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Income Inequality- The Chilling Facts
Decked out in their luxurious Russian Lynx or Persian lamb fur coats, harsh winter was no problem at all for Depression era well-to-do; figuring out how to pay for the winter fuel was a problem for...
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Matriculating Into Mid Century Matrimony
The graduating class of 1960 was forever enshrined in the vintage illustration on the right that appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in Sept. 1960. Depicting Smith College graduation the...
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Then and Now: Mad Men World of 1969
Photo by Michael Varish/AMC As Mad Men finishes its bumpy ride through the tumultuous decade of the 1960s it makes an anything but a soft landing in 1969, splashing down in laid back do your own thing...
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Chocolate Easter Bunnies
Vintage ad Whitman’s Sampler for Easter 1951 For some, Easter is all about the candy Candy manufacturers have all hopped on the Easter candy bandwagon by painting some pastel colors on their usual year...
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Road Trips and Rest Stops
Pack up and Go! Summer road trips have long been an American staple. Joining the millions of other mid-century family’s, my own suburban family took to the road in search of summertime family fun. Want...
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Join the Army See the World
No matter the season, mid-century Americans in unprecedented numbers were venturing out into the cold war world traveling abroad as never before spending billions of dollars on fun for all vacations....
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Christopher Columbus- America Dreaming
The Spirit of 1492- Christopher Columbus was the very spirit of our Founding Fathers. Vintage illustrations (L) Spirit of 1776 (R) Columbus from “A Child’s Book of Mankind Through the Ages” by E....
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Ghosts of American Dreams Past
A Fundamental Failure- Whats wrong with this picture? Vintage illustration from 1944 advertisement Once upon a time the promise of “skies the limit” was fundamental to the American Dream. Now...
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The Unequal State of America
Out of balance wealth distribution. A huge share of the nations economic growth over the past 30 years has gone to the top 1 hundredth of 1 percent When you walk into the voting booth today, vote...
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Vintage Fall Follies
Burning Leaves- Hokey Smokey! The smell of burning leaves is forever seared in my mind. As memorable as the blazing orange and red colors of the fall leaves of my childhood were , it was the vibrant...
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Revisiting Thanksgiving 1960 pt II
Vintage school book illustration “Fun With Dick & Jane” 1951 Visiting Grandparents on the farm It was Thanksgiving weekend of 1960. Just like the mythical Dick, Jane and Sally would visit...
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The Validity of Vaccines
As discredited vaccine studies continue to impact public health, President Obama urges “Get your kids vaccinated” Voluntary vaccinations …really? The reality of vaccines is clear. They are safe. They...
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The Measles Crisis of October
There was a time when measles was all but wiped out I remember a time, not so long ago, when measles were just a memory. Now the political debate over measles and vaccines has exploded creating a...
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How the Mad Men of Madison Avenue Got Rosie the Riveter to Man Up
Advertisers sang Rosies praise, proudly applauding the “resourcefulness and ingenuity of American Women.” Once upon a time, women workers were not only highly sought after they were lavished with...
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An Age Old Problem: Women and Aging
Limiting and less than flattering portrayal of older women once populated the pop culture landscape. Cougars circa 1974. Playboys “horny granny” cartoon by Robert Brown was a parody of the sexy...
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Marriage Equality For All
It’s time to allow everyone the opportunity to carry their loved one over the threshold into equality Everybody Should Say I Do! As spring begins, the window opens for the chance to be a June bride,...
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A Sweet Mothers Day
My sweet Grandmother had a sweet tooth. Whether Bartons, Barricini, or Lofts, chocolate was the common currency of celebration. But Mothers Day meant only one thing- a Whitman’s Sampler. Through the...
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I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke
The debate about Mad Men’s ending may continue for years, but no one can debate the fact that Coca Cola has succeeded in getting the world to buy a Coke. With the final image of Don Draper meditating...
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Boy Scout Leaders Morally Straight and… Gay
Glancing through a Boy Scout handbook, you notice how filled it is with skills you must learn and rules you must follow. before 2013, the rules for joining the Boy Scouts hadn’t changed much from...
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A Test of Gender
The school term was ending and community college sophomore Ginger Hawkins had taken all the tests and quizzes a gal could stand. Except one…maybe the most important test she would take that year....
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