box of cars

My friend's dad sent me a box- not just any shoebox, but an old Hot Rod Kit box- filled with pictures of cars clipped from magazines and pamphlets from the 50's and 60's, mostly. He'd visited the gallery in Feb and saw my work, and thought I would appreciate this long-accumulated collection of images and booklets. Some are illustrations, some are photographs that, because of the way they're printed and colored, look like paintings. The descriptions accompanying these pictures are enthusiastic and extravagant in their language. I sat on the floor, sifting through the pile, as dozens of painstakingly-scissored paper automobiles fluttered out from between the pages. Some with beaming people behind the wheel, their animals and luggage at the ready, their eager children in the backseat. 

I could probably write a lot more on this- what was the deal with these boatlike cars and their vast interiors, the fins and the chrome, the huge rounded fenders and showy details? The paint jobs, the curvy grilles, even on 'ordinary' vehicles. I don't even know much at all about the history of the automobile. I just really like these cars and trucks. This is some rich source material, brought up from the basement and delivered to me for inspiration.