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One era’s common knowledge is another era’s “Hunh?” If you’re under 30, what could you tell me about the gadget pictured on the back cover of this catalog? Continue reading “Breaker-Breaker One-Nine”
It’s a common situation I’m sure we’ve all found ourselves in at one time or another. You’re ridin’ the range on your trusty horse, when suddenly a grizzly bear rises up behind a rock, all lethal claws and fangs… Continue reading The World-famous Winchester
Montgomery Ward, Summer 1976 Your homework assignment for today: Compare and contrast the 1976-era bathing suits on these two pages of the 1976 Montgomery Ward catalog with the swimsuits shown in my previous post from the 1922 Montgomery Ward catalog. Forty-four years between the two catalogs. Pens at the ready? Go! For extra credit, consider … Continue reading Sea-ductive Swimwear
Montgomery Ward & Co, 1922 The start of the roaring ’20s’ and swimsuits were still modest – for the men as well as women. Although not quite as fully covering as swimwear from a decade before (arms and legs are starting to show) they still cover more than they reveal. Look at the “hero” outfit … Continue reading “Add to the Summer Joy of Bathing”
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
