Thursday, July 12, 2007

Collection #4

This is actually two collections. The books are by stand-up comics or about the art of comedy and a lot of them are out of print. Two of my faves are: Bob Hope's Vietnam Story published in 1966 and Help! I'm a Prisoner in a Chinese Bakery by Alan King, published in 1964 and autographed "To Eve, the columnist who has helped my career. So much love and thanks. Alan." EVE, PLEASE CALL ME EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE PROBABLY DEAD NOW.

The mics are a personal favorite because I've been using them since my first professional gig, when I was 15 and fronting a band. The answer to your question is "We were in France, that's why." I'm half French so I say this with love, the entire country is tone deaf.

The mic that is partially cut off at the top, mainly because I'm obviously not that great a photographer, is a working lamp. That one and the one next to it, called a Bullet Mic because of its shape, have been loaned out to music videos and movie sets.
The round medallion hanging off the Joan Rivers books on the left is an old lapel microphone. They must have had some incredibly serious lapels back then.
This is a closeup of some of my favorite mics. The KAVN is made by Avon, shaped like an old mic and is still full of the Wild Country After Shave that it was filled with. Over the years Avon has variously packaged that cologne into a miniature 1936 MG, log cabin and other replica cars from the 30's and 40's. It doesn't even smell rancid which I think major perfumers need to look into. Hello Quadrille by Balenciaga. Call me?

The mic on top of the red box, which is a child's sing-a-long toy from the 60's, is molded wood and fits your hand like a glove, something metal mics don't do. The little picture is me performing in 1983 at the first comedy club that passed me, Comedy U on University Place in New York. The frame has all the New York tourist hot spots on it, including the twin towers.

End of broadcast.

4 comments:

  1. I love your collections. You can tell their owner would be fun to hang out with.

    When I look around at my own bookshelves, I am embarrassed at how pedestrian they are. I need to start collecting neat things.

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  2. Anonymous8:59 AM

    Their owner is fun but might have some shopping issues.

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  3. why do you have a joan rivers book? did she have something interesting to say?

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  4. Anonymous8:31 PM

    Ok Jane, what part of "I collect standup comedy books" was not clear?

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