Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera on view now at the Brooklyn Museum.

“There were details, accidents of light, which I'd missed when I'd been able to make only quick sketches of a setting. For example in Rob Shuffleton's barbershop in East Arlington, Vermont: where Rob hung his combs, his rusty old clippers, the way the light fell across the magazine rack, his moth-eaten push broom leaning against the display cases of candy and ammunition, the cracked leather seat of the barber chair with the stuffing poking through along the edges over the nickel-plated frame. A photograph catches all that.”—Norman Rockwell (1960)

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA

self portrait

Vivian Maier's photos have been making their way around the web recently thanks to John Maloof who bought the negatives to her work at an antique auction. This story is particularly interesting because her photos remained unknown and mostly undeveloped until Maloof's discovery - over 100,000 negatives and 3,000 prints. The auction house where Maloof bought Vivian Maier's photos acquired her belongings from her storage locker that was sold off due to delinquent payments. Maloof later found her name written with pencil on an envelope and decided to Google her about a year after he purchased the negatives, only to find her obituary placed the day before his search. She passed away only a couple days before that inquiry on her, leaving so many questions unanswered, and with her not knowing this man she had never met held her life's work and was about to share them with the world.

Vivian's Story Vivian Maier (1929-2009) was a street photographer from the 1950s to 1990s. She's a bit of a mystery, with some contradictory information out there. But here's what's been gathered about her so far: She was born in New York to immigrant parents, spent many years in France before returning to the U.S. where she worked in a sweat shop in New York when she was about 11 or 12, and later worked as a nanny in Chicago for about 40 years. In 1959 she traveled the world alone, where she photographed places like Egypt and Vietnam. She was describe as a tell-it-like-it-is and "keep your distnace from me" type of person, outspoken, a feminist, loved foreign films and learned English by going to theaters, and wore men's jackets and men's shoes most of the time. She was constantly taking pictures, which she didn't show anyone.

If you're in Chicago, Vivian's first U.S. exhibition will be held at the Chicago Cultural Center. Around 80 prints will be on display, including a sample of her color work, and will run 'til April 3rd. There's also a feature length documentary film about her in production now and a book of her work is expected to be released next Fall.

All photos are copyrighted under Maloof Collection, Ltd.

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA

self portrait the godfather by al hirschfield

great comedians - w.c. fields, charlie chaplin, buster keaton & groucho by al hirschfield

self portrait

A barber chair just gained legendary status. And it wasn't in a barber shop. It was in the home of Al Hirschfeld.

Albert "Al" Hirschfeld is considered one of the most important figures in contemporary American caricature. He's best known for his simple black and white portraits with exaggerated faces, using a minimum number of lines. Hirschfeld had his quirks, like eating with his left hand, but drawing with his right. But his best quirk of all was that he immortalized these Broadway stars and celebrities while seated in a barber chair. But since his death in NYC in 2003 - just five months shy of his 100th birthday - the legendary barber chair's been collecting dust in his famous studio, and his widow recently decided to donate "his throne" to the Lincoln Center branch of the New York Public Library, where it will be permanently installed, along with his century-old drafting table. His widow said, "I thought this library was the right place for his work. He lived most of his life in New York. His main focus was New York City and the theater . . . his personal vision and style was something I felt belonged in New York."

Mr. Hirschfeld called his barber chair "the last functional chair" because it could go up, go down, swivel, and recline. His widow described his barber chair as "a predecessor to the ergonomic chair."  Since he spent practically every single day drawing, he needed to find the most comfortable chair and found it in an old-fashioned barber chair at a used furniture place on the Bowery for $3, but by the 1990s the chair was falling apart (all that remains of this original barber chair is the base, and is on display at the Manhattan gallery of Margo Feiden). He finally agreed to replace it with a new barber chair that had been used in a shop in the Chrysler Building.

It took eight men to get this barber chair down the four flights of stairs from his East 95th Street apartment while black liquid dripped from the chair, apparently hydraulic fluid leftover from the Chrysler Building shop. Check out this article and video.

It's been years since his passing but his art and the barber chair lives on in new places. If you live in New York, check it out, along with a rotating selection of his drawings now on display. His drawings can also be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA

The weekend's here again folks. Depending on where you live, this nasty weather might be keeping you indoors. If that's the case, we highly recommend you rent a copy of Stop Making Sense, a concert film featuring Talking Heads from three live gigs in 1983 at Hollywood's Pantages Theater.

Stop Making Sense could very well be one of the greatest live concert films to date. Everything in this film is flawless: the most important element - the music, the performances from David Byrne and the entire band/background singers, the energy level, the lighting, the angles of the shots, the staging. Although Byrne came up with much of the staging concept (and the funding) for this film, director Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs, The Manchurian Candidate, Neil Young: Heart of Gold), put it all together the way a concert film should be presented. If you're a Talking Heads fan, or you just appreciate good music, you won't be disappointed.

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manhattan, lights out lootin' in bed stuy, free for all? photo:tyrone dukes/ny times

son of sam nabbed. psycho killer ~ qu'est-ce que c'est

talking heads. ocean club, tribeca. photo:allen tannenbaum

bowery bum at cbgb (r.i.p.) photo:h.wang

1977: The first Apple computer goes on sale. Star Wars opens. Punk Rock is the new. Elvis dies at 42. Carter becomes president.

But it was the Summer of 1977 in New York City that people will always remember - a time and place of extreme highs and lows: Lighting strikes a Con Ed substation along the Hudson River setting off a chain of events resulting in the massive New York blackout, leading to mobs, fires, and looting. The Son of Sam murders terrorizes a city already swallowed by crime, violence, drugs, financial crisis, and decay. But it's also when the New York Yankees win the world series and uplifts the city, even for just a moment. And ultimately music saves the broken city - everyone from the Ramones to the Talking Heads to the Dead Boys to Patti Smith takes the stage at places that would later become legendary, like CBGB.

Great respect to Allan Tannenbaum for capturing the scenes of the most high-strung, prolific, eclectic city in the world.

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA

self portrait 1875. Happy Birthday Paul.

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA

We at Grant's have the stereo on 24/7/365 listening to all genres of music. From Dylan to Devo, Stevie to Strummer ~ one thing remains constant: we love good music. Who has time for sub par tunes these days?

On that note, we received an email from Jim Gaudette a master guitarist and a loyal customer of Grant's. He introduced us to his music and gave us a little insight into his life. We love discovering new great music, thanks Jim.

Jim has been a staple in the New England music scene for over 20 years. He is an accomplished guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and music instructor, who has also been taught first-hand from many of the original music legends of the genres he specializes in. Praised by and received words of wisdom from: Johnny Cash, Brian Setzer, Carl Perkins, Scotty Moore, Billy Lee Riley, Reverend Horton Heat and legendary drummer Buddy Rich. Jim notes his favorite genres to play are: gypsy jazz, rockabilly, surf and classic country style. What more can we say, the guy has talent!

If you want to catch an uplifting show or learn from one of the best contact Jim.

tune in and turn it up Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA

larger than life concrete troll. note the vw bug under his hand lookin' up his nose. note the gum - classy

the next time you are in the artsy neighborhood of freemont, wa. make sure to visit the notorious troll sculpture that resides under the bridge. beware: he eats humans!

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA

"Live in concert Christmas Day ~ The Clash."

*Three decades too late - This event happen back in 1979, at Acklam Hall, England. The admission was only 50 pence (1 dollar !?) seating only 250 !!!! This Holiday concert marked the beginning of their road to fame, London Calling had only been released a few weeks prior. A concert for the true Garageland enthusiasts.

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA

a young martin and bobby on the set. nyc staples

cary, sir alfred and jimmy. someone looks envious

no intro needed, legends.

2 of the best if not the best. akira and francis chop it up.

A Tip of the Hat to some of our Cinema Heroes.

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA

mr. hendrix "the style master" and bassist noel redding prepn' for show time.

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA

photo: g.m. photo: g.m./life photo:i.p.

"We don't grow older, we grow riper."

"Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone."

"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."

Born Oct 25th 1881 as Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso. Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA

Born this day as John Birks, "Dizzy" Gillespie was one of the developers of bop in the early 1940s, as well as Afro-Cuban jazz.

His visual trademark was his trumpet with the bell pointing upwards at a 45 degree angle. Early in 1953, someone accidentally fell on Gillespie's trumpet, which was sitting upright on a trumpet stand, and the bell was bent back. Gillespie played it and found that he actually liked the sound, so from that point on he had trumpets built for him with the bell pointing upwards at that angle.

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA

"The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad."

"There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman thinks he is sane. I know I am mad."

"I don't do drugs. I am drugs."

-S.Dali

the surreal pomade Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water-based pomade made in the good old USA

Dali and his surreal dragonfly moustache. Our pomade works excellent on handlebars too. Careful, you'll poke some ones eye out.

On the town emerging from the NYC Metro Subway, Sal and his pet anteaters ?!?!

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water based pomade made in the good old USA

From Planet Pomade: Live Long and Prosperous. Vulcan Bombshells & Warhol Halftones mixed media.

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade the premiere water based pomade made in the good old USA

For those who have no hair but want that classic pomp doo. The New Traditionalist's Pomp Kit. Available in Blue or Black. Chin strap included.

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade USA *Our Mission:"Duty Now for the Future of Pomade Enthusiasts"

Our Friend Jason sent us these quality pictures from his journey to the great city of Austin, TX. Boulevard Cruisin' & Southern Hospitality. Look for more posted pics in the future from JT as he canvases the great US in search of "Still Life Style." photos: JT

Grant's Golden Brand Pomade "style is everything"

"I find humming is very useful." -Mr. Costello pump it up

Ricardo Esteban Valenzuela Reyes aka Richie Valens Grant's Golden Brand Pomade paying tribute to the "Godfather of Chicano Rock." personal favorite song: Come on, Let's Go.