Vintage Halloween Candy Ads-1940s and 1950s

It’s that time of the year…Halloween!

One of the great things about Halloween is all the goodies you can get (even if you don’t hand any out) and since this is a vintage blog I thought we could browse some of the vintage ads of all the yummy candies that would have landed in kids bags during the 1940s and 1950s.

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First up-WOWE-E.

I have never heard of this candy before, but the fact that it whistles fills my heart with joy.

Source: Flickr-Val

mmmmmm Cracker Jacks. I’m positive you would have been the favorite on the block if you handed this treat out.

 

FULL Candy bars! Nothing teeny tiny here. Wow can you imagine the sugar high these kids would have been on after eating multiples of those?

I will take the Butterfinger please…and maybe the Baby Ruth too while we are at it.

Souce: Flickr-Christian Montone

Woolworth’s, your one stop shop for all things Halloween.

Source: retroist.com

Milky Way Candy Bars are still a favorite of mine today.

Source: Flickr-Val

I have heard of Snickers, and Milky Way but never the “Forever Yours”. Have you?

This ad makes me giggle that a tree is eating a chocolate bar.

Source: Flickr-Val

Curtiss Treats! Another candy I have not heard of “Saf-T-Pops”. They look really interesting though, don’t you think?

I was not a 50’s child but I remember in the 80s getting small boxed cereal in my treat bag and loving it! Cereal for dessert?? Yes I will thank you.

1950s Kellogg’s ad – Source: http://www.grayflannelsuit.net/

I was actually craving Dubble Bubble just yesterday, and now after seeing this adorable 1952 ad I really want some.

Source-Layla Jones

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So my friends, if you were able to go out on Halloween what was your favorite treat? What did your home pass out to kids?

Happy Halloween!

Liz 🙂

Vintage Glamour-The Historic Royal York Hotel, Toronto Canada

This Sunday I am going for High Tea at the Beautiful and Historic Royal York Hotel in Toronto.

I have been to this hotel many times in my life (staying there a couple of times with my family before I moved to Toronto) and every time I’m blown away by its grandeur. It truly is a sight to see when visiting Toronto, a vintage lovers dream.

Source: Wikipedia

History

The Royal York opened it’s doors on June 11, 1929. It was the tallest building in the British Commonwealth and quickly set the hospitality standard of the day. The magnificent hotel became known as a city within a city, rising in 28 floors of architectural splendor and replete with mechanical genius and opulence never before seen in Toronto.

It boasted 1,048 rooms – each with radios, private showers and bathtubs. The 1.5 acres of public rooms included a 12-bed hospital, 12,000-book library and ten ornate passenger elevators. The Concert Hall featured a full stage and mammoth pipe organ weighing 50 tons, which surpassed anything else in Canada with 300 miles of copper wire. There was a glass-enclosed roof garden, the largest hotel kitchen in Canada with a bakery that could produce over 15,000 French rolls a day, a 66-ft.long switchboard manned by 35 telephone operators, its own bank and golf course (now known as St. George Golf & Country) (Source).

1929 Ad for the opening of the hotel. Source: AdClassix.com

The Hotel on Front Street, 1930s.   Source: Toronto Archives

Thank you to the Fairmont Royal York for finding this AMAZING sketch of the fashions wore during the opening Gala Ball on June 11, 1929.

I will take…all the outfits!

Source: Fairmont Royal York Hotel

Vintage Image of the Lobby

The Lobby Today..pretty similar.

Below is a sketch of the Royal York Hotel ballroom, clearly in the year that it opened from the outfits I see.

According to the Fairmont Royal York Pinterest Page:

When the Royal York hotel opened its doors on June 11, 1929, it brought about a new social era, attracting a true “who’s who” list of royalty, celebrities, dignitaries and leisure travellers to the city of Toronto. On opening night, the Royal York hosted four grand balls where guests dined and danced until the wee hours of the morning. It set a new standard in luxury, elegance and entertainment.

Source: Fairmont Royal York Hotel

The Ballroom looks exactly like it did when it first opened-Stunning!

Royal York Ballroom Toronto

The Hotel did everything top-notch. Look how stylish the Bartenders look in the 1940s?

I wonder what they are making, it looks delightful whatever it is.

Source: Toronto Archives

What a Buffet! Can you see the Ice Sculpture Deer in the background? I love fun details like that.

Source: Toronto Archives

Image of the 66 foot long telephone switchboard that required 35 operators to run it.

Source: Fairmont Royal York Hotel

Of course a hotel on this grand of scale also had to have amazing entertainment.

Quote from the Fairmont Royal York Pinterest Page:

The Imperial Room was once the most sought after show room in North America, when it opened in the hotel in 1929 it was the city’s newest and most elegant dining and dancing establishment. It defined the Toronto social scene as the meeting site of high society functions and big band shows. The stage of the Imperial Room has seen headlining acts such as Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald and Bob Hope.

Source: Fairmont Royal York Hotel

The early bands often were employed by hotels, and many bore their employers’ names, eg, in Montreal, the Windsor Hotel Orchestra and Andy Tipaldi and his Ritz-Carlton Orchestra. The largest hotels in Canada had successions of orchestras which, by the 1950s and 1960s, also came to be used as showbands to accompany individual performers. Leaders at the Royal York Hotel (Toronto) have included Charles Bodley, Fred Culley, Rex Battle, Don Romanelli, Billy Bissett, Horace Lapp, Stanley St. John,Moxie Whitney, and Howard Cable (Source).

The band below is clearly the house band of the Royal York as the signs say “RY”. What kind of music do you think they are playing if the first row is all Violins?

Source: Fairmont Royal York Hotel

Guests from all walks of life stayed at the hotel, like Bob Hope, Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly (swoon) and even….Queen Elizabeth II (seen below).

Source: Fairmont Royal York Hotel

Here is an adorable image of an Ice Follies performer in the 1940s who was staying there. How cute is that outfit??

Source: Toronto Archives

Royal York also had various advertising campaigns over the years. Here are some great vintage ads.

I adore this cute early 1960s ad (I think) for their meeting rooms. Reminds me of a Mad Men episode.

Source: Fairmont Royal York Hotel

Looking to get married? The Royal York I will do the job nicely.

This ad is clearly from the same illustrator as above, love it.

Source: The Fairmont Royal York

The Royal York has even hosted fun events like this Direct Broadcast party of the Grey Cup (superbowl of Canada) in November 1956.

Source: Toronto Archives

Complete with Marching Girls.

Source; Toronto Archives

Many clubs and companies hosted events at the Hotel over the years, like The Electric Club from the 1930s-50s. Who apparently liked their menus to have pretty girls in swimsuits on the front (and lassie).

Source: Fairmont Royal York

After looking thru all these photos, reading stories on the Royal York I’m thrilled the Fairmont and Toronto has seen value in keeping it standing after all these years because this truly is a fantastic piece of Toronto History.

Source: Fairmont Royal York Hotel

 

So Friends..have you been to the RY? Or do you have a favorite vintage hotel? Do Tell!

Liz 🙂

Jinx Falkenburg-1930s and 1940s “Did It All” Girl

Recently while out and about in Toronto, I stumbled upon the following image of Jinx Falkenburg in a Sports store.

Source: Corbis Images

I asked the sales lady who the woman was and she proclaimed that it was the famous Jinx! “Famous Jinx I asked?” “Yes she said the Famous Jinx from the 1930s and 40s!” I scratched my head and ran off to the internet and discovered that I DID know who Jinx Falkenburg was! Well..sort of. You see I discovered that she stared in “Cover girl” a movie I have seen at least a million times but apparently never paid much attention to after the movie was over. How terrible of me! Like really terrible 😦 Sorry vintage movie buffs everywhere.

Jinx is amazing!

Born in Barcelona, Spain, to American parents, her father Eugene “Genie” Lincoln Falkenburg was an engineer for Westinghouse. Thinking the name would bring good luck, she was nicknamed Jinx by her mother Marguerite “Mickey” Crooks Falkenburg, an accomplished athlete and tennis player (Brazil women’s champion in 1927), and the name stuck (Source: Wikipedia).

She was an actress:

Tahiti Nights-1944

Source: Flickr-Vintage Stars

 Nine Girls-1944

I LOVE her outfit in the picture! Her shoes are outstanding, just outstanding.

Source: Flickr-Vintage Stars

Jinx Falkenburg and Evelyn Keyes find a pleasant way to pass the time between their scenes in Nine Girls (Source: A Certain Cinema)

 Cover Girl-1944

Jinx looking stunning in the movie

Two Senoritas from Chicago-1943

Source: ebay

Other Movies:

• The Lone Ranger Rides Again-1939
• Two Latins from Manhattan-1941
• Sing For Your Supper-1941
• Laugh Your Blues Away-1942
• Lucky Legs-1942
• Sweetheart of the Fleet-1942
• Meet Me On Broadway-1946

She was also an expert Swimmer

While living in Santiago, Chile where she spent her early years she first received media attention at age two when the New York Sun ran a full-page picture and story of her exploits as a “baby swimmer.” (Source: Wikipedia).

Bowler (as seen in first picture above)

and Tennis Star

Source: farm3.staticflickr.com

Jinx the Tennis Star in 1949

Jinx also was a famous model–One of the highest-paid and most ubiquitous cover-girl models in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. 

A revolution in Chile caused the family to return to the United States and the family moved to Los Angeles, California. She attended Hollywood High School but left in 1935 at the age of 16 to pursue a career in acting and modeling.

In 1937 her modeling career took off when she met celebrity fashion photographer Paul Hesse,whose Sunset Strip studio was a gathering place for advertising moguls and motion picture industry celebrities. Calling her “the most charming, most vital personality I have ever had the pleasure to photograph”, he took her picture for the August 1937 cover of The American Magazine, triggering similar offers from 60 other publications. Falkenburg eventually wound up on over 200 magazine covers and in some 1,500 commercial advertisements in the 1930s and 1940s. She was considered to be one of the most beautiful women of that era, known for her All-American girl athletic good looks. The New Yorker magazine said she “possessed one of the most photogenic faces and frames in the Western world.” The New York World Telegram claimed her face was seen more often and in more places than any other woman in the country. And a headline story in the January 27, 1941 Life Magazine said Jinx Falkenburg “is the leading candidate for America’s No. 1 Girl for 1941.”  (Source: Wikipedia).

Source: Old arts and Photographs of the world

Source: Flickr-Vintage Stars

Source: Flickr-Glen.H

Her biggest breakthrough as a model came in 1940 when she was picked by New York-based Liebmann Brewery, maker of Rheingold Beer, to be the first “Miss Rheingold.”

Liz Note: I love a good beer so I support this move completely 🙂

Source: Photobucket

Jinx also was a big supporter of the USO during the war and traveled extensively entertaining troops.

India-Burma-China, November 1944. Harry Brown, Betty Yeaton, soldier, Jinx Falkenberg, Pat O’Brien, Ruth and Jimmy Dodd. Source:Flickr- califboy101

In her personal life she married a journalist and influential publicist Tex McCrary in 1945.

This ad is too funny!

In 1947, McCrary and Falkenburg had their first network TV show, Jinx and Tex at Home, broadcast Sunday nights on NBC. The program combined film and live interviews of celebrities in their residences (Source: Wikipedia). It was a huge hit and started the ball in motion for other endeavors together.

They divorced in 1980 sadly but remained friends till his death in 2003, one month before Jinx (August 27th, 2003).

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And there you have it, a brief overview of a woman that really “Did it all”. I think she is fantastic and I really enjoyed learning about her life of which I did not post all here (so please go and investigate more yourself).

Liz 🙂

 

What to wear when it’s raining-1930s to 1950s Inspiration

It’s raining today which got me thinking that every time it rains I tend to throw on a pair of very un-stylish rain boots and trudge thru the mess to do what life needs me to do. Well I have decided…no more! I want to look “vintage rain gear chic” and not “I don’t want to get wet so lets just throw this on“. But what should I be looking for to help achieve this look? What did the women wear in the 1930’s-1950’s to keep dry?

Lets take a look shall we?

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1930s Rainwear ad. 

I’m a big fan of the transparent raincoat (top on the right) which you will see a few more times below. Your outfit will never be hidden! Honestly though all those coats are pretty fantastic in this ad.

Source

This is a early 1930s Canadian ad for a slicker called “Whooppee Slicker”. Comes in fun patterns I must say.

Source

1940’s raincoat and rain hat

Source

Here are your transparent rain coats for both men and women made from Vinylite Plastics-1946 ad

Another plastic transparent rain coat from Follow me Quietly, 1949

Source

Rain coats for the whole family in the 1950s! The green coat is so beautiful and did you notice her boots?? Check out the ad just below!

Looking for some vintage rain boots that are also transparent?? Look no further than these darling “Rain Dears” with bow! Can I have 10???

1953 ad for Firestone Velon Plastic. Love that even the dog has a rain coat 🙂

Source

I cannot end this post without referencing some great rain-wear photos from “Singin in the Rain”

I want Debbie Reynolds boots in this picture

Well I think I have lots of ideas now on what to wear, I just need to find them, so off I go to Etsy.

Do you have a vintage rain coat or boots or look that you just adore?

Liz

Keeping Warm “Bomb Girls” Style

Note: This is a re-post as I wrote this at the beginning of last year when not very many people were reading my blog lol! I thought it would be good to share again because I enjoyed writing it 🙂

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My favorite Canadian show was “Bomb Girls“before it sadly got cancelled (at the original time I wrote this post the show was going into second season) and it was noted for having some pretty great 1940s styles. Since we are in a deep freeze here in the Great White North I wanted to share some pictures of the warm and cozy winter “outerwear” clothes that have been making an appearance on the show and maybe inspire you to “1940s/Bomb Girls” your winter outerwear wardrobe up a bit.

(photo’s courtesy of bomb girls Facebook page)

I love this Jacket and the fur collar a lot and might need to find a place for this in my home (The fur does not have to be real FYI if you’re recreating looks). Time for some shopping on Etsy or at my local vintage shops! For some modern shopping, Slice network just did a blog post on where you can buy a similar look if you wish to check out their blog.

Note…So while looking for said jacket I found a lovely blog called “Butterflies and Daisys Vintage” and she has posted family pictures from the 40’s. There is an amazing photo 3 down that reminds so much of the jacket that Gladys is wearing in this picture. Do you agree?

Love the mixing of the colours.

The medium brim red felt hat that Vera is wearing is spot on 1940’s correct. As for the boots I know Galoshes were popular as they could be worn right over top of the shoes but I also found an ad for rubber boots (see below). I know Vera is not wearing rubber boots but the boots in the ad remind me of her boots in this picture a little bit.

Gaytees-Galoshes

Betty and Kate are wearing classic jackets with Kate (on the right), beautiful brown tailored jacket and beret being the easiest to be found in regular & vintage clothing stores.

Even in winter time some days are warmer than others and you can get away with slipping on a nice shorter tailored jacket over top of your 1940’s dresses as seen on Lorna. Notice the classic peplum styling at the bottom of the jacket which is key for a 1940’s look. Lucky for your Peplum is everywhere right now (if your buying “non vintage) so your going to get lucky. I also love the blues, so gorgeous.

Example: Here is a pic of me in November (sorry for the terrible iPhone pic) wearing the tailored jacket over my 1940’s reproduction Trashy Diva dress

Lastly, for great winter hat ideas check out a recent blog post I wrote about 1940’s Ladies Hats which you can find HERE.

So there is some 1940’s winter outerwear inspiration for you to take with you when you go shopping either online or in stores. I know I’m inspired by all that colour going across my TV screen and I plan to visit my fav vintage shops and even some “regular” stores for colourful scarfs, hats and gloves to bring more glorious colour and style into my winter wardrobe. Will you be doing the same?

Liz 🙂

Vintage Vegas-Golden Nugget

I’m off to Las Vegas again for an event this weekend…yay! I’m only spending 3 nights in Vegas and then back to cold cold Canada I go. Got to save up those vacation days for VIVA Rockabilly weekend. While we are there we are staying at one of my favorite hotels, the “Golden Nugget“. I adore this hotel so very very much, it just screams old school Vegas. I also love Fremont Street that the hotel is on, so much fun to just wander from casino to casino, bar to bar exploring everything.

I thought for this post it might be fun to explore a bit about the Golden Nugget and see what we can unearth about one of my favorite hotels.

Brief History of the Golden Nugget

The Golden Nugget was originally built-in 1946, making it one of the oldest casinos in the city. It was designed as a casino only as opposed to a combination casino and hotel. It’s original bullnose and signage was designed by Young Electric sign designers Kermit Wayne and Hermon Boernge. The 1905 on the sign (under the small Golden Nugget name) led many to believe that the Golden Nugget had been part of the original development of Fremont Street but that was a myth. Because of its bullnose and signage, the Golden Nugget became one of the most photographed buildings on Fremont Street. “Everyone knew the Golden Nugget sign” said the late president of the LVCVA, Manny Cortez (Source: Classic Las Vegas).

When the casino opened it was the largest and most luxurious casino in downtown Las Vegas. It had mahogany bars, imported marble floors and crystal chandeliers (seen below).

(Image source)

In the 1960s more properties beside the Nugget were purchased but no expansion ever happened and it continued to remain as just a casino. That all changed though in the 70s when Steve Wynn purchased the casino and turned it into the hotel/casino we know it as today (note: it is no longer owned by Wynn and has gone thru some dramatic face-lifts but it’s still a hotel/casino and very beautiful inside).

Some fun facts about the Golden Nugget

• In keeping with its name the Golden Nugget is home to the worlds largest gold nugget-“The hand of Faith” weighing 61 lbs., 11oz.

• Frank Sinatra in 1984 at the twilight of his career performed at the Nuggets theater ballroom, a room that he actually inaugurated along with Willie Nelson. It was also rumored that he nicknamed the ballroom-” the dungeon” because it was so small but it must have not been too bad because it was his home for 3 years.
  

• Negotiations to build the Golden Nugget took 30 minutes.
• From 1946 until 1950, poker players dealt their own cards in no-limit games. The Golden Nugget was the first casino to introduce the center deal (a dealer who deals the cards to players).
• The bar was a reproduction of an actual Carson Street bar during the Comstock boom, and each piece was hand fitted and carved.
• The Golden Nugget was designed to replicate the original Golden Nugget built on San Francisco’s Barbary Coast.
• 20,000 guests were invited to the opening.
• A ribbon was wrapped around the Spa Tower for its 1984 Grand Opening (Source: Golden Nugget website).

Such fun facts!

I hope you enjoyed my little post on the Golden Nugget and now I’m off to pack and head off to enjoy my own Vintage Vegas experience just like the below picture.

 Image by © Michael Ochs Archives/Corbis

Have you been to Las Vegas and enjoyed the Golden Nugget? Any tips on some great Vintage Vegas places to check out?

Liz 🙂

I have a cold! Lets see what some vintage remedies ads can do to help

I have a cold and it sucks and I’m trying to weather the storm but as it lingers on and on and on and on I’m starting to believe no end is in sight! So I’m turning to some vintage cold ads for help, well not literally but I thought it would be fun to see what a 1940s/50s gal did when she was dealing with a pesky cold.

As a marketer in my 9-5 job, I think this “666” ad is pretty funny and would not really fly in today’s world, lol!

Yup that is me..”Cold Misery”

Ohhh more help for my cold misery. 2 please!

Such a fun and colorful ad! I feel better already from just looking at it. Is that Abraham Lincoln handing out cough drops?

That is what I have been doing wrong! Oops 🙂

To end, lets listen to poor Miss Adelaide from Guys and Dolls talk about her cold, brought on by a certain someone not giving her a ring (I can totally see that happening lol).

Question: What do you do to fix up your colds my vintage friends?

Liz 🙂