Who isn’t curious when they walk at night, glancing through windows into lit houses?  Early in this project it was suggested – and you know who you are – that I include glimpses of private lives through windows.  It seemed like a bad idea, but I ran it by Quirky Berkeley’s  Ethics and Governance department.  They concurred.  Bad idea.

But – that said – there are situations in which that which is seen through windows is placed there to be seen through windows.  Nothing wrong with that, is there?  And, to be sure, I am not talking about shampoo and conditioner bottles stacked on a window ledge of a bathroom window facing the street.  Cathy believes that there is a special place in hell for people who do that.  I sometimes will take a photo of a cluster of bathroom products facing the street to see her hyperventilate when I show it.

Anyways, what we have here is a collection of photos of quirky material culture presented to the world through windows.

First, the now-obsolete typewriter as metaphorical prisoner:

Again, through bars, but with the cheering message that “there is no place like here:”

And – now – a properly dressed window, Molly B’s.  Always great windows.  You remember when you see these windows that it is an art, and you see how it is that Andy Warhol could have started his career dressing windows.

And a stunner on San Pablo:

Then, a window with historical and contemporary memorabilia and artifacts based on racial stereotyping:

And then, happy clams:

The Happy Clams are a “geezer punk” band.  Interested?  Read more about them.  Their singer Paul Pot lives here.  Cool curtains.

Art presented to the street through windows:

You’re right.  I can’t resist.  Who could?  In 1957 Philadelphia DJ Hy Lit, a childhood god of mine, launched the Rays’ doo-wop hit “Silhouettes” with near-constant airplay on WIBG.  A direct hit in the apropos department for those scoring at home.

 

And a modest collection, parameters not clear:

By far the most common window display?  If you discount signs expressing support for  political and social causes of the ages and du jour, the most common display is –  bottles.  Blue glass bottles at that.   Lots of them:

How about those bottles?  If I can track down anything other than a very obnoxious version of 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, an intrinsically obnoxious song, I will post it.  Until then, my friend says – this page is done.