Nice Maracas

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No, this tropically-clad lady isn’t Carmen Miranda; she’s a guest enjoying the Chicago Art Guild’s annual Green Moth Ball. The ball had been all but suspended during the war years, and now was being revived by 600 guests at Chicago’s Continental Hotel.

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Evidently the conga line grew and the liquor flowed until the official end time of 4:30am. As Life put it, “A few guests at this rowdy party could always be counted on to land in jail before the festivities were over.” And who could blame them? It was November 30, 1945, the war was over, Hitler was dead, and the holiday season was upon them. If there ever was a time to celebrate, it was then!

Jimmy Stewart Startled By Little People

Life 08-22-49
Life 08-22-49

When 41-year-old bachelor Jimmy Stewart finally married his one and only wife, Gloria, it was understandably a big deal in Tinsletown. Life magazine shared this headline.

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Fans gathered out front of the Brentwood Presbyterian Church just to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds.

LiIfe082249007The stag party the night before had been held at Chasen’s, with signs from his friends, needling him. And it was there that the “two midgets” surprised him.

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And here is the happy couple, exiting the church.

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Stewart adopted both of her two sons, and they had had twin daughters in 1951.

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pinterest

They remained married until her death from lung cancer in 1994.

Per Wikipedia, rather than replace his pacemaker battery in late 1996, he opted to let nature take its course. In June, he passed from a pulmonary embolism, telling his children, “I’m going to be with Gloria now!” And if that ain’t true love, I don’t know what is.

Hippity Hoppity Politics 1948

Univ of TX
Univ of TX

These floppy-eared gals drew attention to their political preference, while the ones below took the more subtle route.

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And these were yet more casual, using the mike to its full advantage.

"Anne McManus for Secretary!"
“Anne McManus for Secretary!”

But the men found the best use of their resources; sitting down, smoking a pipe, and using the loud speaker. That cartoon sure looks odd, though.

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1949: Year Of The Better Sweater

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Greetings from the perky staff of the 1949 Redskin Yearbook from Oklahoma A&M University! Before folks wore Christmas sweaters ironically, they wore them to keep warm during winter. 1949 was clearly a sweater heyday, with these two staffers partial to forest creatures. Each time Barney Neal checked his reflection in the mirror, he reminded himself, “Hey, Barney–if that deer can jump over that stick, you can overcome any obstacle.” Sweaters were empowering!

This pretty co-ed favored moose.

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Others preferred fowl. A bird in flight sent a clear message: Don’t even try to clip my wings, honey. The war is over, I’m free as a bird, and this bird you cannot change.  

Polar bears were big with the big men on campus, especially bears in face-to-face confrontation.

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Sweaters even ventured into Aztec territory! So multi-cultural! His gal Suzy nearly exhausted herself applauding his fashion choice and had to rest her palms on this 1905 stone.

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And don’t forget: sweaters were great to wear while sharing gossip! Look at Phyllis wearing a platypus sweater. So gauche! Everyone knows bunnies and swans are where it’s at. 

http://www.ebay.com
http://www.ebay.com