Monthly Archive for December, 2010

Merry Christmas… y’all

Another lovely vintage magazine from 1960, called Arizona Highways. I guess they don’t get much snow down there, so the cactii (and candles) serve as the festive cover.

What makes this magazine so fascinating though, is not the kitsch photography, but the fact that whoever owned the magazine before us, had been sent it by a friend who had written all over the pages! Serving as a kind of magazine/postcard, each page has a personalised caption scribbled on in fountain pen.

They wish their friends in Scotland a Merry Christmas, and point out things like “our church” and “a Joshua tree – don’t try to climb it!” Above, they mention a “Lost Dutchman Mine” in Superstition Range. Obviously, they were keen for their Scottish friends to visit Arizona. I wonder if they ever did.

The inside back cover reveals “A Cowboy’s Christmas Prayer”. Brilliant stuff.

Merry Christmas everyone!

A brush with celebrity

We’re delighted to say that Scotland Outdoors, the magazine we design for Big Bend Publishing won the award for Best Magazine From a Small Publisher at the PPA Scotland awards in Glasgow on Wednesday night for the second year running.

The team at Big Bend really do put heart and soul into this title and we’re absolutely delighted their efforts have been recognised – although sad that they couldn’t make it to the awards ceremony in person. Instead, Matt got the honour of rubbing shoulders with the event host, comedian Craig Hill!

Let it snow

Well, it’s the first of December, and half the country is covered in snow – but spare a thought for our cousins in British Columbia – who get more than their fair share of the stuff.

This vintage copy of Beautiful British Columbia is from winter 1974, where, apparently, Christmas is a game of golf.

My wife’s parents (who lived in Orkney) used to subscribe to this magazine – mainly for the stunning landscape photography. The publication was actually produced by the British Columbia Department of Travel Industry – to entice people to visit this amazing part of the world. So that’s where Santa goes on holiday…