What is with the past that attracts us? Is it nostalgia for an era in which we didn’t live through, a respect for craftsmanship, or simply an appreciation for a certain aesthetic? Is it superficial or something with more substance? The Scout is drawn to the past, from graphic design, product design, fashion, to cocktails, television show (Mad Men), and even the entire lifestyle, there are numerous sites and blogs out there devoted to the oldie-timey. This is a larger topic, one that we’ll be revisiting time and again. Here now are several sites that we admire, that look to the past for inspiration:

Grain Edit
Touching on the past but also looking at the present in graphic design and art.

Reference Library
Sometimes I wonder if Andy Beach came from the past. From the well known to the obscure, Reference Library catalogs all of its findings with minimal description and design.

A Continuous Lean
“An informal listing of men’s style, wit and wisdom.”

The Trad
“Not as good as it was. Better than it will be.”

Hollister Hovey
Fashion and style focused, with a trace of art and design.

Porter’s Polaroid Project
A photo experiment utilizing the defunct polaroid camera to capture contemporary images but portrayed as if they were from the past. Sister site to Hollister Hovey.