THE PERFECT GIFT FOR THE COLLEGE STUDENT in 1956

So what's the gift on the lips of every college student this Christmas? Their lips tell you iMac, but their eyes say Remington Quiet-Riter. Never judge a college student by what you see in their eyes, or for that matter what's on their lips.

If they'd been alive in 1956 perhaps this typewriter would have been exactly what they dreamed would be under the tree (besides Tuesday Weld or James Dean). Alas typewriters have gone the way of too many things to list. Let's just say I learned to type on a Remington that belonged to my mother. It's still in the closet. It's a work of art.

 Source: National Geographic December 1956

SHIRLEY TEMPLE paper dolls 1935

These Shirley Temple paper dolls date back to 1935. They're quite tattered and not a complete set. I purchased them as one item in a huge box I bought years ago on eBay that contained around 100+ vintage paper doll sets, some complete. Shirley was actually thrown in as a bonus. 

The dolls, clothing, and accessories are all double-sided so Shirley looked sensational whether coming or going. There are at least another dozen or more outfits in the bag and lots of little accessories. One of these days I'll get all of it into an album just as I've done with all the other sets I purchased.

As you can see Shirley's been run through the mill more than once. She's bent and torn and one doll is missing a hand. That's okay. I say she's been personalized. You can still occasionally find these dolls on eBay. Complete sets in booklets go for several hundred dollars. Or you can do what I've done and buy some of the reproductions done by Dover. I've put links in the left column at Amazon.

Here comes SANTA CLAUS

Last year I did a post about the iconic Coca-Cola Santa painted by Haddon Sundblom. Of course not a living soul outside my own brain new this blog existed so I'll give a link to that post.

What you see below is the cover of a wonderful book of these very Santas. I've put a link to the book in the left-hand column. It's a  book with beautifully reproduced vintage Coca-Cola ads. Brings back the Santa I remember from my childhood. 

And here is the oldest Santa Coca-Cola ad I have. It's from the December 1939 National Geographic.

Click on image to see it larger.

Now, to read a bit about Haddon Sundblom and see some of his other work click on the following links:

American Art Archives (Dave, make sure you click on this one. There's a surprise there for you.)

Haddon Sundblom at Wikipedia  You'll be surprised to see his last "Santa" 

The Coca-Cola Company

And from the wonderful blog Today's Inspiration:

Christmas Ski Party

The Old School: Haddon Sundblom

The Old School: Actually "The Chicago School?"

Work from home. BE A YOGI! Torn bed sheet required.

Still looking for a way to run a business from home? Selling donuts didn't work for you? Resoling shoes just made a mess on your dining room table? Well, do you have an old bed sheet and a very large barrette? Be a Yogi. Not Yogi Bear. That would be silly. When listed in the phonebook you'd be alphabetically second. No, you need to be Yogi Alpha. See? "A" before "B" makes sense to me.

This ad is from the March 1934 Delineator. Imagine my dismay at finding this ad and thinking there was surely a whole slew of information online about this mesmerizing con-man only to find virtually nothing. I'm so disappointed. I was hoping to discover his name was Ted Smith and he was long ago proven to be a charlatan and was outed while spending his ill gotten gains on hookers and booze. Alas he just seems to be nothing more than leftover ephemera. I will share what I found.

At this site you'll find a large ad for Yogi Alpha from a 1934 Modern Mechanics. I'm thinking Omar Shariff would star in the film version of Yogi's life.

And then there's the following from a book I found on Google Books. An excerpt from Astrology: Science of Prediction 1945 by Sidney Kimball Bennett.

Shortly thereafter I received a letter from Mr. Proskauer. He wrote, in part:

"Dear Mr. Bennett,
Personally, and officially as Chairman of the Press Bureau of Parent Asscmbly No. 1, Society of American Magicians: permit me to congratulate you on the fairness of your Reply to Critics of Astrology as printed by you.

We were particularly pleased with your statements in Wynn's Astrology Magazine that astrologers who are worthy of the name should be examined and licensed by state boards, that 'phonies' should be barred by law from handing out boilerplate 'horoscopes' and that newspapers should be severely censured for accepting advertisements from 'Yogi Alpha' who, under the guise of being an astrologer, gives such predictions as 'You will marry the lady you
have in mind in the second week of May. next year.'

Another thing that pleased us was your expose of the astrological forecasts sold by Simmons of Chicago to the 'trade' [carnival 'astrologers") .. ..

Sincere people, entitled to their own opinions, are not the target for our guns. It's those fakers, who yearly steal large sums from the public, that we arc exposing and showing up in their true colors.. . .

The Federal Radio Commission's action in citing two stations for 'alleged broadcasting of improper astrological programs' should go a long way to warn every broadcast station in the country not to engage any astrologer who predicts definite future events, marriage, deaths, travel. etc, And your stating the Commission did right in these two instances should go a long way toward backing our campaign to prevent fakers from using the air. It is too bad the
innocent must suffer for the sins of the guilty."

Somebody was a little bent out about Alpha male Yogi. So, ol' Yogi was outed, but it wasn't long until another charlatan stepped into his shoes. Anyone remember EST, the Erhard Seminars Training founded and run by a car salesman? Two day seminar with the now famous "No you cannot leave the room to go to the bathroom" rule?

You know they're out there. Hoping to get a fool to part with their money.

Dear Sir,

I am a Prince in Nigeria whose father the King has died and I cannot access  his funds. With your help and bank account number...

You get the point. Yogi is just the old game but he had a costume. You could see him coming...all the way from San Diego, a hotbed of Yogis. Alpha males everywhere!

And hey, if the whole Yogi thing doesn't work for you there's always growing mushrooms in your basement. "Really officer, they're mushrooms. I sell them to the restaurant down the street and I also ship them across the border to Canada. That's where the Mushroom HQ is located."

I hope this has been useful. Be your own charlatan or maybe not. Just grow mushrooms in the shed. No bed sheet required.

LOG CABIN redux and more GLUYAS WILLIAMS

Back from a pleasant Thanksgiving break and whoop 'n tarnations I didn't have any Log Cabin syrup! There were no waffles or pancakes! Not that the extended weekend was without food. Too much food. Of course I didn't have to eat it, but I wasn't going to be rude. I had to consume as much as everyone else or maybe even one-up them.

I return home and go in search of some worthy ephemera and come upon this. Log Cabin redux. On November 11th I posted an ad from an old Saturday Evening Post describing the apparent virtues of syrup as a sleep tonic. Now I come to find it's also a good excuse to avoid work. Log Cabin...multipurpose elixir!

Again the illustration is by Gluyas Williams and again you can read more about him by clicking on this link. This particular ad ran in the March 1934 Delineator. I have a feeling in time I will find more of these and we'll be even more amazed at the incredible properties of Log Cabin Syrup. 

And here are a few other links with brief information about Gluyas Williams. The first is apparently where his papers are stored at Syracuse University and here is another with a brief biography. The most interesting is a link to a 1984 article in American Heritage. 

One of these days I'm going to find a reasonably priced Log Cabin tin and I'm going to buy it to add to my collection. Yeah, it's true, I collect old tins too. I know, don't even try to imagine what my place looks like. I can tell you my relatives don't understand. You people however would be perhaps more forgiving of my eccentricities.

And todays secret word is: HJJ3UT8UJ5XE