UPDATE: 1630 has popped up at Faneuil Hall for December 2015
Faneuil Hall Marketplace, South Market Building • across from the Christmas tree
If you live in Boston and haven’t stopped by the colonial Boston-themed pop-up shoppe 1630, you must. This week. The pop-up, which I wrote about for the Boston Globe is open through Sunday, November 15th.
Developed and executed by Susan Battista and Fritz Klaetke, the wife and husband duo behind South End-based design and branding agency Visual Dialogue, the shop and its contents are an exercise in thoughtful, clever, and refined design. Battista and Klaetke are incredibly talented designers with razor sharp skills for curating talent to support their vision. Plus, they took turns working the till every day, adding shopkeeper to their resumes.
The goods, both vintage and locally made, celebrate Boston’s colonial history, elegantly. In a sense, it’s a gift shop for both visitors and absolute natives)= who wouldn’t dream of buying tacky T-shirts and such. In addition to vintage finds, there are a number of items from local artisans that make perfect holiday presents, including chunks of herb encrusted soaps, re-imagined vintage pendants, hand-dyed tote bags, oxford cloth aprons, pressed seaweed prints, handmade metal pens, leather keychains, felt pennants, appealing T-shirts, and the cutest onesie in the city.
The props are covet-worthy too. Artist & builder Doug Weathersby created wooden colonial dudes that populate the shoppe, and also made an ingenious bar for opening night, out of wood scraps from the said figures. The wall paint color, which you will certainly ask about, is Benjamin Moore HC-156 Van Eeussen Blue.
1630 occupies the former Nanette Lepore boutique on the second floor of 119 Newbury Street between Clarendon and Dartmouth. Stop in and take a selfie with Ben Franklin.
Founding fathers don T-shirts with clever sayings that include “The Original New England Patriot.”
A plate wall of blue and white transferware from Brimfield hang above a little antique chest painted a rusty red.
Fritz at the wrap desk, getting the hang of being a shopkeeper.
Vintage wooden bowl and wooden letters.
Tote bags by local textile designer Fiona Stoltze who went to MassArt.
Artisanal soaps and balms by local maker Red Langler Apothecary in Lowell.
They created pendant necklaces using vintage Monopoly-like charms.
Postcards with Boston landmarks.
Vintage trinkets.
Handmade aluminum & brass pens by local maker Ian Schon.
Felt pennant s by Somerville-based Loyal Supply Co.
Fritz & Susan designed the adorable onesies.
Vintage toy blocks.
Antiques, T-shirts, vintage engravings, and contemporary seaweed prints by Mary Chatowsky Jameson.
Framed map of Boston print by Italian-born, Boston-raised typographer Matteo Gulla.
Notice the oyster shucking kit by Jan Moscovitz in the lower right.
Vintage brass clipper ships.
Handmade leather key holsters by Loyal Supply Co.
Wooden bowls and spoons look great with the autumn harvest.
Aprons by Jamaica-Plain based artisan Natalie Pangaro.
Vintage cocktail napkins.
Pewter candlestick against the blue/grey walls.
Plywood bar with relief of United States cut into it, made for opening night event by Doug Weathersby.
American flag, vintage trunk, and cheeky T-shirts.
Vintage glass bottles with glass and metal stoppers.
Hancock building weather alert.
Homemade caramel apples.
Susan Battista in floral bow tie blouse and vintage vest.
C’mon by.
1630 is open through this Sunday, Nov. 15.
119 Newbury Street (bet. Clarendon & Dartmouth), 2nd floor, Boston
Upcoming events:
Tues., Nov. 10th 6-7:30pm:
Talk by Beth Carroll-Horrocks, Head of Special Collections at the State Library of Massachusetts.
Sat., Nov 14th 11am-6pm:
Pop-in by Julie Vician of Fairbanks Fancy Goods.
Sun., Nov 15th 11am-6pm:
Pop-in by MassArt illustration students, featuring unique products designed exclusively for 1630.
