Interest in creating a philosophy of how objects can represent human artifacts and tell us a story about ourselves.

A letter from A. van Hoek

This person's name is Bill.  I bought this handmade adze/axe that was probably made prior to the 1940s.  I showed it to a couple of vendors, and we debated whether the metal axe part was from a car spring or a lawn mower blade. I believe it was made from a lawn mower blade. And it may be difficult to decipher from this photo, but there is an incredible amount of workmanship and design effort in creating this one-of-a-kind axe. The bolts are 3/8 threaded rods that are carefully bent and shaped. The lawn mower blade, the person didn't have a blacksmith forge, so he used a blowtorch and hammered it with painstaking effort. It is incredibly beautiful as a piece of workmanship yet it never worked. You may not be able to tell from this photo but the bolt that ran through the ax metal part into the wood, the first time he hit something it split out. 

We may never rent this piece, yet it is a Rosetta stone to how and why our props should be cherished.  It is an extremely important piece to show the regret of failure all while trying to create careful work. This is its internal beauty and this is an important lesson for many young people who need to learn failure is part of the process of success.  We believe young people, whether they're doing videography or marketing of some sorts, can feel that there's a tremendous amount of effort and care in creating this axe.  

I bought several things from someone named Denny, including a Dial-O-Matic. The items are from the 1930s - 1940s, including this paper computer. That's right there was such a thing. Laughable today. It's actually double-sided and all you had to do is line up the car manufacturer, many who are extinct today, with the model number and it gives you the corresponding measurements to do the repair. 

Denny worked in a battery manufacturing facility, and he has a lot of knowledge about how they've cheapened batteries to save money and yet they are designed to fail earlier.

There are real people underneath the simplified prop descriptions. This will create the army that Brooklyn Optics provides. This is not something that we were always planning; it's just from me walking around the space and reflecting on the memories he’s collected within the props we have to offer. We aim to replicate his effort geometrically and in community with others through fostering these memories and the lineage of our vintage and antique props. This is what makes us who we are and what allows us to bring a community to our creative pursuits. 

Sincerely, André