MonkeyMan business #3: HartMarx & Hickey Freeman

Hello part-time monkeys!

MonkeyMan goes haute couture!

For the past 2 months I have been working at the high end men's suit company Hickey Freeman doing an archive project.

We received boxes and boxes of old photographs, advertisements, clothes, awards and paintings all belonging to Hickey Freeman and its partner brands Hart Shaffner & Marx and Bobby Jones.
I knew absolutely nothing about these brands as I started out, but now I am all an expert.

So, we started out unpacking everything and categorizing things by brand and by date.
After much sifting and labeling we set all the Hickey Freeman stuff (mostly paper ads) on one floor and all the Hart Shaffner & Marx (mostly paintings and suits) on another floor.

The whole point of this project was to digitalize as much relevant things as possible so that thing are not lost forever due to decay and so the creative department can use them for inspiration.

I mean some of these ads are amazing! They date from the 1880s to present...pretty crazy!

Here is what the archiving process consists of:

Step 1: Unpack

Step 2: Throw away junk

Step 3: Organize by brand into...

objects

(HSM swatch book 1920s)

paintings

(Tom Hall ads for HSM 1950s)

advertisements

(Hickey Freeman 1910s)

Step 4: Display nicely

Bobby Jones room

Step 5: Digitalize

photograph & scan

Step 6: Repackage and store

Big thanks to MonkeyWoman Lisa Wells who made this project possible!

MonkeyMan Thanksgiving!

It's always nice to be reunited with all of my MonkeyMan pack members, especially when we hunt down a big feast!



Thank you to my wonderful family and friends who make home feel even more like home.

MonkeyMan cultural observation #3: healthcare

This week I'm tackling a big issue that is on everybody's lips in the USA right now: Healthcare.

November has come along and my little monkey body is now insured by Oxford health insurance. Although I pay a price way too high to even mention (and its one of the cheapest!), I have to say that last week's yearly check up was quite a pleasant experience.

Being used to the socialized system in Spain made me spoiled in the sense that it now seems so absurd to me that you have to pay for something which is so basic and necessary for human existence. However, the USA is now spoiling me in the quality of the care. I mean when I walked into this doctor's office I did not think I was going for check up. There were soft suede couches, huge windows and a sleek modern design to make one feel way more at home than the hard chairs and white walls at my doctor's office in Spain.


Articles 3 and 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights state:

• Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
• Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services. (http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/)

If we take that into serious consideration, the institutions who are in charge of life and security are our doctors and civil services. Life because we put our trust in our education system to teach people how to deliver babies. Security because they are the ones we rely on when we are hurt or sick and who may be able to heal us.

Most people cannot afford health insurance in the USA, yet so many countries have developed adequate to wonderful systems which are completely free. Where have our priorities gone?

No one should have to choose between life/security and health insurance.
It should be considered a human right.

MonkeyMan business #2: UNIS (part 2)

Hello part timers! After lugging heavy boxes of books and making photocopies for the teachers at UNIS, I have been working as an assistant for the admissions office.
The race for parents to get their children into private schools in New York City is quite astounding. Some send huge portfolios of every achievement their child has ever done, a portfolio larger than you would have to do when applying for college! I mean your 4 year old can only do so much. Plus, sometimes you have to remember that someone is on the other end and has to read it all. Parents, simplicity goes a long way here.


UNIS has a very particular program and it is definitely not a school for everyone, yet most people fall in love with it because of its peace and sharing philosophy. The most importnat thing to remember is that your children have to be in an envirnoment where they feel comfortable while also challenging them.
My MonkeyMan hands have been typing up labels on a typewriters (old school style) in order place different applications in their respective color folders. Then, I also learned how to manage the school's general computer system in order to enter all of their data so they can be considered as a potential student.