Expressing Marital Love Through The Magic Of Olive Oil

The women of today will shout indignantly about this ad, but I personally don't see anything wrong with it.  I do love my husband and I do want to look lovely for him.  What kind of a sorry trick would I be if I didn't?

No date available on this one; looks late 1940s to me.

Loose Lips Sink Ships!

From 1943: A Big Bottle Of "We Can Do It!"

Double-click this one to get all of its goodness.

As you know, I find bits of Americana like this quite wonderful.  It was a different world.  Sometimes I feel like I actually belong in *that* America, and that I was born much too late.

Donuts + Ukelele Music = Great Party

Hooray for donuts!

Hooray for parties!

Hooray for Young America!

(This message is brought to you by the Bakers of America.  Yes, readers: always look for that red, white, and blue seal.) 

Edited to add:
I totally want to have a donuts and ukelele party now.
It sounds like a lot of fun.
Yes, really.

From 1941: L'Origan, For Your Golden Moments

Simply because I think this ad is beautiful.

Here is the entry on Basenotes for L'Origan.  

It was first made by Coty in 1905!

What This Blog Needs: The Magic Of Soup

I love soup.  I could live quite happily on the stuff.

Growing up on a tight budget in Indiana, we ate a lot of Campbell's soup.  Bean With Bacon and Tomato were the favorites in our house.   Our thermoses were often filled with Beef Barley soup for schooltime lunches.  And if you were sick, Mom made our sickroom a little more special with Chicken And Stars.

Today, as an adult, one of the ultimate comfort foods for me is Campbell's Tomato made with full-fat half-and-half.

Pinocchio's Mother, The Model

The poor woman couldn't find much work, however, despite her dreams of modeling success.  It seems that only the Luden's people had call for a "clothespin nose," and even then, she was unceremoniously dumped when the company president became, *ahem*, uncle to a handsome young man with modeling aspirations and a clothespin nose of his own. 

When Beelzebub Joins America's Fight Against Post-Nasal Drip

"Anahist"...sounds more like "Anti-Christ" to this blogger!
What Byron Caran doesn't tell you is that there were black robes, drippy candles, and pentagrams involved in their miraculous recovery. Things really got wacky when Mom sacrificed The Beaver to their Dark Lord! (And what a mess!)

Hope You Had A Cool Yule

Me, I'm plum tuckered out from making the Yuletide gay!

We had a really splendid holiday, lots of lovely presents (I got a Kitchen Aid stand mixer!  A cashmere pashmina!  A bottle of Samsara perfume!), gallons of libations, and a Christmas dinner of all-you-can-eat crab legs at our favorite local Chinese buffet.

I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas, if that's what you celebrate.  May it have been as much fun as this:

1977

I love this picture.  It's from this blog, and I find it so wonderful.

Wait a second...Santa Claus, NO!

From 1947: The Next Time You Think "Meatloaf," Be Sure To Think "Prem"

July 1947

"Prem" is the Sanskrit word for "love," but something tells me that that is not the meaning behind the name of this product.

Be sure to double-click the graphic to get the full story on how the wonderfully delicious world of Prem can enrich your dinner table. It seems that Prem consists of some gelatinous mix of pork and beef by-products, suitable for a wide variety of meal options.

Should you want to make your own Prem mini-loaves for supper tonight, there's a convenient recipe right there for you housewife types. Be sure to note the detail about serving cauliflower topped with slivered almonds!

Hey, they have french-fried onions, too, so things can't be that bad!

Triple Blech.

McCall's

February 1947

1953

1946

This Week At A Touch Of Tuesday Weld: Our Tribute To Laundry!

1940s

Don't you dare wash your husband's shirts without the miracle of "hustle bubbles"!

(Those women were right to laugh at our housewife, the lass so unenlightened in the ways of Oxydol and its magical whitening powers...without bleach!)

Double-click for a really good look.

From 1943: A Wonderful Wartime Poster

A Tribute To Vintage VD, Part Four: Phallic Imagery And Floozies

Another Special Moment In Our Weeklong Tribute To Vintage VD

"Sailor beware!" She's got critters in her knickers! Whatever "questionable pleasure" you are able to locate in said knickers will make your future progeny cry...and The Baby Jesus will cry, too!

Instead...take a cold shower! Read your Bible! Write a letter to your sweetheart! Dream about Mom's apple pie!

That's getting your rocks off...the AMERICAN way!

From 1945: She's A WOW

From 1946: A Variation On The Old Adage About Cooks, Kitchens, Ladies, Parlors, Whores, And Bedrooms

I just noticed that this is one LOUSY double-clicker. Sorry about that...you know I tend to only favor ads where you can double-click them to see them in all of their glory. I'll let this one stay, but I will be more vigilant in the future.

From 1942: Apricots Give It That Swell Surprise Flavor!

By all means, double-click for these wonderful wartime recipes.

From 1946-1947: A Capricious Carmine With A Tender Passion! (Hey, Leave Laverne And Shirley Out Of It, Revlon!)

Truly stunning ad.

All of Revlon's ads up through the 2000s have been memorable ones. Unfortunately, the company has made a number of bad management decisions, most recently to eschew their wildly popular advertising with models like Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer in favor of actresses of the moment. The move has backfired for Revlon and very nearly put the former stalwart of the cosmetics industry out of business. Revlon seems to have realized their mistake and recently hired Elle MacPherson as the face of Revlon, but industry insiders feel that it is too little, too late. It's a real shame.

Modeling for Revlon gave a boost to the careers of such notable faces as Lauren Hutton, Shelley Hack, Cindy Crawford, Dorian Leigh, Veronica Webb, Milla Jovovich, Tatjana Patitz, Claudia Schiffer, and Suzy Parker.

Look at that elegant little gift set in the ad!

Wouldn't that be just perfect under your Christmas tree?

A MARVELOUS look at Revlon's advertising from the 1980s.

From 1942: Fighting The Nazis, One Homegrown Tomato At A Time

I joke, but I love stuff like this.

Victory Gardens are also making a comeback.