Seattle 1978

Seattle 1978

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Lent

I'm not quite clear on why Lent is called Lent - there are several descriptions here about Lent being derived from words from other languages meaning fortieth and March.  Wikipedia has more information here.  During the season of Lent, many Christians choose to abstain from a luxury or even a supposed necessity to bring them in closer relationship to God and contemplative of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.  Not all Christians observe Lent by sacrificing something. Some will add something positive to their daily routine during the forty days  between Ash Wednesday and Easter to enhance their relationship with God.

I found a few ads from the 50s that market to Christians who go without meat during Lent.

Campbell's Soup

March 14, 1955 Life Magazine

Planters Peanuts

February 21, 1955 Life Magazine

Minute Rice

March 7, 1955 Life Magazine


Aunt Jemima Pancakes

March 21, 1955 Life Magazine

"Young Idea for Lent" Aunt Jemima Pancakes and Quaker Corn Meal

March 21, 1955 Life Magazine

"Liven up Lenten Meals" Downyflake waffles and Log Cabin Syrup

February 20, 1956 Life Magazine

Kraft

March 5, 1956 Life Magazine

Carnation

March 1957 Life Magazine

Not specifically Lenten but marketed to those eating meatless right before or during Lent
A & P

March 14, 1955 Life Magazine

February 6, 1956 Life Magazine

A-1

March 12, 1956 Life Magazine

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

George Washington

At first I didn't think I had any vintage ads with George Washington like I did for President Lincoln.  And then I remembered that I have a July/August 1976 Bicentennial edition of the Saturday Evening Post and found several where he's featured







The introduction to this edition of the magazine features a painting by Norman Rockwell captioned
"Norman Rockwell painted a sign painter replacing George III with America's own George, Washington, a symbolic changing of the guard which would alter man's thinking both in the palace and in the street. This appeared in the February 22, 1936 Post."


President George isn't usually used in many ads but of course he was featured in several during the Bicentennial.

And then ads with cherries remind me of GW.  I know the story is considered lore but it is a worthy one speaking the virtues of telling the truth (Excerpt taken from here )
"When George," said she, "was about six years old, he was made the wealthy master of a hatchet! of which, like most little boys, he was immoderately fond, and was constantly going about chopping every thing that came in his way. One day, in the garden, where he often amused himself hacking his mother's pea-sticks, he unluckily tried the edge of his hatchet on the body of a beautiful young English cherry-tree, which he barked so terribly, that I don't believe the tree ever got the better of it. The next morning the old gentleman finding out what had befallen his tree, which, by the by, was a great favourite, came into the house, and with much warmth asked for the mischievous author, declaring at the same time, that he would not have taken five guineas for his tree. Nobody could tell him any thing about it. Presently George and his hatchet made their appearance. George, said his father, do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry-tree yonder in the garden? This was a tough question; and George staggered under it for a moment; but quickly recovered himself: and looking at his father, with the sweet face of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm of all-conquering truth, he bravely cried out, "I can't tell a lie, Pa; you know I can't tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet."--Run to my arms, you dearest boy, cried his father in transports, run to my arms; glad am I, George, that you killed my tree; for you have paid me for it a thousand fold. Such an act of heroism in my son, is more worth than a thousand trees, though blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold.

Cherry Cherie Foremost Ice Cream

February 15, 1960 Life Magazine
Carnation Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream

February 1, 1963 Life Magazine
Swanson Frozen Fruit Pies

March 18, 1957 Life Magazine

My post was to wish George Washington a "Happy Birthday" on his birthday February 22 but I just learned he was actually born February 11th according to this website!
Q: Why is Washington's birthday celebrated on February 22 when he was born on February 11th?
A: February 11th was GW's birthday according to the Julian (Old Style) calendar, but in 1752, the corrections of the Gregorian (New Style) Calendar were adopted by England, Ireland, and the colonies, and GW's birthday became 22 February [Donald Jackson and Dorothy Twohig, eds., The Diaries of George Washington, vol. VI, January 1790–December 1799 (Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia, 1979) 282.]
Under England's interpretation of the Julian Calendar the new year began on 25 March. Because the year under the Julian Calendar was 365 days 6 hours, by the sixteenth century a considerable surplus had accumulated, moving the vernal equinox from 21 to 11 March. The error was corrected in 1582 by the Gregorian Calendar (New Style), adopted by most European countries. By 1752, when Great Britain adopted the Gregorian Calendar, the displacement was 11 days.[Donald Jackson, ed., The Diaries of George Washington, vol. I, 1748-65 (Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia, 1976), 6.]

So happy belated 280th birthday George!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Dental Care

After all the sugary ads I've been posting the last week or so, it's time for some dental care.

Gleem with GL-70

January 1955 Life Magazine

February 1955 Life Magazine

February 1957 Life Magazine

Colgate with Gardol


February 1955 Life Magazine



January 1957 Life Magazine

March 29, 1963 Life Magazine


Ipana with WD-9

February 21, 1955 Life Magazine

Ipana Squeeze Bottle

January 24, 1959 Saturday Evening Post 



This Squibb Broxodent looks pretty slick for 1963

February 22, 1963 Life Magazine

What is Gardol and WD-9 anyways??

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Jell-O

And even more sweets for this week!  How about some Jell-O?


"Six delicious flavors"
January 1955 Life Magazine


March 14, 1955 Life Magazine


"Now there are seven delicious flavors"
March 28, 1955 Life Magazine


"new Black Cherry"
February 1957 Life Magazine


"10 delicious flavors"
February 1957 Life Magazine


February 21, 1955 Life Magazine

And some Royal competition with vitamin C

April 1957 American Home Magazine

You can read some Jell-O history here and here.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Life Savers

How about some more candy ads this week?
Life Savers 5¢ a roll back in the 50s and 60s

February 1957 Life Magazine



January 1957 Life Magazine



March 25, 1957 Life Magazine



March 7, 1955 Life Magazine

Monday, February 13, 2012

Chocolate!

"All you really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt" 
- Charles Schultz
I'm loving the vintage chocolate ads!  And Valentine's Day is a great day for giving and receiving some.
Mars Bar

February 21, 1955 Life Magazine

January 1955 Life Magazine

January 1957 Life Magazine

February 1957 Life Magazine

March 1957 Life Magazine

Milky Way

March 7, 1955 Life Magazine

February 1955 Life Magazine

Brach's
 
February 21, 1955 Life Magazine


February 1957 Life Magazine

Baby Ruth

February 1962 Life Magazine

Whitman's

February 1962 Life Magazine

Nabisco

February 1, 1963 Life Magazine

A bit of a caveat - many of you know I'm very active in the food allergy community.  So I am quite aware that a little chocolate CAN  hurt if it contains or has been contaminated with an ingredient like milk or nuts that a loved one is allergic to.  However, unless your allergy is to chocolate itself - "a little SAFE chocolate  now and then can't hurt".