As the temperature drops, folks still enjoy the outdoors.
As we jump from 1943 to 1964, the outdoors continues to hold its allure.
Sometimes being outside may pose problems…
But ultimately, fresh air does a body good.
And The Living Is Easy
Category: 1940s
Because Boys Like Chemistry
Girls didn’t have anything to do with chemistry back in 1940; they were busy using typewriters, at least according to Junior Scholastic magazine.
With no TV to entertain young people, they had to settle for pictures in the paper to show them what they missed–like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Does he look familiar to you?
While historical dramas would put today’s teens into a coma, folks actually ordered albums to listen to, over and over, till they shoved some history in their noggins.
Or you could wait till Wednesday and listen to the radio.
And in the meantime, you could learn some simply atrocious jokes.
Bread At EVERY Meal
Do you want to be healthy? Chow down on carbs three times a day. Oprah may say nay/neigh, but it worked for Joanna Bard.
My December 2, 1940 copy of Junior Scholastic touts the merits of delicious, starchy bread.
Included inside was a fun news quiz! Don’t all teens like news quizzes? This one is a doozy!
Slam Dunk
I’m not sure exactly what this gentleman is dunking, but I know it ain’t donuts and coffee. I’ve sung the praises of Shorpy before, but it’s been many moons since I last visited the site. They have the most amazing high-res images, including this April 1941 shot of a tavern catering exclusively to African-Americans. Note the Snow White murals in the background. And those hats!!
It’s fun to zoom right into their faces and wonder what they were thinking.
Marshmallow Santas Replaced By Heart Candy
Well, it’s three days after Christmas, so the retail shops are full of Valentine’s candy, like this generous portion of chocolates from 1949. You realize by next week, that pic will be 70 years old?
I don’t know about you, but I visit Walgreen’s weekly. Mostly to see if they have Arizona green tea on special, but also to peruse the chocolate aisle and grab a box (or five) of Russell Stover. I am familiar with every Russell Stover chocolate, chew, or cream that exists. I could rank them all in order. Roman nougat would be near the top, and I don’t even know what makes it Roman. The pinkness? But only in dark, not milk. I get the yellow box.
And I can never eat just one.
What about you? Do you eat boxed chocolate? Does it remind you of Forrest Gump? Do you prefer Whitman’s?
Dear Bets (The Belle Of The Ball)
Yes, I realize we rarely read cursive anymore, and truth be told, it IS a bit of a chore to read an entire paragraph. But these words to 1941 freshman coed Betty F. make for interesting reading. First, a note from her ex to his “cute little fillie.”
Here is Betty.
Her nickname was “Tank.”
This was from her boyfriend, Dan, pouring his heart out to her, and admitting that he played his best at basketball just for her.
There’s too much to share the whole thing, but the sign-off was the best.
And this was from a boy she evidently friendzoned. However, if she were to change her mind about him, he’d return so fast, it would make her head swim.
I think we can agree that this yearbook lived up to its name.
In The Arms Of Santa
This WWII Santa doesn’t appear that much older than the doe-eyed toddler he’s holding. Volunteering from a university fraternity, he seems a bit smoother about the edges than his later counterpart in 1967, shown below.
Sideburns and skinny ties share the stage with both a plusher Santa beard and Santa suit, which appears to have been velveteened. Of course, not everyone can get the Santa gig. Some folks have to settle for holiday titles.
Who even knew Barnwarming Queen was a thing? Are barns notoriously cold? Do queens exude that much heat?
It looks pretty toasty for these Savitar Barnwarming Queen Candidates in 1959. The only real loser here is the missing “g” in barnwarming.
Makes it sound oddly like barn-worming. But that’s another thing altogether.
Hanging With My Peeps 1949
Not Exactly Pin The Tail On The Donkey
Shove The Sombero On The Bulldog is a variant of the common child’s party game, wherein a cowgirl chases down a … Dear God, I don’t know what they’re doing. These images from 1949 raise more questions than they answer.
Like why would you park your jalopy on steps?
And is she kneeling in prayer, cursing the car’s engine or praising the argyle socks of a would-be beau?
Why hasn’t anyone prebussed this table? I see some empties.
Why don’t men wear ties like this anymore? And why does the one on the lower left look like Viewmaster reels?
What did Hiram do to deserve such bevy of beauty adoration? Is his thigh numb now?
And why would Bart and Molly bother with a “pretzel battle” at the fall barn party?
I think that makes them married, in some countries.
When Men Were Rakish
Time was, when hats were jaunty, and fellas would tilt a brim to the brink of audaciousness. Who could resist the power of this hombre in particular, gathered among his fellow American Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Engineers?
Bombing The “I” Out Of Tokio
You Make Me Feel Like Dancin’
I Don't Get It 