MOTEL hopping: Crystal River, Florida

Let's hit the road folks and do some hopping around the country visiting motels.

This post card of the Crystal Lodge Motel in Crystal River, Florida, dates from the late-'60s to mid-70s. From what I can tell I don't think it exists anymore. It seems that there is now some sort of swim with the mantees dive center with the name Crystal Lodge. So don't unpack your bags, we won't be spending the night.




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HOTEI YA at Ala Moana

This is a birthday gift; an odd birthday gift that will only mean something to one person. This was one of the favorite shops of two little girls back in the early 1960s. The other was Shirokiya. Both stores were in the Ala Moana Shopping Center.

Shirokiya still exists, though it's nothing like the original store. Alas, Hotei Ya is long gone.

Good times! Good Times! Happy Birthday my friend.


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HAWAII in the early 1960s

These images are from a 1963 California textbook entitled Hawaii: The Aloha State by Helen Bauer. I found it in a thrift store many years ago along with a second Hawaii textbook also published by California. I wish I had the books I used in the 4th grade in Hawaii when we studied state history.

This first shot shows a Matson liner at the Aloha Tower.


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This second shot is the Waikiki I remember from childhood. The domed building in the foreground was the Kaiser Dome, part of the Hawaiian Village resort. Heading towards Diamond Head you see an open expanse of beach with rafts out in the water. This is Fort DeRussy. At the time it was a private military beach where we went for picnics and a day of swimming without all the tourists.

The Ala Wai can be seen on the left. I used to walk along the canal on my way to and from school at Thomas Jefferson Elementary. Though I have bad memories of my class and horrific teachers, the grounds of the school were beautiful. I keep hoping to find some photos of the school as it was in the 1950s, but have never found anything.


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The image below is from Kamaaina56's Flickr site. He has posted hundreds of old images of the Hawaii we both remember as kids. I do believe there is a hint of the Thomas Jefferson Elementary in this shot on the right behind the trees.



Click on image to see it larger. (SOURCE: Kamaaina56)

If you TALK DOWN TO YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE...

 If you talk down to your target audience, inferring they're stupid, does your audience get it?

This comic is from an old Teen from the mid-1960s. In order for there to be humor a teenage girl would have had to recognize that someone is stupid. I'm guessing it was hoped that the reader would not identify themselves as the target, but would instead think, "Oh yeah, Margie is just like that!"

So why would editorial think this was funny? Am I reading too much into this? Hey, it's late and my net access has been out all day.

CHRISTMESS GIFT IDEA No. 1

During the coming month I'll be offering creative gift ideas. They come with a warning: If you know anybody who would want any of these items...for cryin' out loud get them off your gift list! However, there is one caveat...these items are perfect secret Santa gifts, but try not to laugh too hard when they open it or the jig is up.


(SOURCE: Oh heck I don't remember. Some stupid Teen magazine from the '60s, as if that weren't obvious.)

WARNING: This blog is not responsible for any undo retching caused by the idea of going to Fruggyville. Dig it? I know you do.

Paint by numbers SWINGIN' TEENS

How groovy is this? Paint by numbers hip swingin' 60s teens? And look at the price! $1.70 a set! Real oil paintings hanging on your wall for a buck seventy. So who was the original artist that created these and broke them down into the number system?


Click on image to see it larger. (SOURCE: Teen, February 1967)

Created by The Art Award Company of North Bergen, New Jersey. Take a look here to see some of their other products. Don't be frightened when you are faced with a bunch of Keane knockoffs. Keane paintings were probably some of the worst popular art to come along in the early 60s. Now, I know there are people who love them, but...well I won't say anything else because then I might say something about Kincade and...then I start thinking about velvet Elvis.

Groovy Ops'n Pops...WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

Imagine the poor admen back in the 60s trying desperately to take old brands and make them young and hip for the youth market. Was there a focus group that said, "I really hate boring ballpoint pens that look like the one my grandfather uses. It's a bummer."

So they gave us Ops'n Pops. Huh? What the...? I like the pens. I even like the add with the pshychedelic type reminiscent of Bill Graham Fillmore concert posters. But "Ops'n Pops"? Really. How long did it take them to come up with that name? And why? And what was it like to hear the copywriter say "groovy" for the first time in a meeting with the client?


Click on image to see it larger. (SOURCE: Teen, June 1968)

The 60s were an odd time. Rather schizoid. On one hand you had the girls in the Breck ads looking like traditional nice girls. And then you had PaperMate trying to win over girls who might be using Breck, but were secretly wishing they were hanging out on the Strip with Buffalo Springfield. An advertising high wire for sure.

Poor admen. Poor poor admen. Life used to be so easy.

Going to camp with DARK SHADOWS

In 1966 my neighbor was addicted to Dark Shadows. There was no point even trying to talk to her between 4 and 4:30. Dark Shadows came on and she shut out the world. I, on the other hand, was not a fan of the show. I’ve never cared for vampires. I’m easily frightened. In the case of Dark Shadows I was frightened by the boring story and melodramatic acting. It just wasn’t for me.

Dark Shadows is an American gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements. It was unprecedented in daytime television when ghosts were introduced about six months after it began.

The series became hugely popular when vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) appeared a year into its run. Dark Shadows also featured werewolves, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, and a parallel universe. A small company of actors each played many roles (as actors came and went, some characters were played by more than one actor). Major writers besides Art Wallace included Malcolm Marmorstein, Sam Hall, Gordon Russell, and Violet Welles.

Dark Shadows was distinguished by its vividly melodramatic performances, atmospheric interiors, memorable storylines, numerous dramatic plot twists, unusually adventurous music score, and broad and epic cosmos of characters and heroic adventures. Now regarded as something of a camp classic, it continues to enjoy an intense cult following. Although the original series ran for only five years, its scheduling as a daily daytime drama allowed it to amass more single episodes during its run (1,225) than most other science-fiction/fantasy genre series produced for English-language television, including Doctor Who and the entire Star Trek television franchise. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

Now with the looming debut on May 11th of the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp version of Dark Shadows there will probably be a lot of talk about the original show and its fans. For those who are hardcore fans from the 1960s I think they might end up offended that comedy is front and center in this version. There were a lot of us who thought the original was funny, unintentionally funny.

I found this tv tie-in book at my post office book exchange table. There were thirty-two books in the series.

Dark Shadows Books (1966-72)

The Paperback Library began releasing novels based on the TV series Dark Shadows in December 1966. There were thirty-three novels released through to 1972, all of them written by Dan Ross under the pen name Marilyn Ross.

All of the novels, with the exception of House of Dark Shadows were part of one shared continuity separate from the history supplied in the original television series. House of Dark Shadows was an adaptation of the MGM film, House of Dark Shadows and as such, represented a separate continuity.

Many of the 1st printings of the novels featured covers with production stills from the television show. Invariably, the photographs represented on the covers had little if anything to do with the actual stories inside. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

To see a list of books click here.




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The one actor I remember from the show is Jonathan Frid who played the vampire Barnabas Collins. Wondering what became of him I found that he died just a few weeks ago from an accidental fall. Sad that he won’t be around to revel in the reintroduction of the character he created.

I will admit that I watched the NBC remake of the show in 1991 with Ben Cross as the vampire. Ben Cross was the reason I watched the show, though after a few episodes I was again having trouble with the whole story. I’ve never been a fan of gothic romance. I’ve never been able to imagine myself as a lady running away from a dark castle. I would have been too clumsy for that and would most assuredly have fallen and been caught by the vampire. And I’m not fond of blood dripping from someone’s neck, most especially my own.

Now que the creepy music.

DEFENDERS OF AMERICA from National Biscuit Company: U. S. ARMY HAWK MISSILE

By now, if you’ve been checking in to see what weapon of mass destruction I’m featuring, you know I generally give a little bit of information from Wikipedia regarding the history of the weapon/ship/plane. This time I’ll let you look here to read all about the U. S. Army Hawk Missile.




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Instead, I offer the following which may give you pause:

In 1965, it acquired Amana Refrigeration, Inc., a manufacturer of refrigerators and air conditioners. Using the Amana brand name and its distribution channels, Raytheon began selling the first countertop household microwave oven in 1967 and became a dominant manufacturer in the microwave oven business. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

Wouldn't you have liked to see the salesman's catalogue?

"Well, if I can't interest you in one of our modern microwaves, would you be interested in one of our refurbished missiles? I could give you an excellent price if you buy a dozen."

Next time, the final nod to the military industrial complex…U. S. ARMY EXPLORER I IN ORBIT

1960 Boy Scout Handbook ADVERTISEMENTS: Part 6

Give a Boy Scout a fishing pole and he can feed himself for life.

Give him a Harley and you can kiss that Eagle Scout goodbye.

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Now just imagine you could go 100 miles on a gallon of gas on one of these little beauties. Let's say gas cost 15 to 20 cents a gallon when this ad was run. Do you want to even imagine how far you could go on what you currently pay to fill your tank each week?

As to this Cushman scooter ad..."road-ability" is a word? What dictionary were they using?

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And I'm not quite sure they've explained how a scout would make extra money if they bought one of these, but from what I read at Wikipedia I'm guessing parking meter attendant or ice cream sales might be possible.

The Cushman company started in 1903 in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Everett and Clinton Cushman. The company incorporated as Cushman Motor Works in 1913.[1] Until 1936 it produced engines for farm equipment, pumps, lawn mowers and boats. From 1936 until 1965 Cushman produced motor scooters, widely used by the US military in World War II and as alternative to automobiles before and after the war. One famous Cushman was the model 53, a military model from the WWII era. Designed to be dropped by parachute with Army Airborne troops, it became known as the Cushman Airborne. Other models were used on military bases for messenger service. The most successful model of Cushman scooter, the Eagle, was in production approximately 16 years. It resembled a motorcycle with its exposed engine and top tank. Other Cushman models used a step-through design common for scooters. The step-through design and ease of operation made it popular with men and women alike. Some late 50s Cushmans, designated Road King and Pacemaker, had jet-age body styling. Sears sold a version of these models under the Allstate brand. Cushman scooters featured an automatic centrifugal clutch, which allowed the rider to twist the right grip to accelerate. Oddly, the throttle twisted forward during acceleration, opposite the usual pattern in most other motorcycles and scooters. Cushman claimed 75 miles per gallon, and advertised penny-a-mile operating cost. Cushman scooters usually weighed about 250 to 335 pounds and had as much as 9 horsepower (6.7 kW). Scooter production ended in 1965, but some remaining Eagles were sold as 1966 models. After scooter production ceased, Cushman manufactured golf carts, industrial vehicles and turf maintenance equipment.

Cushman Trucksters were produced from 1958 to 2002. Small and light duty, they have been used for ice cream sales, mall and stadium maintenance, and by police for parking patrol. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

Click on the "Boy Scout" label below to see previous scouting posts.

1960 Boy Scout Handbook ADVERTISEMENTS: Part 3

More ads from the 1960 Boy Scout Handbook.

This one seems a little on the odd side. They make a point in the copy of saying that the "forged head just can't fly off" but then they name this thing the "Jet Rocket Scout Axe." Am I missing something here? Was it helpful to have you thinking this thing was going to take off into space and then cover their butts by saying "can't fly off"?

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Click on the "Boy Scout" label below to see previous scouting posts.

1960 Boy Scout Handbook ADVERTISEMENTS: Part 2

The one thing advertised over and over again in the Boy Scout handbook are guns. Lots of rifles. I think a total of 7 ads.

A reader of yesterday's post asked if I knew if the Boy Scouts sold anything like the Girl Scouts selling cookies. I can't think of anything. Anyone ever hear of Boy Scouts going door to door selling something?

Ever hear of the Winchester Mystery house built by Sarah Winchester? If not, you might be interested in reading about how some of the Winchester fortune was spent by clicking here.

Click on the "Boy Scout" label below to see previous scouting posts.

1960 Boy Scout Handbook ADVERTISEMENTS: Part 1

My last post was about the 1960 Boy Scout Handbook. I mentioned I'd be featuring some ads from the book. There are a total of over 40 ads so sit back and go Scout shopping. One particular item will show up over and over again, but not on the first spread.

Remember, items are for honest and trustworthy Scouts only.

Click on the "Boy Scout" label below to see previous scouting posts. Or click on "Coca-Cola" or "Coca Cola" to see vintage Coke ads.

And visit Tattered and Lost Vernacular Photography to see some old scouting photos from Scotland.

1960 BOY SCOUT HANDBOOK

This weeks Sepia Saturday theme is scouting. What better time to show some images from the 1960 Boy Scout Handbook? I bought this book at a used store in Burbank a very long time ago and probably paid no more than a dollar. It's a wonderful book with a Norman Rockwell piece on the cover.

Following are the front and back cover of the book along with some interior spreads. I will be featuring more of the book in the coming weeks, including some of the vintage ads.

And to see some vintage scouting photos visit my Tattered and Lost Photography site.

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In 1981 the band Oingo Boingo (who used to put on great live shows) released an album called Only a Lad thats cover parodied the Rockwell handbook cover.

WAGON TRAIN san

This is me. No kidding. Okay, kidding a bit because actually this was who I occasionally imagined myself to be when my best friend and I played samurai and geisha when we were 9.

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Living in Hawaii you couldn't help but be influenced by Pacific Rim cultures. I'd moved from just outside D.C. to Hawaii. From cowboys to samurais. I still watched Wagon Train, Rawhide, and Have Gun Will Travel, but outside playing it was all kimonos and broom sticks. And tea parties as geishas.

Every Sunday morning one of the tv stations played samurai films with the white haired and dark haired shi-shi always battling it out. Good times. Good times. When I couldn't get my fix of samurai movie on Sunday and instead had to go to church I was an unpleasant little child.

This is the back cover of a Japanese movie magazine from the early 60s. Sorry to say I can't remember the name of the actor, but I'm sure my friend will eventually come along and post it. If she does, perhaps I can find an actual clip from one of his films.

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UPDATE: Okawa Hashizo with Misora Hibari