Last week I went on a house call here:
Helen was known as the First Lady of Fly-Tying. Originally from Wisconsin,
she was an expert fly-tier. She and her husband Herman, who was a photographer and art director for Field and Stream Magazine, collaberated on a few popular, ground-breaking books on the fine art of fly-tying.
a little cottage in the woods by a stream, where Helen Shaw and her husband lived for some 35 years.
This is Helen in the left of this photo
Helen was known as the First Lady of Fly-Tying. Originally from Wisconsin,
she was an expert fly-tier. She and her husband Herman, who was a photographer and art director for Field and Stream Magazine, collaberated on a few popular, ground-breaking books on the fine art of fly-tying.
Herman died in 1993 and Helen died just last year at the age of 97.
A major auction house got all the fly-fishing stuff and sold it all on ebay last week;
A major auction house got all the fly-fishing stuff and sold it all on ebay last week;
I got access to the clothing in the closets.
Judging from their wardrobes alone, I would have liked to have known these two.
They were artsy Manhattanites who had moved to the country in the 70s. Down-to-earth sportsmen, but with fashionable good taste. Brooks Brothers, Abercrombie and Fitch, Saks Fifth Avenue. Labels with fishies jumping off of hooks and such---and all very wearable. And--- a big yummy necktie collection that Helen carefully stashed away with home-made sachets ...
This is one of Helen's fly -fishing ensembles, with all these gizmos on it for I-Don't-know-what:
And this is one of her silk cocktail dresses:
An olive green suit:
and a wool lounging gown with gold embroidered paisleys: 
I like to think my customers are as interested in provenance as I am, so I decided to make some special price tags just for Helen's stuff. When someone buys one of Helen's pieces, they get a little herstory with it. A photo of a beautiful, talented woman, who once wore this...
Judging from their wardrobes alone, I would have liked to have known these two.
They were artsy Manhattanites who had moved to the country in the 70s. Down-to-earth sportsmen, but with fashionable good taste. Brooks Brothers, Abercrombie and Fitch, Saks Fifth Avenue. Labels with fishies jumping off of hooks and such---and all very wearable. And--- a big yummy necktie collection that Helen carefully stashed away with home-made sachets ...
This is one of Helen's fly -fishing ensembles, with all these gizmos on it for I-Don't-know-what:
And this is one of her silk cocktail dresses:
An olive green suit:
and a wool lounging gown with gold embroidered paisleys: 
I like to think my customers are as interested in provenance as I am, so I decided to make some special price tags just for Helen's stuff. When someone buys one of Helen's pieces, they get a little herstory with it. A photo of a beautiful, talented woman, who once wore this...
I think it would be fun a hundred years from now to buy an old anglers jacket at a flea market, take it home, and find a picture of Helen in the pocket that says ---"this once belonged to Helen Shaw....the First Lady of Fly-Tying."
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2 comments:
First Lady of VINTAGE, I say. Absolutely brilliant.
This is interesting to me! What an amazing oportunity, to step into someone else's closest. So personal and telling! Thanks for the pics. I got to see Dawn in the dress in person. It is gorgeous.
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