Warning: Lame Doodle Ahead

Jeesh, could Laura make Doodle Week #2 any more complicated than asking us to doodle an entire world? In a pincushion teacup, no less. Thankfully, we can twist the theme a bit, however we are inspired. And as my beverage of choice is Diet Coke, and my world view easily put into an icon, I was able to doodle something. Something lame. But Blogger is being a nasty thing and won't let me upload images to my own server, so you'll have to go here to see it. Or not. It doesn't really matter because it's your turn to doodle.

Set The Table With Olga Baclanova. Literally.

Olga Baclanova as the centerpiece, 1929.

Professor Fliggins Vampire Pants

From Shawnimals.

Your Guess Is As Good As Ours

Sure, we could look the clipping up in Google translate, but why ruin the mystery?

Beware: His Tattoo Will Put Your Eye Out

Who doesn't love A Christmas Story? (It's one of my favorite -- though newer -- holiday film traditions) But dude, a tattoo? ...Won't your next favorite film make you remove it?



Tat belongs to Jim of the Spectremen, who recorded a song called Red Rider, a tribute to Ralphie.

Pepe Le Pew Eeeiiwww

This isn't really Pepe Le Pew, but this vintage ceramic dish or ashtray (the edge is more scalloped than having cigarette divots) featuring a skunk made me go "Eeeiiwww" when I discovered someone had bothered to paint the underside of his tail yellow. Oddly charming to some, I suppose; but I didn't buy it. Handling it to take photos for you was all I was willing to do.

Perhaps They Mean Emo Philips?

While I'm not entirely sure what the hell "emo" really is anymore, I'm convinced the seller of this bowling pin floor mat using a "FLOOR MAT BOWLING PINS Kitschy Cool Retro Punk Emo Gift" auction title knows even less.

Halloween Nineteen-Ought-Seven: Tricks Bigger Than Treats

Straight out of the pages of The Fargo Forum and Daily Republican, November 2nd, 1907, the story of "Two Brothers Filled With Peas." (Click to enlarge the old news article, or scroll below it to read copied text.)

Farmer Beaton's Sons Treated To A Warm Reception By Irate Farmer On Hallowe'en Night -- A Double Barreled Shot Gun Did The Businss

Two Small boys, the sons of a farmer named Beaton, who lives just outside the west part of Fargo, were shot at by an irate farmer on Hallowe'en and as a result they came to Fargo yesterday and had about a handful of peas picked out of them by a physician.

The Boys had greatly annoyed a neighboring farmer last Hallowe'en, and this year he waited for them with a double-barreled shotgun loaded with peas. The boys approached his place and he let fly with both barrels, and his marksmanship was excellent.

In future Hallowe'ens these particular boys will probably remain a long ways from that particular farmer.

Ahhh, Halloween in 1907, when kids could be shot just for being annoying, good times...

Note that people don't shoot people, "double barreled shot guns do the business."

Moo Look Marvelous

Trained Cow Wearing a Hat print.

Mary Tyler Moore Mannequin?

You bet your sweet Petrie!



Via Flickr.

The Case Of The Pirate Fashion Photographer

I'm no Erle Stanley Gardner, or even one of the Brett Hallidays; but I'm pretty sure it was all the striped ties which caused male fashion photographer Marco to gauge his own eye out.


Via Flickr.

I Get The Raggedy Ann Wig, But...

What's up with those foam shoes?



Found at Flickr, Woman's Day magazine, July 1969.

Kilgallen's Boo-Boo

Inside Quick magazine (November 12, 1949), in the fashion pages (page 45), this lovely bit about one of my favorite personalities of yesteryear, Dorothy Kilgallen:

In New York: Dorothy Kilgallen (columnist-radio star) complained on the air that she had to wear a white Band-Aid on her cut finger to a party... said it looked awful. Next day Johnson & Johnson send an assortment of Band-Aids in shocking pink, cassia, leaf green, lavender. Will she start a trend?

Answer: Apparently not. Unless Quick failed to report Band-Aids with SpongeBob SquarePants -- or I guess at that time it would have been The Shadow? (Only he knows.)

This issue of the vintage magazine has Esther Williams on the cover, and featured on pages 48 - 51. I sent scans of the article to Here's Looking Like You, Kid. 'Cuz I'm nice like that.

Proof That The 1950's Were Nutty

Where else but eBay would you find this classic New Look sundress -- with a nutty print.



The seller says:

UNBELIEVABLY FABULOUS photo print of NUTS...shelled, and unshelled WALNUTS, and it looks like some shelled almonds are in there too, the 'photo' is black and white, which has been hand-colored in tan, sepia, green and gold with grey 'shadows'....LOVE IT!!!

Clara Bow Goes Dutch

Via eBay.

Bowling Pin Animals To Spare

I did add this bowling pin stork family to my stork collection... It was just $3.50.



But this deer made of small bowling pins (and on wheels -- so my mother-in-law would have loved him!) had to stay behind due to the $40 price tag. :sigh:

Such A Hoot To Be A Socialite In Nineteen-Ought-Two

The New York Times, August 31, 1902, reports society affairs -- including society women dressing up as flowers and Mr. Goodrich portraying a Chinaman on a package of tea.

Sewing Is Misogynistic

Don't touch it, stick a Pin in it

So reads this antique postcard (postmarked 1908) -- the kicker is that the woman's ample bosom (and sleeve) are padded fabric, becoming pin cushions.

Bet You Didn't See This Coming

A fortune-telling elf for your lapel.

Looking Forward To Spring? Maybe Not With This Old Lawn Sprinkler

Via Collectors' Quest, an old clown lawn sprinkler:

It was in Indiana that I found this unusual lawn sprinkler clown made in Defiance, Ohio. Its tin body is held on a cast iron base, and one arm is articulated, holding the hose.

For $265 You Can Have A Black Boy Hold Your Mink Closed

OK, so it's a vintage enameled fur clip; does that make it any better? And why does he have dice? I wouldn't trust any gambler to hold my mink -- that might be why they're called "stoles".

You'd Have To Be Drunk To Wear 'Em

This is what I'd call a Holy Grail Kitsch Find: a vintage pair of "happy sloshed pipe cleaner men earrings". Dude, I know what we're making next Girl's Night... Because it probably helps to be tipsy to make 'em too.

Don't Believe Mousetraps Hurt?

Maybe you'll believe this vintage Elzac ceramic mouse pin:

Some-Bunny Ears Ursula Andress

When Snow Globes Attack

OK, so snow globes aren't (as far as this report goes) "attacking" but they are igniting fires. "That's Hot," says Paris Hilton, who herself had purchased 17 of the $100 Hallmark snow globes "because she could".

"The Potato Babies, And How They Grew"

A story of grandma entertaining the kids with people and animals made from potatoes...





From The Maple Leaf Book Of Stories.

Underarm Duck Tuck

A completely unnatural taxidermy.



Via Flickr.

Trouble Keeping Your Hose Up?

Start pulling at the neck.


1921 ad for Wilson Garters, found in The Modern Priscilla magazine.

Dad Says He Tired Of Ties As Gifts?

Well, you can always make him kitschy place to put them.




Instructions and pattern from a vintage set of Coping Saw Carpentry For Boys & Girls cards. You can find nicer patterns and craft project instructions at my other blog, Things Your Grandmother Knew too.

Giving Peace The Finger

An ironic finger placement for a dove ring.

Just Dotty

No, these are not soft squishy helmets for those who already have brain damage, these are stylish Space Age Fashions from the 1960's.


While Jaynie tells us how to wear our hair with hats, such information is irrelevant with these polka dotted wonders. The good news is that even when your mom cut your hair wrong, no one would be able to see it under these.

This post is dedicated to the HATtastic Miss Janey *wink*

Correcting Ill-Shaped Noses At Home

And where else would you do it?



An ad in Beautiful Womanhood, Edited by Mrs. Bernarr MacFadden, November, 1923.

"The Practical Self May Try To Hold You Back"

That's what it says inside this retro brochure for the Movieland Wax Museum. "But," it continues, "let yourself go and time and time again, on every set at Movieland, you'll re-live the most dramatic moments of the screen."



It also says you might find yourself walking among the living stars, as they "regularly visit" the museum. Those who do so, are awarded their own special director's chair (with their own name!) upon their first visit.



I didn't scan the whole thing; but enjoy the pages I did. Or not. It might be creepy even in digital pixels.



Also from my travel and tourism collection; see something you like there, let me know, and maybe I'll scan &/or provide additional details.

Keep Your Rings On A Slug

If you have difficulty keeping track of your rings, you can put them on a slug. (They call it a snail, but there's no shell.) I guess the story is that they won't wander off too far. I tried it once, but then my dog rubbed & slid its face along the slug (why do they do that?!) and my rings ended up all over the lawn.

Halloween Parties Of Yesteryear

As I wrote, the JoCoHistory site is an amazing historical database; I knew I'd find some great Halloween images there.

From the Kansas State School for the Deaf, the Class of '53 in costume. I have no idea what the sack costumes are... "Sack race contestants" is a costume?


Don't you just hate it when other kids have the same costume? (Kansas State School for the Deaf, Halloween, 1959)


Well, at least you weren't the kid in the black face jack-o-lantern costume.


At the school's 1956 party, someone took their costume very seriously and spent much of the party scrubbing floors. Yes, I do believe that is a dude.



In 1958, one kid went dressed as Big Ben -- but looks more like a 1950's cartoon alarm clock.


The Johnson County Museum shows us Zorro; a Space Ranger; a girl with an oval white mask over her eyes, white cardigan sweater buttoned partway down over satin dress (lame!); and Droopy Dog.


Before we leave these Halloween parties of yesteryear, let's not forget to thank the Halloween Party Committee, the bakers and hostesses, the decorators and chaperons, for all their hard work!