Model demonstrating the proper facial use of a vibrator. From National Lampoon, January 1977
Matty Simmons the CEO of National Lampoon and author of If You Don’t Buy This Book We’ll Kill This Dog (Barricade Books), describes in his 1994 memoir the challenges of getting traditional advertisers during National Lampoon magazine’s first decade. Continue reading
Every so often we look back at life in the Unites States 100 years ago. In this case, we were looking at Buffalo, New York.
Besides the household prices for groceries, we glanced quickly at a few news items from the Buffalo Evening News newspaper for February 21, 1924.
Buffalo was dealing with a major blizzard. Continue reading
This scene shows the cowcatcher intersection at 23rd Street where Fifth Avenue and Broadway intersect.
Our photograph is from about 1897, before the famous Flatiron Building was constructed in 1902. Continue reading
Emil Otto Hoppé a famous German-born, British artist / photographer was tasked by The Daily News in 1920 to find The American version of the Modern Venus. The winner of the contest would become Hoppé ‘s model. Continue reading
In late Summer 1945, with total victory secured, manufacturers could soon begin producing consumer products rather than armaments. With the transition would come amazing technological advances. Continue reading
Joe DiMaggio’s swing takes up half the space in this Camel cigarette ad which ran in Time Magazine April 6, 1942. It’s as good a way to promote smoking than just showing DiMaggio smoking.
Capturing reader’s attention is always the hard part of magazine advertising. So the series of photos of DiMaggio’s swing probably gets you to examine the page. Generally people buy news magazines to read them, not look at the ads.
Companies have always believed that to attract customers, you should have a celebrity push your product. Continue reading
There is nothing extraordinary happening as we look north up Sixth Avenue from 31st Street.
There’s lots of horse manure in the street and there’s some construction and workers beneath the Sixth Avenue El. The bar on the corner has western saloon style doors and advertises Triple X German Liquors on its sign. A high pressure fire hydrant is on the corner, a sight rarely seen today as the city removed most of them almost three decades ago . The tallest building on the left between 32nd and 33rd Streets is Gimbels Department Store.
As much as we’d like to put an exact date on the photo we cannot. It is uncredited and labeled 1911. There is one intriguing clue however. It’s blurry but if you look at the roof of the building on the left you can see a billboard ad for Eva Tanguay (1878-1947) appearing at The Colonial Theatre. Continue reading
From the September 1906 issue of Success Magazine comes this article on staying young.
Is it as simple as city versus country living? Going to the theater erases age? Maybe if you see a boring modern Broadway show that puts you in a cryogenic-like state Continue reading
This stereoview shows lower Manhattan looking north from Chambers Street, circa 1903. The main boulevard on the right is Centre Street. Continue reading
This stereoview of West Street demonstrates the importance of this shoreline street.
West Street, adjacent to the Hudson River with its piers and ferry terminals, was a vital cog to Manhattan’s commerce. Continue reading