John Foster, amazing collector of vernacular photographs and folk art, has recently launched Accidental Mysteries, "a blog about photography, design, art, architecture, ephemera, found objects, anonymous, outsider art, folk art, self-taught art, illustration, beauty, esoterica, auctions, discovery, art environments, mystery, vintage stuff and the magic that can be found in everyday things." Judging from the popularity of publications like Found, it's not just up my alley, but maybe yours as well (and in St. Louis, after all, the alley is the magical spot to discover strange and beautiful found objects).
One more delightful discovery this a.m.: though it's not local, Ancient Industries, "an online store, founded by unknown individuals, which sells 'traditional household goods and clothing,' meaning those things that have been in production for 'decades, centuries and millenia,'" is more than worth mentioning. (Thank you, Apartment Therapy!) A.I. also has a blog, which you can read here. If you know of someone doing something like this in the Midwest ... I'd love to know about it.
