#Parade Float

[inthedarktrees]

“Star of the Sea,” Los Angeles Daily News, January 1, 1938

[halloween-sweets]

[tanuki-kimono]

Fantastic hikizuri (trailing kimono, probably a maiko's considering the sode-age sleeves tucks and pattern) depicting all-seasons sceneries & festivals.

[chernobog13]

I want one of these so I can drive it along the freeway.

[rinibayphoto]

[hclib]

Animals on Parade

The Aquatennial returns to Minneapolis this week with the Torchlight Parade kicking off events on Wednesday night. Aquatennial parades over the years have hosted all sorts of impressive floats, including many larger-than-life animals. Here are just a few of the bears, birds, giraffes, and of course, fish in the Hennepin County Library Digital Collections that have made their way down the Minneapolis parade route:

From top to bottom:

Dove float, 1964

Fish on Minneapolis Fire Department float, 1941

Fish on the Bloomington All American City Float, 1961

Turtle Walgreens Drug Stores float, 1941

Giraffes in Nighttime Parade, 1964

Panda Bears on the Coca-Cola Float, 1941

[yeahiwasintheshit]

america resist

[kply-industries]

[mylittlepooka]

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[inthedarktrees]

"A Child's Dream,” Los Angeles Times, January 1, 1931

[evilhorse]

The Ambush Bug balloon is plunging down to the crowd below!

(Action Comics #1058)

[tanuki-kimono]

From our recent event of the fourth of July in the USA, I was also thinking of Japan's summer festivals. Besides yukata, are there kimonos that have festival themes like fireworks, festival decorations/sceneries, specific patterns, specific colors, etc.?

Japanese traditional culture is all about celebrating seasonality so indeed summer matsuri themed patterns are pretty common on summery items :)

(note that I used summer here in the Western sense of July/August. Traditional Japanese summer goes from something like May to July)

Yukata+kimono+obi+uchiwa are a staple, you can also find happi (tube sleeves coats) but those tend to bear mon (crests) and auspicious kanji.

Other festival garments count for example yosakoi (type of dance groups) uniforms, but those are more performance oriented. Otherwise, what would be a matsuri without fundoshi loincloth ;) (see how to tie one here)

On the top of my head, summer festival patterns can include (please note some are not summer only):

hanabi (fireworks)

dashi/yatai (parade float), used during processions. Mikoshi (portable shrine) is theorically possible but I don't remember seeing such a pattern

kingyo (goldfishes), kingyosukui is a popular summer game

fuurin (windchimes), often sold at matsuri

men (masks), most often kitsune or tengu but many more exist

toys, like dendendaiko (rattle drum) for ex.

matoi (firemen poles), brigades often present acrobatic shows in summer

chouchin (paper lantern), also see Obon below

etc.

Japan holds a myriad matsuri all across the country, each with their own traditions. But big celebrations often have related patterns:

Tanabata has stars, bamboo, tanzaku, magpies, ox, etc.

Obon has lanterns, cucumber, eggplant, death themed motifs (like nozarashi or graveplates), nod to Kyoto's Daimonji kanji, etc.

Famous festivals also have their own imagery (yamaboko float for Gion matsuri ex.).

As for colors, scarlet red is often found on matsuri decors, and indigo blue is a classical summer color (yukata were once dyed with it), but tbh any can be used nowadays :)

[weirdyearbook]

From Ohio University's 1948 yearbook.

Here's my gallery of unusual imagery from vintage college yearbooks.

Wondering about this post?  Wait for the dissertation (TBA). For now:  Weblog ◆ Books ◆ Videos ◆ Music ◆ Etsy

[chaplinfortheages]

Charlie Chaplin poses at his studio in front of what appears a parade float for Vanity Fair circa 1922.

He was so handsome and remained so for decades.

[bobjackets]

Get a room.

[teddy-bear-naps-and-random-snaps]