Abraham Lincoln

February 12:  Happy 203rd birthday to our sixteenth president!

From Visiting Vintage

I had a penny collection as a child – I think initially it was so I could earn a Girl Scout badge.

From Visiting Vintage

My parent’s penny ante poker jar was a great resource for picking Lincoln cents. My most vintage one is 1910

From Visiting Vintage

The first Lincoln penny was minted in 1909 to commemorate his 100th birthday. It had a “wheat back” until his Sesquicentennial commemorated in 1959 with the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse side. I didn’t realize until I was surfing around the ‘net yesterday that for the bicentennial of his birthday three years ago, there were four different backs – I missed it! If you did, too check them out here. And then in 2010 we first saw the Union Shield. The archiver in me wants to get my penny collection up to date. I wish one of my kids would continue the tradition . . .

In 2004 we roadtripped to Wisconsin for my Aunt and Uncle’s 50th wedding anniversary. On the way home we drove to Lincoln’s Tomb in Springfield, Illinois.
A bit of a thrill for me to be at a historic site.

From Visiting Vintage

From Visiting Vintage

I’ve been happily perusing Life Magazines housed in the library where I work. The cover story from the February 15, 1963 edition: “Rare photographs, new-found facts tell the incredible story of What Happened To Lincoln’s Body”

From Vintage Goodness

Apparently Lincoln’s body was exhumed at least twice to verify it had not been stolen. The photos in this article are from 1901 (no, there are no photos of his corpse!). It was confirmed that it was, in fact, Abraham Lincoln's body in the tomb

“The coffin was lowered into the cage and two tons of cement poured down, rolling and lapping about the metal like lava. Mr. Lincoln is still there, 10 feet beneath the floor and more than a million people make the pilgrimage to his tomb each year.” (page 88)

Google books has the article - (hopefully the links I'm using work).
Rare photos of Lincoln's exhumation: strange history brought to light
And his face was chalky white

Securely laid to rest at the site we visited in 2004.

Here is Abraham Lincoln as a celebrity endorser in a February 1957 Life Magazine

From Vintage Goodness

The “Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln” offered in February 1962 for only $5.95 by the History Book Club (if you agreed to buy four more books in 12 months . . . )

From Vintage Goodness

Above the photo: “Life mask taken 60 days before Lincoln’s death. The hand was cast in 1860” Kind of cool AND kind of creepy.

President Lincoln probably had no idea he'd be a daily part of our life (if we paused to think about the pennies in our pockets).  I think of him on occasion as someone who fought and sacrificed to right wrongs.

Almost a century and a half since your death and we are remembering you, Mr. Lincoln.

Valentine theme ads

I'm having fun looking through some old Life Magazines.  Enjoy these Valentine's theme ads.

Norcross Valentines

February 4, 1957 Life Magazine

Doubl-Glo juvenile Valentines

February 1963 Life Magazine

Arrow Men's fashion

February 1957 Life Magazine

Manhattan Valentine gifts for men

February 1957 Life Magazine

Swank men's jewelry

February 1957 Life Magazine

Bell Telephone long distance rates

February 1957 Life Magazine

February 1955 Life Magazine


Miss Clairol

February 1957 Life Magazine

Green Giant Green Peas

February 1957 Life Magazine

Swel Frosting

February 1962 American Home Magazine

Whitman's Sampler

February 1955 Life Magazine

February 1962 Life Magazine

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

Cold & Flu season ads

Cold and flu season can be quite lengthy.  It's a huge marketing opportunity.

Mistol Mist "Spray away Misery of Head Colds"

From Vintage Goodness

January 1955 Life Magazine

Medigum Cough Gum

From Vintage Goodness

January 1955 Life Magazine

Little Lulu and Kleenex Pocket Pack

From Vintage Goodness

January 1955 Life Magazine

Scotties Cold Weather Challenge

From Vintage Goodness

February 1955 Life Magazine

Listerine Antiseptic - Quick!

From Vintage Goodness

February 1955 Life Magazine

Coldene's "5 Stages of the Common Cold and how to attach each"

From Vintage Goodness

January 1957 Life Magazine

Tabcin . . . far better than aspirin

From Vintage Goodness

January 1957 Life Magazine

Vicks medicated cough drops

From Vintage Goodness

January 1957 Life Magazine

Bromo Quinine "Complete Relief at any Stage of a Cold"

From Vintage Goodness

February 1957 Life Magazine

Beech Nut Wild Cherry Cough Drops

From Vintage Goodness

Feb 1962 Life Magazine

Rexall Prompt Relief

From Vintage Goodness

Feb 1962 Life Magazine

Bayer Aspirin for Colds and Flu (Bayer for Children, too)

From Vintage Goodness

February 1962 Life Magazine

From Vintage Goodness

December 1967 American Home Magazine

Get Well Soon!

From Vintage Goodness

January 1957 Life Magazine

Seattle Snow

Still snowing in the Seattle area!  HistoryLink.org has an interesting article on past Seattle snow storms .

I found a newspaper clipping from page 3 of the February 6, 1916 Seattle Sunday Times that my grandmother-in-law, Maren saved in her scrapbook from the 1916 storm. (click on the photo for a clearer view)

From Maren Nielsen Andersen's album

The photo caption reads
"Seattle Snow scene 1916: "Snow aids live-wire Seattle business men to advertise goods and humorous abilities - Snow Mound and Advertising placards. Enormous piles of snow in Seattle streets have given up-to-date advertisers and jokesmiths opportunity to call attention to their wares and also comment on abnormal weather conditions. In the picture a snowpile in front of the Pioneer Printing Company's plant, Fourth Ave. and Marion St., is shown with some chatty advertising signs adorning its top, and at the right under the sign "Old Snow" is B. L. Swezea of the printing concern.
Similarly decorated piles are to be found throughout the downtown district advertising everything from “Spareribs, 13c Per Pound,” to some wag’s impression of snow in Washington, which read “This Is the Evergreen State – What?
An enterprising cosetiere on Second Avenue had several boxes bearing illustrations of her goods stuck in the top of a snowpile near the entrance to her store, and nearly every business house accepted the opportunity to have some advertising matter so displayed that passersby might realize that store was still in business."

Something to warm you

There's snow in the Pacific Northwest lowlands!  And we're even expecting more.  No more settling for vintage ads with snow and ice .

Soup and cocoa to warm you on a wintry day

From Vintage Goodness

(January 24, 1959 - Saturday Evening Post)

From Vintage Goodness

(February 1959 American Home Magazine)

From Vintage Goodness

(February 1961 American Home Magazine)

From Vintage Goodness

(December 1967 American Home Magazine)

Have fun in the snow! 

Fifth Birthday Party

I'm celebrating a milestone birthday today. I suppose it makes me even more nostalgic than other times when I decide to visit vintage.

My fifth birthday party. Classic games like London Bridge



and pin the tail on the tiger (?)


Bubble pipes for party favors.  The cake stand was a music box, you turned the plate to make it play. I believe my crown says "Happy New Year"

Some of my gifts:
Jumpin' Mrs. Potato Head!

and I remember the rubbery brown "wig" on top of the piano here

And I still have a book I received that birthday - Dr. Seuss' Happy Birthday to You!  I read it several years to my kids on their birthdays.

From Visiting Vintage

You can peek inside some of the pages on Amazon.

Too many birthdays to remember them all but old photos sure help.

Snow in January 1959 ads

In the beautiful Pacific Northwest lowlands we aren't guaranteed snow every winter.  So far this year none.  But I'm enjoying some snow and ice based images from the January 24, 1959 Saturday Evening Post

From Vintage Goodness

From Vintage Goodness

(not sure what skiing and smoking have to do with each other but I kinda liked the vintage gloves)

From Vintage Goodness

From Vintage Goodness

From Vintage Goodness