About Me
I'm Ali, a London based
creator, curator, hoarder
and explorer.
Kuriosas is my portal for
cherishing, celebrating and
archiving oddball artefacts
and vintage graphics I
come across, documenting
unusual people and places,
and musing over visual
culture past and present.
My work as an artist,
photographer and
illustrator can be found here:
www.aliwinstanley.com
More about me>>
Say hello:
aliwinstanley@gmail.comSign up to Kuriosas!
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Studio visit: Jurri Arrak
Lithuanian Children’s Books
Surreal 1970’s Hungarian Book Covers
1960’s psychedelic illustration
East German 1970’s geometry book
Lviv Book Market: Soviet children’s books
1950’s Swedish songbook
Lviv Book Market, Ukraine – Soviet Book Covers
Soviet graphic design
Soviet building postcards
Latvian puppet postcards
East German cat brooches
Soviet pin badges / Tallinn Russian market
1930’s Portugese illustration
1920’s German silent film making book
Schminke Modernist House, Germany
1940’s Jumping Gnome illustration
Soviet Christmas postcards
1960’s Latvian illustration
1950’s interior design article
1915 Czech pig riding postcard
Estonian Abstract Art
1960’s psychedelic poetry books
Romanian puppet postcard
Early 20th century surreal postcards
1970’s czech greetings card
1960’s Japanese plastic dog brooch
Lviv Book Market, Ukraine – More Soviet book covers
Soviet illustration postcards
1960’s psychedelic bib
Category Archives: EASTERN EUROPE
Studio Visit and Artist Interview: Jüri Arrak

I first came across the work of Estonian artist Jüri Arrak through friends of Kuriosas 50 Watts in the US who unearth all kinds of beautiful and crazed book illustrations from around the globe. These images of Arrak’s children book … Continue reading
Posted in ART, ARTIST INTERVIEWS, BOOK COVERS, DESIGN, EASTERN EUROPE, FILM & ANIMATION, ILLUSTRATION, TRAVEL
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Tallinn Russian Market / Soviet Union pin badges

I’ve recently returned from some eye opening adventuring around Estonia and Finland for summer, so much so my head is a bit congested with all the shiny things I saw. I’ll start with Tallinn in Estonia; my good friend Jaana … Continue reading
Posted in DESIGN, EASTERN EUROPE, ILLUSTRATION, TRAVEL
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Romanian Insect Orchestra

Yes, that is a beetle playing a cello… a snail playing a saxophone….. ……and a locust playing a xylophone I found this insane little item on my trip to Cluj Napoca in Transylvania, Romania I talked about in an earlier … Continue reading
Posted in DESIGN, EASTERN EUROPE, ILLUSTRATION
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Klaus Pichler

Had some fun discovering the work of photographer Klaus Pichler from Vienna recently. If you’re also a sucker for East Bloc chic check out his beguilingly kitsch collection of images from Odessa in the Ukraine. www.kpic.at
Posted in EASTERN EUROPE, FASHION & TEXTILES, PHOTOGRAPHY
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Hungarian Book Covers

Just got back from adventuring in Transylvania and Hungary. Found all of these titles by chance in a backstreet bookshop in Budapest. Some fairly unhinged imagery similar to the covers I featured last year from Lviv in the Ukraine. My … Continue reading
Posted in BOOK COVERS, DESIGN, EASTERN EUROPE, ILLUSTRATION, TRAVEL
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Brest Fortress, Belarus

Currently more than a little enamoured with the sensational Soviet War memorial at Brest Fortress, Belarus built to commemorate the 1941 battle on the site. Epic proportions of stern stone – makes me also think of the gutsy Treptower Park … Continue reading
Posted in ARCHITECTURE, EASTERN EUROPE, MUSEUMS, TRAVEL
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1960’s East German cat brooches

Love how kitsch and playful these vintage plastic 1960’s/1970’s cat brooches from the DDR are. Sourced in Berlin
Posted in DESIGN, EASTERN EUROPE
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