. This is also my blog and other blog differences, I wrote every thing can be found shoebox yard behind me. Vintage Sleaze is a late start, but it is the highest page views. I found his collection there are many old photos of the "immoral", similar to the 1950s, men to buy sexy magazine. This is a category of popular culture rarely documented mention of everyone's basement can be dug out a few, but very few talk about. So I think the Vintage Sleaze to show their comical, although sexy, but also harmless, but also reveals some silly. Subscribe to this blog's women less than men, which made me very proud. 50 years ago "dirty pictures" very cute, and do this trip - those models, illustrators, writers, publishers - also very interesting, they walk the edge of the law, doing challenging and the sense of accomplishment. Every time I write their stories, laugh at least once. I like the challenge.
B: How often updated blog? JL: I as far as possible every day at least update a blog, sometimes three will be updated. Write an article or photo, I want to investigate for several days. I tried to proceed from each photo or article, write a thesis on the history. I work with a humorous tone to write. I like the ease and the pursuit of serious and precise at the same time, entertainment is also very important. I try to like reporters to remain objective, but occasionally melt into his own point of view. I always hope that your article can become a starting point of the in-depth study of other scholars. All these years I dig out the thousands of stories, I think every one deserves to be written in a book. Someday, the scholars will be curious about who this guy write Dull, Tool, Dim Bulb! Than a writer, I also see themselves as a visual artist, of course, have to depend on the readers' opinions.
B: Your collection must be very considerable, they account for where it is? JL: they just seem more than is good, because most of them are photos and paper, not of space. My house has not been large, but in good order. The collection is concentrated in a small room, one of the few big-ticket items (such as sculpture and handmade furniture) are placed into the garage or basement, all these years, many of the big guy has been I sold, replaced, or otherwise share out. I used to put a few special things in their own front, I like to see them at any time. The thing is not necessarily the bigger the better, little things often a vast reservoir of energy.
B: your collection is to spend money? JL: my life is a book file manager, no money. My favorites is the sense of smell, not like a child is eight by collectors as no money, but also buy the "excellent" work of art. I want to prove that everyone can gather to wonderful things, many small stones, and many nest, or transistor radios. Anything, as long as you allow them to became a scale through a lot, organize and share, they allow others to see their beauty, this is the collection. Although the whole process very time-consuming, but it does not cost money.
B: You grew like to collect things? JL: Yes, like any little boy, I also collect stamps and baseball cards, but then I made a solemn decision: a collection of things that others do not collection! It makes me feel different, I once again received attention for those who have been forgotten and ignored.
B: Do you think the librarian how the job? JL: I like the librarian job is that it allows me to be made now, this is one of the most remarkable career. A good librarian can equally help to anyone, regardless of the guests what to look for books, he can provide the services without the subjective judgment, encountered the controversial subject matter, he would know how to take into account, always harbor respected. Librarian every day to learn new knowledge, and ability to use their knowledge to help others people great satisfaction.
B: Do you collect things related to American popular culture, in this field who idolized? JL: I love Bob Dylan, because he was well received by the image of American culture. I also appreciate the southern United States, a painter named David Bates, depicting rural America a huge work, bright colors, humorous, and full of respect. However, the majority of my collection are anonymous works, the author has long been time to annihilation. I especially like the amateur for, like all mortal beings. From one work to dig out a piece of history or an artist is a great sense of accomplishment.
