If you dare!
If you dare!
I found this metal plate while walking around Downtown in Starkville, MS. I was intrigued by the company job description… “Frontbuilders.” Now, that’s a positioning statement! It turns out the Mesker Bros company produced cast iron building facade components that were shipped to small towns across America in the late 1800s and early 1900s via their mail order catalog. I can promise I’ll be on the lookout for more of these on my next letters-and-numbers hunt.
I have a book in my office called Seeing: Doubletakes. It was published by Strathmore Papers and contains the photography work of Francois Robert. The theme is photographs of common objects that, when viewed through a slighty skewed perspective, actually look like faces. I thought this particular photo had the same whimsical quality. It’s actually the bottom of an old iron dinner bell that was transplanted from my grandparents farm to my parents home and secured by these three bolts. But, I can’t help but see what looks like a look of astonishment on this guy’s face. And, of course, my quest for letters and numbers was temporarily satisfied by the number 3 sitting curiously in the center.
Hello & welcome! I’m Haley Montgomery, and I’m the designer and owner of Small Pond Graphics. I sometimes fancy myself a frog kisser— a documentarian coaxing poignant moments from unexpected places. This blog has evolved from those moments.
The small Pond FIELD GUIDE is part diary, part sketchbook, and part wish list – an archive of ordinary wonders. For years, this space has housed my stories – creative ideas, vintage inspiration, our forays into curious places, and the simple artifacts of quiet of conscious living. Through watercolor, photography, and illustrated tales, these pages uncover the blessing of ordinary days and the wonder found in authentic places and pursuits.
I invite you to open the boxes.
Peek into the drawers.
Rustle through the pages.
I’m honored to have you here.
© Haley Montgomery for Small Pond Graphics.
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