Leader Board Ad

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Female Domination in 1933 - Were Ad Men Really Mad Men?

I found this magazine recently and as usual the ads within didn't disappoint. Aside from some of the vibrant colors and kitschy products, the pattern that I really noticed was the subtle abuse of Mom!  Do this! Do that! Many of the ads just seems to be tearing off the shoes of the American mom and tossing her in the kitchen...maybe that was the thing to do back then?



The last one is my favorite.  Smell your gelatin, dammit! Smell it!  I would think that the worst thing that could happen to gelatin was that it could get mold-y. (oh, that was bad!)

Monday, December 24, 2012

Is it too late to send these Xmas Cards?

There has got to be someplace I can search to find the age of these cards. I found them in a box lot at a Norwalk sale over the summer.  They are unique and colored a certain way that indicates their age. Just what age that is, I don't know.

 This next one falls into my favorite catagory: Coincidence.  Remeber this was a random box of papers I bought for $10 in the very last minutes of this sale. I had no time to review the contents. So, when I started looking inside, I thought I had some random cards.
I never expected to see my own last name listed on the card (No my name ain't Jenkins). Apparently, there is or was a large pocket of my kin folk who travelled up the Hudson River and settled outside of Albany and the surrounding area. Enough so that several landmarks are named for them. Wished I knew a few...


Hey! What the card said. I want to thank you for visiting and spending time with my finds. Happy Christmas!

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Found Photo Foursome

Here is a nice scene from the 20's or 30's. Looks like a coupla couples hit the road for a journey. They have parked with other cars but it could be a road side stop because that suitcase doesn't look like a picnic basket.
So tell me... what clues can you pull from the scene?  Here's a closer shot of the foursome.
Thy don't look like the happiest bunch, but then it could have been an unplanned trip to go pick up the relatives.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Changing your "old" ways

I wrote my New Year's resolution to honor the tragedy in Connecticut on 12/14/12. First, here is my take on how this happened - 

Society went to college, enrolled in "Humanities -101" and instead of studying for the final exam - hosted a "kegger" completely flunking Humanities 101.   Now we have 28 dead innocents and over 100 directly affected by this tragedy.  Nice going society! (of which you and I are members!) There is no "Make-up" there is no Summer school there is no choice but to start over again and get it right next time.  

You can make a donation (which you should), you can sign a petition (Yes, all of them!) but I am also going to make a promise that I can accomplish right here in my community, my neighborhood. It is called "The Pledge of 28."  I hope you will make it your New Year's resolution too.


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Cod Liver Oil Nightmare

Holy Carp! That's a scary fish. Actually I don't know what's more scary...growing up in the 30's or visualizing the process by which oil is extracted from a cod liver ...and then being forced to eat it. 
I love the placement of this ad...read the column heading on the top right..."twas the night before Xmas and all through the house"...not exactly visions of sugar plums...is it?

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Butter! The "Other" White Frosting

I wouldn't exactly say that I "love" butter, however, I have been known to refer to it as frosting. There is still so much I don't know about the chemistry of cooking and for a while I was doing a lot of breakfast cooking with olive oil.  But then, there are "smoke points" and carcinogens and the smell of olive oil when the pan is too hot that has my family cranking open windows to exhaust the fumes.  So, now I am back to butter - it's simpler - like this ad from 1933. 
Swifts 1933 Brookfield Butter from Good Housekeeping
I was sort of hoping that there was some connection between my town of Brookfield and the brand name. All my research tells me no, but it also tells me that Swift is now part of a Brazilian company that is the largest meat producer/packager in the world with over 30 billion in annual sales....Moo!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

All your 1933 Xmas wishes granted - Lady of the house!

Just what the puzzled lady in your life needs...'scuse me that's Puzzled, lady?
My favorite is the coffee percolator that looks like an oil lamp...

 ...or the Radio Toggle Toaster that turns the toast over with a twist of the knob ...whoa!



Look for more from this magazine....and on Christmas Eve I will feature the cover...corny? Absolutely!