The cover of Life Magazine by Albert Dodd Blashfield (1860-1920) features this allegorical scene of the old year sitting at a table with the new year. What the symbolism of the pose, wine, smoking, hourglass and table setting boils down to is: out with the old and in with new.
The original Life Magazine (not the 1936 -1972 photo-journal magazine version of Life) featured humor, cartoons and short articles. Continue reading
We tend to think of bathing beauty contests as being ogling-fests for men.
But not always.
Sometimes the ladies would be judging the men.
As the roaring twenties drew to a conclusion, this role reversal contest was held in Venice, California on May 20, 1929.
The news slug reads: Continue reading
If you imagine that in the good old days courtship always involved proper etiquette, courtesy and social mores you would be mistaken.
While combing through the archives of the New York Tribune we came across this article Continue reading
LOU GEHRIG’S WIFE MAY BECOME HIS SECRETARY
Larchmont, N.Y. – Wife and secretary is the double role Mrs. Lou Gehrig (above) might assume Jan. 1, 1940, assumes his position on the New York City Municipal Parole Board. Mrs. Gehrig is shown in their Larchmont N.Y., home, Oct. 11, after Mayor F.H. LaGuardia announced appointment of the New York Yankees former first baseman to the board for a ten-year term. Mrs. Gehrig handles all of Lou’s fan mail and other correspondence. Credit: Acme Oct. 11, 1939
After Lou Gehrig stepped down from playing baseball on May 2, 1939 he stayed with the team for the remainder of the year, never playing a major league game again. But once the season was over Gehrig pondered the future.
The parole board job La Guardia offered paid an annual salary of $5,750, quite a cut from Continue reading
Today is Veterans Day. A United States holiday like many others that is taken for granted by far too many as a day off from work or just another holiday sale. Continue reading
This rare postcard view of The Vitagraph Theatre on the east side of Broadway and 44th Street shows the theatre’s marquee with people milling about a horse drawn promotional wagon.
The building opening in 1895 as the Lyric Theatre was part of the Olympia entertainment complex built by Oscar Hammerstein. Continue reading
HURLERS IN THIRD WORLD SERIES
Jack Kramer (left) of the St. Louis Browns and Ted Wilks of the Cardinals, pitchers in third World Series game in St. Louis October 6, shake hands before game time. photo: Associated Press October 6, 1944
The other day during the baseball playoffs, announcer Bob Costas noted that three out of the four playoff series did not involve air travel.
The Philadelphia Phillies versus the New York Mets, the San Diego Padres against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers playing Cleveland, would all use ground transportation to travel between their respective cities.
Only the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals will be flying to each others cities.
In 1944 the United States was deep into World War II and with gasoline rationing and travel restrictions in place the phrase “Is this trip necessary?” really did mean something. Continue reading
This stereoview published by Underwood & Underwood in 1907 says in its caption:
“Imported Americans”, shopping from push-carts in the Lower East Side, N.Y. City.
Although the neighborhood is unidentified it appears to be Little Italy with Mulberry Bend Park on the left.
This not so veiled aspersion of “Imported Americans” is typical of the apprehensions Continue reading
Go into the supermarket and examine just about any product. You will notice shrinking packaging and products. You are getting less and paying more.
Tropicana orange juice just shrunk again – from 64 ounces to 59 ounces to 52 ounces and now 46 ounces. Coffee is sold in a pound can, but contains about 11.3 ounces of product.
In 1954 the price of coffee was rising, and the answer was not shrink the cup, but raise the price. A 50% price hike to be exact, from ten cents to fifteen cents.
Even after World War II many places still sold a nickel cup of coffee.
The original news slug reads: Continue reading
Henry Luce photo via: PBS
Henry Luce, the founder of Time, Fortune and the modern Life magazine was prescient in what might become of the United States in the future if we rely upon the government to solve social issues.
While reading Lloyd Morris’ Postscript To Yesterday – America: The Last Fifty Years, (Random House) 1947, I came across this passage describing Life magazine and Luce’s views: on the matter. Continue reading
