Category: Vintage

Mid-Century Uber

French barouche, Holiday June 1952
ba·rouche
/bəˈro͞oSH
noun
a four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a collapsible hood over the rear half, a seat in front for the driver, and seats facing each other for the passengers, used especially in the 19th century

Elevate Enchiladas With New Lice Flour Tortillas

1979 Cactus

Honey, I wish I knew what was going on here. I can’t fathom a reason to stack perfectly good tortillas on a fellow’s head. But it was 1979, and honestly, this yearbook is plumb full of things I can’t explain. Like this frisbee-contorting carb-deprived student.

Or this wand to his lips. I like the faces on the couple in back.

Or why grown men would be piggy-backing. 

Or doing that to their hair and bodies. Just another confirmation that clowns are evil.

This seems like a dozen too many hula hoops.

This last one shows a group of Zeta Beta Tau dudes building sets for a party at Pat O’Brien’s. But that doesn’t explain the duck. 

 

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

Cactus 1943

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.

Tipi 1967

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.

Ozarko 1968

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.

cafnr.missouri.edu

Makes it sound oddly like barn-worming. But that’s another thing altogether.

The Smell Of 1978

Cactus 1978

Cars looked different 40 years ago.

There was much less traffic.

Before Uber and Lyft, folks simply hitchhiked.

It’s hard to believe, but the drinking age was only 18. 

And these girls seemed pretty keen on that.