Category: Vintage

Coffee At Ruby’s

At first, this image of Ruby’s Diner in Schenectady, NY may seem like a study in isolation. The calendar shows September 1988, and while that may not seem like that long ago to some of us, just peek in to this scene to see how the world has changed. RubysDiner88-034Gerd Kittel’s pre-digital camera shows us a man and a woman (presumably both past their physical prime), sharing booths with no one. The woman appears contemplative and dressed for work. The man reminds me of my grandfather: intent on reading the news, colder in his old age and consequently cardigan-clad, and probably smells of Old Spice. No laptops, no iphones, no flat screen TVs. Just take that in–no one is staring at a screen. Like you’re doing right now.

There are Polaroids tacked to the wall. A cigarette machine. God knows the price then, but I passed one only last weekend, a relic itself, and the cost was $10 per pack. And you know smokers will pay it. Formica tabletops. The TV is not a wide screen. It has knobs which to turn. The coffee cup is small. It is not a Starbuck’s grande. That doesn’t mean he won’t consume more than the 16 oz; it just means a waitress will be by shortly to top him off. And that means human interaction. She might bring more cream. She might ask what he is reading.

But first, she will ask the photographer to step out of the way. You can see his reflection to the left of the TV, the man in the Anthony Bourdain sweater.

Places To Go, People To Offend

All of today’s images were scanned from a January 1949 Holiday magazine that I own.
HolidayJan49-023In general, I think people are too quick to be offended and play the victim card and nurse their perceived wounds. However, this ad makes me uncomfortable. Even if the intent is to portray innocent street performance, the bare feet vs. the white jackets has implications.

In the next cartoon, we see Mexicans giving a car wash. As a person who, in the course of driving through town, sees Mexicans giving car washes almost daily, this does not offend me. But I imagine the man taking a siesta might offend some, as it could be perceived as perpetuating a stereotype.

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This next image shows a musician in traditional garb, with a caption revealing that his music airs the local gossip. Is this offensive? I am more concerned with how men look in dresses.

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In an article about Casablanca, an image not unlike a street urchin shows a veiled girl carrying her brother.

HolidayJan49-026 In today’s PC market, I doubt a travel magazine could write “which you won’t care to visit except by sunlight,” but I would actually appreciate that honesty. Isn’t that what Expedia and Trip Advisor sites are for?

They continue with an assessment of the open-air markets.

HolidayJan49-027Not being well-traveled myself, I cannot argue that there is not a maleficent odor. I imagine there is. I’ve seen Andrew Zimmern gut a pig on Bizarre Foods. Not every place is hygienic. Not every land is hospitable. My standard of cleanliness is quite different from some of my friends, who could do well to purchase some Clorox wipes, just like this man. I washed my hands ten times last night, handling raw chicken. So I imagine the stench of festering carcass is quite rank. I would rather know the truth before I hopped a plane across the ocean. What do you think? Are all of these offensive? Or none at all?

Never Blow On Your Tip

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Per pooldawg.com, “Never blow on your tip as the moisture from your breath can cause chalk to become cakey and not work as effectively.” This also applies to Russian pool, as seen in this 1952 Malibu bungalow. Perhaps the woman in the foreground is merely crooning Linda Ronstadt’s “Ooh, Baby Baby” or giving the stick encouragement. You can do it! One thing of which I’m certain: our local pool halls are rarely filled with pearls and peasant dresses. Oh, that’s a much better title! Pearls and peasant dresses.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

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Woot woot! So much zippered orange glory in this shot!

Trucker hat + aviator glasses + mustache = awesome

But awesome doesn’t last forever. Witness the power of the fumble to humble.

What the @#$% was that fumble?

Now what do I do with this cowbell?

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Frosty Days In The Texas Hill Country

Flashlight54-007Hooray! For the first time since May, the temperature got below 90 degrees! It was in the SIXTIES this morning. I’m wearing a 3/4 length sleeve! Who knew putting on more clothes could be so liberating? In addition, we got 27 drops of rain, more than most of summer. I think I see a puddle!