Vintage books finds, from pop art to scary nurses

 I spent this past week in my hometown of Eugene, Oregon. Although I was there on a mission of family-related mercy, I managed to sneak off one afternoon to visit the best thrift store in town (maybe in the whole state), at least for old books. It's the St. Vincent's on West 11th. 


Unlike most thrift stores, this St. Vinnies devotes almost one-fourth of its space to books, carefully organized on rows and rows of floor-to-ceiling shelves. The very best thing, though, is that they appear to sell all the books they receive -- even the very old and very strange ones. Books no one could possibly want.

Like The Ciba Collection of Medical Illustrations, Vol. 1: Nervous System. Of course I snapped it up. More than 50 years old, it was as pristine as could be. I can't wait to use its many full-color illustrations in my next set of collages.

Less macabre is this hippie era elementary reader. Wouldn't this cover make a great Kindle case?

I was delighted to find these two gems, but what I really came for were yearbooks. In previous visits, I had seen shelves full of them. This time, I had to walk down every aisle before I spotted them.

The first was a 1974 yearbook from Oregon State University. The bright orange cloth caught my eye. I love the abstract design that wraps around the cover.

And then there are the class photo pages. I just can't get enough of those hair styles…cuts…dos…whatever.

These folks will certainly appear in a future collage, I'm certain!

The second yearbook I found was 33 years older and from much farther away -- all the way from Omaha. I wonder why their mascot -- an angry blue jay -- looks so much like a duck?

I haven't fully explored this treasure. I knew I had to have it when I saw these class photos.

Is that Nurse Ratched on the bottom row? I don't know how I'll use these fabulous images, but I do know that they get my creative juices flowing.