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Official Scouting Uniforms and Equipment, 1975-1976 In light of the Boy Scouts’ recent decision to go “gender-neutral” and begin accepting girls, this page from the official 1975-1976 Scouting uniforms and equipment catalog is an interesting earlier snapshot of the role of females in the organization. “Den Mothers” and “Lady Scouters” were/are the female versions of Scoutmasters. … Continue reading Scouts…or Stews?
Here’s a page of fireworks fun to ignite the imagination of any red-blooded American boy from 83 summers ago, dreaming of the fun to be had on the Fourth of July. All good– except for one thing… Continue reading Fireworks
1915-era Outfits suitable for women who ventured outdoors in a motorcar. Looks like they would be hot in summer… Continue reading Just the Thing for Automobiling
Top Value Stamps, 1969: You might expect to buy a model train made of diamonds from a catalog if the company is Neiman-Marcus, but would you expect to buy a full-size plane from a Top Value trading stamps catalog? Continue reading The Sky’s the Limit
Some catalogs are huge productions: thousands of pages, plenty of color, tremendous variety. Some catalogs are not. They are simply serviceable, solid, and sturdy. If your product is screen doors and windows… Continue reading Screen Doors & Nothing More.
As a sport, baseball in the 1930s was a national obsession in a way that was probably unmatched in America’s history. And everything you needed to play the Great American Pastime could be found on this oversized double-page spread. Continue reading Take me out to the Sandlot
Lilley Luggage, 1931 In a day when travel is quick and airlines discourage us from checking bags with us, it takes a real mental effort to consider travel preparation from long ago. When crossing the country or the ocean took days or weeks by train or by boat, you really had to take packing seriously … Continue reading Serious Luggage for Serious Travelers
Garden catalogs are — pardon the pun – a perennial. Wards devoted the first 11 pages of this 1961 garden catalog to no less than 73 varieties of roses… Continue reading A Riot of Roses
I’ve never walked into a Sears store and walked out with bees. Never even considered it. And actually I guess I never COULD have walked into a Sears Store and walked out with bees or beekeeping supplies. But I could have ordered them from a Sears Catalog… Continue reading Guess you had to BEE there
D.M. Ferry Seeds Almanac and Catalogue, 1908 / What the heck is “Salisfy”? Not only are some of the vegetables obscure, some of the spellings are too: “Spinage” and “Ruta Baga” look funny to modern eyes. But Ferry must know what they were writing about – in 1908 the company was already 52 years old. Thriving, too… Continue reading The Season for Salisfy
