Vintage, graphics and copyright—oh my!

I’ve always love all things old vintage.
Vintage cameras
Vintage books,
Vintage rotary phones (which I retrofitted and they worked until about 5 years when everything went digital).
So, when I saw my first Workbasket magazine I fell head over heals for it. And I haven’t stopped collecting them—check out my collection.
Vintage galore!

A couple of years ago, I did a series-one month in one issue.* It was so much fun!

So, why not do it again?
When I did the series last time, I was concerned (and still am a bit) about copyright. But, I have taken the time to look into it—which is almost next to impossible—if you don’t have a firm understanding of the law.
However, we’ll get to the copyright stuff in a couple minutes paragraphs.

Let’s talk history
According to the limited history I could find about The Wastebasket, it was started by the husband and wife team of John and Clara Tillotson in 1935. They started the 8-page magazine at their kitchen table. To move it forward they used a mailing list they had from a previous venture and sent out postcards inviting women to join “Aunt Ellen’s Needlework Club.”
Some history here, and more here, and more here…

They even took out an ad The Pittsburgh Press (Jan. 16, 1949) looking for joiners to the club.

So in honor of this magazine that lasted over 60 years, I decided that I would revitalize the club and join.
I think you should too!
We even have card people…who doesn’t want to join a club that has a card! (see below)

We talking history, not lets talk graphics
I will begin the way I approach any project…how will it look visually.
Have I mentioned that I am a graphic designer?
Let’s begin with the card…I wish I new if they had had a card back when they started the club or if being in the club, just meant that you were a subscriber to the magazine.
But again, since I’m all think visual, I made a us a card. This is mine:

If you want one of your own that can be arranged and by arranged, you can download the template, add your name and print your own. 🙂

I also made graphics to go with each of the things I will be doing…look for these in each of the posts in the series. They will all be under the category of Aunt Ellen’s Club.
And now…COPYRIGHT

I did a copyright search and all I found was this (only 1 of the 2 records were available to see): 1977-now (PDF here) basically and from what I can tell from the above, anything before that no longer holds the copyright.

Since I can’t find info on copyright for any issues prior to 1977. I assume this is what portion of the law these fall under:

were subject to a renewal system in which the term of copyright was divided into two consecutive terms.
Renewal registration, within strict time limits, was required as a condition of securing the second term and extending the copyright to its maximum length. On January 1, 1978, the current copyright law (title 17 of the United States Code) came into effect in the United States. This law retained the renewal system for works that were copyrighted before 1978 and were still in their first terms on January 1, 1978. For these works the statute provides for a first term of copyright protection lasting for 28 years, with the possibility for a second term of 47 years. The 1992 amending legislation automatically secures this second term for works copyrighted between January 1, 1964, and December 31, 1977.
NOTE: If a copyright originally secured before January 1, 1964, was not renewed at the proper time, copyright protection expired at the end of the 28th calendar year of the copyright and could not be restored.

That being said, I have no interest in infringing on someone’s copyright, so I will be mindful of that as I’m working though the magazine(s).

I will only be working from magazines prior to 1977. I will site the magazine issue and page for any recipe or pattern I show.

This month, I will be working in the June 1973: No. 9, Vol. 38.

I will post both videos and blogs during this project. So please be sure you are subscribed to BOTH this blog and my YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of the good old fashioned fun!* I changed blogs and some of those posts seem to be lost…or perhaps still drafts on this blog. But if you click on the Auntie Ellen’s Club category attached to all the posts you should see a collection (old and new).

Published by Maria Lynne

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