For the analog experience, I decided to take photographs using a film camera. This option stood out to me over the others listed because it is an activity I rarely partake in; I often snap pictures via my phone. I have this cheap, waterproof polaroid camera that I use when engaging in wet outdoor activities so I can capture moments without ruining my expensive, non-waterproof phone. 

So, on Thursday evening I dug through my “random things” drawer and located my camera in the mess…just to discover it was out of batteries. I frustratedly turned my room upside down searching for replacement batteries and contemplated choosing another option for my analog experience. After what felt like an hour but in reality was only ten minutes, I found one battery which, of course, was in the same “random things” drawer all along. 

I replaced the battery, grabbed my camera, and headed to the dining hall for dinner. I began my experience by taking pictures of sights that interested me. I noticed the beautiful sunset over the mountains, and took my first picture:

Seeing this picture now, I almost enjoy how terrible of a picture it is. My 10th grade photography teacher would for sure be cringing at it, but I like how my phone’s option of choosing the sunset as the focal point isn’t there. It makes the experience feel even more vintage. 

I started to look at what I absent-mindedly walk past each day with incredible intention. I noticed myself walking slower, bending down to see from different perspectives, and I felt all my senses heightening. It felt like I was living in that saying “stop and smell the roses”, especially when I took pictures of flowers: 

The more I looked around me, the more I appreciated how beautiful New Paltz is, and how lucky I am to be here. 

I then started to take pictures of obscure things I noticed. For instance, I work at the Psychological Counseling Center and I walk past this dumpster each day when I walk in and out of work. This time, I noticed this sign on it that I really did not understand. I thought I’d take a picture of it for shits and giggles:

I then noticed a sign that read “HIGH VOLTAGE”. What was ironic about it is how a picnic table bench was placed directly in front of it, and all of this was right next to the dumpster with the concerning sign. I then start to wonder, how safe is it to be sitting at this picnic table?

Some other views I saw include: 

A monster-looking figure drawn into the bus stop.

An “F” spray painted on a tree. 

A tree resembling the apple tree in The Wizard of Oz. It looked like it wanted to give me a hug with its many arms (branches).

Garbage on the grass next to a garbage can. Why hasn’t anyone picked it up and threw it out yet? Then again, I didn’t pick it up and throw it out either. 

I arrived at the dining hall, where I met my friends for dinner. I talked to them about my assignment where I would take pictures using my camera. When we finished eating and walked back to our dorms, I took random pictures of our usual antics along the way:

My friends pretending to have a  sumo wrestler match. 

My friends skipping away. 

I then gave  the camera to my friends to use to take pictures with:

Taking pictures became a game, and it was so fun to play. We were all laughing as we ran around taking pictures of each other. There truly is a huge difference in taking pictures with your phone, and taking pictures with a film camera. If I had used my phone instead of the camera to take a picture, I don’t believe that we would be so excited about the experience. Taking pictures with our phones has become so normalized and is not as fun an experience to use it to take a picture with.

Everyone wanted a turn at using the camera, and I was happy to have included them in my experience. It reminded me of how whenever I see my little cousins, they always want to use my phone to take pictures. Specifically to use snapchat to take pictures. They love using those crazy filters that alter your facial features, or make you look like a dog. My friends really resembled my little cousins in their eagerness to use the camera.

After I uploaded the pictures to my laptop, I noticed the date on the bottom right hand corner reading “10/13/2022”. I thought this was awesome. The camera was unaware of what day it was! I sent the pictures to my friends right away, and they all loved them and saved them to their camera rolls. I know my next post on instagram will for sure include some of these photos. 

This assignment really put into perspective how much more present I am when I am using a camera to take photos instead of my phone. I especially enjoyed taking pictures of my surroundings as I walked to the dining hall. I also now have a new fun memory with my friends and can look back on the day we ran around looking stupid, laughing and taking pictures along the way.

Works Cited

“Fighting Trees.” Oz Wiki, https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Fighting_Trees. 

After reading over the assignment, I thought about the things I would like to have. I decided that the most practical approach would be to buy myself a new water bottle, since my current one is broken. I have a Camelbak water bottle. I was against buying a Hydro Flask for so long, as I didn’t want to fit the stereotype of the “vsco girl” with my “Hydro Flasksksksks”. At least that’s what everyone said back in middle school when people had one. 

I took a trip with two of my friends to Poughkeepsie to visit the Dick’s Sporting Goods. Apparently that’s the closest place to New Paltz that sells Hydro Flasks.

We walked around the store until we found the section with the water bottles. The Hydro Flasks were all perfectly lined up in a colorful display; a display that was very aesthetically pleasing to look at. They helped me look for one I liked, yet the ones I liked were way more expensive than I was willing to pay for. We decided since we were already there, that we should look around the store for something we might like to buy for ourselves.

We played dress-up by trying on clothes and modeling in them. We all helped each other decide what item looked best which was a lot of fun; especially because there was loud music playing and you could strut and dance to the beats. I didn’t get a water bottle, but I left with two new shorts, a tank top, and a great time. On the way home, we blasted music and stopped at McDonald’s for a McFlurry. It was a great time.

A few days later, I decided to look online for the water bottle I still needed. I went to the Hydro Flask website to take a look. When I opened the page, the first thing it said was: “40% Off Sale”. This was exciting, as I knew these water bottles were quite costly. 

There were 3 colors of the 40 oz bottle and I added the light green one to my cart. When I went into my cart and looked at the pricing, it said I was 3 cents away from free shipping. 3 cents. They knew what they were doing when they made the sale of the water bottle for $29.97, while the free shipping minimum was $30. I wasn’t spending $5.99 for free shipping, so naturally I added a straw cap to my cart for $14.99. 

Before I checked out, I went over to Amazon to find the same cap for a lower price. Low and behold, there were caps for a lower price; however, none of them were spill-proof like the one for $14.99 was. Honestly, I feel like every cap is “spill-proof” but this caught me in the trap they made for the customers. I didn’t enjoy the fact that their psychologically manipulative business tactics were working on me, even though I was aware of them. I ended up buying the water bottle and cap from the Hydro Flask website. In terms of saving money, I did save 40%. Though on the other hand, I bought one of the most expensive water bottle brands, and then bought a cap with a straw to save myself from having to pay for shipping. 

In comparing both experiences, finding the water bottle online was definitely easier. It took less time, and I was given more results than at the store I visited. However, going to the store was a blast. I had a great time going out with my friends; it felt like less of a task, and more of an event. I’m honestly surprised I had such a good time at Dick’s Sporting Goods. I’m a dancer and never saw myself enjoying a sports store. 

In terms of whether we should do more browsing or scrolling, the answer depends on the situation. We should do more scrolling if we are short on time and searching for an item with the goal of a purchase in mind. We should do more browsing if we have the time and are looking for a good experience.

The object that I have chosen to discuss is a floral enamel brooch passed down from my great great grandfather. 

Jane and Sandor

His first shop was known as GS&H, which opened in 1920 in New York City. He worked alongside a man named Mr. Lowenstein. Their creative focus was on buttons, jewelry, and handbag frames, until Sandor married Jane, and Lowenstein retired shortly thereafter. Jane joined the business at a booming time in the industry: the Great Depression. This was great for business as wealthy women could no longer afford real stones, and turned to Sandor’s costume jewelry instead. Due to this, they mainly produced jewelry to keep up with the times, changing the name to Sandor Goldberger, Inc.

He was well-known for his enamel flowers, such as the one depicted below:

My great Grandma Janet spent an awful lot of time in his shop, helping with the jobs of the day. One day she asked Sandor for this object, and he gave it to her despite it being the best-selling one on the market at the time. This is a brooch (a pin) meant to be worn on dresses, coats, hats, and suits. Big brooches were in-style and Janet wore it everyday.

Sandor and Jane’s families both came from Hungary. When they were young they moved to the United States in search of a better life. My Grandma Carol tells me the family used to call the pieces with diamonds and colored stones Hungarian Jewelry, yet she doesn’t recall why they called them this name, especially since none of the pieces were from there.

This brooch was made of sterling silver in 1943. Normally, they would be made out of brass. This is because of WWII, where brass was needed for bullets and weapons. Although it appears to be brass, it is actually silver that looks brown from it tarnishing overtime. The “stones” are made of glass from Europe, and have been set in place through careful, handmade sterling silver soldering. For a stone to be set, it means there was no gluing involved; similar to the setting of a diamond in an engagement ring. The back is engraved with Sandor Sterling,

The shop was a big open space that glistened in the light from all the stones hanging from the walls. Behind the shop was the workroom. This is where people functioned as an assembly line. The men who formed and set the designs had learned the trade in other countries. Women did the enameling and beading. Though the shop wasn’t the only place these exclusive costume pieces were sold. They could be found in department stores, and even featured in Vogue.

This piece was left for my Grandma Carol when her mother Janet died; though Carol uses this solely for special occasions. She often attaches it to a coat or a purse, specifically when seeing the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Carol feels connected to her mother Janet when she wears the brooch, as they used to see orchestras together ever since she was a little girl. Carol now has it pinned onto a heart-shaped Godiva chocolate box alongside other Sandor pieces she was gifted.

Sandor and Jane were focused on making good use of their resources. They would buy pieces from the United States and set them with the European “stones”, all by hand. Sandor never drew out his ideas, he just went straight into physically designing them. Each year, they would produce 3 different lines of jewelry. Each one was through Jane’s eye for future fashion trends, which she based mostly off of Europe. 

My Grandma Carol says she can look at a Sandor enamel flower, and recognize it as his in a jumble of costume-jewelry flowers. The Sandor costume jewelry company lasted until the 70s, and mainly because it was all done by hand.

Nowadays, many of his pieces are being sold on Ebay for much more than they used to sell for. 

My Grandma will be leaving this for me when she passes. As of now, it sits on her heart box in the center of her living room–each grandchild will receive one of the pieces. I look forward to wearing this fine piece of art and hold the family histories close to my heart.

Sources:

Carroll, Julia C. Collecting Costume Jewelry 303: The Flip Side: Exploring Costume Jewelry from the Back: Identification and Value Guide. Collector Books, 2010. 

Bz, Viola. “Sandor Vintage Costume Jewelry.” Kaleidoscope Effect, 15 Mar. 2022, https://nasvete.com/jewellery-company-sandor/. 

Sandor vintage costume jewelry

“Antiques Roadshow.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/season/18/anaheim-ca/appraisals/sandor-sterling-brooch-ca-1940–201303T05/. 

Sue. “Sandor Jewelry – History and Collecting.” Paloma and Bianca, 5 Jan. 2023, https://palomaandbianca.com/sandor/. 

Sandor

“SANDOR.” Sandor Jewelry, https://oldcostumejewelry.com/sandor/. 

“Sandor Jewelry Products for Sale.” EBay, https://www.ebay.com/b/sandor-jewelry/bn_7024757112. 

“Sandor Goldberger.” Etsy, https://www.etsy.com/market/sandor_goldberger. 

Benjamin, Carol L. “Sandor Jewelry Interview.” 16 Feb. 2023. 

Benjamin, Melvin C. “Sandor Jewelry Interview.” 16 Feb. 2023. 

My object is a jewelry box that includes a matching necklace and earring set. This was worn by my late Aunt Melissa and was passed down to me when I graduated high school. 

The box is 3½ inches long, 3¼ inches wide, and 1½ inches tall. When examining its length and width, it resembles a square that falls just short of actually being one. The box is surprisingly very lightweight when picked up, though it appears to be heavy when looking at it. Something about fancy-looking objects seems as though they would be heavy. 

The box is 3 different shades and textures of purple. The base of the box is a shiny purple, which also includes three of the four bottom sides of the box. It seems to be made of strong plastic that has been painted purple. The paint has chipped in some places which appears to be from bumps or scratches that reveal a white color underneath. It is very smooth to the touch, yet bumpy when running your fingers across the places that have chipped.

The top of the box is a darker purple, in which its texture resembles a velvet cloth. Underneath said cloth seems to be made of hard cardboard, as it feels as though velvet was glued atop an Amazon box. I personally do not like the feeling of velvet, so I do not enjoy touching this part of the box. On top of the darker purple are many repeating metallic, lighter purple connected designs. This is also on all top sides of the box as well as one of the four bottom sides of the box. When looking at each part of the design within the whole, each one is ¾ of an inch long and 1 inch wide. There are 6 connected designs on its length and 8 on its width. You can feel the indents of the design when running your finger across this portion of the box.

When you open the box, the inside holds a thin, white plastic with an oval shape emerging from its center. On the top of the emerging oval are two holes placed next to each other, which is where each earring lies. On either side of the emerging oval are two other holes with nothing inside them. The earrings are silver plated with a hanging small stone of some sort that is half black and half silver, as well as a larger white pearl. Around the emerging oval lies about half of the necklace, with a repeating pattern of the earrings. The middle of the necklace has a sphere bigger than both said stone and the pearl. It is white with many diamond-resembling circles embedded inside of it that glitter in the light. 

The top inside of the box is a white, metallic, silk-feeling material with the words “Genuine Mother of Pearl” printed on it in black cursive. On the top two corners of the silk are two white colored wires protruding from the silk in the shape of triangles. These wires hold the necklace up in a heart shape and the dips of the heart meet where the silver plated clasp is.

I have learned more about this box now than I ever have in its 8 months in my possession. My family and I are unaware of where the box is from, as it shows no company label. My late Aunt Melissa wore this to Lady Gaga’s last concert, and I will be wearing it to her next concert in her honor.